that in the Gospell the word and the Spirit are alwayes joyned and therefore saith Christ the words that I speake are spirit and life that is they come from the spirit and carry spirit with them Then 1 the Gospell pâ—eached externally to Del and to Antinomians is not that word by which Christ converts soules faith is not from outward hearing as an instrument of our conversion the contrary of which we have proved It s from the inward word in the heart now the word in the heart is very faith it selfe the argument of both Swenckefel and Del is nothing for it is this the word outwardly preached except it come to the heart can never convert the soule because it is but a meere sound saith Swenckefeld it s but a very letter say Antinomians therefore the externall word is no instrument of our conversion but onely the internall word I utterly deny the consequence lay a pen well inked to paper a thousand times it shall never write except the hand of the writer draw the characters ergo the pen is no instrument of writing it followes not So bread except by the blessing of God it be turned into blood and flesh can never nourish ergo the bread that the Baker bakes is no instrument by which we are nourished It s an unjust consequence and distroyes all ordinances naturall and Spirituall It onely followes ergo the word without us is no efficacious cause of conversion and no principall cause and can do nothing except the Spirit inact and animate and concurre with the word which we with both hands yeeld and beleeve as a Gospel-truth The word is but a sound a letter I answer it is not a common sound such as the odes of Horatiâ—s and Epistles of Seneca render but it is in it selfe a sound filled with Majesty power heaven so as every word seemes to be with-child of grace and life yea and separate the word from the Spirit and in the stile conveyance method there is so much divinity majesty holinesse life gravity as the child bewrayes heaven in its forehead and lookes like the Father and Author God and therefore it s more then a sound to a deafe soule actu secundo it hath but a sound and whereas Antinomians say it s but a dead letter they speake of the paper inke and printed characters of the word but vvee take it not so but as the vvords do connotate and involve the things signified the precious promises and as the Lord saith Hose 8. The great things of my law and so they are not dead letters but the instrument chariot meanes of conveyance of Christ and the Spirit to the heart and though vvithout the Spirit the vvord vvorkes not as no instrument no toole nor hammer no axe can build a house except the Mason and Carpenter act and move them shall it follow they are not for that instruments at all 2 Del and Antinomians with Swenckefeld will have the Gospel preached to none but to those that have the internall word and Spirit in their hearts then when Christ and the Apostles Mat. 13. Act. 28. Act. 13. preach Christ and the Gospel in the letter as some other thing then the Law it is not the word of God nor the Gospell why it wants the Spirit to goe along with it and can never change nor reforme saith Del pag. 18. and begetteth but a literall and feighned faith saith Swenckefeld and the word and the Spirit are alwayes joyned saith Del pag. 19. now this is not the written read nor externally preached Gospel nor the Scripture so they must but coâ—sen us for they meane the internall word not verbum vocale And the preaching of faith that Saltmarsh speaketh of free grace pag. 146 is not the Scripture nor preached word which I demonstrate Del speaketh of such a word as hath the Spirit alwayes ioyned with it pag. 19. But the scripture and the externall vocall word hath not alwayes the Spirit joyned with it for when it is preached to Reprobates and to malicious obdured soules that stumble at Christ and the word being thereunto appointed 1 Pet. 2.7 Mat. 13 14 15. Ioh. 12.37 38 39. Ioh. 9.39 It hath not the Spirit joyned with it 2 They speake of such a word as hath the Spirit actually converting and which is therein differenced from the Law that is but a dead letter and cannot minister the Spirit so Del ser. pag. 18 19. So Saltmarsh free grace pag. 146 147 so Swenckfeld ibid. therefore all that Antinomians and Swenckfeldians say that they take not away Word ministery ordinances preaching are meere delusions for by the word of God that begets faith they meane the internall word not scripture nor the written and preached word and so they say nothing to take off this error justly layd upon them to wit that under the Gospell there is no need of Scripture Preaching Sacraments hearing nor doing of any duties to men nor abstinence from murthering killing whoring stealing c. all exterâ—alls are indifferent 3 You see how false it is that the Gospell is not to be preached to any but to those that are converted because it cannot be received by faith by any but by such contrary to Christs expresse commands to his Apostles Mat. 28.19 20. Goe teach all nations so Paul preached to the obstinate Jewes Act. 13 to the scoffing Athenians Act. 17. Is it not therefore the Gospel that they preachâ— 4 It is an undue arguing of Swenckefeldians and Antinomians The word is a literall carnall sensible thing ergo God workes not faith which is a spirituall grace thereby for it followes onely God workes not faith by the vocall word alone except he put to the pul of omnipotency of grace 2 The assumption is false the preached word though in its sound it be carnall literall bodily yet in its power Majesty and the thing signified which is the birth in the wombe of the word it is spirituall lively heavenly 5 Nor doth it follow that Iustification begins at man if the vocall word be the instrument thereof except they say that hearing and preaching did necessarily and effectually produce justification and conversion they are no parts no members no efficacious causes of conversion or Iustification 6 Iustifying faith and salvation both are in their nature things spirituall and yet have their originall from the word preached as an instrument yea from the foolishnesse of preaching 1 Cor. 1.21 Nor is the word altogether bodily because it incurres in the sense of hearing but taking the word preached as it includes the great things of God not as it is letters and sounds it is not carnall but spirituall 2 Cor. 10.5 Sharper then a two edged sword to save or kill on either edges Heb. 4.12 yea even when it is rejected the savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 17. And the Everlasting Gospell Rev. 14.6 7 Nor can it follow that justifying faith is a work of man
Holy Ghost and that none can doe these works in them but Châ—ist and the inference made from them are the reasonings of the Holy Ghost and the result is an infallibly assurance Antinomians thinke both they may be counterfeit works and the reasoning and inference from thence to be a worke of our owne Spirit onely We say of the Spirit of grace joyning with our Spirit as is cleare 1 Cor. 2.12 3. The inference say they breeds no certaine and infallible assurance but probable onely and conjecturall evidence 4 If these works were not done in faith and known by us to be so done I should grant they could give but an uncertaine and controverted evidence Antinomians say wee separate them from faith and saving grace and that thus separated they beare testimony that wee are in Christ which is a calumny of theirs not our Doctrine Asser. 6 The assurance of our spirituall acts resulting from our Christian walking is a mediate assurance collected by inference not immediate as when we see the Sunne 2. It is called knowledge and assurance in the Word 1 Joh. 2.3 1 Joh. 3.14 vers 18.19 but it is not properly Faith but sense therefore we doe not build assurance of justifying faith on works of grace Antinomians say that we make our works the pillars and causes of our Faith But the promise the sufficiency of Christ the free grace of God to us are the onely pillars of our faith and our works of grace are the ropes by which the ship and passengers are drawne to the rock that is higher then themselves but they are not the rocke they are not the formall objective Sunne-light by which we passe our judgement and determination of Christ the Mediator his sweetnesse and power to save nor the causes of the soules resting on the bloud of attonement as Sunne-light is the formall reason and medium without of our judging of colours and their beauty They are onely land-marks by which we may the better judge of our state and not the shoare the land-marke onely sheweth how neere wee are to shoare by them we know that we know and beleeve in Christ. Finally they are rather negatives against unbeliefe then positive evidences of faith and serve for incouragements that we cast not away our confidence For if I doubt of my state whether I be translated and in Christ or no I cannot but doubt of my actions if I doubt if the tree be a naturall Olive I cannot but thinke the fruit must be but wild Olives and when we shall be unclothed with our darkenesse of body we shall not need such crutches to walke by Faith for sight shall leade us CHAP. LVI How duties and delight in them take us not off Christ. HEnce Antinomians when they say we must not so much as see our good works for not to see them is spirituall poverty and we cannot see them but we must trust in them and build on them And therefore best remove such chalke stones and rotten foundations as holy walking and live loosely that wee sowing sinne may reap pardoning grace So they say I know I am Christs because I doe not crucifie the lusts but beleeve that Christ hath crucified them for mee And our sanctification when darke and lesse maketh justification brighter And frequencie and length of holy duties are signes of one under a covenant of works and so under the curse of Law And to take delight in the holy service of God is to goe a whoring from God And the Spirit acts most in the Saints when they endeavour least All these say to be rich in works of sanctification is to be poore in grace 2. To doe and act nothing and so sinnefully to omit the duties that the grace of God calleth for Tit. 2.11 is the way to have the Spirit acting graciously then sinne that grace may abound be sicke and exceeding sicke that Christ may bestow on you much Gospel-physicke To be aboundant in the worke of the Lord to delight in the Law of the Lord in the inner man to labour more aboundantly then they all to bee rich in good works are nothing else but to goe a whoring from God So Saltmarsh expoundeth these words I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Such were yee but yee are justified but yee are sanctified c. That Christ beleeved repented sorrowed for sinne mortified sinne perfectly for me and this saith hee is sanctification and the fulnesse of his the All in All. Then to doe nothing my selfe but sinnefully to omit all duties and let Christ doe all is full sanctification and the lesse yee doe the more Christ doth for you Object 1. Christ saith not Peter be encouraged to beleeve because thou art an holy obedient loving Apostle But I have prayed that thy faith faile not Saltmarsh Free grace pag. 32.33 Answ. In that place he doth not shew Peter how he should know by such and such signes that hee beleeved but for Peters comfort and faith he sheweth him the true cause why he should not fall away to wit because his Advocate interceedeth for him Object 2. Christ saith not to his Apostles O my Disciples though I be from you yet yee have been thus and thus humble penitent obedient and let this be your ground and assurance when I am gone but hee layes in promises yee beleeve in God beleeve also in me I will send the Comforter Saltmarsh pag 33. Answ. We make no qualifications object or ground or cause of faith but onely signes to know wee have faith therefore might Christ haue said ye shall know yee love me and beleeve because you love those begotten of me 1. But we thinke though naturall sweating at duties setteth not the Spirit on edge to worke graciously yet to worke by the grace of God increaseth both talents and grace 2. Nor the frequent actings of grace nor the simply looking on them especially under sad houres to wine to our feet againe are ill but the abuses to bee avoided As 1. the comparative poring and the more frequent living on the comforts of our owne gracious actings more then on Christ himselfe and his death is as if I would live to much on a sight of a new created birth in my selfe and the Image of the second Adam when I have Christ himselfe to live on 2. Excessive out-running and over-banke-flowings of wondring at what is done in our selves by the grace of Christ cannot want a great deale of mixture of our selfe for we are not so found on acttings of grace in others and that is a token there is a selfe-reflection in the worke and that I sit downe and write of my selfe a hundred in stead of fifty 3. All comparative over-loving of created comforts must take the heart in so farre off Christ. 4. We should wonder more at the depth and height of free grace in the Creator and in Christ the well-head then in our selves for
was not in onely beleeving that GOD walked with God or the Sonne Christ with the Father for him as Antinomians say making imputative sanctification all in all that is required in us but also in Enochs personall holy and sincere conversing with men Hence that goeth as a description of the good Kings of Israel and Judah He did right in the sight of the Lord. Which includeth their conversation on earth with men as well as their faith in God So to walke as the children of the day As wise men not as fooles in Christ as we have received him and to live no longer the rest of our time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God to have our conversation in the world by the grace of God in simplicity and godly sincerity All these and many the like hold forth necessarily a sincere walking before God as in his sight in our dayly conversation with men and the Antinomian doctrine in this is that though beleevers walke as carnall men serve their lusts whore lye cousen deceive yet they are strongly to beleeve that God seeth them not nor any fleshly and sinnefull walking in them God seeeth not their whoring lying cheating cousening to bee sinne and their beleeving that God seeth not their wickednesse is their living by faith and walking in the Spirit with God up in heaven as Enoch did 2. Nothing of beleeving Antinomians sinneth but their flesh as the Libertine said in Calvines time I sinne not but mine Asse the flesh the conscience the justified person that is in Christ sinneth not because the flesh is under the Law as Towne saith nor is this sinning of the flesh sinne because sinne essentially is against a commanding Law and cannot but in the sight of God be accounted sinne for God cannot seeing all his judgements and wayes are according to righteousnesse but account Adultery to be Adultery Murther to bee Murther but Antinomians say nothing that a beleever doth no Adulteries nor Murthers are sinnes nor can God see them as sinnes For how can the Lord see sinne saith Eaton where there is none There is no more sinne in a beleever then in Christ himselfe 3. It is no matter saith Eaton that we feele sinne and death still in us as if Christ had not taken them away because God thus establisheth the Faith of his power and therefore that there may be place for Faith we feele the contrary for it is the nature of Faith to feele nothing but letting goe reason shutteth her eyes and openeth her eares to that which iâ— spoken by God and cleaveth to the word spoken both living and dead It s true Faith beleeveth pardon and freedome from the guilt and obligation to eternall wrath which is a Gospel-truth farre from sense but faith closeth not its eyes to beleeve a lye that Adultery is no sinne before God because a justified man committed it The glory of God needeth not to begge helpe of a lye that it may be manifested 4. By this the justified man liveth and abideth as Towne saith for ever by faith in the sight of God But what haste The Resurrection is not past yet except Antinomians with Familists follow Hymeneus and Phyletus nor are the justified yet glorified they abide not ever under Gods eye sinnelesse and as cleane as Christ as Eaton blasphemeth to his everlasting shame for the Jebusite saith Towne remaineth in the Land the Law of the members and sinnefull corruption of the flesh dwelleth in them 2. They must say dayly Forgive us our sinnes if God be their Father else they neede not pray dayly Hallowed bee thy name thy Kingdome come c. 3. The flesh of sinne dwelleth with the Spirit Rom. 7. while they live 4. Death is not an imaginary lye and fancie so as Faith must beleeve the contradicent that is that beleevers breath goeth not out they returne not to their dust they are to beleeve sure beleevers see corruption Acts 13.36 Act. 2.27 28 29. 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. Then Antinomians cannot say true that there is no more sinne in beleevers nor any thing having the nature and being of sinne then is in Christ. 5. They are not yet enjoying God in a vision of glory as Christ did even in the dayes of his flesh for he was both viator and comprehensor a traveller to the Crowne and an enjoyer of the crowne and therefore though justified they must walke here below and cannot chuse but sinne though they be not forced to sinne as Towne saith CHAP. LIX How Justification is one indivisible act not successive as Sanctification and yet God dayly pardoneth sinnes WEe make no question but we are at once justified and not by degrees and succession as wee are sanctified because justification is a foreinsecall and Law-change or judiciall sentence of God absolving the person of the sinner from all punishment or obligation to punishment due to him for sinnes past present and to come according to the rule of revenging and Law-persuing justice and that for the alone righteousnesse of the surety Christ freely imputed and by faith received of him and the bloud of Jesus Christ shall purge you from all your sinnes in whom wee have redemption the remission of our sinnes in his bloud Now the Scripture no where intimateth a favour of free grace in purging us from sinnes by halves or quarters as if some were halfe washen halfe delivered from the wrath to come and halfe unwashen and half under wrath 2. There is no condemnation to a soule once in Christ and justified Rom. 8.1 then there can be no re-acceptation or second receiving of a soule into the state of a justified person from the state of an ungodly man as if he had fallen from the former state and there can bee no second deliverance from eternall wrath to be inflicted for a new committed sinne Yet doe I not see that one and the same justification negagatively because it is never retracted is therefore a successive and graduall worke that groweth more and more as sanctification doth for so predestination to glory which is negatively one and the same should bee a graduall growing worke for as no shaddow of change can fall on God so neither can Predestination be retracted Yet is there no cause to deny that sinnes are dayly pardoned and remitted as they are committed for God is said to remit sinnes dayly when he reneweth the sense of the once passed act of attonement and applyeth what he once did to the feeling and comfort of the beleever for we never taught that Faith is a cause or so much as an instrument or condition without which Christ doth not on the Crosse by the power of his bloud take away sinnes now he that denyeth that God by his Spirit reneweth the lively apprehension of this act of attonement must deny that a beleever can oftner then once lay the weight
of his soule in a filiall recumbencie on God and with adherence to Christ crucified for pardon of sinne which were to abolish the dayly exercise of our faith on Christ crucified 2. God forgiveth sinnes when he removeth the temporall punishment and fatherly rod inflicted for sinne Hence to beare our whoredomes to beare sinnes to beare iniquitie is to beare the punishment of sinnes To beare the indiâ—nation of the Lord because the Church hath sinned Micha 7.8 9. is to beare the temporall punishment for otherwise the Prophet speaketh of a Church in favour with God and freed from eternall wrath The Lord shall beâ— my light Thou shalt bee dâ—mbe because thou beleevest not my word saith Gabriel to Zacharie Luke 1.20 then to remove the temporall sword must bee a forgiving of and a relaxing from the temporall punishment So Nathan saith to David The Lord also hath put away thy sin But how maketh he that good Thou shalt not dye Hee meaneth especially a temporall death as the words following cleare vers 14. Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child also that is borne to thee shall surely dye Ergo his sinne was not fully taken away in regard of the temporall rod for the rod did never depart from his house for it nor doe wee thus adde fuell to purgatory to say with Papists that pardoning of sinne is the taking away of the guilt of sinne when the punishment remaineth for the Papists have a wicked meaning that God doth so forgive sins as he removeth guilt and remembreth not the sin but leaveth the sinner also as good as halfe drowned in it to revenging justice by suffering for these same sinnes satisfactorie punishment both in this life and in purgatorie or the life to come which we think impious for only Christs blood is a satisfaction to revenging justice for sinne 3. The Lords taking away and pardoning of Davids sinne is not the Lords justifying of David because justification is the reall or law-translation in a forensecall way of a sinner an ungodly man an unwashen one from the state of sinne into the state of grace and favour with God for the imputed righteousnes of Christ as is cleare and such were some of you but yee are washed but yee are sanctified but yee are justified so God justifieth the sinner and ungodlie then by justification the person is washed and translated from a state of ungodlines of enmity and received in a court of acceptance and grace reconciliation and attonement in a covenant-state with God for Christs imputed righteousnesse so as this justification is an act of incorporation and ingraffing of a stranger and enemie to be a free Denison and Burgess and free Citizen of the new Ierusalem intituled to all the priviledges and liberties of the brough Now David was not this way pardoned for undeniably he for his person was justified and all his sinnes pardoned that is hee was freed from obligation to eternall wrath and condemnation therefore seeing God justifieth but once as he maketh us heires and Citizens of heaven but once and yet pardoneth sinnes dayly justification and some remitting of sinnes must be of a wide difference CHAP. LX. How sinnes are remitted before they bee committed how not and the Antinomian error in this point BUt then it may bee said doe Antinomians soundly affirme that sins are remitted before they be committed To which I answer taking remission in a good sense not in theirs its true a beleever when he is justified is freed from condemnation for these sinnes that are not yet committed that is he is put in such a condition as he shall never come to condemnation yea not for these sinnes hee shall hereafter commit as when a forfeited Father is relaxed from treason and his lands restored the Pardon extendeth to the heire in the mothers womb and not yet borne yea possibly not begotten but this is neither a justifying of the unborne heire nor a pardoning of the treason nor a relaxing of the punishment in a strict and right downe sense he that is not and is not capable of guiltinesse and treason such as is a child neither begotten nor borne is not capable of pardon But in the Antinomian sense we judge it abominable that sinnes are removed before they bee committed 1. Because Antinomian remission is the destruction of the being of sinne and the extirpation of his nature root and branch for so it cannot be sinne nor can it be against the Law of God nothing is capable of the grace of free pardon neither the sinne or the poore sinner but by the Antinomian way the Adulteries and Murthers of the beleevers when committed are neither against Law nor the Commandement of God for they are freed from all commanding and obliging power of either Law or Gospel so as they cannot sinne or offend God in contravening of either 2. It is against common sense that the being or nature of Adultery can bee removed and made nothing and yet when it is committed it should offend humane society and raise an evill report on the name of God and the Gospel For that which is meere nothing and hath neither being nor nature can neither offend God nor man But neither Law of God nor Gospel doth forbid the Murthers of a beleever but onely of an unbeleever by the Antinomian way 3. Their remission of sinne before the commission thereof chargeth confession of committed sinnes with sinnefull lying craving of pardon with unbeliefe fearing of sinne with distrust sorrow for or feeling of sinne with a worke of Legall bondage and of the old Adam as Libertines did because these committed sinnes are meere fancies against no Law of God CHAP. LXI How Faith justifieth and the Antinomian errour discovered in this point SAltmarsh saith That neither Faith nor Repentance are to be preached the one without the other neither without Christ and yet neither of them as bringing in Christ to the soule but Christ bringing in them But if he charge us with Preaching faith and repentance one from another or both without Christ hee should have proved his charge 2. He badly joyneth them both together For 1. Faith is a condition of justification wee are justified by faith not by repentance 2. We receive Christ by faith He dwelleth in our hearts by Faith We live by faith none of these can be said of Repentance 3. Saltmarsh saith this is to debase faith yea but it is to make swine wallowing in their lusts one with Christ though they beleeve not heare his reasons Object 1. Christ is not ours by any act of our owne but by an infinite act of Gods imputing his righteousnesse Ergo Christ is not ours by faith Answ. Christ is not ours by any act of our owne as by a ransome a meritorious and principall cause True Ergo not by faith as a condition knowing apprehending feeling applying
receiving opening the everlasting doores that the King of glory may enter in It s false So bread is ours onely by an omnipotent act of him that causeth the earth to bring forth as by the first principall and effectuall cause Ergo Bread is not ouâ—s in a civill way by plowing sowing earing and in a spirituall way by laying hold by Faith on the Covenant in which the world the things of this life are made ours 1 Cor. 3.21 this is a laxe and vaine consequence Object 2. If Faith should give us an interest in Christ then as our Faith increaseth our interest increaseth and wee should be more and more justified and forgiven Answ. Nor doth this follow but onely wee should bee the more assured the stronger our faith is And the reason why it followeth not is this Faith justifieth not as great or small or as strong in life or as weake but as living and true And so it followeth not because this begger hath a stronger arme then a paralitick begger that therefore hee receiveth more money then the paralitick doth Object 3. If Christ be ours by faith then when faith ceaseth we should cease to be justified Answ. Nor doth that fellow more then because a begger is not ever in the act of stretching out his hand and receiving that therefore he receiveth nothing and because a hungry man doth not eat when he should sleepe night and day therefore hee is not fed as if Christ should reach pardon and righteousnesse to us when we actually beleeve and when ever out of infirmity or any other way we doubt and our feet slip hee should pull in his pardon and strip us naked of our wedding garment a Novation way of despairing Object 4. Can a sinner bee too foule for a Saviour too wounded for a Physitian to heale and too filthy for a Fountaine opened to wash Ans. Nothing is concluded against justification by faith but it presumeth a beleever the humblest nothing that is to be so proud that he cannot looke out to Christ for salvation physick and to be washen he is so filthy sicke wounded and polluted a beleever thinketh not himselfe too good and too holy a sinner to be washt and made faire like some in whom pride and want contest begge they must for extreame necessitie and begge they cannot for extreame hautinesse because they beg not in Silks and Purple Object 5. He that offers Christ offers all conditions in him both of Faith and repentance for Christ is exalted to give repentance Answ. The Argument presupposeth a faith of the sinners owne creating which is a bastard and cannot owne nor receive Christ and a condition of the same nature In Justifying the ungodly Christ both works the condition and that which is called the hire though indeed no money no price is Faiths money and price and giveth both as in effectuall calling Christ is both without doores knocking Revel 3.20 and within doores opening Act. 16.19 yet he never cometh in but upon condition we open and the condition is his owne worke he commeth in to no soule in a miracle when the doores are shut for by his grace he removeth the handles of the barre so in justification hee both offereth imputed righteousnesse so the sinner beleeve and he works beliefe and bringeth of his owne when he comes to sup with us for repentance we give it not the roome of Faith as Antinomians doe Object 6 It is no more to offer Jesus Christ then any grace of Christ to a sinner for a sinner is as unprepared and unfit for the one as the other equally in sinne and pollution to both Answ. All proceeds on a false ground and concluds as much against Paul Rom. 3. 4. Gal. 2. 3. as against us to wit that we hold faith to be a meritorious preparation of our owne to conquiesse justification and freely imputed righteousnesse and we are alike unprepared for Christ as for Faith and for Faith as for Christ except Christ give both freely But it followeth not therefore Christ justifyeth no ungodly man but a beleever onely no more then it followeth faith is no meritorious qualification for life then must it follow he that beleeveth not is not damned and he that beleeveth is not saved which is down right against the Gospel Object 7. This spirituall work is a new creation Ergo it needeth no preparation Answ. It is a creation or a work of omnipotency onely that Christ reveale to me that he dyed to justifie sinners and to justifie me then it needeth no faith to my sense and feeling to apprehend and know that Christ justifyeth me This consequent Antinomians will deny then we may deny their consequence For conditions are preparations of grace such as faith is cannot be contrary to rewards and favours that omnipotency onely can worke Object 8. Should sinners refuse to receive bloud freely and of grace holden forth because their vessels are not cleane enough for it when it is such a bloud as makes the vessels clean for it selfe Answ. Grants all then must it follow we are not justified except by a faith as strong and great that it is free of sinne and condignely meritorious worthy of Christs bloud as a cleane vessell is fit to receive so precious bloud we grant we receive not first imputed righteousnesse and Christs bloud in a cleane vessell with a faith perfect or in a soule void of sin yet it s as true that no unbeleever remaining an unbeleever can receive Christ and it is as true Christ afore hand fitteth the vessell and giveth faith first and then his owne bloud and imputed righteousnesse and both without price and hire But hence is never concluded Ergo Christs righteousnesse is not made ours by Faith apprehending Christs righteousnesse as a condition or instrument but the contrary must be a true consequence Object 9. If God justifie no man but a beleever then hee doth not as the Scripture saith justifie the sinner and the ungodly for a beleever is godly holy and cleane from sinne Answ. We grant the Lord doth not justifie an ungodly man as an ungodly man and as voyd of faith for by order of nature he is first a beleever and in Christ and then he is justified though there be no ordinary time between his ungodlinesse and his justification the Lord justifieth the ungodly in sensu diviso not in sensu composito as the Scripture saith The lame man shall leap the tongue of the dumbe shall sing and the blind see the deafe heare but no man dreamed that the lame as lame remaining lame does leap and that the dumb remaining dumb can sing and that the blind as blind and wanting eyes and organes doe see I confesse if Christ had caused the blind as blind to see and the dead as dead and lying in their graves to live the myracle should put all Divines to Schoole againe to trie their contradictions if one and the same
man at the same time in the same sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aristotle taught us be both lame and whole in the legges blinde and seeing deafe and hearing dead and living it may be Antinomians who will have the beleevers Adultery no Adulterie have a way of Logicke of their owne to goe with Libertines who said knowing sinne to be sinne holynesse to be holynesse was a worke of the flesh and of old Adam who through eating the forbidden fruit knoweth good and evill But so you will say If God justifie the ungodly beleeving which is an act of sanctification must goe before justification then are wee sanctified and can doe that which is pleasing to God before we be justified and be in Christ then must we please God as beleevers ere we be in Christ and so exercise acts of the life of grace before we be in the Vine tree and before we be branches ingraffed in Christ for sure to beleeve is an act of the life of Christ in us Answ. If beliefe or faith be an instrument and so a cause in its kind or a condition call it as you will without which Paul in the Epistle to the Romanes and Galathians and Hebrewes c. saith we cannot be justified I see not any inconveniencie of this order 1. The sinner dead in sinne a sonne of wrath 2. A walker after the course of the prince Sathan who ruleth in the children of disobedience 3. The Gospel of free grace is Preached to the dead to the Elect heires of wrath but freely for Christs sake and with an intent on the Lords part of the same circumferance and spheare with the decree of the election to glory though they know not 4. The Law and curses of it preached to them with the Gospel lest they despaire to humble them 5. The sinner Legally humbled slaine in the dead throw Rom. 7.11 with a halâ—e-hope of mercy prepared for Christ though the preparation have no 1. promise of conversion 2. No ground nature or shaddow of merit 3. No necessary connexion with conversion save onely that God may intend the same preparation in an elect for conversion which he intendeth for no conversion in a reprobate 6. The stony heart of meere grace removed in the same moment a new heart put in him Ezech. 36.26 27. Zach. 12.10 Deut. 30.6 Jer. 31.33 or the habit of sanctification infused 7. In the same moment the soule beleeveth in him that justifieth the ungodly 8. In the same moment God for Christs sake of meere grace justifieth the beleeving sinner And every one of these necessarily presupposeth the former Nor can Antinomians free themselves or any with them of the pretended inconveniencie they would put on us to wit that we must beleeve before wee be actually joyned to Christ in justification for they will have us justified and so please God and actually injoy the fruit of election which is justification Rom. 8.29 before we beleeve that is before we feele and to our owne sense know that we are justified Now this feeling and knowledge is an intellectuall act of the life of God and the habit of an infused new heart of regeneration as well as our justifying Faith and so we yet exercise an act of the life of Christ which must bee an act of saving grace actus secundus or a life-operation flowing from the infused habit of sanctification before we be justified in the sense that Scripture speaketh of justification which saith all alongs Wee are justified by faith God justifieth the man that beleeves in him that justifieth the ungodly Now sure the Lord giveth to us faith to beleeve justification before he justifie in the sense that Paul speaketh of justification For the Lord giveth the Spirit of sanctification of grace of adoption of faith c. for all these are vitall and supernaturall acts of the same Spirit to these that have not the Spirit at first to the uncircumcised in heart Deut. 30.6 to the wildernesse and dry ground Esai 44. vers 3. to these who pollute his name among the heathen and have stony and rockie hearts Ezech. 36.21 26. to these that are a dying polluted in their owne bloud Ezech. 16.6 8. to those that are dead in sinnes and trespasses Ephes. 2.1 2 3 4 5. and this the Lord doth for Jesus Christs sake freely Gal. 4.4 5. then before we be actually in Christ by justification and branches in him by order of nature first wee so farre find favour in the Lords eyes or please him or rather he is of free grace pleased with us that he giveth his holy Spirit to us and upon the same ground may we being yet not justified and so in that sense not in Christ by order of nature first beleeve before we be justified nor is it justification that formally united us in this actuall union as branches to the Vine tree but union is a fruit of life as is the joyning of soule and body together and so a fruit of the infused life of God or of the habit of sanctification and thus it followeth not that we beleeve before we be united to Christ as branches to the Vine tree but onely that we beleeve by order of nature before we be justified which the Scripture saith But to returne we are not obliged to M. Saltmarsh who argueth against justification by faith slandering Protestants most ignorantly and the doctrine of Paul as if to bee justified by faith were to bee justified by a faith of our owne framing without the grace of Christ or by faith as a merit and hire that hireth and purchaseth Christ to be ours It is a curious and an unedifying question to search out as Cornewell doth Whether faith be active or passive in receiving Christs imputed righteousnesse though if hee speake of actuall beleeving to call it passive is an unproper speach i. we hold that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere to beleeve is not imputed as our righteousnesse which is Socinianisme 2. That for the dignity worth and merit of Faith Christs righteousnes is not imputed to us and therefore neither wee nor Scripture before us saith we are justified for Faith but by Faith 3. That Faith receiving Christ is the free grace of God given to us in the state of sinne They say The begger putteth forth an act or actions both of petitioning for almes and reaching out his hand to receive it and so it is not every way so of free grace as Christs imputed righteousnesse is to us But should we suppose the tongue and speach the arme and the act of stretching it forth to receive the almes the sense of poverty the opinion of the goodnesse of him from whom he seeks almes doth bow the consent and will to seek almes and receive it were bestowed on the begger of the same free grace and compassion of the giver of the almes by which he giveth the almes yee would say almes and stretching out of the hand were both
any preparation to beleeve and relie on Christ for Salvation This we judge to bee presumption and in regard of Gods order simply impossible that they that say they see can see remaining such but rather bee blind and their sinne remaine that the wearie and laden and those that are judicially blinded and hardened remaining such and as such should be invited without any preparatorie sense of their damnable condition and of their neede of a Saviour and that both are invited equally of Christ to relie immediately on him for Salvation and are as such forthwith to cast themselves upon Christ is unsound For 1. Christ decreeth and holdeth forth the very contrary order and method of beleeving not the merit thereof 2. When he saith How can ye beleeve that seeke honour one of another He clearly intimateth that there must bee some preparatory abating of that swelling lust or then they cannot as such beleeve in Christ. 2. To beleeve now say they is the onely worke of the Gospel and Saltmarsh proveth it to be the onely worke this is the worke the onely worke hee must meane if he prove his conclusion That yee beleeve on him whom hee hath sent Joh. 6.29 This is the commandement that is the onely worke commanded in the Gospel That yee beleeve in his Sonne Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3.23 Then nothing falleth under a Gospel-commandement but beleeving now I would hold Antinomians at this that nothing is a commandement or a commanded dutie but that which if we contravene it maketh us guilty of sin before God and in his Court if he would actually enter in judgement with us so then the Gospel as the Gospel commandeth not brotherly love meeknesse patience temperance and forbideth not rebellion to Rulers murther the hating of our brother adulterie robbing stealing lying idolatrie swearing so as these should be acts of obedience or of sinfull disobedience to God but as acts arbitrary and of meer courtesie and simply free to beleevers and to be done or omited onely as the immediate rapture of the Spirit without any commandement obliging to obedience rewardable or to sinne punishable by Law doth act and draw them for the Law forbideth none of these to a beleever who is under no Law if I mistake I crave pardon for I cannot make sense of their commandements but in this sense one thing I complaine of Antinomians by any sect They seeme to mee confused and obscure and to dissemble because they have not yet set downe in right downe ingenuitie that which I perswade my self is their minde that the beleever cannot sin his adulterie and his murther is no adulterie no murther except they difference between these two The beleever is free of all sinne as Christ himselfe and the beleever doth and can truly sinne lie murther deceive c. And between these sin is wholy removed out of the beleever no sinne dwelleth in him and the beleever daily sinneth nor are they plaine whether the Gospel command chastitie and forbid adultery and command the loving of our brother and forbid murthering and hating of our brother as acts arbitrary and meerly free or whether no Law command or forbid such things to beleevers nor any Gospel at all so as to contravene them were sin Yea nor so is beleeving the onely worke commanded in the Gospel for by their way faith is not commanded as a cause or merit of righteousnesse and life which we also thinke nor as a condition or necessarie duty at all more then other duties For the Elects sinnes were all removed either from eternity or their first conception or Christs suffering on the crosse Antinomians fall out among themselves touching this poynt so their unbeliefe and finall impenitency cannot be sinnes Nor can Christ as God or Law-giver command beleeving for the notion of Law or Law-giving under penalty of sinne and curses is contrarie to Christs Gospel-love so Christ must renounce his office of Law-giving and his authoritie as God to command faith and forbid unbeliefe and must onely as Mediator put on love and counsell and advise us to beleeve as one friend doth another so as wee have no command obliging us except wee would sin to beleeve for a command of love being contra-devided from a command of Law to Antinomians obligeth neither to sinne nor to wrath if it be disobeyed 3. If beleeving voyd of all working and such an empty faith be the onely commanded worke in the Gospel it is like John the Apostle so often commanding love to the brethren and forbiding hateing of our brother doth not act an Evangelist or Apostle but speaketh as a Moses and a Law-giver and that amongst the Lords Apostles who wrot canonick Scripture in the New Testament some were more legall preachers and leaned more to a covenant of works as Peter the Familists of New England should take in John and James for Saltmarsh saith they speake more for marks and signes then Paul who stood most for free grace yet is Paul as much to command some other works then Faith as Peter James or John 4. For the object of saving faith Antinomians looke beside the Gospel for Saltmarsh proving that Christ is offered to sinners as sinners saith none can be such a sinner to whom Christ and his blood may not be tendred and offered his words may beare truth that Christ and his blood may be offered to all within the visible Church elect and reprobate and so say we but consider his reasons 1. From the order of Gods decree saith he He loved us and gave Christ for us when we were sinners Rom. 5.8 God commendeth his love c. Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world And this offer saith he is an offer of that love with which God loved us from everlasting So then here is the Antinomian faith that all and every one immediately without sense of sin or any sicknesse for Christ be they Elect or Reprobate beleeve and be perswaded that God decreed to give his Son for them in particular loved them with the speciall love of Election from everlasting and hath satisfied and was crucified for their sinnes Sure this is not the object of Gospel faith but is a transparent untruth and a lie there was never any such decree nor such a love in God nor is it revealed in the Gospel that God decreed to give his Son to all and for all Elect and Reprobate and that God loved all so even the world of Elect and Reprobate as Christ speaketh John 3.16 and yet to all Elect and Reprobate is Christ offered Nor can Antinomians or Arminians say that the tender and offer of Christ and his blood to all and every one Elect and Reprobate within the visible Church is an opening and bringing forth of Gods eternall love of election to glory of all and every one Elect and Reprobate Salmarsh should not speake of poynts of Divinity of which he is as ignorant as a child
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know I find I see rebellion and sinne in me were words that came from the light of Faith not from lying sense And Faith and a sight of God can discover more corruption to Esaiah Job to Paul to the woman that washed Christs feet with teares then reason can reveale to them 2. Faith doth not stupifie the conscience to blot out all sense of sinne out of it its true the Libertine Pocquius spake in the stile of Eaton◠now we are quickned in the second Adam Christ through seeing sinne in our selves no more because it is dead But the second Adam commeth in the soule with a candle to make us see and know and feele by the light of Faith sinne which was hidden before 3. The Antinomian dead faith is against confession of sin because we must know and beleeve we have sinne if we confesse it this was Gods challenge to a heardned people Yet thou sayest because I am innocent surely his anger shall turne from me Behold I will plead with thee because thou saist I have not sinned This is that which the Lord commandeth onely acknowledge thine iniquity Antinomians say lying sense and corrupt reason knoweth iniquity but Faith is as blind as a Mole and seeth no sinne in the beleever 4 This faith of Antinomians is repugnant to the godly shame confusion and selfe-indignation that the justified man in Scripture beareth against himselfe for sinne The want whereof is the Whores forehead that cannot blush and therefore must Faith see and know sinnes that are the cause of shame 5. This lying faith is to beleeve that Adultery and Lying to come as well as the past sinnes are pardoned and abolished and so that they are no sinnes before ever they bee committed what feare then what holy care what challenges of conscience can be required to an Antinomian lying faith to eschew and feare these sinnes ere they be committed For its the act of lying sense say Antinomians to apprehend them as sinnes then sure they cannot lawfully be apprehended as ills to bee feared and eschewed if it bee a lying apprehension to thinke that that is a snare to my feet which is no snare at all but a boggle to affright a childe it must be a lying apprehension to conceive that a fancied snare to be an evill to bee shunned and declined If the Whore be no Whore the Antinomian needs not eschew the going neere her house for feare the house fall on him as Salomon intimateth Prov. chap. 5. And surely the justified Antinomian may goe on in Adulteries and blouds before he act them and feed his lusts without feare for if he conceive these to be sinnes it is his lying sense and deceiving reason for faith is to beleeve the just contrary that they are no sinnes and so not to bee eschewed as sinnes because an antedated pardon doth no lesse abolish their being and nature before they bee committed in which case they are remitted and so nullities and shaddowes before God then a pardon doth utterly abolish their being when they are committed in the Antinomian way CHAP. XC Antinomians free all converted or non-converted from obligation of obedience or practise of Christian duties ANtinomians cry out against Preaching of duties as a Legall way and destructive to Gospel-preaching of Christ and Faith 1. Because there bee no acts of Sanctification commanded in the Gospel so as the beleever sinneth either in omitting these duties or in doing contrary to them I appeale to all their writings for any such Commands either of Law or Gospel 2. They cry out against Preaching of duties as Legall preaching without any limitation wee cry out as much as they against this Preaching in an unjust way 1. If duties be preached without Christ and not issuing from the grace of Christ. 2. If they bee more Preached then Gospel-grace and free Redemption in Christ. 3. If duties as conditions of the Covenant of Works as parts conditions or causes of our justification are fellow-saviours with Christ be pressed 3. It will be found they free the unconverted from all doing or eschewing of sinne because they can doe nothing out of faith and out of saving principles of grace So Saltmarsh adviseth the troubled in spirit onely to beleeve immediatly everlasting love without any foregoing humiliation desire of the Physitian sense of sinne or setting on any duties Much like the Familists of New England who say that the Spirit acts most in the Saints when they indeavour least as if our doings desire sense of sinne going before conversion did so much the more hinder conversion 2 Nor can our impotency to doe good without the grace of God loose us from an obligation of doing our dutie seeing the omitting of these duties in the substance of their acts is a greater sinne then the doing of them for so the unconverted should not sinne in not giving to the poore because they cannot give it for God nor in abstaining from murther because they cannot abstain out of sonly feare or in not praying because they cannot pray in faith whereas Peter Act. 8. commandeth Simon Magus to pray though being in the gall of bitternesse hee could not pray in faith 3. The converted so should be under no obligation to pray heare beleeve but when the Spirit wrought actually in them to will and to doe for without such an actuall influence they can doe nothing CHAP. XCI How and for whom Christ intercedeth in Heaven ANtinomians hold that Christ advocateth at the right hand of God for the unbeleeving and unconverted elect as well as for beleevers onely Christ intercedeth not say they for the manifestation of the purchased Redemption to the elect not converted It s true the purchased Redemption and bloud-shed of Christ is for the elect as well not converted as converted But Antinomians goe on another ground that sinners are justified and pardoned before they be converted and beleeve But the Scripture knoweth not any intercession of Christ but for applycation of the purchased Redemption 1. Because Christ liveth againe that hee may bestow the blessings of his Testament actually upon his friends Christ confirmeth his owne Testament which no other dead friend doth and the goods of his Testament are peace Joh. 14.27 The sprinkling of the Conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 15 16 17 18 19 20. As Moses sprinkled the booke and the people the Tabernacle the vessels 19.20 So that Christ as our high priest is entred into heaven as a sprinkler Now he is no sprinkler to the unconverted 2. The thing he prayeth for as intercessor is the not failing of the faith of the Saints and he liveth to save the commers to God through him that is the beleevers and is touched with our infirmities and that we should hold fast our profession and by him as intercessor We have boldnesse
of it selfe it hath not strength to bring righteousnes and newtraâ—ly its infirmity and poverty it selfe Luther Our merit by doing the Law is just nothing What can a cursed sinner ignorant of God dead in sinnes lyable to the judgement and wrath of God deserve therefore that is the only way of eschewing the curse to beleeve in God Thou O Christ art my sin and my curse or rather I am thy sin and thy curse thy death thy wrath of God thy hell on the contrary thou art righteousnesse blessing life the grace of God my heaven for the text saith clearly Christ was made a curse for us then wee are the cause why hee was made a curse yea wee are his curse Good workes are not to bee drawne to the article of justification as Monks doe s Wee grant wee must teach of good works and charity but in the owne time and place When the question is without the lists of this Article of Justification We say with Paul by Faith in Christ onely not by the workes of the law or charity we are jâ—st not that we reject works and charity as our adversaries say When then we are in this common place of justification wee reject and condemn works wee simply reject all laws and works of the Law Tota ratio justificandi quoad nos passiva est Active Lex est elementum infirmum egenum quia reddit homines infirmiores egentiores passive quia ipsa per se non habet vim opes justitiae donandae afferendae neutraliter est infirmitas paupertas ipsa Ergo meritum nostrum plane nullum est Quid enim mirerer maledictus peccator ignorans Dei mortuus in peccatis obnoxius irae judicio Dei Quare illa unica via est evadendi maledictionem credere certâ fiduciâ dicere Tu Christe es peccatum maledictum meum seu potius ego sum peccatum tuum maledictum tuum mors tua ira Dei tua infernus tuus Tu contra es justitia benedictio vita gratia Dei coelum meum Quare textus clarè dicit Christus factus est pro nobis maledictum Itaque nos sumus causa quod factus sit maledictum imo nos ipsius maledictum sumus Luther non sunt trahenda bona opera in articulum justificationis ut Monachi fecerunt s Concedimus docendum quoque de bonis operibus charitate sed suo loco tempore quando scilicet questio est de operibus extra hunc capitalem articulum Respondemus cum Paulo sola fide in Christum nos pronuntiari justos non operibus legis aut charitate non quod opera aut charitatem rejiciamus ut adversarii nos accusant Cum versamur in communi loco de justificatione rejicimus damnamus bona opera Our Antinomians point blanck to this in all the way to heaven condemne them so Crisp Saltmarsh say the onely work of the Gospel is faith Therefore the law is passive onely in the article of Justification in which article it condemneth compelleth curseth and so is just nothing and is passive in justifying but in binding the New man to obey and in laying on him a rule of life it is active We can then easily expone Luther The just man ought not to live well in regard of any compulsion of a legall curse that the law from which in Christ hee is delivered can inflict on him Neither standeth hee in need of the Law to teach him in a compulsory legall way to live well for hee liveth not well because the Law forcing and cursing and not furnishing Grace as the Gospel doth requireth that hee live well Justus non debet bene vivere sed bene vivit hoc est non obligatur compulsione legali vi condemnatoriâ legis quia nulla condemnatio iis qui sunt in Christo ibid. Nec indiget lege quae docet eum bene vivere Injustus autem debet nexu legalis condemnationis bene vivere quia non bene vivit quod lex requirit hoc totum urget ne ex lege opâ—ribus justifieri presumant c Luth. l. 1.451 In this regard Luther doubteth not to say that the Law is simply and absolutely abolished to a just man 2. That the law is not the law if it bee not a condemning law But hee taketh the law strictly as a covenant of Workes and as opposite to Grace as Paul doth Rom. 7. Yee are not under the Law but under Grace Then the law is absolutely abolished to a just man it hath no power to accuse them for they doe willingly what the law requireth The law is not given for this end to justifie but to discover sin terrifie accuse and condemne This is the fruite of the law when it is alone without the Gospel and the knowledge of grace that it leadeth men to despaire and finall impenitence The law without Christ and the Gospel is omnipotent Yea it s invincible omnipotency the conscience compared to it most weake and poore for its a tender thing so that except it bee strengthened it is terrified waxeth paile and despaireth for the least sin therfore the law in its proper use hath more strength and might then heaven and earth can comprehend so that one tittle or iota of the law can destroy whole mankinde By the law we have no helpe but the revealing and warning of our misery Luther Itaque lex eis simpliciter est abrogata non habet igitur jus accusandi eos Sponte enim faciunt quod lex requirit Luther non data est lex ut justificet sed ut ostendat peccatum terreat accuset condemuet Hic legis effectus est quando sola est sine evangelio cognitione gratiae ut adducat in desperationem finalem impaenitentiam Lex in suo usu est omnipotens imo est invinbilis omnipotentia ad quaÌ„ collata conscientia est infirmissima et pauperrima et enim tam tenera res ut propter leviss mum peccatum ita pavefiâ—t pallescat ut disperet nisi rursus erigatur Quare lex in proprio suo usu plus virium opum habet quam coelum terra comprehendere potest ita ut etiam unus apex unum iota legis totum genus humanum occidere possit Per legem non adiutorium sed nostri mali indicium monitorium habemus All this is true of the Law as a Covenant of works without Christ and the Gospel as Luther saith quando est sola siâ—e evangelio Tom. 1. in Gen. c. 3. f. 57. Then Luther thinketh that the Law conjoyned with the Gospel and as it is in the hand of Christ hath the beeing of the law and not such terrible effects 2. Luther acknowledgeth that the law as it condemneth is to be preached to beleevers that they may crucifie
monster he maintained that Christ and the Church together are the new creature that there is no inherent righteousnesse in beleevers that Adam was not made after Gods Image and other monstrous lies he held which doe make the first and second Adam in divinity Monsters 2 The Midwife one Hawkins Wife of St. Ives was notorious for familiarity with the Devill and now an active Familist 3 The Monster was concealed five moneths yet in the day Mistris Hutchison was excommunicated she revealed the Monster the Magistrate caused to digge up the grave and it was seen in the hornes claws holes in the back and some scales and that by an hundred persons 4 When the childe dyed being two houres after the birth the bed violently shook that all in the house conceived it to be an earth-quake 5 The manner of concealing it was strange all present with the travelling woman were taken with violent purging and vomiting some fetched home to their children in a new convulsion none left but the Mid-wife with two other of which one fell asleepe Mistris Hutchison who defended her opinions with lies and equivocations and pretended she was still of Mr. Cottons judgement and that she was by revelation in England that she durst heare none by M. Wheelright and M. Cotton all the rest being Sathans Ministers still spake of the things of the Kingdome of God and professed Repentance and yet kept her wicked opinions M. Cotton and M. Davenport convinced her of her errors all to the last and she confessed in the Congregation her Errors her contempt of the Magistrates that she was deserted of God deluded in her revelations desired the Congregation to pray for her afterward she was found to be a lyer gave no satisfaction in her answers but lying circumlocutions and denyed she held any such opinions as were imputed to her the contrary whereof was known to many godly persons she was banished to the Isle called the Road-Island from thence removed to the Dutch-plantation near a place called in the Mappe Hell-gate where the Indians beside their custome slew her and her daughter and husbands daughter some say the Indians burnt her house and all she had CHAP. XVII Of the late Familists banished out of New England in Massachusets and now inhabitants of Shaw-omet otherwise called Providence and their tenets THere is a piece lately Printed and Licensed Aug. 3. 1646. called Simplicities defence against seven-headed Policy Or Innocency Vindicated being unjustly accused and sorely censured by that seven-headed Church-government united in New England It s a piece stuffed with wicked principles and grosse and blâ—sphemous deductions of Familisme smelling ranckly of the abominable Doctrine of Swenckefield Muncer Becold David Georgius and of H. Nicholas the first Elder of the Family of Love of the piece called Theologia Germanica and the Bright Starre It is flowred with a Poem inveighing against the godly in New England who hate the deeds of the Nicholaitans cannot indure those that call themselves Apostles and are not and oppose wicked Liberty of Conscience and have banished Antinomians and Libertines out of their bounds these Libertines say that the same spirit of persecution works in Papists Jews Turks and the Churches in New England The Author of the Poem who makes â—one Saints and of the Kingdome of Christ but Familists and Antinomians and all the rest enemies is reported to be R. Beacon who wrote a Catechisme of stuffe not unlike this 1 Sam. Gortyn and his late Disciples of Familisme hold all the godly and sound of the Churches of New England that are not theirs to be Antichrists Idolaters worshippers of the starre of their God Remphan figures that they made to themselves Pharises Scribes Herodians children of disobedience in whom the God of this world Sathan works false teachers c. and what not and themselves the onely Saints 2 The calling of the Apostles and ministers extraordinarily without the ministery of men and the calling of them now ordinarily by men must argue a Change in the sonne of God and a nullitie Then must the ceasing of sacrifices and old Testameent-Ceremonies and Gods divers ways of revealing himself to us say Christ is not the same yesterday and to day and for ever contrary to Heb. 13.7 8 9 10. 3 Libraries books and humane learning are to bee condemned Simpl. defence p. 15. as Antino doe 4 The rising of Anabaptists Familists and sects which the truely godly in New England feare and abhorre is the Messenger of the Covenant Christ comming to his temple Ibid. 5 Herod Act 12. Taking on him to be a Magistrate to protect the people with wisdome and Counsell to minister Justice unto them took on him an office that belongs onely to God and so did Brother Winthrop the Governour of New England for which cause Herod was stricken with wormes Magistracy then in it selfe must be unlawfull Simplic Defen p. 17 18. 6 The two Olive trees and candlesticks standing before the God of the earth are the two witnesses whom the godly of New England doe kill and these two witnesses are the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ the strength and the weaknesse of Christ for he was crucified through weaknesse but liveth by the power of God Simplic Def. p. 19 20. Thus these Wizzards change the true Christ true man like us in all things except sin into a Metaphoricall imaginary Christ for Gorton in the Postscript expounding these words Except ye eate the flesh c. Joh. 6. saith p. 104. And whereas he saith I say unto you or as the word is I say in you it signifies that what ever the Saints utter in point of Religion it is and must be the voyce of the Son of God and not of themselves so that as he suffereth death in them else can he have no death at all and then no Saviour even so he speaketh in them or else hath he no voyce or language at all and therefore without them no revealer of the will of his Father For where Christ is silent there can be no revelation therefore he is the word or expression of his Father Hence by the new way of new Familists it is clear Christ is not true man dying in his manhood for man but he dyeth in the Saints and suffers in them else saith Gorton He cannot dye nor suffer because p. 105. He is that fountain of life yea life it selfe Then all the dying and suffering of Christ-man is the dying and the suffering of the Saints But the Saints dying and suffering offer not themselves a sacrifice to God for their own sins and the sins of the world nor are they our Redeemers nor Saviours to save the people of God from their sins as Christ was Matth. 1.21 The Son of God is made flesh that is weak and fraile in regard of us or our nature that he took But he means that Christ took our nature not in his owne person that I cannot fasten upon their words
in me a sinnerr that is by his merit and Spirit Christ hath wrought in me and in my sinful person perfect obedience and so hath made my personall sanctification my personall new obedience by his grace perfect and perfectly conforme to the Law which is most false And when Paul saith I am able through Christs strength to doe all things his meaning must be Christ worketh in me in my sinfull soule understanding will affections and whole man to doe all things through Christs strength perfectly as Christ doth all things perfectly Now sure Christ doth all things perfectly and without sinne But did Paul by Christs strength all things perfectly and so as he was free of siâ—ne I think not 3. Saltmarsh taketh upon him to yeeld us some purer and finer Gospel mortification then the Protestant Legalists have done in former times as he saith pag. 61 62. Now if his mortification be in Christ onely and not in the sinner himselfe nor any act of him and a perfect mortification in Christ onely as the meritorious cause and also as the onely efficient not in us and as in Christ the onely subject not in us then I grant he gives us a finer mortification because what Christ doth onely and perfectly and in himselfe not in us must be finer then any mortification or acts of sanctification we doe in our person though we doe these by the Merit and Spirit of Christ working in us to will and to doe But then Saltmarsh nill he will he must say the Gospel-mortification is that whereby Christ hath perfectly mortified sin for us and not that which he sayth Sparkles of glory 324 325. mortification which Christ first doth in himself and then in us through himself and so he vindicates not himselfe 4. I never yet saith he denied graces and fruits of the Spirit of God which appeare in faith repentance new obedience mortification of sinne I speak it in another conception and measure of light The Christian as the English or French can onely speak in his own tongue or language till the Lord be One and his Name One amongst us It is true 1. Saltmarsh and Antinomians say there are graces of Faith Repentance Mortification or rather as Town saith gifts of Faith c. But 1. they are not Gospel-mortification Why Gospel-mortification is perfect in Christ saith Saltmarsh Free Grace pag. 84. these that are in us are not perfect at all nor conformable to Law and Gospel 2. They are not commanded so as the contrary omissions should be sinne they are onely free and arbitrary acts of the Spirit and of a spirit separated from the word 3. Saltmarsh denies not graces in faith repentance and mortification But he denies the necessity of the things themselves as acted personally by us Yea Saltmarsh saith Confession Repentance are sinnes at least infirmities or sinnes of weaknesse For free Grace pag 87. he sayth You say well For David câ—yed out in the bitternesse of his soule that his sin was ever before him and then his sanctification was out of his sight and that God had forgotten to be gracious but I said saith he this is my infirmity In whicâ— words Davids confessing of his sinne which is aâ— act of 〈…〉 is joyned with his quarrelling with God 〈…〉 had been a changed God Psal. 77. and of both it is sayd that David sayd This is my infirmity or my sinne Now if hee spak not of both the words can beare no sense and if so confession of sinne and by the same reason repenting of sinne must bee a sinfull infirmity How then can Saltmarsh acknowledge grace or fruits of the Spirit except he acknowledge grace in sinning which were absurd 4. Saltmarsh calleth his unsound speaking a Christian speaking till the Lord be one and his Name One as if the expressions of Antinomians and their Hereticall doctrine were the language of a Christian when it is the language of the Antichrist And if Saltmarsh failed but in expression he should have answered his own Arguments and the Scriptures that Mr. Gattaker alledges on the contrary and confessed Mr. Gattakers doctrine was found in that point and his own Familisticall in his way of expression of it at least Yea Saltmarsh further enlargeth himselfe in other Articles of Familisme more unsound then before and worse if worse can be as 1. Man is sayd to be made after Gods own Image which Image was Jesus Christ called by Paul the Image of the invisible God the brightnesse of his glory the expresse Image of his person Scripture sayth not that man was made according to the Image of God Christ for Christ is the Substantiall and eternall Image of the Father Man was created in the created participation of God in righteousnesse and holinesse Eph. 4.23 24. and especially if Saltmarsh speak of Christ as Mediator as he doth it is most false 2. Man while he stood was the figure and Image of Jesus Christ in his new creation or whole body or Saints p. 4. Sparkles of Glory An. P. 201. he setteth down this as the last highest discovery of God to man above beyond what Protestants say of salvation by faith in Christ crucified died buried ascended sitting at the right hand of God c. For all these Gospel truths he rejects as literall and fleshly They say sayth he speaking of Fumilists Adam was a way by which God preached first to man and was not the first man in whom all stood and fell but a way figurative and allegorick not literall and historicall as if Adam were a true reall man by which this mystery of God was made to appeare But what Scripture is â—here that Adam â—n the stâ—â—e of Innocency was a figure of the Mysticall body of Christ Mediator We may not at our will fansie figures and types where the word goeth not before us 3. This excellency and glory of the first man as it left God life and communion in him was a figure or image of this creation departing from God and living out of God Ans. What reason hath Saltmarsh to speak with H. Nicholas who saith man sinned from the beginning buâ— speaks not one word of the first Adam that sinned as if thâ— first sinner were not one single man sâ—e Knewstub against H. Nicholas 2 The Scripture saith Rom. 5. All sinned in the first Adam as the head root first nature and publick father of all mankinde By one man many were made sinners inherently and intrinsecally Saltmarsh will have all men to sin in Adam as in the first figure type and Sampler by imitation onely as Pelagius said or he will have the first Adam a man figuratively onely not really and indeed and wee know Familists change the whole story of Adams fall and say the tree the Garden eating were not materiall trees gardens c. but meer figures 4. Jesus Christ is the Revelation of God even the Father this is the glasse or Christall of God in whom we with open
Historicall Literall and Grammaticall sense but in the Mysterious Allegoricall and Spirituall sense is the way of Legalists who say they follow the Letter and know nothing of the Spirit but the Letter killeth and the Spirit quickneth Read Philosophy dissected and the peeces called Theologia Germanica and the Bright Star and H. Nicholas his Exhortations and Documentals and you shall find strange Allegories And Saltmarsh is as Monkish in Allegories as they 2. Antinomians tell us often of imputed righteousnesse which supposeth Christ was a true reall Man and God-Man in one person and that we are saved by the merit an satisfaction of his obedience and death imputed to us But Saltmarsh and Familists herâ— tell us Christ is a meere figure sampler document or example onely in which God discovers to us grace and love And all that is spoken of Christ as in that person not in that person really but figuratively as in that person that was borne of a virgin who was circumcised c. is spoken in figure of the whole nature What Was not Christ reall and very Man our only surety Mediator High Priest who offered a reall sacrifice for us Is he nothing but a figure and if Adam was not the first man in whom all stood and fell so that all have sinned in him neither can Christ be the second Man in whom all his sonnes are justified redeemed and saved But Familists deny that Adam was the first man in whom all stood and fell as Saltmarsh told us before and therefore Familists deny that doctrine of the first and second Adam Rom. 5. and 1 Cor 15. 3. It is a mystery that all that Christ did from his childhood to his crucifying death and crosse was a discoveâ—y of God by this Figure in the whole mystery how God is in all his and works and hath his times of Law-crucifying c. Was his crucifying but a discovery or a document of God by this figure The Scripture riseth higher He was wounded for our transgression he was bruised for our iniquity the chastisement of our peace was upon him with his stripes we are healed Esai 53. And him that knew no sinne God made sinne for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him as it is 2 Cor. 5.21 And in his own selfe on the tree he bare our sinnes 1 Pet. 2.24 The Familists make Christ a discovery and a teaching figure not a true Man The Socinians make him a Man but a meere example of patient suffering if we follow him his example will save us but they denyed he payed a reall satisfactory ransome to Gods justice for us 4. By Christs death say they God witnesseth to his people that he is their God and they his people by killing all their strength and life and power of the first creation and carrying it up to a more excellent and glorious life his own Spirit How killed Christ the strength life and power of the first creation Christ is but a figure and Christ but suffers sayth Gortine and dies in us when we who beare his Image For Man saith Saltmarsh p. 3 4. is created according to the Image of God which was Jesus Christ doe suffer and die for God cannot die And to this agreeth well what Saltmarsh saith p. 288. Others say he himselfe and Familists in opposition to Protestants who make Gospel-administration to stand in repentance faith sanctification justification 285 286. the mystery of salvation is no other then Immanuel or God with us Christ being no more but an anointed one and that anointed one is our nature or weaknesse anointed with the Spirit even God himselfe who is strength And this mystery of great and exceeding glory is revealed in peeces and parts and after the manner of men according to the infirmity of our flesh within the Christian in graces c. and in the Scriptures or expressions and formes without the Christian then is Christ crucified nothing but a beleever graced within with Gods Image And p. 283. he saith O how doth the pure appearance of God powre shame upon all flesh and fleshly glory Either by letter or by graces the day of the Lord will be upon all our Cedars and Okes. Now a Saint anointed is God manifested in the flesh to Saltmarsh and will the Lord powre shame on God manifested in the flesh or is the day of the Lord against Christ â—evealed within the Christian in graces and in the Scriptures without the Christian Then is Gods wrath kindled against grace within and Scripture without brave Divinity The Scripture saith not that Christ on the Crosse killed the strength life and power of the first creation that is Gospel-grace beleeving and God manifested in the Saints that is the new creature in them and the first creation that is as they say the natuâ—rall faculties of knowing willing nilling so as the holy Ghost and the Lord Jesus must come in place of these faculties and in us love feare beleeve rejoyce and we all our powers that we had in creation must be dead passive organs Industry Arts Sciences Tongues Labouring acting of Duties quite removed as flesh and corruption and we turned in all spirit See Rise reign Er. 1 2. For Saltm saith Sparkles of Glory 230 231. all other askings or seekings of God which are not thus in Spirit or in the will or mind of God in some evidence or pure work of the Spirit is but the askings of creatures as creatures All exhortations in Scripture to this duty as Seek yee my face Pray continually are onely then rightly effectually and properly applied and obeyed when the Spirit of God doth it in the Christian when the Spirit of God breathes in and reveals the will of God and acts in the duty or expressions and the Christian speakes in himselfe or the presence of others that mind of God and so the Spirit of God cloathes it selfe in flesh or letter or expressions as to the outward man If by a pure work of the Spirit Saltmarsh mean that the Spirit acteth as the principall determining moving acting cause carrying on the work so as our Spirit and naturall faculties of mind will affection have their own subordinate and inferiour active influence in the work the holy Ghost helping our infirmities it is good but this is no new light nor Familisticall secret of all Spirit but that which Protestants teach against Den and other Arminians old liers and new lights But â— feare a pure work of the Spirit is as much as the Spirit acts purely wholly only in praying and all supernaturall acts and the naturall faculties strength power and life of the first creation are destroyed and annihilated so as we are dead passive Organs doing nothing but the Spirit doth all as Libertines say Second causes work nothing but God as the soul of all worketh all in all creatures This is the secret and so the praying and all the supernaturall duties of beleevers are pure
anointed of God in this words are but the outward skin of prayer the Spirit must adde soule heat and breath to words Some have a sort of eloquence in praying who have as little of the Spirit of adoption as some that cannot pray without a booke a growing up from booke praying to extempory praying is no growing in the Spirit because if we distinguish as we should between a gift of praying and preaching and the grace of adoption or of praying and preaching in the Holy Ghost many al their daies have a naturall liberty of praying and say Lord Lord without a Booke that are but workers of iniquâ—ty as divers Antinomians and Familists are for the most part and their mere shining gifts and golden words are bought and sold by the simple for grace and the spirit of adoption 3 Nor is extemporary prayer always a mere outward thing because wit memory and affections act therein these powers are not mere blocks and stones in praying and by this argument all that Saltmarsh writes is but a mere naturall and outward thing and not writing in the spirit as he vainly boasteth in his Books because wit memory affections act in the producing of such prayers yea they that are fleshly may write all the new discoveries and sparkles of darknesse and flesh that Saltmarsh writes for the Spirit never taught such dreames or rotten phancies nor such interpretations as he doth offer to us as dictates of the pure spirit CHAP. XXXIV A tast of the wild allegorick interpretations of Scripture that are in this peece of Saltmarsh which he fathers upon the pure immediate actings of the Spirit beyond law and Gospel FRom this Is God the God of the Jews only and not of the Gentiles also Rom. 3. He inferreth that God hath not limited ordination to the Presbytery so as none in a constituted Church should preach but they as if to be a God to his people in Covenant were to make al in Covenant men women sent preachers of the gospel 2 Psa. 50. Thou thoughtest I was such a one as thy selfe Because I punished thee not but was silent at thy Adulteries and Slanders so the true sense is but Saltmarsh saith that is a God merely of one image or figure Therefore God is not in one forme of worship saith he the law the gospell but in another beyond both to wit the spirit What greater violence can be done to the scripture 3 And the Heavens cannot containe him therefore God is not in one forme of worship doctrine or confession He may inferre therefore he hath not sufficiently revealed himselfe to us in his word and works contrary to Psa. 19. Saltmarsh 284. The day of the Lord will be upon all our Cedars and Oaks and pleasant Pictures and Idols of gold and judgement shall be upon all the Merchandise of Babylon the pearlesse and pretious stones the Cynamon and Odors then must God poure shame upon all flesh and fleshly glory upon all the visions and dreames that man hath of God by reason creature-imagerie or outward administration notion by letter or by graces c. Answ. In such a noone-day light of the Gospel can we beleeve that Antichrist should call Gospel-administration by the letter that is the preached Gospell inward graces and faith laying hold on Christs imputed righteousnesse with the name of flesh dreames imagerie idols oaks of Bashan Babiloâ—s pretious wares Did the Holy Ghost Isa. 2.12 13. c. Rev. 18 12. intend any such thing 4 Touch not mine anoynted ergo give the anoynted liberty of conscience to preach or teach of God what they please An. but that doe my anoynted no harme will warrant that the Prophets should not sâ—dden the hearts of the anoynted in the way of righteousnesse But it shall never follow ergo Nathan may not rebuke David the anoynted of God for his adultery and murther ergo if an anoynted of God commit murther the Magistrate should not punish him for it nor ought the anoynted to be rebuked or hurt with the tongue though they deny God Christ Scripture Not as Lords over Gods inheritance or having Lordship over your faith ergo liberty of all Religions is lawfull Answ. Saltmarsh shall never prove this consequence To the weake I became as weake then are all outward things in worship indifferent We are to please one another to edification Rom. 15.2 ergo all outward things are indifferent see Sparkles p· 20. Answ. The place Rom. 15. is to please one another in acts of the second Table as not to offend our Brother in meats then may we please him in drunkennesse gluttony whoredome except the words be other wise exponed 2 Thess. 1. Christ shall come to be gloryfied in his Saints that is the Lord Jesus his second comming in spirit and glory in revelation in his Saints Sparkles p. 22. Answ. Then Christs second comming is not in the end of of the World in a bodily manner but so spirituall as it is daily fulfilled and the day of Judgement is even now and in this life as said Henery Nicholas and it hath beene these 1647 yeares Antichrist or the man of sin 2 Thess. 1. is the old man Answ. Saltmarsh will not have the Pope the Antichrist because Popery and all Religions are indifferent The first Tabernacle stood in meats and drinks and diverse washings and carnal ordinances then baptizing with water is Jewish Sparkles 29.30 we are circumcised with him in baptisme ergo there is no baptizing with water Spark 31.32 Answ. The affirming in some respect of the operation of the first cause doth not anull all the actings of the second cause nor bring to nothing all ordinances Job 29.2 The candle of God shineth upon their heads and the secret of the Almighty on their Tabernacle that is the Disciples had the Summer sun shining on them while Christ was among them in the flesh when that ministration came but to its point it became a place for Satyrs and Owls Answ. Job speaketh of his worldly prosperity before his troubles came on him and Psa. c. 13.19.20 of the desolation of Babylon neither of which the Disciples saw Salmarsh citeth the place of Job as if the Holy Ghost intended his monkiâ—h sense which was never in the heart of God Hee shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire ergo ther 's no water-baptisme 33. Answ. It is no consequence Goe tâ—â—ch and baptize that is goe Disciple and baptize now Paul and Apollo were nothing and cannot wake Disciples then hee must speake of the ministration of the Holy Ghost or gifts which were to continue for that age only Answ. But the Apostles ministerially as instruments and Servants could make Disciples and baptizeâ— outwardly Christ only inwardly and effectually as the principall cause Col. 2. Being circumcised with circumcision made withâ—uâ— hard then as true circumcision is made without hands so is baptisme Answ. But it followeth not circumcision with hands is forbidden Gal.
but a change of the endeavours to please God whereas before selfe was our God and an endeavour to turne from dead works 2. True repentance is sorrow according to God and hath acts different from Faith 3. To repent is out of godly sorrow to endeavour new obedience and amendment of life Faith is an apprehension of Divine truth to which wee give credit or an heart-dependance and recumbence on God through Christ 4. Wee are justified by faith never by repentance Wee thinke not that teares wash away sinnes Protestants speake not so 2. Nor that they make peace with God by teares they make way to sense of peace or awake us to runne to a promise the formall bottome of our peace in regard that the Lord promiseth to revive the contrite Spirit to accept broken bones to comfort mourners in Zion and wee thinke neither repentance nor good works proper and formall conditions of the covenant of grace but rather conditions of the covenanted CHAP. XXXVII How good works are necessary FOr good works 1. We call not these good works that are extorted by the terrours of the Law as a captive keepeth the high way because his Keeper leadeth him in an iron chaine Nor 2. these which flow from the sole authority of God as Lawgiver Or 3. which issue from meere morall principles without saving grace but these we call good works in an Evangelicall sense that not onely are done from the authority of the Law-giver but also from a mediatory and Evangelike obligation from the sweet attractions and drawing coards of the secrets of Christs love And 2. from Evangelike faith that purifieth the heart 3. From Physicall principles and supernaturall habits of grace good works are this way necessary 1. That as grace and glory differ not in nature but gradually as the morning dawning of twy-light and the noone-day-light so the good works done by the grace of Christ and that perfect love of God and our brethren in heaven are of the same nature different in degrees and the one degrees and waies to the other especially when from Gods free promise of the blessings of this life and that which is to come the Lord hath made a passe betweene the one and the other and the Lord hath tyed himselfe to himselfe not to us to carry on grace out of meere grace Every branch that bringeth forth fruit in me saith Christ my Father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance He that soweth to the spirit shall of the Spirit reape life everlasting There is a harvest promised to this sowing as to a speciall furtherance of our reckoning in the day of Christ hee that soweth bountefully shall reape bountefully yea sent once and againe unto my necessitie not because I desire a gift but I desire fruit that may abound to your account if ye through the spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the flesh yee shall live But being made free from sinne and become servants to God yee have your fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life Blessed are they that doe his commandements that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in thorow the gates into the city And lest we should think the commands are all but one only precept of beleeving hee addeth for without are Doggs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murtherers c. He that hath my commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my selfe to him All these evidence to us that holy walking is a way to heaven as sowing is to harvest and that Christ maketh a promise of life eternall to him that doth his Commandements onely the question is in what tearmes the promise is made to the doer of Gods will as a doer or as a beleever whose faith is fruitfull and with childe of Evangelike doing But wee may say the formall promise of the covenant of grace is made to beleeving as the Law-promise is made to doing Legally and perfectly out of our own without grace and that the Gospel as it is larger then the covenant of grace and as it containeth the whole doctrine of grace taught by the Prophets and Apostles is a promise of life eternall made to Evangelike and unperfect doing through the strength of grace And that because 1. God commandeth good works through the whole New Testament 2. They are so necessary as without them our faith is a dead and vaine faith and cannot justifie us 3. They are the end for which Christ redeemed us that we should live to him bee redeemed from our vaine conversation from the present evill world that we should bee a purified peculiar people to him zealous of good works and in this title also they are commanded 4. They are conditions without which wee cannot bee saved For John Baptist taught this with the Gospel Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire What shall we doe to be saved receiveth this answer Repent and be baptized every one of you Except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish 5. They are commanded as acts of the new creature and partly as contrary to sinnefull fiery and mighty temptations of Satan and the flesh as mortification to fleshly lust faith to unbeliefe Partly as expressions of thankfulnesse for the free redemption in Christ and commanded in the Law in the great Commandement of the loving of God with all our heart just as this Law of loving God did oblige Abraham to offer his Sonne Isaak for God and Judah to be thankefull to God for redeeming them out of the Babylonish Captivity though the Law neither commanded any father to offer his Sonne nor the people to returne from Captivity yet the eternall Law of love commandeth both these and us to doe what ever God-Redeemer commands us as well as what ever God the Law-giver injoyneth onely we cannot say Good works doe merit salvation or purchase right to life eternall Christs bloud is onely so a ransome of life 2. Nor have they any proper condignity to such a high reward being so imperfect 3. Nor can they have any effective influence or proper causality thereunto nor are they causes or conditions of justification but that which Crispe saith is not of God But withall saith he I must tell you that all this sanctification of life is not a jot of the way of a justified person to heaven it is true they are not the meritorious the efficient cause or way nor the formall covenant-condition but a way they are as sowing is to harvest running to the garland wrestling to the victory CHAP. XXXVIII The Gospel is conditionall ANtinomians deny all conditions of the covenant
without the more forced and unnaturall is all such obedience and the lesse from a spirituall power within The beleever is saith Towne washed from all sinne made perfectly just and holy the friend and Sonne of God the Spouse of Christ the heire of all things the conquerour of all his enemies advanced to sit and remaine in the glory of heaven with Christ for ever and ever he is out of the power kingdome and limits of the Law he is one Spirit with Christ hence is peace securitie consolation joy contentment and happines of a Christian. Hee is a compleat man if wee beleeve Antinomians 1. The word preached though it dwell within him yet that it bee applyed by a Preacher from without is necessary and that Peter writ Stirre up and put in remembrance the Saints that Paul be comforted by Titus and that Christ from without blow on and act the soule to will and to doe and that Paul beseech Christ thrise and have a new answer my grace is sufficient for thee is most needfull 2. There shall be no ground of new emergent complaints to God And 3. of praises to Christ for particular victories over our lusts and the world 4. Nor any ground of spirituall submission and patience while the Lord be pleased to deliver And 5. of trusting in God and exercising faith in him who delivereth us from so great a paâ—ticular death as came on Paul in Asia and from heavinesse through manifold temptations if need be for the triall of our faith Now if all were within us and the obedience more violent and Legall lesse free and connaturall because we must goe to helps without faith needed not goe without doores or without it selfe to Christ and the in-dwelling Spirit should be one for all meanes and ordinances and new showres and bedewings and fresh drops from Christ the honey-combe of heaven should be uselesse our stock within should doe all nor should we know what it is to walke or stand on our owne clay-legs It s true if externalls and the Crosse or the Letter of Law or Gospel onely move us to obedience and there be no internall principle of grace within us then the obedience is but finer hypocrisie and lesse free and more violent and as it were forced But Antinomians imagine a beleever to bee so perfect because pardoned that the Spirit within him doth all and needeth neither Ministers nor ordinances because helps without are Legall not Gospel-like CHAP. LIV. What peace we may fetch from gracious performances THe Spirit acteth Legally say Antinomians when men measure forgivenesse by their sinne and sanctification and can beleeve no more then they have peace for and that peace dependeth on some of their owne performances in so doing saith Towne Legalists had rather gather peace and securitie from repentance and reformation of life then from justification which is onely effectuall to make and cause true peace But our minde is this Asser. 1. We are not to measure forgivenesse so by sinne and sanctification as the measure of pounds and talent-weights of pardon should arise from the like weight of pounds and talents of sinne and sanctification because great sinfulnesse and drames and halfe ounces of sanctification and love to Christ may argue to the beleever the pardon of tenne thousand talents Christ argued the woman loveth much ergo many sins are forgiven her we read not that this was the womans owne Logicke 2. We draw peace and pardon not from so many yards or ells of obedience as merchants measure cloth the Spirits consequence is not from the quantity but from the quallity of sanctification sparkles of gold may prove there is a gold mine in that ground and that in abundance nor draw we the consequence from sinnes simply but from sinnes hated subdued resisted Asser. 2. Peace with God or the peace of faith is not every way the same with peace with our selves and of our owne spirituall sense and apprehension Peace fundamentall and with God is solidly grounded on pardon Being justified by faith we have peace with God it s often so with the Saints that they have faith for pardon and yet no feeling for peace Asser. 3. We may have peace with God when wee have not peace with our selves as the covenant stands sure between God and us when we have great disquietnesse of minde either through some hainous transgression or present unbeliefe and it is not fit wee should have peace with our selves under some great sinne it is but carnall security if Peter after the deniall of Christ be quiet in Spirit and have deepe peace the disquietnesse of unbeliefe apprehending eternall wrath is sinfull but in regard of anxiety of godly sorrow its kindly there be stormes in winter when there are causes of them and faire Sommer-like weather is not so good for the season in Winter because not so kindly and sutable to a right frame of nature Asser. 4. Peace with our selves may arise from the works of saving grace but neither assurance nor peace can flow from naked acts of love and sanctification not quallified and goldned with Christ and his grace as Towne falsely slandereth us because such bastard works as are but white and comely sinnes and being in men out of Christ can but produce sandy and rotten peace but such acts of holynesse as essentially flow from heightned principles of soule-saving grace and are floured and crowned with Christs merits may bee grounds of solid peace though not causes and though some of our drosse still accompany our best performances yet may we difference in them Christs gold from our oare his wine from our dregs this peace is a heart not smiting but smiling and saying Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience c. and where there is joy there is peace both are fruits growing in the same soile so speaketh the Church with my soule I have desired thee in the night whence followeth Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us Why For thou hast wrought all our workes in us But wee had not rather draw our peace from walking with nor from beleeving in God thorow Christ nor did wee ever meane that faith farre lesse holy walking should bee the cause of that fundamentall peace of peace betweene God and the sinner as Towne supposeth works are not fellow-mediators with Christ works had no bloud to interpose as Christ the peace-maker had for he is our peace works faith nor any thing in us were not actors nor commissioners in the treaty of pacification and the truth is the peace we have in our conscience and apprehension even from faith is the result the bloome that groweth on the stalke the floure or rose of Jesse rather then peace and it hath the right hew and resplendencie of peace because there is so much of Christ in either our faith or holy performances the rosie pleasant and
deliberation knowledge action from the soule in either supernaturall works of grace or sinne as if the soule were turned in a rock or a stone 5. All the sinnes of beleevers their Adulteries murthers lying cousening must be counted on the Lords score I tremble to speake it upon his honour be it if he will suffer perfect Angels to sinne more then he can suffer Angels and the glorified that stand before the throne to fall or transgresse CHAP. LXXII Glorifying of God in sanctification needfull ANntinomians tell us of a two fold glorifying of God one in the eyes of God primary immediate passive divine by faith in which God glorifieth himselfe in us justifying us Faith being the Creator as it were of a certaine divinitie as Rom. 4.20 Abraham gave glory to God whereas unbeliefe maketh him a lyar There is another glorifying of God that is outward more fleshly and humane secondary mediate in the eyes of men by good works in sanctification in which we are agents and glorifie God by the Spirit by which wee 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 rejoyce in holy works but not before God Answ. 1. We are not meere passive in beleeving for then should we not be commended for beleeving nor should wee know rely and trust in an all-sufficient Saviour in beleeving on him though there be a passion in beleeving 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 seeeth it and acknowledgeth it in his owne sight sincere unfained perfect in its kind with perfection of parts not of degrees they would have all Sanctification finer hypocrisie I know thy works saith Christ to Smyrna and tribulation and poverty but thou art rich That wee might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before him all the daies of our life And whatsoever yee Servants doe doe it heartily as to the Lord not to men Commending our selves to every mans conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in the sight of God Abraham walke before mee and bee thou perfect saith the Lord. How many of the good Kings did right in the sight of the Lord It s true our best works are polluted with sinne and in the matter of justification cannot endure the strict Law-censure of the Judge of the world if God narrowly marke 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 bee in their substance before God plaistered hypocrisie and yet in the justified these hypocriticall works are no sinne there being no more sinne in the justified nor any thing contrary to a Law which the Lord can see as a sinne more then in Jesus Christ. So here is holy sanctified and lawfull sinne and an innocent hypocrisie and holy and harmlesse corruption and flesh 3. A declarative glorifying of God in the eyes of men not of God must argue the beleever to be lawlesse and a Libertine before men and that he needeth not before men and in his conversation with wife brother children neighbours in his words promises covenants buying selling works of his calling doe all as in the sight and presence of God for if he walke rightteously in his conversation with men hee is behinde Gods backe the Lord seeth him not if he walke unjustly in fornication uncleannesse cousening lying God seeth not these to be sins 4. Why doe Antinomians exclude from works of sanctification the worke of beleeving Are we not to doe all good works in faith as well as for the glory of God and are we not to eat and drinke in faith Rom. 14. vers 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 glorifie God primarily immediatly 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 praysing meditating and soliloquies of the soule with God almes given in private that men see not nor doe the poore know of it this is neither passive nor active glorifying of God and so the division is lame except Antinomians will have us comming with our secret prayers and almes to the streets and cause a trumpet to be blowne as Pharisees doe 6. The gloryfying of God by men that see our good works incline of it self to no glorifying of man more then Abrahams giving glory to God but onely as we either trust to our good works or vainely conceit we are justified by our good works and then being abused they incline to glorifie men and make us vainely rejoyce and boast in them before God So if Abraham should thinke his act of beleeving were his onely righteousnesse before God his beleeving 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 wee say 1. Take Sanctification as Eaton and Saltmarsh and Denne say Protestant Divines whom they are pleased to call Legalists doe for such holinesse as they say is in Anchorits Eremits and Monks for externall works done without faith it makes men neither Saints before God nor men but meere faireded hypocrites such a sanctification wee disclaime 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 bee separated but both concurre to make us Saints the one as the cause the other as the unseparable effect And most false it is that Eaton saith That Sanctification is so farre from being the cause of making us Saints to God-ward that properly it doth but declare that we are Saints to man-ward for so Antinomians make Sanctification nothing but a poore shaddow like an Yvie bush that is no cause of wine but a meere signe to declare and shew in this there is wine Now sure by Sanctification we are partakers of the Divine nature and the Spouses beauty not onely in regard of imputed righteousnesse but also a holy and sincere walking and blamelesse profession of the truth in a chaine of the Spouses necke and in her personall acts of praying and praysing and the sweet ministery of the Gospel in regard of
which Her lips drop as a honey combe butter and milke are under her tongue and the smell of her garments like the smell of Lybanon her feet beautifull with shooes her two breasts like two Young Roes that are twins c. Sanctification must render the Spouse a societie of Saints even in the eyes of God and not only meerely and declaratively to men-ward as the Yvie-bush is a signe 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 bee an odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing to God And If to doe good and to communicate be such sacrifices where with God is well pleased though their charity and good works doe not justifie them yet these good works must smell sweetlie to God and bee well-pleasing in his sight and by them God must repute them sanctified though the sanctification be unperfect and not in its measure every way conformable to the spirituall and perfect Law and they are not then meerely declaratively and to men-ward onely Saints by their works of Sanctification 3. The contrary works in the Saints the shutting up their bowels against their indigent brethren their byting and devouring their acts of Adultery and Murther and lying are ill smelling and displeasing in the eyes of God not onely 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 beleever that doth them that they are grieved for them and mourne 6. Hideth his countenance from them commands us to confesse 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 signes of Saintship to men-ward The Lord himselfe pronounceth the Saints blessed not onely for Christs imputed righteousnesse which is indeed the first cause fountaine and ground thereof but also for our works of Sanctification as Blessed are the undefiled in their way that feare the Lord and delight in his Commandements that keepe judgement and that doe righteousnesse at all times that doe what Christ commands that doe his Commandements Then God must judge them more then declarations to men-ward because this is the blessing of eternall life in Christ Jesus CHAP. LXXIIII The harmonious compliance of old Libertines Familists and Antinomians WEe doe so much the more hate the Antinomian way as Antichristian and fleshly for there bee other Antichrists then the Pope of Rome and many False Christs risen now in that in the doctrine of sinne sorrow for sinne repentance sanctification c. they doe so comply with the old Libertines in Calvins time and with David Georgius and Henrie Nicolas and the late Familists Parall I. Libertines in Calvins time said The state of innocencie was to know nothing good or ill more then children and Adams first sinne is to know good and ill and regeneration is to be stript naked of the knowledge and sense of either sinne or righteousnesse and therefore the Libertines said to any man troubled in conscience with sinne O Adam dost thou yet know somewhat Is not the old Adam yet crucified If they saw any stricken with the feare of the judgement of God Hast thou yet say they a tast of the old Aple beware that that morsell doe not strangle thee If any man was touched in conscience with remorse of sinne and did sorrow or repent for his transgressions they said sinne raigned in that man hee was sinnes captive Just so the Familists of New England In conversion say they the faculties of the soule and workings thereof are destroyed and in stead of them the holy Ghost comes in And a man must take no notice of sinne nor of his repentance for sinne And frequencie or length of holy duties or trouble of conscience for neglect thereof are all signes of one under a covenant of works that is of one in whom old Adam liveth and raigneth And I know I am Christs not because I crucifie the lusts but because I doe not crucifie them And our late Antinomians say To bee touched with any sense of sinne and for David to confesse his sinne or bee grieved for it was saith M. Towne from want and weakenesse of faith that is from the old man I cannot saith he looke on my selfe my actions sinnefull and my conscience and see my sinnes remaine but I looke to the records of heaven and Gods justice and since the bloud-shed I can find nothing there against me but sinnes as a debt discharged are become a nullitie before the Lord and therefore my peace and happinesse consisteth in the forsaking and not considering my selfe and in my living and abiding in Christ who is in heaven This not considering himselfe and his sinnes is neither to know sorrow mourne for feare or bee humbled for sinne Prâ—testant Divines say when the Lord forgiveth a sinner yet the sinner will never forgive himselfe but know consider feare mourne and be humbled for his sinnes Antinomians say all these are works of the flesh and of unbeliefe and of the Old Adam just as the Libertines said so to feele sinne dwelling in them as Paul did Rom. 7. saith Eaton is an act of the flesh contrary to faith and if saith Saltmarsh A beleever live onely by sense reason and experience of himselfe and as hee lives to men he meaneth dayly sinning by reason of an indwelling corruption he liveth both under the power and feeling of of sinne and under the Law But if hee live by faith he liveth out of the power of all condemnation and unrighteousnesse Then to Antinomians feeling of sin in us and sense reason and experience knowing and discerning sinne in us and our fearing sinne 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 soure 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 feare sorrow dejection of men for feare of sinne Hence Master Archer D. Crispe and Saltmarsh make Sermons against feare of or trouble for sinne as works of unbeliefe as contrary to the power of God faithfulnesse providence death of Christ free grace a weakening of faith a damping of all religious service And for their not knowing of any good wee doe or acts of Sanctification which is the other branch of the Libertines regeneration Familists say To fetch comfort from experience of grace in our selves is no
in our selves but that the justified must be as free of all indwelling sinne as Christ Jesus or as the glorified in heaven and so absolutely perfect in our person and our works maketh all sanctification no sanctification before God and that inherent holynesse rendreth us not a whit lovely and acceptable to God more then if wee were wallowing in our lusts and serving the Devill contrary to the Scripture that saith That our sanctification is the will of God that our service is holy living and acceptable that God is well-pleased with our sacrifices of almes in Christ Jesus And that a holy and sincere profession and walking doth take the love and ravish the heart of Christ yea by this way we sinne onely in dishonouring Christ and in not walking in him contrary to the end of Redemption which calleth us to sanctification not in the sight of God but meerely declaratively for Eaton tells us that if any more be ascribed to Sanctification but a meere declaration to the eyes of men that we are healed we goe on with Papists and Bellarmine to make sanctification the onely formall cause why we are justified But the man is farre out Bellarmine and Papists say that God so farre accepteth works of inherent holynesse that without Christs imputed righteousnesse we are justified for these works we acknowledge that God for Christ loveth and accepteth works of sanctification and obligeth us to them by a command to doe them except we would sinne in omitting them but that God loveth and accepteth them as the cause of our righteousnesse in part or in whole in the matter of our justification wee utterly deny Antinomians would have all acts of sanctification meerely arbitrary and of courtesie and to come from no obligation of a command or Law and so that these acts being omitted are no sinne before God and being omitted they are but arbitrary no declarations we are not healed or discourtesies to Christ no sinnes against a Law and being performed God loveth them no more then he doth Adulteries or Murthers acted by justified persons Master Eaton ignorantly objecteth That God by justification shall place us in two contrary states of salvation and damnation to bee the members of Christ and of the Devill that God shall come short of his end of Redemption if wee be sinners in our selves then cannot the bloud of Christ clense us from all sin divers other things that are Characters of weakenesse and poore Divinity he objecteth as all his gang doth Answ. Sinners are taken two wayes in Scripture 1. For wicked men servants of sinne sinne having a dominion and Lordship over the party as in many Scriptures is cleare So we say not that we are both righteous before God and sinners in our selves we should then be both sanctified and not sanctified members both of Christ and of Sathan as hee objecteth But we take sinners in this for these that are sinnefull and have sinne dwelling in them and for such as If they say they have no sinne they are lyars and so the Scripture also taketh sinners Now Antinomians deny the justified to sin at all or to have any sinne dwelling in them because Christ hath washed away all sinne But ignorant men they should know that justification is a forinsecall and judiciall freeing us from all sinne that is from the Law-guilt and condemnation of all sinne and so all our sinnes are removed as a cloud are taken away as if they were cast into the bottome of the Sea but justification is not a Physicall washing away and expulsion of all indwelling and inhabitation of sinne and an introduction of the contrary habit as when heat commeth in the same subiect in the place of coldnesse light in the place of darkenesse whitenesse in the subject in which blacknesse did reside as Antinomians with Papists fondly conceit this is sanctification which is imperfect and graduall in this life not justification and so it followeth not that one and the same person because sinne dwelleth in him after justification but subdued and having lost his dominion is now both under the dominion of Sathan and also a member of Christ. 2. Christ obtaineth his end in Redemption which is to free the sinner from sinnes condemnation in justification fully and in sanctification by degrees not fully while we be perfected in glory Christ can well dwell in the heart by faith where sinne dwelleth as an underling but not where it dwelleth as a King and Tyrant in its full dominion which dominion is not removed formally by justification though the state of justification and the full dominion of sinne cannot stand together in the same person but properly and formally by sanctification It s true God seeth sinne pardoned and the sinner freed from the guilt but he seeth it dwelling in us not to our condemnation for the Lord imputeth it not and therefore it followeth not that the Lord both seeth us righteous in Christ and not righteous in Christ but onely hee seeth us righteous in Christ by imputation of grace and freed from condemnation and sinnefull in our selves by the inherencie and in-dwelling of sinne pardoned and subdued which is the doctrine of Prophets and Apostles delivered in the Scripture CHAP. LXXXIX Antinomians are ignorant of Faith to dreame that its Faith to beleeve against sense that our sinnes are no sinnes IT is the true nature and essence of Faith say Antinomians To beleeve cleane contrary to that which we see and beleeve in our selves if God hath spoken the contrary as if God were not able to abolish that sinne which wee dayly feele dwelling in us out of his owne sight above our reason sense and feeling The Mystery is this as for the Adulteries Oppressions treacherous Covenant-breach Lying that justified Antinomians commit Faith is to beleeve they are no sinnes before God against no Law but meere nullities in the Lords Law-court as Towne saith though Lying and deceiving reason beleeveth them to be sins for its true faith To beleeve the contrary of what sense and reason apprehendeth because God so saith and giveth his Sonnes bloud to cleanse us from all sin and sweareth the same But this is a dead false lying faith of Antinomians 1. Because the light of faith discovereth the sinnes of a justified person to bee hainous provocations of the majestie of God so David I acknowledge my transgression and my sinne is ever before me And the Church For our transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them And Paul in the New Testament I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good And I find then a Law that when I would doe good evill is present with me And I see another Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my minde and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sinne which is in my members these three words 〈◊〉
of grace of justification or of salvation or that the Gospel hath any conditions at all Yea though yee should not beleeve yet God is faithfull and cannot deny himselfe to be your Redeemer So saith Saltmarsh it s not the way of a covenant that the Gospel useth but rather the promise or grace and salvation It is true if we take a condition 1. For an antecedaneous quallification going before Redemption the Gospel is no covenant of grace so as God will neither redeeme us in Christ nor propose a covenant of grace nor transact covenant-waies to be our God while we beleeve So faith is no condition Antinomians ignorant of the doctine of Protestants fancied that of us Nor doth it follow as Crispe and Antinomians say Faith obedience and repentance are not conditions because pardon and justification and salvation goe before them or because by them we purchase not Christ it onely followeth they are not such conditions as are antecedent and purchase Christ which we grant 2. If a condition be taken in Law tearmes for a condition qualification or some thing that issueth from free will without the determining grace of Christ and such a condition as salvation and righteousnesse imputed dependeth on in a proper way of condition so faith is neither strictly a condition of justification nor of righteousnesse or salvation because God of meere grace worketh both the condition faith and the thing conditioned for a condition is properly a qualification or worke to be done by a party by way of contract league and bargaine and done of the parties owne strength as the one side halfe or quarter of a covenant that obleigeth the other party to bestow a favour or reward for the performed condition as Armâ—nians say and neither in this sense doe wee ascribe a condition to men 1. Because Christ as surety undertaketh by promise to fulfill both our part and his owne I will writ my Law in their hearts Christ subscribeth the covenant for me and himselfe and leadeth our trembling hand at the pen and causeth us consent in this notion the Gospel is all promise rather then a covenant or a bargaine and there is neither limbe nor lith nor joynt of the covenant but it s all pure grace both worke and wages Antinomians cannot say that we teach We are redeemed justified saved for faith for works But if a condition be taken Evangelically for a qualification wrought in us by the grace of Christ and without which we are not justified nor saved then to deny the Gospel to be a conditionall covenant is to bely the Gospel For the whole Gospel saith He that beleeveth hath life is freely justified hee that beleeveth not is damned and the wrath of God abideth on him And that repentance and doing of Gods will and new obedience are conditions is evident by Scripture Nor is it a Popish way by works to say We seeke glory and honour and immortality by well doing Workes are not so much conditions of justification as Faith is yet are they conditions required in these that shall be saved And because Christ worketh faith in us it proveth it is not a condition of our owne working but not that it is no Evangelike condition CHAP. XXXIX Of Mortification WEe judge Repentance and Mortification of the old man to be a personall turning from sinne and the abating of the lusts of the old Adam a deading of the heart to the pleasures of sinne a growing in a heavenly disposition to rise with Christ and seeke the things that are above flowing from the death and resurrection of Christ apprehended by faith Antinomians say To repent and to mortifie sinne is to beleeve that Christ repented and mortified sinne for us and obeyed the whole Law for us It is not the not acting of sin nor is it the mortifying clensing and purifying our sinnes out of the sight of God no not by the Spirit of sanctification but it is to purifie out of our owne sight and sense before the world and declaratively these sinnes which the wedding garment hath purified out of the sight of God What is Mortification saith Denne but the apprehension of sinne slaine by the body of Christ What is vivification but our new life the just shall live by Faith I must needs say this is a shorter cut to heaven and a more Hony-Gospel then Christ and his Apostles knew For 1. They command us to mortifie our members which are on earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection c. And to forbear lying Antinomians free us from all personall mortifying our selves and put us on an imputative mortification to beleeve that Christ hath satisfied justice for our fornication and that Christ was chast in his owne person and abstained from fornication and lying for us this is to blow away all sanctification and make justification all 2. So may we live in our lusts and beleeve our lusts to be mortified in Christ and they are so and if wee should live slaves of sinnes and sonnes of the Devill and under the dominion of our lusts if we beleeve that Christ hath mortified our lusts our naked act of beleeving without any personall change in our selves maketh us sonnes of God which is nothing else but to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse Antinomians tell us it is but an abusing of grace to wantonnesse to sinne because grace doth abound and he that beleeveth cannot walke still and live according to the flesh if he still lives in his lusts his faith is no faith Answ. It s most true if Faith be taken for the affiance and recumbency of a broken sinner on Christ but the Antinomian faith is a perswasion of a fleshly Pharisie standing on his tiptoes proudly resisting Christ burning in his lusts and beleeving his boyling lusts are pardoned and remitted before ever they were committed and that they are no sinnes 2. Wee grant it is not grace but the abuse of grace that teacheth David Peter to act adultery and deny Christ but if it be the grace of Faith that is to beleeve contrary to sense that Adultery and deniall of Christ are not sinnes because sinnes pardoned are no sinnes then grace it selfe doth teach us to sinne 3. We must be justified by mortification if mortification he the faith or apprehension of our lusts crucified with Christ. 4. When the Holy Ghost biddeth us beleeve repent pray mourne rejoyce in God we have this Gospel-sense of these from Antinomians we doe all this compleatly when wee beleeve that Christ beleeved repented prayed mourned rejoyced in God for us and there is an end for sure the doing of all these came from a Spirit of Faith drawing life and strength out of Christs death and resurrection to doe all these as we draw strength from Christ to mortifie the lusts of the flesh 5. The word expoundeth mortification not to be in relative acts to beleeve Christ mortified