Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 2 · Chapter 76
CHAP. LXXVI. Libertines and Antinomians destroy Scripture, and make the Spirit all, and some.
Paral. VI. LIbertines (saith Calvin. Instruct. advers. Liber. p. 412. Hi (Liberti…i) adeo se Spirituales simulant, ut nihilo pluris …aciant sacrosanctum Dei verbum quam sabulas nisi cum ipsis visum est.Calvin) are so spirituall in their owne fancie, that they count no more of the sacred word of God, then of Fables, except when it serves their turnes. The places of Scripture bCal…in. Instruct. advers Libert. cap. 9. pag. 441. Scripturam naturali suo sensu acceptam literam mortuam esse, ideo que missam esse faciendam, ut ad Spiritum vivificantem veniamus—A…legoricis interpretationibus,—sublimibus & nobis revelationibus …udunt.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, its the spirit (say they) that quickneth. So cBlesdiki…s pag. 29. ar. 16. His nullam legem ponendam, &c. ar. 17. Deum enim arcano Spiritus sui motu effecturum, &c.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, dRise, raigne▪ er. 4.5.The will of God in the Word, and the directions thereof are no Rule whereunto Christians are bound to conforme their life. And the eEr. 39.due search and knowledge of the holy Scriptures, is no safe way of searching and finding Christ; And fEr. 61.all Doctrines, Revelations, and Spirits, must bee tryed by Christ, not by the word of Christ. And gEr. 9.the whole Letter of the Scripture holdeth forth a covenant of works. hShadowes fleeing away, p…g. 8.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 hShadowes fleeing away, p…g. 8.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 iTowne asser. grace, pag. 4.5.6.7▪ &c.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, H. Nicholas maketh two words of God, one false, and in the letter, another true, and in the Spirit.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,H. Ainsworths answer to H. Nicholas Epistle in the Preface. H. Nicholas in his first exhortation, …p. 16. Ser. 16. 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 i…. adv. Libert. cap. 9. pag. 441.Penmen 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) VnderUnder Abraham and the Prophets, kHistor. Da. Georg per Ni…ho. Blesdiki…m, p 37 è L…bro memorabilium.in its young age; under John Baptist, Christ in the flesh, and the Apostles, its 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 lRise, raigne, Vnsavory sp…eches er. ….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 mSaltmarsh Free grace. 167.Saltmarsh maketh all the Prophets in the Old Testament, Legall men; and nSaltmarsh Shaddowes fleeing away, p 10.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 oSaltmarsh Shaddows, p. 15.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 onelyonly 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. pSaltmarsh Free grace. pag. 145.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 qFree grace, 153.of a covenant, conceive a little too Legally of free grace. Such rFree grace 158.as have neither the use nor freedome of the heavenly inheritance, that are subject to death and bondage. Such sFree grace, 167.to whom God appeared onelyonly, as it were, upon tearmes and conditions of reconciliation. Such as tFree grace, 169. The Fathers of old Testament saved contrary to Antinomians.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 nPsal. 32.1, 2. v 5. Cant. 4.7, Isa. 43.25. Isa. 1.18. Isa. 6.7. Isa. 40.2. Isa. 44.22. Mic 7.9.…0.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 xCalvin. in instruct. adv. Libert. ca. 19 pag. 442. Verbum Dei Spiritum esse aiunt. 443. Verbum Dei nihil aliud quam Spiritum esse, similiter Christum esse Spiritum. Vitam etiam nostrum Spiritum esse debere.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. yRise, raigne, …r. …0.There is a Testimony of the Spirit, and voice unto the soule meerely immediate, without any respect unto, or concurrence with the Word. And zer. 49.from this, Wee are not to keepe a constant course of praying at set houres, or alwayes, but as the Spirit move us. And a…r. 61.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 bSaltmarsh Free grace …. 32. pa. 46. Saltmarsh Free grace, 138. The Gospel … Christ himselfe, and love revealed.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, This is like the language of Swe…ck. seldius, Epist. ad Ecclesiasten. excusa Basiliae, An. 1527. Si externa praedicatio necessario precederet in justificatione, homo poneret primum lapidem, non Deus—Caro & sanguis non revelat Christum— non igitur est fides ob auditu externo (nisi sit historica) sed ab inspiratione Dei.—Non tollimus Scripturam & ministerium, Sed ed in suum locum pro carnis eruditione statuimus.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 onelyonly 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 cTowne asser. gr. pag. 7.8.9.10.11.12.much in this, through his whole booke, to make the Law a meere dead Letter, and the Gospel all Spirit, and to free us from the Letter of all Scripture. And dSaltmarsh fr. gr. p. 180.Saltmarsh upon this ground, of the free working of the Spirit of Adoption, freeth us from outward Commandements, Covenants, Vowes, as if the Word, or Scripture, and the Spirit, were two contrary and different things, and the one not harmoniously subordinate too, and complying with the other.