Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 1 · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI. The Familists fansie of our passing from one ministration to another of higher glory in this life, and the Lords Prayer, and Christian Sabbath.
27 THere is a fiery triall of the Spirit, Sparkles of glory, 256, 571 Cor. 3.13.15. 2 Pet. 3.10. Rev. 2.9. in which a Christian passing from Law to Gospel, and from a Gospel state of graces, gifts and ordinances, to more glorious manifestations of God, and all Spirit, burneth and crucifieth all his former workes and ministrations, as vile and nothing.Familists fancy a day o… iudgement in this life, in which we cast of all our former ministrations, and enter into a new ministration of all Spirit and glory.
Answ. Law or Gospel-merit, are daily to be burnt and trampled under foot, and not only when we passe from Law to Gospel, except men under the old Testament be saved by Law-righteousnesse.
2. When we passe from Law to Gospel, we leave shadowes, and approach nearer to the Sunne, and the night-torches of ceremonies are blown out, because the day dawneth. But that we are to admit new lights contradicent to the old, is an untruth: there was ever the same truth from the beginning, 1 John 1.1. Jer. 6.16. Gen. 3.16. Heb. 13.8. neither Christ nor Truth weares out of fashion, the matter is not thus.
It was not of old, Confesse sinne, and now it is sinne to Saints to confesse sinne. Nor was it of old, that David was justified by workes; but now Paul is justified without workes by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ. Nor was it of old, a pardoned man can sin, and is forbidden to murther; but now a pardoned man can not sin, & no written law forbids a Saint to murther. Thus, we burn no, we crucifie no truths, no acts of righteousnesse, the grace of God commands them now, as then, Tit. 2.11.12. and never bad crucifie them. Thus we wash our hands of new lights, or rather new lies, contradicent to old truths; new and clearer manifestations of ancient Christ, are our new lights.
2. 1 Cor. 3. There is no passing from Law to Gospel, the Law and Gospel-truths are never called Hay and Stubble, and opposed to silver and gold; truth is not opposed to truth.
2. God burnes that trash, law-merits we are to burn.
3. That hay is laid upon a golden foundation, Christ; Law or Gospel-merits are not builded on Christ: the Spirit expones not this text so as Saltmarsh doth.
3. It is Saltmarsh his hap to misexpone all places for the last judgement, and the resurrection of the body. I dare say, the Spirit of truth never minded his passing from one ministration to another, 2 Pet. 3. the burning of the earth, and the works of it, is not mens burning of all their works. For 1. Scoffers mock the last day, and the promise of Christs comming, but not the joyfull day of their passing from their scoffing, merits, selfe-righteousnesse, to a new ministration of glory. 2. Peter minded a reall, not metaphoricall destroying of the world in Noahs time, not with figurative, but most reall waters, and from that of burning the earth with fire really, not figuratively. 3. The whole frame of the creation here is put out of order, v. 10.11. 4. It is the day that shall come as a Thiefe in the night; which is the day of judgement, Matth. 24.43, 44. 1 Thess. 5.1.2. 5. It is the day before which God will gather in his own, willing them to be saved. 6. It is called, The day of the Lord, v. 4.9, 10. I should not spend time to refute such new dreames.
Of the Lords Prayer.28. Page 262, 263. Saltmarsh censures the Lords Prayer, as a legall peece, because it sayes, Our Father which art in heaven; but as we are not to dreame of a locall God, so neither should our thoughts be creeping low, and clayie in prayer.
29. The Spirituall Christian knowes no Sabbath but the bosome of the Father, 266.
Answ. No wonder Antinomians destroy the fourth Commandement, they destroy the other nine,Saltmarsh and Familists are against the Lords day. and all the letter of the Bible, as fleshly, and a killing Letter. I beleeve the Lords day is morall and perpetually morall till Christs comming, from Gen. 2.2. Exod. 20.8▪ Deut. 5.12. Matth. 24.20. John 19.42. Luke 24.56. 1 Cor. 16.1. Acts 20.7. Rev. 1.10. Let Saltmarsh and Familists call for the book of sports on the Lords day: I knew never any truly Godly in either Kingdom despise the Lords day.
30. The Scriptures, or writings, are the true Scriptures; Familists are against the written Scripture.not as they are meerly in their Grammaticall construction & sense, or common reading, which any that understand the Hebrew and Greek may perceive. And according to such and such interpretations, are not to be imposed as meere things of Faith and Fundamentals; Sparkles, 269.but so farre as the Spirit of God reveales them to be the very mind of God, else they are received for the authority of Man. The Pharisees had the Scriptures in the Letter.
Answ. Scriptures are not the word of God, but in their Grammaticall sense and reading; otherwise Jewes and Pharisees have not the Scriptures in the letter, that is, in the true literall sense; for the Pharisees corrupted the Scriptures, and made them null: the literall sense is the most spirituall sense, because Familisticall and Popish allegories, and new-light-senses, are wild-fire, not Gods word. Saltmarsh and H.N. doe as corruptly also expone Scripture as the Pharisees did of old. For example, 1 Tim. 3. God manifested in the flesh, and Zach. 13.3, 4, 5. and 2 Pet. 3.1, 2, 3, 4, &c. and Rom. 5. that notable place concerning the first and second Adam, and 2 Thess. 2. and the place, Rev. 11.1, 2. where Saltmarsh saith, p. 17. the outer Court of the Temple, troden upon by the Gentiles, is the flesh and first creation, and all outward administrations, and many the like, so as they leave off to be the word of God, being abused by their phantasticall allegories and senses, that are not the minde of the Spirit, nor his scope.
2. If yee receive not Fundamentals, but in so far, as the Spirit reveales them in the literall sense, yee doe well. But a naturall Spirit may receive the Orthodox sound sense, and be farre from inward revelation, that makes the word effectuall.
3. We will no man to receive the Word beleevingly, because men or Churches command so to doe. But of this before: the same is Swenckfields argument.