Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 1 · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Saltmarsh with Familists phancyeth divers new administrations, of the Law, of John Baptist, of the Gospel, of all spirits.
10. ANtichrist, or the mystery of iniquity came in upon this ministration by gifts and Ordinances, and the glory of the spirit, and power of gifts, went off from the visible Church, as the glory of God from the Temple to the threshold, till it was wholly departed. — and all things in the absence of the spirit, and of gifts were Administred by Arts and Sciences, and Grammaticall knowledge of tongues and languages, p. 45.Sparkles of glory p. 49. The ministery that shall destroy the Antechrist, is Jesus himselfe, the Prophet whom we must heare, and the God of whom we shall be all taught, pa. 49. Not that of Arts and Sciences acquired by naturall power and industry.
An. The falling away was not the ceasing of extraordinary gifts of the Spirit in the Apostles.What is Antichrist to Famili…s, not the Pope but the Protesta … whome they fasly call legall teachers But the Antichrists bringing in of another Gospel, Joh. 2. ver. 10. and the Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh 1 Joh 4 3. is Antichrist as the Libertines H. Nicholas, Joh. Saltmarsh and Familists who pag. 219. parteth with the common Protestant to behold a state of condemnation in sin and a way of salvation by Jesus Christ and faith in him—to be but a knowledge of Christ after the flesh and of Christ as one single person or figure of a man and the first glimpse of the love of God, and but merely a discovery beyond the Law and all but a fleshly spiritualty. And why? because this comes not by a Yard-length up to the Familie of Love, and teacheth salvation by Christ whom these men call a figure of a man, because not true man. And the Antichrist came in the Pope also, and denyed Christ to come in the flesh, nullified his manhood, with transubstantiation, a visible head of the Church, Images, merits, traditions of men, &c. invocation of Saints, prayer for the dead, workes of supererogation &c. but all these are indifferent to Mr. Saltmarsh and on…y Antichristian because literal and externall, not because they are not warented by scripture. and hee brought in the abuse of Philosophy, Logick, Arts and tongues, which much darkened Gospel-glory.
1 The Apostles with gifts and the Spirit made much use of arts and tongues as inferiour helps in their kinde to convert soules, because sinners are not Angels,Saltmarsh maketh the Antichrist to come in with arts & tongues, & yet flowers the Margine of his book with bits of broken Greek, such as he can. and faith came by hearing of known languages and sent preachers, Rom. 10.14.
2 Saltmarsh his Sparkles of Glory, must be an administration by arts & tongues, and so not that Ministry that can destroy the Antichrist, and sparkles of flesh and Antichristianisme not of glory, for he besprinckles the margine of his book in the beginning, till his breath faile and he dry up, with the popish lace of bits of Greek, as p. 1, 2, 3. &c. and citations of Scripture; and he hath had some Art such as it is, in writing Treatises to the Schoole and Family of Love, the professed enemies of Puritans; yea, there is no writing, no speaking of English, no consequences (of which there be many monstrous ones that follow not from Scripture such as no confession of sinne, no working in the Gospel, but onelyonly beleeve, &c. in Saltmarsh his bookes) but from Tongues, Arts, Logicke, and so Familists yet must be under the Law.
3. Observe that Saltmarsh in bringing in Antichrist, is deeply silent of Popery, and the Romish Religion. For H. Nicholas, and Familists deny the Pope to be Antichrist, and think the Masse and Romish Priesthood indifferent, as all Religions are to them, and there is no Antichrist but the Legall Protestant voyd of the Spirit, because he speaks Greek and Hebrew, and hath some skill in Logick, and would have the Scriptures in use, and the preaching of Gospel, which Saltmarsh in his Reformation would lay aside, as contrary to that, Ye shall be all taught of God, he hath such a stomach against subordinata non pugnant; but whether he wil or no, teaching by the Word, and so by Tongues and Arts, and by Timothies attending to reading, shall goe together till Christs second comming, as is cleare Esay 59.21. Esay 61.1. where Christ is annointed with the Spirit to preach, and yet that Scripture was fulfilled when he spoke by Art & Tongues, Luke 4.18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, &c. And that Sermon was but a dead letter to the hearers, v. 28 29. nor was Christ for that under any absence of the Spirit, 1 Tim. 4.14, 15, 16. and Revel. 1.3. compared with Rev. 2.7. whereas he sayth, The Ministery that is to destroy Antichrist, is more glorious then Arts and Tongues, and this is Jesus Christ himselfe.
1. Libertines said, the Gospel or Word was the Spirit himselfe, Saltmarsh here sayth, the Ministry destroying Antichrist, is Christ, which is most false. The Ministery is but 1. an Instrument, 2. a created Ordinance▪ Christ is God, Man, and Mediator.
2. The Ministery that destroyeth him is the Word preached as an instrument, and Christ the principall cause: But the principall cause removes not the Instrument, as Familists imagine; but the Ministery of Familists shall never do it.
Whereas former Antinomians made two contrary administrations, one under the Law in the old Testament, Familists with Saltmar. make three adm…nistrations▪ of Law, Gospel, and all Spirit. Antinomians two▪ Law, and Gospel, as they expone them.another und…r grace or the Gosp…l, in the new Testament; OnelyOnly John Baptist was pinned in as halfe a Legalist between both.
Saltmarsh p. 68. after he with the Familists hath made a greater number of spheres and circles of Administrations, following the spirit in his fulnesse and variety, he foldeth them up in three, of Law, Gospel, and Spirit, or of Letter, Graces, and God, or of the First, Second, and third Heavens. After the cut of David Georg…, who said the first Ministration was the law of death, and the letter, the second was under Christ and the Apostles, but not very spirituall, but fleshly, literall, carnall; but the last under David George the true Messiah was spirituall, purely spirituall, beyond that of Christ and the Apostles, and so spirituall, that to have conscience or sense of uncleannesse, or sinne, was a work of the flesh. And Saltmarsh saith it is fleshly, and literall that a pardoned man should confesse sin, p. 69, 70, a Christian (saith hee) passeth thro…gh severall ages, even as Christ was under the Law, circumcision, Supper of the Lord, Baptisme, and then hee crucified all that fl…sh hee walked in under these dispensations, and entered unto glory.
Answ. Then he crucified Baptisme, the Lords supper, preaching of the Gospel, the Ministery, the visible Church, and every outward letter of conference, praying, for Saltmarsh now turned Seeker, denies all these, and hee must have crucifyed all his preaching, tongues, writing of books.
2. What tongue or Science of the Holy Ghost taught Saltmarsh to call the Ordinances of the New Testament, flesh, or fleshly Ordinances? for I doubt, he meaneth not that Christ true man, dyed for our sins, for 185, 186. he saith; It is a discovery of the highest attainment of Protestants generally, that we are born in sin, — And that the way of salvation was by Jesus Christ the Sonne of God, born of a Virgin in the fulnesse of time, made under the Law, bearing our sinnes, crucified, dead, buried, and risen, and ascended, and entred into glory, &c. but pag. 190, 191. he forsaking this as legall doctrine, tels us of a further discovery, as to free grace as if the Protestant Doctrine were merits of men, not the free grace of God; And he setteth downe that of the Antinomians, and not a word of Christ God-man, crucified and dead for our sins; And the confession of Faith, made in this Assembly at Westminster, yea, all the Reformation now, is onelyonly in some outward ordinances (saith he) not any purer or more glorious discoveries of God, or the Spirit, or Jesus Christ, or our union with the Spirit, or glory as to spirituall things, or Christ risen, but as to Christ in the flesh, or under the Law, of which these Ordinances were a signe, And p. 198, 199, 200, 201. which he calleth the last, highest, and most glorious discoverie of God, by love and grace, for (to the Familists) there is no Article of the Protestant faith that savours of truth, for to them all our Doctrine is a dead Letter. Nor did Christ die for our sins, and rise for our righteousnesse, but onelyonly the dying of Christ is a meere figure, insinuating that he dyed not in our nature as true man, but as Gortyn saith, the sufferings of every Saint who is the figure and image of Christ, is all the Christ crucified the Scripture knows. There is nothing in all the books or writings of Familists discovered touching the controversies between Protestants and their Adversaries, Papists, Arminians, Socinians, Arrians, Antitrinitarians, Sabellians, Libertines, Swenckefeldians, Anabaptists, &c. Concerning Election, Reprobation, the power of free-will, the supremacy of the Pope, Idol-worship, the consubstantiality of the Son of God, Christs manhood, his dying, satisfaction, merit, buriall, resurrection, ascension, the last judgement, heaven, hell, the resurrection of the body, in all which they are unsound, and ought to give a confession of their faith, as Anabaptists have done.
12 The Jewish Church, (saith Saltmarsh p, 70.) or dispensation that was according to Moses, and the Letter, in which they were led out in carnall and more fleshly courses, as in proceeding against the Nations by warre and fighting, with all their other legall Rites, and Rudiments, were a clear figure of the Christian under age, or under tutors and Governours, and worldly Rudiments.
Wars under the New Testament for any religious caus… not lawfull to Familists who yet practise them not a little.Here lawfull Warres, and the use of the Sword, are made legall rites and figures. War (saith he) with all other legall Rites; then Warre is no more lawfull to us under the New Testament, then Circumcision, and all the Law of Ceremonies. Saltmarsh then would no more goe as a Priest to the Campe, to preach to the Generall, then he would be Circumcised, except with H. Nicholas, he thought all Moses Law indifferent, and that the spirit without scripture led him to be accessorie to unlawfull blood…shed, and the spirit is his rule, not the word of God.
2 If the ceremonies of Moses be the figure of a Christian under Tutors, and worldly rudiments, such as hearing of the Gospel, baptisme, prayer, confession, reading; then all these must bee abolished in this life to the Christian; and if Christ have crucified all these as fleshly ordinances, to Pray, heare, must be as unlawfull as to be circumcised, which Paul saith, Gal. 5. is to fall from Christ. See if these men mind God.
13 The Disciples of Ch…ist (saith, p 70, 71.) according to Johns ministerie were a type and figure of such as are under Tutors, as Gal. 4.1. and as carnall and Babes in Christ, 1 Cor. 3.1, 2.
Answ. These under non-age,The Baptists ministerie and the Apostles are made different by Familists and Papists. Gal. 4.1. are under the Law of Moses, and yet Heirs of the promise: The Disciples were under Christs ministerie, and beleeved in Christ as come, and were blessed, in that the Father revealed Christ to them, not flesh and blood, Matth. 16.16, 17. The Baptists ministery, and his Doctrine, and baptisme, were all one with the ministerie and baptisme of Christ and the Apostles, as our Divines prove against Papists, for both preached Christ the Saviour that taketh away the sins of the World, justification by free grace, faith, repentance to life, sanctification &c.
Corinthians are called carnall, not because they prayed▪ and heard▪ and beleeved, but because, though Babes and weake, yet they were contentious, and Shismaticks, ver. 3, 4. For one saith I am of Paul, and another I am of Apollo. Sure Saltmarsh ordinarily expones Scripture by consequences which are fleshly and legal, and phansies types by a spirit that contradicts the spirit speaking in the word.
14 And the great and excellent designe (saith hee speaking of the marrow of the Family of love) or mind of God in all these things is only to lead out his people, Church, or Disciples, from age to age, Sparkles of glory 71, 7….The different ministration of law Gospel and all Sp…rit, and that the l…fe to come is alr…dy in this lif… …co…ing to … way of …amilis…s.from faith to faith, from glory to glory, from letter to letter, from ordinance to ordinance, from flesh to flesh, and so to spirit, and so to more spirit, and at length to all spirit, when the Sonne shall deliver up the Kingdome to the Father, which is not only when the fulnesse of time, or ages is come, but in transacting and finishing in par…s and Members of the body of Ch…ist, and is not one… single act, poynt, or effusion of glory, but a per…ecting and fulfilling it, in severall members of Christ, till the fulnesse of the stature of Christ; for the day dawnes, 1 Pet. 2.19.75. And for a Disciple to stay longer in any ministration then the Lord, or the life and Spirit of Christ is in it, is as if Lot should tarry in Sodome. For (saith he, p 73.) A Christian must crucifie each condition he passeth through.
We must then learn from Familists, 1. That Christ was a legall and literall Saviour, as David George said, for he passed through all these ministrations. And Saltmarsh must bee neerer to all Spirit, then Christ and the Apostles.
2. Saltmarsh growes in transitions to new Orbs and Heavens:Familists say the day of judgement is in this life. For in his Treatise of Free Grace, we heard of nothing but Law and Gospel; now he is upon the secrets of Famil…sts, and Enthusiasts, to crucifie Scripture, praying, hearing, writing, and he is become all spirit. And this is a third state. I grant the Scripture saith, that the Messiah shall, Dan. 9.27. cause, in the midst of the week, the Sacrifice and the Oblation to cease; and that shadows of good things to come shall be abolished, when the body and life of ceremonies shall come. But I desire one letter of Scripture that saith, when the Spirit commeth, even in this life, he shall cause praying, beleeving, prophesying, seales, the Scriptures, to cease, and we shall be above and beyond all Gospel-Ordinances even in this life.
3. For Familists that are all Spirit, to hear, bee baptize… with water, read, is as unlawfull, and fleshly, as for Lot to stay in Sodome, after the Lord had commanded him to depart.
4, Then the delivering up of the Kingdom spoken of, 1 Cor. 15. and the day of judgement is already begun, and is in doing these many centuries of years. So wee heard before H. Nicholas say, even now in this present day, doth the Lord sit in his Throne, and judge the world. I rather beleeve Paul then Saltmarsh or H. Nicholas; For Paul saith, 1 Cor. 15. speaking of the Resurrection of our bodies, which I am sure the Familists have not yet seen, 1 Cor. 15.24. then commeth the end, foreign, &c. Then, when the resurrection of the body shall be, Then shall bee the end, when he shall render up the Kingdome to the Father. So the rendring up of the Kingdome to the Father, (which Saltmarsh faith, pag. 72. is even now, when the day dawneth, and the Day-starre ariseth,) shall not bee till the end, and till the generall Resurrection of all bee: And therfore Saltmarsh misseth a step in his new devised order, except he say with Libertines, and Hen. Nicholas, that the resurrection is to be exponed spiritually, as Hymaeneus and Philetus said, and there shall be no more resurrection, nor day of judgement, nor rendering of the Kingdome, nor heaven nor hell, but such as we see in this life, (as it is most like Saltm. beleeveth with al the Nation of the Familists) for the administration of the spirit is in this lif, as wel as the ministration of Law and Gospel were in this life. The Scripture speakes of the day of judgement, as of a thing not yet come, 2 Thess. 2.2. Let no man trouble you, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Then some by the spirit of Scripturelesse revelation, …s now Anabaptists and Familists, have said, the day of judgement was neere, or begun in this life; yea, the Scripture saith, It is a day appoynted of God, Acts 17.31. and sheweth us the fore-going tokens of that day, beyond which there is no more time nor Gospel, as 1 Thess. 5.1, 2. Matth. 24.22, 23, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47. Matth. 25.31, &. 46. 2 Pet. 3.1.2, 3, & 10, 11, 12, 13, &. 1 Cor. 15.24, 25, 26. And what needed the Holy Ghost bid us watch and be sober, and beware that that day come not on us unawares, and tell us, if we have not oyle in our Lamps at that nick of time, wh…n the shout shall be given that the Bride-groome is entred in his chamber, Matth. 25. there is no more place for repentance, or buying oyle, or any possibility of salvation, when that day is once come; because, if the day of judgement bee now, and the rendring up the Kingdome to the Father, bee in this life, how is it that so many daily repent and escape out of the snare of the Devill? And the market of buying oyle in this life, is not passed: For Peter, Act. 8. willeth Simon Magus, while he liveth, to repent and sue for pardon. And so the time of the offered Gospel, and the day of judgement cannot be both together Paul could never s…y, 1 Cor. 3. I could not write to you as to spirituall, but as to ca…nall, except he meant that he wrote to some spiritual man, nor could he say, the spiritual man discerneth al things except the last ministration, which is the spirituall ministration, were begun in the time that Paul wrote to the Corinthians, and then began the ministration of the Spirit, and our seeing of the Lord with open face, 2 Cor. 3. and so then was the rising of the dead, & the rendring of the Kingdom to the Father. And where are wee now, If the d…d have beene a rising now these fifteene hundreth yea…es, and a dying all this … ▪ For Saltmarsh as…ured u… …hat the … of the Kingdome is not in the end of … …orld, when the ful…s…e of …ime or ages is come, but it is a … in parts, till the fulnesse of the stature of … Ephes. 4.11, 12, 13. that we meete all in heaven, and the Lord Jesus his myst…cal body be filled up and perfected, and so long as Pastors, teachers, and a ministery shall bee on earth, and when this shall be, the scripture telleth when the end shall c…me, 1 Cor. 15.24. and when all rule, power, and Authority shall bee put downe, and Christs enemies subdued, and when all things shall be subdued. Now this is not in this life.
5 That Saltmarsh and his Spiritualists should stay under the ministration of Ordinances of preaching, praying, beleeving, hearing, reading, or that they should preach, is as unlawfull as for Lot to remaine in Sodome. But when is there a ministration that Peter, Paul, and beleevers in this life, should pray no more, when they are to pray continually? to heare and read no more, when John saith they are blessed who read, and Christ that they are blessed who heare and doe; and they are to watch to the end, to grow in grace?