Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 1 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. Of the late Familists banished out of New England in Massachusets and now inhabitants of Shaw-omet, otherwise called Providence, and their tenets.
THere is a piece lately Printed and Licensed, Aug. 3. 1646. called Simplicities defence against seven-headed Policy, Or, Innocency Vindicated, being unjustly accused and sorely censured, by that seven-headed Church-government united in New England. Its a piece stuffed with wicked principles and grosse and bl…sphemous deductions of Familisme, smelling ranckly of the abominable Doctrine of Swenckefield, Muncer, Becold, David Georgius, and of H. Nicholas the first Elder of the Family of Love, of the piece called Theologia Germanica, and the Bright Starre. It is flowred with a Poem, inveighing against the godly in New England, who hate the deeds of the Nicholaitans, cannot indure those that call themselves Apostles, and are not, and oppose wicked Liberty of Conscience, and have banished Antinomians and Libertines out of their bounds, these Libertines say, that the same spirit of persecution works in Papists, Jews, Turks, and the Churches in New England. The Author of the Poem, who makes …one Saints, and of the Kingdome of Christ, but Familists and Antinomians, and all the rest enemies, is reported to be R. Beacon, who wrote a Catechisme, of stuffe not unlike this.
1 Sam. Gortyn, and his late Disciples of Familisme, The tenets of the la…t…r familists called Gorteniansshold all the godly and sound, of the Churches of New England, that are not theirs, to be Antichrists, Idolaters, worshippers of the starre of their God Remphan, figures that they made to themselves, Pharises, Scribes, Herodians, children of disobedience, in whom the God of this world Sathan works, false teachers, &c. and what not, and themselves the onelyonly Saints.
2 The calling of the Apostles and ministers, extraordinarily without the ministery of men, and the calling of them now ordinarily by men, must argue a Change in the sonne of God and a nullitie. Then must the ceasing of sacrifices and old Testameent-Ceremonies, and Gods divers ways of revealing himself to us say Christ is not the same yesterday and to day, and for ever, contrary to Heb. 13.7, 8, 9, 10.
3 Libraries, books, and humane learning are to bee condemned, Simpl. defence p. 15. as Antino. doe.
4 The rising of Anabaptists, Familists and sects, which the truely godly in New England feare and abhorre, is the Messenger of the Covenant, Christ comming to his temple, Ibid.
5 Herod, Act 12. Taking on him to be a Magistrate, to protect the people with wisdome and Counsell, to minister Justice unto them, took on him an office that belongs onelyonly to God, (and so did Brother Winthrop, the Governour of New England) for which cause Herod was stricken with wormes, Magistracy then in it selfe must be unlawfull, Simplic. Defen. p. 17, 18.
6 The two Olive trees and candlesticks standing before the God of the earth, are the two witnesses whom the godly of New England doe kill, and these two witnesses are the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, the strength and the weaknesse of Christ: for he was crucified through weaknesse, but liveth by the power of God, Simplic. Def. p. 19, 20. Thus these Wizzards change the true Christ, true man like us in all things, except sin, into a Metaphoricall imaginary Christ; for Gorton in the Postscript, expounding these words, Except ye eate the flesh, &c. Joh. 6. saith p. 104. And whereas he saith, I say unto you, or, as the word is, I say in you, it signifies, that what ever the Saints utter in point of Religion, it is, and must be the voyce of the Son of God, and not of themselves; so that as he suffereth death in them, else can he have no death at all, and then no Saviour, even so he speaketh in them, or else hath he no voyce or language at all, and therefore without them, no revealer of the will of his Father, For where Christ is silent, there can be no revelation, therefore he is the word, or expression of his Father. Hence by the new way of new Familists, Gortine and the latter Familists of New England deny the incarnation, or that Christ was true man and dyed for us.it is clear, Christ is not true man, dying in his manhood for man, but he dyeth in the Saints, and suffers in them, else (saith Gorton) He cannot dye, nor suffer, because p. 105. He is that fountain of life, yea, life it selfe. Then all the dying and suffering of Christ-man, is the dying and the suffering of the Saints; But the Saints dying and suffering, offer not themselves a sacrifice to God for their own sins, and the sins of the world, nor are they our Redeemers, nor Saviours, to save the people of God from their sins, as Christ was, Matth. 1.21.
The Son of God is made flesh, that is, weak and fraile, in regard of us, or our nature that he took. But he means that Christ took our nature, not in his owne person (that I cannot fasten upon their words) but the Son of God became flesh in us, that is, weak in the Saints, who beare his image; therefore Gorton expounding flesh and blood, Joh. 6. saith, p. 106, 107. By blood is here meant the life, Spirit, and power of the Son of God, as he discends from the Father, even as the life, spirit, power, vertue and vigour of the Son of man, runnes in the blood in creatures, and such is the life, discent, and power of the Son of man, as he is of the life, discent, and power of the Father from above, and so is God blessed for ever, Amen. So the Apostle, this is he that came by water and blood, that is, by weaknesse and strength, — that is by weaknesse in us, or in our nature, (then not in Christ personally) but by power in God, or in that nature divine, so is he said in the like sense to be crucified in the flesh, but quickned in the Spirit, then its but metaphoricall flesh and blood that Christ took, not reall and materiall, but in regard the Saints that bear his image are men, Christ is a man in them, and Christ weak in them, that is, Christ lives in them, according to the wisdome, skill, strength, study, and forecast, about the things of God, that a creature (meerly as he is a creature) is able to procure and bring forth, now the best thing that is in man (saith he p. 106.) which is his wisdome, is enmity with God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be, so we have from these Familists, an imaginary and a Metaphoricall Saviour, And if we eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood (saith he, p. 107, 108.) that is, if we eat and communicate with that weaknesse and frailty that is naturally in man, and which the Son of God assumed and took into unity, (he saith not unto the unity of the second person) with himself, without alike drinking in, and communication with that spirit and life, wherein he visits us, and comes into our nature from on high, (even out of the bosome of the Father) then doe we surfeit and suffocate the Spirit (so is flesh eaten to the body without drink) and dye in our selves and in our sins, and so also if we neglect that weaknesse that is in us, (as though no such thing were) and dreame of an high and spirituall estate, which doth not arise out of, and is the result (through the wisdome of God) of that weaknesse that is in us, then doe we either sink in our folly, and become sottish, the things of God being drunk up onelyonly with the things of this naturall life, else are we puffed up, and become giddy in our selves, thinking that we know something, when indeed we know nothing as we ought.
In all these, Familists 1 Deny the Trinity, three persons in on God. And if the reader consider it Saltm. speaketh the same way with Gortine and H. Nich. Sparkles of glory p. 288. Others say (he meaneth himselfe and Familists whom he divideth from Protestants) the mystery of salvation is no other then Immanuel or God with us, or God in flesh, Christ being no more but an anoynted one, and that anoynted one is our nature or weakenesse anoynted with the spirit, even God himselfe who is strength. There is not a word here of God and man in one person, and of true God consubstantiall with the Father, and man like us in all things except sinne, in the unity of one person, but Christ is our nature (in every Saint and beleever) and weaknesse anoynted with the spirit. Then every saint is Christ, and Christ hath no body and soule of his owne, but every beleever, Goded, deified, and anoynted with the spirit, is Christ.
2 Christ is not one single man, who was crucified on Mount Calvery: But every weake beleever made of flesh, and a fraile bodie, and of a soule Goded and anoynted with the spirit, is God manifest in the flesh, and another Messiah we have not but every Saint is his owne Saviour, Christ is nothing but mysticall Christ by his spirit dwelling in the flesh and weake nature of all Saints; is not this the Antichrist who denyeth that Christ is come in the flesh?
Now Christ suffers in us saith Gortyn p. 105. Because no other creature in the creation was made according to the Image of God but man alone, and so no other creature in regard of degeneration can bear the image of death and hell but man alone. Then the Father and Spirit suffers in us and our weaknesse, because of the unity of images that is in God, and in us. If this be all, here is no incarnation or suffering personall in the Sonne more then of the Father and the Spirit.
2 This is but the imaginary and Metaphoricall Saviour of H. Nich. and unclean Familists; for if flesh and blood be but Metaphors, that is, the weakenesse and nothingnesse of man, and blood be Metaphorically only the power of the divine nature, and if the blood and water that issued from Christs side was not materiall blood and water, and if Christs being crucified according to the flesh, and his living according to the Spirit, be but faire Metaphors, as we say, the Medows laugh, when they are but vigorous, greene and flourishing, and are not capable of materiall laughter, more then of a reasonable soule, then surely Christ was not true man borne of the virgine Mary, but a Metaphoricall man, that is, weake in us who alone are his Image by creation.
3 Then dyed hee but in phantasie and Metaphorically, for his fl…sh that hee was crucified in, is not true flesh; nor the true manhood assumed in the unity of his person, but only it is Metaphorically the weaknesse that is in us. And John saith, Hee saw the water and the blood that came out of his side, and did beare record, and his record is true, yea, they heard Christ with their ears, they saw him with their bodily eyes, and looked on him, and their hands handled the Lord of life, John leaned on his bosome, they pierced his hands and his feet, they parted his garments among them, they tooke downe his body off the Crosse, folded it in clean linen, layed him in a new Tombe, hee truely rose againe, eate with his Disciples, when they doubted if it was he, he called to them to make their senses and fingers witnesses, a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see I have, 1 Joh. 1.1, 2, 3. Joh. 19. Mat. 26, 27, 28. Luk. 22.23. ch. 24.39, 40, 41. And he was seene of all the Disciples, and was seen of more than five hundred brethren at once, 1 Cor. 15.5, 6. And hee shewed himselfe to his Disciples after his suffering, by many infallible proofes, being seene of them fourty days, and spake of the things concerning the Kingdome of God, yea, Paul saith, Act. 20.…28. God purchased a Church by his blood. Our Divines with good reason say, Here is concluded against the Socinians a real satisfaction, a true, real, not a morall 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 expor…ed 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.Del ser p. 19. 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.M. Beacon turneth Christ over in a metaph…ricall Saviour as all Familis… doe.
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 expon…d, 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 onelyonly rule, and not the writen word, sutable to H. Nicholas his Spirit, and to the Enthysiasmes of Swenckefield, and to John Waldesso, (a piece that M. Beacon highly extols, p. 138. Catechi. who saith, Consideration 3. p. 8.) That beleevers make use of some rules (of Scripture) to preserve the health of their soules, John Waldesso so much extolled by M. Beacon is an Enthysiast and rejecteth the scriptures.as they doe for the health of their body, rather to conforme themselves outwardly with the sons of Adam, then because they feel themselves to stand in need of such observations: forasmuch us they being governed by God alone, observe the will of God, and wholly depend on it. And the same Popish Author, Cons. 32. p. 107, 108. maketh crucifixes, Images, and the holy Scriptures Alphabets of Christian Piety for beginners (M. Beacon who commends this superstitious Famil…sticall book, must alwayes judge Images unlawfull) so as a Christian having first (saith Waldesso p. 108.) served himself with holy Scriptures as with an Alphabet, he afterward leaves them to serve for the same effect to beginners, he attending to the inward inspirations, having for his proper Master the Spirit of God, and serving himselfe with holy Scriptures, as with an holy conversation, and which causeth refreshment unto him, altogether putting from himselfe all these writings which are written by an humane Spirit. So they judge Scripture to be written by an human spirit contrary to 2 Pet. 1.19, 20, 21. 2 Tim. 3.16.
8 Its folly to conclude of certainty of Scripture, and not of infallibility in the interpretation thereof, So M. Saltmarsh, and M. Dell, deny the Scripture to be an obliging rule to the Saints, but onelyonly the word written in the heart. Hence, as the Holy Ghost dited the Scripture, so also dited be the exposition of Scripture to the Familists, and their exposition is as infallible as the Scripture, because the same Spirit speaks in both, for the same spirit that dites the word must expone it.
Answ. Then must the writing of H Nicholas, and the uncle…n house of Love, and of Antinomians, be as infallible as the writings of the Prophets and Apostles, who were immediately inspired; Horrible blasphemy. Men, and holy men may erre in their Expositions, but the Word of God is infallible truth.
2. The Scripture is our rule, by which all other Truths, Doctrines, Spirits, Revelations must be tryed, and if they be not according to the Law, and the Testimony, there is no light in them, Esa. 8.19, 20. Luk. 16.30, 31. Psa. 119.130.105. Luk. 4.17, 18, 19, 20, 21. Joh. 5.39. 2 Tim. 3.16. Act. 26.22.
3 No marvell that Antinomians be Anti-scripturians, and deny Scripture to be the Word of God, affirming it to be a dead letter, a humane thing of Inke, and that what the Spirit speaks to the soule, is onelyonly the word of God, and no other thing contained in the Old and New Testament.
9 Faith justifying is no fiduciall recumbency on Christ, God and Man. Nor doe we eat his flesh and drink his blood spiritually by beleeving in Christ crucified, but by acts of humility, Seaven headed policy p. 111.seeing our self to be flesh and nothing, and Christ to be in us blood, that is, the spirit, life, and power of God, as if we were Goded with him.
10. God and man united in one eate the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, or man as Goded, and God as humanized, p. 111
11 The reasonings and dictates of our spirit, are translated into the … and dictates of the Spirit of God, and so the writing, … ▪ and arguments become Divine and eternall, not humane and …empora…y. Wind-mils, and phanacies must they be bigge … ▪ who leave the Scriptures▪ and imagine that God onelyonly acts, understands, wills, loves, feares, hopes, &c. and doth … in the Saints.
12 Swearing at all, though before a Judge, is unlawfull, Simpl. Defenc. p. 22.
13. While you tell the people (say they to the godly in New-England:) that by sorrow, compunction, and anxiety of Spirit, and woulde of minde, they communicate in the sufferings of Christ, it is nothing else, but to conclude the Son of God to be Beliel.
14 Baptisme is unlawfull, except it be conjoyned with the crosse and sufferings of Christ, …o Saltmarsh Sparkles of glory, p. 30, 31. denyeth all Baptisme.
15 As every Saint ought to hear the word, so ought he to preach it, Calling of Ministers is groundlesse, so p. 66.67. so the An…nom. Beacon, Catechi. p 7.8. and Saltmarsh Spark. p. 131.
16 They are Idoll Shepherds of Rome, who cannot preach to the people but in a way of so much study and ease, not labouring with their hands for their bread, p. 67.
17 If I preach the Gospel willingly (say they) I have a reward, 1 Cor. 9.17. that is, if I doe it out of any ability, skill, or will of mine owne, gotten, or acquired by any paines, or industry, as men doe attain to Arts and Trades, wherein they are to be preferred before and above others, then I have a reward, that is, something to be attributed, and contributed to me for the same, then I goe about to deprive my Lord of his right, shewing my selfe an unfaithfull Steward, &…. Simpl. Defen. P. 68. then was Gorton unfaithfull in writing this book, for pains of art he must have taken in writing, in consulting, by reading the Scripture, to set down Chapter and Verse, but all this is the Enthysiasticall gang of Divinity, in which Antinomians in praying, beleeving, loving, bereave us of the use of minde, will, reason, affections, and make the Holy Ghost and Christ in his person united to us to doe all.
18 To preach for stipend or contribution, is to give unto God, and unlawfull, contrary to 1 Tim. 5.17, 18, 19. which I grant, if stipends be the preachers designe and end.
19. None is to forethink of what text or subject he is to preach on, but as Gods Spirit for the time casteth in his minde, p. 75. that is, he is to speak phancies, without sense, method, or intention to edifie, which thing the Prophets, Christ, and Apostles, did not in their preachings. But of this before and somewhat hereafter.
20 He denies the resurrection, exponing these words, My flesh shall rest in hope, that is, my weaknesse and tyred out condition hath rest and strength in another, though not in my self, for hope, that is seen is no hope. This place Psal: 16. is exponed Act. 2.26, 30, 31, 32. of the hope of the resurrection of Christ and of ours in him who is the first begotten of the dead, but Gor…on, p. 106. wresteth it most foolishly to another sense, as if it were metaphoricall flesh and buriall, and so an allegoricall and spirituall resurrection onelyonly.
21 He most corruptly and unsoundly turneth all the Scripture in childish Allegories, as is to be seen, p. 96, 97▪ 98.
In the following Treatise you have other Antinomian conceits holden by Ro. Towne, who coldly refuteth Doctor Taylor, Of other Antinomians now in England.and by M. Eaton in his Honey comb, and Saltmarsh of late falne off conformity to Antinomianisme, and Tob. Crisp, a godly man (as is thought) But Melancholions, who having builded much on qualifications and signes, fell to the other extremity of no signes of sanctification at all, by H. Denne, an High Altar man, a bower at the sillables of the name Jesus, and conforme to all the abominable late Novations introduced by Canterbury, who also opposed the Remonstrance and Petition of the well affected, pleading for a riddance from Episcopacy, Ceremonies, and other corruptions, and is now a rigid Arminian, and an enemy to free Grace, an Anabaptist, an Antinomian, to these joyne Paul Hobson, who speakes more warily then the rest, and R. Beacon, in his late Catechism, who holds sundry grosse points, and M. Del in his Sermon before the House of Commons, whose noble Ancestors could not have indured Familisme, S… einianisme, or the like to be preached in their ears.