spoken it Micha 4.4 The mouth of the Lord of Hoasts hath spoken Deut. 30 8. Obey the voyce of the Lord. How often is it said the Lord hath said Esa. 29. Because they have not heard my words saith the Lord which J spake to them by my servants the prophets rising and sending them c. 1 Thes. 2.13 For this cause also thanke we God without ceasing because when yee received the word of God which yee heard of us yee received iâ not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God which also worketh effectually in you that beleeve Heb. 13 7. Remember them which have the rule over you and have spoken to you the word of God all which and many other places can carry no other sense then the word externall written and preached which God rendreth effectuall by his Spirit is an instrument of conversion 11 Err. Faith and conversion to Christ commeth not mediately by the preaching of the word but immediately from the inspirations of the holy spirit and from heaven His arguments are not a whit different from the reasons of Mr. Del in which Del proveth laws synods ministery are all externall carnall literall things so Del. ser. pag. 6 7 8 9. c. Gospel reformation is internall Spirituall and the law written in the heart as Ier. 31.33 the word vocall externall or written reformes by halfes not constantly and intermits and againe lyes still as dead as a stone because men can doe it But Gospel-reformation is as proper to God as to redeeme the world and to take away sin and bring in everlasting righteousnesse if all the Angels in heaven should undertake the work of reformation they should sink under it how much more the powers of the world Del. ser. 10 11 12 13. Iust so argues Swenckefeld Epistola ad quendam Ecclesiasten excussa Basil. an 1527 his 1 argu which is Dels also ser. pag. 6 7. is this iustifying faith is of the nature of internall and spirituall things for it is of God yea faith is the gift of the Holy Ghost then it hath not its originall from things bodily the word and hearing but comes from the internall word for the naturall man perceaves not the things of God 2 Saith Swenckefeld what ever is not of faith is sin then outward hearing of the word without faith is sin 3 All preaching is in vaine except the man have eares to heare Mat. 13. since the word cannot be received but by an enlightened minde and the light of faith and the grace of God the soule being fore-disposed by Iesus Christ though you should heare the word a thousand times in thy unbelieving eares they shall receive no more but a sound they shall reciâve no more but a carnall affâction of a fanzied and counterfeit faith from free will which shall not indure long so read Del. serm pag. 4.5 and as if Swenckefeldius had spitted him out at his mouth so he speakes 4. The Ministers saith Swenckfeld should be someâwhat 5. Then Paul and Apollos should give increase 6. Then the word of God should be tyed to Elements and sounds and and all that heare the word should beleeve 7 But saith hee hee that is of God heares the word of God thân must Grace prevening prepare us before wee can heare the externall word with fruit 8 Their is one Maister Christ the cheif corner stone and he teacheth the externall man not by externalls but by his Spirit when God teachâs as he doth Ephe. 3.5 he needeth no perishing and vanishing thing to helpe him to save us Conspice hic inquit Swnckefeld epist 16. verum doctorem veram doctrinam veritatem ipsam âternam quae nullo Caduco sive transitorio in adminiculum sui egeaâ ut nos salvet 9. If the vocal word did necessarily goe before justiâieing faith then justification should be the work of our hands or not without our helpe But Abraham beleeved God not the word preached 10. Then should man not God lay the first stone in our Iustification and experience teacheth us what a building it is we have an historicall faith and a certaine apprehension and assent of naturall reason form the letter of the word so Saltmarch the Antinomian 146 fr. g. the law is now in the Spirit and in the Gospel for a believer to walke by Now the Spirit and the Gospel is all one to the Antinomian to the Enthusiast Libertines and Swenckfeldians so Saltmarch sayeth Nor is the holinesse and sanctification now such as is fashioned by the law of outward commandement Swenckefeld calleth it verbum vocale but by the preaching of faith by which the Spirit is given which renewes and sanctifies a beleever and makes him the very law of commandement himself what this Antinomian calles the preaching of faith Swenckefeld calleth verbum substantiale Christ himself not any created thing so doe the Familists teach Rise Reigne er 9. The whole letter of the Scripture say they holdeth for a covenant of works so er 7. er 8. Know that it is most false that sanctification is not now fashioned by the Law of outward Commandement that is by the word externally preached as by an instrument subordinate to the working of the Spirit for his conscience knowes we never ascribe more to the word for more is contrary to the word Rom. 10.17 Faith commeth by hearing that is the word of the Gospell externally preached 1 Cor. 1 24 we preach Christ to the Jewes a stumbling block but to the called Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God this preaching of Christ is the preaching of faith but not in the Antinomian sense this is the effectuall working oâ the Spirit for so Saltmarsh meaneth as his exposition evidenceth for the effectuall working of the Spirit can never be a stumbling to the Iewes then this preaching of Christ and of faith must be outward and externall preaching of the Gospell which instrumentally giveth the Spirit For Gal. 3.2 Paul opposeth the hearing of faith that is the externall hearing of the letter of the Gospell that giveth the spirit instrumentally to the workes of the law or the externall doctrine of the Law that can neither promise to give nor give the Spirit instrumentally for if by the hearing of faith he meane the inward hearing and effectuall working of the Spirit then he saith as much as yee receaved the Spirit by the effectuall receiving of the Spârit and also he must meane that all that heares externally the doctrine of the Gospell as the Galatians did must receive the Spirit whereas Paul clearely makes an opposition between the externall preaching of the Gospell and of the Law otherwise by the externall preaching of the law accompanied by the Spirit we also receive the spirit But let Saltmarsh answer if either now or under the Old Testament true holinesse and sanctificattion was fashioned by the law of outward Commandement without the Spirit in some measure or degree 2 If
regeneration is not said to worke with the word but a more common operation of God there is which begetteth literall knowledge or some higher illumination 2 the Spirit worketh with the word so as in one and the same act the Spirit opens the heart to heare and receave what is carryed along in the letter of the word and so the Spirit worketh mediately not immediately 6 How in the infusion of the new heart and of the habit of the grace of God in which we are meere patients and put forth no cooperation with God more then the dead doth to quicken it selfe Ephes. 2.1 2. and the withered ground to receave the raine I see not Esai 44.3 4. in regard that though the word goe before and the word may be preached in the meane time yet the act of infusion of the new heart is no morall action of God but as it were physicall and it is a reall action receaved by us by no subordinate literall action or morall apprehension of the minde or act of the will and therefore in this formall act of infusion what the word doth but by way of disposition or preparing I must professe my ignorance though it be most true that faith commeth by hearing and in the very mean time Act. 10.44 whilst Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fel on them which heard the word Then if conversion be taken in congregato vel concreto in the humbling selfe disparing of a sinner and all preparatory acts going before the infused life of Christ and in the first operations flowing from this infused life the word is an instrument of conversion but I cannot see how it is any active or morall instrument in the soules lying under the Lords act of infusion of the life of Christ except yee call it a passive instrument because it perswades not the soule to receeve the new life nor is the soule being a meere patient an apprehending knowing choosing or consenting faculty under this action of omnipotency while the Lord powres in a new heart It is true the word is thus farre the instrument that the Spirit worketh in us the same habit of new life and the same Spirit of grace and supplication that is promised in the word Esa. 44.3 4. Zach. 12.10 Ezeck 36.26 27. and the same Spirit that the Scripture saith Christ by his merits purchased Ioh. 1.16 17 18. Ioh. 12.32 Revel 1.5 Heb. 10.19 20 21 22. 1 Conclusion The word preached is that meane that instrumentally concurreth with the Spirit for begetting of faith Rom. 10.14.17 faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God and that he speaketh of the externall and not of the substantiall increated and internall word is cleare ver 14 15 16. he speaketh of such a word as a sent preacher carrieth 2. such glad tydings as messengers on the mountaines bring which is not the Spirit of faith to all that the messengers are sent to 3 It is such a word as he calleth ver 16. a report Now this is not an inward substantiall report or word because all that heareth the father to them the Spirit makes an inward report they come to Christ and beleeve the report Ioh. 6.45 But few or none beleeve this report ver 16. Who hath beleeved our report 1 Cor. 1.23 25. But we preach Christ crucified to the Iewes a stumbling blocke to the Greekes foolishnesse But unto them that are called both of Iewes and Greekes Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God then the word externally preached is instrumentally the power of Goâ and that he speaketh of externall preaching not of the substantiall word or Spirit himselfe is cleare 1 Because the Spirit internally preached is received as the power of God Esay 59 19 20. And a God teaching Spirit but this word of it selfe is not such a Spirit 1 Because the Apostles preach it Men such as the Apostles were doe speake or preach of Christ and of the Spirit but they cannot preach or effectually inpreach to speake so Christ and the Spirit to the hearers for then should they give the Holy Spirit to al those they preach to which both is against scripture and experience Act. 12. Act. 14. Act. 17. and is blasphemous for God onely giveth the Holy Ghost 2 Because the internall and substantiall word preached to the eares internally is effectuall conversion but this preached Christ must be externally preached onely to some to Iewes and Greekes who stumble at Christ and beleeve not 1 Pet. 2. And the same is proved by 2 Cor. 2.15 Wee are unto God preaching the Gospell v. 14 a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one wee are the savour of death unto death to the other the savour of life unto life Now the internall substantiall word is to none a savour of death 1 Thes. 2.13 For this cause also thanke we God without ceasing because when yee received the word of God which yee heard of us yee received it noâ as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that beleeve That is 1 The externall word which yee heard of us 2 It is the instrument of the Spirit Yee received it not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God 3 It s not the internall word for it was not received of all that heard it for ver 14 15 16. the Iewes that heard it received it not 2 Conclusion The word preached of it selfe is not a dead letter as Swenckfeldians say with Antinomians Paul calleth the Law a dead Letter Because it teacheth what we should doe but promiseth not the Spirit of Grace to obey as the Gospell doth And punit delinquentes punisheth eternally delinâuââts saith Chrysost 2 Cor. 3. hom 7. and Oecumenius ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Theophylact saith the same Augustine saith the Law makes us know not eschew sinne and the Gospell is not a dead letter of it selfe even as the Letter of it is voyd of the Spirit except by accident in the same sense that it is the savour of death unto death and a rocke of offence to those that stumble at the word But is not may some say the law also by accident and through our sinfull condition a condemning letter aswell as the Gospell and so both because they are externall and literall must be a dead letter I answer not so because the Gospell in the letter and literall sense ofâereth a way or meanes of reconciliation to thoâe that beleeve but the Law as the Law in no sense can either offer or give life but in regard that all have sinned the proper use of the Law to all under the Law is to give out a sentence of condemnation in the very externall and literall sense of it If the Law lead as a Paedagogne any to Christ that is now by a
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 pâeached 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 Horatiâs 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 coâsen 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 exterâalls 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
made perfect and wholly of the essence of God the father said Thou art my son this day have J begotten thee nor is it impossible that God can make his owne sonne a God though unrenewed men understand not this Antinomians speake not so honourably of Christ for Rise Reig. er 11 every beleiver is God incarnate But Christ is here in words made the substantiall son oâ God by Swenckfield 5 Christ in both natures is the onely begotten son of God and Lord of glorie and King of the Church in both natures 6 Christ now at the right hand of God having obtained fully al the power honor and kingdome and essence of God worketh as much for our salvation as man as he doth as God 7 Whole Christ undividâd according to both natures perfects the iustification and washing of a sinner by the spirit and whole Christ according to both natures undevided obtaineth the state of the second person in the Trinity as one and coequall God in power and honor with the Father Familists make God in his nature and essence to dwell and worke in all creatures especially in the regenerate But these are but fanciâs 1. Because after Christ was raised from the dead to the glory of the Father and so enâred into his glory there is evidence that his manhead was entered in no degrees of communion in the essence power and glory of God equally with God because there remaineth a body with flesh and bones that may be touched and handled Luk. 24.36.37 38 39 40. with the print of the nailes in his hands and sides Ioh. 20 27. now there is nothing of the nature essentiall honor and glory of God an infinite Spirit that fills heaven and earth yea or of any spirit in a body of bones flesh hands and feet and having in it such materiall and sensible qualities as the impression of wounds 2. Christ did eat with his disciples after his resurrection Ioh. 21.12 13 14 and so after he was entered in some degrees of glory and was seene of five hundred brethren at once 1 Cor. 15.6 Of Cleophas of the twelve Apostles of Paul also now what ever partaketh of the essence of a Spirit cannot eat nor be seene with bodily eyes and the disciples with their bodily eyes saw him ascend to heaven even till the clouds tooke him out of their sight Acts 1. 3 The eyes of all beleevers and reprobates even his enemies that peirced him in the generall Iudgement shll see him in which state Swenckefeldius dreames that the manhood is fully changed in the essence of God Rev. 1.7 now that the bodily eyes of men and of Reprobate men shall see the essence of God who is invisible 1 Tim. 1.17 is a dream for He dwels in light which no man can approach unto though we nothing doubt but the man Christ as man is elevated now in heaven to our uncomparable comfort to such eminency of glory above Men and Angels as the capacity of a created thing can receive 4. the Manhood of Christ is a creature having beginning and a cause of being in time Mat. 1. Luk. 2 in the fulnes of time Gal. 4. 4 was borne of a woman Now what is man borne of a woman that he should be equall in essence and nature with God who is like unto God Angels and created powers cannot answer the question God is essentially eternal and eternity differenceth him from all things beside himselfe Esay 9.6 chap. 43.10 Before me there was no God neither shall there be after me c. 40.28 Psal. 99.1 2. Psal. 102.26.27 1 Tim. 1.17 it 's then an everlasting contradiction that a creature in time can be a creator and a God before time or pertake of the essence of the eternall God for God must then create another God different in number from himself 5 our bodies shal be made conform to the glorious body of Christ. Phil. 3.21 if the Manhood of Christ and so his body which is a part thereof be changed into the essence of God we must be like the very invisible and eternall essence of an infinite Spirit and there is no glorifying of our bodyes then nor any resurrection nor any caughting up of our bodyes to the aire to be ever with the Lord but an utter extinction and an anhihilation of our bodyes and the body of Christ. Hence the flesh profiteth not then the manhood does not spiritually quicken give the Holy Ghost justifie as Swenckefield sayes but Christ God doth these 7 The cheife argument of Swenckefeld was because Christ as man obtained a name above all names was adored as man but if âhis stand sure then in the state of humiliation aswell as glorification the manhood was changed in the nature of God which yet Swenckefeldius denyes for in the state of humiliation what is proper to the Godhead is ascribed to the Manâhood per ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as God purchased a Church by his blood whereas God hath no blood they Crucified the Lord of glory and by this argument we may well inferre that the God-head in the state of humiliation was changed into the manhood and flesh which is blasphemous for so should God die as man dyed and there was a booke given out in the name of Swenckefeldius that denyes the manhood of Christ after his resurrection to be a creature and calleth all of the contrary minde Creaturistae hence 8 These wilde assertions of Swenckefeldius The Gospell is the Essence of God faith and ioy in the heart is the essence of God 9 He charged Luther with these The preached word is the substantiall word of God the flesh of Christ is not glorified a renewed man hath not free will God dwells not in beleivers Good workes profit not to salvation the preaching of the word and Sacraments are effectuall without God As Famil and Antinâm charge us with many of these because we cannot say that a beleiver is so Christed that he is very Christ himselfe and God incarnate and as free from sin as Christ. 10 The doctrine contained in the scriptures is not properly the word of God but improperly by a Metonimy where the signe is put for the thing signified Christ only is properly and essentially the word of God Swenck liber de sacris liberis pa. 27 28. Antinomians say the Scripture and the Law is but a dead letter not the word of God so Del. in his whole sermon rejects all that is externall in the Gospel-reformatinn makes nothing in it but the Spirit and the incommunicable act of Redeeming which is onely in Christ to worke our conversion to God Before I proceed Swenckefeldians and Antinomians erre for its said of the ten Commandements Exod. 20.1 And God spake all these words All the Prophets cry Thus saith the Lord. Luk. 1.70 He hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets 2 Chro. 36.21 The word of the Lord by the mouth of Ieremiah Esa. 1.20 The mouth of the Lord hath
sanctification in the Gospell be fashioned without the external preaching of the Gospell an outward commandement if no why excludes he an outward commandement as contrary to the preaching of faith Swenckfeldius and Enthysiasts make an opposition betweene the word preached and the preaching of faith that is the Spirit we make a subordination no opposition 3 whether Saltmarsh or any Antinomian in conscience can say that wee so go on with Pelagians Old Anabaptists and Arminians as to say Sanctification is framed now or at any time by a law of outward commandements the Antinomian Del. who has printed in defence of Anabaptists Arminians and Antinomians teacheth so not we So Del joyneth with Swenckfeld Ser pag. 6 7 8. read the stile words and doctrine of Enthysiasts all along in the serm 11 Swenckfeld said that that is born of the flesh is flesh these that say justifying faith is from externall hearing they teach that the Spirit comes from the carnall letter the heaven is bornâ of the earth 12 Blessednes comes not from externals nor was Thomas blessed because he saw and beleeved nor Simon Peter because flesh and blood but because the father revealed Christ to them 12 Swenckefeldius taught that the preachers of his time were not sent of God because no man was the better or converted by their preaching So Antinomians say all but themselves are but litteral and carnall teachers 13 Swenckefeldius said that he himselfe preached the Spirit inwardly teaching and that men must live by the rule of the Spirit else they could not be saved so speake Anti. of Gospell reformation of life so Del. ser p. 26 27. 14 Neither Baptisme nor the Supper of the Lord should be Administred till the true doctrine that he taught be preached and be revealed immediately from the substantiall and eternall word Christ without preaching or reading or hearing the word so Del. uniformity examined the worship of the New Testament is onely inward 15 In such dissentions of minds among Teachers the word should not be heard Antinomians say all may be heard sects and opinions are but names and things indifferent 16 The word hath a twofold sense one literall which profiteth nothing another the true and spirituall which only the spirituall do understand 17 We must try the word by the Spirit and not the Spirit by the word so say the Antinomians rise reigne er 61. All doctrines revelations and spirits are to be tryed by Christ the Word rather than by the word of Christ this is against Christs way who when it was a controversie whether he was the sonne of God or no was content that they should Iudge of him and decide the matter by Scripture Joh. 5.39 so 2 are all controversies ended Act. 17.11 Act. 9.11 Act 24.14 15. 1 Cor. 15.3 4. Mat. 22.29.30 31 32 33. Esay 8.20 which were a rule impossible if the scripture have two senses one literall that proves nothing and another spirituall and allegorick as Enthysiasts Antinomians say that none can understand but the spirituall now when Christ and Paul prove the resurrection of the dead and that Christ is the Messiah by the scripture and referres the denyers of these Iewes and Pharisees and Saduces to the scripture to be the Iudge he supposeth the scriptures hold forth a cleare literall sense which these men though not spirituall might understand 2 nor could Christ say yee both know me and whence I am Ioh. 7.27 28. if they could not see any thing of Christ by light of scripture 3 all the murthers whoredomes villanies practised by Muncer T. Becold David George Swenckfeld they fathered on the Spirit leading them without the Scripture or on such an allegorick sense as their uncleane spirit expounded the word so as men know not when they sin when they serve God 17 The preachers not being taught by the immediate teaching Spirit are such as the Lord speaketh of They ran and J sent them not 18 There is a middle reformation to come betweene papists and Lutherans 19 No doctrine of word Sacraments or any externall thing written in the writings of Moses the Prophets or apostles doe conduce to salvation God is to be sought in his naked Majesty in dreames inspirations and revelations of the Spirit 20 Repentance contrition the knowledge of sin is not to be taught out of the Law but by Christ onely How neere Antinomians side with this I leave to the reader 21 The Law is not unpossible but easie to be fullfilled by Grace Antinomians teach that both the persons and workes of beleivers are perfect free of sin then must they be perfectly agreable to the Law Honeyâcombe c. 3. pag. 25. c 11 12.322 323 324. Towne ass grace pag 76 77. Salt free grace p 140. 22 Our renovation is the very Holy Ghost so Antinomians Rise Reign er 1 2.7 8. 23 Our Righteousnes and iustification is not in the imputed obedience and righteousnes of Christ but in a conformity with Christ in glory by the undwelling Spirit of Christ. 24 Faith and workes iustifie us 25 All beleivers are the naturall sons of God begotten of the essence and nature of God so Familists and Antino teach that we are Christed and Godded 26 There was no remission of sins no righteousnes no entrance ânto heaven before Christ dyed So say Antinomians under the old Testament there was no inward nor heart reformation no covenant of grace no pacefying of Gods wrath for sin c. So Saltmarsh free grace pag. 166 167 168. Honey-combe chap. 11.334 335 336. Del. ser. pag. 2.3 4 5 6 7 8 9. c. CHAP. VI. How the Word converteth TOuching the necessity of the word of God preached for the conversion of sinners against Swenckefeldians Enthysiasts and Antinomians these conclusions we hold premising some considerations 1 The vocall or preached word is the instrument and Organ of the Holy Spirit in our conversion not the author nor efficient thereof 2 The word written or preached is a created thing not the formall object of our faith and affiance nor the objeâtum quod but the objectum quo or the interveening meanes or medium of our faith 3 The word as all instruments are must be elevated above its nature to more then a literal impression of Christ beleeved in 4 The writing speaking conveyance of Christ to the soule in the word preached may be humane and literall but the thing signified by the word Christ faith the Image of the second Adam is divine supernaturall and the way of conveyance of it to the soule in regard of the higher operation of the Spirit above the actings and motion of the letter is divine heavenly supernaturall 5 The action of the Holy Ghost in begetting faith may be said to be immediate two wayes 1 as if the word did onely prepare and literally informe the externall man but the Spirit commeth after and in another action distinct from the word infuseth faith this we cannot deny but then the Spirit of
immortall seed of the word 1 Pet. 1.23 after this new birth there remaineth something of the word some other thing passeth away that which remaineth is the thing signified in the word or produced by the word which is Christ formed in the heart by faith or the new creature But the characters and letters we read the sound of preaching wee heare remain not but are transient and passing away things they are not limbs nor members of a new creation the speces or images of the word may remaine in the memory but in the new creature there is nothing transient or corruptible such as figures letters signes and sounds as when a grain of wheat is casten into the earth the husk passeth away and rotteth but the substance of the graine remaineth and is turned into thee stalke blade and eare of growing wheat and though these expressions and similitudes come short of the thing it selfe Chriât is pleased thus to convey himselfe through words and sounds as a chariot of his owne appointing which we must not neglect except we would dispise God and so Christ lodgeth himselfe in the heart passing through the outer gates and senses eyes taste and feeling in the Sacraments and the eares in the word preached But what ever here I speake of the Spirits actings not seperated from the word let me not be mistaken as if I did thinke that every acting of the Holy Ghost should goe along in an exact Mathematicall length and breadth with the letter and sound of the word as if the word were the bellowes the Spirit the hand that stirreth the bellows for though all utterings and stirrings of the soule that flow from the Spirit be warranted by the word yet I am assured some are and have beene even in our time so changed from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord that their faces have shined like the face of an Angel they have been at singing and a desire to shout for joy yea to leap and dance and have been so filled with the fulnesse oâ God that they could not speak and have been like vessells filled with new wine that wanted vent that one said Lord hold thy hand thy servant is an old vessel and can hold no more of thy new wine and another cryed Full full pained with a fulnesse of God with marrow and faânesse Heb. 3. which I am sure is the joy unspeakable and glorious spoken of 1 Pet. 1.8 and the begunne fulnesse of God Eph. 3.19 and a bodily soule-sicknesse for Christ a fit of the swoone that Iohn fell into Rev. 1.17 And when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead It is true that was a Propheticall extasie in Iohn like that of Daniel c. 10.7 8 9.15 in which the operations of the bodily senses or organicall actions were suspended so as the Prophets in these cases could not eat nor drinke so by proportion here I know some stricken with palenesse trembling and deprived of the use of the body for a time which I judge to be a trembling at the word one a dying said I feel a strong ranke smell of perfume and the sweetnesse I feele but cannot speake Another said I injoy I injoy Another I see heaven open and the high throne prepared Another could doe nothing but smile and looke like heaven All these to me are the over-banke and high tydes of the Spirit by way of redundancie acting on the body because of its neare union with the soule and I know warranted by the word produce no new doctrine but how the word and Spirit in these actings are united and move together I confesse I am ignorant 2. We professe we hate with our soules that Christians should adore and fall downe before an inke-Divinity and meere paper-godlinesse as if the Spirit were frozen into inke and dead figures writings letters or as if naked languages of Hebrew Greeke and Latine could save us The Kingdome of God is not in letters nor in externalls but in life and power The glasse of the Physitian workes not the cure but the oyle in it The Doctors written directions in the sicke-mans pocket helpes him not a whit no man shall lay the only outside of ordinances lower in the dust then we All the obliging power is from the letter of the word all the strengthning physicall power by which we are inabled to act is from the Spirit that worketh with the word and if we speake properly a beleever is not under an obliging and morall commanding power because the Spirit acts them in prayer or beleeving for the naked Spirit as the Spirit is not a morall rule to me to act by nay it is not to me the Spirit of God now when the Canon of Scripture is closed but as the Law and the Testimony goes along with it for by the Law and testimony I know now that it is no deluding Spirit but the Spirit of God but all the commanding and morally obliging power is from the word as it noteth the sign and the will of God signified for I must obey because God intimates his will to me in the word and I am strengthned to obey from the acting of the Spirit of the Lord. But Saltmarsh Sparkles of glory pag. 245. refuteth this in the Protestants generally Outward Ordinances are commands of Christ and therefore to be done because they are commanded and that they are sanctified by God and by his Spirit and that we are to wait on God in the use of means his reason which Swinkfield used also is that spirituall things are not by Ordinances conveyed into the soules of men Now Antinomians deny outward Ordinances to be commands of Christ that oblige to obedience for p. 243. the meere Commandements or letter of Scripture is not a Law to a Christian why he should walke in duties but the Law written in our hearts he saith and he citeth Rom. 6 14. Rom 7.1 2 3 4. because sin hath no dominion over us and we are not under the Law but under grace and under a new husband Christ being dead to the Law Ans. The outward Commandement sure is neither sinne nor the dominion of sinne nor is the Law sinne God forbid the Law is holy just and good Rom. 7.12 and the unconverted stand under an obligation to outward Commandements though they want the Spirit or then the unconverted cannot sin more then the justified because these that faile against no commandement sinne not and Christ hath laid upon justified David Peter and all beleevers outward Commandements that we sinne not 1. Joh. 2.1 v. 26. that we keep our selves from Idolls though the Spirit act us not to abstaine from sinne otherwise no man can sinne whether unconverted or justified 2. Christ bad his Apostles write and yet hath not inclosed his Spirit in inke and paper then the written Command must be an Ordinance sanctified of Christ for blessed is he that readeth But whereas Saltmarsh will have the Commandements of the Gospel
not to oblige the elect to obedience except the Spirit goe along with them in that they conspire with Arminians and Pelagians who will have the Covenant of grace an unjust bargaine as obliging to things unpossible except God bestow sufficient grace on all and againe they must say none unconverted are condemned for not beleeving that Gospell because it is unpossible in the letter as well as the Law to any except the Spirit worke in us to will and to doe 3. He denyeth that we are to wait on outward Ordinances or on God in the use of means which hath a double sense 1. As if we were to wait for conversion from only outward means or as if the letter of the word the sound of mens voice the seales or Ordinances of themselves could worke faith or of themselves convey spirituall things to the soule this we teach not But we teach that faith comes by hearing not internall hearing for that is conversion it selfe but by hearing of a sent Preacher Rom. 10.14 15 16. But the way of Gods conveying spirituall things by the word preached we dare not determine but sure we are to wait on Ordinances externall as the man waited thirty eight years at the poole for his health though not the pool but the Angel troubling the water healed all that were healed and while the Eunuch reads and heares Philip expone Esa. 53. the Spirit acteâh upon his soule and while Lydia heares the Lord opens her heart while Peter preacheth the word the Holy Ghost fell on all that heard the word Act. 10.44 Act. 8.34 35 36. Act. 16.14 while three thousand heare Peter the Holy Ghost pricketh their heart and addeth them to the Church Act. 2. that they gladly receive the word v. 37 38 39 40 41 42. the inward opening goeth along with Gods outward teaching By Saltmarsh his way we are nor to heare the word nor to wait on God in the use of any meanes nor to use any meanes and commit the successe to God but to waite on extraordinary raptures and inward teaching say they not on outward meanes but our wating on the outward meanes piously used is all in order to the breathing of the Spirit of life and the inward word say we as some saile and seeke the wind both at once and doth this offend Familists that we serve and wait on the Lord for the desired harvest and that some wait on the tyde and then saile so is Saltm angry that we heare preach read though the unconverted doe not these spiritually and in the Lords good houre whân the Angel commeth downe and troubleth the water the Spirit lifteth up the sicke man and puts him into the water and he is healed Protestants generally are not ashamed to owne this as the way of God 1. In hearing and outward means no man is to limit the holy One of Israel to his time the time of the Fathers teaching the third or the twelfth houre is not knowne to us but all our life it is our duty to lye and watch at the posts and gates of wisdome Prov. 8.34 2. We are not to idolize meanes and to take Scripture or Ordinances for Christ they are creatures not Christ and of themselves cannot save then let us use the meanes not give them any higher place then means neither think all is done if we use means thus it 's not Christ without us but Christ within that effectually saveth us 3 Nor is the acting of the Holy Ghost so as if the word must first stirre the spirit of God but by the contrary as the Poole of Bethsoida moved not the Angel to bring him downe but the Angel came downe and stirred the Poole so the Spirit first stirres and blowes upon both our spirit and the word and then the word and we both are inlived for any stirring upon the word and blowing of the North and South-wind upon the flowers and Garden to wit the soules of the elect is first and principally from the spirit for the spirit is the Authour creator and in the immediately inspired Organs the Prophets and Apostles the Pen-men and the Spirit devised and dictated the the words letters and doctrine of the old and new Testament 2 Tim. 3.16 17. 2 Pet. 1.19 20 21. Luke 1.55 70. 2 It s he that sends Messengers to speake in his name Esa. 48.16 Esa. 6.1 2 3 Jer. 26.12 3 When we doe not actually heare or partake of Ordinances the Holy Ghost bringeth the word to our remembrance and wakens up the memory and faith of the word by works of divine providence Joh. 16.13 Joh. 14.26 Joh. 2.21.22 4 The Spirit acts by rods judgements and afflictions Deut. 30.1 2 3 4 5. Hos. 5.15 Luke 15.15 16 17. Yet so as hee reviveth the memory of the word preached read and heard and worketh in and by it 5 In praying promising threatning in the fervour and zeal of God there cometh upon the soules of the servants of God some strong and mighty propheticall impression and violent impulsion that they speake and prophecie what otherwise they would not in cold blood speake and God hath made good the words of his servants which as it is not ordinary so it must be tryed Familists have no ground to dreame that Jeremiah or John intended a contrary betweene the outward teaching as a killing letter and the inward teaching as the only quickening of the Spirit excluding the letter and all teaching of men because the one said Jer. 31.34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know mee c. and the other said 1 John 2.27 And ye need not that any man teach you for the same anoynting teacheth you of all things and is truth 1 The Authour to the Hebrews c. 8. applyeth the saying of Jeremiah to Christ and his dispensation under the Gospell and the former Covenant to the law and dispensation of the old Testament so as if it prove any thing it must be against all teaching of men by men by the Apostles Evangelists Pastors and Doctors which are certainly bretheren teaching bretheren and neighbours instructing neighbours which close subverteth the end of Christs ascending to give some to be Apostles c for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ and that to the end till we all come in the unity of faith c. 2 It must be against the writing of the new Testament and the teaching and doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles upon which we are built Jesus Christ being the cheife corner stone Eph. 2.20 3 The Authour to the Hebrews applyeth this they shall be all taught of God to all new converts under the New Testament and the same doeth Christ John 6.45 46. But Saltmarsh and his Familists say only the perfect ones and these that are all Spirit are beyond and above all Ordinances of man
sinne 2. In the other extremity Saltmarsh denieth simpliciter any decree of God so much as permissive touching sinne and gives him no more but a bare fore-knowledge without any decree and makes man onely the occasion of sinne who undeniably is such an occasion as father and mother are of their owne births Man were to bee pittied and excused if hee were an occasion onely of sinne But 1. if the Spirit act immediately on us so as wee we are passive in beleeving praying and in all acts of Sanctification as Towne saith and we must be the same way passive as when God justifies us which he doth ere we be born again and as Crispe saith by forcing grace on us as a Physitian violently stoppeth Phisick in the mouth and downe the throat of a backward patient against his will and if wee bee not obliged to pray beleeve and upon the same ground not to abstaine from Adultery Murther for grace must act in both but when the Spirit doth stirre and excite us then we are no more guilty of sinne in omitting good and committing evill then a stone falling off a towre is guilty of beating out a mans braines for in these the man is a passive block as the stone is in its motion and if we abstaine from praying not being obliged to pray because the Spirit acts not on us wee sinne not judge then who is the father of sinnes of omission by the good leave of Antinomians and upon the same ground it is as unpossible but we must fall into sinnes of commission as swearing lying blasphemie heresie unbeliefe adultery murther stealing except either the restraining grace or the renewing sanctifying Spirit act upon us as wee cannot chuse but sinnefully omit duties of praying beleeving when the winde of the Spirit bloweth not faire on us for these duties and so Antinomians must either be Pelagians and say there is no need of grace to eschew sinne and so they must be un-friends to free grace or then men must be guiltlesse in all sinnes by this opinion and let them then choose upon whom they will father all sinne 2. We are to pray continually and watch thereunto with all perseverance and keepe our selves in the love of God Watch and pray Waite for the comming of the Lord with girded up loynes waite for the day of our redemption Then are wee obliged by the command of Christ whether the holy Ghost breath on us or the wind of the Spirit blow faire from Christs heart on our heart or no to the supernaturall acts of praying beleeving hoping watching Nor is Christs act of free grace in drawing stirring and actuall inliving our obliging rule but the revealed will of God in the Law and Gospel and if we be meere passive as stones and onely obliged to supernaturall acts when the tide of free love and rich grace floweth on the shoare and banks of our whithered Spirits then wee must not onely say we are freed from the Law but from all Gospel-commands all free invitations of rich grace according to the letter or then that the Spirit is obliged to attend and joyne his bedewings and flowing of free love and grace ever when we heare or read the Gospel But when Saltmarsh Towne and others of that Tribe say the Gospel is not in the letter dutie opinion sense reason but in the Spirit life grace faith they meane the same with New England Libertines That the will of God in the word or directions thereof are not the rule whereunto Christians are bound to conform themselves to live thereafter So as old Anabaptists taught wee shall all bee taught of God and the annointing teacheth us all things and therefore the written Scripture Law Gospel the Ordinances of Preaching Reading Praying Sacraments belong not to us to be under them is to be under the Law and the old dead Letter and the livelesse passive Inkie and poore Paper-ordinances of Men and not under the Gospel that is under the immediate actings of the Spirit contrary to the Word of God which maketh an harmonious subordination not a contrariety betweene outward ordinances and the inward working of the Holy Ghost to the Law and the Testimony the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall and mighty through God Here are both Word and Spirit As for me this is my covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy Seed c. 2. It is a close rejecting of the Word of God written in the Old and New Testament which the Prophets Christ and the Apostles recommend to us as our onely rule it is to subvert all Ministery and Ordinances contrary to Scripture and to make the Gospel written the holy Ghost himselfe 3. This iâ to loose us from the Commandement and Gospel-exhortations to holy walking delivered by the Prophets Christ and his Apostles 3. And sure if we obey Gospel-commandements as stones and blocks without any action in us or from us at all and must then obey onely when the Holy Ghost acteth and stirreth the fire Commandements and Gospel-promises Reasonings Preaching Ordinances must be as vaine and unreasonable to move men as stones and dumbe wood Upon this ground Saltmarsh with Antinomians would have all Logick abeted But carnall ratiocinations and discourses ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã That exalt themselves against the knowledge of God wee are more willing should be abeted and exiled from Divinity then Antinomians who set free grace on pinnes of love rather then Faith as if wee were justified by loue as their brethren of the Family of love dreame And 2. who be they who remaining Antinomians turne Arminians and fight for free will and universall attonement and generall Redemption of all and every one upon the meere principles of carnall reason and such a naturall pitie and impotencie of love to all and every one of mankind as God cannot make out and which by naturall principles tendeth to the universall salvation of all and every one of mankinde yea of a world including Devils also And upon this ground Cornwell saith Such a faith as is wrought by a practicall Syllogisme because it followeth from the strength of reasoning or reason not from the power of God is but an humane faith And Saltmarsh The interpreting saith hee of the Scripture thus in the letter and in consequence hath much darkened the glory of the Gospel And the Gospel saith he is formed of exhortations perswasions conditionall promises commandements to the end that divinne and spirituall things might be more naturally conveyed in a notionall and naturall way as the key is made fit to the wards of the locke rather then for any supposed free will in man as some imagine Which doth farther evidence the mind of Familists and Antinomians
own gift laying hold on the righteousnesse of Christ freely and of onely pure grace imputed to us 5. Cornewell and other Antinomians make arguing obedidience and perswading comforts by inferences and consequences works of man not able to produce assurance and Saltmarsh thinketh discoursing and reasoning not enough to produce assurance of faith and he thinks it a Legall bondage to support the soule from marks and such things as cannot give evidence but by inferences yet all the superstructures of faith in Gospel-obedience as binding upon perswading arguing reasoning All other assurances saith Saltmarsh beside the assurance of the light of faith such as are from marks and love to the brethren that come by way of reasoning and arguing are rotten conclusions from the Word and such things as true legall teachers have invented not understanding the mystery of the kingdome of Christ then all Scripture and Gospel-arguing are vaine janglings by this 6. Nor doth the Gospel command by patterne rather then precept as if the examples of the cloud of Witnesses who running their race with patience inherit the promise of free salvation Hebr. 12.1 2 3. should destroy commands or as if patternes without Law or any otherwise but in so farre as they are warrantted by the Law of God did tye and oblige us to obedience and imitation for if patternes as patternes did tye us then should we be obliged to follow the Fathers and Christ in their extraordinary works and miracles which neither Law nor Gospel commands us to doe 7. But the truth is outward commandements written or preached by Antinomians are given to us in the Gospel onely by accident and because we are carnall and sinnefull but were we as spirituall as we should be wee should need no Law but that which is spirituall and written in the heart no more then Angels need a written and outward Law Now that Antinomians meane this is cleere by Saltmarsh his Divinity Commands saith hee are for obedience as well as tydings of forgivenesse this kind of Gospel fits both God and man and God the Father may be seen in commanding holinesse and the Spirit in forming the holynesse commanded and the Sonne in redeeming us to holynesse even to the will both of the Father and the Spirit And this Gospel fits man who is made up both of flesh and Spirit and so hath need of a Law wâthout and in the Letter as well as in the heart and Spirit the Law is spirituall but we are carnall Rom. 7. Nor can a state oâ flesh and Spirit bee ordered onely by a Law within for the word and Law of the Spirit meerely is for a spirituall condition or estate of glory as Angels who live by a Law spirituall and state of revelation Answ. 1. Here be strange conceits of old libertinisme Gospel commands are as well saith he for obedience as tydings of forgivenesse But why for obedience Any disobedience to them is no sinne in a beleever as is proved then they are not to a beleever for obedience 2. I know not how man because hee is flesh hath need of a Law without and the letter of an outward command then because he is spirit or as he is spirituall he hath need of no Law nor letter of an externall command Timothy then hath no need as he is a renewed man to give himselfe to meditation and reading and doctrine nor to continue in the things that he had knowne from the Scriptures which are given by divine inspiration to save his owne soule and others and to make him perfect to every good worke Nor have the Saints at Colosse need that the word of Christ dwell richly in them Nor the called of Iesus Christ at Rome as they are called and sanctified any need of learning from the Scriptures that they through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Onely the flesh and the old man possibly hath need of the Scriptures and the letter of the command then it was not Davids inward man that esteemed the testimonies of God and his promises sweeter then the honey and the honey combe and as his heritage and more then thousands of silver and gold Nor did Peter or the Saints as regenerated to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 and as they obtained the like precious faith relish the promises as great and precious but onely their flesh found sweetnesse in Gods word And Mary not as renewed but according to the flesh and corruption sate at Christs feete and heard his word and choosed the better part that could not bee taken from her And this sorts well with the old Anabaptists who said that the unregenerate onely needed outward ordinances as the Word preached by men and hearing reading Sacraments but for the regenerate there is no need that any teach his neighbour because we are all taught of God and the annoynting teach-them all And the Sonnes of God are not subject to the Law that is they are not to bee taught what they should doe or leave undone seeing the Spirit of God which is their instructor will teach them sufficiently neither is any thing to bee commanded or injoyned them as to doe good or eschew evill or the like The same Spirit I say doth command or injoyn them likewise to retaine the best and quit the contrary and obey them accordingly And so speake the Libertines of N. England These that bee in Christ are not under the Law or commands of the Word as the rule of life 3. If man because he is flesh hath need of a Law without and in the Letter by flesh is either understood a body and sensitive soule but then the meaning must be that the Law of Word and Gospel is given to the outward man to regulate him in his animal and vitall actions as eating sleeping walking seeing hearing and other senses as if no Law were imposed on the Spirit heart understanding conscience and will a carnall dreame that many put upon the Pharisies or by the flesh must be understood the unrenewed and sinnefull corruption This must be the sense of Saltmarsh for hee citeth Rom. 7.14 The Law is spirituall that is just and holy as vers 12. Wherefore the Law is holy and the commandement is holy and just and good but I am carnall that is sinfull flesh unholy and sold under sinne Now thus Law and Gospel commands threatnings Gospel-promises sweet invitations of free grace that loaden sinners would come to Christ and bee refreshed eased saved are all given to man because he is sinnefull and no outward Commandement would be laid on man if he had not sinned which is a conjecture and fancie Divines say the Tree of life and of knowledge of good and ill were Sacraments to innocent Adam the Sabbath was ordained for Adams worshipping of God an outward Law was laid on him If thou eate thou shalt die when as yet Adam was not
Saltmarsh speaketh most like this when he saith that all the precepts of Sanctification set forth Christ to be all in all Christ hath beleeved repented sorrowed mortified sinne perfectly for us and we are but dead passive creatures and the Spirit so acts in us as in blocks and so we must act nothing being as blocks and God must be the author of all sinnes of omission Familists commonly say I have nothing from the Creature I can doe nothing CHAP. LXXXVII Antinomians answered in that they say wee make the actings of the Spirit like to the acts of Morall Philosophie IT is a most unjust charge that Antinomians put on us That the way of the Spirit is grosse and carnall which we follow and our Divinity carnall But saith Saltmarsh We Antinomians find it hard to tresse and find the impressions of the Spirit and doe not take our impressions so low by the feelings of flesh and bloud and signes not infallible as to write of Regeneration as Philosophers doe of Morall vertues Let us examine whether Antinomians way bee Spirituall Divinity We professe it to be a most carnall way of Antinomians to say as Eaton doth An unjustified man that beleeveth that Christ hath taken away his sinnes is as cleane without sinne as Christ himselfe And To a beleever nothing is sin to Faith there is no sin Blasphemers if you have either face or conscience can yee say that Christ could sinne or that a beleevers denying of Christ his lying his Adultery are no sinnes Is not this carnall Divinity 2. If God see not Drunkennesse Lying Murthering in beleevers to be sins Are they not then no sinnes And should not the beleever say My light of faith seeth no sinne in my selfe but my Drunkennesse Lying Murthering committed I beleeve are no sinnes for sure justification and abolishing of sinne should be seene by my faith as they are seene by God if God see them and count them no sinnes its unbeliefe in me to see them and count them sinnes If a beleever steale his fellowes purse doth he not lye if he say Brother I have sinned against you behold I restore you your purse For if God say it is no sinne and see it no sinne I know his Judgement is according to righteousnesse and truth then it must bee no sinne and the beleevers judging of it to be sinne must be a lying and a false judging contrary to Gods judgement of truth 3. Doe not Antinomians say to sorrow for oâ to bee troubled in conscience at pardoned sinnes is unâeliefe and a work of the flesh and that it is Regeneration and Faith not to see sinne in our selves and that it was Adams and Eves sinne to see their sinne for then it was imputed to them as sinne and the Pharisees sinne was Joh. 9. that they saw their sinne and therefore their sinne remained These bee the words of Pocquius that Carnall Libertine and are the words of Saltmarsh Eaton Towne Denne and Crispe and their matter is the same when once we beleeve we sin no more then Christ doth but all these that are supposed to be sins as the Adulteries Murthers Lying Swearing Cousening Oppressing wee fall into being once beleevers are no sinnes before God nor to our Faith nor are we to see them as sinnes they be sinnes onely to our sense to our flesh and to menward 2. This is Antinomian reason but the old objection of the most abominable Anabaptists in the time of Bullinger who said advers Anabaptist lib. 1. cap. 4. Tota reformatio quae tum justituebatur illis displicebat ut minus Angusta exilis non satis spiritualis alta perfecta So Tho Muncer whose followers said against Luther Zwinglius and others the writings and Epistles of Muncer was more spirituall then theirs and their whole reformation was narrow hungry not perfect and high enough 3. The way of the Spirits Divinity is in this like to Morall vertues that 1. both are learned by teaching the one by Morall Phylosophie the other by the Scriptures Antinomians are thus Spirituall with a carnall and divellish Spirituality to reject the Scriptures and follow an Enthysiasticall Spirit and so wee acknowledge our Divinitie in this sense is not so Spirituall as that of the Libertines and Antinomians 2. The way of the Spirit is in this like Morall vertues that both bring an externall reformation though the Spirit throughly also changeth the inner side both inforce a ceasing to doe ill a learning to doe well and procuring of things that are honest in the sight of men Antinomians boast of a Libertine Idle faith and of a phancied purifying of the heart when the hands are not purged also and this is carnall Divinity to us 3. Morall vertues are increased by frequent exercise and so are gifts and graces five talents rising to ten the Saints growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But Antinomians carnall Divinâtie teacheth we are as perfect when we are first justified as wee want nothing of that we shall have in heaven but to beleeve we are in heaven and there wee are a Spirituall lye cannot but be a most carnall sinne 4. But the Spirituality of our Divinity above Antinomians and Moralists we place 1 in that God infuseth supernaturall habits in us even a new heart a new Spirit whereas Antinomians deny any stocke of grace inherent in us Moralists acknowledge onely acquired habits and deny all infused and supernaturall habits 2. We judge the Law to be Spirituall and the Gospel written read or preached the power of God to salvation the arme of the Lord and the most lively quicke and operative word in the world and when the Spirit doth accompany Law and Gospel no man can stand before this Word Antinomians make the Scriptures but dead Inke and a killing Letter 3. Our Divinity maketh men heavenly minded to savour of the things of the Spirit so as they misse God and the sweetnesse and excellency of Christ when the Gospel is carried onely in the bare Letter and the preaching of the Gospel is but Literall with humane eloquence not in the evidence of the Spirit Morall vertues knoweth not any such power 4. When the Authority and Majestie of the Lord commanding in the Letter leadeth the will by the Spirit of the Lord freely willingly and withall indeclinably and irresistibly to yeeld it selfe to God 5. A Moralist knoweth no over-clowding of desertion a sanctified soule doth know it Nor doe Antinomians and Familists know any desertions or any ebbings and flowings of the Spirit for they say none are converted till they have faith of full assurance with excludeth all doubtings or inward conflicts this broad Seale being received they are ever in a merry mood ever rejoycing to mourne for sinne to call in question Gods favour to them is proper to onely unconverted Legalists under the Law
276 277 Saltmarsh defineth Heresie in relation to the Spirits teaching not to the written Word 279 And Schisme to be in relation to the invisible not to the visible Church 280 Chap. XXXIII Familists minde touching prayer 281 282 Chap. XXXIIII A tast of the wild allegorick interpretations of Scriptures that Saltmarsh fathers on the spirit 282 283 284 c. All in Covenant with God are preachers of the Gospel to Saltmarsh 282 Saltmarsh and H. Nicholas makes Christ's comming againe and judging of the world to have beene these 1640. yeares 284 Saltmarsh would prove by Scripture there should be no baptizing by water 284 285 Christ crucified is nothing to Saltmarsh but the Saints Godded and Christed and suffering with faith patience 285 Ordinances are onely for the unconverted before ãâã to supply the absence of the spirit 285 286 The story of Adam but a figure to Saltmarsh 286 The Doctrine of John Baptist is gone saith Saltmarsh 286. Saltmarsh with Socinians will have the love of our enemies not commanded in the old Testament 287 Saltmarsh dreames of a Church on earth that shall want Ordinances 287 288 The place Gal. 4.1 Of the Heire under Tutors vindicated from Saltmarsh's glosse 289 The Corinthians called carnall unduely 1 Cor. 3.1 2. by Saltmarsh the place vindicated 290 Christ's disciples not under a stinted liturgy 291 The place 1 Cor. 10. they did all eate c. speakes nothing of the Idolatry of meanes and Ordinances as Saltmarsh phancies 292 The Disciples of Christ not under a carnall ministration but had the revelation of the spirit as well as we 293 2 Thess. 2. touching the Antichrist vindicated 293 294 The place John 17. Father glorifie me c. foully abused vindicated 294 295 Exod. 33. None can see mee and live vindicated from Saltmarsh his glosse 295 296 The place Zach. 13. of killing false Prophets under the Gospell vindicated 296 297 Chap. XXXV Of the anoynting of the Spirit and the Letter 297 298 c. Of the knowledge of such as are under actuall vision in a Trance 297 298 Prophets not ever under actuall visions in actuall prophecying to men as when in a dreame or trance they see the visions of God 298 299 Prophets see not really the things themselves but the speces or images in the opened decree of God 300 301 The spirit opposed to bodily and externall 300 Externall Ordinances in sensu composito and diviso how they suit with the Spirit 301 302 Three wayes of union betweene the word and the spirit 302 303 The reall influence of spirituall operations on the body 303 304 We adore not Characters 304 The spirit because the spirit and seperated from the word nât our obliging rule but the law and the testimony 304 305 We are to wait on God in the use of outward meanes though the spirit worke not ever upon our hearts 305 306 Divers wayes of the spirits concurring with the word 306 307 The places Jer. 31. They shall no more teach his brother and 1 Joh. 2.27 The anointing teacheth you all things cleared and vindicated 307 308 309 We make not the word to have two senses one externall and preparatory another internall and spirituall 309 310 311 The one literall sense the true and native sense of the word 311 312 Divers other considerations of the word and Spirit The Spirit opposed to humane eloquence 312 313 To cold dead and dry speaking 313 314 To that which smells most of our wit 314 To wild logicke 314 315 The characters of a spirituall condition 315 316 The Spirit determines the actions according to the specification and to the exercise 315 316 317 The Spirit how he goes along with the Law 315 316 The obliging Law and the free Spirit consist together 316 The morall compulsion of the Law is exhausted by the freenesse of a Gospel-spirit 318 Threatnings legall had influence on the will of the first Adam not of the second or of confirmed Angels 318 319 The place 2 Pet. 1. Untill the day-starre arise c. vindicated 319 320 How the Spirit is the day-starre 320 How true that is the more of the letter the lesse of the Spirit 321 322 How wee are changed into the same spiritualnesse contained in the Gospel 322 323 324 Familists have no new discoveries 325 326 How duties are spiritually taught in the Gospel 326 327 The Word the formall object of our faith the Spirit the effâcient 327 328 The Gospel to Antinomians a meere killing letter 328 329 The word spirituall beyond figures and letters in every consideration 329 330 The spirit determineth the actions of the spirituall man 330 The order of acting in supernaturall actions often from the Spirit 331 332 The assumption of a syllogisme of conscience proven by the Spirit 332 333 How farre the Saints are to leave Rome for new light 334 3â5 Preaching of duties not contrary to the spirit 335 336 What the Law of the spirit of life is 336 Characters of a spirituall condition 336 337 The written Word to Familists is but a type and a shadow 337 338 Ordinances to continue to the end 338 339 Climbing from ministrations naturall or civill to higher ministrations an unwritten phancy of Familists 340 341 The garment wherewith the Sonne of God was clothed is opeâeâ to consist in six points by Saltmarsh and to bee divers ministrations 339 340 How mortification is a signe of a spirituall condition 341 342 A Petition of the Familists of England to King James anno 1604. 343 344 345 c. Their virulency and malice to Puritans 343 344 Their extolling of H. Nicholas 346 347 They will have us saved by workes of righteousnesse that wee doe 347 Prelates never troubled Familists because they were enemies to Puritans and conforme to the Prelates wayes 341 They clambe to the Apostolicke Church and reject the Apostolick Scriptures 348 Divers of the Court of Queene Elizabeth and King James were Familists 349 Familists are for universall grace 349 They labour to pervert King James to Familisme 350 They condemne all as Antichristian that are not of their way ibid. They professe uncouth phrases that Protestants cannot understand as Libertines did ibid. They professe they will take and imbrace reject or refuse their Religions which is the only true way to salvation as the King and his Laws shall enjoyne 350 351 An abjuration tendred to Familists in England aâ 1580. the 10th of Queene Elizabeths reigne by the Lords of the secret councell declaring H. Nicholas to be an Heretick 353 354. II. Part Contents of the second Part called a Survey of Antinomianisme CChap I. Antinomians unjustly accuse us p. 1 2 Chap. II. Antinomians are Pelagians Chap. III. Protestants hold no preparations with Pelagians Papists and Arminians going before conversion 2 3 4 Sinners are not healed of Christ as sinners but as such sinners who are freely chosen and loved of God 4 Chap. IIII. How we teach a desire of grace to be grace ibid. Chap. V. How we
in scripture and matters of faith 123 124 Though we be regnerate yet we need scripture-teaching 124 The written scripture not given to the flesh 124 125 Chap LXV The Gospel is a rare Covenant in al things 127 128 Chap. LXVI Antinomians errours touching the Covenant of grace 128 129. In the conditions thereof ibid. The time of it 129 130. And in the parties 130 131 Chap. LXVII Of legall and Gospell-conversion 131 How meere commands worke no change 132 133 Naturall men cannot propose a supernaturall end 134 Obedience at set houres not legall 135 136 Whether Covenants Vowes Promises be legall 136 137. What other things are legall 138 139 Chap. LXIX The dead and bastard faith of Antino 140 141 Faith and nothing commanded but only faith in the Gospell how true 140 141 Of Antinomian faith 143 144 Reason for immediate beleeving without all preparations 143 144 145. Taken off Who immediatly invited 144 145 146 Chap. LXX Faith not the onely worke of the Gospel as Antinomians say 148 149 Doing subordinate to sweet Gospell-attractions 149 The way to heaven not so short as Antinomians dreame 149 150 Chap. LXXI The justified obey not God by necessity of nature as the fire burneth 151 152 Chap. LXXII Glorifying of God in sanctification needfull 153 Of our active and passive glorifying of him 153 154 Chap. LXXIII Sanctification concurres as well as justification to make Saints 155 156 Chap. LXXIV The harmonious compliance of old Libertines Familists and Antinomians 157 158. In seventeene paralels to chap. LXXXVI p. 221 Antinomians with Libertines refute all personall mortification 158 159 Chap. LXXV Libertines Familists and Antinomians free us from all law 161 Chap. LXXVI Libertines and Antinomians deny all scripture 163 164. H. Nicholas maketh two words of God 164 165 Antinomians turne Perfectists with Libertines 166 167 The Fathers of old saved as we 167 Chap. LXXVII Antinomians and Libertines foule opinions touching God and the authour of sin 169 170 171 Chap. LXXVIII Libertines and Antinomians take away all sense or remorse of conscience for sin 172 173 Chap. LXXIX Libertines and Antinomians paralel beleevers with Christ incarnate 173 174 Chap. LXXX To follow sense and naturall inclination as a law is our rule say Libertines and Antinomians 174 175 Antinomians sin according to their owne lying sense and declaratively not truely not really and in the Court of God 175 176 Chap. LXXXI Antinomians plead for liberty to popery and to all Religions 177 178 Chap. LXXXII Libertines and Antinomians doubt of the resurrection and of the life to come 178 179. H. Nicholas and New England Familists teach the same 179 180 181 Chap. LXXXIII Familists Libertines Anabaptists go before Antinomians in denying all externall worship and obedience 181 182 183 Chap. LXXXIV M. Del Saltmarsh and Familists deny all outward Reformation scripture seales and ordinances 187 188 Del denies any worke of the spirit or conversion to God in the Old Testament with Socinians· 188 189. Del a Familist 180 181. Del a Libertine 193 194. He denies all lawes 195. Del a disciple of Muncer an Anabaptist 196 197. How ecclesiasticall reformation is spirituall 198 199 Del a Libertine in removing all the working of second causes 199 200 Dels arguments for onely internall reformation against all the Ministery and Ordinances of the Gospell as Swenckfeldians taught 201 202 Beleevers as spirituall as Angels saith Del What need then of preaching to them 204 205. Outward Reforming no more our duty then to redeeme the World 206 207 Del maketh Gods absolute decrees to destroy all the working of second causes 208 209. Del and Familists deny the scripture and contend for an internall enthysiasticall word 210 211 212 213 The middle way between Papists and Enthysiasts 216 217 218 Chap. LXXXV Libertines and Antinomians come neare to other in making God the author of sin 219 220 Chap. LXXXVI Libertines and Antinomians would have us doe nothing âecaâse God doth all things 221 Chap LXXXâII Antinomians refuted in saying that we make the actings of the Spiâit like to the acts of morall Philosophy and the differences between these two 222 223 224 225 Chap. LXXXâIII That wee are tâuly righteous in the sight of God and yet sinners in our seâves proved against Antinomians 225 226 227 228 Chap LXXXIX Antinomians are ignorant of faith to dreame that its faith to beleeve against sense that our sins are no sins 230 231 Chap. XC Antinomians free all converted or non-converted from obligation of obedience 233.234 Chap. XCI How and for whom Christ intercedeth for in heaven 234.235 Chap. XCII Antinomians contend for the faith of assurance and reject the faith of dependence 235 236 Chap. XCIII Antinomians deny the Law to be an instrument at all of our sanctification 236 237 Del with Libertines maketh the word and the Spirit all one 238 239 Errata Pag. 14. line penult for the r. that p. 15. l. 18. d p. 17. l. 5. till he made r. till he be made p. 21. l 17. r. from p. 44. l. ult for 4. r. 5. p. 50. l. 14. for and r. an p. 53. l. 37. for they r. there p 64. l. 3. d. in p. 99. l. 7. r. simply p. 101. l. 33. for none r. now p. 123 l. 4. r. claram p. 135. l. 32. r reatu p. 162. l. 25. a castro p. 194. l. 18. but. r. both p. 223. l. 25. for not be r. not to be p. 235. l. 11 forme to Scriptures and ordinances then r forme to Scriptures and ordinances Then p. 254. l. 5 for is r. as at Troas p. 268. in marg will it r. will have it p. 275. l. 3 r. yeelded 290. in mar r. 1 Cor. p. 307. l. 34. r. contrariety p. 316. l. 33 r. because Errata in the II. Part. Pag. 3. l. 12. who ever will have Christ. r. who ever will have Christ and pay not a penny p. 17. l. 18. r. makes p. 65. for Chap. XLVI r. Chap. XLIX p. 65. l. ult r. calleth p. 72. l. 17. r. giveth p. 83. l. 9. for hath r. have p. 96. l. 5. d. and. p. 159. l. 27. for glorification p. 80. l. 28. d. âhen r. gloriation p. 199 l. 21. d. is 209. l. ult for them r. him p. 223. l. 15. r. in spicitis 236. l. 16. without was r. was without THE DISCENT OF ANTINOMIANS and FAMILISTS PART I. CHAP. I. The Originall of Antinomians and of other unclean Sects who have taught the same things not unlike to their blasphemies THOUGH out of doubt Antinomians have given signification of the first dawning of that Heresie in Paul the Apostles time Shall wee continue in sin that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 and Is the Law sin God forbid Rom. 7.7 and James his arguing against the dead faith voyd of good works Jam. 2. intimateth they were peeping up in his dayes and John hinteth at some denying signes of Justification Yet their Originall seems to be from the old Katharoi called Puritans who rose
or that because âraile men that are but earthen pitchers come out bearing this heavenly treasure that we beleeve in the word as in God as if the principall author were the instrument or the Master and Lord the servant For it is the Word of God that is the instrument of conversion not the word God for the substantiall word God is author and the onely finisher of our faith nor doe we any otherwise trust hope in or beleeve the word then as a meane or instrument sanctified of God for so blessed an end God is the onely formall object of our faith and fiduciall recumbency but God cloatheth himselfe in a way of conâiscention with his owne word and ordinances for our capacity neither doth it follow because a sinfull man preacheth the word that man layeth the first stone of the new creation and that faith and conversion hath its first rise and spring from man or from the free will of the preacher as Swenckâeldians imagine because faith as faith hath no beginning no part of it from the naked act of preaching or from the letter or bare sound of words no more then Lazarus had his soule fetched into his body by the created and vocall sound of those words uttered by Christ-man Lazarus come forth because faith commeth from the word preached tali modo so and so as the winde and breathing of the Holy Ghost goeth along with the vocall and literall aire of words preached by a sinfull man for the soule of Lazarus entered his body by Christs words animated and quickned with the power of the God-head who indeed raised the dead man onely this difference I conceive there is that words and sound of words uttered by Christ were not so much as an active instrument of the raising of dead Lazarus nor was the blowing of Rames horns any active instrument of the falling of the walls of Iericho but at the naked presence of both the dead man was quickened and the walls fell But I should conceive the word preached being in that which it signifieth a divine signe and indeed the word of God as the scripture every where calls it and a reall message from heaven may and I nothing doubt doth contribute an organicall instrumentall active influence to the begetting of faith but ever as it is elevated as it were above it selfe and above the nature and sphere of a meere vocall and audible sound and powered by the Spirit Now I should thinke it but curiosity to inquire how the Spirit and word are united in the working of faith for let those that aske shew the union betweene bread eaten and the nutritive power that turneth bread and transsubstantiateth it into blood and flesh and worketh the last worke which Physitians call ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or assimulation the very substantiall turning of bread into a peece of the childs hand foot shoulder to cause the parts and members increase and grow to the stature and reall bignesse of a perfect man I shall not thinke that the Spirit entereth into the bodily sound of words and commeth along inclosed in it to the hearers soule and makes him beleeve I rather thinke with learned Pemble that the Spirit quickneth rather the dead man that heareth the word then the dead letter of the word for the Holy Ghoââ never so farre reproached the word of God as to call it a dead letter in the sense of Swenckefeldians Familists and Antinomians whose minde is that word and seales and all ordinances are but the Alphabet to unconverted men as Io. Valdesso saith and so say they of Images and Crucifixes that are as bookes to teach the ignorant and rude but when men are once Iustified called regenerated they have no more need of word and ordinances of oblieging Lawes to lead them awe them teach direct or obliege or command them then a learned man hath need to goe backe to the Catechise and learne the abc and spel and read againe Therefore the word doth but prepare and dispose the outward man say they and when men are perfect as they are being once Iustified and as sinlesse and cleane as Christ honycombe c. 3. pag. 25. Saltmarsh free grace pag. 140 and their sinnes are but seeming and imaginary not really and truly sinnes Saltmarsh free grace 32.142.154 Towne asser grace 39 40. honycombe Chap. 5.47 Den man of sinne pag. 9 10 11. after they need nothing that Man or Angell can doe to them they need no lawes saith Del ser. 26. but these three 1 The law of a new creature 2 The law of the spirit of life that is in Christ 3 The law of Loue not any of these are the written scripture or the preaching of the word Saltmarsh free grace page 240 theâ beleever is as free from hell law and bondage on earth as if he were in heaven nor wants he any thing to make him so but to make him beleeve that he is so sure in heaven he needeth not preaching written scriptures sacraments praying for forgivenesse repentance faith nor to complaine as Paul doth Rom. 7 of the indwelling of the body of sinne The bright starre c. 11 p. 108 109. tells us that all meanes ordinance light understanding willing thinking are annihilated and nothinged and that the beleever c. 12 beholds God without meanes in this life and so we have no more to doe with the word or to grow in grace and knowledge CHAP. VII Of Revelations and Inspirations AS Swenckefeld and his so Familists and Antinomians now as also the Nicolaitans of which hereafter were all for immediate inspirations revelations without scripture or indeavours or studying or bookes or reading It was observed in New England when Familists grew that especially in the Towne of Boston and in other parts of New England Familists devised such a difference betweene the covenant of workes and of grace especially after a sermon preached by M. Wheelewreight a prime Familist that he that will not renounce saith the author of the story of the rise reigne c. pag. 24 25 his sanctification and wait for an immediate revelation of the Spirit cannot be admitted be he never so Godly and is looked on as an enemy to Christ and he that is already in the Church and will not acknowledge this new light is undervalued Now as touching revelations and inspirations of the Spirit I conceave with all submission to the Learned and Godly 1 There is a twofold revelation one of the letter of the word and Gospell this is nothing but the Lords active uttering of his will and Gospell which was hid before as Ephes. 3.9 10 Ezech. 20.11 12. Hosea 8.12 Rev. 1.19 This is a revelation proper and immunicable to any for God onely did devise the Gospell when neither Men nor Angell could dreame of a way of redemption for lost man and reveeled to Adam that the seed of the woman Jesus Christ should breake the head of the Serpent and dissolve the workes of Satan
Solomons song were but one particular beleever which is a demonstration that the particular actings of the spirit of grace cannot be written in the scriptures yet are they not to be thought unlawfull revelations and destitute of the word no more then we can say all the particular actings of Devills of all wicked men since the creation of whoring swearing Idol-worship lying stealing oppressing mis-beleeving c are not contrary to the expresse law of the Holy Ghost speaking in the word because these sinnefull actes are not particularly all specified and written in scripture with the names of the actors There is a 3 revelation of some particular men who have forefold things to come even since the ceasing of the Canon of the word as Iohn Husse Wickeliefe Luther have foretold things to come and they certainely fell out and in our nation of Scotland M. George Wishaât foretold that Cardinall Beaton should not come out alive at the Gates of the Castle of St. Andrewes but that he should dye a shamefull death and he was hanged over the window that he did look out at when he saw the man of God burnt M. Knox prophecied of the hanging of the Lord of Grange M. Ioh Davidson uttered prophecies knowne to many of the kingdome diverse Holy and mortified preachers in England have done the like no Familists or Antinomians no David George nor H. Nicholas no man ever of that Gang Randel or Wheelwright or Den or any other that ever I heard of being once ingaged in the Familisticall way ever did utter any but the fourth sort of lying and false inspirations Mrs Hutchison said she should be delivered from the Court of Boston miraculously as Daniel from the Lyons which proved false Becold prophecied of the deliverance of the Towne of Munster which was delivered to their enemies and he and his Prophet were tortured and hanged David George prophecied of the raising of himselfe from the dead which was never fulfilled now the differences between the third and fourth revelations I place in these 1 These worthy reformers did tye no man to beleeve their prophecies as scriptures we are to give faith to the predictions of Prophets and Apostles foretelling facts to come as to the very word of God they never gave themselves out as organs immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost as the Prophets doe and as Paul did Rom. 11. prophecying of the calling of the Iewes and Ioh. Revel 1.10 and through the whole booke yea they never denounced Iudgement against those that beleeve not their predictions of these particular events and facts as they are such particular events facts as the Prophets and Apostles did But Mrs. Hutchison said Rise Reigne pag. 61 art 27. That her particular revelations about future events were as infallible as any scripture and that shee is bound as much to beleeve them as the Scripture for the same Holy Ghost is author of both Mr. Cââmwell and Familists of old England say she and heâs were the more spirituall and only Saints in New England and the rest were but Antichristian persecutors It s knowne they held revelations without and beside the word of God Rise reigne er 4â and said the whole letter of the Scripture holdes forth a covenant of workes er 9. And so the whole letter of the Scripture Law or Gospell is abolished to beleevers and doth no more oblige them then the covenant of workes can curse those that are under grace For T Collier marrow of Christianity pag. 25.26 sayth many spiritually enlightned of late are brought to Gospell-inioyments some other way which is spirituall then by verball preaching but Familists take the word preached for the printed inkie letter or the aire dead sound of the Gospell we take it for letter and sound of preaching as it includes the thing signified to wit Christ and all his promises in which sense the sounding of the Gospel heard worketh many yeares after it is preached and the word long agoe preached may be awaked up by a sad affiction an inspiration from God and produce the worke of conversion and still it is the word of truth in the scripture that produceth faith as it is the same seed that lyeth many monthes under the clod and groweth and bringeth forth fruit after And we know Antinomians reject the scriptures and build all upon inward revelations as their binding and obleiging rule Del ser. pag. 26 Saltmarsh free grace pag. 146. 2 The events revealed to Godly and sound witnesses of Christ are not contrary to the word But Becold Iohn Mathie and Ioh. Schykerus who kild his brother for no fault and other Enthysiasts of that murthering Spirit Sathan who killed innocent men expresly against the sixt command Thou shalt not Kill and taught the Boures of Germany to rise and kill all lawfull Magistrates because they were no Magistrates upon the pretence of the Impulsions and Inspirations of the Holy Ghost were acted by inspirations against thâ word of God All that the Godly reformers foretold of the tragicall ends of the proclaimed enemies of the Gospell they were not actors themselves in murthering these enemies of God nor would M Wishart command or approve that Norman and Ioh. Leslyes should kill the Cârdinall Beaton as they did 2 They had a generall rule going along that Evill shall hunt the wicked man onely a secret harmelesse but an extraordinary strong impulsion of a Scripture-spirit leading them carried them to apply a generall rule of divine justice in their predictions to particular Godlesse men they themselves onely being foretellers not copartners of the act 3 They were men sound in the faith opposite to Popery Prelacy Sociâianisme Papisme Lawlesse Enthysiasme Antinomianisme Aâminianisme Arrianisme and what else is contrary to sound doctrine all these being wanting in such as hold this fourth sort of revelations we cannot judge them but Satanicall having these characters 1 They are not pure and harmelesse but thrust men on upon bloody and wicked practises forbidden by God though âod bad Abraham kil his only son for him to try his obedience yet God countermanded him and would not have him act accordingly these Spirits actually kill the innocent upon a pretended Spirits impulsion 2 They have no rule of the word to countenance them and if they lead men from the Law the Testimony it s because there is no light in them Esa. 8.20 3 These revelations lodge in men of rotten and corrupt minds destitute of the truth and they are opposite and destructive to sanctification 4. They argue the scriptures to be imperfect and to be a lamed and manâked directory of faith and manners contrary to Scripture Psa. 19 7 8 9. 2 Tim. 3.15 16. Luk. 16.30.31 Ioh. 20.30 31. Act. 26.22 Psal. 119.105 c. 4 Then the Scripture shal not decide all controverted truthes nor be that by which we shall finde the truth and the rule of trying of the Spirits whether they be of God or no contrary to Io. c. 39.
up by God according to his promises in the most holy service of God under the obedience of his love The Familists of New England and Antinomians professe all of them are Christed with Christ. The Apostles doe not so extoll themselves Towne Assert of Justifica p. 39. So soareâh Keep the Law saith he and works here below on the earth and as Enoch converse in Spirit and walk with God in the alone righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith As if a holy conversation and a spirituall walking with God in faith and duties were low base and for men of the earth onely The speciallâ errors and Heresies holden by H. Nichol. are such as are for the most part either abominably blasphemous or much like to the errors of Anabaptists David-Georgians Swenskfeldians from whence they sprang as have been and shall be God willing cleared to be the same with Libertines and Antinomian errors 1 H. Nâcholas challengeth to himselfe that which is proper to Christ Esa 61. Lu 4. that the Spirit of the Lord is on him to preach glad tydings to the poore The Antino Beacon saith that none can be true preachers but they run unsent that run without the Spirit of sanctification 2 H.N. saith c. 1 Evan. not one man Adam sinned and we in him but man from the beginning to this day was disobedient Hence Adam was no one man 2 Wee have no more sinne from the first Adam then by following the sinnes of all men 3 The story of Adam of the tree and fruit is but an allegory Antinomians turne all in allegories Randal serm a sower went out to sow here is a warrant from parables to expone scriptures by allegories all things of nature are sacraments of Gospell mysteries as doe this in rememberance of me 3 H.N. saith c. 1 All that walked not in the forme of Abel according to the manner and ordinance of Seth were not of the right stocke of Seth. Then righteousnesse commeth by personall imitation of Seth not by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ. 4 Christ to H. N. is head of Abrahams faith not Abrahams flesh which destroyes his humanity for H. N. applyeth these words the power of the most high shall come on thee and overshadow thee by an allegory to all beleevers which had their discent out of the faith of Abraham partakers of the Godly nature and being and according to the will of God are wholly minded with God so Antinomians as Christ was once made flesh so is he now first made flesh in us ere we be carryed to perfection Del. ser. 17 18 19 20. tells us of two meanes of Gospel-reformation 1 The word dwelling in the flesh reformes the flesh and it dwells in us through faith this word is not the word without us then it is not the scripture word but the word within us Jt sheweth us Christ and changeth us into his image The 2 meanes is the Spirit which God promised long before to powre upon all flesh and so to reforme all flesh the Spirit reformes 1 By taking away all evill out of the flesh as pride ânvy and all errors and false doctrines for the Spirit burnes up all errors as âay and stubble I feare Del give us no more for God manifested in the flesh but this not one word of the Scripture or preached Gospell is once mentioned heare foâ feare Enthysiasts offend 2 The Spirit reformes by changing the flesh into its owne likenesse as fire changeth every thing into its selfe so doth the Spirit in the flesh make the flesh spirituall heavenly holy meeke good loving c. Here I desire M. Del to separate from H. N and give a reason of his faith to those that offend at his doctrine 1 How is the Spirit powred on all flesh and so is all flesh reformed p. 19. l. 20. Is he for universall salvation of all the Scripture speaketh not a word of the heart reformation of all This Devill is going abroad in our times Del speaketh like this wandering Spirit 2 How is the inward word which he carefully distinguisheth from the outward word p. 18. l. 3 4. differenced from the Spirit p. 19. for the inward word is the word made effectuall by the working of the Spirit and he saith the word not the letter without the Spirit which is but the dead law saith he and Spirit are alwayes joyned that is the inward word that is faith wrought by the Spirit as I take it is ever joyned with the Spirit who doubts but the Spirit is ever with the Spirit 3 The Spirit takes all evill out of the flesh what is that out of the man out of the soule and body this is a rare expression 4 How dwells the word in our flesh pag. 18. l. 1. God the substantiall word the sonne of God dwells in our flesh that is personally in the nature of man Ioh. 1.14 why does Del speake with hereticks and not explaine himselfe 5 How does the inward word change us into the image of Christ p. 18. he hath not told us of the Spirit all this while p. 19. which only changeth us into the image of Christ. 6. How doth the Spirit change the flesh into its owne likenesse by flâsh yee meane not corruption so the scripture Rom. 7. Rom. 8. Gal. 5.17 and in many places takes the word flesh Now the Spirit maketh not corruption and sinne spirituall heavenly holy meeke good loving c. then by flesh yee meane the fabrick of the nature of man soule and body Why speaketh not Del with protestant divines and calleth it the mortification of the old man and the vivification of the new but he speakes with H. N. and puts us to request him for the truths sake to expone what a God manifested in the flesh and what a word dwelling in the flesh he acknowledgeth for H.N. grammer rules his pen and tongue not the Holy Ghosts 5 To H. N. Every Godly man partaker of the being of God and Spirit of love is God incarnate and Christ and Christ is not any one man the son of Mary but the condition of all men beleeving and loving and Christ is no where else saith Theo. Ger. p. 22. but he is the same man 6 Gods being is love it selfe The damned apostate should acknowledge his being to be some other thing then love onely as Moses doth Exod. 34.6 The Lord strong gracious slow to anger c. 7 There is no diety belonging to God but love of which mortall men doe pertake in this life so H. N The Lord hath Godded me with God in his Godly being with the Spirit of his love 8 By our obedience of love we become sonnes 9 Love is faith working and doing is faith Whereas faith worketh love and obedience as the cause of love saith the scripture Iam. 2. Heb. 11. 10 Obedience of love and misliking of sinne bringeth us unto the being of Christ cleare
against the freedome of the grace of God Tit. 3.3 2 Tim. 1.9 Ephes. 2.1 2 3 4 5. 11 All that beleeve not as H. N. are unbaptized no christians more then heathens So Del and the Antinomians esteeme all not of their way legall Pharesies 12 Christ not God nor man but the state of perfection in beleevers or anoynting or the Sabbath yea sect 8 9 10. Oh how grosely saith he have then certaine wise of the world over-reached themselves which have wiâhout diversity forsaken the law of the Elders Testament Moses his law of Ceremonies and of the priests office after the order of Aaron and set backe the same as a thing unneedfull But have all for the most part cryed Christ Christ and we are Christians and attributed to themselves much freedome ere ever the time of the appearing of Christ or the anoynting of the Holy Ghost was come to passe which doctrine M. Hutchison approves and the Antinomian M. Cornewell in his preface to the conference of M. Iohn Cotton approves her way and all her followers pag. 7 8. now she was Rise reigne ruine pag. 37 38. much perplexed to know the meaning of that 1 Ioh 4.3 Every Spirit that confesseth not Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is the Spirit of Antichrist for neither Papist nor Protestants deny that Christ is come in the flesh and are the Turks then the only Antichrist At length the Lord revealed immediately to that Iezabel from heaven that all opposite to her way of Familisme and Antinomianisme who did not preach the N Covenant their way were Antichrists for these said she who deny the covenant or Testament deny the death of the Testator hence while Antinomians of England resolve me I thinke she and hers beleeve God incarnate is not the man Christ like us in all things in the dayes of his flesh except sinne but the anoynting of the Holy Ghost by which Antinomians preach free grace and the new Covenant their way so by H. N. Christ is that condition of state by which men leave the written word and betake themselves to revelations 13 The old Testament Ceremonies are in force after Christs incarnation resurrection and ascention even till the Holy Spirit and anoynting come to make every beleever Christ and this anoynting is all the God manifested in the flesh and the Christ that H. N. knoweth 14 H. Nich. In his Epistle to the daughters of Warwicke sect 4 saith The beeing of Christ in love is received through the power of the Holy Ghost not by any ceremoniall Christ which one man speaketh to another and sect 5.7.10 He condemneth all scripture as literall fleshly Elementish ceremoniall all preaching of the word seales sacraments ordinances as literall and indifferent and all regeneration that way as unlawfull and extolleth a spirituall regeneration of the Family of Love done by the Spirit without the preaching of man so doth the Antinomian Deâ pag. 6 7 8 c. in his sermon extoll inward reformation but withall cryes downe all externall reformation that is done by lawes synods the power of men yea or of Angells as carnall antichristian hypocriticall and false 15 All Ordinances hearing preaching Scripture scripture-learning Baptisme the Lords Supper all confession of Christ before men all externalls in religion are things of no worth indifferent free triviall layd on us by no law of God so H. Nich. sect 5.7.10 Epist. to the daughters so the Anabaptists as Bullinger saith so Antinomians so Swenckefeld as Schlusserburg saith Cato heret l. 10. p. 30. and another reformation beside this of the heart I know not saith M. Del. But the Apostle Iames calls for the clensing of the hands aswell as the purging of the heart and Gospel-reformation saith Del onely mindes the reformation of the heart then nothing is minded by the Gospell of walking worthy of the Lord in our conversation among men So Beacon the Antinomian in his Catechisme in the Epistle to my Lady Say and Seal Oh that they were once wise to forbeare this clashing and dashing themselves in peeces for matters externall trivial and circumstantiall in religion These be most like the words of Galliâ Act. 18.15 But if it be a question of words and names and of your law looke yee to it for I will be no iudge of such matters 16. and he drove them from the Iudgement seat So saith he Catech. pag. 188 189. Q. Are you bound to this doctrine and practise of baptizing by a law A By the law of love Q May you use it or not use it A I have liberty so to doe 1 Cor. 10.29 Q How A If I use it I am not the more accepted 1 Cor. 8.8 and if I use it not I am not the lesse accepted Q Is it then in that respect of the same nature with circumcision A Yes and all other outward things Gal. 6.15 Q May we suspend the use of some outward things A Yes Gal. 2.14 Q When A When religion is placed in them Gal. 2.14 Q Doth not religion consist in them A No. Q In what then A In righteousnesse peace and joy in the Holy Spirit Q They are not then heavenly things themselves A They are Iewes that know not Christ that so thinke Q What then is the baptisme of water A A Shadow 1 Pet. 2.21 Q Why doe men strive about it A It shewes our unacquaintance with the substance Phil. 2.7 Mic. 6.6 7. Q Of what is it a shadow A A shaddow of Christ Col. 2 17. Q Is there a teaching by shadowes in the New Testament A Yes 1 Pet 3 21 c. In all this good Reader obserue this absurd doctrine from this Antinomian way of Mr. Beacon for âhe raiseth the old heresie of a sectary whom Calvin in a treatise called Confutatio Hollandi refuteth who said it was lawfull to bow to Idââls because Christ violated the Sabboth and because Christ hath perfectly fulfilled the Law and restored us to spirituall liberty he hath freed us from all externall observance of the law either ceremonies or any other thing if we love God and our neighbour we are now in Christ made spirituall and are to seeke the things that are above and that Christ calles us from all externalls ceremonies even of the Lords Institution baptisme the Lords Supper hearing reading and he spake in the Grammer of M. Beacon nos de umbra a asini et de inani atque infantili naenja certare cultum dâi nihil amplius esse atque ejus neque legem neque normam habendam So is Del against all externalls and outward reformation and for the heart reformation only And Calvin in his treatise called excusatio ad Psedonic an Apologie to the false disciples of Nicodemus refutes them who thought they might goe to Masse worship an Idol so they keepe their heart to God and this they did to get into rich benefices to be Bishops Pryârs and the like being taken with the wares of the whore of Rome
for Calvin beside the example of Paul Act. 17. whose Spirit was stirred at the Idolatrous Alter at Athens brings the Testimony of 1 Melancthon who saith Nec tantum interior cultus necâssarius est sedetiam externa significatio seu confessio seu professio Mat. 10 qui negavârât me coram hominibus negabo eum coram patre coelesti so Mar. Bucerus Peter Martyr and Calvin condemne the same externall observance of popish superstition Calvin excusatio ad Pseu Nicode pag. 521 522. It followeth then that from Beacons way I preaching of the Gospell false opinions of Papists controversies betweene Protestants and Socinians Antinomians Arrians Familists Enthysiasts Brownists Jndependants c. must be but matters externall triviall and circumstantiall in religion 2 the profession of truth since it is an externall outward thing a testimony of Christs truth before men and of Christ before the world then is triviall and so indifferent and free which yet is commanded by Christ and hedged with the greatest reward and threatning in the word Mat. 10.32 3 Yea for outward things and all externalls reading hearing scripture preaching seales praying baptisme the Lords Supper There is no law but the law of love not a law of the soveraigne authority of God the commander contrary to Mat. 28.19 20. and so men sinne not in neglecting a command of God in not observing all things whatsoever Christ hath commanded Mat. 28.20 whereas we conceive the Lord commands not only in the Gospell by the law of love but by his soveraigne authority as God in covenant with us that we doe all whether inward or outward things that he commands 4 So all externalls under the New Testament of being baptised or not baptised hearing or not hearing a sent ministery confessing or not confessing Christ before men are as free and indifferent though expresly commanded of God so as we sinne if we dispise prophecy 1 Thes. 5. and reject the counsell of God as did the Pharisies and Lawyers in not being baptised Luk. 7.29 30. whereas the publicans in obeying these commandements Iustified God They are I say as free triviall and indifferent to Antinomians as eating or not eating meats meerely indifferent in the case 1 Cor. 10. 1 Cor. 8. so if it were not a scandal we may refuse baptisme the Lords Supper the scriptures hearing the word confessing Christ before men teaching and admonishing our brother yea all duties of keeping our body cleane of speaking the truth of not lying not killing for all these are commanded beleevers by no law but by the law of love for say the Antinomians we are under no morall Law else 5 Yea so also we may suspend the use of all outward things by Beacons Antinomian argument we need not heare pray prayse receive Sacraments teach the ignorant comfort the the feeble minded releeve the poore visit the sick c. Why al these are both outward things and are abused most men place all religion in them as in Pauls time Gal. 2. they placed religion in circumcision the Iews placed all holines in them Es. â Mi. 6. 6 Why then was Christ circumcised for in his time many said they were Abrahams circumcised sonnes and that was enough to save them which was to place all religion in circumcision but though we may suspend the use of things indifferent when religion is placed in them yet may we not neglect commanded externall ordinances because they thinke they are good christians if they be baptised and goe to Church nor doth Paul Gal. 2. thinke circumcision to be nothing but a thing indifferent for that the false Apostles and be witched Galatians thought their Iustification stood in circumcision but Paul saith Gal. 5. Not onely circumcision was not indifferent but damnable and whosoever was circumcised had fallen from Christ. 6 Conseq To Beacon they are all Iewes who judge baptisme the Lords Supper the scriptures read and preached heavenly things It s true they are externall and without the Spirit they availe not but there is a Majesty and divinity in the Scriptures and in the power of God in the foolishnesse of preaching and baptisme also and they are in themselves spirituall ordinances of God and though baptisme be a shadow yet striving about the doctrine of baptisme is in Moses and Paul no token of their unacquaiâtednesse with Christ the substance of all ordinances as M. Beacon imagineth 7 This is to turne all orthodox and sound opinions touching Christ free grace redemption worship scriptures over into Septicisme doubtsome bickerings and to leave us doubting and knowing nothing with certainty and full assurance of faith but to halt betweene two in all opinions touching God Christ the Spirit Trinity incarnation free grace scriptures law Gospel resurrection heaven hell as these opinions are professed before men and Angels and this will turne to professed Atheisme to doubt and professe we doubt of all things 5 And to be ever learning and never to come to the knowledge of the truth 8 If they be Iewes who thinke not all things externall all observances and our outward conversation with men which is most externall most indifferent and free then the letter of the written and preached old and N. Testament must be free and indifferent and it must be Iudaisme to read heare or study the scriptures for they are outward things in which carnall men ever have and ever will place all religion 9 We are to contend earnestly for the faith and for every truth of God Jud. 3. Touching baptisme and all the ordinances of God and to consent to wholsome words against all perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. 2 Tim. 2.14 15 16. nor 10. Can any Antinomian say that Paul was unacquainted with Christ the substance of ceremonies and circumsion when with such Godly animosity he withstood Peter to the face Gal. 2.11 12 13. and so sharpely rebuked the Galatians c. 3. c. 4. for lesser truths then we now contend for But in this Antinomians bewray of what Spirit they are when they professe all religions Popish Protestant Socinian Arrian Arminian Antitrinitarian Antinomian Familisticall to be free and indifferent and if we have love and faith in the heart we are perfect Christians though we live in wickednes disobedience and rebellion against God 16 Our second birth is our saviour Christ and dominion over sin the very son of God said H. Nicholas 17 H. N. His Christ is neither man nor the consubstantiall son of God but a holy disposition or Godlinesse whereas the Lord Jesus himselfe appeales to the senses the eyes and fingers of his disciples even after his resurrection when he was most spirituall and now in some measure entered into glory that he was a speaking man and had flesh and bones and the print of the âailes in his hands and sides yea the scripture saith he was the sonne of Adam Abraham Isaack Jacob David Mary 3 hee was like us
in all things sinne excepted Luk 24.39 40. Ioh. 20.26 27. 18 The second birth is the Godhead and Gods true being obtaineth the victory beareth rule with God and bringeth forth the name of Israel or Christ it selfe sect 12. 19 Christ is not true man nor Abrahams seed after the flesh but God only in so far as he followeth Abrahams faith 20 H. Nicholas and all his illuminated Elders are Christ all not of his way the Antichrist so some Antinomians now at Oxford Say 1 That Iesus Christ is not God essentially but in name 2 That his nature was defiled with sin aswel as ours 3 It is as possible for Christ to sin as for any of us 4 The Trinity of the Persons is a fiction 5 The fulnesse of the Godhead doth dwell bodily in the Saints as in Christ and that when this Godhead shall be manifested in them they shall have divine honour and have more power then Christ and doe greater workes then hee 6 The scripture is but a shadow and a fiction now the word saith 1 The father and Christ are one and he thought it no robbery to be equal with the father Phi. 2 and maintained he was the consubstantiall sonne of God Ioh. 7. Ioh. 10 else the Iewes would never have said he blasphemed in calling himselfe the sonne of God by adoption for they knew Godly men to be so the sons of God 2 By him the word the heaven and earth were created Ioh. 1.1 2 3. Col. 1.16 17. now God onely created the World Ier. 10 11 12. Esay 44.24 Gen. 1.1 Psal. 33.6 7 8. 3 Hee was anoynted above his fellowes with grace Psal. 45.2.7 and wee receave out of his fulnesse and light our halfe-penny candles at this sunne of righteousnesse Ioh. 1.14.16 and he giveth the Holy Ghost Ioh. 16.14 And hath received a name above all names Phil. 2 9 10. and God said to none of the Angells farre lesse to any man save to the man Christ sit thou at my right hand Heb. 1. 21 The Familists are perfect in this life and so are Antinomians Towne as p 77 78. Saltm free grace 140. 22 To say the three persons are one God is a foolish making three Gods Antinomians professe that Antitrinitarians Arrians Socinians are their brethren so they beleeve and love God as they doe 23 There is but one Spirit in all creatures and that is essentially God Epist to the the two daughters of Warwicke 24 Love and well doing and good workes are the cause of our re-reconciliation and the very saviours that beares our sins whereas Christ bare our sinnes in his body on the tree Esay 53.6 7 8. 1 Pet. 2.23 24. 25 Christs dying on the Crosse is nothing but H.N. and his illuminated Elders their obeying constantly the doctrine of H. N. so as no suffering could cause them to forsake it 26 Then is Christ put to death when any of the Family of Love is no longer led by the Scripture but by the Spirit of revelation that is as sure as the Scripture so said Mrs. Hutchison Rise reigne p. 61. er 27. 27 Mortification is to H. N· justification and removing of sinnes so doe Antinomians confound these two 28 The resurrection of Christ was but a passing out of the flesh or letter of the law to the spirituall being of illuminated Elders 29 Christ sitteth not in our flesh at the right hand of God but in the spirit 30 The comming of the Holy Ghost in cloven tongues was the comming of Christ againe from heaven in the Spirit 31 Christs ascending to heaven was his comming to heavenly mindednesse and fulnesse of knowledge 32 The resurrection of the body is a rising in this life from sin and wickednesse 33 In H. N. God this present day judgeth the world the family of love are the many thousands of his saints that Judgeth with him even now and reigneth on the earth Evang. c. 1. sect 9.10 34 The Marriages of all not enlightened are unlawfull 35 Men shall marry and have wives at the resurrection 36 The illuminated Elders cannot sin nor pray for forgivenesse of sinnes so Antinomians hony-combe c. 3. pag 25. c. 7 pag. 139 forgiven sin is not or hath no being before God Saltm free grace pag. 44. 37 Heaven and Hell are in this world Antinomians say we are fully and compleatly not in hope onely saved in this life 38 The family of love is under no law 39 All things are the act of God 40 Angels and Devils and wicked men are acted immediately by the Spirit of God 41 The Scripture is a shadow 42 Ordinances are for babes in their family of love only 43 The perfect are to live above all ordinances 44 Jf temptations lay hold on us and force us to sin and we cry to God for helpe and finde no helpe we are as guiltlesse as the maid forced in the field who cryed and had no helpe and is not for that a whore H.N. documentall sentences sect 13. sect 8. It is true the beleever shal not be charged to eternal condemnation for sins of infirmities that are his burthen and affliction aswell as his sin but sins of infirmities are essentially his sinnes who acts them and make him lyable to wrath If God should contend with David for his adultery and murther displeased the Lord but God cannot charge the sinne of whoredome on a maid that is forced and doth cry out if she doe cry out and have no helpe it is no whoredome on the maids part 45 All the scriptures are to be exponed by allegories This makes 1 The Scripture a masse of contradictions and lyes 2 This turnes our faith and knowledg into a phancie for the scripture it selfe cannot be a rule of exponing scripture if the glosse destroy the text 3 The scripture shall not Judge all controversies as Christ referres the gravest question that ever was Whether he be the sonne of God or no to this tribunall Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me Ioh. 5. 4 All the articles touching Christ his birth life death buriall resurrection ascending to heaven sitting at Gods right hand his second comming c. Creation providence histories shall teach nothing an Allegory shall cause scripture say the contrary Antinomians call all their allegories the spirituall sense of Scripture Bread may in an allegory signifie comfort then the love of God dwells in a brother who seeth his poore brother famishing and gives him neither cloathing nor bread but onely faith in good words Brother goe in peace and be warmed and cloathed anâ feed for he gives the poore man allegorically bread and cloathing contrary to Iames 2.14 15 16 17. 1 Ioh. 3.17 18. yea so all scripture shall be turned over in lyes dreames and phancies all covenants violated all faith private and publike among Christins may be broken and yet truth kept in an allegoricall sense according to scripture A man may murther his brother and have life eternall Contrary to 1 Io. 3.15
against the flesh in some more in some lesse The time of grace is when the heart is erected and saith why art thou cast downe O my soule c. Hee that knowes this art well is deservedly a Divine I and those like me know scarse the first elements thereof The more godly any is the more he feeles this battle When I was a Monk I thought my heaven gone so often as I felt the concupiscence of the flesh I assay'd much I confessed every day but in vaine while I understood Paul saying The flesh lusteth against the Spirit then I was not so afflicted I thought then as now Martin even thou though godly shalt not want sin and this battle despaire not but fight then thou art not under the Law Staupicius said I have vowed a thousand times to be godlier but I keep not I le vow no more c. Luther That which is truely sin against the Law the Law cannot accuse as sin in the godly Luther Sin that is pardoned is broken through confidence of mercy that it condemne not or accuse not yet because of the flesh it springs up and warres in the flesh Beware to think little or much of the reliques of sin for so the purger the holy Spirit is lightly esteemed The reliques of sin remaine in us which need daily pardon All the beleevers sinnes are pardoned and covered but not yet purged so much pride hatred lust c. yea inward blots unbeleefe impatience murmuring remaine in us The reliques of sin remain in our flesh even when wee are justified least we should be idle that wee may have exercises of godlinesse Sin as Augustine speaks remaineth in us actually and in guilt it passeth away that is the thing it self that is truely sin is both pardoned and tollerated by God and the remnant of it remaines in the flesh and is not close dead except that by Christ the Serpents head is bruised yet his tongue moveth and his taile threatens a stroake What you will say ought not the ten Commandements to bee kept or if they be kept is not that our righteousnesse I answer wee will performe and keepe the ten Commandements but with a large that is with a truly Evangelick dispensation and distinction because we receive only the first fruits of the Spirit and the sighs of the Spirit remaine in our heart also our flesh with the lusts and concupiscence that is the whole tree the whole body of sin in its nature and being say Antinomians what they will with the fruits thereof remains this is the cause why the Law can never be perfectly kept Luther does most excellently deliver the differences of Law and Gospell of which Antinomians are altogether ignorant Luther calleth the Law a letter a dead a condemning letter not as Antinomians say because in the Gospel as Del saith The word and the Spirit are alwayes conjoyned and therefore Christ saith the words that I speake are spirit and life that is they come from the Spirit and carry Spirit with them which the Law doth not but Luther meaneth that the Law as the Law and Covenant of workes hath nothing at all of the Spirit but as a pedagogue to Christ it hath the Spirit conveying it in the hearts of the elect and the Gospel as the Gospel promiseth and hath conjoyned with it the Spirit not alwayes not when preached to Capernaim as Del citeth ignorantly the text Joh. 6. not when preached to Pharisees but when preached to the elect and not alwayes not when their hearts are hardned Mark 6.52 Mark 8.16 17. but when God is pleased to open their hearts and effectually to concurre with the word of the Gospel For Luther saith what ever revealeth sinne wrath and death does the office of the Law whether in the Old or New Testament according to Luther the Gospel may act the Laws part on a hardned hearer and so it hath not the Spirit alwayes accompanying it and the Law when it is made a Pedagogue to lead us to Christ carryeth the Spirit with it but Antinomians mean no other thing but that the Gospel is the very holy Spirit himself A most absurd Doctrine the Gospel is the word of grace the Holy Spirit is God making the word of grace effectuall Luther The Evangell is a word both of power and grace while it beats on the ears within powres in the Spirit But if it powre not in the Spirit a hearing man differeth not from a deafe man Then the Gospel is sometimes without the Spirit as well as the Law Except the doctrine of faith by which the heart is purified and justified be revealed all teaching of all commands is literall and the tradition of Fathers The Law teacheth what is your debt and what you want Christ giveth what you should doe and what you should have Augustine saith the Law of works saith doe what I command the law of faith saith to God grant Lord what thou commandest and again what the Law of works commandeth by threatning that the Law of faith obtaines by beleeving the people of the Law is hauty the people of Faith sighes for pardon Every law especially Gods Law is a word of wrath the power of sin the law of death the Gospel is the word of grace life salvation the word of righteousnesse and peace It is a wonder and unknown to the world to teach Christians to be ignorant of the Law and to live so before God as if there were no Law For except thou be ignorant of the law and conclude in thy heart there is no law no wrath but onely grace and mercy in Christ Jesus thou cannot be saved for by the law is the knowledge of sin by the contrary so the law and works must be pressed on the unbeleeving world as if there were no Gospel promise no grace Luther The Gospel is a preaching of Christ that he pardons sin gives grace justifies and saves sinners Whereas there are Commandements in the Gospel they are not Gospel but expositions of the law and consequences of the Gospel Evangelium verbum virtutis gratiae simul est dum aures pulsat intus Spiritum infundit Quod si Spiritum non infundit nihil differt audiens â surdo Luther Nisi doctrina âidet quâ cor purificatur justificatur reveletur omnis omnium praeceptorum eruditio Literalis paterna traditio Lex docet quid debeas quo careas Christus dat quod facias habeas Augustinus dicit lex factorum dicit homini fac quod jubeo Lex autem fidei dicit Deo da quod jubes iterum quod lex factorum minando imperat hoc lex fidei credendo impetrat Luther Lex quae cunque presertim divina est verbum irae virtus peccati lex mortis Evangelium verò est verbum gratiae vitae salutis verbum
justitiae salutis Res mira mundo inaudita Docere Christianos ut discant ignorare legem utque sic vivant coram Deo quasi penitus nulla lex sit nisi enim ignoraveris legem in corde tuo statueris nullam esse legem iram Dei tantum graciam misericordiam propter Christum non potes salvus fieri E contra in mundo sic urgeri lex opera debent quasi prorsus nulla sit promissio gratia Evangelium est predicatio De Christo quòd remittat peccatum donet gratiam justificet salvet peccatores Quod autem praecepta in Evangelio reperiuntur ista non sunt Evangelium sed expositiones apendices Evangelii Luther meaneth that as the Gospel is distinguished from the Law and containeth the Doctrine of justification by free grace without works so the precepts of good works are not Gospel-precepts but otherwise taking the Gospel in its latitude it confirmeth and establisheth the law and commandeth the same works of sanctification which the Law commandeth 7. Conclusion And whereas Luther calleth the Law a dead letter as the Gospel is a saving word he hath not the same meaning with Antinomians to exclude all outward commands to cry downe the Scriptures and the written Law and Gospel and turne the Gospel in the Spirit and to remove all outward ordinances word Sacraments praying and make faith all our worke and the Spirit of life that is in Christ all our Law as Del and Saltmarsh and other Antinomians doe and as Theologia Germanica doth and other Familists teach for Luther aimeth highly to extoll Scripture as you may read in Luther tom 1.166 to 1.252.531 to 2.22.237.310 to 2. in Genes c. 17. fol. 85. and to 2. in Gen. c. 19.143 I hate my own bookes often I wish they may perish for feare they take the readers and draw them from reading of the Scripture to 3. in Genes f. 45. c. 24. It s a common proverbe Princes letters should be thrice read so farre more Gods letters Vel millies legendae should be a thousand times read and whereas Antinomians and Familists are all for allegories Luther is not so The literall sense of the Scriptures is the whole substance of Christian faith and divinity which only carrieth a man out in tentation Allegories are empty speculations and the froath of Scripture An allegory is a faire whore that cannot but be loved for the present by idle men that are not tempted Only the historicall sense doth rightly and solidly instruct fight defend conquer edifie Luther Literalis sensus scripturae sâlus tota est fidei Theologiae Christianae substantia qui in tentatione solus subsistit Luther Allegoriae sunt inanes speculationes tanquam spuma sacrae Scripturae Est allegoria tanquam formosa meritrix quae ita blanditur hominibus ut non possit non amari praesertim ab hominibus otiosis qui sunt sine tentatione Luther Historicus sensus rectè solidè erudit pugnat defendit vincit aedificat And Luther acknowledgeth a literall sense of the Law Luther Spiritualis intelligentia legis est ea quâ scitur lex requirere Spiritum nos carnales convincere literalis ea quâ putatur imò erratur legem posse impleri operibus viribus nostris citra Spiritum gratiae The Spirituall understanding of the Law is that by which the law is known to require the Spirit and to convince us that are carnall and that is the literall meaning of the Law by which men think yea erroneously imagine the law may be fulfilled by works our strength without the Spirit of grace Then to Luther the literall knowledge of the Law or the old letter of the Law is the false sense of the Law that we can be justified by works and Luther never condemneth Law or Gospel because written and in outward commandements as Antinomians doe And againe the law without the Spirit as also the Gospel is literall and legall to Luther Lex litera est sive scribatur sive dicatur sive intelligatur donec ametur The law is a letter either writen spoken or understood till it be loved this is not a work of the teaching Law but of justifying faith converting soules It is true Luther holdeth that all commandements of law and Gospel are then sweet and Christs yoke easie when the Spirit concurreth to make them sweet but neither doth this cry down the Scriptures nor make the Spirit the only obleiging rule as Del Town Saltmarsh Crisp doe Luther Ita dulcescunt praecepta Dei quando non in libris tantum sed in vulneribus dulcissimi salvatoris legenda intelligimus Luther Duplex est lex una Spiritus fidei quâ vivitur Deo victis peccatis impletâque lege altera lex literae operum quâ vivitur peccato nunquam impletâ lege per legem enim suscitatur odium legis sed per fideÌ infunditur dilectio legis Luth. tom 4.88 Tu urges servum hoc est scripturam eam non totam sed locos de operibus Ego urgeo dominum Christum qui est Rex Scripturae qui est factus mihi meritum pretium justitiae salutis Then the law without Christ is the letter of bondage and fear Lex literae lex spiritus differunt sicut signum signatum sicut verbum res Ideo obtentâ re jam signo non est opus Itaque neque justo lex est posita habito enim solo signo docemur rem ipsam quaerere Luther So the Commandements of God become sweet when we understand them to be read not onely in books then as written they are sweet but also in the wounds of the most sweet Saviour Luther There is a twofold law one of the Spirit and faith by which we live well to God sin being subdued and the law fulfilled The other the law of the Letter and of works by which we live to sin the law never being fulfilled but with a fained fulfilling For by the law the meere letter of the law without faith or grace is stirred up a hatred of the Law but by faith is infused a love of the law The Law of the letter and the law of the Spirit differ as the signe and the thing signified as the word and the thing the when the thing is obtained there is no need of the signe So there is no law to the just man but having only the signe we are taught to seek the thing it self This expression of Luther with another in the same Tome to wit The justified man ought nât to live holily but hee doth live holily gave occasion to Antinomians to dream but it s but a dream that Luther is theirs as if Luther had been of their minde that the justified is under no commanding power of the law and
come we by faith in Christ come suffering glorified Luther saith tom 1. p. 529. Non facta sed fidem patrum imitemur let us follow not the deeds but the faith of the Fathers Luther burnt offerings were not for justification but a sacrificed Oxe was a witnesse of grace and to speak so a working voyce of thankfulnesse or an handy or manuall gratitude by which the hand powred out thankfulnesse by reall words They beleeved in Christ to come we know he is come and gone to the father to prepare dwelling places for us Luther Abraham saw Christs day in faith and the spirit onely Luther the same Christ the same faith from Abâl to the end of the world and did reigne in divers ages of the world Antinomians as Den Crisp Saltmarsh Del deny any heart-Reformation true conversion to God actuall remission of sins and of all sins or free justification by free grace in a Gospel-way to the Jews under Moses as we are justified and saved under the Messiah and make the promises and covenant of grace with Papists and Sââinians to differ in substance and nature from our Gospel-promises and free covenant as if their law tutory Gal. 4. had varied the way of Justification and salvation to them and to us CHAP. XII Of Christian Liberty and of sense true and false 10 Conclusion Antinomians have not Luther for them in the Doctrine of Christian Liberty Luther Vnusquisque Christianus sciat sâ per Christum constitutum esse in conscientia dominum legis peccati mortis contra scâat quoque hanc servitutem externam corpori suo impositam ut per charitatem serviat pâoprio Qui autem aliter intelligunt libertatem c. Luther Omnia sunt libera nobis per fidâm omnia serva per charitatem ut simul stet servitus libertatis et libertas servitutis Libertas Evangelii non tollit res corpora debitâ nominum sed conscientias liberat a vinculis spiritualibus Luther Christianus in conscientia debet esse medicus in externis moribus debet esse asinus Per fidem Christi non sumus liberi ab operibus sed ab opinionibus operum id est a stultâ praesumptione justitiae per opera quesitae Let every Christian know that by Christ he is made in his conscience as he beleeveth in Christ the Lord of law sin death so that these have no power over him On the contrary let him know that this externall servitude is laid on the outward man that by love he is to serve his neighbour Those who otherwise understand Christian liberty as Antinomians who think they owe no obedience to the Law they enjoy the gaine of the Gospel to their owne destruction and are worse Idolators under the name of Christians then they were in Popery All things are free to us by Faith yet all things are under obligation of Law in regard of charity that so the servitude of liberty and the liberty of servitude might stand together The liberty of the Gospel takes not away things bodies nor duties of men but freeth the consciences from spirituall bands of wicked opinions Thâ Christian in his conscience should be a physitian but without in externall conversation an Asse to beare the burthen of Brethren Luther meaneth in things indifferent that are without the case of scandall as hee exponeth himself Tom. 1 472.528 and clearly To. 1. In Christum credentibus omnia munda indifferentia licita sunt quaecunque vel praecipiuntur vel prohibentur externis ceremoniis c. and Tom. 2.154 155 156 158. Through faith in Christ wee are not free from works but from opinions of works that is from a foolish presumption of righteousnesse to come by works Now by opinion of good works Luther meaneth conscience and the resting of the conscience on good works as our righteousnesse hence so often saith Luther the Law hath nothing to doe with the conscience the Law hath no power over the conscience the Law ought not to reigne over the conscience And so 2. he placeth our Christian liberty not only in freedom from the Judiciall Law Tom. 4 on 1 Pet. 2. Rom. 13. and from the Ceremonies of the Law of Moses Tom. 4. fol. 145. But also from the condemnation of the Morall Law As is clear Luther That Christian liberty which Christ hath purchased is not so easily beleeved as spoken if it could be apprehended by a sure and firme faith no fury nor terror of the world of law sin death and the devill could be so great which would not be swallowed up as a little spark of fire by the great sea Libertas illa quam nobis Christus peperit non tam cito creditur quam nominatur Si certa ac firmâ fide apprehendi posset nullus furor aut terror mundi legis peccati mortis et diaboli tam maguâ esse posset qui non ãâã seu scintilla a mari ab ea absorberetur Then Luther evidently thinketh our Christian Liberty is not from duties commanded in the Law but from the terrors accusation and condemning power of the Law after wee have sinned against the Law Luther Verba illa libertas ab ira Dei lege peccato morte c. Dictu facilia sunt sed Magnitu dinem hujus libertatis sentire fructum ejus in certamine in agone conscientiae applicare hoc plus quaÌ dici potest difficile est Luther In carne nulla debet esse libertas Debemus enim subjecti esse parentibus Magistratibus in summâ omnium servi esse sed in Spiritu conscientiâ Liberrimi ab omni servitute ibi nulli credimus nulli confidimus nullum timemus nisi solum Christum qui regnat inter medias afflictiones cum gaudio laetitia inter media peccata cum virtute fortitudine These words Liberty from the wrath of God law sin death c. are soon said but to finde the greatnesse of this liberty and the fruite thereof in a conflict and agony of conscience and apply it practically is more hard then can be spoken So he expresly clearely this Liberty in the flesh that is in sinning there ought to be no liberty for we ought to be subject to Parents Magistrates and finally the servants of all but in the spirit and conscience we are most free from all servitude for there we beleeve none trust in none feare none but onely Christ who reignes in the midst of afflictions with joy and gladnesse in the midst of sins with strength and courage It s clear by the flesh Luther cannot mean as Antinomians and Papists with Libertines doe the sensitive part which they call the Asse contradistinguished from the minde will and conscience as if the renewed man in whole sinned not with will affection reason conscience for the reason that Luther giveth is contrary to that for saith
he Wee ought to be subject to Parents Magistrates and the servants of all Now not the flesh onely but the whole man and the conscience is subject to the fifth Commandement and to all the ten to obey Parents and Magistrates for otherwise the ten Commandements should no more oblige the conscience of beleevers to obey then the Ceremoniall Law which is blasphemy Therefore by Conscience and Spirit Luther must mean the afflicted conscience under great conflicts and in the midst of challenging and accusing sins So the beleevers conscience is free and feareth none but feareth filially and with a son-ly fear Christ Jesus only and is fully free from the feare of condemnation Antinomians reply that the conscience of beleevers is freed from the ten Commandements as they are a Law and injoyn obedience to the conscience by power or Authority of a Law-giver for so say they no beleever can sin against the Law as the Law either commanding promising or cursing But the beleever may sin against the Law as sin is ungratitude to Christ the Redeemer not as it is a thing offending God the commanding Law-giver or failing against his Authority So Mistris Hutchison and her followers said Art 25. Since we are not bound to the Law as a rule of life it is not transgression against the Law to sin or break it because our sins are inward and spirituall and so are exceeding sinfull and are onely against Christ. Answ. There would be some colour in this Answer if Antinomians did not teach that Beleevers are as free from sin root and branch in the nature and being of it as Christ himselfe then being once justified they cannot so much as sin against Christ nor against the Law as in the hand of Christ therefore I heare that Den maintained before a godly and learned Minister That Christ satisfied for sins onely against the first Covenant and that wee our selves satisfie for sins against the Covenant of grace which is to make us joynt-Saviours with Christ. 2. Sinnes committed by Beleevers once justified are not siâs because they are against no Law and involve the trespasser under no guilt curse or wrath for hee is as free as Christ from all danger of wrath 3. These sinnes against the Law in the hand of Christ or against Christ are pardoned and fully removed in their nature and being ere they be committed say Antinomians 4. What Scripture shall warrant us to think that Christ who came not to dissolve the Law in the least Commandement Mat. 5.18 19 20. And who saith To doe to all men is wee would they should doe to us is the whole Law and the Prophets and obligeth us hath freed us from the commanding power of the Law and subjected us to the same Law as given by Christ. CHAP. XIII Of good works according to Luther 11 Conclusion Luther clearely contradicteth Antinomians touching certainty from signes Bona opera placebunt Deo propter fidem in Christum quod non fiunt ad jusââitam sed ad testimoniâm quod grati simus et graâââ juâtificati Spiritus sanctus nunquam oâiosus est in piis sed semper agit aliquid quod pertinet ad regnum Dei Si Muncerus Sacramentarii cum audirent nos docere Spiritum rejicere opera hâc doctrina abuti potuerunt neglecto verbo Sacramentis nihil aliud nisi Spiritum sonare idque nobis viventibus docentibus repugnantibus quid futurum est ubi conticuerit nostra Doctrina Post meam mortem multi meos libros proferent in medium inde omnis generis errores deliria sua confirmabunt Sed simul etiam exierunt Anabaptistae Sacramentarii alii fanatici qui de Trinitate incarnatione Christi palam impia tradiderunt non enim fuerunt ex nobis c. Good works shall please God for faith in Christ to their own end because they are not done that we may be righteous but that they may be a testimony that we are accepted and justified freely Luther The Holy Ghost is never idle in the godly but ever doing something that belongs to the Kingdome of God Luther If Muncerus and the Sacramentarians when they heare us preach the Spirit and that wee reject works in the matter of justification only as I have cleared from his owne words can abuse this Doctrine and neglecting word and seales sound nothing but the Spirit as Familists and Antinomians did then and now and that while wee live and teach the contrary and resist them what shall be done when we shall teach no more After my death saith Luther they shall alledge my writings and therewith strengthen errors of all kindes and their own dreames Also there are gone from us Anabaptists Sacramentarians and other fantastick men who have openly taught impious things of the Trinity and Incarnation of Christ but they were not of us It is true Luther falsely chargeth those whom hee calleth Sacramentarians who rejected the dreame of Consubstantiation yet as Calvin observed of the Libertines hey had nothing more frequent in their mouth then the Spirit so Anabaptists Familists Antinomians who all pretend that Luther is theirs alledge nothing more then the Spirit the immediate testimony of the Spirit without the word or any signes or markes of sanctification by which men know that they are in Christ and I appeale to the Reader if they observe any scope or drift in the Sermon preached by Del before the House of Commons but to cry down all Word Scripture Preaching Sacraments Laws lawfull and necessary constitutions of Orthodox Synods against Familists like himself for all these without the Spirit can work but an outward Reformation and hee extolleth so the Spirits inward omnipotent and only working of an inward and heart reformation as that men ministerie preaching can have no more influence in Gospel-reformation then in Christs redeeming of the world and the taking away transgression for saith hee he only that can doe the one can doe the other now in redemption Christ hath no fellows no under Mediators no instruments no with-workers hee alone by himselfe and none with him Hebr. 1. Purged us from our sins and so in all Reformation Familists contend for God is sole Reformer as Jesus Christ is sole and onely Redeemer Antinomians deny any certainty of our being in grace by signes marks and characters of holy walking which Luther is utterly against in all places especially where he extolls good works as the fruites of our justification It is true Luther saith often we must not judge of our spirituall good estate by sense but by faith and so say Antinomians and Eaton most frequently But the word sense is taken two wayes 1. for the enditement of the flesh and unrenewed part opposed to faith and so Luther and we with him teach that in a conflict of conscience when the Law challengeth a beleever especially we are never to look to
sense but to faith and the promises for the unrenewed part never told us good news of our selves our Spirituall estate or of Christ except it speak truth as the Deviâl speaketh to deceive and to render us secure sluggish haughty proud vaine but Antinomians say all the murthers and adulteries of beleevers are sins onely in our sense that is in the apprehension of our unrenewed part not to the light and judgement of faith now so Antinomians follow sense But 1. I should as soon beleeve the Devill saying that the adultery of a beleever is no sin as beleeve sense that is the inditement of flesh and the unrenewed part it is true the devill can say truely as the flesh also the adultery of a beleever is a sin that actually condemnes for ever to hell and argueth the committer thereof to bee in nature not in Christ which is a lye both in the matter and specially in the end to cause a beleever despaire 2. The sense and apprehension of a beleever that saith adultery in him is no sin because it was pardoned before it was committed is as false as the Devill Now the light of faith saith the contrary the Word of God saith adultery in justified David is sin but the inference and logick of the flesh is not to be beleeved therfore David is not in Christ and so farre sense is not to be beleeued 3. Antinomians know no sense but the sense and inditement of the lying flesh which they teach men to beleeve when it saith falsely that the adultery of a beleever is no sin now no whorish mother will call her own childe a Bastard and it s no wonder that the flesh especially in the fleshly Antinomian plead for the Devill and sin but sense is taken in another meaning in the Scripture for the spirituall knowledge and apprehension of the Spirit as Heb. 5.14 The strong in Christ have their senses exercised to discerne both good and ill so the use of the spirituall sense is spoken of Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruite was sweet in my mouth Cant. 1.3 Because of the savour of thy good oyntments thy name is as anoyntment powred out therefore the Virgins love thee Joh. 6.45 All that have heard and learned of the Father come to mee Here is the actuall exercise and use of the spirituall and renewed sense which we are to believe no lesse then faith and what this sense indyteth that the Holy Spirit in us indyteth and teacheth and that we are to beleeve Luther never willeth us to close our eares and to hear nothing that this sense saith to us 12 Conclusion Luther speaketh pathetickly of the slavery and impotency of our free-will by nature but no wayes to favour Antinomians and Familists who would have us blocks and stones in all wee doe and not to pray but when the Spirit acts us immediately Man cannot naturally desire God to be God for he would have himselfe to be God and God to be no God Non potest homo naturaliter velle DeuÌ esse Deum imo vellet se esse Deum Deum non esse Deum Luther in regard that the efficacy and successe of free-will as of all second causes is from God depresseth the creature to heighten God Tom. 3.103 Deus labore nostro utitur sâu larvâ quadam sub quâ benedicit nos sua largitur ut fidei sit locus God useth our labour as a shadow or cypher under which there is place for faith Luther meaneth of imperated acts of the will flowing from the corruption of a naturall man desiring to be above a Law and without God that he may sin without being awed of Justice or of a God but there is a naturall inclination going before acts of will and reason by which a naturall man desires the being of God in so farre as he desires his own being that he may subsist in God if we suppose reason to bee in no shadow we cannot think it naturally and simply would desire that the body on which it depends were just nothing or that the rayes of the Sunne would wish the Sun to be turned into pure nothing or the streames that the fountaine were nothing Luther The will of every man would desire there were not a law if it were possible and that it selfe were altogether free grace is necessary to friend the law and the will and the Gospel Free-will since the fall by a subjective power can be carryed to good by an active power ever to ill nor could the wills active but only its subjective power stand even before the fall or promove into good Luther Free-will is meerly passive in every act that is called willing because the will is nothing except it be pulled drawn moved which drawing having influence on the members and strength either of soule or body is the wills activity and no other as the drawing of the Saw cutting the wood is to the Saw meerly passive from the Sawer nor does it conferre any thing to the drawing by way of co-operation but onely being drawn it workes on the tree being more drawn then drawing which Sawing is called the work of the Saw with the Sawer when yet it meerly suffers Luther Voluntas cujuslibet mallet si fieri posset esse nullam legem se omninò liberam necessaria est mediatrix gratia quae conciliet legem evangelio voluntati Liberum arbitrium post peccatum potest in bonum potentiâ subjectivâ in malum vero activâ semper nec enim in statu innoceÌtiae potuit stare activa sed subjectiva potentia nedum in âonum proficere Liberum arbitrium est merè passivum in omni actu suo qui velle vocatur quia voluntas non nisi rapitur trahitur movetur qui tractus redundans in membra vires seu animae seu corporis est ejus activitas nulla alia sicut tractus serrae secantis lignum ' est serrae merè passivus a sectore nec ad tractum suum quicquam cooperatur sed tantum tracta jam in lignum operatur impulsa magis quam impellens quae serratio opus ejus cum serratore dicitur cum tamen merè patiatur It is cleare that Luther makes us not blocks and stones in beleeving praying or other supernaturall works as if after our conversion we were mere patients and ought not to pray but when the winde of the Spirit bloweth faire upon the flowers and the Garden Or as if the person of the Holy Ghost and Christs grace were the onely formall efficient cause and principle in all supernaturall works and we truncks and stones and not to be rebuked as slothfull servants in sins of omission or commission Luther saith the contrary To. 2. in Gen. c. 24. f. 232. Antinomoi docent simpliciter omnia peccata sublata nec arguenda esse nec homines terrendos lege Antinomians say simply
all sins are taken away and are not to be rebuked nor are men renewed to be terryfied by the Law for Luther 1. speaks comparatively and denies not all subordinate activity to renewed free-will after conversion In every good work the Sons of God are rather acted upon then doe act In omni opere bono potius aguntur quam agunt filii Dei Then Luther meanes that they act but grace rather acts upon them for To. 3. in Gen. in cap. 28. fo 82. Luther saith there is a twofold holinesse in us one imputed by which we are sanctified by the Word and is perfect another by which wee are holy by our work and conversation which is unperfect The other holinesse is of works it is charity that makes us acceptable to God there not onely God speaks to me but I study to follow God speaking When I was a Monk often I desired that happinesse to see a godly man in life and conversation in the mean time I dreamed of an Eremite that abstained from meat and drink and fed on rootes and cold water but they are holy who are holy with a passive not an active holinesse if every man doe his duty by rule according to his calling and obey not the flesh and in the Spirit suppresse the desires and lusts thereof Altera sanctitas operum est charitas gratum faciens ibi non solum Deus loquitur sed studeo ego sequi loquentem Deum Ego Monachus saepe ex animo optabam eam faelicitatem mihi contingere ut possim videre conversationem vitam alicujus sancti bominis Interim somniabam talem sanctum qui in Eremo agens abstineret a cibo potu victitaret tantum radiculis herborum aquâ frigidâ sancti sunt sanctitate passivâ non activâ si unusquisque ex praescripto verbi Dei faciat officium in vocatione suâ carni non obsequatur sed Spiritu reprimat desideria ejus And where ever Luther speaketh of inherent holinesse he calleth it imperfect and active then renewed freewill must be an Agent in it 2 The subjective power of doing good that Luther calleth a passive power and which was in man before the fall in the renewed man is not simply passive for in regard of it saith Luther Voluntas magis est impulsa quam impellens the will rather is drawen then it doth draw and act but inclineth more to bee drawen but it is passive because free will in pure naturalls before the fall or after regeneration is a subject receiving a holy sanctified rectitude of will and before the fall that rectitude was that concreated and naturall Image of God in the first Adam in regeneration it is the supernaturall image of the second Adam which wee call the new heart and before the fall Adam did not love and serve God by free will simply but by free-will gifted with that naturall accident of concreated sanctity and holinesse added to the will as a connaturall gift to make the will compleat in its operations Now the will is a mere patient in receiving a supernaturall active power to will according to Christ and in this regard the will is patient and must bee elevated in its naturall activity by receiving a new infused heart Ezeki 36.26 Zech. 12.10 Deut. 30.6 And because free-will acts according to Christ in beleeving hopeing loving out of faith all by the strength of new supernaturall habits therefore doth Luther call the renewed man a patient and his supernaturall workes like the drawing of a Saw which yet hath its own activity of cutting the tree and hath teeth by art for that effect yet t is called a patient in sawing the tree because it is moved in its motion by him that draweth the Saw 3 In the receiving the active determination of actuall assisting grace the will is a patient in the reception and subjective and passive lying under the actuall motion of him who workes in us to will and to doe for wee can doe nothing more than clay when God infuseth a spirit in it to move the predeterminating wind of the spirit to blow right on us in regard of both these though being acted by habituall grace and by actuall assisting grace being drawen Cant. 1.2 3. and Psal. 119.32 compared with Ezeki 36.26 27. we doe and have our own subordinate active influence in all the workes wee doe toward Heaven and life eternall yet Luther saith wee are patients Luther Heraeseos venenum est quod tribuit libero arbitrio virtutem disponendi se ad gratiam sive habitualem sive actualem recipiendam quale faciunt in illo Zech. 1. Convertimini ad me ego convertar ad vos Homo merè passivè se habet nec facit quidquam sed fit totus Luther Deus in materia privativa non positiva operatur It s a poyson of Heresie that giveth to free-will power to dispose it selfe to receive grace as they say from Zech. 1. Turne to me and I will turne to you Man is a meer patient he doth nothing but is acted or done upon God worketh on a privative not a positive matter 4. Luther holds men to be meere patients because grace and grace onely beginneth all supernaturall works Luther How shall free-will remaine and our doing what we can When we are taught that we are wrought upon and we work not but God works wee are the work not the workers so all the Divinity of proud men utterly perishes Faith is wrought in us not thinking not wisely understanding not willing but who-ever is gifted with faith is prevented by the incomprehensible hid work of the Spirit by the onely hearing of the Word without all work of us Vbi manebit liberum arbitrium ubi facere quod in se est cum hic fieri nos doceamur non facere non nos operemur sed Deus nos operetur facturae non factores simus funditus scilicet ruit omnis Theologia superborum Non nobis cogitantibus sapientibus volentibus sed incomprehensibili occulto opere Spiritus praevenitur quisquis fide donatur in Christo ad solum verbi auditum citra omnem nostram aliam operam 4. Luther is much as he cannot be enough in depressing the glory of nature and free-will and exalting God We are not good by working but by suffering when we suffer the actings of God on us and are quiet Whatever shall give thy âelfe to thee and permit thee hold that in suspition for it will cause thee finde thy own will in fasting as Esa. 58. Whatever shall take thy self from thy self follow that Luther Non operando sed patiendo boni sumus cum patimuâ divinas actiones quieti ipsis Quicquid tibi teipsum dederit permiserit tene suspectum quia facit ut inveniatur voluntas tua in Jejunio tuo ut dicitur Esa. 58. quicquid
or exemplary dying by way of imitation only to teach us the like patience but that Christ God-man really offered to the Father blood as a perfect ransome to redeeme his Church The deceiving Familists eluding the whole history of Scripture and this Impostore Gortyn saith his blood is to bee exporâed only of the power of his God-head and his flesh of the weakenesse of our natures or of us who only in creation are made according to the Image of God Yea Gortyn saith p. 104. Christ suffereth in them that is in the weake Saints else can he have no death at all and then no Saviour then he suffered not in his owne Manhood then hath hee not by himselfe purged our sin Heb. 1.3 Nor was it Christ himself who in his owne body on the tree bare our sins 1 Pet. 2.24 The body of Christ say the Familists and Antinomians is his Church Now the Church is his mysticall body but Christ had and yet hath another true real naturall body besides his body the Church This seemeth to mee to bee the doctrine of M. Saltmarsh who in his latest peece that I cannot now examine this worke being printed but it is the very picture of the spirit of Henry Nicholas giveth hints that Christ is not true man Sparkles of glory p. 39. The baptisme of Jesus Christ is that whereby wee are baptized into his body Now his body is a spirituall one and fashioning like his gloryous one that place Phil. 3.20 21 that speakes of Christs naturall body Saltmarsh exponeth of his mysticall body the Church as if Christ had not another body then his Church his mysticall body Now Christs mysticall body suffered not on the Crosse for our sinnes And pag. 43. When Jesus saith he went out of flesh into spirit or ascended he confirmed this ministration c. Then Christs ascension to heaven in his manhood is not locall and visible though the scripture say Act. 1. His Disciples saw him locally and visibly ascend and the Angels said these men of Galilie should see him after the same manner come to judgement but his ascension is but his leaving of his flesh or mysticall body on earth and being turned into a spirit or his entring in a more spirituall and glorious being into heaven and if this bee true that his ascension is but his going out of flesh into spirit then hath not Christ taken our nature and flesh and a mans heart to heaven with him that hee may be touched with our infirmities Contrary to these Scriptures Eph. 2. ver 6. Phi. 3.20.21 Heb. 4.14 15. Heb. 7.24 25 26. Heb. 10.20 21. Againe by blood in scripture is never meant the power or life of God How shall wee then make sense of that Heb. 2.14 For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill And what is that but he was true man v. 17. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to bee made like unto his bretheren that he might be a mercifull High-Priest Now the Children were not partakers of flesh and blood that is of weakenesse and the power of God or the God-head for so Familists expone flesh and blood except we say that every beleever is both borne of the seed of David according to the flesh and is God blessed for ever A horrible blasphemy for so Christ Rom. 9. partakes of flesh and blood according to the Familists way And this way of changing all histories of the word in allegories is the way to elude all truth When it is said God created the Heaven and the Earth the Sea Man Beasts Birds Fishes wee must make the world an Imaginary and Metaphoricall world the Creation must be but an allegorie men must be figures allegories and metaphors so must heaven earth sea land birds fishes be metaphors for there is as true a reall history of all that Jesus did and said untill the day he was taken up to heaven Act. 1.1 2. As of all other true histories in the word Else Familists puts us to a stand in all the Articles of our faith I confesse the way that Del and the Familists take when they cite these words for an internall word and a spirituall and allegorick sense besides the litterall sense The words that I speake are spirit and life Is an unavoydable way to elude all scripture and M. Beacon in his Catechisme while he cleare himselfe is a grosse Familist to mee for he speaking of Christ crucified turnes all Christ in a Metaphoricall Imaginary Christ in these words pag. 137. Q. how long did this suffering last A. Till he gave up the Ghost Q. Who was crucified hereby A. The old man Q. What was the old man A. The sinfull man Q. Is the sinfull man ceased A. Yes in Christ. Q. How so A. He was left nailed on the crosse These words who was crucified in a Catechisme aske in what nature Christ suffered and whether or no Christ God man in regard of communion of properties may be said to suffer Who did suffer Now he should answer the Lord of life in his humane nature But passing the answer touching all personall and materiall sufferings of Christ which is a speciall and fundamentall article of our faith and ought not to be omitted in a Catechisme he cometh to a morall suffering of the body of sin by influence of Christs death on our soules now first and primarily Christ himselfe was nailed to the Crosse as a sacrifice for our sinnes this is omitted by Beacon secondarily as a fruit of his death the Old-man is crucified with him Rom. 6. but not as Beacon means that the Old-man is ceased and we sin no more being once justified as if the Old-man were perfectly crucified as he answereth And it is true that Christs dying teacheth us to die to sinne and so Christs death is spiritually to be exponâd where the scripture exponeth it as Rom. 6.1 2 3 and 1 Pet. 1.23 24. and else where But that is no ground for Papists Antinomians and Familists to take away all the truth of histories touching Christ his incarnation death resurrection ascension sitting at the right hand of God redeeming of the world heaven and hell and to subvert our faith and change all in spirituall and allegoricall senses under pretence of a spirituall Gospel-preaching we cannot then by the learning of these Jugglers expone the story of the drowning of the world by waters but of allegoricall men allegoricall drowning not literally For if we expone the stories of the Scripture literally Familists say we are literall expositers and know nothing of the spirit and spirituall learning 7 These Familists teach that Christ reveales his will by no voyce but the voyce of the Spirit in the Saints p. 104. that is the internall Spirit and word is our onely rule and not the writen word
works of the Spirit and works of all Spirit and perfect according to the rigor of the Law for the acts of the pure Spirit admitting of no retardment pollution or sinne from our nature must be as perfect as pure works of Angels And if our naturall faculties be not wholly dead they are but acts of the creature as the creature then are all our supernaturall personall duties no lesse perfect and sinlesse then the imputed righteousnesse and actings of Christ. 2. Then the holy Spirit onely is to be blamed when either the Saints pray not or pray not in the Spirit or not with that fervor faith feeling and pure spirituality that God requireth in his holy word this if any thing is a pillow of security 3. So all the exhortations to pray continually to act and work out our salvation in feare to love the brethren must be given to the holy Ghost not to us the contrary whereof is evident we the Saints not God not the Spirit of God are exhorted to praying and acts supernaturall which cannot be if the Saints have no more active influence in all these then stones blocks have for that is none at all then are we meere passive and dead in all these then must a praying Christian be God or his Spirit manifested in the flesh as to this and a Christian beleeving praising is the like CHAP. XXIII Praying a Law-bondage the letter of the word no obliging Rule to those that are in the Spirit by the way of Saltmarsh 22. WHile Christians are in bondage and not yet brought into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Rom. 8. they are under the ministration of prayer as children are to a Father in nonage vnd âupillage Sparkles p. 232. A. His sense is that the Saints may be in a state of not praying at all in this life but taking bondage for a state of frailty absence froÌ God it is true praying argueth some Bondage want of full and compleat redemption that we as women travelling in birth long after But Saltmarsh meaneth of Legall Bondage and feare of the curse and fleshly and carnall feare and most blasphemously he makes Pauls thrice praying to remove the Messenger of Satan Christs thrice praying O my Father if it be possible remove this cup not be praying in the spâirit but in weaknesse or the flesh according to their own wills which must make praying in faith to be in the same act praying out of legall and fleshly unbeliefe and make Christ under a fit of unbeliefe and not to pray in the Spirit when he said Remove this Cup c. Now Saltmarsh could not have brought a place more against himselfe to prove that prayer is not a fit of Legall bondage then Rom. 8. For it is said v. 15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to feare but the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 23. The meere Commandements and letter of Scripture is not a Law to a Christian why he should walk in duties but the law written in our hearts Sparkles page 243 245. Ans. Then the written Gospel and promises of the new Covenant obligeth not a beleever to pray beleeve give almes or not to kill his father or King but when the H. Ghost breatheth in the soule to doe these duties then if a beleever whoore swear kill rob blaspheme misbeleeve c. he sinnes not against any command in Law or Gospel because the holy Spirit acted him not to abstain and God the holy Ghost is the onely cause of all the sinnes of the Saints because he concurres not with more then the letter even with saving grace to prevent these sinnes Wee sinne not in not praying not beleeving when the grace of God joyns not then a man being in Christ may whore rob blaspheme misbeleeve c. if God wil be wanting to him with his flowings and outâshinings of free grace let him see to it blame himselfe he fails against no Law Commandement or Obligation Libertines taught the very same to wit That God is the onely cause of sin no creature Man nor Angel is to be rebuked or punished for sin God sinnes in them Oh blasphemy 2. We never said that the meer Commandements and Letter of the Scripture is our obliging rule as the Letter is a thing of Ink and a Paper divided from the naturall and genuine sense but as it includes the things signified and as it expresseth to us what is the good perfect and acceptable will of God which will obligeth Christians with an obligation different from any obligation that the Lâw written in the heart layes on us But this is as much as when a Sectary being justified robbeth and killeth the innocent hee fails nothing against this written commandement Thou shalt not murther and a Saint cannot sinne yea if the Law written in the heart excite him not to abâtaine he sinnes against no commandement of God but the Law written in the heart is the new creation as acting which cannot be a Regula or Rule but a regulatum a thing ruled and this is to make the Spirit within us not the spirit as speaking in the Word the formall object of our faith the Judge of controversies and that is then lawfull that every unwarranted spirit biddeth us doe and beleeve 3. The Law written in our hearts is either an obliging Law to the Christian because it is onely written in the heart or because it is written in the Scripture or agreeable to that which is written in the Scripture If the former be said then is the impulsion of the Spirit in the heart without any relation to the Word our warrant this is nothing but Scripture lesse revelation if then a Spirit in the heart comand Becold Knippeâdââing to âoe aâts of murther and Rebellion âs they did they ãâã in not obeying these impulsions which yet are contrary to the revealed will of God Now it is a contradiction iâ one and the same act to obey the revealed will of God and that lawfully and not to obey it and that also lawfully If this heart-law be an obliging law because it is also written in the Scripture then is the meere Commandemement and Letter of the Scripture the last obliging law at least to a Christian. And then yet when the Spirit does not conjoyne his sweetest breathings to procure in us an holy abstinence from murther harlotry perjury but the Christian falls in these sinnes he sinnes not because no man sinnes when he doth what he is not obliged to forbeare or not to doe For every one that sinneth doth against an obliging Rule But when there is no inspiration nor actuall moving or stirring law in the heart there is no obliging Rule at all that the Christian can contravene For if the law in the heart be the onely Rule that obligeth a Christian it must oblige as it stirreth and moveth us then when it stirres or works not it
3. The whole frame of the creation here is put out of order v. 10.11 4. It is the day that shall come as a Thiefe in the night which is the day of judgement Matth. 24.43 44. 1 Thess. 5.1.2 5. It is the day before which God will gather in his own willing them to be saved 6. It is called The day of the Lord v. 4.9 10. I should not spend time to refute such new dreames 28. Page 262 263. Saltmarsh censures the Lords Prayer as a legall peece because it sayes Our Father which art in heaven but as we are not to dreame of a locall God so neither should our thoughts be creeping low and clayie in prayer 29. The Spirituall Christian knowes no Sabbath but the bosome of the Father 266. Answ. No wonder Antinomians destroy the fourth Commandement they destroy the other nine and all the letter of the Bible as fleshly and a killing Letter I beleeve the Lords day is morall and perpetually morall till Christs comming from Gen. 2.2 Exod. 20.8 Deut. 5.12 Matth. 24.20 John 19.42 Luke 24.56 1 Cor. 16.1 Acts 20.7 Rev. 1.10 Let Saltmarsh and Familists call for the book of sports on the Lords day I knew never any truly Godly in either Kingdom despise the Lords day 30. The Scriptures or writings are the true Scriptures not as they are meerly in their Grammaticall construction sense or common reading which any that understand the Hebrew and Greek may perceive And according to such and such interpretations are not to be imposed as meere things of Faith and Fundamentals but so farre as the Spirit of God reveales them to be the very mind of God else they are received for the authority of Man The Pharisees had the Scriptures in the Letter Answ. Scriptures are not the word of God but in their Grammaticall sense and reading otherwise Jewes and Pharisees have not the Scriptures in the letter that is in the true literall sense for the Pharisees corrupted the Scriptures and made them null the literall sense is the most spirituall sense because Familisticall and Popish allegories and new-light-senses are wild-fire not Gods word Saltmarsh and H.N. doe as corruptly also expone Scripture as the Pharisees did of old For example 1 Tim. 3. God manifested in the flesh and Zach. 13.3 4 5. and 2 Pet. 3.1 2 3 4 c. and Rom. 5. that notable place concerning the first and second Adam and 2 Thess. 2. and the place Rev. 11.1 2. where Saltmarsh saith p. 17. the outer Court of the Temple troden upon by the Gentiles is the flesh and first creation and all outward administrations and many the like so as they leave off to be the word of God being abused by their phantasticall allegories and senses that are not the minde of the Spirit nor his scope 2. If yee receive not Fundamentals but in so far as the Spirit reveales them in the literall sense yee doe well But a naturall Spirit may receive the Orthodox sound sense and be farre from inward revelation that makes the word effectuall 3. We will no man to receive the Word beleevingly because men or Churches command so to doe But of this before the same is Swenckfields argument CHAP. XXVII How Ordinances and the letter of the Word are Instruments of conveying of Christ and his grace âo us and neither adored of us nor uselesse to us 31. NO outward Ordinance or Ministration of the Creature or of Letter can convey or conferre any spirituall thing they are but images or shadowes of spirituall things the seeing of things darkly as in a glasse 1 Cor. 13. Sparkles of glory p. 247. Answ. This is that which Swenckfield and Mr. Dell and all Libertines teach that the written read and preached Word is no instrument of saving soules because it is not an effectual instrument without the Spirit but the word internall or the Spirit within teaching must be all then is every mans inward word Spirit Conscience his Bible Rule and obliging Lâw and every man is obliged to follow his blind guide his consciencâ and then he is not infallible Hence no compulsion in matters of Conscience yea nor in Polygamy murther For the Word is no Rule say Familists 2. There is not one faith but every man hath a faith and Religion of his own by which he is saved 32 Saltmarsh now riseth higher for whereas he said Free grace c. 49. p. 179 180. To doe any thing merely as commanded from the power of an outward commandement brings but forth legall and mixt service or at best finer hypocrisie Now hee saith in his Sparkles of glory now the outward Ordinance or ministration of the creature or of the letter cannot convey spirituall things to us and epist. to the Reader p. 6. The other opinion of Protestants is that the letting up of such a forme of worshiping God in ordinances scripture letter of the word praying faith habits of graces c. is an immediate way of fixing God and his Spirit upon it which is indeed a finer kind of Idolatry to conceive that God enters into outâard things and conveys his al-glorious and allmighty spirit by them when as they are onely signes figures and Images of more spirituall things injoyed or to be injoyed and that of Gods appearance and conveyance of himselfe in outward things according to this opinion is such as the Papists hold as to Images c. Or things conferring grace ex opere operato and all Idolaters accordingly conceiving that God immediatly informes and glorifies and spiritualizeth those formes and figures to the beholders as the Israelites when the Calfe was made cryed these are thy Gods O Israel I know Ordinances used in their true nature and as things that are the parables figures and types of spirituall thingâ are not to be rejected but many Christians doe sweetly partake of them in this their estate of weakenesse or bondage wherein God makes heavenly things appeare by earthly that men as Thomas may see and beleeve though blessed are they that have not seene and yet doe beleeve Thâre is something of the mystery of God in this and somâthing of a mystery of Sathan in it That of God is this that the Lord doth in much wisdome suffer the weakenesse of some spirituall men to come forth and by this hee carieth spirituall things in more mystery and manageth the glory of his spirit through wayes and things which are an offence and scandal before the world by which some stumble and fall and are broken Christ was set up for the falling as well as rising of many in Israel That of Sathan is this of reproaching the pure spirit of God by reproaches viz. Of praying by the spirit and preaching by the spirit and new revelations and new lights thus making the world blaspheme and the weaker Saints affraid of the glory of the spirit lest it proove delusions Answ. Here is good Reader a more avowed reproaching of the wisdome of
the same way at preaching calling it Idolatry as these that were lost break their necks upon the preaching of the Gospell as foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1.18.23 And these that stumbled at the word 1 Pet. 1.2.8 stumbled not at the internal word and the law written in their heart the only word of Swinckefeld and Familists but at the externall word preached for they never knew the internall word 2. When saith he Protestants set up such a form of worshipping God in Ordinances hearing searching the Scriptures reading praying seales it is an immediate way of fixing God and his Spirit upon it and indeed a finer kinde of Idolatry to conceive that God enters into outward things he means the written and preached Scriptures Sacraments praying hearing c. so the Antichristian Beast H. Nicholas speaketh Evangely or joyfull message of the Kingdome chap. 34. But the while now that the Figurative Services and ceremonies of the Christians flourished in their vigor he hath raised up me H. N. H. Nicholas meaneth hearing reading of Scripâures and all outward Ordinances which he calleth Figurative Services and Ceremonies and Saltmarsh saith worshipping God according to the Scriptures is an immediate way of fixing God and his Spirit to this forme To Scriptures and Ordinances then he giveth us his good leave except we would be finer Idolaters to follow the Spirit without and beside the Scripture For the Scripture is but a Form and a thing of Figures and Letters And though the Lord and his Spirit be not tyed or fixed to Scriptures yet are we tyed to the Law and Testimony and if any spirit any Apostle Paul any H. N. or Saltmarsh will lead us by a Spirit with another Gospel we pronounce him accursed Esay 8.20 Gal. 1.8 2 Joh. 10. 3. We confesse if to tremble at the Word as Josiah did 2 Kings 22.19 and these in whom God dwelleth Esay 66.1 2. Esay 57.15 be a making of an Idoll of the Word and a Legall service then did God command and reward Idolatry in the old Testament which is abominable and then we professe that wee under the new Testament worship God after the way which these men call Idolatry but mourning and shedding of teares at the seeing of him in the Word preached whom we have pierced Zach. 12.10 11 12. is no Legall Idolatry but a Prophesie to be fulfilled under the kingdome of the Messiah and when the Saints are pricked in heart and tremble at the Word preached Acts 2.37.38 Acts 9.5 6. Acts 16.29 30. Luke 7.37 38. They adore not the Letters nor sounds of the Word but God that conveyes himselfe to their soules by these meanes of his own appointing 3. It is abominably false that God conveyes himselfe in outward things as Papists say he conveyes himselfe to the soule by Images For Images or Portraits of God are in themselves religious meanes of worship utterly unlawfull and forbidden in the second Commandement when as Ordinances are lawfull conveyances of God to sinners 1 Cor. 1.18 For the preaching of the Crosse is to them that perish foolishnesse but unto us who are saved it is the power of God 21. It pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save such as beleeve 23. But we preach Christ crucified to the Jewes a stumbling-block to the Grecians foolishnesse 24. But unto them that are called both Jewes and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God Rom. 1.16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that beleeveth to the Jew first and also to the Greek 1 Cor. 2.4 5. 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Rev. 1.16 and this is never said of Images in old or new Testament 4 We utterly deny that God immediatly informes glorifies and spiritualizeth these forms and figures as the Israelites thought that God informed the Calfe If any idolize the preached or written Word it is not our doctrine nor did Saltmarsh ever aim to prove any such thing to be our doctrine or that the Word heard conferreth grace ex opere operato If hearing be not mixed with faith it profiteth nothing the carnall moralist dreameth that formes and Church-service will save him but Protestants teach no such thing 5. Ordinances are not meere figures and signes but holy divine powerfull signes like a Hammer a two edged Sword weapons mighty through God and the life majesty divinity power heaven that is in the Word doe be-ly Familists Therefore it is false that in their nature they are but Parables Figures and Types For the words and letters are so but in their sence as they include the thing signâfiâd they are another thing of a higher straine 6 These Ordinances are the everlasting Gospel the Covenant the Lords Supper in which we annunciate the Lords death till he come again 1 Cor. 11.26 and therefore are not for the state of bondage onely 7. Nor are Ordinances earthly things but lively spirituall heavenly treasures 2 Cor. 4.7 8. Who ever exponed Scripture as Saltmarsh and Familists doe For he calls the seeing groping and feeling of the holes in Christs side and the print of the nailes in his hands and feet the ordinances of the written and preached Word and Seales or Sacraments by which he clearly insinuates that some never enjoy ordinances of Word Scripture and Seales and yet beleeve in Christ as âhriât saith that âome never saw never gropâd the holes in his ãâã and side âs Thomas did yet do beleeve and so are more blâssâd theâ Thomas But let Saltmarsh shew who are these who beleeve and yet their faith came not by hearing contrary to Rom. 10.14 9. It is true Christ preached and conveyed to the soules of men by the foolishnesse of preaching is a scandall to many But not that only but that Christ onây so low despicable as a Saviour shamed crucified cursed rejected should be the Saviour of the world and the way to eternall happinesse is the great scandall so it is not the Letter or sound âf words or the foolishnesse of Figures and Signes that occasioneth mens stumbling at Christ but the thing signified in this letter and sound of words For the Grecians and great wits of the world did convey their happines they promised to men by Characters Letters and figures namely by the Divine writings of Plato Aristotle Cicero Seneca Socrates and so did the wise Philosophers who by words and grave sentences would make their Disciples and their Sectaries happy Then Christ is not appoynted for the ruine of men and to be a snaâe because he conveyeâh himselfe his Spirit and faith salvation and grace by words but by words of so despicable and base a Redeemer as Maâies Son hanged on a tree 10. We cast no reproaches on the Spirit but are as much for praying by the Spirit preaching by the Spirit as he but not by the Spirit separated from the Word Revelations Such 1. as the Word knoweth not 2.
Revelations contrary to the woâd for the Scripture saith the justified person can sin must confesse sin because God is faithfull to forgive But Antinomians say the spirit that exponeth Scripture to them without arguing discoursing reasoning or comparing Scripture with Scripture but by an immediate revelation teacheth that the justified cannot sinne are not to confesse sinne and that they are no more to sorrow for sinne then âo goe backe again to Legall bondage after they are justifiâd in Christ which is contradicent to the word of Truth and therefore such a spirit wee know not 11. The weaker are much dâlâded by Sâltmarsh and his if they beleeve a Spirit separated from thâ Word CHAP. XXVIII Of our assurance and comfort from Acts of free Grace 33. THe pure rationall and glorious assurance of salvation comes from the pure manifestation of the Spirit bearing witnesse This is the white stone Rev. 2.17 The unction whereby we know all things 1 John 2.20 and the things freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 There is assurance 1. by Reason or the meere light of nature and works of this creation as in Job and Cornelius but sure there is no salvation out of Christ. 2. By graces gifts or fruits of the Spirit selfe-deniall faith repentance and by the Letter Promises or outward Ordinances or duties this assurance is of no higher and clearer and more glorius certainty then God through these doth afford and that is darkly as the Apostle saith as in a glasse Paul Hobson who speaketh more congruously to Scripture then any of this way I read saith he speaking of our joy It is one thing to rejoyce in an act and another thing to draw our joy from an act It is one thing to rejoyce in our sutable walking up to a Rule another thing to draw our joy and refreshing from the apprehension of a sutablenesse betwixt the Act and the Rule Men may pray and mourne for sinne or perform any other particular duty and have much joy in that opportunity and yet not draw their joy from it but onely their joy is distilled from a sâcret in-come of Christ which carries them above it while they are acted in it but these poore soules they onely are joyfull when they see they act suitable to a Rule and they draw their joy from that suitablenesse which appeares in this that if their suitablenesse flagge their joy is destroyed I doe not say but that every sin eâought to produce sorrow in us but it is one thing to mourn for sinne ânâoying faith with peace and another thing to mourn for sin to confirm faith and to beget peace Answ. 1. I deny not but there is a pure and immediate assurance that floweth from the witnesse of the Spirit Rom. 8.16 2 Cor. 1 21 22. Eph. 1.13 14. So as the shining of the Suâne maketh evidenâ that it is day without a syllogisme and discourse and the seeing of the mother teacheth the Lamb without any argumentative light to follow the mother and to follow no other And the Sun-shine of glory on the soule teacheth it is in a state of happinesse with immediate light but I utterly deny that in every moment of time when the person beleeveth he is assured he is in the state of salvation for this reflect assurance is not essentiall to faith Many beleeve and say My God and yet complain that God forgetteth them and shuttâth up their prayers and casteth off their soule as is cleare in prayers put up to God in faith in which the Saints want assurance Psalm 22.1 2 Psalm 31.22 Jonah 2.4 Esay 49.14 15. Cant. 5.4 6.7 Cant. 3.1 2 3 4 5. 2. Many doubt and these both godly and learned of the immediate word and testimony of the Spirit they say it is from signes and effects of saving grace by which as by Arguments the Spirit testifies that we are the children of God as thus He that beleeves and loves the brethren and hath a hope causing a man to purifie himselfe is in the state of salvation But I am such an one therefore I am in the state of salvation Both the Major and Assumption may be witnessed by the Spirit of God and our own sense And the places alledged by Saltmarsh speak not of the way or the manner how the Spirit the white stone the âunction doth teach us or bear witnes they onely say they beare witnes and teach but say nothing of the manner and if the Spirit teach us to know the things freely given to us of God and the annoynting teach us all things then far more doth the Spirits anointing teach us that we are the Sonnes of God because we love the Brethren because we beleeve and saith is our victory by which we overcome the world 3 There is assurance by reason of the meer light of nature and works of this Creation that there is a God and that hee rewardeth them that seeke him but that men have assurance of salvation or that they are in a state of salvation as Salâmarsh his title of the Chapter intimateth or that Job and Cornelius have assurance or salvation by reason or the meer light of nature and works of this Creation is the new Divinity of Jesuits but hath no warrant in the Scriptures and that Job and Cornelius were voyd of all Gospell-revelation is contrary to Job 19.25 26.27 Act. 10.1 2 3 4 5 6.34 35 4 Far lesse was it ever heard that Protestants teach that men may have assurance of salvation from the mâer letter of scripture Saltmarsh fathers many untruths on Protestants to make his own way of all spirit taketh better with the people 5 I ââove else where that the way of assurance by divers places of Scripture âs rationââl and Argumentative and that most of all the Articles of our faith in the new Testament are proved ãâã from the old nor are the assurance of the spirit and âationâll and argumentative discourses of the ãâã contrary one âo another For the Holy spirit almost iâ every ãâã of scripture is an arguing spirit and infers on conclusion from an antecedent and from an other conclusion 6 Nor did we ever teach men to build assurance on meer outward duties done without the grace of Christ. 7 Nor can the assurance by the immediate testimony of the spirit be more cleare and glorious then God doth afford light more then certainty by signes and effects can be 8 It is a wonder to me that Saltmarsh so undervalueth all assurances by effects and works of grace so as they assuâe us darkly as in a glasse Then the immediate Testimony of his all spirit must yeeld an higher âvidence ãâã darkely and in a glasse this must be the light of the immediate vision of God in heaven Hence Familists will but have the day light of moââing or noone day glory shinâ on us in this life whereas the Apostle makes all the light we have in this life to be darke and in a
the crosse all the naturall faculties power and excellencies that the Creator gave to us when we were created and nailing these to the crosse was Christs crucifying of the flesh and we are the same way crucified with Christ as so many joynt Saviours with him by suffering afflictions and in place of this crucified flesh all the Saints have the Spirit to act in them and our conversion to God or restauration in the second Adam is in that we are made againe in Christ partakers of the divine nature and of the substantiall being of God or godded with the new heavenly being of God in love and Christed with Christ and turned when we are perfectly renewed into all spirit Saltmarsh Sparkles of glory pag. 71. And the naturall faculties of our soule mind will affections are in our conversion removed and in place of them comes the very Holy Ghost in person and very Christ himselfe acts in us Rise Reigne Ruine of Antino art 1. art 2. pag. 1. and lives in us not by faith and created grace but substantially and personally and for this they alledge Gal. 2.20 I live not but Christ lives in me and so neither our naturall power or any thing nor is created grace any thing but Christ is all in all CHAP. XXX Familists will have all externals indifferent 2. SAltm saith Christians should live in the unity of the Spirit under their severall formes and attaintments Now by forms and attaintments he meanes Prelacie Presbyterie Independencie yea Poperie and all outward worship and ordinances of which he saith there is no forme nor model in the letter of the Scriptures and so he maketh the Scriptures as unperfect as the Papists doe the one dreaming of a Spirit in the breast of the Pope and cursed Clergie to be the master of our faith the other an Anabaptisticall Spirit of unwritten revelations to be our leader and they reproach the word of God as formes characters figures a faith Ceremoniall and figurative services out of the knowledge of the Scripture as H.N. saith Evang. ch 34. sent 10. And by Christians he meanes Saints of divers and contrary sects wayes Religions such as is the Chaos of a Church in the Sectaries Army in which there are Arrians that say Christ was but a mere godly man Antitrinitarians Socinians Arminians Seekers Anabaptists most of them all being Arminians Familists Antinomians Enthysiasts and all these should agree in the unity of the Spirit and as he saith after pag. 20. in these outward things they ought to please one another to edification Rom. 13.10 Rom. 8.2 Col. 2.20 the Law of love and spirit or life being more royall and excellent then any worldly rudiments whatsoever Now it is cleare that his meaning is they should keep the unity of the Spirit and please one another in all outward things as Rom. 15.1.2 so I thinke he should cite the place that is doe as Anabaptists among Anabaptists be a Presbyterian among Presbyterians an Independent among Independents Prelaticall among Prelaticall men that we offend not one another because the Law of loving our neighbour is above being baptised or not baptised and using of the signe of the crosse or not using it and all the five Popish bastard Sacraments are lesse then loving our brother upon this ground Familists make all externalls free and indifferent and so doth Oliver Crumwell in his letter to the House of Commons 1645. which I set downe here that many in both Kingdomes who looked on him as a godly man may be satisfied toward him whether he favour Familisme or no for it smelleth rankly of that fleshly sect it was printed before by Authority Presbyterians Independents all have here the same Spirit of faith and prayer the same presence and answer they agree here know no names of difference pity it is it should be otherwise any where All that beleeve have the reall unity which is most glorious because inward and spirituall in the body and to the head for being united in formes commonly called uniformity every Christian will for peace sake study and doe as far as conscience will permit and from Brethren in things of the minde we looke for no compulsion but that of light and reason in other things God hath put the sword in the Parliaments hands for the terror of evill doers and the praise of them that doe well if any plead exemption from it he knows not the Gospell if any would wring it out of your hands or steale it from you under what pretence soever I hope they shall doe it without effect that God will maintaine it in your hand and direct you in the use thereof is the prayer of Now because this Letter was publickly Printed and containes doctrine unsound and scandalous to me and many other every Christian is obliged to be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in him with meeknesse and fear 1 Pet. 3.15 especially when he giveth a publick scandall of unsoundnesse in the faith I thought my selfe tyed in conscience and others are debters to me for the same freedome of conscience in the truth which they crave to themselves in errors and hereâies to shew how scandalous and unsound this Letter is Presâyterians Independents all have the same Spirit of faith and prayer the same presence and answâr Answ. This is no just enumeration to prove the inward and spirituall unity in the Army which he intends for there bee in the Army Socinians Arminians Anabaptists and by name Jo. Saltmarsh Mr. Del and Seekers who in Print disclaime both Presbyterians and Independents and to my knowledge there is not this day in England any that is a mere Independent which maintaineth nothing but Independencie with moât of these of N. England and does not hold other unsound and corrupt tenets especially that of Liberty of conscience which bordereth with Atheisme Scepticisme and with all faiths and no faith 2. I am not of the Authors minde that Presbyterians and Independents as now they are can have the same spirit of faith and prayer except we say with H Nicholas the first Elder of the family of love that all externalls in Religion Presbyterians Independents Popes Cardinals Bishops Priests Deacons Sextons Services Ceremonies yea and the Church of Rome till contentions arose about these as H N. Evangelie c. 32. c. 33. saith are indifferent and no wayes unlawfull H. N. saith his followers are subject to no Gods no Lawes or Ceremonies but only to the Lord their God and to his most holy service of love they are not likewise subject in bondage unto the creatures neither yet to any created thing but only to the Creator c all their life minde and delight only is in God and God himselfe likewise with his mind life or Spirit is in them and they are even so of one conformity or substance with each other namely God and his people of peace Spirit l. and c. 55. l. 9. No
unity but imaginary unity because outward and in visible formes before men not inward not spirituall not most glorious so are whoring lying chambering sinnes in the justified only before men and done by the flesh not sinnes before God nor against any Law all that preach duties and against such sinnes to our Familists are literall outside carnall and legall preachers to H. Nicholas Evang. c. 4. s. 4. unilluminated unregenerated unrenewed ungodded unsent all because they are Scripture-learned and to these men the Scripture is but as formes and outward things and so no sin to neglect it there is no unity of professing hearing speaking the same truth of walking as the Redeemed of the Lord. Love in the heart is all H. Nich. 1 Exhor c. 16. s. 2. calleth all Ordinances and Chriâtian walking in Christ false exercises or usages which beare a godly shew 1. The Author will have no reall unity but inward and spirituall What then is become of all outward Ordinances that have an outside by Christs appointment answering to an inside and these two united make but one and the same spirituall Ordinance for the body followeth the soule and both follow the Spirit of Jesus according to the written word and the vocall praying the preaching the hearing visibly acted by a beleever in the outward is no lesse spirituall when inside and outside both joyne with the word and Spirit then the inward acts of the minde transacted only within the soule This Author following H. Nicholas and Mr. Del and Saltmarsh would exclude all unity in the body to the head that consists in outward Ordinances as if Christ were not the head of the body visible and of the true visible Church as well as of the invisible Church and as if Christ as the head of the Church did not command and appoint there should bee a visible Ministery an externall Church-government which is spirituall and outward Ordinances of hearing preaching praying Sacraments written word of the old and new Testament but had left all these free to men therefore H Nicholas condemns all knowledge of the Scriptures as Ceremoniall false literall and fleshly wisdome So his Epist. to the two daughters of Warwicke speakes and Evangel ch 34. he rejects the figurative services and Ceremonies that arise from the knowledge of the Scriptures as contrary to the spirituall and inward service of the holy being of God in love and godly wisdome Therefore these Authors call the word of God and externall Ordinances nothing but formes the letter characters figures flesh or externall fleshly Ordinances that perish with the using and are no better then the Ceremonies of Moses Law that are gone and buried and may not be used Saltmars Sparkles of glory p 293.287 288 243 244 245 246 247. Del uniformity examined pag. 7.8 wee know Familists and especially Mr. Dels Sermon before the House of Commons p. 7 8 9 10 18 19 c. cryes downe all Reformation but that which is of the heart and inward and spirituall So Saltmarsh Sparkles p. 217. And this Antichrist is one who denyes Christ comming in the flesh or God in his people who is comming and comming that is ever flowing out in fresh and glorious discoveries and manifestations of himselfe forbidding all beyond them as new lights and false revelations and fixing God and his appearances in their conceptions votes and results and councels and consequents and Lawes of worship In which you see these are one and the same denying Christ comming in the flesh and denying his comming in fresh and glorious discoveries of himselfe then must God incarnate and manifested in the flesh and borne of a woman and of the seed of David be nothing but God by his Spirit opening a new light of Familisme as H. N. taught every spirituall man was Christ and there was not another second Adam and every sinning man the first Adam 2. Christ in the flesh is but a forme and flesh and to bee under his heavenly and spirituall teaching as he preacheth Matth. 13. Joh. 13. Joh. 15 16 17. c. is to bee under the Law and the bondage thereof as under a more legall Christ then that of all Spirit and pure and glorious Spirit It is most considerable that Familists and Antinomians who make every Saint to be Godded and Christed with the godly being make every beleever to be God manifested in the flesh And as Papists make as many hosts as many Christs in their dreame of Transubstantiation so only Familists and Papists multiply many Christs to us and no doubt Christ had an eye to both but specially to Familists Matth. 24.23 then if any man say unto you Loe here is Christ or loe there is Christ beleeve it not 24. For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets c. 3. The forbidding of new lights and new discoveries of God beyond what is revealed in the Scripture to which under pain of a curse we may not adde Rev. 22.17.18 is unlawfull because the scripture to Saltmarsh is but a forme that perisheth with the using and to Familists a fixing of God Idolatrously wâthin created formes Vnion in formes commonly called Vniformity every Christian for peace sake will study Why should the Authour speake of Uniformity with such an estranging and detestable expression for with his hand lifted up to the most high God he swears to endeavour to bring the Churchâs of God in the three Kingdomes to the nearest Vniformity in Religion confession of faith forme of Church government Now by uniformity we understand not figures words characters which we tye no man too so they speake not as Hereticks and Familists who tell us of an incarnating of God in every Saint or a Godding a Christing of a Creature see H. Nicholas Evange c. 34. Nor doe we meane union in time places persons as Mr. Del ignorantly phancies in his Vniformity examined he may examine his owne examination for he speakes he knowes not what by Vniformity we meane union in the things and in the true Doctrine and substantial practises of faith worship government of the Church in the fundamentals But the Arguments of Del and other Familists prove that the Saints are not to be taught by any ordinances preaching reading hearing I should be glad this Authour were neither of the faith of Del nor Saltmarsh but hâs letter smellâth rankly of them Yea by this way all England are licenced ãâã doe what they list on the Lords day and the Booke of spoââs licencing all Plays and pasttimes from morning till night on the Lords day must be called for agaâne which ãâ¦ã Bishops were ashamed of for Vniformity of all Christians and Churches to âeâpe the Lords day is but a form and no spirituall worship to Familists Del saith the spirituall Church is taught by the anoynting the carnall Church by councels By this the Familists dâny all Oathes and Covenants and abjuration of false Doctrine under the new Testament in which they will
have nothing but inward spirituall worship and say now it was unlawfull to take âhe Covenant and the deepest Familists say it was at that time dangerous to refuse the Covenânt and they might lawfully take it and keepe their heart to God for H. N. Epistle to the Daughters of Warwick so teacheth Now councels as sermons and preaching and the written word are but formes to these men Anoynting is the work of the alone Holy Ghost 1 John 2.27 and no worke of men and they are all carnall âen or such as H. Nicholas speaketh are wise with Worldly Antichristian false and fleshly wisdome 2 He tels us the New Testament worship consisteth in faith hope love and citeth John 4.23 and Paul preached at Troas and administred the Lords Supper till breake of day all that beleeved were together and continued daily in the Temple and did breake bread from house to house here was union but not a word of externall Vniformitie Answ. Here was all the Uniformity we crave for that which Peter preached in one house Matthew or another Apostle preached not the same very words and in the same forme of Grammer but all the twelve preached the same thing in Doctrine prayed for the same thing all administred received the Supper of the Lord according to the Institution of Christ all did sit at table all did take break and eate all did drink after the elements were blessed this Uniformity or unity cal it as you will we seeke and an union in the externall acts and ordinances but this unity is not among Presbyterians Familists Antinomians Arrians neither Doctrine nor praying nor beleeving of these same fundamentals are one as the letter would say for if all have love and all give faith and beleife to the dictats of their Conscience and a Spirit leading without scripture This unity sufficeth not though Familists beleeve Christ is not God incarnate yet we beleeve he is God incarnate though Antinomians beleive a justified man cannot sin needs not coÌfesse nor sorrow for sin yet we beleive the just contrary here is neither unity say we nor uniformity we have unity of faith hope love say Familists but no uniformity because there is an indifferency in what ye beleeve if yee beleeve what Conscience or an Enthysiasticall spirit speake to you it is all one you have true faith and true love By the way of these men The Unâformity that Familists cry downe is the tying of the spirit and his various working to one form and way of working for this were to rule order inlarge and straighten the spirit of God by the spirit of man saith Del. But we judge Familists to be ignorant of the state of the question For the preaching and worshipping of God in spirit and truth is not the thing in question but how the outward Ordinances whither the spirit concurre with them or concurre not ought to be ordered we say God hath not left men at freedome to follow the dictates of Conscience at will which often is conceit not Conscience the word regulateth us sufficiently that we looke to the rules of edification charity prudency order decency and especially the word of God But the mystery is this all outward things are indifferent and we are to please one another in them and the spirit without the word is a rule to us in the ordering of externals We heare Saltmarsh and M. Beacon say we must please one another in love in outward things so H. Nicholas saith paterne of the pres Temp. The Services and Ceremonies he meanes all the Idolatrous service of the Church of Rome shall not save any one without the good nature of Jesus Christ and of his service of love nor yet condemne any one in that good nature of Jesus Christ nor in the service of love I see not then how Becold sinned in taking fifteen wives at once for to follow the word and figures of the Law thou shalt not commit Adultery is as Del and Familists tell us the spirit of man that inlargeth straitens the spirit of God which would have some colour if preaching of the word sacraments hearing were to be ordered by the wisdome of mere men and if Orthodox Doctrines of councels in their matter were mens devises and not Gods word and if the spirit of God did not agree to goe along with his owne Ordinance In Vniformity every Christian will doe for peace sake as far as Conscience will permit But shall the Christian doe nothing for truths sake and for the commanding law of God in Uniformity or in unity or onenesse in externall worship In external worship then we have no law but please one another in love and the law of peace or if Conscience have any acting therein it is Conscience acted by the Spirit without the word so in all externals if we keepe faith and love in the heart we may live as we list A good loose world there is an Uniformity in wars in marrying in whoring in invading the rights of the Subjects their power liberty goods possessions wee have no law in these but peace pleasing one another in love And what may we not doe then If we keepe Familistical love in our heart which is the Godly being and the Godding of man with God a permitting Conscience no word of God is our rule But the onely rule say they is Conscience Led with peace that is with a desire to please one another in love in all externals in cursing or no cursing murthering or no murthering whoring no whoring lying blaspheming railing no lying no blaspheming no railing For the written word and law of God the Old and New Testament to Antinomians and Familists is a forme a letter and some certaine figures which yet are not the Christian mans obliging rule Saltm sparkles of glory p. 238 239. for p. 216 217. The whore is adorned saith he with gold and pearle which are those excellencyes of nature and formes of worship and Scriptures with which shee decks her self as a counterfit Spouse of Christ pag. 243.245 So the Uniformity of having the same Old New Testament and the same Law and Gospell preached is here covertly condemned and the having the same outward Ordinances is contrary to inward and spirituall unity in the Godly being of love and faith as if we had no word of God for to read Scripture partake of Ordinances but all externals were free In things of the mind wee looke for no compulsion but of light and reason The Authour means in Religion and faith which cannot be compelled we looke for no compulsion This was as much As we looke not from the Parliament for any Laws or use of the Sword to punish us then if one should deny there is a God as many fools doe if any should blaspheme and raile against the Godhead wee looke the Parliament should not take notice of it 2 all Religion here comes in under the name of things of the minde
preaching another doctrine be an outward thing yea we are not to receive him unto our house nor to bid him God speed for he that bids him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds and we are never biddân keep the unity of the spirit with false teachers 5 It is true love is more then outward things and the greatest commandement next to the love of God But loves excellency stands not in this that we must breake any Commandement of God to please our Brethren in love Christ should have the preheminence in all things above our Brother 6. Saltmarsh hath no warrant to call the Commandements of Christ in outward things such as to read and search the Scriptures to preach the Gospel to heare the preaching of faith to be baptised worldly rudiments which name Gal. 4.9 and worse yea the name of weake and beggarly rudiment Paul giveth to Jewish Ceremonies that were then in their use unlawfull Christ speaketh more honourably of the Commandements of the New Testament Mat. 28.20 teaching them to observe all whatsoever I have commanded you Joh. 15.14 You are my friends if you doe whatsoever I command you Joh. 13.17 If yee know these things happy are yee if yee do them Mat. 12.50 whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother my sister and my mother Mat. 7.21 Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is heaven I well remember that H. Nicholas Evang. c. 31. s. 1.2 and s. 23. Calleth the Church of Rome the communion of all Christians the Pope the chiefe anointed the most holy father the Cardinals most holy and famous and next to the most ancient and holy father the Pope in most holy Religion and understanding no doubt because there is no sinne no Idolatry in externall worship if love be in the heart The Familists repute all personall morfication and sanctification done in the strength of Grace worldly rudiments and all outward things killing or not killing whoring or not whoring pleasing our neighbour or sister in whoring or not whoring hearing the word or not hearing praying or not praying Prelacie and Popery or the contrary as they please or displease men indifferent and nothing to one that is in Christ Jesus This is a faire way for John of Leyden to take fifteen wives and for plurality of wives and promiscuous lusts robberies and the world of David George to act all villanies externall for the Familists and Saltmarsh say the outer man cannot sinne and in all externalls we are to please one another in love and not to count a rush or a straw of pleasing or displeasing of the Lord our God if there be familisticall love or Antinomian faith in the heart all is well 3. I doe not saith Saltmarsh undervalue other attaintments or lessen them he meanes Prelacy Popery Presbytery Independency though he bee in words against them all being now turned Seeker but if they bee unlawfull as you judge them yee should not only undervalue them but hate them as spots of the flesh have no communion with them as being unfruitfull works of darknesse but rather reprove them Ephes. 5.11 as meere will-worship and lies spoken in hypocrisie but all that is contrary to true sanctification is but trifles to Familists 4. In severall dispensations Christians are not to hasten out of any till the Lord himselfe say come up hither This come up hither is a call of the Spirit effectually moving and drawing men from Prelacy Popery the way of Legalists for these are the attaintments he speaketh of up to higher attaintments to a Gospell way of Antinomianisme to a higher way of all Spirit and pure Spirit which now Saltmarsh hath found out though H. Nicholas David George Muncâr and Becold of Leyden have saved him a great deale of labour For H. Nicholas proverbs ch 3. s. 12. divised sundry orbes or severall out-breakings of light 1 From Adam to Noah 2 Then from Noah till Abraham 3 Till Moses 4. Till Samuel and David 5 Till Zorobabel 6 Till Christ. 7 Till cursed H. N. But if these lower attaintments of Popery Prelacy c. be sinfull and unlawfull wayâs and if the state of Law-bondage be a denying that Christ is come in the flesh and the attaintment of Presbytery that teacheth the Magistrate should use the sword againât wolves and false teachers be to Salâm persecution then must Christians not hasten out of that dispensation of Popery and persecution of the Saints but must sleep in Sodome as being obliged by no letter of a commandement to hasâen out till the Spirit inwardly call Come up hither as John was in a rapture and vision called to come up hither Rev. 4.1 So then 1. We must beare one anothers burthens of Popery and persecution so doth Saltmarsh countenance a bloody War against the Presbyterians that for Liberty of conscience this is to beare our corps in a wet and bloody winding sheet to the grave in waiting for raptures of the Spirit 2. Then are we not obliged to come out of any sinne or way of Popery Presbytery or persecution till by a vision and rapture of the Spirit God speake effectually to the heart and say Come up hither 3. Then we doe nothing against a Law obligation till the Spirit move us So the Spirit not moving shall be the cause of all sinne and not the sinner for he doth nothing against an obliging rule because the Spirit saying Come up hither is the only obliging rule of men not the letter of any Commandement say they Saltmarsh Sparkles p. 243. 4. Saltmarsh but the last yeare said Free grace pa. 97.98 Wee cannot too hastily beleeve in Jesus Christ and hasten from out of the inthralling law now this yeare he will have men staying under any dispensation and not hasten out till God say Come up hither 5. All men must please themselves in the false religions and know its Gods will they hasten not out of Sodome till a Rapture say Come up hither and if that never come they are contentedly and submissively unto Gods revealed will to sit still there in a sinfull and unlawfull worship for this is Gods will so to doe â I am not against the Law saith he nor repentance nor duties nor ordinances so as all flow from the right principles Ans. But I never knew a controversie between Antinomians Protestants whether repentance duties flow from the principles of Free grace and the in-dwelling Spirit of Jesus if Antinomians move this question their Arminians and Pelagians of which divers are with them not we are their adversaries 2. For the right principle of ordinances we know none but the Spirit speaking in the word Familists will have no ordinances but the Law written in the heart this wee disclaime But 3. The question is touching our obligation to repentance and duties they say to sorrow
truth of God he should thinke they minister as they received all the Familists and Antinomians in England if they should sit down in a Synod and all the Papists in another Synod all the Socinians in third Synod all the Arrians in a fourth all the Prelatic all Reconcilers in a fifth all the Anabaptists in a sixt and propound such things only as they have received or they are in conscience perswaded of to all the Kingdome they should then all minister as they had received and should be good stewards of the manifold grace of God for so Peter speaketh 1 Pet. 4.11 for sure Saltmarsh cannot say the commandement of the Parliament must be required to make a Synod if men speake their owne drunken perswasions to M. Saltmarsh they fulfill the Apostle Peters rule Let every one minister as he hath received Now by this to minister as we receive is not to minister as we receive from the Lord 1 Cor. 11.23 nor according as Ministers Heare the word at the mouth of Gâd Ezeck 2.8 ch 2.10 or as the anointing teacheth us 1 Joh. 2. ââ Joh 6.45 46. because the Lord or his Spirit or the anointing cannot teach men lyes contrary to the word of truth but the perswasions of men often are lyes errors mistakes then shall every mans erroneous conscience and his owne dreaming spirit be the rule of his owne faith and his teaching of others And 2. This is cleare from his words in the former Epistle to the Parliament if such as conforme not to doctrine and discipline of the Church and preach without ordination shall be proceeded against by fines imprisonment then all the glorious discoveries of God above or beyond that systeme or forme of doctrine shall be judged and sentenced as heresie and schisme and so God himselfe shall be judged by man Now this consequence is nothing that God must be judged by man except the perswasions of the consciences of Familists Antinomians Socinians Arminians Arrians and all the sects that say they are the godly party be very God beleeving professing teaching in them then if such can no more be judged then God what ever their spirit perswadeth them must be truth for God cannot but perswade truth then I confesse the Sects must be infallible because the Scriptures say no more of the Prophets and Apostles then God spake in them and the mouth of Prophets is called the very mouth of God Luke 1. 3. Why These judges the Saints now called Sectaries are not infallible but when Sectaries come twenty thousand armed men against the Presbyterians who in conscience beleeve and have proved that the Sectaries speake lyes in hypocrisie must not they be infallible in both judging them to speak against their conscience and in opposing Liberty of conscience and also in killing them or then they kill men upon fallible conjectures Then if Presbyterians be perswaded in their conscience that liberty of conscience is Atheisme not true liberty then must Sectaries who are but men judge God and punish us because we minister to others what wee have received for we are perswaded of the truth we teach 4. This way promiseth salvation in all Religions so men in these be perswaded in their conscience of the truth thereof against which the Assembly hath determined according to the word of God ch 20. Sect. 3. and. c. 10. Sect. 4. CHAP. XXXII What certainty of faith the Saints may attaine to beyond the Familists fluctuation of faith of Heresie and Schisme 5. FAmilists and Antinomians goe one with the Belgicke Arminians and all our late English Independents who are for Liberty of conscience and a Catholicke toleration and punishing in a coercive way no kinde of men never so blasphemous for their conscience teach print what they will there being no infallibility now in any since the Apostles expired But this is a most false ground for there is a twofold infallibility one in teaching flowing from immediate inspiration proper to the Prophets and Apostles and another infallibility and certainty of perswasion common to all beleevers Now Libertines turne all our faith in a topicke and conjecturall opinion so most of them are turned Scepticks and affirme that we know nothing with any certainty yea the more supernaturall and sublime that fundamentalls of salvation are the more indulgence and latitude of liberty is to bee yeelded to the consciences of all men because the higher the subject is the ranker is our propension to erre God having given a thinner and more scarce measure of knowledge in supernaturall things that doe so farre transcend the sphere and orbe of naturall reason then of knowledge in naturall things our mindes being in their owne element and in a capacity to reach their connaturall and proper object wheÌ they are among natural things knowable by the light of nature hence that opinion now so prevailing that all and every Religion is to be Tollerated and an indulgence yeelding to all in superstructurs in foundamentals though a man should deny that Christ is the Saviour of the world therfore Saltmarsh takes on him Sparkles of glory as p. 185 186 187 188 to reckoÌ out the articles of our faith especially concerning the first Adams sin sin originall of Christ borne of the Virgin Mary made under the law bearing our sins dead buried ascended into Heaven siting at the right hand c. speaketh of the highest attaintments of the Protestants generally in the mystery of salvation but speaketh not one word of the generall resurrection of our bodies of Christ comming to judge all men of a Heaven and Hell after this life as if these were none of the highest attaintments of the Protestants generally in the mystery of salvation And Saltmarsh as I conceive with Hymeneus and Philetus and other Libertines in the Armie doubt of or deny these therefore not owning these points of faith nor the doctrine of faith repentance love new obedience praying preaching sacraments as if hee professed himselfe no Protestant in these points saith these are beleeved by Protestants but doth not owne them as a part of his owne beleefe but he goeth on p. 190. and teacheth us of a further discovery as to free grace as if Protestants had never attained to a further discovery as to free grace and here he falles in on his owne secrets of Antinomianisme and contradicteth the Protestants and debaseth the confession of the late Anabaptists the seaven Churches of the assembly of Divins at Westminster speaks not one word in this new discovery of Christ God-man born of a womaÌ under the law c. or of the Articles of the faith of Protestants yea pa. 198 199 c. he tels us of the last and as some say of the highest and most glorious discovery concerning the whole mystery of God to men and his creation in which hee againe saith nothing of the Protestant faith not one word of Christ God and Man of the Resurrection of the last Judgement of the
not ergo the invisible Church at all times and finally may simply fall from the sound faith of fundamentalls necessary for salvation more then this is a good consequence this particular beleever may in one particular fundamentall point erre fouly and grossely for a time ergo he is not infallibille simpliciter but may finally and totally fall away And that of our Saviours I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Luke 22.32 though it free not Beleevers from particular failings both in doctrine of faith and conversation of life and that grossely and fouly yet it secures them by Christs intercession in a state of infallibility in fundamentalls and in a condition of indeclinability in conversion so as beleevers are infallible in point of faith touching fundamentalls necessary to salvation except Familists hold the Apostacie of the Saints or that all may goe to heaven finally doubting Pag. 174.175 Sparkles Saltmars tells what are the tradions of man and for Mark 7.9 he citeth Matth. 9. or heresies Now a heresie saith he is something against the doctrine of faith in the word or Scriptures not against any interpretations doctrins conclusions glosses comments or preaching of men who speak not Scripture originally nor infallibly as the Apostles did but so far as that is the very Scripture they speak so far as they speak the truth in Jesus and in the Spirit of God else they teach for doctrines the traditions of men Answ. Traditions of men are not necessarily errors in fundamentalls except only by a remote consequence as all errors are against the fundamentalls 2. There are heresies that are by good consequence against fundamentalls else the Saduces their denying of the resurrection Mat. 22. was no heresie for Christ proveth by a good consequence that they denyed the Scripture I am the God of Abraham when Abraham was then dead when God spake out of the bush to Moses Exod. 3. yet they denyed but conclusions deduced from Scripture 3. There is another strange ingredient in heresie according to Familists and that is because God speakes not now immediatly his word to us as he did to the Apostles no man is an hereticke that denyeth the whole faith except he that denyes the Scripture as the Scripture and except he deny it in so farre as teachers speake the truth in Jesus and in the Spirit of God else that is if they be not Familiâts that teach and speake not in the Famisticall spirit they teach for doctrines the traditions of men that is heresies for Gods truth then to speake heresie is to speake only against fundamentall truths when a Familist in the Spirit of God speaketh them 2. But then when a hereticke readeth in the word this fundamentall Christ came in the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 though he deny it and spit at it that is no heresie because the paper and printed booke speaketh not in the Spirit of Jesus 3. The written word of God is not the word of God but only the word is spoken by a Familist in the Spirit of Christ. 4. When Preachers void of the Spirit speake that which is the very word of God and fundamentalls of faith these truths are not the word of God but the traditions of men and heresies so his Master H.N. taught the Scripture preaching to be but figurative service the word of God was never published to the world till H.N. the least among the holy ones of God was made alive through Christ anointed with his godly being manned himselfe with H N. and godded H.N. with himself published the light of glory H. Nicholas Evangelic c. 34. sent 9. Pag. 175. Schisme is a dividing from Christians who are in an outward profession of truth Now there may bee schisme iâ visible Churches or fellowships of Saints upon this account but there can bee none in the true body of Christ or the spirituall Church for they that are joyned to the Lord are one spirit and they are made perfect in one Answ. There is no outward Schisme or renting but it begins at the heart Schisme is a dividing of the hearts as well as a visible parting with the Church or a part thereof else schisme were no sinne which yet Paul reproveth as a sinne 1 Cor. 1. 1 Cor. 3.1 2. The Church of Corinth and these that made a rent were both the visible and the invisible Church that they were the visible Saltm cannot deny they were the invisible Church also 1 Cor. 1.13 Christ was crucified for them and they were babes in Christ fed with milke 1 Cor. 3.1.2 and built upon one only foundation v. 10. Saltmarsh must say they were all unconverted that made the schisme 3. Familists will have none the true body and spirituall Church of Christ but the invisible Church so that upon this account they that beleeve and visibly professe neither Christ nor his truth before men yea who all their dayes deny Christ and so shall be denyed of Christ before the Father and his holy Angells Matth. 10.32 33. may be and are the true body of Christ and the Spirituall Church so H. Nicholas Epistle to the two daughters of Warwicke 4. May not a schisme and seperation fall in these that are both the true body and spirituall Church when of a Church of beleevers effectually called consisting of foure hundred two hundred seperate from two hundred I think they may as well as Barnabas a good man and full of the Holy Ghost seperated from Paul But in so farre as they are saith he in that one Spirit they cannot be divided Ans. True but Saltm speakes lyes in hypocrisie when he saith the spirituall Church are made perfect in one Lord in this life upon the same reason as they are one and as united to the Lord they cannot lye whore steale murther but out of some remnants of corruption they can sinne But Familists put them in a condition they can in this life sinne no more or if they sinne their transgression is not sinne it is not they but their Asse the flesh that sinnes as Libertines said but that is no violation of the Law of God CHAP. XXXIII Saltmarsh Sparkles pag. 22â Familists minde touching Prayer ALL constant speakings to God in this as they call a conceived way or impremeditate or extemporary way is taken commonly amongst Christians for prayer in the Spirit and for that Spirituall way which the Disciples of Christ used in the Gospel who were growne up from the infancy and childishnesse of formes or words taught them which is but a meer natural or outward thing as they say which any may perform by strength of naturall parts as wit and memory and affections Saltmarsh here first condemneth prayer morning and evening under the words of constant speakings to God because he will have no praying but when the Spirit acts immediatly 2. All extemporary prayers goe not for praying in the Spirit among Christians commonly he belyeth Protestants and the truly
5.3 4. but bâptizing is commanded Matth. 28.19 20. By this argument Saltmarsh should not preach nor write books nor bow his knee nor pray nor read Scripture because true preaching to the heart is God teaching without a mans tongue and true writing is God writing his Law in the inward parts without inke or paper and true praying in the Spirit is without knee tongue or lifting up eyes or hands c. by such arguments H. Nicholas and Enthusiasts abolish all ordinances Jesus Christ is the Prophet whom we are to heare and they shall be all taught of God ergo no ministery by the letter can destroy the Antichrist p. 49. Ans. It followeth not for when the Antichrist is revealed to men to be the Antichrist he is destroyed otherwise the Antichrist must be converted to the faith by this way Christ is perfected and entered into glory Luke 24. that is all Christs body and Saints are made Ministers and preachers Sparkles p. 51. and a pure Spirit without all ordinances Ans. Saltmarsh with H. Nicholas turne Christ dying and entring into glory over into a Christ spirituall that is God living by grace in the Saints then as many Saints as many Christs crucified and rising againe 1 Cor. 8. We know that an Idoll is nothing nor an Idol Temple then outward formes and orders are only a supplement to the absence of the Spirit of God and to order the outward man amongst men to their fellow-Saints or the world while the Law of the Spirit of life is not in them shining and conforming them in Spirit and love to the image of Christ then preaching and ordinances are but characters of bondage to the unregenerate and while they see darkly and in a glasse and not face to face 1 Cor. 13. Ans. The meaning of that an Idol is nothing is or is vanity as the Prophets say an Idoll is of no force or power to hallow or pollute meats that of themselves are indiâferent yet the things sacrificed to Idolls should not be eaten before the weake and if they be eaten in the Idoll Temple we partake of the devills Temple and that is nothing what ever Familists imagine Then we are to abstaine from Popish Idols and to abââaine from murther and to walke in love according to the rule of the Gospel and Law commanding good forbidding ill only while we are unrenewed men Ordinances are as the horne-booke to children come to the family of love that are old men in Christ and need no Ordinances an Idoll is nothing but an indifferent thing to them all the Scripture is but to order our walking before men and the world not before God nor to lay any obligation of conscience on a Saint or Familist so as hee should sinne in kneeling to or praying before an Idoll or abstaine therefrom The Serpent Gen. 3. was fleshly wisdome the espousalls of the woman the weaknesse of creation p. 57. Ans. Then the story of Adam Paradise serpent trees eating man woman marriage are no reall histories but meere allegories and metaphors and mysticall things which only can be expounded by the spirit of Familists and Antinomians and this is the only spirituall preaching praying and expounding of Scripture that Saltmarsh giveth us Saltmarsh Sparkles p. 64.65 By meeknesse of the Saints only shall the Jelousie and enmity of their enemies be allayed Revel 14. here is the patience of the Saints Ans. There is not in the text one jot of overcomming the enemies with meeknesse here is matter of ground for the patience of the Saints as chap. 13.10 and with as good ground he may say the keeping of the Commandements of God and of the faith of Jesus is that which allayeth the hatred of the world contrary to 1 Joh. 3.12 Joh. 15.19.22 Matth. 5.11.12 for the enemies doe expound Christs meeknesse and silence to be guiltinesse they wonder that Christ answered nothing the world hate and malice the meeknesse of the Saints though an eminent grace as they doe all other shinings of Christ in them and yet by dying they strengthen the faith of others Rev. 12.13 Joh. 3.30 He must increase I must decrease that is my ministration by word and water must be gone and another more spirituall must succeed and as the fire from heaven licked up the foure barrells of water so the baptisme of the Spirit as fire was to licke up this of water 1 King 18.34 to .38 p. 60. A. But. John speaketh not so much of his Ministery which was in the same doctrine and Sacrament to continue to the end as of Johns evanishing in his person and as the day star at the rising of the Sunne for Iohn was to be gone and to dye and his time of actuall service to expire though the doctrine liveth till this day and in his graces the fulnesse whereof was in Christ and that Elijahs sacrifice was a type of the Spirit Baals of John Baptists Ministery is a Monkes dream the Spirit of God never intended such a thing for we are still builded upon the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ being the chiefe corner stone Eph. 2.20 21 22. and so an habitation of God through the Spirit and so the same doctrine of the Prophets and of the Baptist must continue but this is to deprive us of all the old Testament as the Anabaptists doe Eye for eye and tooth for tooth was the Law Matth. 5.39 And love your neighbour but there is a higher ministration of the Spirit in the Apostles time Love your enemies avenge not Ans. The Spirit never meant that under the old Testament we might revenge our selves and hate our enemies the contrary is evident Deut. 32.35 Prov. 20.22 Prov. 25.21 22. and this was long before Christ came in the flesh this is Socinianisme and Popery if Saltmarsh understand either of the two Blessed are the meeke Christ prophesied of a ministration in the Spirit by meeknesse and patience of the Saints Revel 14.12 and Heb. 4. there remaineth a rest to the people of God Ans. This meeknesse and patient suffering of injuries and heavenly Sabboths was in the old as well as in the New Testament Ps. 37.7.8 v. 11. Ps. 34.2 Heb. 11.33 34 35 36 37 38. I saw no Temple there then in this life the Saints shall be without ordinances and the Kingdome shall be delivered up to the Father he that can receive it let him receive it p. 65.66 This ministration is not only done upon the whole body of Christ at last but is fulfilled in its particular accomplishments and mystery of Spirit here Answ. 1. There is no more ground for such a ministration in this life then there is for no death no crying no sorrow no paine in this life Rev. 21.4 no Sunne nor Moone v. 23. no uncleane thing no sinne v. 27. and no more warrant for delivering up the Kingdome in this life 1 Cor. 15. then for the resurrection of the dead 23.37
envying striving and schisme till the Lord say come up hither whereas he sharply rebuketh them for their envying and schismes Now if for envying and schisme the Corinthians bee carnall as no doubt they were carnall in so far and if therefore under the ministration of Christ in the flesh and not under all Spirit upon some other considerations they must have been spirituall and so under the all-Spirit or pure glorious spirit of M. Saltmarsh for as they are called carnall so also spirituall 1 Cor. 1.10 11 12 13 14. washen justified sanctified in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.11.15.19 changed into the same spirit from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 espoused to one husband Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 let Saltmar answer if none of these were converts that are called carnall for their envying 2. whether one part of this Church were under Johns and Christs Ministery some under all-spirit 1 Cor. 1. Christ sent me not to baptise but to preach Then hee baptised according to his spirituall liberty to the Jew he was a Jew p. 82. Ans. Hee sent not Paul to baptise rather then to preach for Paul baptised 1 Cor. 14.16 then he did it as sent but it is a tricke of Familists to comply with all Religions and deny the true Religion where there is hazard as H. Nicholas said Epist. to the two daughters of Warwick and call that compliance the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free 2. Then baptizing with water was a part of Pauls Ministery which Saltmarsh denyes The spirits of just men made perfect or the true Christian in spirit are these true spirituall Elders in the New Testament Ans. The spirits made perfect are the glorified in heaven associated with the Angels Heb. 12.22 But Saltmarsh will have life eternall confined within this life only to the Elders of the New Testament that is as I conceive Elders of the family of love The true triall of the gifts is when the spirits of Prophets are subject to the Prophets that is when the gift by which any one speakes of Jesus Christ is manifested in the hearts or spirits of the Saints when they see the truths they minister as they are in Jesus and in themselves and in them that are spirituall and truly anointed by the same Spirit 91 92. Ans. Such a subjection to the Prophets hath no warrant in the Text for it supposeth none to be Prophets but those that are inwardly anointed and manifest their spirit of Prophesie to the anointed only as if the anointed may not take him for an anointed Prophet who is only gifted and void of saving grace So H. Nich. Exhor 1. c. 16. No man can rightly according to the truth of the holy Scripture or according to the spirituall understanding of the godly wisdome deale in or use the true Gods service nor should take in hand to busie himselfe therein but only the illuminated Elders in the godly wisdome which walke in the house of love c. ãâ¦ã nothing in this triall of his aptnesse to teach ãâ¦ã in the Scriptures ãâã p 272 They did all drinke the same spirituall drinke that is the Ordinances of the Old Testament were as much spirituall as these of the New and signified Christ in the flesh But he concludes be not yee Idolaters that is idolize not outward formes the rocke baptisme 271. these both of Old and New Testament are alike outward letter visible and perish with the using Ans. The Ordinances of the Old Testament are called carnall in opposition to endlesse life Heb. 7.16 and because weake and they could not though bloody take away sins Heb. 7.18 19. Heb. 10.1 2. for the new Covenant promises in Christ the true better eternall Mediator doe all these then it is against Scripture that the Ordinances of both were alike carnall though without the Spirit neither availed 2. The Idolatry of outward Ordinances is condemned as trusting in lying words The temple of the Lord sacrifices new Moones c. Jer. 7.8.9 Esa. 1. But it was never in the minde of the Holy Ghost that Israel worshipped Manna water Passeover or that the Corinthians did adore preaching baptising for their Idolatry 1 Cor. 10.7 is the worshiping not of the Passeover Manna water but of the golden calfe Exo. 32.6 when they feasted and played Saltm then deviseth an Idolatry the Holy Ghost never intended So here 1 Cor. 10. hee disswades from Idoll feasts in Idoll temples 18 19 20. And never did Paul intend 1 Cor. 10. to charge the Corinthians with that sinne of idolizing or worshiping baptisme written Scripture figures letters or outward Ordinances but of sitting at the Idolls table which was to be partakers of the table cup of devils and the Holy Ghost would in the Old Testament have told us of some such adoring of Manna water Passeover but Salm. his new Spirit devised it to reproach all Ordinances Scripture Sacraments Prayer Church c. Lord teach us to pray as John taught his Disciples Then they were under a forme and rule of prayer they saw little more of Christ then his fleshly presence and miracles they loved him and clave to him but had very few discoveries of him in the Spirit except some few at his transfiguration Answ. No Prelate nor Priest nor any I know say Christs Disciples during their conversing with him in the flesh were under a forme and stinted liturgy so that they prayed only the Lords prayer 2 It is cleare the revelation of Christ in the Spirit wee now have the Disciples had the same for Christ Mat. 16 17. Declareth Peter to be blessed because that the Father that is the Spirit of the Father had revealed that to him which flesh and blood had not revealed and Mat. 11. Christ thanketh his Father 25. for revealing to Babes his Disciples and others the Mysteries of the Kingdome and to none other though Worldly wise and great Mat. 13.11 12 13. The Mysteries of the Kingdome are revealed to them not to others who are judicially blinded and Iohn 1.11 12. Iohn saith they have the priviledge of Sonnes and so the spirit of adoption Rom. 8.14 and so have the seale and witnesse within them 15 16 17 26 27 28. who beleeve in him which faith undoutedly the Disciples had And for the discovery of God at the transfiguration it was rather an extraordinary rapture not bestowed on men in this life as beleevers as Familists would live upon raptures of spirit without the word but an extraordinary revelation bestowed of speciall favour on three Disciples Peter Iames and Iohn who were to be Apostles and Pen-men of Scripture as the Prophets were 2 Pet. 1.16 17 18 19 20 21. If Familists be all Organs and Pen-men of scripture immediatly inspired by the Holy Ghost we say no more they are seene to others as well as to us to be Impostors
teaching man Sparkles of glory pa. 247.87 Yea John should in writing this epistle contradict himselfe for he was a man not God who wrote and hee saith even to these who had the anoynting in them in the same place ver 26. These things have I written to you concerning them that seduce you 1 John 2.1 these things write I unto you that ye sin not and ver 12 13 14. He professeth he writeth to little children in Christ to young-men to fathers then either John wrote what was not needfull to wit that a man should write to anoynted ones or then John was more than a man or then in writing that he might teach the anoynted he contravened what he wrot in all his exhortationes and teaching in these three epistles and the Evangel and the Revelation Againe it is a cleare Hebraisme of which there be many in Johns writings for the Hebrews deny positively when they intend to deny only comparatively or secundum quid as when God and men are compared together or the action of God with men Ps. 127.2 the sense is so great shall be the abundance of the Spirit of grace would Jeremiah say under the New Testament that rather God himselfe shall be the teacher then one man shall teach another there shall be such exuberancie and seas of knowledge under the Messiahs Kingdome and the new Covenant above the Covenant God made with his people when he brought them out of Egypt And yee need not would John say so much that men teach you so full so rich so glorious is the Anointings teaching it is like to this Hos. 6.6 I desired mercy and not sacrifice yet sure he desired and commanded sacrifice so he exponeth it I desired the knowledge of God more then burnt offering and Christ exponeth it so Matth. 12.7 that mercy to the life of the hungering Disciples who plucked eares of corne on the Sabbath is more then externall observing of the Sabbath yet doth not Christ deny positively the externall observing of the Sabbath So 1 Sam. 8 7. They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me Certaine it was they rejected Samuel and would not have him to judge them but would have a King But the words are to bee exponed in a comparative sense though they be spoken positively that is rather or with a more hainous measure of disgracement and reproach they have rejected me their Lord and God in Covenant that I should not reigne over them then my servant Samuel 1 Cor. 15.9 10. Not I but the grace of God with me that is not I so much who am but a weake man but far rather the grace of God was the cause why I outstripped all the Apostles in labour And 1 Cor. 3.7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the increase that is he that planteth or he that watereth is nothing in comparison of God yet the planter is something he is the Minister of Christ and Steward of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 Paul saith 1 Cor. 1.17 Christ sent me not to baptise but to preach the Gospel yet Mat. 28.19 he sent all the Apostles to baptise also Nor can we beleeve that the word of God hath two senses one internall spirituall more excellent and perfect that doth affect the heart and is divers from the literall and genuine sense and another written sense of the letter that is lesse excellent and but preparatory for the more excellent as Arminians falsely impute to us Sim. Episco par 1. Thess. 17. dispu 2. But as it is the opinion of Enthusiasts falsely imputed to us because we teach that there is a neceâsity of the supernaturall illumination of the Holy Ghost to cause us savingly know and beleeve the one onely true and literall sense of the Scripture with an evidence of light spirituall and supernaturall which we knew before with a common naturall and literall light and evidence which is not wanting in Devills otherwise they could not beleeve and tremble apprehending Christ as their tormenter and in many wicked men or then they should not be inexcusable 2. The Scripture could not say they know God Joh. 7.28 Joh. 3.2 c. 3. Nor could they mocke and scoffe at the wisdome of the crosse if they were void of all knowledge of the doctrine of the crosse as they doe 1 Cor. 1.18.23 24. 1 Cor. 2.14 this opinion we lay at the doore of the Antinomians and judge to be absurd For 1. The unregenerate man were obliged to beleeve and apprehend one sense of the word and the inlightned another different sense whereas both may literally know one and the same sense that Jesus is the Sonne of God and Saviour of the world and the one beleeves and the other scoffes mockes and stumbles at the word Matth. 11.25 1 Cor. 1.18.25 1 Tim. 1.15 1 Pet. 2.6.7.8 2. Then should these words Christ is God and man the Saviour of belâeâers have one sense to beleevers which they receiving by faith saveth them and another to others that Christ is not man but onely God as manifested in a Saint is Christ the Saviour of Saints but not the man that on Mount Calvery dyed and bare the reall punishment due to us by divine juâtice for our sinnes for the spirituall sense is either all one with the literall sense or diverse therefrom if all one we have our intent if diverse no man can have certainty of faith For 1. How can we be assured by any supposed Spirit or internall rapture of minde that this is the true sense of the Gospell That Christ is but God or the anointing of God suffering afflicted and dying in the Saints when the words in the letter doe beare the just contradicent that he was a man like us in all things except sin 2. The Scripture should be no light to our eyes no lanthorne to our feet if it have two senses for how should we with assurance of faith and an undoubting conscience in all wee beleeve in all we practise doe all for how shall poore people be resolved which of the two senses to follow since contradictory senses were offered to them for Protestants literall sense and Familists spirituall sense are as contradicent one to another as yea and no light and darknesse 3. Since Familists deny that they are infallible in exponing any Scripture and yet the Spirit doth suggest these spirituall senses that Antinomians and Familists boast off and ââat immediately acting on our soules as dead paâsive orgâns without discoursing reasoning and arguing which to âe is the very Propheticall immediately inspiring Spirit that carried the Prophets and Apostles in seeing the visions of God this must be a Spirit that is fallible and a Spirit that immediately suggesteth and teacheth untruths to some and âo others such truths and senses as may admit of a further light and of a retractation and a beleeving of the very contrary and so a Spirit both
the Ordinances and hearing untill the day-starre the saving light of the Spirit that goeth before the Sunne and day-light of the vision of glory shine in the heart to make the word effectuall for though candle-light and sunne-light cannot concurre to make one light because the lesser light evanisheth and disappeareth at the comming of the greater light and the moon-light or starre-light of faith cannot be mixt with the noonday-light of glory 1 Cor. 13.11 12. no more then the knowledge of a young child and of the same come to be an aged man can be in one and the same man yet the light of the Scripture the light of the Spirit may and must necessarily be together and are no more contrary as Waldesso and Familists vainely suppose then the light of the Sunne without in the aire is contrary to the visible faculty of seeing within in the eyes the Spirit is by a metaphor called the day-starre for the Spirit is not formally light but effectually only for it is that faculty by which the eyes of the understanding are strengthened to perceive the things of God and therefore called the spirit of Revelation Eph. 1.17 the eye-salve is not properly the light that makes colours visible though I may say to a dim sighted man when I give him an excellent eye-salve see I give you the light of your eyes When I give him but that by which his seeing faculty is strengthened to see perfectly that Scripture is not to be layed aside upon pretended sufficient light of the Spirit without the Scripture light is cleare Rom. 15.4 2. Because the perfectest beleevers have patience and comfort in the Scripture meditating in it day and night Ps. 1. and are strengthened through reading againe and againe the premises lest they faint Ps. 119.49 3. Because the Scripture to every new reading and hearing suggesteth some new thing of God as a fountaine that can never goe dry Ps. 119.96.92 93.72 2 Pet. 1.13 14 15. Phil. 3.1 8. That saying The more of the letter the lesse of the Spirit hath truth as touching the only and meere letter rested on and confided in but is not simply true that the more of the knowledge of the letter the lesse of the Spirit but the more rather of the Spirit 9. The nearer to glory when we shall be all-spirit and have nothing of a Temple and of Ordinances and of the mirror or glasse of the word the lesse literall we are that is we repose the lesse on the letter and are the more spirituall as the nearer to the morning the lesse of starre-light 2 Pet. 1.19 1 Cor. 13.10 11 12 13. But it followeth not that the nearer beleevers are to an immediate vision of glory the lesse knowledge they have of the letter of the Scripture though this knowledge of the letter shall fully be abolished at the dawning of that morning for the nearer it bee to the full harvest the more abundance of the first fruits and yet when the full harvest commeth the first fruits cease and give place to the harvest and the more of the morning twilight the nearer day though the morning twilight evanish when the perfect day commeth yea the nearer that the dawning of the morning face of God shine in at the windowes of our soule when we are in the child-birth paine of eternity the more of the knowledge of the will of God we have in regard we are 1 Pet. 3.14 to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and this knowledge doth include not exclude the knowledge of the letter The Spirit is not a part of the rule of faith or of the word the Spirit is not the word the word is not the Spirit but the Spirit is that which maketh lively and effectuall application of the word to our soules as the Mason is not the art of building but he is regulated by the precepts of art and reason and tyes himselfe to the following of art in all the workes of building the word is that which tyeth us as our guide rule conduct but the Spirit goeth along in a reall uniting of our hearts to Christ as it were enclosed in the word and in applying the word to our heart and so is called the anointing 10. The spiritualty of our soules is in a sort of dominion over the letter of the word when our soules are transformed into the things contained in the Gospell and we are changed into the spiritualnesse of the word so Rom. 6.17 the Gospell is called a forme a mould a signet for looke what letters and characters are in the signet of silver or brasse these same characters in length and breadth and just proportion are instamped on the wax or the paper the Gospell containes the Lord Jesus his image the lineaments of Christ in a new minde new will renewed affections knowledge love meeknesse patience lowlinesse c. it is a morall containing of Christ as the signe containeth the thing that is signified by the signe the Spirit instamps and forms as it were another Christ that is his living spirituall image in our soule Gal. 4.19 a new ingraving of the new worke and new creation of the second Adam 2 Cor. 5.17 on our hearts which is called the Law in the inward parts when wee have the same stampe and image of Christ and are changed over into the Gospel not into the letters of the Gospel or into the externall words but are new-moulded into the Spirit and new spirituall nature of the second Adam and are borne of the Spirit Joh. 3.5 6. the word is called the seed 1 Pet. 1.23 the tree is vertually in the seed the new birth and new Spirit we receive in regeneration is in the word vertually as the thing signified in the signe so are we said 2 Cor. 3.18 to bee changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. And the Spirit lookes to his copy or sampler and looke what lineaments legs limbs proportion of members are in the second Adam these same the Spirit by the word preached draws and frames in us now the second Adam the man Christ in his spirituals is the first borne of every creature Col. 1.15 Christ is the master peece the flower and glory of the Acts of God in creating new creatures after the second creation and there is framed on him holinesse lowlinesse meeknesse humility patience heavenly mindednesse and the spirit according to this glorious mould draws the legges armes and all the severall limbes and members of the new creature in the Saints and he makes efficaciously good that part of the word Learne of me that I am meek and lowly Mat. 11.29 let him take up his crosse and follow me Matth. 16.24 let this minde be in you that was also in Christ Jesus Phil. 2.5 so doth the Spirit change us unto al Spirit and this is the right Christing of the Saints when
the Lord by the word Spiriteth and of new Natureth us over againe into new spirituall children like our brother the fairest among the Sonnes of men holy heavenly spirituall meeke lowly like Christ though because of in-dwelling sin in all all the new Creatures come farre short of the first coppy And when we are thus changed and made spirituall the Gospel is acted on us so are we spiritualized into Christ and made one with him by faith and planted into the similitude of Christ Rom. 6. now the letters and characters or sounds of the written and preached Gospel are transient things but the Gospel and new Covenant in the glorious promises spirituall priviledges contained therin stand stil as the everlasting rule according to which we are daily more and more conformed till we become one spirit with the Lord. And because the continuation of the lif hid up with God in Christ is a protracted thread of continuall dependence by renued acts of faith of patience and comforts through the Scriptures of growing in faith the word must give a daily new objective life to our faâth and the renued acts thereof for faith is our victory 1 Joh. 5. and we overcome by the word Rev. 12.11 if Antinomians can give us a time when we shall be secured from the fiery-darts of Sathan on this side of heaven we yeeld that the sheild of the word is to be layed aside but that we know not see Ephe. 6.15 16 17. 1 John 2.14 1 Pet. 5 8 9. Were we indeed made perfect intire without spot or wrinckle of indwelling sin in this life and such as wee can sin no more as Antinomians vainly boast of themselves as Towne Eaton Salmtarsh Den and Crispe will hereafter teach us I could yeeld there were some more colour or hew of reason to say that we are being justified invested in a state of all and pure spirit beyond the orbe and sphere of all necessitie of Ordinances and Scripture because pure spirits need no characters or letters of Scripture seals or other ordinances no more then learned Doctors need the Horn-book to use the vaine comparison of John Waldesso But we must go in over the threshold of heaven holding the booke of the Old and New Testament in our hand growing in knowledge till we be perfected with him who dwells in light inaccessable and so there is not any thing signified and holden forth to us in the scripture nor promised or prophecied in the Covenant of grace Deut. 39. Ezech. 11. Jer. 31. Ezech. 36. Heb. 8. but the coppy extract or the double thereof is written ingraven and created in the souls of the elect in which sense the assumption of this syllogisme Whosoever beleeveth shall be saved But I John Marie beleeve ergo Is in Scripture and the same spirit of faith and the beleeving spoken of by Esaiah Ieremiah Ezechiel c. The same circumcised and new heart that they prophecied of is in Iohn Mary and so the Spirit worketh the same new heart and the worke or act of beleeving in length breadth figure limbes parts to speake so that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament promise as a Painter draweth the portrait head face eyes cheeks mouth whol body in colours al by looking on a liveing man now how the man Iohn or Mary in a reflect knowledge can prove the same to his owne comfortable assurance and peace is another thing But here is no new discovery of God or of the Spirit which Saltmarsh calleth for Sparkles of glory pa. 194 195. for he complaineth that there hath beene no reformation further in this Assembly at Westminster nor any higher attainment in these things points of doctrine as to justification sanctfication faith c. the ministery word Sacraments which they call meanes of salvation then the Bishops made and the Synods in England formerly We grant all we know no new cut nor other new way of justification then the way David and Paul were justified Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6. Psa. 32.1 and we glory that wee adde nothing to Articles of faith contained in the Scripture we only explicate them and vindicate these Articles from the false glosses of Popish Bishops and the same that Saltm objecteth to us might any object against the Canonicall Epistles of Iohn the Apostle and say This fellow tells us only of some outward things and outward Ordinances of Christ precepts of love to the brethren of doing righteousnesse and all these but written with paper and inke too we see no higher attainments then these that the Prophets Christ and Paul and Iames and Peter told us he tells us nothing of any purer or more glorious discoveries of God or the Spirit or Iesus Christ or our union with the Spirit or glory as to spirituall things and Christ risen but as to Christ in the flesh or under the Law of which these Ordinances were a signe we grant ' wee can reveale nothing but old truths and we cannot give to Saltmarsh any other new cut or fragment of truth but what the Scriptures held forth 2. Wee can but hold forth outward things that is truths of ancient faith spoken by sinfull men and printed in paper and these of Christ both dead risen and ascended to heaven and wee confesse we can but baptise with water and can but build plant water and are but underworkmen and instruments of words formes sounds printed books and the Prophets and Apostles received these and no other thing from the Lord but our Master can doe more he can and doth by our weake labours and the foolishnesse of preaching give the holy Spirit If Saltmarsh can give purer or more glorious discoveries of God of his Spirit Christ Jesus c. let him take H Nicholas and Da. George to helpe him let us heare them produce your reasons c. for we ever urge this these new discoveries of God or the Spirit are either revealed in the word or not revealed if in the word then are they but outward Ordinances such as former Synods have discovered and so according to Saltmarsh to be rejected if they be not revealed in the word they must be additions to the word and so unlawfull Rev. 22.18 Deut. 12.32 Prov. 30.6 2. The Spirit that comes with new positive doctrines without the word must prove it selfe to bee from God by signes and miracles as Christ and his Apostles did 3. Isaiah Malachy prophesied of John Baptist though hee did no miracles Let us see the like warrant for these new discoveries 4. This Spirit must be tryed by the word as Christ was willing to make the Scripture judge whether he was the Messiah or no Joh. 5.39 Paul out of Moses and the Prophets proved that Maries sonne must be the only Saviour so did the rest of the Apostles 5. Wee are commanded to judge them cursed impostors and not to receive them in our house or bid them God speed who bring any new discoveries of God
or the Spirit which is not the doctrine that Paul and Iohn received from the Lord Gal. 1.8 2 Ioh. v. 10. 1 Cor. 11.23 But Familists will have the Scriptures to beare witnesse to us of and to reveale the Father and the Son but for the holy Spirit he must be revealed without the testimony of Prophets and Apostles though Christ our dying friend hath left us his will in his last testament confirmed by the death of the Testator and forbids us to expect any farther revelation Heb. 1.1.9.16.17.27.28 Rev. 22.12.18.19 Is it not safer to beleeve the Prophets and Apostles upon whose word and doctrine we are builded as living stones and a habitation to God Eph. 2.20 21 22. then to relye upon the word of such seducers as H. Nicholas Del Saltmarsh and the like who come in their owne name and bring neither word nor workes to witnesse their doctrine not so much as Simon Magus and the Antichrist who bring wonders and living miracles to evidence that they are sent from God Familists have no escape but to say that their new discoveries are revealed to them by the Spirit to be contained in the spirituall and allegoricke sense of the Scripture Now undeniably the Scripture hath a literall sense and here it hath a mysticall and spirituall sense and so many senses as the Papists teach So Bellermine de verb. dei l 3. c. 3. Thomas p. 1. art 10. So Cajetanus ibid. Alpâonsus a Castro l. 1. adver her Lyra in 2. Reg. 7 Bucanus in Theolog. Scolastic part 2. c. 3. q. 5. 11. The same Gospell-truths in the manner of preaching and delivering of them may be spiritually by some and literally and dryly published by others and nothing is thereby either added or taken away from the substance of truth But duties commanded in the Law are then pressed upon the consciences of the hearers in a legal way when they are forced upon the consciences of the people upon legal motives Law-obligations threatnings of curses sad judgements but they are then spiritually preached when they are pressed upon the hearers in a terrible Law-way but for that end discovered to them that they may be chased into Jesus as to the Gospel-sanctuary and City of refuge to such as runne themselves out of breath to be in the bosome of our Saviour 2. They would be pressed so spiritually as there may bee still a pointing at a pardoning ransome and a healing and curing spirit so that all obedience must be new from new principles of the Mediators grace and upon Gospell motives only not from Hagar and the covenant tending to bondage Nor 3. upon the same necessity and account they were to be performed by vertue of a Covenant of workes What I before said toucheth the question whether the formall and last object of our faith be the word of God or the anointing strength saving grace and eye-salve of the Spirit as some Schoolmen Granado and others affirme the latter but the word is the formall object of faith the saving grace or anointing the efficient by which we are anointed inabled and quickned to beleeve the word now the eye-salve or anointing is not that which we see and beleeve that which we see is the saving Gospel-truths we beleeve Saltmarsh with Familists denying the Scripture to bee the word of God will have the inward supernaturall grace and anointing to be the only obliging rule of faith otherwise saith he it s in vaine to write bookes one against another for we then but set letter to letter argument to argument reason to reason but all in vaine without the Spirit as if Christ in proving the resurrection against Saduces Paul in proving justification by faith without works against such as turn the grace of God into wantonnes had not set letter to letter argument to argument and all in vaine for they remained still blinde yet Christ and Paul convinced and silenced these obstinate wranglers by the word of God without powring the Spirit on them without whose power they remained unconverted and hardened against the truth the formall object is that into which our faith is resolved when we give a reason of our faith as thus for what cause or formall motive doe you see with the eye of faith and believe that Maries son is the Messiah only Saviour ye do answer because so saith the Lord in the Old and N. Testament and that is the true object but yee doe not give an account of your faith when yee answer I beleeve it because I have eyes within inlightned because that is not to answer what is the true object of your faith if any aske you upon what morall grounds goe you to Rome yea give no reason if yee answer I goe to Rome because I have a will and a locomotive power in the nerves and muscicles of my body to move for now you answer by the efficient cause when the question is made of the formall objective cause If any aske why doe you see colours in day-light yee doe not answer because I have eyes and a seeing faculty but to the former you say I goe to Rome for such businesse to the lâtter I see colours in day-light because they are seeable and colours cloathed with light before my eyes so 1 Ioh. 5.10 He that beleeveth on the Sonne of God hath the witnessâ within him that is the beleever hath objectively the the truth stamped in his heart but the anointing by which he was inabled to receive the testimony and truth is not for that the object or the thing beleeved or received but the saving helpe by which wee are strengthened to beleeve and receive the testimony the inward speaking of God to the heart as Augustine saith lib. 11. confess c. 3. sine strepitu syllabarum without noise of words is the saving apprehending of Christ and Gospell-truths but it is not the thing or object savingly apprehended the day-starre in the heart is not the Gospell-truth that wee see and receive but the light of Christ inabling and the Spirit strengthning the soule to beleeve and receive these Gospell-truths for without the day-starre and Spirit no man can see these truths 12. Upon the principles of Antinomians and Familists these and the like Gospell-promises I will give you a new heart and a new spirit Behold I make all things new a bruised reed shall hee not breake Come to me all yee that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you Him that commeth I will in no wise cast away but will raise him up at the last day Yee that have no mony come buy and eat c. are as literall and legall being written and preached and as carnall for they value them to be but outward ordinances as this Cursed be every one that abides not in all that is written in the Law of God to do it or as the very Law and Covenant of workes which promiseth not any new heart but presseth the Law in its
the preaching of Faith by which the Spirit is given which renewes a beleever and makes him the very Law himselfe and his heart the two Tables of Moses For 1. perswasions and commands may wâll stand together and all Law-inforcings are but meere reasonings and morall and objective acts on the minde and will and so the Law no more inforceth then the Gospel 2. Holinesse and Sanctification commeth by the Law animated by the Spirit as well as by the Gospel for the Law converteth the soule but it doth this saith the Antinomians not as the Law but as the Gospel revealing Christ. But I am sure neither can the Gospel ââterally onely revealing Christ and being void of the Spirit it cannot convert the soule and the Law as animated by the Spirit leadeth to Christ as a Pedagogue I meane as mixed with the Gospel For the Law without the Gospel can never sanctifie nor lead to Christ and neither of them without Christs Spirit can doe any thing And I find Saltmarshes Euthysiasticall pulse and straine of Familisme when hee saith that the Preaching of Faith is the Spirit given to a beleever and it makes him the very Law it selfe For 1. the Preaching of Faith or the Gospel preached even to hardened Pharisââs cannot give the Spirit renewing the Pharisees for Faith was preached to them by Christ and his Apostles but they stumbled at Christ and never beleeved 2. The preaching of Faith and the Spirit differ as much as the principall cause and the instrument now who can say the writing of the penne is the writer 3. Antinomians meane by the Gospel or the preaching of Faith here divided from the Law not the glad tidings of peace preached but the renewing Spirit without all letter or word of promise or command that is the teaching spirit and thâ inward annointing without the Law or Gospel either Now Sanctification in this sense must bee wrought without Law Gospel Precept Command Promise and wee may lay aside the Bible then and all Ordinances and therefore no wonder then Antinomians tell us so often of the Letter and the Spirit for to them old and new Testament and all the sweet promises are a very Letter and in the new Testament we are not to serve God according to the Letter and therefore all Preaching Commands Exhortations Promises Threats of both Law and Gospel must be laid aside The Lord keeps us saith Towne under the Gospel in righteousnesse without all Law Ceremoniall and Morall and every where thây say ãâã serve God now according to the Spirit not ãâã to the Letter outward Ordinances then to Antinomians are matters of meere courtesie CHAP. XII Antinomians deny actuall pardon of sinnes to the Jewes ANtinomians deny that the knowledge of actuall and eternall remission was an Article of the Jewish Creed but a mystery not revealed till the Gospell But then David and the Fathers Abraham and others were justified by the impââed righteousnesse of Faith as wee are also David must Psal. 2.1 2. describe an happinesse he knew not what David saith Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne vers 5 2. We beleeve through the grace of the Lord Jesus we shall be saved as well as they 3. All the Fathers dyed in the faith ãâã did eat the same spirituall meat and did all drink of the same spirituall Rock and the Rock was Christ. 4. The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen thrâugh Faith reached before the Gospel to Abraham Esaiah prophecied of Christ as an Evangelist Daniel of the slaying of the Messiah and everlasting righteousnesse through him The Prophets testified before hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow actuall remission then was no mystery to them Abraham rejoyced to see Christs day and saw it CHAP. XIII Of the nonage of the Jewes what it was NOr was the tutorie bondage or nonage of the Jewes any thing but 1. A lesse measure of the Spirit then is now 2. A harder pressing of the Law on them 3. A keeping of that infant Church as a child under Pedagogues and Tutors in regard of the Elements of Ceremonies partly teaching them rudely and partly warning them by blondy Sacrifices and diverse washings of the desert of sinne and the filth of it but this is nothing to prove the Jewes were under the Law For 1. then should they be under the curse and so must eternally perish contrary to the Word nor was their pardon of sinnes by halfes and quarters 2. Then must they be saved by works Paul saith They came short of righteousnesse because they sought to establish their owne righteousnesse and stumbled at the stone laid in Zion and sought it not by faith And it was never lawfull for them more then us to seeke righteousnesse and justification by works of the Law so they were in this under no Law-Spirit more then we but justified the same way that we are 3. Yea many sweet Evangelike promises are made to them as to us Ho every one that thirsts come to the water c. Behold I lay on Zion a stone c. The just shall live by fath Who is a God like unto thee that pardons iniquity I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and divers other Scriptures prove this 4. The Prophets cryed against legall and outward service and pressed washing in Christs bloud and faith and repentance as the Apostles doe And to Christ gave all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever beleeves in him shall receive remission of sinnes There is much of the Spirit of adoption of spirituall liberty in praying wrestling with God giving no rest to God Heavenly boldnesse and accesse to the throne of grace in Jââkob David Moses and sweet Evangelike and Gospel-familiarity between Christ and his Spouse the Church in the Song of Salomon Feasting and banqueting together only the Lawâs administration was wrath by accident through our corruption lesse gloâious because of darke typs and a spaââr measure of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. Ephes. 3.9 10. and Paul heightneth Gospelâglory and lesseneth the Law in the vaine sense that false Apostles and legall Teachers put on it in over-âxalting it as if without Christ it could save or with Faith it could justifie 6 All under the Gospel Elect and Reprobate must be freed from the Law if the Jewes were under it all to whom the Gospel is preached must bee freed from it and to Deâne and Moore who are both Arminians and Antinomians all and every one of mankinde must bee under ârace none under the Law of Commandements for the argument holdeth for all in opposition to the Legall Jew CHAP. XIV The old mân or the flesh to Antinomians is under the Law the new Man freed from all Law IT is admirable that Towne will
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 Armânians 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
skies when they say Lord the desire of our soule is toward thy name Lord our heart is not turned backe neither have our steps declined from thy way c. They knew and were perswaded of a saving worke of grace inherent in them and we doubt not but the Prophets to speake of a case of another nature knew that God spoke to them when Jeremiah upon life and death said of a truth the Lord hath sent me to speake all these words in your eares And Amos The Lord hath spoken who cannot but Prophecie And Abraham did not upon conjectures but upon Faith know God had commanded him to sacrifice his son Now God speaketh to his Saints by his works of grace no lesse then by his word of the Gospel Augustine said By a certaine heavenly tast hee knew a difference betweene the Lord revealing himselfe to him and his owne soule dreaming But say Antinomians When we teach that all our assurance commeth from faith and the testimony of Christ and his owne Spirit speaking to us wee led men to borrow light from the Sunne which can abundantly inlighten them when yee send them to their own good works to borrow their assurance of faith and their interest of Christ yee desire them to fetch light from a candle shining at noone day and yee cause them rest on a fallible guide which may deceive them and at best breed a probable and conjecturall assurance onely not an infallible and undeniable confidence such as Christ rested on by faith breadeth Answ. 1. But the question is as great a doubt to a weake one if he receive Christ and his immediate noone-day irradiation and light for the weake beleevers act of knowing his full interest in Christ from either the immediate light that commeth from Christ or the immediate voice and testimony of the Spirit especially separated from the Word as Antinomians fancie is in him a created act and an inherent quallification and if inherent qualification furnish no infallible evidence to ascertaine me of my interest in Christ how shall I know it is Christ I rest on or his Sunne-shine light and the immediate irradiation of the Spirit speaking to my Spirit more then I know it is Christs spirit assuring me I am translated from death to life because I love the brethren Antinomians say the Sun cannot deceive when it gives light a candle beside the Sunne may deceive But say I a noone-day Devill may interpose and speake and irradiate as the Sunne and it is but a counterfeit Sunne and what know yee that your act of knowing this to be the true Sunne seeing it is but an inherent act of grace in you is a perfect mettall and a true Sunne And that it is Christ that shineth and speaketh to Mary Magdelen not the Gardener more when hee immediatly speaketh and shineth on your soule then when hee speaketh and shineth thorow such a medium as the love of the brethren for the same Spirit that inlighteneth you in the assurance of your translation into Christ and your interest in him upon this objective light because yee love the brethren is he who shineth on you in his immediate noone-shine-irradiation is not the Spirits teaching as sure by one beame of teaching the light of his utterings of grace in us as in his other immediate conveiance of light when the Scripture saith it is the same Spirit that maketh us know the things that are freely or graciously given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 and beareth immediate witnesse that we are sonnes what ever be the meanes as Abraham was to beleeve hee was to kill his Sonne if God should command him by a Prophet immediatly inspired suppose such a one as Moses to have beene sent with the Mandat no lesse then when God spoke immediatly himselfe and might not Abraham have beene deluded in thinking God was not the true God that immediatly said Abraham take now thy Sonne thy onely Sonne and offer him to me as hee might have doubted if a Moses say hee had then lived sent with the same message was a true and and immediately inspired Prophet and not a counterfeit who ranne and the Lord sent him not When Antinomians loose this knot they answer themselves Asser. 5. First the truth of what the Spirit speaketh dependeth not on the Word but the credence and faith that I owe to the Spirit dependeth on the Word because I know the Spirit by the Word as I know the substance of the body of the Sunne by the light but I know not the Word by the Spiâit as I know not the light by the substance of the body of the Sunne yea now when God hath put his last seale to the Canon of Scripture the word of Prophecie is surer to us then the Fathers voice from heaven 2 Pet. 1. and wee may know the Spirit that biddeth John Becold kill so many innocent beleevers and that saith the man walking in darkenesse and a Pharesee obstinatly going on in killing Christ and his members and regarding iniquity in his heart as he is such is reconciled to God and justified and Christ by faith lodgeth in the same heart with loved and delighted in iniquity can be no true spirit The Spirit of Christ as he cannot bely his owne Word so will hee not take it ill to be tryed by his owne hand-writing and seale and his own works Secondly it is needlesse to make comparisons between assurance resulting from inherent graces and the immediate voice and speaking of the Spirit as if the former were our owne spirits reasoning the latter onely the testimony of the Spirit for we judge both to bee the testimony of the Holy Ghost as it is the same love sealed to the Spouse from the Bridegromes owne word and seale and hand-writing and confirmed to her by his Bracelets Rings Jewels and love-tokens that he sendeth to her nor are there for that two loves two love-tokens two Bridegromes For say that the love-tokens are true not counterfeit and that they carry with them the warme and lovely characters and undenyable expressions of the true Bridegromes soule-love and that they came not from a stranger as Antinomians say they may be bastard and fained love-tokens and come from another lover then Christ Yet the Lord Jesus manifesteth himselfe and gives evidences of his love by them no lesse then by the Spirits immediate testimony But we thinke and can prove the Saints passing even in their speaches prayers and confession to God their judgement of themselves and of their owne sincere walking as is cleare Cant. 5.1 Cant. 3 1 2 3. Cant. 1.5 8. Isai. 26.8 9. Job 23.11 12. chap. 31.1 2 3 4 c. Psal. 18.21 22 23 so Ezechiah holdeth forth his holy walking before God Esai 38.3 and Jeremiah cap. 15.16 17. and Paul 2 Tim. 4.7.8 2 Cor. 1.12 doe certainely know the graces of God in themselves to come from no other principle then the
beleever But the beleever is not and shall not be till his dying day as free of sinne and spotlesse in the sight of God as Christ himselfe and whosoever feareth sinne and beleeveth not that God seeth no sinne in him being once justified robbeth God of his glory and is undoubtedly damned say they for its unpossible God can see sinne where there is none at all say they nor is this our freedome to be freed from the Law that is from the servile feare of eternall wrath or mercenary hope of reward as if the Law of God could command such slavish feare and hireling hope as Towne saith For the Law never did never could command sinne but so to feare or serve God as to seeke him earely when his rod is on us and when he slayeth us when the heart is like a deceitfull bow as Pharaoh did is slavish feare and to serve the Almighty for hire or gaine is sinne to feare the punishment and love the reward more then God is slavish and mercenary Gods holy Law can command no feare no obedience but what is free liberall ingenuous sinlesse sonnely filiall and holy for the Law is spirituall it is holy just and good 6. Christian liberty is not in freedome from subjection and obedience to Magistrates Masters Kings Parliaments for this Peter saith is to use our liberty as a cloake of maliciousnesse and that opened the mouthes of ignorant and foolish heathen who objected this to some peeping-up Antinomians in these daies who said their Christian liberty freed them from that yoake of subjection to lawfull Authority Kings Governours Masters now beside that Antinomians teach that Saints should not serve nor obey those that are not Saints nor beleevers as if Dominion and Civill power were founded on grace as Papists teach They doe not speake out but when they teach that Murthers Adulteries or any thing done against our brethren or to the disturbance of the peace of humane Societies committed by beleevers are no sinnes before God and that there is no more sinne in the children of God then in Christ himselfe and upon this ground God in justice cannot punish yea nor rebuke them for sinne Then say I these Adulteries and Murthers committed by beleevers if they bee no sinnes against God nor his Law they can bee no sinnes before man neither For the Magistrate beareth the sword to take vengeance on evil doers if these bee not sinnes against God even because they are sinnes against our neighbour then the Magistrate doth unjustly punish them 1. The Magistrate is the Vicegerent of God not judging for man but for the Lord and so should not punish but for these ill deeds for the which the Lord himselfe would punish But the Lord judgeth them neither sinnes against his Law nor can in justice punish them say Antinomians Ergo neither can the Lords Vicegerent judge them sinnes for they are against no Law of God nor can he punish them upon the same reason 2. The Law commandeth to Love our neighbour as our selves no lesse then to love God and he that loveth not his brother loveth not God and then who ever sinneth not as an evill doer against God cannot sinne against his brother and the peace of humane Societies and so the Magistrate ought not to draw his sword against him I grant Gods not punishing sinne is not a ground nor rule to the Magistrate not to punish sinne but sure Gods not punishing sinne and his none-displeasure against any thing as no sinne as having lost the nature and being of sinne as being against no Law as all the Adulteries Murtherings Cousonings Cheatings Robbing Stealing false-Witnesse-bearing of beleevers are supposed to bee in regard they are no more sinnes against a Law of God then any thing that Christ doth must be a rule to the Civill Magistrate who may no more strick the innocent who faileth against no Law of God nor he may kill robbe and oppresse Antinomians make a found escape from this they say The Adulteries Murthers lyings of beleevers are sinnes before men not before God or sinnes to their sense and feeling not to their faith and before God or sinnes in conversation not in conscience or sinnes in the flesh not in the Spirit So Towne Saltmarsh Denne Eaton So the Magistrates doe punish men for seeming Adulteries and Murthers fancied to be murthers but are not so indeed nor before God onely the unbeleeving weake conscience and erring sense or flesh taketh them to bee sinnes but they are not any reall injuries to God nor contrary to any Law of God 2. The Magistrate in conscience cannot judge that to bee violence to the life of a brother nor worthy of death which no Law of God can condemne as a sinne nor can hee in justice for imaginary Murther inflict reall death 3. Adultery and Murther must be then true and reall innocencies CHAP. LVIII Antinomians teach beleevers must not walke in their conversation as in the sight of God but must live by faith with God ANtinomians from their mis-understood justification of which they be utterly ignorant with Familists inferre That justified persons must not walke and live blamelesly with men and by sense but must live and have their dayly conversation in the sight and presence of God and so they abandon all sinceritie of holy walking before men and must live by faith up with God without sinne Dr. Tayler strongly proveth the Law to be in force to beleevers because the same sins are forbidden after faith and before faith and so the same holy and sincere doing of the Law by personall strength of free grace is given to us in Christ and Towne answereth him Keepe the Law and works here below on earth and as Enoch converse in spirit and walke with God in the alone righteousnesse of Christ and though justification be one individuall action and not by succession and degrees as inherent holynesse yet the vertue and efficacie of it is to cleare the coast of the conscience from all sinne to keep the unbeleever in everlasting favour peace securitie happinesse though the Jebusite must be in the Land and the prick in the flesh uncessantly forcing us to sinne more or lesse inwardly or outwardly yet Faith banisheth all the vapours that arise from our earthly members The same Saltmarsh hath But this is a subtile way of fleshly living 1. The word requireth sincerity as in the sight of God in our walking and conversing here on earth below with men Servants saith Paul obey in all things your masters according to the flesh not with eye-service as men-pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing God Then servants are to serve as beleeving they are under the eye and sight of God and childrens obeying their parents is well-pleasing to God then doth God see and judge our works and Enoches walking with God
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 free grace and the acts of the begger doe no wayes impeach the freedome of the grace of the giver Now here not onely the gift of freely imputed righteousnesse but faith a mind to belââve sense of poverty and want of Christ the actuall exercise of faith are all from the free grace of God and so except one free grace clash and counterworke against another I see no inconvenience to say by the act of Faith as a condition or instrument we receive and apply Christs righteousnesse and whether yee call it a hand an instrument an act of free grace a condition I judge there is no reason to contend for words so yee say not as Cornewell Saltmarsh and other Antinomians Wee are justified whether we beleeve or not and long yea from eternity say some before we beleeve CHAP. LXII The Antinomians way and Method of a sinners comming to Christ confuted THe way and method that Saltmarsh taketh to lead a sinner to Christ is not Gods way for hee thus goeth on A beleever in all his dealing with God prayer or drawing neere in the first place puts on the relation of Sonneship and righteousnesse and considers all his sinnes as debts payed and cancelled and himselfe made free by the Sonne and now hee comes in the Spirit of adoption and calles God Father and here beginnes all faith hope confidence love liberty when as others dare not beleeve themselves in such a condition till upon termes of humiliation sorrow for sinne workes of righteousnesse they have as they thinke a reasonable measure price or satisfaction to come with and then beleeve hope and be confident and thus in way of compounding and bargaining with God deale with him at all occasions but such submit not to the righteousnesse of God for they that beleeve upon something first in themselves shall as they have kindled a fire lye downe in the sparks of their owne kindling and have nothing in Christ because they will not have all in him and though some will have all in Christ for salvation yet they will have something in themselves to beleeve their interest in this salvation Answ. 1. Saltmarsh dresseth up a man of straw to come to Christ. 1. In all his dealing with God saith hee and so before ever he come to Christ or at his first beleeving he beleeveth his sonne-ship that is being a hogge or a limbe of the devill he beleeves himselfe to be an heire of heaven we say he first puts on the relation that he lived in so in the womb to wit of the sonne of the Devil an heire of wrath 2. Hee beleeves his sinnes as debts payed and cancelled saith he What ere ever he come to Christ in the Spirit of adoption hee beleeveth remission that is hee putteth on the wedding garment first and then commeth to Christ who onely must give him fine lyning the righteousnesse of the Saints So Saltmarsh maketh him first a washen man for so he must be if he first beleeve Sonne-ship and then come to Christ the fountaine to bee washt he first getteth money and bread and wine and milke for he first beleeveth his Sonne-ship and pardon and then he commeth in the Spitit of adoption to Christs waters his wine and milke to his fatnesse and bread without money that this is Saltmarsh's method is cleare for the title of the Chapter is We must come before God as having put on Christ first not as sinners and unrighteous 2. His words are cleare in the first place saith he He beleeves Sonne-ship and cancelled debts and now he comes and calles God Father and here begins all faith What when hee considered himselfe as a Sonne and all his debts cancelled had he no faith Saltmarsh is affraid if the sinner stand a farre off and looke to God with a rope about his necke that he bee hanged and accursed eternally 3. So Crisp saith comming to Christ noteth no more dis-union nor distance betweene the commers and Christ then before they beleeve they are united and justified and also comming to Christ which we call beleeving is wholly passive as we say a Coach is come to towne when it came drawne with horses which is clearely as much as we are Christs and our sinnes pardoned and both these wee are to beleeve before ever wee come to God Shew a patterne for this preparation before we come to God 4. Others saith Saltmarsh meaning Protestant Divines Dare not beleeve till upon termes of humiliation sorrow for sinne works of righteousnesse they have a price and satisfaction to come with and in way of compounding and bargaining they deale with God c. This is a forged calumnie of Saltmarshes not our doctrine some carnally minded men thinke they dare not goe to Christ because they have not holynesse and enough of preparations to merit saving grace so doe Pelagians Arminians for merit is naturall to us all this is the abuse of humiliation of sense of sin not humiliation it selfe but swelling Pharisaicall pride we forbid any to beleeve and come to Christ upon such termes but on the other hand Antinomians faile foulely on the other extremity through presumption which is as deepe naturally in our bones as merit and that is because some looke on all preparations such as humiliation sorrow for sinne as a price and hire to buy or compound for saving grace so they may have it at an easie rate therefore saith the Antinomian away with all preparation away with all humiliation all sinne-sickenesse for the Physitian Saltmarsh hath found a shorter cut to Christ let every Pharisie and proud undaunted heifer every Dragon and Dromedary that standeth on his tip-toes to justifie himselfe remaining wedded to his lusts without any humiliation or sense of sinne though as proud as a Pharisee and a Belzebub beleeve all his debts are payed and cancelled and come to Christ and there beginnes all faith hope confidence love liberty 5. We make humiliation sorrow for sinne no warrants no ground of beleeving no price at all land-marks we make them in order to beleeving and require the sinner to put the price of dogge on them have such preparations be humbled for sinne sorrow and in this order beleeve not for your humiliation nor for your sorrow Judas may have more then you and never beleeve therefore in point of merit or selfe-confiding forget all your preparations cast them away in your esteeme and cast your selfe on Christ but the Antinomian saith cast them away both in your esteeme and practise to have such preparations to sorrow for sinne and be humbled before you beleeve is to seeke righteousnesse in your selfe and not to submit to the righteousnesse of God 6 That is an often abused place Walke in the light of your owne sparks as if it were in sense if yee be humbled feele the burthen of sinne before yee beleeve and upon that ground beleeve yee shall lye downe in sorrow Yee may as soone bring
the East and the West together as make the place speak any such thing Vatablus saith The Lord threatneth judgment that their owne fire and idolatrous wayes shall yeeld them sorrow and a tormenting conscience in the day of wrath and no comfort 7. To be humbled and sorrow and heare and then beleeve if yee judge your selfe worthy of ten hells notwithstanding of all these and yet come trembling and touch the hemme of Christs garment is not seeking of righteousnesse in your selfe nor any refusing to have all in Christ but a sure way to Christ. CHAP. LXIII We need Law-directions the Law and the Spirit are subordinate not contrary ANtinomians denying holynesse to bee now fashioned by the Law of outward Commandement but by the preaching of Faith will not have us to borrow so much as light and direction from the Law because 1. The Law is the beame the light in the first day of Creation the candle the Sream and the Word is made flesh and dwells amongst us and he the Sunne the true light the day light the fountaine and Christ will not be beholding to any of the light on Moses his face But the place 2 Cor. 3. that Saltmarsh alludeth to is the light of a convinced conscience by which a man seeth himselfe condemned by the Law-ministration of wrath this light and glory is done away where the Spirit of Jesus is but the light of teaching direction to know our dutie and how we are to order our walking in Gospel-holinesse which the Spirit borroweth from the ten Commandements delivered by Moses is established and taught by Christ and not removed for if Gospel-grace extirpate this light of the Morall Law either out of our heart or out of the written Commandements and writings of Moses then surely Christ is come to dissolve the Law and to teach men neither to doe nor obey Law-commandements seeing it is essentiall to the Law as a Sunne shining whether hell and Antinomians will or not till Christs second comming to give light and shew what is our dutie Psal. 19.7 8.9 Math. 5.1 2 3 c. 19.20 And 2. if the light of direction that the Law yeeldeth be removed and lay no obliging power on us more then a candle serveth to give us light in day-light or the light created the first day of the creation which is gone now when Sunne and Moone are created I see not how we sinne not in worshipping God in abstaining from Idol-worship blasphemie swearing in loving and honouring our Parents and in loving our neighbour as our selfe for wee have no warranting light to doe these but that Law of Moses which Christ expresly said he came not to destroy in the personall practise of his Saints yea these beames in all their smallest titles must stand firmer then heaven or earth Math. 5.17 18 19 20. and therefore the spirit of Satan devised a combate and contrariety between the directing light of the Law and the Gospel and betweene Moses and Christ in this sense as if Sanctification by the light of the Law and the grace of the Gospel which are sweetly subordinate were contrary one to another as fire and water eternall fire must be their portion that so teach except they repent 3. Saltmarsh citeth these The word is made flesh We saw his glory c. to prove that the Law is now not in the Letter but in the Spirit and wee need not the Law the Spirit sanctifieth Just so did Henry Nicholas and the Familists say God incarnate was Christ manifested by love and a vision of God in the hearts of their perfect ones and the incarnation was but every holy Saint Godded and Christed in H. Nichol and such like and God manned by the Saints and the Familists of New England say As Christ was once made flesh so he is now first made flesh in us ere we be carried to perfection The Word of God speaketh but of one incarnation for the Lords comming in the flesh may prove a fuller measure of grace but it never proveth that 1. The Law is now in the Spirit 2. That the ten Commandements under Moses are removed 3. That all their directing light is quite gone and as uselesse now as a candle in day light I should wish Saltmarsh would come from under his veiles and speake truth and feare not to owne Familists if they bee his and renounce Protestant Legalists as he speaketh CHAP. LXIV Antinomian differences between the Law and the Gospel confuted WEe cannot be satisfied with the Antinomian differences betweene Law and Gospel The Law say they âommands us to obey to love to feare to be holy that God may be our God and wee his people the Gospel commands us to obey and love because we are the people of such a God Answ. The Law never neither before nor after the fall of Man did command obedience as a merit and deserving cause of having God to bee our God for so Antinomians speake of all Law-obedience that it hireth God and of all our Gospel-obedience that it putteth God in our debt as if we were hirelings and God a Master obliged in a Legall way and in termes of buying and selling to pay us our wages 2. How will Saltmarsh prove God was not Adams God till he should worke out his dayes worke of Legall service perfectly and winne his wages without a slip or sinne This is a conjecture I would conceive by creation the Lord was Adams God and the indenture or paction to reward his obedience with eternall life was to goe on that Adam should have his other reward of life by doing according as hee kept the Law But I take it thus God could not require Law-obedience at all of Adam but he was first his God but God was to remaine his God no longer then Adam should perfectly serve God 3. None of us whom Saltmarsh would if he could confute doe teach That we are to obey and doe Gods Commandements according to the Gospel-grace and strength from Christ to the end that God may be our God else if we faile he is not our God Now this Gospel-service he must say we teach if he refute us Diff. 2. The Law saith Saltmarsh commands us in the power of God as a Law-giver and tutor or Minister the Gospel in the power of a Father Answ. When Saltmarsh shall make these two contrary to command as a Law-giver and as a Father as wrath and love we shall say Amen to this difference But Antinomians thinke to command as a Law-giver cannot be except God command under the paine of an eternall curse for say they The Law not condemning is not Law So the Law-giver not cursing and condemning must be no Law-giver But this is a false principle God commandeth as a Law-giver in the Gospel all that eternall righteousnesse which hee commandeth in the Law for neither the Gospel nor Christ dissolveth one tittle or jot of the eternall Morall
carnall or sold under sinne Yea so it would appeare to Antinomians nothing in man is under an outward Law or Command either of Law or Gospel or any Gospel-promise or Law-threatning save onely the fleshly body of sinne then Christ came in the flesh to redeeme and save onely the Old Adam and the corrupt flesh then is the corrupt flesh and it onely obliged by a Law without and the Letter to beleeve in Christ to eat the flesh and drinke the bloud of the Sonne of man to live with and in Christ to sit in heavenly places with Christ to have right to the Tree of life to have the hid Manna the White stone the new Name given to it And what then shall be the condition of the New man shall not he beleeve walke in Christ converse with God seeke the things that are above rejoyce evermore repent mortifie the deeds of the flesh c. this is strange Divinity 4. This savours strongly of another Antinomian and Familisticall fancie The old Adam sinneth Jam. 3.2 is found to bee a sinner reproved accursed condemned he and all his works shut up under the Law and wrath of God then the man sinneth not is under no Law no Gospel No Law without and in the Letter onely the flesh the Libertines Asse corrupt Adam sinneth is to be reproved sent to Hell and whither shall the other halfe or quarter of the man goe to heaven But if yee will listen to Scripture that which was under the Law was under the curse what was under the curse is redeemed by Christ beleeveth is justified by Faith is blessed with Abraham Gal. 3.10 11 12 13. But is the old Adam the flesh sinne dwelling in Paul redeemed from the curse justified by faith blessed and saved with Abraham Or is the beleever freed from the Law because of the flesh and for the old Adam that dwells in him Then because the flesh and sinne dwelleth in him while he is in this life he must then sinne bee under the Law deserve the curse in so far Or must the flesh be an invisible Spirit that lusteth in man against the holy and just Law but God seeth it not What dreames are these The last difference is The end of the Law saith he was to bondage feare tutorship revealing of sinne outward conformity the end of the Gospel-Lawes is to love newnesse of Spirit praise and thankesgiving for righteousnesse and life received Answ. Bondage and feare servile such as he meaneth here was never any proper or intrinsecall end of the Law the Law is spirituall and can command no sinne nor have any intrinsecall end that is sinnefull servile feare is sinnefull feare This is an use of the Law which God maketh through occasion of our sinnefull condition and holy feare that the Law commandeth is the end of the Gospel-Lawes as well as love Gospel-grace teacheth us to feare God and to walke in godly feare It s true we were shut up under the Law that the Law might be to us in its bloudy ordinances and legall washings and cursings a herald of our guiltinesse and a rigid exactor and craver of our debts to compell us to runne to the surety and as the persuer and avenger of bloud to drive us to our feet that upon life and death we may escape to Jesus our City of refuge our sanctuary and be safe not that for doing of the Law we may be justified but we come to Christ also to the end we may sow to the Spirit walke in holinesse not because we have heaven in compleat fruition already but that wee may attaine the resurrection of the dead and may come by life eternall the free reward of grace CHAP. LXV The Gospel is a rare Covenant of grace WEe agree that the Gospel is not a Covenant such as is betweene God and man in Law-termes like this If yee doe without a Mediators grace perfectly yee shall live God in a manner said of the Crowne Buy heaven and winne it and have it Give works without grace and it s your owne 2. Nor is the Gospel such a covenant as is betweene man and man in which he fulfils his part and he is the one not helping the other but because this is the covenant of grace all the bones articles joynts limmes lithes and parts of the covenant is free grace Christ undertaketh for his Father hee shall faithfully make good all he sayes hee undertaketh for himselfe as surety to make sure worke of the purchase to buy all with a ransome an over-ransome he shall give an over-summe an infinite price for all hee indents for he ingages for the Holy Ghost I will send you the Comforter Christ impawneth his word for all the three Christ bindeth for his people in covenant to give them of his fulnesse to keepe them in his truth to intercede and Advocate for them that their faith faile not and to raise them up at the last day this last is in no covenants between man and man But Saltmarsh speaketh not soberly when he indirectly challengeth the Holy Ghost as a Legalist for using the word Covenant which hath a little saith he corrupted some in their Notion of free grace and makes them conceive a little too Legally of it for it is a promise But with his leave a promise is as legall a word as a covenant and there be as peculiar characters of God and of free grace in Gods Gospel-promises above all Law-promises or promises and bonds betweene man and man as in the covenant of grace nor is any promise between man and man capable of such free grace as the Gospel-promises are and this is a false principle of Antinomians falsely asserted and never proved That if righteousnesse and life be covenanted to us upon conditions meerely Evangelick and which the pure free unmixed grace of Christ worketh in us then life should be purchased by us not for us CHAP. LXVI Antinomians errors touching the covenant of grace ANtinomians grossely mistake the conditions of the Covenant of works and of grace they would hold forth That wee were taken into the Covenant of works upon some condition in us before But in the New Covenant saith Saltmarsh we are not his people before he be our God first But I know none who ever wrot or spoke of free grace dâd draw the covenant of grace in such a proportion as that Christ should first woe and sue us to a condition in which by some preparing grace we might earne and as hirelings worke our selves into a meriting condition and make our selves first Gods people and first chuse Christ and provoke free grace so as in all reason and congruitie God must if he be rationall joyne in league and article himselfe to be our God Why We have first articled our selves by the condition of honest hirelings to be his people 1. This is as much as Christ will never covenant nor indent to be our husband while we
strict conversation and a care by doing to please God any personall walking with God is but a legall bargaining with God to out-buy Christ and evacuate free grace and a mixing of Law and Gospel and confounding of the two Covenants and of heaven and hell and presently upon this the party is as free of doubting till his dying day as if he were in heaven still in a merry pinne as if he were above the starres before the throne under no Law above all duties reades heares prayes none but when some immediate rapts of a living active God comes on him a dead passive block in Christ the Scripture either Law or Gospel is but a dead Letter hee is neither tyed nor awed with Law or Gospel Precept or Command nor preaching nor seales but is acted by a free Spirit an immediate light and speech of a Spirit above and beyond all outward word or Letter of old or new Testament except when the Spirit shall speake or apply them to the heart and then these Commandements tye the outer man and the flesh and then they bind not for any authority of the Law-giver but for the onely Gospel love of Christ as if Christ had put his Father out of office whereas Gospel-love commands obedience upon and for both the authority of the Lawgiver and the love of Christ and when this convert falleth in Adultery murther swearing lying robbing 1. It is not he but the flesh and sense and the outward man that doth these 2. They were remitted and made no sinnes and hee as cleane as Christ from them before they bee committed 3. The Law hath no more to doe with him then the persuer saith Saltmarsh hath to doe with the murtherer who hath fled to the citie of refuge But Saltmarsh's Legall convert he meaneth all not converted the Antinomian way is not our convert as he dreameth 1. Because we look not at conversion meerly as a change in affection and conversation without Christ Faith and saving grace 2. Antinomians make all the change in conversion to be meerely imputative to beleeve that Christ was converted and repents for us and to regard no inward change 3. It is false that Saltmarsh saith That pressing of meere commands from the word may worke a Legall change of affection and conversation For if by meere commands from the Word he meane 1. commands without the Spirit that is such as are written and preached Gospel or Law that of themselves want all grace and joyning of the Spirit Then sure Cicero and Seneca their meere words without God cannot change a Zeno a Xenephon from debauched slagitious men into white civeâl Moralists without some Spirit if he meane that the Gospel-letter as a Letter can doe more then the Law-letter without the Spirit he is much deceived for words as words whether of Law or Gospel without God can work no change But Saltmarsh if I mistake not hath a third meaning that meere commands from the authority of God the Law-giver can worke but a Legall and counterfeit conversion this is most false We have a grave controversie with Papists touching the formall object of Divine Faith Whether it bee the testimony of the Church as Papists say or the authority of God speaking in his Word as we teach Now we hold that the testimony of the Church is but the testimony of men and can produce but an humane faith not a Divine but the testimonie of God himselfe speaking in the Scriptures can onely beget a supernaturall and divine faith when the Holy Ghost followeth the Word and rendereth it lively If then we beleeve divine truths and Scripturall commands because so saith the Lord in his Word either Law or Gospel this is a divine and supernaturall faith so to beleeve upon Gods meere commands as Law-giver not because naturall reason so dictateth nor because the Church or man so saith nor because the times favour the Gospel as the seed is received with a sort of beliefe that falleth on stony ground is divine Faith and is not contrary but sweetly complyeth with faith grounded upon the love of Christ and wrought by the grace of God in the Gospel Antinomians dreame that these two are contrary when they are not so 4. It s most false that the Law is in the heart before hand by nature so as wee beleeve it naturally for the authority of the Law-giver for so naturall faith of the Law should fight with naturall unbeliefe and deepe security to laugh and sleepe sound under the curse of God Wee naturally know much of the Law but we have not a Legall faith to beleeve because so saith the Law-giver by nature 5. It s false also that Nature can propound to it selfe life eternall as its end as Saltmarsh saith Balaam could not desire it farre lesse intend it hee onely wished the end of the just 2. The end must bee the last end subordinate to Gods glory Antinomians are Pelagians and poore friends to free grace as I noted before for when salvation is the end all meanes are gone about when the end is intended that may conduce to that end all meanes that may crosse the obtaining thereof eschewed Now naturall Legall converts cannot goe about all for salvation and in reference to it its cleare when gold is a mans end as in the covetous pleasure the end in the voluptuous honour the end in the ambitious if all acts about the meanes or that may thwart the attaining of the end bow not to this end it s not so in Legall converts 3. When the end is attained but in hope and assurance the minde is satisfied and quieted Legall converts are not so satisfied 4. Legall converts order salvation to and for themselves and the happinesse of it not the holinesse to please themselves not to honour God because heaven is a Honey-combe that very Nature beleeving an eternity desires to sucke 5. Severe and strict walking in our sense is walking in all duties by the light and conduct of saving grace and the faith of the elect of God which wee contend for against most Antinomians who are but loose livers and cannot fall on a Legall convert CHAP. LXVIII How the Spirit worketh freely in the Antinomian way SAltmarsh boldly goeth on to hold forth When the Spirit of adoption works not freely but servilly and legally Object 1. When men put something of satisfaction on any performance as if God were prevailed with by any thing of their owne Answ. Satisfaction to revenging justice or of merit or of perfect obedience to the Law in our performances we disclaim or that we prevaile with God by any thing of our owne as if our performances were causes of turning God were any thing without the grace of Christ and his merits but for prevailing with God to obtaine a blessing by prayer and teares we say it with the Scripture Hos. 12.3 Jaakob by his strength had power with God yea hee had power over
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
objected they said must not be taken in the Litterall sense because the Letter killeth the Spirit quickneth And they turne the Scripture in Allegories and high Spirituall Speculations and the Scripture in its kindly sense they called a dead Letter it s the spirit say they that quickneth So David Georgius and so doth M. Dell Serm. pag. 19. citing the same words so Randel the Familist in a Sermon said That Christs Parables from Sowing a Draw-net Leaven c. did prove that to expound the Scripture by Allegories was lawfull and all the things of this life as Seed the Way-side a Rocke the Sea a Net Leaven c. were Sacraments of Christ and he cited Doe this in Remembrance of me and that a spirituall minde in all the things of nature and of this life might see the mysteries of the Gospel This man who preacheth most abominable Familisme is suffered in and about London publikely twise on the Lords day to draw hundreds of godly people after him The New England Libertines say The will of God in the Word and the directions thereof are no Rule whereunto Christians are bound to conforme their life And the due search and knowledge of the holy Scriptures is no safe way of searching and finding Christ And all Doctrines Revelations and Spirits must bee tryed by Christ not by the word of Christ. And the whole Letter of the Scripture holdeth forth a covenant of works Saltmarsh The interpreting the Spirit thus in the Letter and in consequence hath much darkened the glory of the Gospel But I pray are not all the heads of Libertinisme and Antinomianisme their rejecting of the Lawes direction of the Scriptures of personall sanctification and of repentance and mortification the perfection of beleevers persons and works c. all meere consequences from Scripture the contrary being commanded expresly in Scripture So Saltmarsh saith The power of an outward Commandement and precept in the word bringeth but forth finer hypocrisie and the Spirit worketh not freely therewith And M. Towne hath much of this stuffe through his whole Booke Much like to this is the doctrine of Henry Nicholas in his Epistle to two Daughters of Warwicke Ar. 7. While the Apostles dayly went about with Christ and had the word of the Father dayly amongst them understood not the Spirit of the the Lord till the day of Pentecost that hee descended on them how should then the multitude of these which now say they are Christians and yet neither have nor know neither Spirit nor Word but go on with their fleshly prudencie in the Literall Scripture and set forth the same with their fleshly hearts before the simple people as it seemeth best unto them and say even so very stoutly We have the word of the Lord whereas it is but their owne word wherein they with their own prudencie are genered and begotten feele either perceive the same They reject the word of the Lord Jer. 8. Here giveth the Prophet a distinction or diversitie betweene the word of the Lord and the witnessing of an unregenerate man which he bringeth forth out of the Letter of the Scripture Here H. Nicholas maketh a time when the Apostles were under the teaching of the Father when they were unregenerated and not pardoned but led with the Letter of the Scripture and a time when they were under the teaching of the Holy Ghost and were regenerated So the New England Familists Rise raigne Er. 41. say There be distinct seasons of the working of the severall persons so the soule may bee said to bee under the Fathers and not the Sonnes and so long under the Sonnes worke and not the Spirits And just so Saltmarsh Free grace pag. 113. The Fathers before Christ might conceive themselves rather not destroyed then saved and rather not damned then redeemed but now is fulnesse of the Spirit and of free grace pag. 115. discovered And Denne Doctrine of John Baptist p. 51. The knowledge of both actuall and eternall remission was no Article of the Jewish Creed but now 55. is remission past and done 2. Here H. Nicholas makes a difference betweene the word of God as it is in the Letter and the word as it is in the Spirit as betweene the word of man to wit which is in the Letter and the word of the Lord which is in the Spirit So doth Saltmarsh betweene the interpreting of the Word in the Letter and in the consequence which darkneth the Gospel and the yeelding of the sense of the Scripture in the Spirit which must by opposition cleare the glory of the Gospel Shaddowes fleeing away pag. 8. So doth Cornwell Confer with J. Cotton pag. 17. say A conclusion following from the strength of humane reasoning is but a humane not a Divine Faith now we judge the litterall sense of the word to be the very meaning and kindly sense of the Holy Ghost and doe hold that the word hath not two sundry senses and that the letter of the Word and Spirit are not contrary but subordinate though the one that is the letter of the word may be without the Spirit and then the Letter is a dead thing to the heardned hearer not in it selfe but yet should not the Letter of the Scripture and outward ordinances or prophecying be despised more then the Spirit should be quenched 3. N. Nicholas here maketh two sort of regenerated persons Some regenerated by the Letter of the word these have but their owne word not the word of the Lord others are regenerated by the Spirit and these have the word of God So the New England Familists Er. 13. and Saltmarsh Free grace 177.178 as if one Spirit breathed in all the three tell us of a legall conversion by the outward Commandement Letter and terrors of the Law and Gospel and such are but hypocrits and others converted by the Spirit Protestants halfe not the Spirit and the word but conjoyne them for the Spirit is the Father and principall cause of the second birth and the Word the seed and instrument but their way is to abolish Word Seales and all Ordinances as Legall things It is true this wretched man seems to give enough to outward ordinances for he saith Epist. to the two Maides They be outward means set forth by God to direct people to the inward righteous life of Christ in the Spirit Yet in the Epistle as Answorth in his answer observeth hee calleth the outward ordinances but Ceremonies and perswades them not to suffer death in confessing the Scriptures to be the perfect rule of our faith and life against the Romish Antichristian Doctrine and Ceremonies For saith H. Nicholas No man doth rightly according to the truth of the holy Scriptures nor according to the spirituall understanding of the godly wisdome deale in it or use the true God-services of the holy word it becommeth not likewise that any man should take in hand to busie himselfe thereabout but
only the illuminated Elders in the godly wisdome which walk in the house of love And in the Epistle Let no man saith he boast himselfe in any of the works of righteousnesse or take on the same to salvation neither to condemnation before that hee in the Spirit of Christ through the love of the Father be renewed in all righteousnesse of life not that I meane in the Elementish Ceremoniall righteousnesse which the man setteth forth or occupieth out of his owne prudency but I meane in that righteousnesse which according to the heavenly truth is in the being of Christ and is set forth through the Spirit of God So this abominable wretch maketh all reading or hearing or beleeving the Scriptures to be Elementish carnall righteousnesse and that wee are to doe no good works to obtaine salvation nor to eschew any evill to be freed from condemnation but to study an inward righteousnesse in being Goded and Christed and in communicating with the essence and godly being M. Towne also maketh the Law a sort of directorie of walking as doth H. N. Assert grace pag. 38. I know not where to learne my duty to my Superiour but in the matter of the fift Command nor what Murther or Adulterie is but in the sixt and seventh But Towne forgetteth himselfe and pag. 3. saith We are from under the Law in all its authority dominion offices and effects yea hee denyeth that wee are under the power and teaching of the Law And Saltmarsh will have us not to borrow one beame of directing light from the Law so as he seemeth to stomach and to bee angry that the old Testament but especially the ten Commandements are printed in the Bible Yet what ever direction of walking wee have from the Law I find them in all their writings grudging at any Law or Gospel written because writing speaking vocall covenants are the dead and killing Letter fruitlesse and livelesse and that the Spirit immediatly acting is all our rule Paral. VII Libertines speake disgracefully of the Pen-men of Scripture and called Paul a broken vessell John stolidum juvenem a foolish young man Peter a denyer of God Mathew an Vsurer The Church was in her infancy said Da. Georgius Vnder Abraham and the Prophets in its young age under John Baptist Christ in the flesh and the Apostles it s grown and now presently under David the Christ its spirituall and perfect So many Antinomians turne perfectists Who say they having the Holy Ghost as well as the Prophets and Apostles can pen and speake Scripture from the same Spirit The New England Libertines are so farre on this way that they disgrace the Apostle Peter as a halfe-Legalist and say Peter leaned more to a covenant of works then Paul and that Pauls doctrine was more for free grace then Peters And Saltmarsh maketh all the Prophets in the Old Testament Legall men and Christ in the flesh and his Apostles preached free grace but in degrees and parts but we dare not saith hee preach the Gospel so in halves and quarters as yee doe And Christ and the Apostles preached grace faith repentance new obedience in scantling of Doctrine as they are meerely and barely revealed in the history of the Gospel or Acts of the Apostles where onely the Doctrine is not so much revealed as the practise But we Antinomians preach Christ the power of all the fulnesse of all that we may exalt him whom God hath exalted at his owne right hand Hence Saltmarsh 1. saith the Antinomians in England reveale more free grace and fulnesse of Christ in their Sermons then Christ and the Apostles did in the halfe of the New Testament or all the Prophets in the Old 2. Christ and the Prophets and Apostles except in the Epistles were Legall Preachers What be Legall Preachers that I wrong not Saltmarsh as he doth Christ the Prophets and Apostles I give it in his owne words Legalists are 1. such as compound and bargaine with God for salvation and submit not to the righteousnesse of God and lye downe in the sparks of their owne kindling are Christ his Prophets and Apostles such Such as from the notion of a covenant conceive a little too Legally of free grace Such as have neither the use nor freedome of the heavenly inheritance that are subject to death and bondage Such to whom God appeared onely as it were upon tearmes and conditions of reconciliation Such as in fasting and other acts of obedience dealt with God to get some love from God which Christ himselfe had not gotten for us So belike the Prophets that dyed before Christ went not to heaven but to some chamber or higher roome in hell called Limbus Patrum or to some other place for Saltmarsh saith they had neither the use nor freedome of the heavenly inheritance whither then went their soules after death 2. They were chosen to salvation some other way then Jaakob Rom. 9. they purchased the love of free election by fasting and pennance 3. Their sinnes were not pardoned nor they reconciled to God a belying of the Old Testament 4. The Prophets submitted not to the righteousnesse of God but sought righteousnesse by the works of the Law All these how they agree in part to Christ John Baptist and the Apostles in the first halfe of the New Testament let Saltmarsh and Antinomians see and consider Paral. VIII Libertines said The whole Scripture was nothing but the Spirit of God and the Letter of the Scripture not Scripture but the Spirit was both Christ and the Scripture and a godly life must be the Spirit So the Libertines of New-England There is a Testimony of the Spirit and voice unto the soule meerely immediate without any respect unto or concurrence with the Word And from this Wee are not to keepe a constant course of praying at set houres or alwayes but as the Spirit move us And all doctrines and revelations must bee tryed by Christ that is Christ dwelling in us in a spirituall manner not by the Word of Christ or the Scripture In this same Grammer speake Antinomians So Saltmarsh The Law now is in the Spirit What is that And in the Gospel for a beleever to walke by nor is saith he holinesse and sanctification now such as is fashioned by the Law or outward Commandement but by the preaching of Faith by which the Spirit is given which renewes and sanctifies a beleever and makes him the very Law of Commandement in himselfe and his heart the very two Tables of Moses This is to say the Word begetteth not Faith but onely Historically instructeth the flesh and expressely in terminis the Libertines sense and minde is that the Word is changed in a Spirit without Scripture and the Christian in his walking and conversation which to Antinomians is all in faith is the Spirit it selfe Towne is much in this through his whole booke to
without cause and Marrying another and in robbing the Widdow and Orphane and taking the Oxe away from the fatherlesse and so followeth his calling 2. Sinning according to sense and the flesh as lying and whoring are not sinnes according to Faith and before God sense is unbeliefe and a blind judge and reputeth that to be sin which is not sinne saith Eaton For Faith seeth them above sense to be utterly abolished 3. The beleever following his sense in Adultery rapine lying is under no law Ergo his following of his sense his being present at a Masse his robbing his brother cannot be a sinne then it must either be in it selfe lawfull and a following of his calling as the Libertine said or it is unlawfull The Antinomian must speake condictions to call that unlawfull which is against no Law 2. Randell a Familist setting forth a peece of Cusanus Intituled The Vision of God hath a Familists conscience to picture God himselfe and Clouds encircling him expressely forbidden in the second Command but it is no Command to him Master Denne Doctrine of John Baptist 65. retaineth the destinction of Clergy and Laicks condemned by all Protestant Divines and Pag. 66. hee saith Hee will condemne the removall of Images Idols Crucifixes of Wood Glasse of Stone but he mentions no command of God to justifie it for we are commanded no worship externall in the New Testament but Faith that is no sinne as sinne is forbidden but unbeliefe to this Towne assert grace pag. 94. cannot answer one word So H. Nicholas in his joyfull message of the Kingdome cap. 31.33.34 highly extolleth the Romish Church Pope Cardinals Bishops Priests c. Service Ceremonies till hot contention arose about them 3. We know Antinomians thinke nothing of Idolatry adding to the worship of God and that some of them speake their conscience when deterred from Adultery Murther Rapine they have said What Adultery God seeth no sinne in beleevers One of them in Scotland said hee would take the Lords Supper on the crowne of his head if Authority should command him Another said once dipping or ten times were indifferent Most of them are for libertie of all blasphemous religions and their saying is Beleeve in Christ and sin against the Law if thou canst This is to make sense that which Libertines call naturall inclination Yea all outward Commandements to Towne and Saltmarsh are but shaddowes the Spirit is all the beleevers obliging rule No externall Command can oblige a Beleever under perill of sinning against God in his court in foro Dei and wee know how broad and large their consciences bee in the matter of Marriage and Divorce CHAP. LXXXI Sundry Antinomians say Irish Papists ought to have liberty of conscience and to injoy their religion Parall XIII LIbertines said they knew that their soules were immortall and live for ever in heaven but Christ by his death hath taken away that opinion and hath restored life to us in that now wee know wee shall not die Antinomians cannot deny but wee die but they will have no death to be the execution of the righteous Lords sentence for sinne to the godly but that they returne to dust beleeving and neither feeling nor fearing sinne or punishment for sin for that is against the power faithfulnesse providence free grace sufferings of Christ faith all religion and Archer Saltmarsh Crispe upon the same grounds that the beleever committeth Adultery to his owne sense but his Adultery really and to his faith is no sinne so they are not to feare or feele any afflictions or death but to beleeve them to be shaddowes Now the removall of feare and the opinion of dying is imputed to Christs death so as Saltmarsh saith The Spirit of Christ sets a beleever as free from hell the Law and bondage here on earth as if hee were in heaven nor wants he any thing to make him so but to make him beleeve he is so for Sathan sinne sinnefull flesh and the Law are all so neere him that he cannot so walke by sight and in the cleare apprehension of it but the just doe live by Faith and Faith is the evidence of things not seene Then beside that it s his happinesse not his bondage that the Law is is so neere him that is it written in his inner parts and heart it must bee his sinne and feeling contrary to Faith which was one opinion and sense that hee knoweth and beleeveth hee must lay downe this tabernacle of clay And Towne saith Faith banisheth all the mists and vapours arising from these earthly members out of Gods sight and presence Thus I am a sinner and no sinner dayly I fall in my selfe and stand in Christ for ever But Towne lyeth in saying Hee is a sinner in himselfe and no sinner in Christ. For sinne in himselfe or to his flesh or sense is no sinne at all and against no Law his sense lyeth and deceiveth Faith by which he should walke doth truly say he is in himselfe and really no more a sinner then Christ is a sinner in himselfe and upon the same grounds sense of death and sicknesse and paine and feare are but deceiving opinions and errors contrary to faith and Christ came to dye and remove from us feare feeling opinion of all affliction and paine as contrary to faith Now it s a sinne not to walke by Faith then must the feeling of paine and death bee a sinne and Christ came to give us a sense dedolency and dulnesse of apprehending either sinne or ill of affliction and so say Libertines CHAP. LXXXII Libertines and Antinomians doubt of the Resurrection and life to come Paral. XIV LIbertines denyed the Resurrection and said with Hymeneus and Philetus That it was already done and in this life they mocked salvation in hope of the comming of the Lord they said To walke in newnesse of life was the Resurrection with Christ and all the resurrection wee are to looke for David Georgius saith As there was a revelation under Moses and the Prophets and a more cleare one under Christ and the Apostles So under himselfe the true David the Lyon of the tribe of Judah the stone hewed out of the Mountaine without hands there was now a farre more glorious revelation and most spirituall that he exceeded so farre Christ according to the flesh and the Apostles as that all Ordinances and externall worship and seales should cease when he comes because of the efficacie and spiritualnesse of his doctrine above Christ in the flesh and all the Apostles as the Spirit is above the flesh And the clouds in the which Christ was to come to judge the quicke and the dead must bee Allegorically expounded of the mindes of the Saints The Archangell that shall sound the Trumpet is the Doctrine and discipline of this David the Christ. And that the place of happinesse was in this earth not
inner man only and mindes onely the reforming of the heart and that doth change the outward man then he excludeth all Civill Externall and Ecclesiasticall power which is busied about outward formes outward orders outward government outward confession of Christ before men or confession of sinnes before men and outward practises For as Del saith Pag. 6.7 Gospell-reformation medleth not with reforming the externall man and so not with the preaching of the Word receiving the Sacraments reading Scriptures praying in publike confessing Christ before men if in the heart or the inward man a beleever have the Spirit and retaine God in his heart Dels reformation medleth not with outward practises to forbid and rebuke such practises as Paricides Murthers Incests Adulteries Thefts Opressions Lying Blasphemy Idolatry Sorcerie Sodomie neither the Preachers of the Gospel can reforme these with the Word nor the Magistrate with the sword by any warrant of the Gospel the Magistrate by the Gospel Rom. 13. beareth not the sword to take vengeance on ill doers for Gospel-reformation meddles not with outward practises nor outward order then it medleth not with the outward man nor commandeth it the outward man to walke circumspectly nor to walke in Christ nor to confesse Christ before men as we desire Christ to confesse us before his father and his holy Angels nor to observe externall order in the worship of God nor to abstaine from fornication evill speaking clamours bitternesse for all these be outward practises contrary to the rule of the Gospel and though the soule and spirit not the body nor whole man should be sanctified wholly as the Apostle prayeth Yet by this way I see not but all externals of either worship or conversation that concerneth our outward walking must be things indifferent and free neither commanded nor forbidden under the Gospel It is free to kill our brother or not to kill him to whore sweare worship Idols cousen and deceive steale robbe oppresse if the Faith of imputed righteousnesse bee in the heart then is the body of sinne destroyed saith Del and another Reformation that is outward he knowes not and Dels argument runnes thus The onely true Gospel-reformation is spirituall not carnall But the Civill and Ecclesiasticall Reformation is not spirituall but carnall and wrought by the power of flesh and bloud c. Answ. The Major is doubtsome and the Assumption false 1. For civill Reformation as civill is not spirituall formally but onely materially and objectively spirituall But to say that Ecclesiasticall Reformation should be spirituall as spirituall is opposed to externall and outward and onely spirituall and in the heart Satan could not fancie a more wicked untruth to destroy all godlynesse and holynesse as it appeares in the outward man in the duties of the first and second Table for Gospel-reformation as touching Gods part is inward spirituall invisible done by him that is Lord of soule and conscience but this is but the halfe though the choisest halfe of Reformation but as touching mans part it is externall and also spirituall and done by the Preaching of the Word and discipline of the Church For sure the Apostles and Elders Acts chap. 15. Reformed the Churches of Antioch Hierusalem Syria and Silicia and that spiritually and externally for these are not contrary when they send to them commandements not to bee circumcised nor to keepe the Ceremoniall Law but to abstaine from bloud and things strangled as at that time scandalous and from fornication as a sinne against the Morall Law because they that held the contrary opinion were lying Teachers and perverted soules and so deformed with a spirituall deformity the Churches of God as Del and Familists now doe Now the Assumption That Ecclesiasticall reformation is carnall as done by men and not spirituall is most false for carnall it may bee in some part and in some sense that is standing in outward externall Commandements and yet spirituall given by the Law-giver an infinite Spirit tying and obliging the Spirits of men and leading to a spirituall end so the Ceremonies of Moses are carnall not sinnefull not unlawfull vicious fleshly as Del pag. 2.3.4 foulely ignorant of the sense and meaning of his owne Text he preached on expoundeth it in opposition to Gospel-reformation which is spirituall lawfull not fleshly and sinnefull For then to obey the Ceremoniall Law had been sinnefull and unlawfull to the Jewes and God must have given Commandements to the Jewes which were sinnefull and unlawfull judgements and statutes and ordinances which is the blaphemy of old Manicheans So the Reformation done by the Gospel preached and by lawfull Assemblies holding forth the truth and condemning contrary errors is carnall that is externall and wrought by flesh and bloud Del meaneth by the word carnall the corruption of flesh and bloud as the phrase is taken Math. 16.17 which is a manifest untruth it is wrought by men consisting of flesh and bloud in a carnall that is in an externall outward audible and visible manner and yet spirituall also it is in that very externall Reformation is according to the Word of God who is a Spirit 2. It layes an obligation on the consciences and spirits of men both actively to reforme in that outward way though God must make it effectuall by an inward reformation it leadeth men even as it is externall to a spirituall end obedience to God in Christ according to the rule of the Gospell The Church and men take not on them to reforme hearts but instrumentally by going about an outward reformation by Planting Sowing Watering and labouring the Lords husbandrie his Church I might borrow Dels Argument and say true feeding and nourishing of men and upholding their life with bread is from the omnipotent power of God Deut. 8.3 For man liveth not by bread onely and inferre that they are grossely mistaken who take true nourishing of men to be outward plowing harrowing sowing earing grinding for all these are carnall fleshly and wrought by flesh and bloud and by the power of man but true effectuall nourishing commeth not from the plough or the husbandman but from the mighty power of God and therefore if God nourish plowing sowing earing cannot bee amisse So the Libertines made God the onely author of sinne Del citeth Joh. 4. God is a Spirit c. A place that Gnosticks Enthusiasts Libertines Anabaptists abused to deny all externall worship and acts of Sanctification and Towne cannot answer Doctor Taylor who objecteth that Antinomians deny all externall worship for he saith A man is a fulfiller of the Law in Christ who dyed for him so that faith is all and the same saith Del pag. 4.5 Gospel-reformation is a destroying of the body of sinne by the presence and operation of the righteousnesse of God dwelling in their hearts by faith He speakes not one word of sanctification and personall mortifying of the body of sinne and of walking with God but saith He knoweth no
hath undertaken to doe the powers of hell cannot hinder these that belong not to Christs care why should they heare pray knock or why should the Word be preached to them Saved they cannot be as not belonging to Christs care So saith the New England Familist If Christ will let me sinne let him looke to it upon his honour be it So Del yeeldeth to the Pelagian Arminian and Socinian that exhortations motives reasons preaching praying ought not to be for these that are absolutely reprobate and upon the same ground they need use no meanes who are absolutely chosen to glory Christs love and care is as great to reforme inwardly and to convert as to redeeme upon the same ground these whom God hath decreed shall live so many yeares sure God undertakes to fulfill all his decrees with alike strength of irresistible omnipotency they need not eate drinke sleepe plow eare labour for no power in hell can infringe one decree of God more then another all husbandmen sit idle all tradesmen buy and sell and labour with your hands no more be at rest and quiet take M. Dels word Gods undertaking takes away all reforming in men all undertaking in second causes the husband-man can no more feed your body with bread then he can redeeme your soules with his bloud both belongs to Christs care But though Paul knew it belonged to Christs care Rom. 9. To call whom he predestinate yet he had exceeding sorrow in his heart for his kinsmen the Jewes to save some of them that is to reforme them and the care of all the Churches lay on them M. Del hath more courage he will not be dismayed But wee heard that Libertines from Gods working all in all creatures said the creature cannot sinne cannot doe good sin is but an opinion And all good saith the Familist is onely God And God becommeth all things in man and nothing is or hath being but God and his will God is all and the creature nothing Del by this Argument inferres a cessation of all second causes of Ministery Ordinances Reformers converters of soules by Word and Gospel of Heaven and Earth Sunne Fire Water they may all sleepe God undertaketh to doe all and no powers of Hell can resist him no lesse then Christ redeemeth his alone Parliaments ought not to sit Assemblies should not dispute Ministers should not preach nor Print Sermons sure Christ shall make good his owne undertaking to reforme though Del and I both were buried and neither trouble our selves with Pulpit or presse But shall men therefore omit all dueties in outward reforming Stoicks can say no more Del Pag. 14.15.16 Holding forth the meanes of Reformation he saith Christ reformeth by the Word onely and doth all he calles rejects bindes looses terrifies comforts inlightens makes blinde saves damnes and does nothing in his kingdome without the Word Now are yee cleane through the Word The Word is quicke and powerfull he reformes not you with outward power but by his Word I will publish the decree the Spirit of the Lord is upon me My word shall not depart out of thy mouth When the time of Reformation was come he sent his Disciple to carry on the worke of Reformation he saith Goe teach all nations he sent them not out with Swords and Guns and this Word only truely reformes the outward power of the world sets up an image of reformation only Answ. 1. Del and Familists seeme to extoll the Word of God but they juggle with David Georgius and Henry Nicholas who understood by the word Verbum internum the Enthysiasticall inward word of the minde and the Spirit for he and Saltmarsh as they are sparing in citing Chapter and Verse of Scripture so they never expound this Word to bee the Scripture nor can I observe in all their writings that they call it the Scripture as Christ and his Apostles frequently say The Scriptures must be fulfilled as it is written in the Scriptures and in the Prophets The Antinomians in and about London Deny the Scriptures to be the word of God they say the Scripture is but the Letter not the Word of God 2. They say They themselves by the Spirit can write and dite Scripture Mistresse Hutchison with hers said That her particular revelations about events to fall out are as infallible as any parts of Scripture and that shee is bound asmuch to beleeve them as the Scripture for the same holy Ghost is the Author of both Some say they can worke Miracles as if the same immediatly inspiring Holy Ghost and in the same measure that was in the Prophets Apostles and Pen-men of Scripture were also the same sanctifying Spirit of grace that is in all beleevers whereas these differences are cleare betweene them 1. The immediately inspiring Spirit rendred the Prophets and Apostles in that they spake and wrot by such inspiration the immediate organs of the Holy Ghost and such as could not erre So that their word was formally Scripture which priviledge is not given to the most sanctified 2. The Prophets and Apostles were acted above the reach of free will humane doubtings discourses ratiotinations in searching and finding out the truth they needed not advise counsell teaching from men or Angels from flesh and bloud to come to the very knowledge of the Letter of the Gospel Gal. 1.11.12 Ephes. 3. vers 2.3 4. But the Saints need such helps though the Spirit teach them all things to come to know the Letter of Law and Gospel 3. What the Prophets spake God spake what holy men speaketh is Gods word secondarily and in so farre as it agreeth with the written Word of God and no otherwise Jeremiahs word was not secondarily the Word of God and so farre forth onely the Word as it agreeth with the writings of Moses and though Paul forbid Circumcision and Moses command it Pauls command is no lesse primarily and simply the formall object of Faith and the written Word of God then the word of Moses or the Ten Commandements written on Tables of stone by God himselfe But what Del and Antinomians say contrary to the Word of God is nothing else but the very word of the Devill 2 That Del and Libertines with him meane by the Word of God not the Scripture but the Spirit of God in his graces I prove because saith Saltmarsh This Law of the Gospel is not such as it was before a meere Law in the Letter but it is now under the Gospel a law of life spirit or glory it is a Law in the hand of Christ and with the promises of Christ to make it spirituall indeed therefore the word is called Scriptures given by Divine inspiration and the Spirit is called the annointing and teacheth all things and I will put my Law in their inward parts But the Gospel as distinguished from the Law and written by the Apostles is but a meere Law in the Letter
except the Spirit quicken it in the soules of the hearers as well as the Law otherwise the very Law in the Letter and as written by Moses was a part of Scripture and given by Divine inspiration as well as the Gospel and the Tenne Commandements as given on Mount Sinai were the formall Word of God and Scripture given by Divine inspiration except Antinomians Familists and Del make the Law and Old Testament to bee expunged out of the Canon of Scripture as Anabaptists did or to come from an evill Spirit as Manicheans said for David Georgius said The Word of God was preached but litterally by Christ and the Apostles and not in the Spirit and that he himselfe was the true David and the true Messiah nor borne of the flesh but of the Spirit Now its sure Christ and the Apostles taught the Gospel But because they taught as it is written in the Prophets and in the Scriptures and taught not the Dictates of an Enthysiasticall spirit David Georgius said they are Legall and Literall Preachers and Christ but the Literall Messiah and he the true spirituall Sonne of David borne of the spirit not of the flesh So doth Del meane by the Word of God or the Gospel the Spirit of God excluding the Letter of the Scripture yea even of the Gospel as hee excludeth the condemning Law because it was but a written Letter Now sure the written yea or Preached Gospel without the Spirit is no lesse a dead Ordinance in the New Testament then in the Old 1. He proveth by the onely Word of God Christ reformeth inwardly and doth all in his Kingdome He saith All the powers in the world cannot reforme the Church as the Word of God can doe for it is quick and powerfull and sharper then a two edged sword Now remember he speaketh of inward reformation 2. Of the word of the Gospel excluding the Law his reason is Pag. 17. The Law maketh nothing perfect Now that by the Word he meaneth not the Scripture or the Letter of the Word even of the Gospel 1. I prove the Word that inwardly reformes excludeth all meanes but the Word Christ saith he doth all in his Kingdome by his Word onely that is as hee must bee expounded by his Spirit onely for the Word cannot be the Letter of the written Gospel For its false that Christ doth all in his Kingdome and reformeth inwardly by the Letter of the Gospel onely for that may be Preached to Judas and by Judas to multitudes hardened but never converted Math. 13.14 15. Joh. 9.39 Joh. 12.35 36 37 38 39 40. Nor can he meane the Word in its Letter but accompanyed by the Spirit for the Word that Del speaketh of Pag. 17. clearely excludeth the Law but the Word in his Letter accompanied by the Spirit doth not exclude the Law for the Law quickned by the Spirit with the Gospel is a meanes of inward reformation and so cannot be excluded 2. This Word excludes all the powers of the world for he saith All the powers of the world cannot reforme the Church inwardly as the Word of God can doe But the Letter of the Word or Gospel doth reforme onely outwardly not inwardly 3. This word that onely reformes inwardly excludeth the powers of the world and all that man can doe Now man can onely outwardly reforme by the Letter of the Word Hence Henry Nicholas said the two daughters of Warwicke and the godly in England regenerated were but Antichrists because they were regenerated onely by the Ceremoniall Elementish Fleshly Literall Word he meaneth the Scriptures that are not Preached by their Enthysiasticall Spirit of Familisticall love that acts without beside and contrary to the Scripture Paul and Apollos when they water and plant doe preach the Word but this reformeth not inwardly nor is it mighty in operation and sharper then a two edged Sword without the Spirit so that this is the very Spirit who onely as the efficient and Author of inward Reformation not as the meanes or the onely meanes as Del saith doth comfort and convert effectually the soule 4. Del citeth Esai 61.1 to prove that the Word is the onely meanes of conversion The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me he hath annointed me to Preach good tydings to the poore If Del meane that this Spirit and anointing on Christ is the Word of God Christ should say The Scripture of God is upon me and he hath anointed mee to Preach c. that is God hath Scriptured me and gifted me with the knowledge of the written Gospel excluding all Law or dueties to preach the Gospel to the poore Now Del cannot for shame give us so Literall a Christ. For sure this Spirit whereby Christ was anointed was the Holy Ghost in gifts and fulnesse of grace given to him above his fellowes And beyond all Controversie if Christ saith truely citing that Text Esai 61.1 This day Luk. 4.21 is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares Then Christ Preached in a pure Gospel-way and not as a Legall Preacher as Saltmarsh saith he was to some even to these that were filled with wrath and persecuted him vers 28.29 30. and so were under the Law if then Legall Preaching bee to Preach deadly the naked Letter of the Gospel without any spirit or life in the Preacher then Christ did not speake from the Spirit of God when hee said The Spirit of the Lord is upon me he hath sent me to Preach and this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares which should bee against the Text and a horrible blasphemy to wit that Christ should be a Literall Preacher as David Georgius said and so a Legall Presbyterian as Familists and Antinomians say But if Familists and Del mean that the Spirit went not along with the pure Gospel-preaching of Christ as is clear from Esai 61.1 and Luk. 4.21 Then its false that Del saith That the Gospel hath the Spirit alwaies joyned with it Pag. 18. Ser. 2. The pure Gospel must be preached to such as are under the Law which is absurd 3. Then the Letter of the Gospel comming to the eares of obdured persecuters must be that Spirit of the Lord whereby Christ was anointed for so Del expoundeth it So doth Del cite Psal. 2. I will publish the decree and he expoundeth Esai 59. the Spirit to be the Word which cleareth that he acknowledgeth no word of Scripture for a meanes of inward reformation For hee saith Pag. 18. The Word whereby Christ reformes is not the Word without us as the Word of the Law is but the Word within us as it is written the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart and this is the word of Faith So this is just David Georgius and Henry Nicholas their internall Enthysiasticall word that is the Spirit excluding all Law and Gospel that are but written Inkie and dead Letters of themselves doth all the Scripture is nothing Now the Law or Word written in
the heart spoken of Jer. 31.33 is the very new heart and the Spirit or the heart of flesh Ezech. 36.26 27. the circumcised heart Deut. 30.6 the new creature the Lord Jesus formed in the heart by Faith Gal. 4.19 Ephes. 3.17 it is not any meanes or cause or author of the new heart but it is the new heart it selfe formed by the Holy Ghost as the Author and Father of the second birth by the Word written conveyed by preaching to the soule Now except Del would say Christ onely worketh inward reformation by inward reformation onely for this inward word is inward reformation he cannot make sense of this inward word excluding the Law and outward Word both of Law and Gospel as he doth For nothing can bee more false then that the Word whereby Christ reformes is not the Word without us as the Word of the Law is but the Word within us For I find great ignorance if not worse in Familists and Antinomians in this Saltmarsh saith The Spirit worketh Legally and not freely when men doe things as meerely commanded from the power of an outward Commandement or precept in the Word he meaneth in the written Scripture For saith hee that bringeth forth but a Legall or at best but a mixt obedience and service and a finer hypocrisie and when they doe because of some vow or covenant when they take any outward thing to move them rather then apply Christ for strength life and Spirit For it is the outward Word onely in its kind that is the sole and onely objective cause as wee see colours onely because they are colours and the Light of the day-light-Sun onely because it is light and nothing else can be the object of the sense of seeing but light and colours and we onely heare sounds meerely because they are sounds and smell things odoriferous and smellable because they cast a smell and onely taste meats meerely and formally because they are sweet sowre bitter sharpe or some way good or ill to the taste Now life or the faculty of seeing hearing smelling tasting are in no sort the object of seeing hearing smelling tasting Just so when wee doe meerely for the Word in the Prophets and Psalmes without us and but of conscience and meerely as commanded from the power of an outward Commandement or Precept I adde or a Gospel-promise written in the Word then we obey God in a free filiall Gospel-way out of meere conscience to an outward Command as the onely objective ground warrant and rule of our obedience what ever Papists on the one extremity say for an unwritten Word of God and Enthysiasts on the other hand for a Word within or a Spirit acting and obliging as their onely rule excluding the Law and Gospel because they are Letters and written and Scripture and a Word without as the onely objective ground and warrant of Divine Faith was in the Prophets time Thus saith the Lord. And in Christ and the Apostles time According as it is written in the Prophets in the Scriptures So Christ Luk. 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory Vers. 27. And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets hee expounded unto them all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe Vers. 45. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures and said unto them thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and rise from the dead the third day and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name among the Nations Then Christ would have beleeving and repentance Preached and commanded for no warrant and objective ground but because the Word without the Commandement or Precept in the Word commandeth it and this Satan cannot call finener hypocrisie So Revel 2.11 Hee that hath an eare to heare an inward and renewed a circumcised eare and heart Let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches this Spirit speaking to the Churches is not an inward word or a regenerating Spirit in the heart of beleevers in these seven Churches Antinomians pervert the Word of God so But it is the Holy Ghost speaking in the Word without the written preached and externall Epistles that the Spirit sent to these seven Churches and so the onely meane of Abrahams obedience to sacrifice his onely sonne Isaak and the onely warrant for his faith was the Commandement of God and a Word without Goe now take thy sonne thy onely sonne Isaak and offer him to me Many other things naturall reason a seeming contrary word that he should be the sonne of Promise seeme to command the contrary but Abrahams faith appeared in this that he closed his eyes at all Commandements and carnall inhibitions of nature on the contrary and meerely for an externall command of God as the sole and onely objective warrant and formall object of his faith and of his obedience without because God so commanded he obeyed and so are wee to obey and beleeve upon no objective cause warrant or ground but the written or preached Precept or promise of the Gospel or Covenant of grace that is a word without us and the onely meane of faith and inward reformation and this Word is written as the Law is in the Scriptures and layeth an authoritative binding power on our conscience to obey God for his onely Word as the Law doth But it is not the onely Word that is the efficient and effectually working cause of our obedience if the Spirit of grace doe not concurre with both the written and preached Law and written and preached Gospel and covenant of grace wee cannot obey Antinomians make obedience for the outward written command as the onely objective cause and warrant of our faith and obedience through the effectuall working of the Spirit two contrary obediences imagining that the former is Literall Legall and finer hypocrisie and the latter the onely true obedience A grosse mistake 1. Because none can sincerely obey meerly from the power of an outward command or precept in the Word but the man whose eares the Lord circumciseth Deut. 30.6 Revel 2.11 and whose understanding Christ openeth to understand the Word without Luk. 24.45 and therefore the Word without is the onely meanes of inward reformation 2. The Letter of the Covenant of grace holdeth forth the inward grace signified and cannot bee contrary to the inward Word in the heart for the Holy Ghost as the principall efficient causeth us to obey for conscience of the command written and preached in the Gospel which is belâeve in the Lord Jesus or the written promise he that beleeveth shall be pardoned and saved And to say they are contrary is as good sense as to say light and colours because they are without us they are therefore contrary to life and the visive faculty of seeing within us or that sounds or sweet smelling flowers without because they are without must be contrary to the naturall faculty and sense of hearing and smelling
to enter into the holyest and to draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an ill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water all which agree to the beleevers onely 3. John deduceth a ground of comfort from Christs Advocation with the Father if we sinne Now this extendeth onely to such as 1 Joh. 1.7 walke in light as confesse their sinnes are pardoned and they know him by keeping his Commandements 1 Joh. 2.4 This comfort cannot be stretched out to the unconverted who sinne not of infirmity but with a higher hand as is cleare from Ephes. 2.1 2 3. Tit. 3.3 1 Tim. 1.13 though we shall not deny but Christ hath another eye upon the elect in the course of their sinnefull vanity then on others and so that he keeps a fountaine for them and indeclinably calleth them to grace and glory CHAP. XCII Antinomians contend for the faith of assurance and reject the faith of Dependance ANtinomians contending for faith of assurance and leading men to be perswaded that God loveth every one whom he commandeth to beleeve with an everlasting love and that no man ought to call in question more whether hee beleeve or no then he ought to question the Gospel and Christ doe with Libertines acknowledge a faith of assurance but deny all faith of dependance on God through Christ as if wee were not justified by such a faith Now the Scripture expresseth saving faith most frequently with a dependance and recumbency on God as Psal. 22.8 he trusted or he rouled himselfe on the Lord that he would deliver him Jehovah was my stay or staffe So the same word is used The Lord taketh from Judah the stay and the staffe The residue of Jsrael shall leane upon the Lord. So is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to beleeve on Christ or rest on the stone layd on Zion 2. Many weake ones rest upon Christ and so beleeve who cannot come up to an assurance of perswasion they are chosen to life and have faith and yet faint and doubt As Mark 9.24 I beleeve helpe my unbeliefe Psalm 31.22 I said in my hast I am cut off from before thine eyes Then there hath not beene in David much assurance yet he had faith else he could not so pray as to be hoard when he saith Neverthelesse thou heardst the voice of my supplication when I cryed to theâ a crying faith is Faith whereas a dumbe faith is no faith See Jona 2.4 CHAP. XCIII Antinomians deny the Law to bee any instrument at all of our Sanctification ANtinomians teach that the Law is no instrument of Sanctification but the Gospel onely Now the reason they give is because the Law commands but gives no grace to obey the Gospel is the operation of the Spirit and the ministration of righteousnesse And in the Gospel saith Del The Word and the Spirit are alwaies joyned and therefore saith Christ the words that I speake are Spirit and life that is they come from the Spirit and cary Spirit with them But in the Law their Letter without was Spirit Antinomians alwaies compare the Law as the Law in the cursing Letter of it against sinners as in the hand of Moses voyd of the Spirit not with the Gospel in the Letter of precepts and promises onely and as void of the Spirit but with the Gospel in its powerfull and effectuall operation by the Spirit and its actuall ministration of grace and righteousnesse on the elect onely and so no marvell the Gospel be Spirit and life and the Law the dead letter and ministration of death But compare the Law and Gospel both in their Letter and the Antinomian differences are false It s true the Gospel promiseth a new heart and grace and righteousnesse to the elect which the Law as the Law doth not But the Gospel in its letter doth no more give grace and righteousnesse then the Law but the Gospel only as accompanied by the Spirit giveth grace Antinomians doe dreame that the Gospel in its Letter is life and Spirit whereas it is to thousands the savour of death unto death no lesse then the Law but âoth Law and Gospel in their onely Letter through our sinne and unbeliefe are death onely the Gospel promiseth a new heart and righteousnesse which the Law doth not but there the Spirit of grace going alongs with the election of grace fulfilleth and maketh good the promise in the elect But the Law in the hand of Christ even as it condemneth by the operation of the Spirit promised in the Gospel in the Spirits intention is a Pedagogue to lead us to Christ and a meanes of our sanctification though a meanes inferiour to the Gospel 1. Whatever is a Pedagogue to lead us to Christ our surety is a meanes of sanctification being accompanied by the Spirit for Christ is our sanctification as well as our wisdome and righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.31 But such is the Law Gal. 3.23.24 2. That which bringeth the knowledge of sinne and being accompanyed by the operation of the Spirit serveth to humble us and render us weary and loaden leadeth us to Christ and is a meanes of sanctification But the Law is such in its office Rom. 3.20 Rom. 7.7 and in Gods blessing of it by his Spirit Acts 2.37 Acts 9.5.6.7 Acts 16.26.27.28 3. That which we are commanded to doe by the grace of Christ as a testimony of our thankfulnesse and to make our calling and election sure and to be a rule of life obliging us so to walke that is a meanes of our sanctification But such is the Law wee are commanded to doe the Law by grace as is proved before 4. If any thing hinder the Law to be a meanes of sanctification as well as the Gospel though not in that degree it is the want of the operation of the Spirit but this is no cause because in the Old Testament when the ministration of the Law was in vigour and that onely as Antinomians dreame the Spirit wrought with the Law or with that which Antinomians call onely Law Caleb had another Spirit Numb 14.24 A Spirit of Faith where as others could not enter in Gods rest through unbeliefe Hebr. 3.18.19 A right renewed Spirit Psalm 51.10 And the Spirit was promised to the Seed of Jaakob then as now Isai. 59.19 20. 2. They were justified by faith as we are Rom. 4.1 2 3 4.5 â3 24 Pardoned as we are Psalm 32.1 2. Esai 43.25 26. Micha 7.19 20. then they had the Spirit of faith 3. They prayed in faith and the power of the Spirit as we doe 1 Sam. 1. 1 Sam. 2. In all the book of the Psalmes Daniel 9. Ezra 9.5 6 7 c. And because Christ and his Apostles Math. 5.1 2 3. c. Paul Rom. 12.1 2 3. Coloss. 3.1 2 3. Ephes. 4.1 2 3 c. Presse the same Law-dueties commanded in the Law as acts of Sanctication 5.
principle of grace by which they were to bee faithfull to him who sent them and durst not preach smooth things nor conceale the visions of God False Prophets as Balaam and Caiaphas doe out of a Propheticall impulââon both see and speake the visions of God and are punished of God for speaking Propheticall truths which they cannot chuse but must speake for they preach them not because they are awed of God and dare not heale the wound of the daughter of Gods people with faire words but beside their intention as Balaam did Num. 23. ch 24. And thus it is not necessary when Prophets reveale visions that in that act of revelation they see them to be true revelations with only a Propheticall light And because the Propheticall light is not perfect but infused ad modum recipientis as we are capable to receive the speces of things may be objected to the Prophets understanding and they see them as things but not in the spirituall signification they stand under so Iohn saw seven starres and seven golden Candlestickes but knew not that the one noted the seven Angels of the Church and the other the seven Churches The way God offers the speces to the understanding is not knowne to us but it is sutable and congruous to the nature of Spirits Yet doth not God let the Prophets see the things themselves but only the intellectuall speces for 1 King 22.17.19 20. compared with v. 28. cleareth that Israell was not really scattered nor Ahab really killed at Ramoth-Gilead but only visionally for Ahab then should really both be dead and alive Israel scattered not scattered at the same time which involveth a contradiction yet Micajah said he had seene the one and the other then he saw the visionall images printed in the revealed decree of God or some other way offered to his imagination Now this Propheticall Spirit doth not act the Saints in beleeving and praying or the like as Antinomians would have all to be Prophets but the Spirit of grace and supplication of which these considerations may serve to cleare truth between us and Antinomians who runne the way of Enthusiasts Hence 1. That we may more exactly know the nature of worshipping God in Spirit and in the letter We are to consider 1. a spirit is opposed to that which is a body and bodily and externall as Luke 24 39. Handle mee and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see I have thus they call Christ in the flesh not a spirituall Christ. David George and H. Nicholas call him a fleshy and a literall Christ because such a Christ say they commeth under the senses as if Christ because true man in the flesh who was filled with the anointing above his fellowes and because he was cloathed with our flesh could not preach and pray more spiritually then David George or H. Nicholas 2. A spirit is opposed to that which is literall and externall and is only a signe a forme a sound and hath nothing of life and spirit in it Ioh. 6.63 It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake unto you they are spirit they are life The Spirit there is opposed to carnall these of Capernaum dreamed of an orall carnall materiall bodily and externall eating of Christs flesh and drinking his blood Christ refuteth that and sayeth it was the Spirit of Christ not his bare flesh that quickneth dead sinners and that his words spoken v. 54 55 56. Of eating the sonne of mans flesh and drinking his blood must be taken spiritually not carnally and grossely and so Antinomians falsely impute to us that we expone all tropes and allegories that should be exponed spiritually in a carnall and literall sense 3. 2 Cor. 3. The Spirit and inward working is opposed to the letter and outward working and so externall and outward worship only and in the only letter and sound of words is opposed to the spirituall and internall worship in life and power But if yee speake in sensu composito only and meerly externall and literall working is hypocriticall when there is no heart-worke and it is as if a painted man should speake no heat no warmnesse of breath commeth out of his mouth this acting is no Ordinance of God but an act of hypocrisie so we doe not plead for externall reformation in concreto nor for the reading hearing meditating and preaching on the Scriptures with this positive act of doing these hypocritically if we speake againe in sensu diviâo of the word in the letter and Scriptures in themselves not including the Spirit or any influence thereof in or with the word we judge these two the word and the Spirit to be subordinate not contrary and see not but we are to stand for and defend all Ordinances in themselves Scripture reading hearing praying Sacraments as in or of themselves Ordinances of God and of divine institution though as they are such the Spirit joyn not with them nor doth the word of God make any such opposition between them as that some Christians should bee under these externall Ordinances as being more legall and lesse spirituall and others beyond above all Ordinances externall and taught of God immediately because they are forsooth ânder all-spirit and purely spirituall and so taught of God as they have no more need of Ordinances then learned Doctors have to read the horne-booke as Waldesso saith But how the word and Spirit are particularly united happily is more then the learned and godly can define I should thinke the word and Spirit are united as the King and the Kings Law revealed to his Subjects are one as we say the King is in every Court in regard the Kings Law is there or the Master is with the servant in his masterly authority that the servant carrieth when he speaketh in the name of his Master So as when Ieremiah and Esaiah yea or any faithfull Ambassador speaketh in Christs name the word and will of God God is said to speak by the mouth of those his holy Prophets and servants 2. The word and the Spirit are united as the principall and instrumentall cause as Christ is where his word is either converting or convincing and because the way of Christs working by the word is much in a morall way as by a signe conveying the thing signifâed by his Spirit Therefore the 3. way how Christ or his Spirit is in the word may be thus Christ cloatheth himselfe with the word or Scripture read or sounding in the eare as the thing signified is in the signe as the King carries himselfe to the minde and affection of his Spouse in a farre Countrey by the pourtrait of the King or by a friend an Ambassador or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by whom she is married to him though shee never saw the King himselfe in face and countenance And when Christ is in our hearts by faith and we regenerated by the
reformation besides this as if sanctification were no heart-reformation Del pag. 5. and pag. 6. alledgeth that the new covenant standeth for onely a heart-reformation and writing of the Law in the heart Jer. 31. but forgetteth that the same covenant saith Ezech. 36.27 I will put my Spirit in them and cause them to walke in my Commandements and that the covenant of grace expressely forbiddeth Psalm 89.30 31 32. The forsaking of Gods Law the breaking of his Statutes and the following after the heart of their detestable things and commandeth the externall as well as the internall walking in Gods Statutes and keeping his Ordinances Ezech. 11.19.20 and the Separating from Beliall and unrighteousnesse and the touching no uncleane thing the cleansing our selves from all filthynesse of the flesh and spirit and perfecting holynesse in the feare of God 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. chap. 7.1 these speake outward and inward reformation M. Dels righteousnesse of Christ in the heart by faith his onely inward reformation he knoweth must then be to beleeve Christ was Reformed inwardly for him beleeved repented sorrowed for sinne and obeyed the Law for him and that is all the reformation as Saltmarsh his Colleague saith that is required of us Nor is this reformation wee urge Hypocriticall like that of the Pharisees of old and of the Prelats of late because it is externall For though the Church can doe no more and the Ministers both in Preaching and in Synodicall decrees holding forth the Lawes of God as Acts 15.22 23 24 25 26 27 28. but externally reforme the Lord must give the increase yet they neither injoyne nor preach hypocritall reformation And it s of the same Mettall and Coine that Del bringeth Pag. 89. Gospel-reformation is thorow and compleat in the inner and outward man Eccâesiasticall reformation is by halfs and the power of God in creating and redeeming the elect may as well bee resisted as the reforming of them the power of God is ingaged in it Ecclesiasticall reformation hath only the power of man and by it the heart and nature can never be changed Answ. Gospel-reformation to Del is the taking away and destroying the body of sinne and this saith he is thorow and compleat a great untruth the body of sinne in this life is never compleat But Del meaneth with Eaton and Towne and other Familists that we are as perfect as cleane from sinne as the Lord Jesus or as the glorified in heaven and as Pocquius the Libertine said They cannot sinne being once inwardly reformed and would prove it from 1 Joh. 3.9 2. It is an argument against the whole Ministery of the Gospel seales promises rebukes commands threatnings as the Swink-feldians and Seekers teach For Paul is called a Father that begat the Corinthians Timothy is said to save himselfe and others Now Dels Argument fights with the Scripture Paul begetteth men Instrumentally Timothy saveth Ministerially sure neither Paul nor Tymothy doe convert men thorowly compleatly perfectly within and without nor doe they it irresistibly and by an omnipotency in them as the Lord doth shall wee then say Paul and Timothy their saving begetting and converting of men is no converting at all And no more lawfull then the Civill and Ecclesiasticall States reformation which is utterly unlawfull to Del Because saving of men and begetting of men by the Gospel in Paul and Timothy was externall and of it selfe by halfs without the effectuall working of the Spirit which Spirit neither Paul nor Timothy could command to blow was onely externall literall incompleat by halfes carnall as all the Ceremonies of Moses were to Del nor could Paul and Tymothy write the Law in the heart and inward parts so Del must meane that all Ministery Preaching Seales Covenants Praying praysing fasting all reading all bookes and Arts and learning as all holy practises and walking with God and acts of sanctification incurring in the senses and eyes of men might be cryed downe because all of a Christian is spirituall invisible and the Gnostic faith in the heart onely in which M. Del and Familists surpasse the deedes of old Enthyasts For at Munster there arose a Prophet saith Bullinger named Mathias Harlenius a Hollander by trade a Baker hee professed Visions and Dreames and by his Propheticall spirit commanded that they should bring all their goods and lay all downe at his feet and that all Books should be burnt except the Bible M. Del excepteth not the Bible nor Scripture because it is an externall carnall thing and so not sutable to the spirituall Kingdome of Christ. For saith he pag. 6. As the Kingdome of Christ is Spirituall so all the things belonging to it are spirituall Del. pag. 9. The Gospel-reformation is constant so long as Gods nature dwels in ours it will dayly be reforming it till it be altogether like it as long as the Spirit of God dwels in the flesh it will still be reforming the flesh to the Spirit till the whole body of sinne be destroyed and the naturall man be made spirituall But Civil Ecclesiasticall Reformation at first makes a great noise but when men have attained their owne ends its activity ceaseth Answ. 1. This poore Argument proveth great odds and wide differences betweene the Lords inward and spirituall way of reforming and the externall reforming by the ministerie of men which this man may know is not the question but it proveth not that ministeriall reformation by men whether Magistrates of which I cannot speake here but I hope if God will to demonstrate that the Monster of the lâberty of Conscience is Socinian and Epicurcan Atheisme or Ministers of the Gospel is either unlawfull or no part of Gospel-reformation but onely it concludeth that inward reformation is not outward reformation 2. M. Dels expression So long as Gods nature dwelleth in ours and so long as the Spirit dwelleth in the flesh it will be still reforming till the naturall man be made spirituall is hereticall and not according to the forme of sound words for there is abominable Heresie in speeches Henry Nicholas the father of the fleshly Familist speaketh so God was one in substance with man In the beginning when God made all things there was no more but one God and one man and they were one and had in all one order being and nature for God was all that man was and man was all thaâ God was and all must become one being with God by love say the Familists by faith say the Antinomians by regeneration said the Libertine Pocquius and his and his Godded man and so be all manned Gods and children of the most high Let Del cleare himselfe of this sâme spirituall fury Sure neither Scripture nor Protestants nor any save Familists say as Del doth that Gods nature dwelleth in ours But if he have one sense with Peter who saith Wee are made partakers of the Divine nature that is by Faith and the created graces of
the Spirit not that wee are partakers of the essence or substance of the Godhead or equall with Christ in any respect hee speaketh soundly as the confession of Britaine cleareth but his words are not sound 2. Whoever except Henry Nicholas and David Georgius spake as Del who saith The Spirit of God dwels in our flesh till the whole body of sinne bee destroyed and the naturall man be made spirituall If his meaning be as Familists and Antinomians dreame that Christ incarnate is nothing but every godly man Christed and made conforme to the image of Christ we are at a point and know his minde so teach the New England Familists and the Author of the Bright Starre who tells us of God humanized and that the Crosse of God is God 3. The Spirit dwelleth not in our flesh that is in our sinfull and unrenewed part for so is flesh taken Rom. 7. who dreamed that grace dwelleth in originall sinne or if by flesh he meane the naturall man or the carnall man or the outward man that is in our person hee then thinks this outward and naturall man or our body is turned in a spirit or spirituall nature so as we are made by justification spirituall as Angels and need no more Ordinances Word Seales reading the written Scripture then if we were glorified Saints as Saltmarsh speaketh of the beleevers and as he himselfe saith You may as well goe about to bring the Angels of heaven under an outward and secular power as the faithfull who being borne of the Spirit are more spirituall then they If so then beleevers being more spirituall then Angels and so lâsse literall and lesse carnall because by imputed righteousnesse they are Christed and Godded and so the body of sinne destroyed by the the imputed righteousnesse of Christ fully and compleatly then as Angels need no secular power because they are spirituall so need they not heare the Morall Law preached nor the threatnings thereof nor need they give attendance to reading nor need they marry nor can they die nor sin as our Saviour saith and that because they are spirituall if then beleevers be more spirituall as Del saith they need farre lesse then Angels the written Word or the Preaching of the Law or any Ordinances nor should they marry or dye nor can they sinne nor lie nor whore nor steale nor kill but bee as the Angels of heaven I cannot but professe my jealousie of all Familists I much feare when Del saith beleevers are more spirituall then Angels and that the naturall man must bee made spirituall which is done saith he by the imputed righteousnesse of God Pag. 6.7 that hee mindeth with Mistresse Hutchiâon that these who are united to Christ have in this life new bodies and two bodies 1 Cor. 6.19 And that the soules of men are mortall in regard of generation like the beasts Eccles. 3.8 but made immortall by the purchase of Redemption And that the Resurrection Joh. 5.28 is not meant of the Resurrection of the body but of our union here and after this life with Christ. And so taught that abominable Priest Anto. Pocquius and the Quintists with him with Phyletus and Hymeneus that the Resurrection of the dead was in this life and that we are not saved in hope onely in this life but really and compleatly before we die and the same perfection of life eternall in this life is taught by Antinomians to wit by Towne and Saltmarsh the colleague of Del. These must lie upon Antinomians while they condemne their Fathers the Familists upon whose principles they walke which they have never yet done nor have they denyed the foule Heresies that are in the Story of the Rise raigne ruine of Antinomians 4. Ecclesiasticall reformation in the intention of the work hath no kindly ends that are fleshly and carnall and therefore is as constant as internall reformation except Master Del meane so much as the Nicholaitans doe that the Letter of the Scripture and all Ordinances externall Word scales prayer reading bookes under the Gospel are abolished to the just man and onely the Spirit leadeth him yea that these are all Elementish Ceremoniall carnall and fleshly and that its unpossible that any act meditation thinâing aspiring or working can be sufficient to attaine the seeing of God in this life that no discourse exercise nor rule of Law Gospel Scripture or Ordinance or any meane can bee interposed betweene the soule and God that wee are onely passive in receiving the will of God that we and all our acts of the soule of willing loving trusting hoping c. are annihilated and turned to nothing in a spirituall communion with God And the reason of the constancy of externall reformation in its owne nature I give Because as grace in the soule being a beam and day of eternall and unchangeable love is ever like God the Author constant and so like its Father so is externall Reformation constant for the Letter of Law and Gospel commands ever and immutably a perfect conformity betweene the outward man and God that eyes eares hands confession of Christ before men hearing the Word reading praying abstinence from fleshly lusts be ever the same according to the rule of the Gospel as internall Reformation is constant It s true outward Reformation is not constant in the sinnefull intention of the worker because it takes not hold of the heart and therefore the ends of externall Reformation in the intention of men is often sinnefull fleshly carnall yea devillish and so unconstant in good and therefore it s a vaine thing for M. Del to argue from the abused and sinnefull ends of men against outward Reformation which of the owne nature is an Ordinance of God 5. All the differences between inward and outward Reformation prove an excellencie of Christs inward Reformation above mens outward Reformation which is most true but proveth not but outward Reformation is a good Ordinance of God for honouring of God before men 2. For an externall blamelesse profession and confession of Christ and his truth before men is commanded in the Gospel Math. 10 32.3â And abââinence ârom grosse and scandalous sinnes Del pag. â0 If the Church be to be redeemed Christ must redeeme it if it be governed Christ must governe it if it be to be protected Christ must protect it if it be to bee saved Christ must save it 1. God hath committed the care of reforming the Church to Christ onely and to no body else and this is a thousand times better for the Church then if hee had committed it to all the Princes and Magistrats in the world All things are given to me of my Father Christs love to redeeme is his love to reforme he will not break the bruised râed c. and he reformes not ruggedly and with violence Answ. This Argument shall prove that none ought to come out to helpe