A Short View of the Antinomian Errors, Section 3
Some other Errours I find in a little Booke Intitled, Chriſts counſell to the Angell of the Church of Laodicea, diſcovered and anſwered: they ſay that legall teachers ſay, God will not ſave us without faith, and repentance, humility, ſelf deniall, fasting, mourning, and prayer, and the uſe of the Ordinances, as hearing, reading, and receiving the Sacraments, and obſerving the Sabbath, and doing as we would be done by, and a deſire to keepe all Gods Commandements, and yeelding univerſall obedience thereto, and to hate all ſinne.
THe Antinomeans ſay, that they are bewitched that hold a man cannot be ſaved without faith, and wiſheth them cut off that ſo trouble them; they ſay it is the envious man that hath ſowed thoſe Tares, but here he cals the Spirit of God that envious man, becauſe he hath told us, that without faith it is unpoſſible to pleaſe God, Heb. 11.16. and whatſoever is not of faith is ſinne, Rom. 14.23. and he that beleeveth not is damned already, and the wrath of God abideth on him, John 3.18.36.
Then what a bold blaſphemer is this, to call the holy Spirit of God the envious man, becauſe he contradicts their curſed Errours: They ſay, why ſhould Chriſt put them upon the performance of conditions, they having no life but are ſtone-dead in ſinne? ſo I ſay too; but when Chriſt gives us a hand, and life, and motion in it too, it is no hard condition to put it out to receive ſo great a Benefit. He ſaith, for God to put us upon ſuch a worke ſupernaturall as faith is, and to have no part in Chriſt without it, ſeems very difficult and unlike his Fatherly affections toward us: I anſw. but Gods people doe not thinke ſo whatever he thinkes; when God hath given them faith they muſt uſe it, and cannot doe otherwiſe, they find ſo much profit and comfort by implying that Tallent of faith.
He ſaith, to ſay faith is a condition without which we cannot be ſaved, doth perplex the conſcience, and denies our mercies and reſiſts the ſpirit of God, and doth not conſiſt with the right end; for which faith was wrought in us; he ſaith, Chriſt died for the ungodly to purchaſe remiſſion of ſinnes, and to reconcile them to God; and ſo I ſay too, ſo it be underſtood out of the number of the Elect, but when he ſaith this was done without any condition or application on our parts; we remaining ungodly ſtill, and going on in a courſe of ſinnes is a foule errour; but I have anſwered it already: and he ſaith, faith was given that we might ſee what was wrought in and upon us, before we had either faith or calling; that is ſaith he, to ſee our remiſſion of ſinnes, and reconciliation with God, and how we are made righteous in the ſight of God, juſtified and ſaved; all this as ſoone as we have our being in this life, and faith is but a declarative grace to ſhew us theſe things that were all done before, but onelyonly we did not ſee them, and ſo faith comforts us, ſaith he; and when the law clamours for obedience, faith anſwers, we are not under the law but under grace, and therefore they owe no obedience to it; it is true, they will doe ſome things unrequired, as to breake out into exaltations and thankfulneſſe, but not as any duty they owe to the Lord, but upon free will and as a curtiſie, what they pleaſe unrequired; this is their free grace, but it is of the divels making to damne their ſoules; but Paul ſaith, Chriſt was revealed for the obedience of faith, Rom. 16.26. and he received grace and Apoſtleſhip for the obedience of faith, Rom. 1.5. they ſay that their love makes them doe great matters unrequired; but let them take heed how they bring ſtrange fire or any thing, before they have tryed it in the ballance of the Sanctuary, for God will not be ſerved by their deviſings, but by his owne directions made knowne to us in his law, He that looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein, not being a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke, this man is bleſſed in the deed, James 1.25. we muſt bring that worſhip and ſervice that God requires in his law for ſubſtance, and in the ſame manner it muſt be done in faith, and time, & place conſidered; and to the ſame end, that God hath apointed, which is, his glory; but their faith ſheweth them a Chriſt that requires no duty of them, but what they pleaſe out of free love and curtiſie, for all was done before they had faith or calling; and he ſaith, children when they dye are ſaved without faith; but I ſuppoſe that to be more then he can prove, becauſe without faith it is unpoſſible to pleaſe God, and he that beleeveth not is damned already, and …he wrath of God abideth on him; but that wrath muſt be removed, and they muſt pleaſe God before they can be ſaved, although we cannot conceive the manner how it is wrought in them, therefore when Chriſt came to heale any …iſeaſes, if he perceived they had faith to be healed, then he cured them, and commonly he ſaid, according to thy faith be it unto thee, all things are poſſible to him that beleeveth: he ſaith, they that mix the Law and the Goſpell together are falſe teachers; and ſo I ſay too, and to make redemption conditionall …o depend on duties as cauſes, I ſay the ſame; but to ſay theſe duties are not …equired as the way to ſalvation, is a groſſe errour, that beats off all obedience …o the law of God; but they ſay, the ſtate of a Chriſtian is moſt free in this reſpect, becauſe nothing at all is required of him; and he ſaith, they are deceivers that teach otherwiſe, ſo that their free grace they boaſt ſo much of, is nothing but a freedome from all obedience to the lavv of God.
I find in that book of theirs, that they ſay, legall Teachers ſay, that repentance, …umiliation, ſelf-deniall, weeping, mourning, faſting and praying, and the uſe of …he Sacraments, the obſerving of the Sabbath, and doing as one would be done …nto, and the reſt, muſt be done as duties, but are palpable mistakings, for they …re made as duties by almoſt all Teachers.
But here they ſhew their ſinne as Sodome, and bewray what they meane by …eir free grace; yet I ſay againe, that we deny that duties are any cauſes of …ur ſalvation, but they are the way appointed by the Lord to attaine that end, …nd muſt be done in obedience to Gods command, and not left for us to doe, … not to doe at our pleaſure; theſe ought to be preſſed as duties, ſo long as we …rry about with us daily a body of ſinne; which is as a heavy weight upon us; …d being alwayes with us, and makes us faile in all our duties; we then had …ed to be ſtirred up daily to weeping and mourning and to repent of our fail…gs; nay, although we know nothing by our ſelves, yet are we not hereby juſtified, 1 Cor. 4.4. becauſe there be many ſecret ſinnes in us that we cannot find out, O Lord forgive our ſecret ſins, Pſal. 19. he ſaith, feare hath torment; ſo I ſay that ſlaviſh feare hath torment, and is not made perfect in love, 1 Joh. 4.18. but filiall feare is a companion of all joy and comfort, Pſal. 2.11.56.6. he ſaith, it is in vaine to bid a beleever humble himſelfe, for there is none ſo humble as he. But is this an argument ſufficient, why beleevers ſhould not be called upon to humble themſelves, becauſe others are not humbled? and becauſe they ſee others are worſe then themſelves? but this is their folly; who have left the law of God which is the true rule, and make ſinfull men their rule, and ſo the blind lead the blind, till both fall into the ditch. But we muſt not follow the Antinomeans rule, ſo long as we have the true rule to walke by, which is the perfect and eternall law of God, this glaſſe of Gods law will ſhew us our ſinnes; I had not knowne ſinne but by the law, Rom. 7.7. for by the law is the knowledge of ſinne, Rom. 3.20. and it was after Pauls converſion, that he looked upon the law and came to know his ſinne, which ſhews that he had not done with it when he beleeved, and are we more perfect then he?
Although a beleever comes to ſee his owne vileneſſe, and therefore denies himſelfe, and no man more, yet he is but part ſpirit and part fleſh, and theſe two are fighting continually in him, and we ſee the often fals of the beſt of Gods people, which ſhould be a warning to us to walke circumſpectly, not as fooles but as wiſe, Ephe. 4.15. we had need be ready and willing both to give counſell and to receive counſell, to walke watchfully and humbly, let us conſider on… another, and provoke unto love and to good workes, Heb. 10.24. Paul bids Timothy to ſtirre up that gift that was given him, 2 Tim. 1.6. and Paul with ſtood Peter to his face, becauſe he was to be blamed; and Barnabas was carrie… away alſo with their diſſimulation, Gal. 2.11.13.
Then ſure Paul was no Antinomean, that ſtirs up their dull ſpirits to their duties of obedience and watchfulneſſe; neither was Barnabas, nor Timothy, no… the reſt Antinomeans, that ſtood in need of the helpe of others, when one o… them his graces ſeemed to dye within him, and the other almoſt loſt, till Pau… rouſed them up againe; then take notice of this prophane man, how his fre… grace gives way freely to all manner of ſinnes in beleevers, when he ſaith, yo… need not bid them to humble themſelves; what is this but to make void a… Chriſtian duties, and for mourning for ſinne and faſting? when the Bridegroome ſeemes to be taken away from them, and his faith is clouded, you nee… not to bid them faſt and mourne, for (ſaith he) they are too apt and too pro… to wrong themſelves thereby; and ſo in the matter of repentance.
Therefore rather reprove them that doe ſo for their weakneſſe; but mu… we beleeve this Antinomean, rather then the Bridegroome himſelfe? wh… ſaith, the dayes will come, when the Bridegroome ſhall be taken away from them and then ſhall they faſt in thoſe dayes, Luke 5.35, ſurely if this man had known what it had beene to have his faith clouded, and the loving countenance of God hidden from him, it would make him faſt, and mourne, and weepe, to have thoſe joyes restored againe, that the broken bones may rejoyce, Pſal. 51.8.12. and although this man would have them reproved that doe ſo, yet Chriſt bids them aske and ye ſhall have, ſeeke and ye ſhall find, k…o…ke and it ſhall be opened; hitherto ye have asked nothing, aske that your joy may be full, John 16.24. he ſaith, a child that knowes that his Father loves him, ſhall you need to tell him that he ought in duty to aske it of his Father; as much need ſaith he, is there to preach prayer as a duty; but curſed be he that denies that prayer to God, both for himſelfe and others to be a duty; ſaith Samuel, God forbid that J ſhould ſinne againſt the Lord, in ceaſing to pray for you, 1 Sam. 12.23. and how frequent have the Saints in all ages beene in this duty, both for themſelves and others; but yet I confeſſe that ſuch as they are, who turne away their care from hearing the law, their prayer is abomination, Prov. 28.9. now if they be ſo ſenſible of this heavy ſentence, they are wiſer then I tooke them to be, to ſave themſelves that labour, when their prayer is nothing worth, becauſe they forſake the law of God.
But they ſay, a beleever cannot want much nor many things, therefore they need not pray: I anſw. Although a beleever be rich, yet he hath it not in his owne keeping; he hath exceeding great and precious promiſes, 2 Pet. 1.4. but we muſt fetch out theſe things, as we have occaſion by the prayer of faith; thus ſaith the Lord God, Yet I will be ſought for of the houſe of Iſrael, Ezek. 36.37. aske of me and I will give thee, Pſal. 2.8. and ſometimes Dives hath his good things; and Lazarus his evill things, Luke 16.25. becauſe God loves to hear his people pray, Prov. 15.8. But then ſaith this man, if they doe pray, ſure a very ſhort prayer may ſerve their turne, as our Saviour well knew when he taught us how to pray, and reproved long prayer; here this man ſheweth all his heart, then ſee how he ſuckes poyſon out of the ſweeteſt Flowers, as the Roſe of Sharon, and the Lilly of the Vallies, Cant. 2.1. he turnes the meaning of Chriſt himſelfe to his owne corrupted humour, as all Heretiques uſe to doe.
For Chriſt did but teach them the ground of all prayer, but when he ſet himſelfe to pray, he continued all night in prayer to God, Luke 6.12. When Peter was in priſon, prayer was made without ceaſing to God for him, Acts 12.5. men ought alwayes to pray and not faint, Luke 18.1. Cornelius prayed alwayes, Acts 10.2. Then did all theſe ſay nothing but that we call the Lords Prayer, and then ceaſe, or did they ſay it over as many times as a Fryar will tye his whore to ſay it, to ſatisfie for her whoredome; which is their folly.
Neither did Chriſt intend to reprove long prayers, but when they asked vaine petitions, or when they ſtand in the ſtreet to be ſeene of men, or when they are large in their owne ſutes, and will not heare the complaint of poore Widdowes, but are ready to devour them, theſe ſhall receive greater damnation Mat. 23.14.
But this Antinomean ſaith, if we aske any thing it is a vaine petition, becauſe we beleeve that we have it already; as to aske for remiſſion of ſinne, and crying out of the burthen of ſinne, when we beleeve that Chriſt hath bourne our ſinnes in his body on the Tree, and that his blood cleanſeth us from all ſinne.
I anſwer; although we beleeve that all our ſinnes paſt are remitted, yet we ſinne daily, therefore Chriſt hath taught us daily to aske forgiveneſſe. Againe, a man ſometimes hath ſome one ſinne that troubleth him, that he hath no certaine aſſurance of the pardon of it at the preſent; as David after the ſinne of murther, prayes the Lord to take away blood guiltineſſe from him, Pſ. 51.14. although Nathan had told him before that it was forgiven, 2 Sam. 12.13.
But he ſaith, he that prayes for the pardon of his ſinne, is like a man afrighted with ſinne, and at the ſame time giving thankes for the r…miſion of ſinne, and of a man that is afraid of the ſinnes of his preſent prayers, and of one that hath victory over ſinne, death, and hell.
I anſwer; although our ſinnes be pardoned and the guilt taken away, yet the being of ſinne is not taken away; and although we are juſtified from all ſinne, yet we are not ſanctified from all ſinne; ſo that we ought to be humbled for our filthineſſe for want of ſanctification when we come into the preſence of God; and becauſe that ſinne is in us, we may well feare that we ſhall not carry our ſelves ſo holy, as becometh ſuch a preſence, as the men of Beth-ſhemiſh ſaid, Who is able to ſtand before this holy Lord God? 1 Sam. 6.20. and yet not ſo deſpaire as to leave off the duty, but to pray ſtill; and as ſanctification increaſeth, we come into the preſence of God with more cheerfulneſſe, and as our aſſurance increaſeth, we ſhall be leſſe in our petitions and more in thankſgiving and praiſing God for his mercies to us.
He ſaith, we preſent a man that is delivered from the law, into the glorious liberty of the ſonnes of God, and yet puts himſelfe under the law.
I anſwer; we are delivered from the curſes of the law, and the threatnings of the lavv, and from the condemning povver of it, and from the conſtraining povver of it, but vve are not delivered from the commanding povver of it, the free grace of Chriſt did not deliver us from our obedience to the lavv of God; but in giving us the eye of faith vve ſee our duty more cleerly that is vvritten in the lavv of God, and by our hand of faith vve fetch more ſtrength from Chriſt to enable us to performe our duty to the lavv of God, I can do all things through Chriſt that ſtrengtheneth me, Phil. 4.13. but if our eye of faith vvere never ſo cleere to ſee our duty, yet if vve vvill not looke upon the lavv of God but count it as a ſtrange thing, Hoſea 8.12. it is all one to them, as if the book of the law were ſealed up; and he that hath no faith, is like a man to whom the booke of the law is open, but the man cannot read for he is not learned, Iſa. 29.11, 12. ſo then the eye of faith is the Organ, and our duty is the object, and the written law of God is the Medium by which we ſee our duty; but when the law is taken from us, or if we caſt away the commanding power of it, which is all one we can ſee our duty no more then a man can ſee in a dungeon; then well may the Antinomians be ſo blind concerning their duty, when as they caſt away that light that ſhould ſhew it unto them, thy law is a lanterne to my feet, and a light unto my pathes, Pſal. 119.105.
But then faith hath another property, when it ſees the greatneſſe of the work to be done, and the weakneſſe of the doer of it, that it ſeeth helpe in another which is Chriſt, and preſently fetcheth it to helpe him, this honour have all the Saints, Pſal. 149.9.
He ſaith, we need not to tell a healthfull man that it is his duty to feed himſelf, even ſo is it needfull to tell a beleever that it is his duty to heare Sermons, read the Scripture, and frequent the Lords Table, theſe are his proper and his naturall food, by which his faith is ſtrengthened and increaſed; yet (ſaith he) in what a ſad and fearfull manner are theſe preſſed upon mens conſciences, upon paine of having no part in Chriſt, and of everlasting damnation in hell for ever.
I anſwer; firſt, if one ſhould tell a healthfull man that it is his duty to feed himſelfe, I hope it would not make him leave feeding and goe about to ſtarve himſelfe, becauſe he is told that he muſt doe it as a duty; and ſo for ſpirituall duties to be told of them is rather an encouragement to goe on ſtill, becauſe it is their duty; and what if he know it before? he need not be offended at the love of his friend, for telling him that which he knew before; but I ſmell wherein lieth the venome of this man, he hath free grace beſtowed on him which hath freed him from all duties of obedience to the Lord, ſo that what he doth, is onelyonly out of free love; for he thinkes to be tyed by way of duty will not ſtand with his free grace; but I ſay againe, we truſt in no duty as cauſes of our ſalvation, but we obey and doe theſe duties as the way to ſalvation; neither did they ever heare thoſe worthy Divines, whom they villefie with the termes of legall Teachers, preſſe any duties to merit ſalvation for the doing of them; but let the ſonnes of Belial know, that if they ſlight their duties to the law of God, they may purchaſe damnation by it; neither can there be any ſalvation for that man till he humble himſelfe, and freely yeeld to the commanding power of the law of God, and count it his duty to give all the power of body and ſoule in obedience to it; but this yoke is too heavy for the ſonnes of Belial, they will be tyed to nothing but upon free love and curriſie, that they may leave it when they liſt; they have gotten free grace.
He ſaith, they put us upon theſe duties to try and to prove our ſelves by the performance of them, as by markes and ſignes of grace within.
I anſwer; if Chriſt be in the ſoule, there muſt needs be fignes of his preſence; we need not goe by heare-ſay or from a bare Teſtimony or ſuggeſtion; they told Jacob that Joſeph was alive, but that did not ſatisfie him till he ſaw the Wagons, Gen. 45.27.28. ſo now if the eyes of the ſoule be opened to ſee our duty written in the law, it is Chriſt that hath done it, Acts 16.14. whoſe heart the Lord opened: Doe ye aske whence he is? and yet he hath opened mine eyes, John 9.30. Acts 26.17, 18. Secondly, the worke muſt ariſe from a true juſtifying faith, that knits them to Chriſt and makes their perſon accepted, Rom. 5.1. Gen. 4.4. this faith muſt take hold of that promiſe that is made to them that doe this duty, Exod. 20.6. Thirdly, in our duties we muſt aime at Gods glory, 1 Cor. 10.31. thus by any duty we may try our ſelves whether we doe it by vertue of Gods command without us, and whether it be acted by an inward principle of faith within us, and whether it tend to Gods glory as the utmoſt end of it; he that hath theſemarkes and ſignes the Spirit of God is in him, this faith worketh by love and obedience, Rom. 1.5.1 John 5.3. neither can he ſay, what a fearfull thing it is to preſſe theſe things as duties upon our conſciences, that belongs to the ſons of Belial, that cannot abide the yoke of Gods ſaw, that requires thoſe duties of them.
He ſaith, the true beleever ſubmits himſelfe to every Ordinance of man; mark a little the reaſoning of this miſguided man; he that ſaid before, that beleevers muſt not ſubmit to the lawes of God, now he ſaith they muſt ſub…it to the lawes of man; and he that denied obedience to Gods lawes, was any marke or ſigne of a beleever; yet he ſaith, he that ſubmits to mans Ordinance is a true beleever: but yet here is more venome behind in this argument, for what is this Ordinance of man? He ſaith it is the obſervation of the Sabbath ſo exceedingly preached and preſt as a duty, to be exactly performed in the exerciſe onelyonly of the worſhip and ſervice of God; thus caſting aſperſion upon the Lords day, and upon his worſhip and ſervice, calling it mans ordinance, becauſe he would overthrow the Sabbath of the Lord, and then he goes about to ſet up his owne invention; in the next words ſaying, all dayes are to him, this Sabbath, for he liveth in that reſt that was tipified out of the old Sabbath; he ſaith, he will take care to keepe faith in heart, and breath, and faith will make every day a Sabbath, now he hath Chriſt, for the ſhadow is gone, the body is Chriſt, his free grace hath freed him from keeping a ſabbath, for it is but the Ordinance of man: here he contradicts his owne Character of a true beleever, which was to ſubmit to mans Ordinance; but here is a true Character of one, ſwarving from the true rule, which is the law of God, and now he walks in crooked pathes of his owne invention, playing the hipocrit…, ſaying, although he ſubmit the outward man, the inward man cannot be beguiled: here you ſee as rotten a heart diſcovered, as ever lived in man, ſome heretiques deny one Commandement, ſome another, but never any denied them all, till this curſed hereſie ſprung up; but let them read the judgements of God on Sabbath breakers, & the Practice of Piety, the one to whip them, and the other to ſhew them their duty, if perhaps the thoughts of their heart may be forgiven them; take heed, leſt you with the Papiſts deny the Lordſhip of Chriſt, who cleared the law from all falſe gloſſes, and gave it them in his owne name, ſhewing the ſtrictneſſe of it, reaching not onelyonly to the outward man, but rectifying the ſoule and inward parts of man, and ſo to bring all parts of body and ſoule in obedience and free ſubjection to it, and that for ever.