Neonomianism Unmasked, Title page 1 – Dedication
Neonomianiſm Unmask'd: OR, THE Ancient Goſpel PLEADED, Againſt the OTHER, CALLED A New
LAW OR
GOSPEL.
IN A Theological Debate, occaſioned by a Book lately Wrote by Mr. Dan. Williams, Entituled, Goſpel-Truth Stated and Vindicated: Unwarily Commended and Subſcribed by ſome Divines.
Applauded and Defended by the late Athenian Clubb.
As many as are of the Works of the Law are under a Curſe, Gal. 3.10.
And the Law is not of Faith, Ver. 12.
Chriſt is the End of the Law for Righteouſneſs to every one that believeth, Rom. 10.4.
By ISAAC CHAƲNCY, M. A.
LONDON, Printed for J. Harris at the Harrow in the Poultry, 1692.
TO ALL True Lovers OF THE LORD JESUS, BOTH Miniſters & Chriſtians Of any Perſwaſions whatever.
THE Apoſtle Paul doth declaim againſt nothing more than Another Goſpel, which is not another Goſpel, (as he ſaith) becauſe no Goſpel: Quod nuſquam eſt cum unum fit Evangelium non plura, ſaith Beza on the Gal. 1. It is no where, ſeeing there is but one Goſpel, and not more. This pretended other Goſpel was a Doctrine that taught the Conjunction of the Works of a Law with the Grace of God, and the Righteouſneſs of Christ in the Juctification of a Sinner before God, which ſome Falſe Teachers did zealouſly preſs upon the Galatians, in oppoſition to the Apoſtles Doctrine: Theſe he calls, Troublers of the Churches, and Perverters or Subverters of the Goſpel of Chriſt, viz. The Doctrine of Juſtification by Free Grace. Such as teach Juſtification by a Law, of Merits, not of Chriſt, but our own, [See Beza on the pl.] "Altho' we ſay they were wrought in us by Chriſt, as if Chriſt could be ſaid to Juſtifie, by giving us a way or means to justifie our ſelves; you may as well reconcile Light and Darkneſs as theſe two.
As to the Introducers and Teachers of ſuch Doctrine, the Apoſtle denounceth a bitter Curſe againſt them, whatever they were, (pretending to never ſo much Holineſs) Apoſtles, or Angels: Yea, he puts himſelf under this Anathema, if at any time he ſhould be guilty in this kind: And to ſhew that he ſpeaks not raſhly or paſſionately, but by the Spirit of God, and to awe Men's Minds the more, and deterr them from ſuch Attempts, he redoubles the Imprecation. But you'll ſay, May we not a little make bold with the Goſpel of Chriſt? How far may we venture to go, and not fall under this Anathema? The Apoſtle anſwers, v. 9. If any Man preach any other Goſpel unto you than that you have received, let him be accurſed. And the Doctrines which they had received was Juſtification by Faith without the Works of a Law: And that a Law is not of Faith in the Point of Juſtification, ch. 3.12. Mr. Beza juſtifies our Tranſlation in rendring foreign beſides, rather than againſt. For (ſaith he) the Apoſtle ſaid not, If they preach contrary things, and ſubvert the whole Goſpel, (as Chryſoſtom hath it.) But, If they pervert it a little, if they preach any thing beſides that Goſpel which they had received, &c. If they, as the Apoſtle ſaith many did, 2 Cor. 2.17. *foreign. Caupanariam Exercentes. foreign, Caupones, Infames ſemper & ſordidi ſunt babiti, quod merces corrumpunt & adulterant. Jun. Beza.Corrupt the Word of God, as fraudulent Vintners, (who daſh their Wines with Water, or any baſe Liquors.) But, ſaith the Apoſtle, We are of thoſe who Preach the Word of God, foreign, in Sincerity, in the Truth of our Hearts, as we will anſwer unto God, without any thing of Craft or Double Dealing, or mixing our omn Schemes or Phantaſies therewith, that ſpeak the very Truth, as we have dealt plainly and truly, not ſhunning to declare unto you all the Counſel of God, Acts 20.27. not ſhuffling and hiding ſome great Truths, that we think are not fit for the People to know; and therefore, ſaith he, we have abdicated*foreign. Abrenunciavimus pudendis latebris, non calliditaté ambutantes, ne que falſantes ſermonem Dei. 2 Cor. 4.2. this ſhameful hiding the Word of God, not demeaning our ſelves craftily, nor handling it deceitfully.
And to ſuch as receive this other Goſpel, who have profeſſed to the receiving the True Goſpel, he ſaith, I marvel you ſhould be ſo ſoon removed from him that called you into the Grace of Chriſt unto another Goſpel: Calls them Fools, Gal. 3.1. ſaith, they were faſcinated, bewitched, the Devil had got a great hand over them; tells them they were Apoſtates, had began in a Spiritual Goſpel, but ended in a Carnal: Nay, he teſtifies, that whoever is Juſtified by a Law, [it's foreign] are fallen from Grace; and that all their former Sufferings, how great ſoever they have been, would prove in vain. Oh! that Profeſſors of our Days would ſeriouſly conſider theſe things, who are ſo ready to run after this other Goſpel!
Laſtly, It is alſo needful to obſerve how the Apoſtle Paul complements Peter that Great Apoſtle, and one of the Pillars in the Churches, for his double dealing in theſe matters, in ſo much as countenancing this Falſe Goſpel, or the Impoſing Teachers of it: He withſtood him to the Face, and publickly; he rebuked him ſharply, becauſe he was exceedingly culpable; and in that he not only committed a great Sin himſelf, but carry'd away Barnabas, and many profeſſing Jews with his Diſſimulation; inſomuch that they all plaid the Hypocrites *foreign.with him, to pleaſe the Neonomians. He aggravates their Fault, in telling them they countenanced a Doctrine, which they were convinced was falſe, ch. 2.16. That they made Chriſt a Miniſter of Sin, that they condemned themſelves in their Practice, by building the things which they had deſtroyed. He takes off alſo all Apologies that they might make from the ſeeming Smallneſs of the Fault, as to refuſe to eat with the Gentiles. Come, come, ſaith he, the miſchief lies in it's Tendency, viz. To encourage the Preachers and Receivers of the Doctrine of Juſtification by the Works of the Law, foreign: For, ſaith he, we have believed on Chriſt, that we might be juſtified by the Faith of Chriſt, and not by the Works of a Law; for by the Works of a Law no Fleſh living ſhall be juſtified. I hope they whom theſe things do nearly concern at this time, will duly weigh and conſider them: Tho' I doubt not but they know them, yet it may not be amiſs to ſtir up knowing Men, by putting them in remembrance, 2 Pet. 1.12, 13. Verbum ſat ſapientibus.
As to the preſent Grand Aſſertor of a New Law, and of the Doctrine of Juſtification by the Works of the ſaid Law, I thought it due to the Grandeur of his Appearance in the Head of a New Sect, to treat him by the Name thereof, viz. A Neonomian *One that Aſſerts the Old Law is aboliſhed, and therein is a ſuperlative Antinomian, but pleads for a New Law, and Juſtification by the Works of it, and therein is a Neonomian., and the rather, becauſe by that Rectoral Rule of Government which he hath uſurp'd to himſelf, and the Rule of Sin, he hath judicially Sentenced all his Oppoſers to the Name of Antinomians, or Abetters of them: Inſomuch that all our firſt Proteſtant Reformers, and any known by the Name of Calviniſts, fall under his ſevere Cenſure, as Ignorant Setters up of the Name of Chriſt and his Grace againſt his Government. I thought it meet to call in the long-ago deceaſed Doctor alſo, under what Name or Title ſoever he is pleaſed to call him, (whom he carries about to ſcare Children with, and as a Trophy of his pretended Triumph) that he might be made ſpeak, and the World may hear what he hath to ſay for himſelf, and be acquainted how he is abuſed, and that he may be hereafter permitted to reſt quietly in his Grave, and not uſed as Wickliff was, i. e. Burnt for an Heretick ſo many Years after be hath been dead.
In a Word, Shall we ſtand ſtill with our Fingers in our Months in ſuch a Day of Peace and Liberty, while we are Brow-beaten, or wheadled out of the great Fundamental Points of Eternal Life and Salvation, which in all Ages of Antichriſtian Tyranny have triumph'd over the ſmarteſt Perſecutions, through the Blood of the Lamb, and the Word of his Teſtimony, in the Faith and Patience of the Saints, who have not loved their Lives unto Death in the Heroick Defence of them, againſt the very ſame ſort of Oppoſition? And who, I pray, will harm us now, if we as ſtrenuouſly defend the Truth as it is audaciouſly attack'd? Have any of us ſuffered to the ſpoiling of our Goods in the Defence of Truth, of a ſubordinate and ſubſervient Nature to theſe? and ſhall we ſuffer all this in vain, and caſt our ſelves tamely at the Feet of ſuch a confident Invader of our moſt choice and precious things in the World? yea, our very Life in Chriſt? What is it that affrightens us? Doth the Scripture, Law or Learning terrify us? If ſo little a Foot-man can run us out of Breath, how do we think to contend with Horſes, Dragooners I mean, if they ſhould come? And if in the Land of Peace we are wearied, what ſhall we do in the Swelling of Jordan? If Popery ſhould ever over-run us again (which God forbid) and we ſhould be called to bear Teſtimony to theſe Truths at Fire and Paggot, as the Famous Martyrs have done? It's to be feared now, that many Proteſtants would provide for their Safety, by flying to the Neonomian Aſylum. But to conclude, however we ſhrink from the deſpiſed Truths of Chriſt, ſhuffle and cut with him, and ſometimes huff and bounce at him, or ſome Truth of his, I am fully aſſured the God of Glory and all Grace, who hath hitherto preſerved the pure Doctrine of his Goſpel, not only from the impure Mixtures of Pretenders to Holineſs, the crafty Methodiſts of Satan as an Angel of Light, but alſo from his open Rage as a roaring Lion, will continue yet to maintain it againſt all the b…ting Winds of Falſe Doctrine: That Chriſt hath his Fan in his Hand, and will thoroughly purge his Floor; and that if any Man lay any other Foundation than what is laid, which is Jeſus Chriſt, and continues ſo to do, his Root ſhall be Rottenneſs, and his Bloſſom go up as Duſt.
I. C.