Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 1 · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV. Of the Familists and Antinomians of New England.
ABout the yeare 1630. The Christians of England,The rise of the late Familists in N. England. who could not beare the Antichristian yoake of prelacy, nor submit to the Popish Ceremonies and new inventions of infamous Laud, the late persecuting Antichrist of Canterburie who for his Tyranny to soules, and treason against the state, dyed by the hand of the Hang-man on the Tower-hill of London, were forced to remove from England and to plant themselves among the wild Americans, with no intention (as godly ministers informed me) to pitch on a Church-government, either that of Independencie, or of the stricter Separation, or any other different from the reformed Churches, but only to injoy the ordinances of Christ in purity and power, and to be freed of Prelatical Monarchy, a plant never planted, in the Lords Viniard, by our heavenly Father, they were not well established in New England, when Antinomians sprang up among them for the Church cannot be long without enemies. These were Libertines, Familists. Antinomians, and Enthusiasts who had brought these wicked opinions out of Old England with them, where they grew under prelacie, I heard at London, that godly preachers were in danger of being persecuted by Laud for striving to reclaime some Antinomians. They held these wicked tenets especially, that follow, as may be gathered out of the storie of the Rise, Reign, and Ruine of the Antinomians and libertines that infected the Churches of New England penned (as I am informed) by M. Winthrope Governour, a faithfull witnes, and approved by M.T. Weld in his preface to the book.
1 In the conversion of a sinner the faculties and workings of the soule on things pertaining to God, are destroyed and instead of them the holy Ghost comes in and taketh place, just as the faculties of the humane Nature of Christ doth.
2 Love in the Saints is the very holy Ghost.
3. As Christ was God manifested in the flesh, so is he incarnate and made flesh in every Saint.
So saith Saltmarsh, sparkles of glory opposing the Protestants p. 255. Others say (Familists, in opposition to Protestants, as he cleareth, p. 254.) Christ in us, is when we are made the anoynted of God, which is the Christ, or the whole intire Christ, as one sp…rituall new man 1 Cor. 12.12. and that the Image of Christ …n us, is Christ manifested in our flesh, as to sufferings, and death, whereby the flesh is crucified in the power of God and of the Spirit, and the outward man or the flesh is dying ▪ now Christ in the flesh, 1 Cor. 12▪12. is the mysticall body of Christ his Church, and this is to Saltmarsh and Familists, God manifested in the flesh.
4. The New Creature, or new man, Love, or, the armour of God, Ephes. 6. is not meant of grace, but of Christ himself.
5. The whole letter of the Scripture holdeth forth a Covenant of works. By which, beleevers under grace are not to hear, or read the Scriptures, nor to search them, so Saltmarsh, Sparkles of glory p. 247, 268 269.
6. The Faith that justifieth, hath not any actual… beeing out of Christ, it is Christ beleeving in us.
7 The due search and knowledge of holy Scripture, is not a safe way of searching and finding Christ, So also Saltmarsh, Sparkles of glory: p. 244, 245.
8 The Law and preaching of it, is of no use to drive men to Christ, Salt… Spark. of glory, p. 235.236, 237, 238.
9. All Covenants to God expressed in words, are legall, Saltmar. Spark. p. 244.
10 A Christian is not bound to the Law as a rule of his Christian walking. Saltm. ibid.
11 Christs example is no paterne to us, because 'tis externall and voyd of the spirit.
12 The soule may have true union with the Father, son and spirit justification and sanctification, and the person remain a Hypocrite.
13. There is no difference between hypocrites and beleevers in their kinde.
14. All graces in the regenerating are fading.
15. In the Saints there is no inherent grace, but Christ is all. So also Saltmarsh Sparkles of Glory, p. 254.255.256.
16 We are united to Christ, and justified without faith, yea from eternity, So Saltmarsh Sparkles of glory, p. 190, 191, 192. as if the decree of Justification, and …ustification it self were all one, and the decree of God to create the world, and permit sin, and redeem the Elect, were all one with the creation of the world, permission of si…, Redemption of the Elect. Yea so that which is from eternity, and since God was God, and that which falleth out in time, must be all one.
17 Faith is not a receiving of Christ, but a discerning that the man hath received him already, Saltmarsh ibid.
18 A man is united to Christ by the work of the Spirit on him, without any work of his own, he being a meer patient first and last, Ibi.
19. A man is never really and effectually Christs, till he have such assurance as exludeth all doubting.
20 The witnesse of the Spirit, is merely immediate, without respect to sanctification or acts thereof, as signes, or concurrence of the word, So Saltmarsh Spark. of glory. p. 274, 275, 276.
21 He that hath once assurance, never doubteth again, contrary to Ps. 77. Ps. 88. Ps 32.22. Jona 2.4.
22 To question assurance of a spirituall good estate upon the commission of murther or adultery, is a token of no true assurance.
23 Sanctification can be no evidence of a good estate, Saltm. Spar. of Glor. 275 276, 277▪ 278.
24 I know I am Christs, because I beleeve that Christ hath crucified my lusts for me, not because I crucifie them my self.
25 What tell ye me of graces and duties, tell me of Christ, as if Christ and duties of sanctification were contrary one to another; by this meanes, Christ and living to him, that on the tree bare our sins, Christ and walking worthy of Christ, Christ and willing and doing by the grace of Christ, must be contrary one to another, which is an inverting of the Gospel, indeed before the tribunall of Divine Justice, a wakened conscience hath peace by being justified by Christ, but not by duties or works even wrought by grace.
26 I am not better accepted of God, because I am holy, nor the worse, because unholy, sure he that hath elected me will save me.
27 To be Justified by faith, is to be justified by works.
28 No comfort, no ground of assurance or peace can bee brought from a conditionall gospel, or gospel-promise… bec…use all depen…s on our free-will, which might say something, if Grace did no… efficaciously work in us to will and to doe, and determine irresistibly the will to choose freely and invincibly that which is good.
29 None are to be exhorted to beleeve but such as we know to be the Elect of God, and to have the spirit working in them effectually, Saltmar. sparkles▪ p. 256, 257.
30 It is true poverty of spirit to know I have no grace at all.
31 A child of God is not to sorrow for sin; and trouble of conscience for sinne argues a man to bee under a covenant of works.
32 To act by vertue of, or in obedience to a command is a Law-worke, Saltm. Sparkles of glory p. 242, 243, 244.
33 Wee are not to pray against all sin, because it cannot bee avoyded, but sin must dwell in us.
34 The efficacy of Christs death is to kill all activity of graces in his Members, that Christ may bee all in all, Saltmarsh Sparkles of glory p. 254, 255.
35 All the activity of beleevers is to act sinne.
36 The spirit acts most in the Saints when they indeavour least.
37 Sanctification rather darkens justification, the darker my sanctification is, the more evident is my justification.
38 A man cannot evidence his justification by his sanctification, but hee must needs build upon his sanctification and trust to it.
39 Frequencie and length of holy duties argue the partie to bee under a covenant of workes, So Saltmarsh, saith Spark glory. pag, 224, 225, of prayer as if to bring forth much fruit, which is to glorifie our heavenly father Joh. 15. To goe about doing good Act. 10. To bee abundant in the worke of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. To pray continually 1 Thes. 5. savored of the law and had nothing to doe with Gospel-grace.
40 It is dangerous to close with Christ on a promise. Contrary to Joh. 5.25, 26. Joh. 11.25, 26. Joh 7.37. Joh 3.16. Math. 11.28, 29. Rev. 22.17. Rev. 2.7. Rev. 3.20.
41 All doctrines, revelations and spirits must bee tryed by Christ, rather then by the word.
42 It is no way of grace that a Christian support his faith in ill houres with the comforts of former experiences, contrary to Psa. 18.6, 7, 8, Psa, 34.8. 1 Sam. 17.34. Rom. 5.1, 2, 3, 4. Joh 35, 10.
43 The soule need not go out to Christ for fresh supply, but is acted by the inhabiting spirit, contrary to Christs continuated intercession that we fall not. Luk. 22.32. Heb▪ 7.25. 1 Joh. 2.1. to the prayers of the Saints, who are ready to dye if they be not quickened. Psa. 119.25.32.35.36.
44 Christ works in the regenerate as in those that are dead and passive in all spirituall acts so that Christ loves, prayes, beleeves, prayses formally in them, and they are wholly Christed and Goded …o Saltmarsh sparkles of glory. 254, 255, 256.
45. A Christian is not bound to pray, nor to any spirituall acts, but when the spirit exciteth and moveth him thereunto. As if the impulsion of the spirit were our binding and obliging rule, and not the scripture, nor any command of law and gospel; yea, Saltmarsh goeth so farre on with Swenck. H, Nic. Joh. Wa…ldesse and Del, in this that hee refuseth Scriptures as not necessary to the perfect ones as is clear to the reader in his late peece called Sparkles of glory p. 289, 290. &c. p. 315, 316. and clearely pa. 245. others say (Familists in opposition to Protestants:) that outward ordinances in the letter are not commanded of Christ 246, 247▪ That the new Covenant, or God revealed in his, and teaching of his, is not by any outward … or ministery or means (So the elect of God may burne all the Bibles and packe away Saltmarsh and all Ministers out of the land)▪ but by the inward or unction, or anoynting, ye are all taught of God, no man shall teach his neighbour or brother any more: saying know the Lord, and all conference and discoveries in letters and speech is but mere witnessing to the Lord, and the discoveries of God of what we are taught▪ not any ministerie (as formerly) for teaching. Why then saith Christ, search the scriptures, and why doth John say, Blessed in hee that readeth Rev. 1.3. and Paul charge that his Epistles be read to all the brethren, Col. 4.16. why should the seaven Churches read or heare the seaven Epistles that Christ wrote to them? For all these are lega…l shaddowes that are done away and the spirit without the word must only teach Seekers, Familists and Antinomians, then is Saltmarsh a legalist in writing and preaching, for sure hee can but write letters and speake words, hee cannot speake spirit, nor is hee the holy Ghost.
46 Hee that hath the seale of the spirit can infallibly judge of another, whether hee bee elected or not, Saltmarsh Sparkles of glory 256, 257.
47 A man may have grace and poverty of spirit, and want Christ
48 It is legall to say wee act in the strength of Christ. As if it were legall to bee able to doe all things in the strength of Christ. Phil. 4.13, Eph. 6.10. 2 Tim. 2.
49 No Minister can convey more to another than hee hath experience of in his owne soule.
50 Hee that hath true faith of dependency is not justified. Whereas the Scripture saith frequently wee are justified by faith, and faith of leaning and dependency on God is true faith, Psa. 22.8. Hee rolled himselfe on the Lord Esa. 10.20. The remnant shall leane upon the Lord. Psa. 18.18, The Lord was my stay. Esa. 26.3. Thou wilt keepe him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee. Psa. …12.7. His heart is fixed leaning on the Lord. And full assurance may be wanting, where there is faith, and fainting conflicting together Jona 2.4. Psa. 31.22. Mark 9.24.
51 All, that preach and beleeve not as Familists and Antinomians doe, are under the Law, not under grace, and so under the everlasting curse.
52 Pauls Doctrine was more for free-grace than Peters.
53 No Christian must bee prest to duties of holinesse. So Saltm. Sparkles of glory p. 245, 246.