Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist
The last difference is, The end of the Law (saith he) was to bondage, fear, tutorship, revealing of sin, outward conformity, the end of the Gospel-Laws is to love, newness of Spirit, praise and thanksgiving for righteousness, and life received.
Answ. Bondage and fear (servile, such as he meaneth here) was never any proper, or intrinsical end of the Law, the Law is spiritual, and can command no sin, nor have any intrinsical end that is sinful; servile fear, is sinful fear. This is an use of the Law which God maketh, through occasion of our sinful condition: and holy fear that the Law commandeth, is the end of the Gospel-Laws as well as love, Gospel-grace teacheth us to fear God, and to walk in godly fear. Its true, we were shut up under the Law, that the Law might be to us, in its bloody ordinances, and legal washings, and cursings, a herald of our guiltiness, and a rigid exactor and craver of our debts, to compel us to run to the surety, and as the persuer and avenger of blood, to drive us to our feet, that upon life and death, we may escape to Jesus, our City of refuge, our sanctuary, and be safe ; not that for doing of the Law we may be justified, but we come to Christ, also to the end, we may sow to the Spirit, walk in holiness, not because we have heaven in complete fruition already, but that we may attain the resurrection of the dead, and may come by life eternal, the free reward of grace.
CHAP. LXV. The Gospel is a rare Covenant of grace.
WEe agree, that the Gospel is not a Covenant; such as is between God and man in Law-terms, like this, If ye do, without a Mediators grace, perfectly, ye shall live? God in a manner said of the Crown, Buy heaven, and win it, and have it. Give works without grace, and its your own. 2. Nor is the Gospel such a covenant, as is between man and man, in which he fulfils his part, and he is the one, not helping the other: but because this is the covenant of grace, all the bones, articles, joints, limbs, lithes, and parts of the covenant, is free grace. Christ undertaketh for his Father, he shall faithfully make good all he says, he undertaketh for himself as surety, to make sure work of the purchase, to buy all with a ransom, an over-ransom; he shall give an over-sum, an infinite price for all he indents for; he engages for the Holy Ghost. I will send you the Comforter. Christ impawneth his word for all the three. Christ bindeth for his people in covenant, to give them of his fullness, to keep them in his truth, to intercede and Advocate for them, that their faith fail not, and to raise them up at the last day ; this last is in no covenants between man and man. But Saltmarsh speaketh not soberly, when he indirectly challengeth the Holy Ghost, as a Legalist; for using the word Covenant, which hath a little (saith he) corrupted some in their Notion of free grace, and makes them conceive a little too Legally of it, for it is a promise. But with his leave, a promise is as legal a word as a covenant, and there be as peculiar characters of God, and of free grace in God's Gospel-promises, above all Law-promises, or promises and bonds between man and man, as in the covenant of grace: nor is any promise between man and man, capable of such free grace, as the Gospel-promises are; and this is a false principle of Antinomians falsely asserted, and never proved. That if righteousness and life, be covenanted to us, upon conditions merely Evangelic, and which the pure, free, unmixed grace of Christ, worketh in us, then life should be purchased by us, not for us.
CHAP. LXVI. Antinomians errors touching the covenant of grace.
ANtinomians grossly mistake the conditions of the Covenant of works, and of grace: they would hold forth, That we were taken into the Covenant of works, upon some condition in us before. But in the New Covenant (saith Saltmarsh) we are not his people, before he be our God first. But I know none whoever wrote, or spoke of free grace, d • d draw the covenant of grace in such a proportion, as that Christ should first woe and sue us to a condition, in which by some preparing grace, we might earn, and as hirelings, work ourselves into a meriting condition, and make ourselves first God's people, and first choose Christ, and provoke free grace; so as, in all reason, and congruity, God must, if he be rational, join in league, and article himself to be our God. Why? We have first articled ourselves, by the condition of honest hirelings, to be his people.
1. This is as much as Christ will never covenant, nor indent to be our husband, while we first make ourselves, by some preparing grace, his married Spouse. For sure this is a Marriage-covenant; we must first make ourselves his people, and then, for shame, he must be our God: as if Marriage-love bred first in our breast, and stood upon this poor leg, the grace of man to God, not the grace of God to lost man.
2. We teach that faith in Christ is both a condition of grace on our part, but not Antecedent and preparatory to the Covenant, and also a grace promised, when the new heart is articled to us; so that Christ bringeth into the covenant himself, his righteousness, his free grace, and the condition of Faith that receives him; just as if the heir of a King should offer to marry a Maid of low birth, upon condition she wear about her neck on the Marriage day, a gold chain, having in it a rich Diamond of the Crown, and withal should oblige himself, under his hand and seal, in the Marriage-contract, both to bestow this chain on her freely, and to infuse a Spirit of grace and love, to close in her heart with such a lover, and to yield consent to the match, and to adorn her self with this chain. Just so doth the Prince of life here, and its a vain thing to parallel this covenant of grace with other covenants.
3. Nor did ever any man before Saltmarsh dream, that Law-obedience was an Antecedent condition of the Covenant of works, with Adam, nor were Adam and Eve in their state of sinless innocence, The people of God, before God was first their God ; for then never man, Adam, nor any other, were under the Law, or Covenant of works, till first they absolved, and kept to the end, a course of perfect obedience. Yea, so there was never on earth, such a thing as a covenant of works, except made with Christ, nor can we say, that God made a Covenant of works with Adam, for his perfect obedience; yet sure, perfect obedience was a condition of the Covenant of works.
Antinomians have a second great mistake of the covenant of grace, while they make it as old as election to glory, and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, its an everlasting covenant indeed, but that is not, because it is not made in time. Christ is an eternal Mediator, and an eternal Priest, and the Lamb slain from eternity, but that was only in God's decree, and eternal purpose, as touching the beginning of his Mediatorship and Priesthood, and so the creation of the World is eternal; but sure, Christ, in the fullness of time, was made of a woman, entered by a calling of God, in time to be Mediator, and Priest, and died not for sinners, till the reign of Tiberius Caesar, as he was borne in the reign of Augustus ; nor were we justified, pardoned, and redeemed from eternity, more then we were effectually called, sanctified, and glorified from eternity. But Antinomians will have our sins pardoned from eternity before we believe. And when were we then borne in sin, and the heirs of wrath by nature, and under condemnation, by the second Adam? Never really. When were we sometimes dead in sins and trespasses, and in time past; walking according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the air? And sometimes, foolish, disobedient, serving divers lusts and pleasures, lyving in malice, and envy, hateful, hating one another? Not when we were justified, if we were justified from eternity, and when we were chosen to glory, before the World was. But so must all our sins before conversion be, but sins in conversation, not in conscience ; and our Murthers, cozening, stealing, persecuting, whoredoms, if we be chosen, and so justified and washed, when we are chosen, are seeming and fancied, not real sins; nor such in themselves, nor to the light of faith, or in God's sight, by this Antinomian dream.
Their third great mistake in the covenant of grace, is in the parties, Saltmarsh tells us that the new covenant is no covenant properly with us, but with Christ for us. Its true, Christ standeth for us, as principal undertaker; who articles, as the second Adam for us, yea, for all his seed, to work the conditions in us; he is the Mediator, surety, witness, Messenger, or Angel of the Covenant for us. But Antinomians will have him so for us, as the Covenant shall oblige us to no duty, or condition of believing to be performed by us, and the Gospel shall tie us to no holy walking. Why? We are, (saith Saltmarsh) to believe, that our believing, repenting, new obedience, mortification, are all true in Christ, who believed, repented, obeyed for us. It is true, we are to believe our repenting, obeying, believing, are true in Christ. 1. As in the meritorious cause, who hath satisfied justice for all our sins, and for the sinful defects in our believing, repenting, obeying. 2. We are to believe, they are true in Christ, as the author, and principal cause, who works in us to will and to do, by his effectual grace. But Antinomians will not have us to believe, they are true in us; as personally, and in ourselves, though by Christ's strength acting them, or doing, or performing the duties of believing, repenting, mortifying our lusts by any obligation of the Law or Gospel commandment.
CHAP. LXVII. Of Legal and Evangelical conversion.
WEe deny not, but there is a Legal conversion, and Gospel terrors, and Gospel-hell fire, and condemnation, and the worm that never dies, and that nature may propose ends to it self, in turning to God outwardly ; and that as incident to Antinomians, as to any generation of people. For it is known that many Antinomians are deluded, not converted by a work of the Law, storming and quelling the conscience, with the smoke and fire-slaughts of everlasting burning, especially where the conscience neighbors wich a Melancholike complexion, and when the party comes to such a Physician as M. Saltmarsh, though there be no inward change in the heart, no evidences either to him, or the deluded soul of a new and inward work, but the party still in the gall of bitterness, no sense of sin, but a dumb beastly feeling of the flashes of hell fire, a Pharaoh -like disposition, the counterfeit white Angel saith to the perplexed soul, Believe everlasting love, and read Pharaoh, and Simon Magus, and your own names in the Lambes Book of life, believe and apply immediately, without care, conscience, or sense of sin, or humiliation, (all these are reprobate money to buy grace, away with them) to come to the blood of atonement; come, though ye be neither weary nor laden, nor pricked in heart with sin; and be ye assuredly persuaded, that that blood was shed for you, that ye are as clean from sin 160. ago, as Christ himself. Honey comb, cap. 3. pag. 25. Mourne no more, be not humbled, do nothing at all, but rest upon what Christ hath done for you, rejoice evermore; sorrowing for sin is Legal unbelief, severe and strict conversation, and a care by doing, to please God, any personal walking with God, is but a legal bargaining with God, to out-buy Christ, and evacuate free grace, and a mixing of Law and Gospel, and confounding of the two Covenants, and of heaven and hell: and presently upon this, the party is as free of doubting till his dying day, as if he were in heaven, still in a merry pin, as if he were above the stars, before the throne, under no Law, above all duties; reads, hears, prays none, but when some immediate rapts of a living active God comes on him a dead passive block in Christ, the Scripture, either Law or Gospel is but a dead Letter, he is neither tied nor awed with Law or Gospel, Precept or Command, nor preaching, nor seals, but is acted by a free Spirit, an immediate light and speech of a Spirit above, and beyond all outward word, or Letter of old or New Testament; except when the Spirit shall speak or apply them to the heart, and then these Commandments tie the outer man, and the flesh, and then they bind not for any authority of the Lawgiver, but for the only Gospel love of Christ, as if Christ had put his Father out of office, whereas Gospel-love commands obedience upon, and for, both the authority of the Lawgiver, and the love of Christ; and when this convert falleth in Adultery, murder, swearing, lying, robbing. 1. It is not he, but the flesh, and sense, and the outward man that doth these. 2. They were remitted and made no sins, and he as clean as Christ from them, before they be committed. 3. The Law hath no more to do with him, then the persuer (saith Saltmarsh ) hath to do with the murderer, who hath fled to the city of refuge.
But Saltmarsh's Legal convert (he meaneth all, not converted the Antinomian way) is not our convert as he dreameth. 1. Because we look not at conversion merely as a change in affection and conversation, without Christ, Faith, and saving grace. 2. Antinomians make all the change in conversion, to be merely imputative, to believe that Christ was converted, and repents for us, and to regard no inward change, 3. It is false, that Saltmarsh saith, That pressing of mere commands, from the word, may work a Legal change of affection and conversation. For if by mere commands from the Word, he mean, 1. commands without the Spirit, that is, such as are written and preached Gospel, or Law, that of themselves want all grace and joining of the Spirit. Then sure, Cicero and Seneca, their mere words without God, cannot change a Zeno, a Xenephon, from debauched slagitious men, into white cive • l Moralists, without some Spirit, if he mean that the Gospel-letter, as a Letter, can do more then the Law-letter without the Spirit, he is much deceived: for words, as words, whether of Law or Gospel, without God, can work no change. But Saltmarsh (if I mistake not) hath a third meaning, that mere commands from the authority of God, the Law-giver, can work but a Legal and counterfeit conversion; this is most false. We have a grave controversy with Papists, touching the formal object of Divine Faith. Whether it be the testimony of the Church, as Papists say, or the authority of God speaking in his Word, as we teach. Now we hold that the testimony of the Church, is but the testimony of men, and can produce but an human faith, not a Divine; but the testimony of God himself, speaking in the Scriptures, can only beget a supernatural and divine faith, when the Holy Ghost followeth the Word, and rendereth it lively. If then we believe divine truths, and Scriptural commands▪ because so saith the Lord, in his Word, either Law or Gospel, this is a divine and supernatural faith; so to believe upon God's mere commands, as Law-giver, not because natural reason so dictateth, nor because the Church, or man so saith, nor because the times favor the Gospel, (as the seed is received with a sort of belief, that falleth on stony ground) is divine Faith, and is not contrary, but sweetly complyeth with faith grounded upon the love of Christ, and wrought by the grace of God in the Gospel; Antinomians dream that these two are contrary, when they are not so.
4. Its most false, that the Law is in the heart before hand, by nature, so as we believe it naturally for the authority of the Law-giver; for so natural faith of the Law, should fight with natural unbelief, and deep security, to laugh and sleep sound under the curse of God. We naturally know much of the Law, but we have not a Legal faith, to believe, because so saith the Law-giver, by nature.
5. Its false also, that Nature can propound to it self life eternal, as its end, as Saltmarsh saith. Balaam could not desire it, far less intend it, he only wished the end of the just. 2. The end must be the last end subordinate to God's glory. Antinomians are Pelagians, and poor friends to free grace, as I noted before: for when salvation is the end, all means are gone about, when the end is intended that may conduce to that end, all means that may cross the obtaining thereof, eschewed. Now natural Legal converts, cannot go about all for salvation, and in reference to it, its clear, when gold is a man's end, as in the covetous; pleasure the end in the voluptuous, honor the end in the ambitious; if all acts about the means, or that may thwart the attaining of the end, bow not to this end; its not so in Legal converts. 3. When the end is attained but in hope and assurance, the mind is satisfied and quieted, Legal converts are not so satisfied. 4. Legal converts order salvation to and for themselves, and the happiness of it, not the holiness, to please themselves, not to honor God, because heaven is a Honey-comb, that very Nature believing an eternity, desires to suck. 5. Severe and strict walking, in our sense, is walking in all duties, by the light and conduct of saving grace, and the faith of the elect of God, which we contend for against most Antinomians, who are but loose livers, and cannot fall on a Legal convert.
CHAP. LXVIII. How the Spirit worketh freely in the Antinomian way.
SAltmarsh boldly goeth on to hold forth, When the Spirit of adoption works not freely, but servilly and legally.
Object. 1. When men put something of satisfaction on any performance, as if God were prevailed with by anything of their own.
Answ. Satisfaction to revenging justice, or of merit, or of perfect obedience to the Law, in our performances, we disclaim; or that we prevail with God, by anything of our own, as if our performances were causes of turning God, were anything without the grace of Christ, and his merits, but for prevailing with God to obtain a blessing by prayer and tears, we say it with the Scripture, Hos. 12.3. Jaakob by his strength had power with God, yea, he had power over the Angel, and prevailed: he wept and made supplication to him Gen. 32.24, 25, 26. nor is this an Old Testament-Spirit, the parable of the unjust Judge and the Widow is in scope, a doctrine of prevailing with God, by importunity of prayer. James bringeth the example of Elias for the prevailing of prayer; and Christ, This kind of devil is not cast out but by fasting, and prayer ; and so the Spirit of adoption worketh freely.
Object. 2. Saltmarsh; The Spirit worketh not freely when we take in Christ; but by the way, and rest not wholly on him.
Answ. They look on Christ by the by, who take in their good works as fellow-causes with Christ, thinking to be heard for them; Christ is but a by-Mediator, if he be not whole Mediator: its a practical error naturally in us, to improve the the sufficiency, and incomparable weight of Christ to little purpose; and dote more upon done duties, then on Christ; yet this is not our Doctrine, but our sin that we are to be humbled for.
Obj. 3. Saltmarsh; When we are in bondage to some outward worship of circumstances, as time, place, person, the Spirit works not freely.
Answ. It may be Saltmarsh thinketh the Lord's day under the New Testament legal; men of his gang do it. 2. And not to pray, but at such hours as the Spirit moves him, because the Spirit only, and the Spirit acting, and ravishing, is the only obliging Law and command under the New Testament, the Letter or written Scripture, to pray continually, in all things to give thanks, to be abundant in the work of the Lord, to be rich in good works, and to make ourselves friends with the Mammon of unrighteousness, at any time ere we be put out of our stewardship ; except when the Spirits wind bloweth fair, that so they may receive us into the everlasting habitations, is a law bondage; yea, to abstain from adultery, murder, swearing; except the Spirits acting, which is our only obliging Law now; is a legal, not a Gospel-service, nor can a believer sin, when he commits adultery, murder, for he doth nothing against the only obliging New Testament Law, the acting of the Spirit, when the Spirit actually doth not act him, and stir him to duties of charity, and love of the brethren; and doth not actually deter, and pull him back, by his immediate impulsions, and breathings, from adultery, and murder: I desire an answer, intimating a difference between sins of Adultery and Murder; and so sinful omission of duties, of Chastity, and saving the life of innocent brethren for a Moneth, which must involve a sinful not-loving our brother for a Moneth, and the not praying to God for thirty days, as the heathen Kings Law was, upon supposition that the Spirit act not, and stir not up to prayer for thirty days; and if so, it is a question if Adultery be sin, and if abstinencie from Adultery, upon the conscience of the seventh Command, be not an impeaching of the free working of the Spirit of Adoption, and a spece of legal bondage.
As for Saltmarsh his fourth ground of bondage, to wit, that to do anything from the power of an outward commandment, or precept of the Word, that it brings forth but finer hypocrisy, and his seventh, To take any outward thing to move them rather then apply Christ for strength, life, and Spirit, is mere bondage. I have answered already, it is an Enthusiasticall opposing of the working of word, works, and well grounded experiences of the Saints, to the actings of the Spirit, and a looseing of us from believing, and obeying Scriptures, from trembling at the Word, and a most wicked way of Enthusiasm.
Object. 5. Saltmarsh when they do, because of some vow, or covenant they have made, &c. It is more properly the service of the Old Testament, and part of their bondage, for wanting the power and fullness of the Spirit of adoption, to work them to obedience freely from within, they were under the power of outward principles, to put them on from without.
Answ. 1. If nothing move men to do, but the Letter of the Covenant, Vow, or Promise, not the Spirit of grace, then can the Spirit never be said to work Legally, or not freely, because the Spirit works not at all; nor can this be called properly the service of the Old Testament, except Antinomians say, the Spirit of grace wrought none at all in the Old Testament, but only the Letter, contrary to all the heavenly Psalms made by the Holy Ghost, and the acts of faith, in Moses, David, Job, Jeremiah, which every Page of Old Testament refuteth, and we must say, mere nature, and the dead Letter without the Spirit acted them. So Hebr. 11. Psal. 51.10. and infinite other places on the contrary.
2. Nor can ye say, by the same reason, that a natural conscience, a desire of a name, lest they should be reputed covenant-breakers, moved these in the Old Testament to act, for so none could have been termed, men according to God's heart, nor perfect and upright men, as David Job, Hezekiah, Noah, because upon this Antinomian ground, they were all but fine hypocrites.
If I mistake not, Saltmarsh condemneth all who have taken the Covenant in the three Kingdoms; and are moved for fear of the oath of God, to stand to it, as Legalists, and Old Testament Spirits: The Covenant that Asa, Josiah, caused the people to stand too, was a Law-bondage, that we are not now obliged to; and upon the same grounds to keep faith and promise upon lawful contracts and oaths between King and people, or made to God to keep Marriage-covenants, contracts, legues, and bargains between man and man, which we conceive to be of the Law of Nature; must all be the proper service of the Old Testament, and contrary to the Gospel: to keep my lawful promise made to a man, to pay my debt, because I promised, when I borrowed money. To keep the Covenant of God made in Marriage, because it is an outward covenant, is to do because of some Covenant ; and to be in Law-bondage, and to do, as being under the power of outward principles; and Paul must writ to Philemon, as under the bondage of the Old Testament. If Onesymus hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put it on my count ; if he should pay Philemon, seeing he became his debtor, by an outward promise and covenant, he did not pay him by the Spirit of adoption, working freely; but by a Legal Spirit, as being under the Law, not under grace, by this learning. A Jesuitical way to loose men from all covenants, promises, bargains in buying and selling, treatise, and Indentures between persons, Nation and Nation, to loose us from all the bonds of the Law of Nature, and Nations, and free us from that which is the Law and the Prophets, Whatsoever ye would men should do to you, the same do ye to them. Then shall nothing bind us under the New Testament? Doth the Spirit of adoption make us Covenant-breakers, Truce-breakers, Traitors; I thought the Gospel had condemned all these and taught us to live righteously, and not to cozen and defraud one another. Who now come nighest to the lying Antichrist, who can dispense with all Laws of God? For Saltmarsh who calleth Presbyterians, Antichristian Legalists, because they cannot away with Antinomian Heresies, saith, To do or perform, what we have promised and covenanted because we have promised and covenanted, is more properly the service of the Old Testament, and part of their bondage, for wanting the power and fullness of the Spirit of adoption ; then a Gospel-obedience by the free Spirit of adoption. I remember Sam. Gortyn, and other Familists, the deadly persecuting enemies of the faithful, and gracious people in New England, deny it lawful to swear at all; deny Magistracy, or any subjection to them; deny the Law, the Letter of the Law and Gospel; all Learning, Lybraries, Books, reading, and all such externals, as Saltmarsh argueth against in this Chapter, as savouring of Legal bondage. But to keep Covenants and promises because ye have put yourselves under them by a willing ingagment, is a fruit of the free Spirit, and is not contrary thereunto. Gal. 5.12. Ephes. 4.15. Col. 3.8, 9.
Object. 6. Saltmarsh; When they come to God in any act of worship or prayer, &c. as to a Creator, rather (saith Saltmarsh) then a Father, and as a God, rather then as a God in Christ, they put themselves under such an infinite purity, as they can neither have access with faith nor boldness.
Answ. 1. But Saltmarsh, I conceive, speaketh of the Spirit of adoption his not working freely, but in a Legal way, as under the Old Testament bondage; by which he must insinuate, that the Saints under the Old Testament, in any act of worship or prayer, came to God as Creator, rather then Father, and as God, rather then as God in Christ. How then saw they the day of Christ? How were they saved by faith, purifying the heart? And by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the way of Jew and Gentiles both? And were justified by the imputed righteousness of Faith, as the Gentiles?
The 7 th . being refuted before; I come now to the last, which is a strange Character of a servile Spirit. When they measure (saith he) their forgiveness by their sin and sanctification, and can believe no more then they have peace for, and that peace upon something of their own performed, and not from believing on him who hath performed all. God hath not given us the Spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind, 2 Tim. 1.8. or of a mind not corrupted with any of these.
Answ. 1. To measure forgiveness by sin, that is, to think our sins are too many for Christ to pardon, and we too foul for Christ, out of free grace to wash is indeed a Spirit of bondage: but that is not the Antinomians sense. But thus, To measure forgiveness by sin and sanctification. As to argue thus, I wallow in the mire with the Sow, and go on with an high hand, without remorse and sorrow, adding drunkenness to thirst, and drawing iniquity with cart-ropes of vanity, void of all sanctification: Ergo, I have no forgiveness, and am not washed from my old sins ; then truly, it is most false and licentious doctrine, to say in this sense, its Legal to measure forgiveness by sin and sanctification ; for sin is a measure to sanctification thus: but Antinomians will have living after, and walking in the flesh, and free pardon of sin to consist together in one.
2. It is good to believe no more of forgiveness, then we have sound and well-grounded peace for, which floweth from justification; as Paul speaketh of peace, Rom. 5.1. Being justified by Faith we have peace with God, &c. But we make not rotten and false peace, or peace of unbelief to be of the same circumference and compass with pardon.
3 Peace flowing from justification as the cause, we allow; and also peace flowing from our spiritual performances, done in the strength of Christ, and his free grace, as from signs, and land-marks, and evidences; So the wearied night-watch hath both comfort, or freedom from night-fears, and anxities, from the appearance of the day-star, and from the rising of the Sun; from the former, as a sign; from the latter as a cause.
4. Nor doth Saltmarsh truly say, This peace is from something of our own, and not from something of Christ, except he defame all the spiritual performances in the Saints, as bastards begotten of pure nature, and father them not on Christ.
5. Nor is the act of believing less ours, and so less a ground of our peace, then our performances done by the grace of Christ, except Saltmarsh comply with Libertines, who say, that the faith that justifieth a believer, is the faith, that is and remaineth subjectively in Christ, and not the faith, that is in the believer himself; which is a way to loose us from all Gospel performances, and let us live in fleshly license, not in Christian liberty.
6. The Spirit of fear that Paul speaks of, 2 Tim. 1.8. is that servile, mercenary fear in Devils and hirelings, not the fear of such as keep covenants, and promises, and pay their debts, and stand to treaties, because they think just promises and covenants do bind, even believers in Christ, in the fear of the Lord, to performance, except they would sin against the Law of God, which Antinomians cannot believe. If this external tie be contrary to the free working of a Gospel-Spirit of adoption I confess, all duties of the Law of Nature must be cried down by the Gospel; and better covenant with Indians and Americans, then with Antinomans.
CHAP. LXIX. The dead and bastard faith of Antinomians.
ANtinomians do obtrude a dead, vain presumption to us, in lieu of saving faith. 1. We follow Christ's own fashion and order of believing; that sinners sick, pained, humbled, plowed by the terrors and the Law: who are only under such breakings, and rentings of preparations, should rely on Christ for salvation; not for these preparations, nor because they are thus prepared; but merely in this order, lest they should say, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn away from me ; and I have no need of Christ, that same sense (Repentance I dare not call it in an Evangelicke sense) of sin, and pricking of heart, and fear of shutting up under an everlasting prison, may heighten the price of an excellent Savior. Antinomians will Pharisees, as Pharisees, obdured undaunted heifers, swift Dromedaries traversing their ways, wild Asses used to the wilderness, snuffing up the wind at their pleasure, all sinners as such, without any order of first breaking the iron sinnow in the neck: even while they think they are wholly righteous as Pharisees, and count sin as knots of staws, to own the blood of propitiation, immediately without any preparation; to believe and rely on Christ for Salvation. This we judge to be presumption, and in regard of God's order, simply impossible, that they that say they see, can see remaining such; but rather be blind, and their sin remain: that the weary and laden, and those that are judicially blinded, and hardened, remaining such, and as such should be invited without any preparatory sense of their damnable condition, and of their need of a Savior; and that both are invited equally of Christ, to rely immediately on him for Salvation; and are as such forthwith, to cast themselves upon Christ, is unsound. For 1. Christ decreeth, and holdeth forth the very contrary order, and method of believing, not the merit thereof. 2. When he saith, How can ye believe that seek honor one of another ? He clearly intimateth, that there must be some preparatory abating of that swelling lust, or then they cannot as such, believe in Christ.
2. To believe now (say they) is the only work of the Gospel ; and Saltmarsh proveth it to be the only work, this is the work (the only work he must mean, if he prove his conclusion) That ye believe on him whom he hath sent, Joh. 6.29. This is the commandment, (that is, the only work commanded in the Gospel) That ye believe in his Son Jesus Christ, 1 Joh. 3.23. Then nothing falleth under a Gospel-commandment, but believing; now I would hold Antinomians at this, that nothing is a commandment, or a commanded duty but that which if we contravene, it maketh us guilty of sin before God, and in his Court, if he would actually enter in judgment with us: so then the Gospel as the Gospel commandeth not brotherly love, meekness, patience, temperance, and forbiddeth not rebellion to Rulers; murder the hating of our brother, adultery, robbing, stealing, lying, idolatry, swearing; so as these should be acts of obedience, or of sinful disobedience to God; but as acts arbitrary, and of mere courtesy, and simply free to believers, and to be done or omited, only as the immediate rapture of the Spirit, without any commandment obliging to obedience rewardable, or to sin punishable by Law doth act and draw them, for the Law forbiddeth none of these to a believer who is under no Law; if I mistake, I crave pardon, for I cannot make sense of their commandments; but in this sense: one thing I complain of Antinomians, by any sect; They seem to me confused, and obscure, and to dissemble; because they have not yet set down in right down ingenuity, that which I persuade myself is their mind; that the believer cannot sin, his adultery, and his murder is no adultery, no murder: except they difference between these two. The believer is free of all sin as Christ himself, and the believer doth and can truly sin, lie, murder, deceive, &c. And between these, sin is wholly removed out of the believer, no sin dwelleth in him, and the believer daily sinneth ; nor are they plain whether the Gospel command chastity, and forbid adultery, and command the loving of our brother, and forbid murthering, and hating of our brother; as acts arbitrary, and merely free: or whether no Law command, or forbid, such things to believers; nor any Gospel at all, so as to contravene them were sin. Yea, nor so is believing the only work commanded in the Gospel; for by their way, faith is not commanded as a cause, or merit of righteousness and life, which we also think, nor as a condition, or necessary duty at all, more then other duties: For the Elects sins were all removed, either from eternity, or their first conception, or Christ's suffering on the cross ( Antinomians fall out among themselves touching this point) so their unbelief, and final impenitency cannot be sins.
Nor can Christ as God, or Law-giver, command believing, for the notion of Law, or Law-giving under penalty of sin, and curses, is contrary to Christ's Gospel-love ; so Christ must renounce his office of Law-giving, and his authority, as God to command faith and forbid unbelief; and must only as Mediator put on love and counsel; and advise us to believe: as one friend doth another, so as we have no command obliging us (except we would sin) to believe, for a command of love, being contra-divided from a command of Law, to Antinomians obligeth neither to sin nor to wrath, if it be disobeyed.
3. If believing void of all working, and such an empty faith be the only commanded work in the Gospel; it is like John the Apostle, so often commanding love to the brethren, and forbidding hateing of our brother, doth not act an Evangelist, or Apostle ; but speaketh as a Moses, and a Law-giver; and that amongst the Lord's Apostles, who wrote canonick Scripture, in the New Testament ; some were more legal preachers, and leaned more to a covenant of works as Peter (the Familists of New England should take in John and James, for Saltmarsh saith, they speak more for marks, and signs) then Paul, who stood most for free grace: yet is Paul as much to command some other works then Faith, as Peter, James or John.
4. For the object of saving faith, Antinomians look beside the Gospel, for Saltmarsh proving that Christ is offered to sinners, as sinners saith, none can be such a sinner to whom Christ and his blood may not be tendered, and offered, his words may bear truth, that Christ and his blood may be offered to all within the visible Church, elect and reprobate; and so say we, but consider his reasons. 1. From the order of God's decree (saith he) He loved us, and gave Christ for us, when we were sinners Rom. 5.8. God commendeth his love &c. Joh. 3.16. God so loved the world. And this offer (saith he) is an offer of that love with which God loved us from everlasting. So then here is the Antinomian faith, that all and everyone immediately, without sense of sin. or any sickness for Christ; be they Elect, or Reprobate, believe and be persuaded, that God decreed to give his Son for them in particular, loved them with the special love of Election from everlasting, and hath satisfied, and was crucified for their sins. Sure this is not the object of Gospel faith ; but is a transparent untruth, and a lie: there was never any such decree, nor such a love in God, nor is it revealed in the Gospel, that God decreed to give his Son to all, and for all, Elect and Reprobate; and that God loved all, so even the world of Elect, and Reprobate, as Christ speaketh, John 3.16. and yet to all Elect, and Reprobate, is Christ offered. Nor can Antinomians or Arminians say, that the tender, and offer of Christ, and his blood, to all and everyone, Elect and Reprobate, within the visible Church, is an opening, and bringing forth of God's eternal love of election to glory; of all and everyone Elect, and Reprobate. Salmarsh should not speak of points of Divinity, of which he is as ignorant as a child; nor do Antinomians know these points, of the dephs of eternal free grace, though they talk of them, to abuse them to licentiousness.
But let us for the clearing of the Doctrine of Faith, wipe off Saltmarshs poor reasons, for immediate believing without all preparations, his 3. Argument to the other two, which yet are but one, is.
Object. It exalteth grace more to receive a sinner who hath no money, no price, no righteousness.
Answ. Add an assumption. But he that cometh dry, empty, sinful, and prepared with some sense of sin, of the Physician Christ, is the only man that hath no money, the Pharisee, as a Pharisee, is the man that hath money, and righteousness in himself; and is whole and needeth the Physician in no sort; and in that he is thus undisposed for Christ, it should debase grace, if the Lord should sell his wine and milk, for the sinners money; and sure that. And he that hath no money, is a restriction of those who are invited to come unto the waters, for all are not such as have no money: for though really all want money, and price to buy the waters, wine, and milk, really; because all are sinners, Pharisees, or no Pharisees; yet there be none here invited, but only some certain persons, who in their own sense, and their self-humbled condition make objections against themselves; Oh! I am unworthy and unprepared for these waters, I have no money, nor prayer, and Christ means them not to me, but to some worthier then I. Now, Pharisees, and all sinners, even these that are self-righteous never move such doubts, but take the Antinomian short cut, and think they have money, and presumptuously, and being whole and unbroken, come, and buy; that is, they believe, but in truth, they presume. This poor argument confoundeth preparations of sense and feeling, which are preparations not of causation or action, but of mere order, which we assert according to the Scripture, with preparations of merit, or with the market-preparations of Pharisees, Papists, and Arminians, which we detest and abhor; and he cannot frame an argument from Isaiah 55. against us.
Object. 4. Its right lifting up of Jesus on the Cross, as Moses lift up the Serpent in the wilderness, not for the healed to look upon, but the wounded; the sixth Objection saith no other, but that its most agreeable to the Gospel-way of dispensation, the whole need not a Physician, but the sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Answ. These places are much for us, for the stung and wounded Israelites, did not typify sinners, as sinners, not all sinners without exception. 1. All the heathen in the Wilderness that were stinged with Serpents, and all the Israelites ignorant of the virtue of the Serpent, were not cured by looking on the brazen Serpent, Numb. 21.9, 10, 11. but only such as were sensible of their pain, and looked to the Serpent; then that the type may not halt in this. 1. Saltmarsh must presume that all, who were stinged, Heathen or Israelites who looked up were cured as sinners; as sinners have Christ offered to them as sinners, and so all sinners; now the Text saith the contrary, only the people of Israel had the benefit of the cure. 2. Only such as knew the virtue of the Serpent of brass. 3. I confess, Antinomians with Pelagians, and Arminians, take ever the easiest way, and the shortest cut to heaven; that as many as are sinners, are sinners spiritually stung, and sin-sick, and sinners in their own sense and feeling, as sinners in the Texts alleged, are opposed to these that need not the Physician, and to the righteous, who sure are not the sinners, and the sick that the Physician Christ came to cure, and to call to repentance. Saltmarsh cannot cull out a Text in all the Scripture, so contrary to his tenent as these, for the Title of his Chapter, or Article which is L I. is this. Jesus Christ offered to sinners, as sinners, that is, to all sinners, and to men, because they are sinners, under the reduplication of sinners, then the Text must bear. Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance, that is, in the Antinomian gloss, Christ came not to call sinners, but sinners to Repentance, for sure the Righteous, that is, the self-righteous and proud Pharisees, who thought themselves no sinners, but righteous, and whole; were sinners, and obstinate, and proud, and malicious sinners, and truly needed the Physician no less then Publicans; but in their own apprehension and swelling conceit, they were neither sinners, nor sick, nor unrighteous. Then whether Saltmarsh, will or no, by the sick and sinners, and the stung and wounded, Christ must mean some inherent qualification, and preparation for the Physician Christ, which was only in such and such sinners; to wit, who were lost in their own eyes, and sinners in their own feeling; for really and truly Pharisees were sinners sick, and dead in sins, and trespasses; and yet the Lord Jesus denieth that he came to call the Pharisees, and self-righteous sinners, he came to call his own sinners only, not all sinners. This then is no Gospel-way, nor way of grace, but the Antinomian licentious way. That Christ is offered to sinners as sinners, and Christ came to call sinners as sinners to repentance; for Christ is offered to sinners, as such and so qualified sinners, and Christ came to call to repentance not sinners as sinners, no not Pharisees; not the righteous, not the whole, but sinners, as such sinners, as sick, as self-lost, as self-sinners, and self-condemned, and qualified with the sense of their own wretched and sinful condition; otherwise, how will they answer Christ's Apology giving a reason, why he conversed with Publican's and sinners, with Matthew, cap. 9. and Zacchaeus, Luke 19. and other sinners, Luk. 15. Math. 11. and not with Scribes and Pharisees ; for, Christ expressly saith, that he did it, because the fittest place the Physician can be in, is to sit at the sick man's bed-side?
Object. 5. It leaves men (saith he) under greater condemnation, when Christ is brought home to the soul, for then there can be no objecting; Lord, had I been thus and thus fit and prepared, then I should have received thee, but I was a foul sinner at that same very time, and so guilty. O will the Lord answer, I come therefore to pardon thee, and to wash thee in my blood, because thou art foul, and that is no excuse.
Answ. 1. Nothing can be concluded against the truth from a lie; ex veris non nisi verum ; there is no greater lie then this excuse, had I been thus and thus fit and prepared, I should have received thee, but I was a foul sinner, at that very time guilty. For, 1. we teach not, that preparations do infallibly, yea or necessarily produce faith, and the receiving of Christ. Many are sick, and pained with storm of conscience, whom Christ never cureth. It is like the rich gluttons challenge of God in hell; Nay, but if one rise from the dead they will hear and believe. 2. Antinomians mistake our mind in this lying excuse, to wit, that we fancy that the prepared for Christ are pardoned and justified men; this we never teach: they are guilty sinners, and these are in their sins, unworthy who are best qualified and fitted for Christ. We make not cleanness a preparation for washing, nor a sinless, innocent, and guiltless condition, a fitness preparatory to justification. 3. Antinomians take not away, by their way, a stronger shift; Lord, if Christ had died for me by name, and thou hadst drawn me as effectually to Christ, as thou drewst Paul, and Peter, I should have received Christ, but thou drewst me, in a way, that thou drewst Judas, when I was guilty, and my heart rocky. We make preparations Christ's work, as conversion is, but a far more common work of an inferior nature which may be in many sinners who are never converted.
Object. 7. All that ever received Christ, Corinthyans, Ephesians, Colossians, received him in a sinful condition, when they were unwashen, darkness, dead in sins, enemies in their minds by wicked works.
Answ. Nothing followeth against us, preparations removeth not a sinful condition, nor deadness in sin, nor mind-enmity by evil works. Christ's blood and saving grace only removeth both the guilt, and the stain of sin; but hence it followeth in no sort that we are not sin-sick, and self-condemned, and lost before Christ remove our darkness, and quicken the dead.
Object. 8. God offereth Christ in time, as God gave him; God before all time gave him to us, because we were sinners, and now he is but offered as he was given.
Answ. God offereth Christ in time, as he gave him before time ; it is true in regard of the freedom of grace, no cause, condition, qualification, reason, moved God to ordain and decree, either the sick for the Physician Christ, or the Physician for the sick before time; and neither preparations is the cause, nor necessary condition or ground, why he giveth Christ to us in time. But it is not true, in regard of the order of giving Christ, bofore time, or in time ; for, in time, God giveth Christ to these that hear the Gospel only; but I hope he decreed not to give Christ and salvation to men upon this condition, and upon no other, that they shall hear the Gospel, because he ordained men for glory of free grace, and upon the same free grace ordained them to hear and believe, and repent; yet neither faith nor repentance were preparatory conditions to the decree of grace. 1. God neither before time, nor in time giveth Christ, because we are sinners, or because we are thus and thus humbled and prepared, but because he will be gracious to whom he will be gracious, sin is only the occasion and the matter, and preparations are the mere order of his proceeding; first he humbleth by the Law, and then giveth Christ in the Gospel, but not because the sinner is humbled, nor for his humiliation, nor because he hath made any Gospel-promise, whoever is thus and thus fitted and prepared by the Spirit of the Law, and terrors, and broken, and self-condemned with the burden and sense of sin, shall be converted ; we know no such Gospel-promise.
CHAP. LXX. Faith not the only work of the Gospel, as Antinomians say.
LEt us also try Saltmarsh his reasons, to prove his short way to heaven, and that its the only Gospel-work to believe.
Salvation (saith he) is not a business of our working and doing, it was done by Christ with the Father. All our work is no work of salvation, but in salvation. We here receive all, not by doing anything, that we may receive more, but doing because we receive so much, because we do not that we may be saved. And yet we are to do as much as if we were to be saved, by what we do, because we should do as much for what is done already for us, and to our hands, as if we were to receive it for what we did ourselves.
Answ. 1. Here is no Argument. Christ hath done all by way of merit, and purchase of a perfect redemption; therefore we are not to work out our salvation, in fear and trembling, it followeth not.
2. It is most false, That we are to do nothing in the Gospel, that we may receive more; or, that we may be saved, but because we are saved ; for these are not contrary, but sweetly subordinate. We do because we are saved, and because we are Redeemed, by merit, and Gospel-right, by hope and begun possession; therefore we are not to sow to the Spirit, that we may reap life everlasting, it followeth not. We both work because we have a crop, and that we may receive a crop. Servants are to serve their Masters not with eye-service, both because they have a Master in heaven, who hath saved them, and also in hope, to receive the reward of inheritance. Elders are to feed the flock, because they are redeemed, and love their Redeemer ; and because when the chief Shepherd shall appear, they shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away ; and because we are redeemed, we are to look to ourselves, that we lose not these things that we have wrought for, but that we may receive a full reward: so our work is both a work of salvation, and a work in salvation.
3. There is nothing falser, then that Antinomians are to work as much, as if they were to be saved, by their working: for their working is arbitrary, not obligatory by any commandment, nor do they sin in not working. Let them in their conscience say, if they sin, or can sin. 1. being once justified; for sin is as clean removed, in its nature and being, from the believer, as from Christ, say the Antinomians. 2. If they sin in doing nothing after they are justified, if the immediate acting of the Spirit of love stir them not to it; and therefore it is false, that they should do as much for what is done, as if they were to receive life for doing ; because they should not, non debent, they are not obliged to do, when they do not, nor are under any guilt for not doing. By this way: for to Antinomians there is no obliging Law, but God immediately by his Spirit acting them to good, is all their Law.
Object. 2. This short work; believe, and be saved, Paul telleth you. Say not in thine heart, who shall ascend to heaven? that is, to bring Christ from above, &c. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, &c.
Answ. We would not willingly make the way to heaven longer then Christ hath made it: Paul speaketh, Rom. 10.6, 7, 8. of a Law-way that is long, wearisome, unpassible, as who would strive to climb up to heaven, or to go down to the grave to fetch Christ from either heaven or hell. The Gospel-way sure is a sweet, easy, passable way, Believe, and be saved. Yet must we not fancy that the way is shorter then Christ hath made it, and that it is not a puzzling work to flesh and blood. Saltmarsh with his Antinomians maketh it but one step, at the very next door. I rather believe Christ, who saith, it is a way of many miles, strait, narrow, and thorny. The meritorious way to us is easy, believe by the grace of Christ, but the way of a Christian conversation, whether Antinomians will or no, lieth through duties, doing the will of God, its not words, Lord, Lord, but working, sweating, running, wrestling, fighting, bleeding, suffering abounding in the work, Sowing, Selling all the sweetest delights, many tribulations, night-watching: which yet all are honyed and sugared with the love of Christ, so as his yoke is easy, and his Commandments not grievous ; yet not so easy, as that the only naked bare act of believing, should be the only Gospel-work, and ye might lie in an yvory bed, and sleep and be carried into an Antinomian fancied Paradise, being under no Law, no obligation of doing, no danger of sinning, and incurring the rod of men, and the fatherly and sad displeasure of God for sins; no broken bones, no terrors, no sense of our sorrow for sin, no progress in personal repentance and mortification, no care of watchful walking to perfect holiness in the fear of God, no abstaining from worldly lusts, no strictness of blamelesnesse of conversation, for fear of sin, only believe, that as Christ hath suffered for all sin, and so you are as clean as Christ from all sin, original and actual, and Christ hath done all these for you, and believe he hath repented for you, mortified lusts for you, walked strictly and holily for you; this is an easy work, and no puzzling business, and there is an end.
Object. 2. Saltmarsh, Its the Gospel-way of dispensation to assure and pass over salvation in Christ to any that will believe.
Answ. True. But wilt thou know, ô vain man, that faith without works is dead ; and faith is effectual by love. See the Scriptures laying other Commandments on us under the Gospel, then believing only, and threatening disobeyers.
Object. 3. Saltm. There needs no more on our sides, to work or warrant salvation to us; but to be persuaded, that Jesus Christ died for us, because Christ hath suffered, and God is satisfied. Now suffering and satisfaction is that great work of salvation.
Answ. Here is the work of salvation abridged to a narrower compass, to only suffering, at least Saltmarsh was wont to take in the actions of Christ, and to will us to believe that Christ believed, repented, and mortified sin for us, and that is all our belief, repentance, mortification.
Object. 4.5. They only are justified who believe, Rom. 1.17. Acts 13.39. We are justified by grace, not of works, Rom. 3.24.
Answ. And who denies that but Papists and Antinomians. Antinomians say, from eternity, and from the womb we are justified ; and from Christ's time of dying on the Cross ; and sure the date of our believing is not from eternity, or from the womb, or from 160. years agone, when Christ died then they only cannot be justified who believe; for so thousands who believe not are justified. 2. We are justified by faith, without works. True. Ergo, We are carried to heaven being once justified under no comand of God, to do good works, or to eschew evil, and so as we cannot sin; it followeth not.
CHAP. LXXI. The Justified obey not God, by necessity of nature, as the fire burneth, as Antinomians fancy.
ANtinomians say, the justified cannot sin, they obey God necessarily, as it is the nature and quality of fire to burn; the grounds of the New-England Libertines, are 1. The Holy Ghost coming in the place of natural faculties, of understanding, will, and affections, doth all the works of these natural faculties, and Christ and grace working all the supernatural works of believing, repenting, and that immediately; the free will must have less liberty in loving God, and believing, then the Sun hath to give light, and the fire to cast forth heat; for fire and Sun are thought to be agents in their natural actions; but free will is a mere patient in these. 2. None are to be exhorted to believe (say they) but such whom we know to be elect, or to have the Spirit in them effectually, and there is neither inherent righteousness, nor grace inherent in the Saints, but Christ immediately and only worketh all their works in them ; so all the faculties of the soul lie as dead passive creatures, and powers void of freedom and action, and Christ immediately, as the human nature, and the faculties thereof doth act and work in the Saints, as Christ is made flesh, and incarnate in the Saints, and doth in them believe, repent, rejoice, love ; and believers have neither freedom nor action at all, more then blocks in their actions. Hence (say they) all the believers activity is to act sin. So saith the Libertine; If Christ will let me sin, let him look to it, upon his honor be it.
But 1. there remaineth true liberty in the regenerate man, his free will is not destroyed. If the Son make you free, then are ye free indeed. But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you, being then made free from in, ye became the servants of righteousness. Now the Lord is a Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. I will walk at liberty, for I seek thy precepts. Hence rejoicing in God, delight in his Law, rejoicing in his word, choosing of God above all other lovers; and his testimonies, argue a sanctified elective power of free will in the soul. 2. The justified can sin, otherwise, they should no more be capable of exhortations to walk in Christ, and grow in grace, and of dehortations from sin, then the fire and the Sun, can be requested or exhorted to cast out heat and light. 3. This foolish opinion is bottomed on this conceit: That a believer as a believer, walketh by faith perpetually; is admitted (saith Town) to live and abide forever, by sense and sight, in the kingdom of glory. And wants nothing of heaven (saith Saltmarsh) but to believe he is in heaven, is as clean from sin (saith Eaton) as Christ himself. Nothing sinneth in the regenerate but sense the flesh, the members of the body of sin, or the Ass ; nor is it more sin that they do before God, then the burning of the fire, or the illumination that cometh from the Sun, for they are no more under any commanding, or restraining Law of God, then the fire or the Sun. 4. The immediate wrapped and pull of the Holy Ghost removeth all freedom, reason, deliberation, knowledge, action from the soul, in either supernatural works of grace, or sin, as if the soul were turned in a rock, or a stone. 5. All the sins of believers, their Adulteries, murders, lying, cozening, must be counted on the Lord's score (I tremble to speak it) upon his honor be it, if he will suffer perfect Angels to sin, more then he can suffer Angels, and the glorified that stand before the throne, to fall or transgress.
CHAP. LXXII. Glorifying of God in sanctification needful.
ANntinomians tell us of a twofold, glorifying of God, one in the eyes of God, primary, immediate, passive, divine, by faith, in which God glorifieth himself in us, justifying us, Faith being the Creator, as it were of a certain divinity, as Rom. 4.20. Abraham gave glory to God, whereas unbelief maketh him a liar. There is another glorifying of God that is outward, more fleshly and human, secondary, mediate, in the eyes of men, by good works, in sanctification, in which we are agents, and glorify God by the Spirit, by which we are partakers of the Divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. and it is done in a grosser manner, by declaring God glorified before men by our good works, Math. 5. and greatly inclineth to the glorifying of man; by this Abraham hath to glory and rejoice in holy works, but not before God.
Answ. 1. We are not mere passive in believing, for then should we not be commended for believing, nor should we know, rely, and trust in an all-sufficient Savior, in believing on him, though there be a passion in believing. 2. These enemies of Sanctification abase all holy walking and works of sanctification, calling holy walking; 1. glorifying of God outwardly, and before men, in a fleshly manner. Whereas God seeth it, and acknowledgeth it in his own sight, sincere, unfeigned, perfect in its kind, with perfection of parts, not of degrees; they would have all Sanctification finer hypocrisy. I know thy works (saith Christ to Smyrna) and tribulation, and poverty, but thou art rich. That we might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , before him, all the days of our life. And whatsoever ye (Servants do) do it heartily, as to the Lord, not to men. Commending ourselves to every man's conscience, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as in the sight of God. Abraham, walk before me, and be thou perfect, saith the Lord. How many of the good Kings did right in the sight of the Lord? Its true; our best works are polluted with sin, and in the matter of justification cannot endure the strict Law-censure of the Judge of the world, if God narrowly mark iniquity. But Antinomians are so at odds with holy walking, that they will have all the sincere works of the Saints wrought by the grace of God, to be in their substance before God, plastered hypocrisy: and yet in the justified, these hypocritical works are no sin, there being no more sin in the justified, nor anything contrary to a Law, which the Lord can see as a sin more then in Jesus Christ. So here is holy, sanctified, and lawful sin, and an innocent hypocrisy, and holy, and harmless corruption and flesh. 3. A declarative glorifying of God in the eyes of men, not of God, must argue the believer to be lawless, and a Libertine before men, and that he needeth not before men, and in his conversation with wife, brother, children, neighbors in his words, promises, covenants, buying, selling, works of his calling, do all as in the sight and presence of God, for if he walk rightteously in his conversation with men, he is behind God's back, the Lord seeth him not; if he walk unjustly, in fornication, uncleanness, cozening, lying, God seeth not these to be sins.
4. Why do Antinomians exclude from works of sanctification, the work of believing? Are we not to do all good works in faith, as well as for the glory of God? and are we not to eat and drink in faith? Rom. 14. verse. 22.23. are they not bastard works, that come not from such a root as faith? As the fruit is ill, if the tree be ill; and so we must glorify God primarily, immediately, in the sight of God, passively, in this declarative, and active, and secondary glorifying of God.
5. The Antinomians exclude a third sort of glorifying God, to wit, in private, when neither God seeth them, nor men, but they are done in a secret closet; as praying, praising, meditating, and soliloquies of the soul with God, alms given in private, that men see not, nor do the poor know of it; this is neither passive, nor active glorifying of God, and so the division is lame, except Antinomians will have us coming with our secret prayers and alms to the streets, and cause a trumpet to be blown, as Pharisees do?
6. The gloryfying of God by men that see our good works incline of itself to no glorifying of man, more then Abraham's giving glory to God, but only as we either trust to our good works, or vainly conceit we are justified by our good works, and then being abused, they incline to glorify men, and make us vainly rejoice and boast in them before God. So if Abraham should think his act of believing, were his only righteousness before God, his believing in God should be as fleshly a glorifying of man, as any his works of Sanctification.
CHAP. LXXIII. Sanctification concurs as well as Justification to make Saints.
THough Sanctification, say Antinomians, make men Saints declaratively to men-ward, yet the true cause that makes them Saints in the sight of God is justification.
To this we say, 1. Take Sanctification, as Eaton, and Saltmarsh, and Den say, Protestant Divines, whom they are pleased to call Legalists, do, for such holiness as they say, is in Anchorits, Eremits, and Monks for external works done without faith, it makes men neither Saints before God, nor men, but mere faireded hypocrites; such a sanctification we disclaim. But take Sanctification for holy walking in the strength of the grace of justification, and grace inherent in us; so we say, Justification and Sanctification ought not to be separated, but both concur to make us Saints; the one as the cause, the other as the inseparable effect. And most false it is that Eaton saith, That Sanctification is so far from being the cause of making us Saints to Godward, that properly it doth but declare, that we are Saints to man-ward ; for so Antinomians make Sanctification nothing but a poor shadow, like an Yvie bush, that is no cause of wine, but a mere sign to declare and show in this, there is wine. Now sure, by Sanctification we are partakers of the Divine nature, and the Spouses beauty, not only in regard of imputed righteousness, but also a holy and sincere walking and blameless profession of the truth, in a chain of the Spouses neck; and in her personal acts of praying, and praising, and the sweet ministry of the Gospel, in regard of which, Her lips drop as a honey comb, butter and milk are under her tongue, and the smell of her garments, like the smell of Lybanon, her feet beautiful with shoes, her two breasts like two Young Roes, that are twins, &c. Sanctification must render the Spouse a society of Saints even in the eyes of God, and not only merely and declaratively to men-ward: as the Yvie-bush is a sign of wine. Let Antinomians say, Are not the Saints partakers of the Divine nature, in the sight of God, as well as declaratively in the sight of men?
2. If the charity of the Philippians be an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God? And If to do good, and to communicate, be such sacrifices, where with God is well pleased ; though their charity and good works do not justify them, yet these good works must smell sweetlie, to God, and be well-pleasing in his sight, and by them, God must repute them sanctified (though the sanctification be imperfect, and not in its measure, every way conformable to the spiritual and perfect Law,) and they are not then merely declaratively and to men-ward only, Saints by their works of Sanctification.
3. The contrary works in the Saints, the shutting up their bowels against their indigent brethren, their biting and devouring, their acts of Adultery, and Murder, and lying, are ill smelling and displeasing in the eyes of God, not only declaratively before men, but really and in truth in the sight of God; in regard that the Lord, 1. is displeased with these sins. 2. Forbiddeth them in his Law. 3. Rebuketh them. 4. Punisheth them. 5. Setteth the conscience on against the believer that doth them, that they are grieved for them, and mourn. 6. Hideth his countenance from them, commands us to confess, and crave pardon for them; then the Lord must take notice of the contrary acts and command, commend, and reward them, be well-pleased, with them and they must be more then naked declarations and signs of Saintship to men-ward. The Lord himself pronounceth the Saints blessed, not only for Christ's imputed righteousness, which is indeed the first cause, fountain, and ground thereof, but also for our works of Sanctification; as Blessed are the undefiled in their way, that fear the Lord and delight in his Commandments, that keep judgment, and that do righteousness at all times, that do what Christ commands, that do his Commandments. Then God must judge them more then declarations to men-ward, because this is the blessing of eternal life in Christ Jesus.
CHAP. LXXIIII. The harmonious compliance of old Libertines, Familists, and Antinomians.
WEe do so much the more hate the Antinomian way, as Antichristian and fleshly, (for there be other Antichrists then the Pope of Rome, and many False Christ's, risen now) in that in the doctrine of sin, sorrow for sin, repentance, sanctification, &c. they do so comply with the old Libertines in Calvin's time, and with David Georgius, and Henry Nicolas, and the late Familists.
Parall. I. Libertines in Calvin's time, said, The state of innocence was to know nothing good, or ill, more then children, and Adams first sin is to know good and ill, and regeneration is to be stripped naked of the knowledge and sense of either sin or righteousness ; and therefore the Libertines said to any man troubled in conscience with sin, O Adam dost thou yet know somewhat? Is not the old Adam yet crucified? If they saw any stricken with the fear of the judgment of God, Hast thou yet (say they) a taste of the old Aple, beware that that morsel do not strangle thee. If any man was touched in conscience with remorse of sin, and did sorrow or repent for his transgressions, they, said, sin reigned in that man, he was sins captive.
Just so the Familists of New England. In conversion (say they) the faculties of the soul and workings thereof are destroyed, and instead of them the holy Ghost comes in. And a man must take no notice of sin, nor of his repentance for sin. And frequency or length of holy duties, or trouble of conscience for neglect thereof, are all signs of one under a covenant of works ; that is, of one in whom old Adam liveth and reigneth. And I know I am Christ's, not because I crucify the lusts, but because I do not crucify them.
And our late Antinomians say, To be touched with any sense of sin; and for David to confess his sin, or be grieved for it, was saith M. Town, from want and weakness of faith, that is from the old man. I cannot (saith he) look on myself, my actions (sinful) and my conscience, and see my sins remain — but I look to the records of heaven, and God's justice, and since the blood-shed, I can find nothing there against me, — but sins as a debt discharged are become a nullity before the Lord, — and therefore my peace and happiness consisteth in the forsaking and not considering myself, and in my living and abiding in Christ, who is in heaven.
This not considering himself and his sins, is neither to know, sorrow, mourn for, fear, or be humbled for sin. Pr • testant Divines say, when the Lord forgiveth a sinner, yet the sinner will never forgive himself, but know, consider, fear, mourn, and be humbled for his sins. Antinomians say, all these are works of the flesh, and of unbelief, and of the Old Adam, just as the Libertines said: so to feel sin dwelling, in them, as Paul did, Rom. 7. saith Eaton is an act of the flesh contrary to faith; and if (saith Saltmarsh) A believer live only by sense, reason, and experience of himself, and as he lives to men (he meaneth daily sinning by reason of an indwelling corruption) he liveth both under the power and feeling of of sin, and under the Law. But if he live by faith — he liveth out of the power of all condemnation, and unrighteousness. Then to Antinomians feeling of sin in us, and sense reason, and experience knowing, and discerning sin in us, and our fearing sin, sorrowing, or being humbled for it, or any acts of repentance are contrary to living by faith, and so the works of the old Adam knowing ill, and a taste of the sour apple. What then is regeneration, and the killing of the body of sin, and of old Adam? It is the abolishing of all conscience knowledge, discerning, feeling, fear, sorrow, dejection of men for fear of sin. Hence Master Archer, D. Crisp, and Saltmarsh, make Sermons against fear of, or trouble for sin, as works of unbelief, as contrary to the power of God, faithfulness, providence, death of Christ, free grace, a weakening of faith, a damping of all religious service.
And for their not knowing of any good we do, or acts of Sanctification (which is the other branch of the Libertines regeneration.) Familists say, To fetch comfort from experience of grace in ourselves, is no way of grace. And its poverty of Spirit when we see we have no grace ; and Saltmarsh, Den, Crisp, Eaton, Town, and the Antinomians, reject all comforts, assurance, or rejoicing from acts of Sanctification, and works in the regenerate, and say, that its a seeking of righteousness in ourselves, and sure then it must be a work of the flesh to exercise our knowledge that way, to discern ourselves to be sons, because we walk in love, and after the Spirit.
Paral. II. Libertines said, All sin was but an opinion that we sin, and under opinion, they comprehend conscience, scruples, remorse, sense of judgment. That Christ's work, of Redemption was to destroy opinion and sense of sin, and then are men new creatures. And there is no Devil, no sin, no world that are our spiritual enemies. David Georgius placed the spiritual life of his, in committing Adulteries without sense of sin, and that publicly without shame, and that faith in Jesus Christ was the way to abolish this shame, in acting this filthiness; which shame was the fruit of the first Adams disobedience. And that they should confess all their sins, to their shame, again and again, in the public assembly, till all pride and glorification of the flesh be crucified, that grace and mercy may be seen to be more glorious. And they must go in this self-denial, while they be deaden, or to the opinion of any propriety of goods or possessions, or wives or Marriages, and then they come naked to the new Kingdom of David Georgius, where they are to live above all laws of marriage, &c. or consanguinity, or the like.
Antinomans do well near border with this way; only that which Libertines do call opinion or discerning of sin. Saltmarsh, Eaton, and Den, call sense, Town calleth it sense, or unbelief, all call it, sinning not before God, but before men, and in the conversation. So they say, the Adulteries, Murthers committed by the justified, are seeming sins, sins in men's account, saith Saltmarsh, but not so before God, and to the eye of Faith. Now to live by faith is Antinomian Sanctification, or Mortification; or these sins (saith Town ) before God, are no sins, to faith they are mere nullities, but to our sense and flesh they are sins. So Saltmarsh, and Eaton, to sense, reason, experience, or to unbelief that can but lie and deceive, they are sins; to faith, and before God, who seeth no sin in us, they are no sins. Or, as Master Den saith, They are sins in the conversation before men, not in the conscience and before God? and all come from this, the Justified are under no Law of God, and so cannot sin; if then they think their adulteries to be sin, that is sense, unbelief, ignorance of their Christian liberty, and the erroneous opinion of the old Adam ; Faith believeth Adultery to be no sin at all. Its true, to the believer it is no condemning sin; no sin, such as actually bindeth them over to eternal wrath, say we; but not a nullity for that, not for that; an exorbitancie against no Law of God, as the Libertine and his brother Antinomian say. Then no sense of sin, no trouble of mind for sin (as good Saltmarsh saith) can be in believers, because where there is no transgression, there is no Law, and no trouble of mind for a breach of the Law. This is an opinion of faith that Christ hath purchased a power, to believe sin to be no sin; and this is with David Georgius, not to think shame of sin, but to be deadened to all sense of sin, and so Faith pulleth the conscience out of the justified man, he may sin with ease.
CHAP. LXXV. Libertines, Familists, and Antinomians free us from all Law, and that we neither sin, nor are to be rebuked for sin.
Paral. III. LIbertines said, We were freed from all Law, either directing, commanding, or condemning. And so did David Georgius, and so teach the Libertines of New England. These that are in Christ, are under no Law, and Antinomians ; as Town, Saltmarsh, Crisp, Den, say, We are freed from all the Law of God, in all its offices, to direct, give light, rule, bind, oblige, or command, as well as to threaten and condemn.
Paral. IV. Libertines taught, That when we are once regenerate, we can sin no more, but are as Angels. So Libertines of New England and Antinomians say, A believer is as free from Hell, Law, and bondage on earth, as if he were in heaven, nor wants he anything to make him so, but to believe he is so. And He that believeth (saith Eaton) that Christ hath taken away his sins, is as clean from sin as Christ himself. And to Faith there is no sin, and the believers person and works are perfect before God, and free of sin, and sinful imperfections.
Paral. V. When Libertines were rebuked for sin, they said, Its not I that sin, but my Ass, or sin dwelling in me, and they cited that text, 1 Joh. 3. He that is born of God, sinneth not. Its true, Paul saith, Rom. 7. Not I, but sin dwelling in me, but his meaning was, its not I, as regenerate, who sin, because I make not sin my task and work, nor do I evil with the whole bensell of my soul, the whole strength of my mind, affections, and will, in regard the unrenewed part protesteth against sin; but I, as unrenewed, and as fleshly in part, as half a sufferer I sin, being as a captive sighing in my fetters, and complaining that I am wretched through necessity of sinning. I do the evil I would not do, Rom. 7.17.18.22.23. But the Antinomians conspire with Libertines in the same sense; for Town saith, That the old Adam, and all his works are shut up under the Law and wrath of God. So it is but the Old Adam, the flesh, the Law of the members that doth sin, but it was never the Apostles mind, to deny that a believer once justified can sin anymore, For in many things we sin all, Jam. 3.2. And if we say we have not sin, we are liars, 1 Joh. 1. But Antinomians deny that believers can more sin, then Christ himself, or then the glorified in heaven ; and to a believer there is no sin; God can see no sin in them. Now, sure Libertines who said the state of the regenerate, was an Angelike purity, did think sins acted by their Ass, the flesh, were no sins, as Antinomians deny Adulteries, and cozening, and robbing done by the justified, to be sins, but seeming sins as Saltmarsh, and no sins before God, as Eaton saith.
CHAP. LXXVI. Libertines and Antinomians destroy Scripture, and make the Spirit all, and some.
Paral. VI. LIbertines (saith Calvin) are so spiritual in their own fancy, that they count no more of the sacred word of God, then of Fables, except when it serves their turns. The places of Scripture objected, they said, must not be taken in the Litterall sense, because the Letter killeth, the Spirit quickeneth. And they turn the Scripture in Allegories, and high Spiritual Speculations, and the Scripture in its kindly sense they called a dead Letter, its the spirit (say they) that quickeneth. So David Georgius, and so doth M. Dell, Serm. pag. 19. citing the same words; so Randel the Familist, in a Sermon, said, That Christ's Parables, from Sowing, a Draw-net, Leaven, &c. did prove, that to expound the Scripture by Allegories was lawful, and all the things of this life, as Seed, the Way-side, a Rock, the Sea, a Net, Leaven, &c. were Sacraments of Christ, and he cited, Do this in Remembrance of me ; and that a spiritual mind, in all the things of nature, and of this life, might see the mysteries of the Gospel. This man who preacheth most abominable Familism, is suffered in, and about London publicly, twice on the Lord's day, to draw hundreds of godly people after him.
The New England Libertines say, The will of God in the Word, and the directions thereof are no Rule whereunto Christians are bound to conform their life. And the due search and knowledge of the holy Scriptures, is no safe way of searching and finding Christ ; And all Doctrines, Revelations, and Spirits, must be tried by Christ, not by the word of Christ. And the whole Letter of the Scripture holdeth forth a covenant of works. Saltmarsh, The interpreting the Spirit thus in the Letter, and in consequence hath much darkened the glory of the Gospel. But, I pray, are not all the heads of Libertinism and Antinomianism, their rejecting of the Laws direction, of the Scriptures, of personal sanctification, and of repentance, and mortification, the perfection of believers persons, and works, &c. all mere consequences from Scripture, the contrary being commanded expressly in Scripture. So Saltmarsh saith, The power of an outward Commandment and precept in the word, bringeth but forth finer hypocrisy, and the Spirit worketh not freely therewith. And M. Town hath much of this stuff, through his whole Book.
Much like to this is the doctrine of Henry Nicholas in his Epistle to two Daughters of Warwick, Ar. 7. While the Apostles daily went about with Christ, and had the word of the Father daily amongst them, understood not the Spirit of the the Lord, (till the day of Pentecost that he descended on them) how should then the multitude of these (which now say, they are Christians, and yet neither have, nor know neither Spirit nor Word, but go on with their fleshly prudency in the Literall Scripture, and set forth the same with their fleshly hearts, before the simple people, as it seemeth best unto them, and say even so very stoutly, We have the word of the Lord, whereas it is but their own word, wherein they, with their own prudency are genered and begotten) feel, either perceive the same? — They reject the word of the Lord, Jer. 8. Here giveth the Prophet a distinction or diversity between the word of the Lord, and the witnessing of an unregenerate man, which he bringeth forth out of the Letter of the Scripture.
Here H. Nicholas maketh a time when the Apostles were under the teaching of the Father, when they were unregenerated, and not pardoned, but led with the Letter of the Scripture, and a time when they were under the teaching of the Holy Ghost, and were regenerated. So the New England Familists, Rise, reign, Er. 41. say, There be distinct seasons of the working of the several persons, so the soul may be said to be under the Fathers, and not the Sons, and so long under the Sons work, and not the Spirits. And just so Saltmarsh Free grace, pag. 113. The Fathers before Christ, might conceive themselves rather not destroyed, then saved, and rather not damned, then redeemed, — but now is fullness of the Spirit, and of free grace, (pag. 115.) discovered, And Den, Doctrine of John the Baptist, p. 51. The knowledge of both actual and eternal remission, was no Article of the Jewish Creed; but now (55.) is remission past and done.
2. Here H. Nicholas makes a difference between the word of God as it is in the Letter, and the word as it is in the Spirit, as between the word of man; to wit, which is in the Letter, and the word of the Lord, which is in the Spirit. So doth Saltmarsh between the interpreting of the Word, in the Letter, and in the consequence, which darkeneth the Gospel, and the yielding of the sense of the Scripture, in the Spirit, which must, by opposition, clear the glory of the Gospel, Shaddowes fleeing away, pag. 8. So doth Cornwell, Confer. with J. Cotton pag. 17. say, A conclusion following from the strength of human reasoning, is but a human, not a Divine Faith ; now we judge the literal sense of the word to be the very meaning and kindly sense of the Holy Ghost, and do hold that the word hath not two sundry senses, and that the letter of the Word and Spirit are not contrary, but subordinate; though the one, that is, the letter of the word may be without the Spirit, and then the Letter is a dead thing, to the hardened hearer, not in it self; but yet should not the Letter of the Scripture, and outward ordinances, or prophesying, be despised more then the Spirit should be quenched.
3. N. Nicholas here maketh two sort of regenerated persons. Some regenerated by the Letter of the word, these have but their own word, not the word of the Lord; others are regenerated by the Spirit, and these have the word of God. So the New England Familists, Er. 13. and Saltmarsh Free grace 177.178. as if one Spirit breathed in all the three, tell us of a legal conversion by the outward Commandment, Letter, and terrors of the Law and Gospel, and such are but hypocrites, and others converted by the Spirit ; Protestants half, not the Spirit, and the word, but conjoin them; for the Spirit is the Father, and principal cause of the second birth, and the Word the seed and instrument; but their way is to abolish Word, Seals, and all Ordinances, as Legal things.
It is true, this wretched man seems to give enough to outward ordinances, for he saith, Epist. to the two Maides, They be outward means set forth by God, to direct people to the inward righteous life of Christ in the Spirit. Yet in the Epistle, as Answorth in his answer observeth, he calleth the outward ordinances but Ceremonies, and persuades them not to suffer death in confessing the Scriptures to be the perfect rule of our faith and life, against the Romish Antichristian Doctrine and Ceremonies. For (saith H. Nicholas) No man doth rightly, according to the truth of the holy Scriptures, nor according to the spiritual understanding of the godly wisdom deal in it, or use the true God-services of the holy word (it becometh not likewise that any man should take in hand to busy himself thereabout) but only the illuminated Elders in the godly wisdom which walk in the house of love. And in the Epistle, Let no man (saith he) boast himself in any of the works of righteousness, or take on the same to salvation, neither to condemnation, before that he in the Spirit of Christ, through the love of the Father, be renewed in all righteousness of life, not that I mean in the Elementish Ceremonial righteousness, which the man setteth forth or occupieth out of his own prudency, but I mean in that righteousness which according to the heavenly truth is in the being of Christ, and is set forth through the Spirit of God. So this abominable wretch maketh all reading, or hearing, or believing the Scriptures to be Elementish, carnal righteousness, and that we are to do no good works to obtain salvation, nor to eschew any evil to be freed from condemnation, but to study an inward righteousness, in being Goded and Christed, and in communicating with the essence and godly being.
M. Town also maketh the Law a sort of directory of walking, as doth H. N. Assert. grace, pag. 38. I know not where to learn my duty to my Superior, but in the matter of the fifth Command, nor what Murder or Adultery is, but in the sixth and seventh. But Town forgetteth himself, and pag. 3. saith, We are from under the Law, in all its authority, dominion, offices, and effects ; yea, he denieth that we are under the power and teaching of the Law. And Saltmarsh will have us not to borrow one beam of directing light from the Law, so as he seemeth to stomach, and to be angry, that the Old Testament, but especially the ten Commandments, are printed in the Bible. Yet what ever direction of walking we have from the Law, I find them in all their writings, grudging at any Law or Gospel written, because writing, speaking, vocal covenants, are the dead and killing Letter, fruitless, and lifeless, and that the Spirit immediately acting is all our rule.
Paral. VII. Libertines speak disgracefully of the Penmen of Scripture; and called Paul a broken vessel, John, stolidum juvenem, a foolish young man, Peter, a denyer of God, Matthew, an Usurer. The Church was in her infancy, (said Da. Georgius) Under Abraham and the Prophets, in its young age; under John the Baptist, Christ in the flesh, and the Apostles, its grown, and now presently under David, the Christ, its spiritual and perfect.
So many Antinomians turn perfectists, Who (say they) having the Holy Ghost, as well as the Prophets and Apostles, can pen, and speak Scripture from the same Spirit. The New England Libertines are so far on this way, that they disgrace the Apostle Peter, as a half-Legalist, and say, Peter leaned more to a covenant of works, then Paul, and that Paul's doctrine was more for free grace, then Peters. And Saltmarsh maketh all the Prophets in the Old Testament, Legal men ; and Christ in the flesh, and his Apostles preached free grace, but in degrees and parts; but we dare not (saith he) preach the Gospel so in halves and quarters as ye do. And Christ and the Apostles preached grace, faith, repentance, new obedience, in scantling of Doctrine, as they are merely and barely revealed in the history of the Gospel, or Acts of the Apostles, where only the Doctrine is not so much revealed, as the practice.— But we (Antinomians) preach Christ the power of all, the fullness of all, that we may exalt him, whom God hath exalted at his own right hand.
Hence Saltmarsh 1. saith, the Antinomians in England reveal more free grace, and fullness of Christ in their Sermons, then Christ and the Apostles did in the half of the New Testament, or all the Prophets in the Old.
2. Christ, and the Prophets, and Apostles, except in the Epistles, were Legal Preachers. What be Legal Preachers, (that I wrong not Saltmarsh, as he doth Christ, the Prophets, and Apostles) I give it in his own words. Legalists are 1. such as compound and bargain with God for salvation, and submit not to the righteousness of God, and lie down in the sparks of their own kindling ; are Christ, his Prophets, and Apostles such? Such as from the notion of a covenant, conceive a little too Legally of free grace. Such as have neither the use nor freedom of the heavenly inheritance, that are subject to death and bondage. Such to whom God appeared only, as it were, upon terms and conditions of reconciliation. Such as in fasting, and other acts of obedience, dealt with God, to get some love from God, which Christ himself had not gotten for us, So belike, the Prophets that died before Christ went not to heaven, but to some chamber, or higher room in hell called Limbus Patrum ▪ or to some other place: for Saltmarsh saith, they had neither the use nor freedom of the heavenly inheritance, whither then went their souls after death? 2. They were chosen to salvation some other way, then Jaakob, Rom. 9. they purchased the love of free election, by fasting and penance. 3. Their sins were not pardoned, nor they reconciled to God, a belying of the Old Testament. 4. The Prophets submitted not to the righteousness of God, but sought righteousness by the works of the Law. All these, how they agree in part to Christ, John the Baptist, and the Apostles, in the first half of the New Testament; let Saltmarsh and Antinomians see and consider.
Paral. VIII. Libertines said, The whole Scripture was nothing but the Spirit of God, and the Letter of the Scripture, not Scripture, but the Spirit was both Christ and the Scripture, and a godly life must be the Spirit. So the Libertines of New-England. There is a Testimony of the Spirit, and voice unto the soul merely immediate, without any respect unto, or concurrence with the Word. And from this, We are not to keep a constant course of praying at set hours, or always, but as the Spirit move us. And all doctrines and revelations must be tried by Christ, that is, Christ dwelling in us, in a spiritual manner, not by the Word of Christ, or the Scripture.
In this same Grammar speak Antinomians. So Saltmarsh. The Law now is in the Spirit ; What is that? And in the Gospel for a believer to walk by; nor is (saith he) holiness and sanctification now such as is fashioned by the Law, or outward Commandment, but by the preaching of Faith, by which the Spirit is given, which renews and sanctifies a believer, and makes him the very Law of Commandment in himself, and his heart the very two Tables of Moses. This is to say the Word begetteth not Faith, but only Historically instructeth the flesh; and expressly, in terminis, the Libertines sense and mind is, that the Word is changed in a Spirit without Scripture, and the Christian in his walking and conversation (which to Antinomians is all in faith) is the Spirit it self. Town is much in this, through his whole book, to make the Law a mere dead Letter, and the Gospel all Spirit, and to free us from the Letter of all Scripture. And Saltmarsh upon this ground, of the free working of the Spirit of Adoption, freeth us from outward Commandments, Covenants, Vowes, as if the Word, or Scripture, and the Spirit, were two contrary and different things, and the one not harmoniously subordinate too, and complying with the other.
CHAP. LXXVII. Antinomians and Libertines foul opinions touching God and the Author of sin.
Paral. IX. LIbertines said, There was but one Spirit in the world, that lives, and moves, and acts all things instead of our souls, yea and in all creatures. And that God was the Author of all good and ill, sin and righteousness, because he works all our works in us, and the Creature works nothing, and that sin was but an opinion, the Devils and Angels but motions. And so taught David Georgius, That Devils were but ill motions, and the good Angels are but qualities and motions of men's minds. And the same is like unto the mind of New England Familists, who say, That in conversion, the faculties and workings of the soul are destroyed, and instead of them the Holy Ghost; yea, and in place of all love and graces, Christ himself comes in, and Christ incarnate and made flesh is in every believer.
Now Randell the Familist, and Antinomians hath prefixed a commendatory Preface to a piece, called Theologia Germanica, which saith, That all good is only God ; and he maketh no difference between created and uncreated good: and God becometh all things, in man, nor is there anything that can challenge to it self being, or goodness, that true Christ is in man; and that the true and perfect God, and true and perfect man are one, and man doth so yield and give place unto God, that where God himself is, there is man, and that God also is there present, and works his alone, and does and leaves undone anything without any I, to me, much or the like, where these things are and exist, there is true Christ, and nowhere else. And he that is illuminated with the eternal love is a divine and deified man. And the Author of the Bright star, set out by Randell also, Nothing is, or hath being, but God and his will. And God is all, the creature nothing, Man is nothing, because he is not good nor infinite; being, and good are convertible. They say, The Devils and Angels also are nothing. If any say, that I cannot impute any such opinion to our Antinomians. But 1. Antinomians confute them not, but still come up to all that the Libertines of New England hold. 2. They never refused Randell the Familist to be theirs, but Antinomians are his constant hearers and Disciples. 3. Archer and many Antinomians say, Sin is nothing, and God cannot hate it. 4. I have proved, they hold that the personal acts of Sanctification, and sins of the justified are sins, only in the conversation, to the sense, to the flesh, to unbelief, and seeming to be so, not in conscience, not really, not before God, not truly, not to faith. 5. The Antinomians say, that the Spirit acteth in the Saints immediately, and the Saints are mere patients in all their works ; because Saltmarsh saith, The Spirit of adoption works not freely, when men are in bondage to some outward circumstance of worship, as time, &c. and they cannot pray, but at such hours; no Protestant doth teach any such thing; but Antinomians think, We are holden to pray, at no certain hour, nor at any time, unless the Spirit stir us thereunto ; which is to make neither Law nor Gospel our rule of walking, as if the Commandments in the Letter held out not any obligation to us to do good, or omit evil, but the immediate acting of the Spirit were our only rule: so Saltmarsh, The Law is now (saith he) in the Spirit, and holiness, and sanctification, is not now such as is fashioned by the Law, or outward Commandment, as if in the time of the Old Testament, not now, holiness were wrought in us, by a mere outward Commandment without the Spirit; And ye may remember D. Crispes Argument, to prove that Faith is no condition of the covenant of grace; because its God only who worketh Faith in us, and believes in us, (as M. Town saith) We being mere patients, and if we believe not, then God should break the Covenant, not we; because God doth not what is his part, when he works not faith in us, which is a strong Argument to prove that the Holy Ghost, is the immediate and only Author of sin in the believer. Because the holy Ghost only, by this reason, without us works in us to will and to do, and keeps the believer from Adultery, Murder, sinful non-calling on God, not believing; when therefore the believer whores, murderers, repents not, believeth not, God is the cause, and the only cause thereof: So Crisp saith, The Covenant it self doth plainly show that the whole performance of the Covenant lies only upon God himself, and that there is not one bond or obligation upon man, to the fulfilling of the Covenant, or partaking of the benefits of the Covenant. And must not (saith he) the fault or failing to perform the Covenant be his, who is tied and bound to everything in the Covenant, and saith he will do it? If there be a condition, and there be a failing in the condition, he that undertakes all things in the Covenant, must needs be in the fault. So he. Now this Argument hath no strength, but upon this Antinomian supposition, that there is no tie, no obligation lying on us to believe, and lay hold on the Covenant, as Isaiah saith, cap. 56. and by faith to subscribe and sign the Covenant, and to walk in the Lord's Commandments; and it must suppose that we are patients in believing, and walking in God's Commandments, and that God only worketh these in us, as in stones and blocks; and whether Faith be a condition, or a duty, or no condition, it is all one, if God only work faith in us, we being dead and passive. As Libertines speak, and if God promise and undertake to put his Spirit in us, and to cause us walk in his Commandments, as he undertaketh, Ezech. 36.26, 27. Jer. 32.39, 40. Deut. 30.6. Jer. 31.33, 34. Ezech. 11.19, 20. Hebr. 8.9, 10, 11, 12. And if God's promise to work in us, to will, to do, to walk in his Commandments, to abstain from fornication, bloodshed, lying, violence, oppression, unbelief, free us from all tie and obligation to these duties, as Crisp saith; then the Lord must be the only and immediate Spirit that doth in us believe, mis-believe, walk in God's ways, or whore, lie; for saith Crisp, Must not the fault, or failing to perform the Covenant be his, who is tied and bound to everything in the Covenant, and saith he will do it? Reader, then judge how far Antinomians differ in this, from Libertines. And M. Saltmarsh saith the same, What ever promise there is, which hath any condition into it, it is ours in him, in Christ, who was the only conditioned and qualified person for all promises. And M. Town, Saltmarsh, and all Antinomians in every page of their books say, we are freed from the Law, as an obliging rule of holy walking, and under grace, that is under the Gospel; because the Law is a killing dead Letter, and can never give life, nor Sanctification. But the Gospel, ( saith he) is like the Sun, caries along with it light and life. But I pray, is not the Gospel without the Spirit a killing Letter, as well as the Law, and can it ever quicken or sanctify without the Spirit, more then the Law? Then by this Argument, the believer is tied to nothing, as an obliging rule, either of believing, or holy walking, but to that which doth effectually quicken and sanctify; so neither Commandment of Law nor Gospel without the Spirit, is the believers rule, but only the Spirit, and the Spirit effectually quickening, and actually sanctifying, then the Spirit must only be our rule, and we must only be obliged to be ruled, and to lie under the actings of the Spirit as dead creatures. When then we neither believe nor repent, nor abstain from whooring, robbing, lying, because the Spirit acteth not, we sin not, for sin is against some obligation; Antinomians will not say, we are obliged by any Law, old or new, to have the actual breathings of the Holy Ghost, when we omit good, and commit evil, then the holy Spirit must immediately, and only act good in us, and his non-acting immediately, must be the only cause of believers murthering, whooring, lying; and is there not then a Spirit in all under the Gospel, working in them all good, and by no working, causing all the sins they commit? And what is sin then but an opinion? And can it be our work, or anything but God's work in us.
CHAP. LXXVIII. Libertines and Antinomians take away all sense, or remorse of conscience for sin.
Paral. X. LIbertines said, We are to be troubled in conscience for no sin, because God worketh all in the creature, and nothing is beside the will of God.
Libertines of our time say, If God will let me sin, let him see to his own honor. And upon the same ground, M. Archer saith, We are not to be troubled for our sins, because they come from God, and we may safely say, that God is, and hath a hand in, and, is the Author of the sinfulness of his people. So do other Antinomians though they speak not out. 2. Upon another ground Antinomians bury all conscience of believers sins. 1. Because their sins are no sins, being remitted before they be committed. 2. Because (say they) it is against Faith, and from unbelief, the flesh, and want of mortification, to be moved, or touched in conscience with sin, as I often have proved.
CHAP. LXXIX. Libertines and Antinomians Parallel believers with Christ incarnate.
Paral. XI. AS David Georgius, and his cursed followers; so Libertines said, Christ in us dwelling was God manifested in the flesh, or Christ is but a pattern, type, a representation or figure of patient suffering, and of these virtues required in these that are to be saved.
So the Author of the Bright Star, makes Christ-man the pattern in the mount, that in worship and conversation we must follow. And when this Author, and Theologia Germanica take away God from us, and say, there is nothing in the creature but God, they do worse then Libertines; Yea, they fancy Christ incarnate, to be a divine and holy man, and so evert a principal Pillar of our faith; that is, that we believe in the Son of God, Christ-God made manifest in the flesh. And the N. England Libertines teach, That Christ is incarnate in every believer. So the English Antinomian saith, I have nothing to do with your Moses or the Law. I am Christed, and Goded. And a late giddy, phranticke Pamphlet, which I should not honor to cite, saith, A man in Christ is baptized into a living active God, and a dead passive creature. And though Antinomians, as yet seem to grant, that the Son of God was incarnate, yet we know not how long, for they equal a believer most proudly with Christ, making both his person, and all his actions, though Adultery, Roberie, Lying, as clean from sin, as Christ, or his actions, or as the glorified in heaven. 2. Saltmarsh saith, The Gospel commands rather by pattern, then by precept, and by imitation, rather then command. They deny all obligation, either by Law or Gospel, to lie on us. 3. Because we are in Christ, they say all our sins, all our sufferings, are so drowned up, swallowed, and nothinged in Christ, that we are neither to fear, or be touched with the sense of either sin or affliction ; and that the believer is to remain in Christ always, rejoicing, triumphing, being in heaven already, and sorrow and sighing for evermore, being banished away.
CHAP. LXXX. To follow sense as a Law is our rule, say Libertines and Antinomians.
Paral. XII. LIbertines taught, That any calling was lawful, and to follow callings was to follow their natural inclination, and to live as they pleased. Quintinus the Libertine to one that asked how he was in health, said in wrath, Can it be ill with Christ? When he was present at a solemn Mass with a Cardinal, he said, He saw the glory of God ; from this ground, that Christians cannot sin, that their inclination and nature is their guide, which they called the Spirit, and they are loosed from all Law; therefore with David Georgius they said, A marriage-covenant tied Christians no longer, then the natural temper and disposition of husband and wife would carry them on to agree to live together, when inclinations of Christians did thwart, they were free to marry another. And so said they of goods, that they might rob and spoil, calling inclination a calling, as if it were their calling to rob and oppress.
So, the same do Antinomians teach in their beastly distinction; in which Town, Eaton, Den, and Saltmarsh say, Believers are as clean from sin, before God, and as they live by faith, as Jesus Christ himself, but to men-ward declaratively, and as they live by sense, or seemingly, as Saltmarsh meaneth, or according to the flesh, as Town saith, (now the flesh is the Ass. ) The believers sin, and may whore, kill; but this following of the sense, and the flesh, is nothing but the Libertines following of his natural inclination, or calling. Now the believers Adultery to Saltmarsh, is but seeming Adultery; then it is not in deed, and before God, Adultery; and he followeth his sense and natural inclination, (as the Libertine said) in putting away his wife without cause, and Marrying another, and in robbing the Widow and Orphan, and taking the Ox away from the fatherless ; and so followeth his calling. 2. Sinning according to sense, and the flesh as lying and whoring, are not sins according to Faith, and before God, sense is unbelief, and a blind judge, and reputeth that to be sin, which is not sin, saith Eaton, For Faith seeth them above sense to be utterly abolished. 3. The believer following his sense in Adultery, rapine, lying, is under no law. Ergo, his following of his sense, his being present at a Mass, his robbing his brother cannot be a sin; then it must either be in it self lawful, and a following of his calling, as the Libertine said, or it is unlawful. The Antinomian must speak condictions, to call that unlawful, which is against no Law.
2. Randell a Familist, setting forth a piece of Cusanus Intituled, The Vision of God, hath a Familists conscience, to picture God himself, and Clouds encircling him, expressly forbidden in the second Command, but it is no Command to him. Master Den, Doctrine of John the Baptist, 65. retaineth the destinction of Clergy and Laics condemned by all Protestant Divines; and Pag. 66. he saith, He will condemn the removal of Images, Idols, Crucifixes of Wood, Glass, of Stone, but he mentions no command of God to justify it; for we are commanded no worship external in the New Testament, but Faith, that is, no sin, as sin, is forbidden, but unbelief; to this Town assert. grace, pag. 94. cannot answer one word. So H. Nicholas in his joyful message of the Kingdom, cap. 31.33.34. highly extolleth the Romish Church, Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, &c. Service, Ceremonies, till hot contention arose about them.
3. We know Antinomians think nothing of Idolatry, adding to the worship of God, and that some of them speak their conscience, when deterred from Adultery, Murder, Rapine, they have said. What? Adultery? God seeth no sin in believers. One of them in Scotland said, he would take the Lord's Supper on the crown of his head, if Authority should command him. Another said, once dipping, or ten times were indifferent. Most of them are for liberty of all blasphemous religions; and their saying is, Believe in Christ, and sin against the Law if thou canst? This is to make sense, that which Libertines call natural inclination ; Yea, all outward Commandments to Town and Saltmarsh are but shadows, the Spirit is all the believers obliging rule. No external Command can oblige a Believer, under peril of sinning against God, in his court, in foro Dei, and we know how broad and large their consciences be in the matter of Marriage and Divorce.
CHAP. LXXXI. Sundry Antinomians say, Irish Papists ought to have liberty of conscience, and to enjoy their religion.
Parall. XIII. LIbertines said, they knew that their souls were immortal, and live forever in heaven, but Christ by his death hath taken away that opinion, and hath restored life to us in that, now we know we shall not die.
Antinomians cannot deny but we die, but they will have no death to be the execution of the righteous Lord's sentence, for sin to the godly, but that they return to dust believing, and neither feeling, nor fearing, sin or punishment for sin; for that is against the power, faithfulness, providence free grace, sufferings of Christ, faith, all religion: and Archer, Saltmarsh, Crisp, upon the same grounds, that the believer committeth Adultery to his own sense, but his Adultery really, and to his faith is no sin; so they are not to fear, or feel any afflictions, or death, but to believe them to be shadows. Now the removal of fear, and the opinion of dying, is imputed to Christ's death; so as Saltmarsh saith, The Spirit of Christ sets a believer as free from hell, the Law, and bondage here on earth, as if he were in heaven, nor wants he anything to make him so, but to make him believe he is so; for Satan, sin, sinful flesh, and the Law, are all so near him, that he cannot so walk by sight, and in the clear apprehension of it; but the just do live by Faith, and Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Then beside that, its his happiness, not his bondage, that the Law is is so near him, that is it written in his inner parts and heart, it must be his sin and feeling contrary to Faith, (which was one opinion and sense) that he knoweth and believeth he must lay down this tabernacle of clay. And Town saith, Faith banisheth all the mists and vapors arising from these earthly members, out of God's sight and presence. — Thus I am a sinner, and no sinner, daily I fall in myself, and stand in Christ forever. But Town lieth, in saying, He is a sinner in himself, and no sinner in Christ. For sin, in himself, or to his flesh or sense, is no sin at all, and against no Law, his sense lieth, and deceiveth; Faith, by which he should walk, doth truly say, he is in himself, and really, no more a sinner then Christ is a sinner in himself; and upon the same grounds, sense of death, and sickness, and pain, and fear, are but deceiving opinions, and errors contrary to faith, and Christ came to die, and remove from us fear, feeling, opinion of all affliction and pain, as contrary to faith. Now its a sin not to walk by Faith, then must the feeling of pain and death be a sin, and Christ came to give us a sense, dedolency, and dullness of apprehending either sin, or ill of affliction, and so say Libertines.
CHAP. LXXXII. Libertines and Antinomians doubt of the Resurrection, and life to come.
Paral. XIV. LIbertines denied the Resurrection, and said with Hymenaeus and Philetus, That it was already done, and in this life, they mocked salvation, in hope of the coming of the Lord; they said, To walk in newness of life, was the Resurrection with Christ, and all the resurrection we are to look for. David Georgius saith, As there was a revelation under Moses and the Prophets, and a more clear one under Christ and the Apostles. So under himself, the true David, the Lyon of the tribe of Judah, the stone hewed out of the Mountain without hands: there was now a far more glorious revelation, and most spiritual, that he exceeded so far Christ according to the flesh, and the Apostles; as that all Ordinances and external worship, and seals, should cease when he comes, because of the efficacy and spiritualness of his doctrine above Christ in the flesh, and all the Apostles, as the Spirit is above the flesh. And the clouds in the which Christ was to come, to judge the quick and the dead, must be Allegorically expounded of the minds of the Saints. The Archangel that shall sound the Trumpet, is the Doctrine and discipline of this David the Christ. And that the place of happiness was in this earth, not in heaven. The kingdom of God is the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and that Christ would have shortly a glorious kingdom; and that Paradise, heaven, and hell were within men, and that heaven was the gifts of the mind, the earth the goods of the body, and their use which shortly should come to the Saints.
Another false Christ, was Henry Nicholas, who called himself, as Ainsworth saith, The Father of the Family of Love, who saith, of himself, God hath wrought a wonderful work on the earth, and raised up me Henry Nicholas the least among the holy ones of God, which lay altogether dead, and without breath and life among the dead, and made me alive through Christ, as also anointed me with his godly being; Manned himself with me, and Goded me with him to be a living tabernacle, or house, for his dwelling, and a seat of his Christ, the seed of David.
And Behold and consider, my beloved, how wonderfully God worketh in his holy ones, and how that now in this day, or light of the love, the judgment seat of Christ, is revealed and declared unto us (the household of love) out of heaven to a righteous judgment, upon earth, from the right hand of God. And how that on the same judgment seat of Christ, (that the Scriptures might be fulfilled) there sitteth one now in truth (the wretched impostor H. Nicholas ) in the habitation of David which judgeth uprightly, thinketh upon equity, and requireth righteousness.
And again, Behold, in this present day is the Scripture fulfilled, and according to the Testimony of the Scripture, the raising up, and the Resurrection of the Lord's dead cometh also to pass, presently in this same day, through the appearing of the coming of Christ in his Majesty, ( he meaneth, the false Christ Henry Nicholas) which Resurrection of the dead, seeing that the same is come to us (To Henry Nicholas and the Family or Elders of Love) from God's grace, we do likewise in this present day, to an Evangelike or joyful Message of the Kingdom of God, and Christ, publish in all the world under the obedience of love.
Sent. 9. In which Resurrection of the dead, God showeth unto us that the time is now fulfilled, that his dead, or the dead that are fallen asleep in the Lord, rise up in this day of his judgment, and appear unto us in godly glory; which shall also from henceforth live in us (H. N. and the Family of Love ) everlastingly with Christ, and reign upon the earth, wherein the Scripture becometh fulfilled in this present day, like as there standeth written thereof, The Lord shall judge his people, &c.
One of the hearers of Randel, a preaching Familist at London was asked, If he believed the bodies of men dead and buried in the earth, should be raised to life, Answered, I know not.
For Familists, Mistress Hutchison and hers say, That the souls of men are by generation mortal like the beasts, Eccles. 3.8. But in regard of Christ's purchase immortal; and that those who are united to Christ in this life, have new bodies, and two bodies, 1 Cor. 6.19. These who have union with Christ shall not rise with the same fleshly bodies, 1 Cor. 15.44. And that the Resurrection spoken of 1 Cor. 15. and John 5.28. is not meant of the resurrection of the body, but of our union here, and after this life with Christ. That there is no kingdom of heaven in Scripture, but only Christ. So said Hymenaeus and Philetus, and the Libertines, who made the resurrection a spiritual communion with Christ.
Antinomians have never shown their mind of the resurrection, and the life to come, and have never contradicted the Libertines and Familists in these, and yet own their other opinions. Yea, Saltmarsh to me owneth no heaven, but that which is in this life, if a naked opinion were added to it. For saith he, The Spirit of Christ sets a believer as free from hell, the Law, and bondage here on earth, as if he were in heaven; nor wants he anything to make him so, but to make him believe he is so. So he wants nothing of heaven, but believe he is in heaven, and he is in heaven; he will not except the resurrection of, and the glorifying of the body, Phil. 3.19, 20. nor the rooting out of original sin, nor the immortality of the whole man, nor freedom from sinning, immunity from sorrow, sadness, perfect joy, pleasures forever more, seeing of God, and enjoying of him face to face; the perfecting of love, and of grace with glory, all which he wanteth of heaven, and hath here only the first fruits of the Spirit, and is absent from the Lord, and sigheth in this tabernacle; and since Saltmarsh professeth a finer free grace, and a further revealing of the Gospel in its glory, liberty, &c. Why doth he not once in all his Treatises, mention the last, and perfecting act of Free grace and Gospel-freedom, that Christ will raise up the believer at the last day?
2. While Antinomians clear us, touching their mind of the sense, the flesh, sinning before men, not in regard of faith, or in God's sight or account. I must conceive, they mean with Mistress Hutchison, and other Familists, a sinning in the old body, not in the new; and in the old soul, they have by generation, not in the new soul, or in the conscience, as M. Den saith, which they have by Redemption. I therefore attest them, to clear themselves in that distinction, and either black the Familists, or own them as their own.
3. Calvin saith from Paul, We are in this life saved in hope, we have not heaven, and life eternal, in perfection and completely here; we do but wait for our full and final redemption of soul and body, at Christ's coming, whereas Libertines said, we were completely saved in this life. So say Saltmarsh, and M. Town, who are angry that Protestant Divines say, We are saved by right, and in hope, and really in Christ our head; but they will have us fully, completely, perfectly saved in this very life, though we have not the sense and feeling of it; and we want nothing of eternal life, but believe we have it completely, as the glorified, and we have it.
CHAP. LXXXIII. Familists, Libertines, Anabaptists, go before Antinomians in denying all external worship and obedience.
Paral. XV. HEnry Nich. called love the Being and Godhead of Christ, which we received through the power of the Holy Ghost ; and that love within was all, and that all external obedience from the Letter of the Word was fleshly and Ceremonial. Just as Master Dell, Ser. 19. rejecting all external Reformation, calleth it hypocritical and carnal, and refusing the Scriptures, either Law or Gospel, as mere carnal Letters, devoles all on the Spirit, and acknowledgeth no Laws at all in Christ's kingdom, but the Law of nature. 2. The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ, which is the Spirit himself in his working. 3. And the law of Love, the Spirit of Christ.
And Henry Nicholas forbiddeth all his to boast of any righteousness, or take on the same, either to salvation or condemnation, before a man be in the Spirit of Christ, and be renewed; not (saith he) that I mean in the Elementish Ceremonial righteousness, which the man setteth forth, or occupieth in his own prudency, but I mean, in that righteousness, which according to the heavenly truth, is in the being of Christ, and is set forth through the Spirit of God, and the Christ of God, and the Christ of God, is not yet declared to you, according to the heavenly truth, but weell according to man's wisdom or industry, which to the literal Scripture add their own prudency, and even so go forth, or occupy their own righteousness without the Spirit of Christ, which is a miserable doctrine, being taught without the Spirit of Christ.
Henry Nicholas, Sect. 5. Epist. These that are not taught by the Spirit of life, expound the Scriptures upon an earthy or Elementish foundation, where-through the man cannot attain any renewing of the heart. Sect. 17. They that are Baptized to Christ, have put on Christ. But I would gladly ask of these that say, They have put on the Christianlike Baptism, how, or after what manner Christ hath a shape or fashion in them, they shall find themselves not mighty in the being of Christ ; (that is in love, by which they become God incarnarnate) and that they have received not the Baptism of Christ, but their own. The like he saith of the Lord's Supper, Sect. 19. Sect. 20. Sect. 21. When the Scripture saith, we must forsake our lives for Christ's sake, understand, I do mean of the forsaking of our own life. When God had created the man, then was the man in subjection to the life of God, and not to his own life, for thereunto God had created the Man, that he should be of one life and being, one Spirit, and of one nature with God, but when the man desired in his heart to love some other thing beside the life of God (namely the concupiscence of the sin) then went he into his own life and contention, and forsook the life of God, and lived even so his own life, and the life of the Devil. Sect. 23. The whiles now, that the office of Christ hath its Ministration, for to bring the man again to God: so cannot Christ bring the man to the Father, unless that the man forsake his own life, which he hath lived so long to the Devil and to himself, which is all the same wherein he hath lived so long to himself. Sect. 24. Is not this now a great overshooting, or mis-understanding that the children of men can say and teach, that Christ meant hereby the natural or Elementish man. Sect. 25. We ourselves have not made the natural man, therefore he cannot belong unto us. Sect. 26. What then shall the man forsake, that he might be reconciled unto God? Not anything else but his own life, that is the man of sin, which hath so long lain hid in the heart of man, which is the Temple of God, and hath said, that he was God, 2 Thess. 2.27. they are grossly deceived, who apply this to the Pope, the Antichrist, therefore he forbids the two Daughters to suffer for, or confess Christ, and highly extolleth erring. Sect. 10. Sect. 14.15.16. cap. 31. Bishops as Pastors of the Sheep and Lambs of Christ, Parish Priests, or Curates, as signifying Levitical Priests; Pastors and Elders, as the holy understanding. Sect. 28. Oh what a slight and earthly understanding is this, that God should be appeased with an Elementish body: even like as though God were fleshly, even as an unregenerate man. So M. Del, Ser. p. 6. The Kingdom of Christ is Spiritual, so all things that belong to it, are also spiritual. So David Georgius, in the end, finding many of his to be killed, discharged all his to suffer in the body, or goods, or name, anything for his Christ and truth, but willed them in external profession to be of any Religion, all Gospel-reformation was in the heart. As Bullinger in the same place showeth us, that the ninth kind of Anabaptists in his time, that were called, Liberi Anabaptistae, said, That Baptizing of Infants, Magistracy, oaths, swearing, were things free and indifferent, that the faithful may use, or not use, at their pleasure, they esteemed nothing of the preaching of the Word, and the assemblies of the people of God, because that the Saints were all taught of God, and that there was no need that one should teach another; and that Sacraments were needless, and had little fruit, for when they had the Spirit, they needed not external signs, and that it was free to confess the truth of Christ, or not to confess it, as perils for the Gospel might carry men on; that God delighted not that men should be tormented, or die for him, it was enough if they kept God in their heart.
Now you see Henry Nicholas held.
1. That the external written Word, was Ceremonial fleshly, Elementish, that the Spirit was all.
2. All external obedience and Reformation was fleshly, and the being Goded and Christed with love, and the lovely being of God was Christ, was the being and nature of God in the Saints; and regeneration.
3. That by love and the works of righteousness which we do, we are regenerated and reconciled to God.
4. That Christ seemed to die but died not, but only in an Allegorical, Figurative, and Exemplary way he suffered as a pattern and copy for us, that we might reconcile ourselves to God, as sons of the house of love, after his example, but as Socinus, so the Nicholaitans taught, That Christ really satisfied not the justice of God, nor obtained everlasting righteousness for us, any other way, but in a figure, copy, and good example.
5. That Christ incarnate, was nothing but H. Nicholas Godded and manned by Christ, or God in the lovely being of God, and that everyone that is inhabited by love, was renewed and made partaker of the substance and nature of God, and that a child of the Family of love, was the very Christ, and God manifested in the flesh and incarnate.
6. That the regenerated in England, of which number M. Ainsworth saith, were the two daughters of Warwick, that H. Nicholas wrote to, and all the godly in England not of his way, were regenerated only according to the literal Scripture, not according to the being of God in love and the Spirit: or as the Familists of New England say, That some are so converted, that they may, and do attain the same righteousness for truth, that Adam had in innocence. And Saltmarsh his Legal converts, who may eternally be damned, are of the same size, if ye diligently compare the tract of his dangerous book together, and with the principles of Familists, and H. Nicholas.
7. That the Word and the Spirit are two contrary things. Town saith, If the Spirit be free, why will you control or rule it by Law, as if the Law could contradict any Spirit, save the Euthyasticall Spirit of H. Nicholas and Antinomians.
8. The Letter of the Scripture, external Ordinances, Church-assemblies are nothing, that there is no reformation, but inward and of the Spirit, as M. Del lately Preached before the House of Commons, That the Gospel and a believers Law (as Saltmarsh saith) is Christ and his Spirit.
9. All outward ser • ice, ordinances, confession of Christ before men are things free, and indifferent, and the Popish external Service, of Mass, Images, Pope, Bishops, Cardinals, Deans, and such dirt, are lawful and free ; only Antinomians and Saltmarsh will have them a little Legal and literal, and that is all their fault.
10. The laying down of our lives, and forsaking all for Christ, are to be expounded Spiritually, and Allegorically, (as Familists custom is, and that abominable Peece, called Philosophy dissected doth ) and so are other Scriptures to be expounded in the Spirit, not in the Letter, and in consequence, as saith Saltmarsh, to wit, not of confession of Christ to the death, as James who was beheaded for the Gospel, Acts 12. and the Apostle Peter who died for Christ, and the Saints who loved not their lives to death, and were slain for the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus, and the two witnesses against whom the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit made war, and killed them; and the Apostles who were scourged, the Saints who were killed all the day long, and counted as sheep for the slaughter, for the Lord's sake, and confessed Christ, and were not ashamed of him before men, lest Christ should deny them before his Father and the holy Angels. They say, God delighteth not in our blood, and laying down our lives, and the outward man, or forsaking of Father, Mother, Brethren, Sisters, and contrary to the Word of truth; but its spiritually meant of forsaking a Pope within us, 2 Thess. 2. the Antichrist in our heart, the Man of sin, so that we may lawfully receive the name and mark of the beast, and conform to the Mass, or any Religion, so we keep the heart to God. Baal, the Devil, may have the outward man.
11. None can dispense the Ordinances, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper, but the Regenerate. I wish Independents in the constitution of their Churches, without any warrant of the Word, had not paved the way to this error.
12. Outward Baptism is no Baptism, which yet is a lawful Ordinance of God, though it be not profitable to save without the inward Baptism of the Spirit.
Antinomians border well-near with Familists, in many of these points. For Saltmarsh is much upon the Spirit for a Law, and against one beam of the light of the Letter of the Law, and against all external Ordinances, Covenants, Vowes, as Legal, and Old Testament service; against conditions, or performances, or doing on our part by any Gospel-covenant, yea against believing in that tenor of a condition, as contrary to the Spirit, and to Free grace; against Precepts, or Commands in the Gospel, and he is much for reasoning, and persuading; against all commanding Law, (the Gospel is rather to them a promise then a Covenant, ) against personal mortification, trouble for sin, as all Legal, unlawful now, smelling of bondage, and Law-service; and bondage it is to pray at such hours, unless the Spirit move us, to expound Scripture, to expound the Spirit, (he meaneth the Scripture) in the Letter, and consequence hath much darkened the glory of the Gospel.
Now if Saltmarsh know anything in Controversies between us and Papists; he may know the Papists give sundry and divers senses to the Scripture, that is, Literall, Spiritual, Mystical, Allegorical, Tropologicall, Anagogical ; all which we reject, and acknowledge that the Scripture hath but one literal, Grammatical, and genuine sense, which the nature of the words, whether they be Sacramental or Figurative, (as when Christ spoke of eating his flesh, and said of bread, This is my body, or without figures) doth carry in their face. The Spiritual sense, is not a sense different from the Literall, as if they were two contrary or divers senses; and therefore Saltmarsh rejecting the sense of Scripture in the Letter, must embrace the Familists, and H. Nicholas, or the Papists Allegorizing of the Scripture, the greatest violence that can be offered to the Spirit, the Author of Scripture; the Spirit is the efficient, by whose grace we gather the right Litterall sense of the Scripture, and giveth no sense divers, far less contrary to Scripture, as Libertines do in the fancied revelations without, beside, and contrary to Scripture, and their fond Allegories, for such we remit Saltmarsh to his brethren, the Familists, and the Author of Philosophy defected, and the like.
CHAP. LXXXIV. Master Dell, and Saltmarsh deny all outward reformation, all Scripture seals, Ordinances, with Familists, and flee to an Euthyasticall Spirit, and an internal word only.
ANd among other Antinomians, Master Dell in his Sermon before the House of Commons, excelleth in debasing the Scriptures, and all Ordinances, and setting up his Euthysiasticall Spirit, not the Spirit of God, for all.
For he holdeth, that In the time of Moses and the Law, till Christ came, there was no true inward reformation; but notwithstanding of outward duties, performances, Ceremonies, and strict Laws did carry along the severity of death, they were inwardly as corrupt and wicked as the very Heathen, and without any true reformation before God, till Christ came in the flesh with the ministration of the Spirit. But this man understood not his own Text, Hebr. 9.10. in which the Spirit of God opposeth Levitical service in Sacrifices, Ceremonies, to Gospel-life, not to Moral duties, or inward conversion, as if there had been no conversion, no remission, no actual salvation, to Abraham, David, who were justified as we are, Rom. 4.4, 5, 6. and saved by the grace of Christ, as we are, Act. 15.11. as Dell imagines, dancing to Dennes piping, one Antinomian to another, for both agree, that David, Asaph, Heman, Moses, prayed, and made heavenly and spiritual Psalms, being as unreformed inwardly, and as far from the Gospel-justification which David, Psal. 32.1.2. Rom. 4.4, 5, 6. esteemed his blessedness, as very heathen.
2. Del maketh Moses his Doctrine, the Letter, Christ, Spirit and life. So Del followeth the Antichrist in the Council of Trent, (though he will have all Presbyterians, the last prop of the Antichrist in England) Sess. 7. cap. 2. Si quis dixerit ea ipsa novae legis Sacramenta à Sacramentis antiquae legis non differe, nisi quia ceremoniae sunt aliae, & alij ritus externi, anathema sit. The Sacraments of the Old Testament (say Papists) do but signify, not exhibit grace. Socinus goeth before M. Del in this. For Socinus saith, in 1 Epist. Joan. pag. 145. Nemo negare potest sub V. T. nec vitam aeternam promissam fuisse à Deo, nec modum illam consequendi fuisse patefactum. Ostorodius Inst. lib. 1. cap. 5. pag. 21. Promissiones veteris Testamenti tantum corporales fuerunt, spiritualibus in N. T. promulgatis — Non autem spirituales & eternae fuerunt & consequenter non accidentale tantum, sed substantiale discrimen inter Vetus & Novum Testamentum, si res promissas spectes, statuendum est. Smalcius de Divin. I. C. pag. 25. • .6. Fatentur omnes Judaei hodie — nullum vitae aeternae apertum extare, in ipsorum lege, ut ut apertius loquar in faedere, quod Deus cum iis per Mosem pepigit promissum. M. Del boldly saith, They are all Antichristian, that are not Antichristianly Popish, and of the Socinian way with him, to teach there was no conversion, no inward reformation, no promise of salvation and life eternal, nor the same covenant of grace in the Old Testament, that is now under the New Testament; and that there was no saving grace, nor operation of the Spirit accompanying the Sacraments of the Old Testament, but only temporal things promised them. He hath Arminians also on his side, as Episcopius Disp. 11. th. 5. The promises of the Law were touching temporal felicity, of the Gospel, concerning the everlasting inheritance. • h. 7. The doctrine of the Old Testament was known by nature, as agreeable to right reason, the doctrine of the Gospel was unknown to the Princes of this world, it is evident there is no precept (say the Belgic Remonstrants, Apol. cap. 22. cap. 24.) clearly delivered in the Old Testament, for believing in Christ, nor in terminis any promise of life eternal. Its sure Arminians, are limbs of Antichrist, and enemies to free grace. Yet Antinomians with Del join hands with them against Protestants, who all teach to this day, the same Savior, the same promises of life eternal, the same free grace of imputed righteousness, the same covenant of grace was revealed darkly, in shadows and types to the Jews, and more sparingly, and to us more clearly and abundantly in the New Testament, and that Abraham was saved as we; who now are Antichistian, whether Del and his Antinomians, or we? These that teach the same with Antichrist, and contend for perfection and freedom from all sin in this life, are not the men who must fight the battles of the Lamb.
But 1. was there then no Spirit and life in the Patriachs, Prophets, Moses, David, till Christ came in the flesh, and reformed them inwardly? What became then of the souls of those that died in peace, and entered into their rest, before Christ came in the flesh, Esa. 57.1, 2, 3. Dyed they under the curse and severity of the second death, as never inwardly converted? He belieth the Old Testament who saith so; and doth the Letter of the Gospel without the Spirit save and inwardly re • orme and justify before God more then the Letter of the Law? I think Judas and the people, whose hearts were fatted and hardened, and yet heard Christ in the flesh, and the Apostles, preach Gospel, were as far from inward heart-reformation, as uncircumcised Jews and Heathen. Mat. 13.14.15, 16. Act. 28.26, 27. 1 Pet. 2.7, 8. Rom. 11.8, 9. Joh. 8.21. Joh. 9.41. Job. 5.40. Then Del must mean by the spirit some other thing then the Gospel, as opposed to the condemning Law. For the Gospel is a condemning Gospel to thousands, who stumble at the stone laid on Zion, as well as the Law.
3. Del saith, No outward Law, of Synods, Councils of men, can make men perfect, as pertaining to the conscience, more then Levitical Laws could do, and so the Gospel abolisheth all such outward Laws, imposed on conscience, as well now as heretofore under Moses. — Gospel-reformation (saith he) is the mortifying, destroying, and utter abolishing out of the faithful and elect, all that sin, corruption, lust, evil, that did flow in upon them through the fall of Adam. Or, it is the taking away, and destroying the body of sin, out of the faithful and elect, by the presence and operation of the righteousness of God dwelling in their hearts by faith. This is true Gospel-reformation, and beside this I know no other, Isaiah. 1.27. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. — Again, Christ as he makes us righteous with his own righteousness, and makes us the righteousness of God in him; so he is called our righteousness, not in himself only, but in us.
And therefore, you see how grossly they are mistaken, who take Gospel-reformation • o be the making of certain Laws and constitution by the sacred power, or Clergy, for external conformity in outward duties of outward worship and government, and to have these confirmed by civil Sanction; and enforced upon men by secular power, when in the mean time, all that inward corruption, and sin they have brought with them into the world, remains in their hearts and natures as before, so the old Prelates reformed.
His reasons are 1. All things belonging to Christ, a Spiritual King having a spiritual Kingdom, are spiritual; a carnal Reformation is not suitable to a spiritual Kingdom. The reformation of the Civil and Ecclesiastical state is but carnal, wrought by the power of flesh and blood, and stands but in outward things.
2. Gospel-reformation is inward, lays hold on the heart, soul, and inner man, and changes and renews that, d • th not much busy it self about outward forms, or external conformity, but only minds the conformity of the heart, for when the heart is right with God, the outward forms cannot be amiss. Christ saith touching the worship of the New Testament, God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and truth, he speaks not one word of any outward forms. So that God in his Gospel-reformation aims at nothing but the heart, according to Jer. 31.33. I will put my Law in their inward parts, &c. So that they shall not only have the word of the Letter in their books, but the living word of God in their hearts. But now Civil Ecclesiastical reformation is outward, and so industrious and elaborate about outward forms, outward orders, outward governing, outward confession, outward practices; like the Reformation of Scribes and Pharisees, notorious hypocrites, who made clean only the outside of the cup, or platter, leaving them all filthy and unclean within. So Civil Ecclesiastical reformation makes a man clean outwardly, with an outward confession of Faith, when inwardly he is all filthy thorough unbelief, and whites him over with new handsome forms of worship.
Object. But is there no change of outward things in the Gospel? Ans. Yes, an outward change that flows from an inward; but not an outward change to infer an inward, &c.
Answ. 1. Master Del must lay down a ground, that outward Laws were imposed on the conscience, and forced on them with violence of Magistrates, and Synods, without any foregoing teaching, under pain of corporal punishments to the Jews, as he and his saith, Presbyterians do now urge consciences, how shall Del prove that? 2. He must say, that outward, and merely literal observing of Laws and Synodical Decrees, according to the Word of God (for any others beside or against the Word, the Presbyterians know none) without Faith in Christ, do make men perfect as pertaining to conscience, which is Dels dream, not our doctrine. 3. He and his condemn all Laws of the Civil Magistrate, yea, all the written Scripture, Law, and Gospel; and say, an Arbitrary and Enthysiasticall Spirit in the Christian Magistrate, without all Civil Laws enacted, or written, should conclude of the heads and lives of Christians, without the Law Moral, or Gospel, and so condemns all Acts of Parliaments.
Answ. 2. You could not have heard more, if Henry Nicholas, or Anton. Pocquius, or David Georgius had been preaching to the Honorable House; for Del follow • s them at the heels. For Henry Nicholas (if you but change Dels word of Reformation, into the word regeneration or begetting ) in the same Spirit debaseth Christ in the Scriptures, and all outward worship, as if there were one Christ in the Scripture, and another contrary Christ in the Spirit, and inward working, for sure hypocritical, and mere external reformation, and the inward reformation, are by Protestants made two contrary reformations; the one from God, the other not from flesh and blood only, but from the Devil. So Henry Nicholas, If I could give all my goods to the poor, &c. If I had not love, it were not anything to me; that is, whosoever hath not Christ, he is without God, and without righteousness in this world, I mean the being like Christ, which is received through the power of the Holy Ghost, and not any Ceremonial Christ, which one man speaketh to another, or promiseth to another through the Ceremonial service, (Dels Grammar is, Pag. 6. through the word of the letter in their books, in outward forms, outward worship, outward confession) which he out of his prudency, according to his fleshly mind hath set up, ô no, the work, or begetting, or procreating of the children of God cometh not so slenderly to pass, as men now at this time teach each other, out of their unregenerate Spirit (Del, out of a Spirit not inwardly reformed, the body of sin not being destroyed) no reformation can come.
Henry Nicholas condemning all Scripture as a Literall and carnal thing, and an Elementish, Ceremonial, and fleshly service; yea, and confession with the mouth as carnal, outward, hypocritical, and Pharisaical, and doth expressly reject all the teaching of men, or by the ministry of men, which the Apostle asserteth, Ephes. 4.11. 1 Cor. 4.2. 2 Cor. 4.7. And the Lord Jesus, the great Apostle of our profession, Math. 28.19, 20. Act. 1.6, 8. and pronounceth the Ministry of one man teaching another, to be fleshly prudence, and not such a way, by which the begetting or procreating of the children of God cometh to pass. Now that Monster of men, knew Protestants, whom he refuteth in this, taught against Pelagians, and the Pope, (whom he denieth to be the Antichrist) and Papists, that we utterly deny, that the Scriptures of themselves, yea, that the Man Christ's teaching in the flesh, or Paul, or the Apostles Preaching, or any man's external instructing of another man, most soundly according to the Scriptures, can without the hearing and learning of the Father, Joh. 6.45. and his omnipotent drawing of men to the Son, Joh. 6.44. and the inward teaching of the Spirit, inwardly reform, or beget men over again to God: So his condemning of one man's teaching of another, as Fleshly, Ceremonial, Elementish, is a simple rejecting of the Scriptures, and all outward and external worship. And just as David Georgius rejected the Literall Christ, and asserted himself to be the Spiritual Christ, and true David. In the same manner M. Del speaking of inward Reformation, that is, conversion of a sinner to God, that only being his Gospel-reformation; he knoweth well, Presbyterians and the Ass • mbly of Divines, who are (if they shall condemn his Gospel for the substance of it,) the enemies of the truth of Christ, and the last prop of Antichrist in the Kingdom ; do teach, that inward reformation, or destroying of the body of sin, is not wrought by the only Letter of the Word, and the teaching of men, or Laws, or Constitutions of Synods ; but that we conjoine with all outward means, the inward and omnipotent power of the Holy Ghost, without whose grace all other means, are nothing, yea Paul's planting, and Apollo his watering, are nothing effectual to an inward reformation. M. Del argueth against the Holy Ghost and Paul, who Preached the Gospel to the blaspeming Jews, and scoffing Athenians, Act. 13 Act. 17. for all he could say to them was but outward and literal preaching, the Apostles were but men, and not Lord's of the heart, and therefore could but work outward conformity to outward duties, when the heart remained corrupt.
Nor is it much that Dell saith, there is need of an outward change in the Gospel, which indeed is a belying of himself, for an outward change, is an outward reformation, and he saith, Pag. 4.5. Gospel-reformation is a destroying of the body of sin in the faithful and elect, by the presence and operation of the righteousness of God, dwelling in their heart by Faith,— besides this, I know no other. An outward change is an outward reformation besides this. But this is nothing. Del acknowledgeth neither Ministry, outward worship, or outward ordinances, as Familists did before him. For the Author of that blasphemous Peece, called Theologia Germanica saith, Just men have need of no law, are led by the Spirit, and are not to be taught by any Law, what they should do or leave undone, seeing the Spirit of God which is their instructer, will teach them sufficiently, neither is anything to be commanded or enjoined them, as to do good, to shun evil, or the like, but Pag. 72. Yet he saith more then Del doth, to wit, That both the life of Christ, as also all Commandments, Laws, Ordinances, and the like, ought not to be laid aside, and cast off, and to be neglected, contemned, and derided. And Henry Nicholas saith, The Lord speaketh in the Scripture, but he saith withal, that the Spirit is the Word, not the Letter. So Del maketh an opposition between the Letter in the books, and the living Word of God in the heart.
3. Del speaketh exclusively, Other reformation beside this of the heart, saith he, I know none. 2. Gospel-reformation (saith he) only minds the reformation of the heart. If only, then it minds not external reformation. 3. Christ speaking touching the worship of the New Testament, saith, (saith he) Not one word of any outward form; So that God in his Gospel-reformation aims at nothing but the heart. Then he aims at no outward change, nor any external worship, neither reading of Scripture, nor hearing the Word Preached, nor vocal praying in the Spirit of adoption; for sure, though these must come from the heart, yet essentially they are external worship, and something in the outward man, beside that which is only in the heart ; and something of forms they must have; for they are external, visible, and audible acts of worship. The same was taught by a Silesian, Casparus Schunenckfeldius in Luther's time, as saith Conradus Schlusdelburgius, Catologo Hereticorum, lib. 10. pag. 30. Per externum verbum Dei ministerium, & praedicationem homines non converti; — non esse homines obligatos ad audiendam praedicationem verbi, externam praedicationem non pertingere ad eos; tantum herere in externis sensibus, testificari duntaxat de Christo, fidem aliam non esse, & praedicationem verbi nisi historicam, ne{que} esse fidem accidens, aut qualitatem, sed esse essentiam Dei, Scripturam non esse verbum Dei, verbum Dei non esse aliud quam substantiale nempe Christum. Luther Tom. 2. in Gen. cap. 19 fol. 133. Answereth external Ordinances invented by God, profit to salvation; not these that are invented by men.
4. When the heart (saith Del) is reformed, all is reformed,— and when the heart is right with God, the outward form cannot be amiss. It is clear that Del and Antinomians mean, there is no external worship commanded in the New Testament, neither hearing, reading, praying, confessing of Christ before men, so as we sin in omitting these, or that the Letter of any Command obligeth us to obedience, as the Letter of the Law, from the authority of the Lawgiver, obliged Adam before he fell, and the Jews in the Old Testament. For Del saith, If the heart be reformed, all will be reformed, that is, If the Spirit be in the heart, and act us to read, hear, pray, confess Christ before men, receive the Seals, we are then obliged to acts of external worship, and not otherwise; so that no Command written in Old or New Testament, no authority of God speaking in the written word, or speaking in the Ambassadors of Christ, either preaching the Gospel, or commanding by the Holy Ghost in Synods, Acts 15.28. do lay any obliging Commands on us to any external worship, outward Reformation, or confession of Christ; for the Spirit speaking in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles is but literal, outward, external to believers, except the Spirit be in their heart acting, and immediately stirring and working, there is no obliging power laid on us to external worship, or outward reformation by the Familists and Antinomians way. For we know their Doctrine, The Holy Ghost comes in place of the natural faculties of the soul, and acteth us immediately to all internal acts of loving, and believing, and to all external acts of outward worship, or reformation, and we are not bound to pray in our Family, but when the Spirit moves, and stirs us thereunto; and Christ works in the Regenerate, as in these that are dead; and therefore all commands and exhortations are in vain, seeing we have no activity to obey, but the Spirit and Christ only doth all in us, in as much as no written word is an obliging rule to us, but the immediate actings of the Spirit only leadeth us in all we do.
M. Del Pag. 26. denies there should be any Laws in Christ's kingdom; but God's Laws (he knows we are against men's Laws within the Church and service of God) to wit, that of a new nature, the Law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ, the Law of love. All these are Laws within men, there is not one word of the Scripture here, or of the Gospel preached, or of Church-censure, Excommunication, or rebukes, either from the Word preached, or the authority of Church, all these are without, and are not the inward Law of a new nature, or of the Spirit, or of love.
5. If, when the heart is reformed, all be reformed, the outward man must be under no command, or Law of reformation; but by a result of courtesy, the free Spirit, and no written Law must lead the outward man, but he who said, purify your hearts, gave a Commandment for the outward man, cleanse your hands ; and Paul forbids the Saints who are sealed to the day of Redemption, of corrupt communication, of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil-speaking ; and that all fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, should not be once named amongst them, as becometh the Saints ; yea, and filthiness, and foolish talking, and jesting, which are not convenient, because sins of the outward man do also exclud men out of the kingdom of heaven, as well as want of heart-reformation, and consider this is an Argument of the Familists for faith and love in the heart only, without all works of Sanctification, or walking in Christ; and of the Nichodemits, who denied any necessity of confessing of Christ before before men; and of the Anabaptists, and their head Muncer, as Bullinger tells us, that they in his time said, The first reformers were not sent of God, nor preached the true word of God, and that the Letter of the Scripture was not the Word of God, but the inward word that cometh immediately out of the mouth of God should be taught inwardly, not by the Scripture and Sermons, and that whoredom was the bed undefiled ; they held all these externals indifferent, at least such things as defiled not the conscience. They said, Dreams and Visions, under the New Testament, was God's revealed will, and boasted of revelations beside the Scripture, and that the Scripture was a dead Letter ; And so said that profane Popish Priest, the monstrous Libertine Anton. Pocquius Who called the Word of God the Spirit, because Christ said, The words that I speak are Spirit and life. So saith Del. pag. 19. citing the same Text. Pocquius said also, That Christ was Spirit, that we and our life must be spirit; and that the Scripture taken in its natural sense doth kill, and is but a dead Letter, and therefore we must leave the Scripture, and come to the quickening Spirit.
Bullinger also tells us of a sort of Anabaptists called Libertini, or Liberi Anabaptistae, free or Libertine Anabaptists, who taught, That Baptizing of Infants, Magistracy, Oaths, were things free and indifferent, which we may use, or not use, at our Liberty, they judged the Scripture, and Preaching of the Word was not necessary, because we are all taught of God, believers have the Spirit, and need not external Signs or Sacraments, it is free to us to confess, or not to confess Christ, if danger be imminent, its enough to keep the truth in the heart, for God delights not in our death and torment. After the same manner, the best argument that Del hath from the nature of inward reformation, will conclude; If Gospel reformation, because it is the internal destroying of the body of sin, and is spiritual, changeth the inner man only, and minds only the reforming of the heart, and that doth change the outward man, then he excludeth all Civil, External, and Ecclesiastical power which is busied about outward forms, outward orders, outward government, outward confession of Christ before men, or confession of sins before men, and outward practices ; For as Del saith, Pag. 6.7. Gospel-reformation meddleth not with reforming the external man, and so not with the preaching of the Word, receiving the Sacraments, reading Scriptures, praying in public, confessing Christ before men, if in the heart, or the inward man, a believer have the Spirit, and retain God in his heart; Dels reformation meddleth not with outward practices, to forbid, and rebuke such practices, as Paricides, Murthers, Incests, Adulteries, Thefts, Opressions, Lying, Blasphemy, Idolatry, Sorcerie, Sodomy; neither the Preachers of the Gospel can reform these with the Word, nor the Magistrate with the sword, by any warrant of the Gospel; the Magistrate by the Gospel, Rom. 13. beareth not the sword to take vengeance on ill doers ; for Gospel-reformation meddles not with outward practices, nor outward order, then it meddleth not with the outward man, nor commandeth it the outward man, to walk circumspectly, nor to walk in Christ, nor to confess Christ before men, as we desire Christ to confess us before his father, and his holy Angels, nor to observe external order in the worship of God, nor to abstain from fornication, evil speaking, clamours, bitterness, for all these be outward practices contrary to the rule of the Gospel, and though the soul and spirit, not the body, nor whole man should be sanctified wholly, as the Apostle prayeth. Yet by this way, I see not but all externals of either worship, or conversation that concerneth our outward walking, must be things indifferent and free, neither commanded nor forbidden under the Gospel. It is free to kill our brother, or not to kill him, to whore, swear, worship Idols, cozen and deceive, steal, rob, oppress, if the Faith of imputed righteousness be in the heart, then is the body of sin destroyed (saith Del ) and another Reformation that is outward he knows not, and Dels argument runs thus.
The only true Gospel-reformation is spiritual not carnal. But the Civil and Ecclesiastical Reformation is not spiritual, but carnal, and wrought by the power of flesh and blood, &c.
Answ. The Major is doubtsome, and the Assumption false. 1. For civil Reformation as civil, is not spiritual formally, but only materially and objectively spiritual. But to say, that Ecclesiastical Reformation should be spiritual, as spiritual is opposed to external and outward, and only spiritual, and in the heart; Satan could not fancy a more wicked untruth to destroy all godliness and holiness, as it appears in the outward man, in the duties of the first and second Table, for Gospel-reformation, as touching God's part, is inward, spiritual, invisible, done by him that is Lord of soul and conscience, but this is but the half, though the choicest half of Reformation; but as touching man's part, it is external, and also spiritual, and done by the Preaching of the Word, and discipline of the Church. For sure the Apostles and Elders, Acts chap. 15. Reformed the Churches of Antioch, Jerusalem, Syria, and Silicia, and that spiritually, and externally (for these are not contrary) when they send to them commandments, not to be circumcised, nor to keep the Ceremonial Law ; but to abstain from blood and things strangled, as at that time scandalous, and from fornication, as a sin against the Moral Law, because they that held the contrary opinion, were, lying Teachers, and perverted souls ; and so deformed with a spiritual deformity, the Churches of God, as Del and Familists now do.
Now the Assumption, That Ecclesiastical reformation is carnal as done by men, and not spiritual, is most false, for carnal it may be in some part, and in some sense, that is, standing in outward, external Commandments, and yet spiritual, given by the Law-giver, an infinite Spirit, tying and obliging the Spirits of men, and leading to a spiritual end; so the Ceremonies of Moses are carnal, not sinful, not unlawful, vicious, fleshly, as Del, pag. 2.3.4. foully ignorant of the sense and meaning of his own Text he preached on, expoundeth it, in opposition to Gospel-reformation, which is spiritual, lawful, not fleshly and sinful. For then to obey the Ceremonial Law had been sinful and unlawful to the Jews, and God must have given Commandments to the Jews, which were sinful and unlawful judgments, and statutes, and ordinances, which is the blaphemy of old Manicheans ; So the Reformation done by the Gospel preached, and by lawful Assemblies holding forth the truth, and condemning contrary errors, is carnal, that is, external, and wrought by flesh and blood: Del meaneth, by the word carnal, the corruption of flesh and blood, as the phrase is taken, Math. 16.17. which is a manifest untruth; it is wrought by men consisting of flesh and blood in a carnal, that is, in an external, outward, audible, and visible manner, and yet spiritual; also it is in that very external Reformation, is according to the Word of God, who is a Spirit. 2. It lays an obligation on the consciences, and spirits of men, both actively to reform, in that outward way (though God must make it effectual by an inward reformation) it leadeth men, even as it is external, to a spiritual end, obedience to God in Christ, according to the rule of the Gospel. The Church and men take not on them to reform hearts, but instrumentally, by going about an outward reformation, by Planting, Sowing, Watering, and laboring the Lord's husbandry, his Church. I might borrow Dels Argument, and say, true feeding and nourishing of men, and upholding their life with bread is from the omnipotent power of God, Deut. 8.3. For man liveth not by bread only, and infer, that they are grossly mistaken, who take true nourishing of men to be outward plowing, harrowing, sowing, earing, grinding, for all these are carnal, fleshly, and wrought by flesh and blood, and by the power of man; but true effectual nourishing cometh not from the plough, or the husbandman, but from the mighty power of God; and therefore if God nourish, plowing, sowing, earing, cannot be amiss; So the Libertines made God the only author of sin.
Del citeth, Joh. 4. God is a Spirit, &c. A place that Gnostics, Enthusiasts, Libertines, Anabaptists abused, to deny all external worship and acts of Sanctification; and Town cannot answer Doctor Taylor, who objecteth, that Antinomians deny all external worship, for he saith, A man is a fulfiller of the Law in Christ who died for him, so that faith is all; and the same saith Del, pag. 4.5. Gospel-reformation is a destroying of the body of sin, by the presence and operation of the righteousness of God dwelling in their hearts by faith. He speaks not one word of sanctification, and personal mortifying of the body of sin, and of walking with God, but saith, He knoweth no reformation besides this, as if sanctification were no heart-reformation.
Del pag. 5. and pag. 6. alledgeth, that the new covenant standeth for only a heart-reformation, and writing of the Law in the heart, Jer. 31. but forgetteth that the same covenant saith, Ezech. 36.27. I will put my Spirit in them, and cause them to walk in my Commandments ; and that the covenant of grace expressly forbiddeth, Psalm. 89.30, 31, 32. The forsaking of God's Law, the breaking of his Statutes, and the following after the heart of their detestable things, and commandeth the external as well as the internal walking in God's Statutes, and keeping his Ordinances. Ezech. 11.19.20. and the Separating from Belial, and unrighteousness, and the touching no unclean thing, the cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and perfecting holiness in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 6.16, 17, 18. chap. 7.1. these speak outward and inward reformation. M. Dels righteousness of Christ in the heart, by faith, his only inward reformation he knoweth must then be to believe Christ was Reformed inwardly for him, believed, repented, sorrowed for sin, and obeyed the Law for him, and that is all the reformation (as Saltmarsh his Colleague saith) that is required of us.
Nor is this reformation we urge, Hypocriticall ; like that of the Pharisees of old, and of the Prelates of late, because it is external. For though the Church can do no more, and the Ministers, both in Preaching, and in Synodical decrees, holding forth the Laws of God, as Acts 15.22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. but externally reform, the Lord must give the increase, yet they neither enjoin, nor preach hypocritall reformation.
And its of the same Mettall and Coine that Del bringeth, Pag. 89. Gospel-reformation is thorough and complete in the inner and outward man, Ecc • esiasticall reformation is by halfs,— and the power of God in creating and redeeming the elect, may as well be resisted, as the reforming of them, the power of God is engaged in it, Ecclesiastical reformation hath only the power of man, and by it the heart and nature can never be changed.
Answ. Gospel-reformation to Del, is the taking away, and destroying the body of sin, and this (saith he) is thorough and complete, a great untruth, the body of sin in this life is never complete. But Del meaneth with Eaton, and Town, and other Familists, that we are as perfect, as clean from sin as the Lord Jesus, or as the glorified in heaven, and as Pocquius the Libertine said, They cannot sin, being once inwardly reformed, and would prove it from 1 Joh. 3.9.
2. It is an argument against the whole Ministry of the Gospel, seals, promises, rebukes, commands, threatenings, as the Swink-feldians and Seekers teach. For Paul is called a Father that begat the Corinthians. Timothy is said to save himself and others. Now Dels Argument fights with the Scripture; Paul begetteth men Instrumentally, Timothy saveth Ministerially ; sure neither Paul nor Tymothy do convert men thoroughly, completely, perfectly, within and without; nor do they it irresistibly, and by an omnipotency in them, as the Lord doth; shall we then say, Paul and Timothy, their saving, begetting, and converting of men, is no converting at all? And no more lawful then the Civil and Ecclesiastical States reformation, which is utterly unlawful to Del? Because saving of men, and begetting of men by the Gospel, in Paul and Timothy, was external, and of it self by halfs, without the effectual working of the Spirit, (which Spirit neither Paul nor Timothy could command to blow) was only external, literal, incomplete, by halfs, carnal, as all the Ceremonies of Moses were, to Del, nor could Paul and Tymothy write the Law in the heart and inward parts; so Del must mean that all Ministry, Preaching, Seals, Covenants, Praying, praising, fasting, all reading, all books, and Arts, and learning, as all holy practices and walking with God, and acts of sanctification incurring in the senses, and eyes of men, might be cried down, because all of a Christian is spiritual, invisible, and the Gnostic faith in the heart only; in which M. Del and Familists surpass the deeds of old Enthyasts, For at Munster there arose a Prophet (saith Bullinger ) named Mathias Harlenius, a Hollander, by trade a Baker, he professed Visions and Dreams, and by his Prophetical spirit commanded, that they should bring all their goods, and lay all down at his feet, and that all Books should be burnt, except the Bible. M. Del excepteth not the Bible, nor Scripture, because it is an external carnal thing, and so not suitable to the spiritual Kingdom of Christ.
For (saith he pag. 6.) As the Kingdom of Christ is Spiritual, so all the things belonging to it are spiritual. Del. pag. 9. The Gospel-reformation is constant so long as God's nature dwells in ours, it will daily be reforming it, till it be altogether like it, as long as the Spirit of God dwells in the flesh, it will still be reforming the flesh to the Spirit, till the whole body of sin be destroyed, and the natural man be made spiritual. But Civil Ecclesiastical Reformation at first makes a great noise, but when men have attained their own ends, its activity ceaseth.
Answ. 1. This poor Argument proveth great odds and wide differences between the Lord's inward and spiritual way of reforming, and the external reforming by the ministry of men, which this man may know is not the question, but it proveth not that ministerial reformation by men, whether Magistrates, (of which I cannot speak here, but I hope if God will, to demonstrate, that the Monster of the l • berty of Conscience is Socinian and Epicurcan Atheism ) or Ministers of the Gospel, is either unlawful, or no part of Gospel-reformation, but only it concludeth, that inward reformation is not outward reformation.
2. M. Dels expression, So long as God's nature dwelleth in ours, and so long as the Spirit dwelleth in the flesh, it will be still reforming, till the natural man be made spiritual, is heretical, and not according to the form of sound words; for there is abominable Heresy in speeches. Henry Nicholas the father of the fleshly Familist speaketh so. God was one in substance with man. In the beginning when God made all things, there was no more but one God, and one man, and they were one, and had in all one order, being, and nature, for God was all that man was, and man was all tha • God was; and all must become one being with God, (by love, say the Familists, ) by faith, (say the Antinomians, by regeneration said the Libertine Pocquius, and his) and his Godded man, and so be all manned God's, and children of the most high. Let Del clear himself of this s • me spiritual fury. Sure, neither Scripture, nor Protestants, nor any save Familists, say as Del doth, that God's nature dwelleth in ours. But if he have one sense with Peter, who saith, We are made partakers of the Divine nature, that is, by Faith, and the created graces of the Spirit, not that we are partakers of the essence or substance of the Godhead, or equal with Christ in any respect, he speaketh soundly, as the confession of Britain cleareth; but his words are not sound.
2. Whoever except Henry Nicholas, and David Georgius spake as Del, who saith, The Spirit of God dwells in our flesh, till the whole body of sin be destroyed, and the natural man be made spiritual. If his meaning be, as Familists and Antinomians dream, that Christ incarnate is nothing but every godly man Christed, and made conform to the image of Christ, we are at a point, and know his mind; so teach the