Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 2 · Chapter 43 – Chapter 44
CHAP. XXLIII. Sanctification crushed by Antinomians.
ANtinomians while they cleare themselves further then we can see in their writings, must be judged grand enemies to Sanctification. 1. They confound Sanctification and inherent holynesse, which undoubtedly is unperfect, and in this life growing more and more into the perfect day, with Justification which is perfect; for nothing can be added to Christs righteousnesse, yea, they destroy, and utterly cry downe all Sanctification.
For, 1. aTowne asser. of grace, pag▪ 32.Towne saith, The new birth, Joh. 3.3. is our justification, or the making of us of unjust, just—and every true Christian is a fulfiller of the Law. Its true in regard of justification, but in regard of the inherent new life of grace, which is put in us in this life; we cannot fulfill the Law, except we be justified by regeneration, and our owne works done by the grace of Christ, which Antinomians will not say; therefore all our inherent holynesse to Antinomians must be nothing at all, but the imputed righteousnesse of Christ; so wee have fulfilled the Law perfectly, as Christ hath done, and are regenerated, though there be no inherent holynesse in us, nor any walking with God at all.
2. They teach E…ton H…n. c…mbe. cap. 13 pag. 37.….373.That justification healeth the children of God, of the imperfections of Sanctification from before God, and that cTowne ass. of grace p. 123justification alone giveth to our good works both beauty and acceptance; so as dTowne assert. 122. pag. 77.78. Honey combe cap. 1…. pag. 367.368.369 370.…71.they are made perfect, No sinne in the beleevers nor can they sinne as Ant… …omians imagine.and free from sinne adherent to, or inherent in them, and both our persons and works made so compleat, that there is no blot of sinne in them; nor any in-dwelling of originall corruption, that hath the being or essence of eEaton Hon. combe cap. 13. pag. 374.375.sinne. Yea, M. fHoney▪comb c. 13 p. 375.376.Eaton saith on these words, But now yee are washed, &c. What can be more plaine then that the time, state, and condition, wherein they were foule and sinnefull was past and gone, but the time, state, and condition, wherein they were washed and made righteous to Godward by justification, and also to man-ward by Sanctification, was onelyonly present and biding for ever. But gEaton Honey combe, ca. 4.43.44.45. cap 7▪ ca. 9. ca. 10. through the whole.Eaton, hCrisp vo. 2. ser. 5 pag 14… ▪143. Ser. 6.Crispe, iSaltmarsh Free grace, 44▪ Where there is no Law ther is no transgression, where there is no transgression there is no trouble for sinne. But saith Salatmarsh pa. 173▪174.175. There is no sinne in beleevers, no law on, or over them at all, pag. 146.Saltmarsh, kDenne Doctrine of Iohn Baptist ▪ 51▪ 52 5… ▪ 54.Denne, lTowne asser. of grace, pag: 71.72.Towne, and all Antinomians contend that there dwelleth no spot of sinne, nothing contrary to the holy Law of God, in the Saints once justified, no more then in Christ mSaltmarsh Free grace, pag. 140.himselfe, or the glorified in heaven; then must our Sanctification be all one with our Justification, and as this is perfect, so is that; and what wonder the Adulteries of the justified, their perjuries, and lyes committed after their justification, be no sinnes, nor they more capable of sinning in that case, then Iesus Christ; for pardoned sinne (saith Eaton, Honey-combe, cap. 7. pag. 139.) is not, or hath no being before God. Antinomians answer, Before they be pardoned they are sinnes, and their Adulteries are truely then contrary to Gods Law.
Answ. They were pardoned before they had being, or were committed, sixteene hundred yeares agoe, on the Crosse; then were all the elect justified; sure all these sixteene hundred yeares the elect could no more sinne before God, or doe any acts against a Law, then Christ, or the glorified Angels: not to say, that Adulteries of the justified had being before they were committed, and had no beei…g when they are committed, and have being, they have then no being: this is to say, sinnes are not, when they are, and have being, when they have none at all. God must take away common sense and bereave them of reason, who detaine the truth of God in unrighteousnesse. But if sin be against Sanctification, as n1 Thess. 4.2.3.▪Fornication is directly; yea, and a fashioning of our selves according to our former lusts, is as contrary to Sanctification by Peters o1 Pet. ….14 15, 16, 17.arguing, and p1 Thess. 5 4, 5▪ 6 7, 8, 9. R…m. 13.…, 12, 14.Pauls, as light is to darkenesse, and day to night; then the Saints Sanctification must be imperfect, and farre different from justification, and to walke in Sanctification, to repent, to obey God, must be another thing, then to beleeve Christ walked for me in Sanctification, Christ repented, and obeyed for me.
Sinnes of beleevers to Antinomians, their lying, swearing, co… soring, deceiving, are not truely and really to saith which seeth things as they are sinnes, but onelyonly seemingly, falsly to our deceiving sense and feeling.3. Sanctification to Antinomians is not our personall walking in holinesse before God, because walking in the flesh, and sinning, Adulteries, lying, swearing, deceiving, in justified persons, which are opposite to sanctification, are not sinnes before God, but onelyonly sinnes to our sense, and to our reason and qSaltmarsh Free grace, pa. …42.experience, or to our feeling, Eaton Honey combe, ca. 13.368.369.to our flesh, or men-ward, or they seeme sinnes to the Saltmarsh Free grace, …54.world, but are not to God, in his account, and in the apprehension of faith (which seeth things as they are) sinnes at all. Now things that seeme to be, and appeare so to our unbeliefe, and misapprehending sense, are not so in themselves; so both our sinnes, we being once justified, and our acts of sanctification upon the same ground, must be meere fansies and delusions, and if we judge our lies, and murthers, after we are once justified to be sinnes, it is our false apprehension. They must then bee lying differences, that M. tHoney comb cap. 16 p. 459.Eaton tendreth betweene justification and sanctification. Yea, upon this ground, the Libertines uRise, reigne, er▪ 17. True poverty of Spirit doth kill and take away the …ight of grace.say, if we see graces or sanctification in our selves, we are not poore in spirit; and xRise, raign, er…or, 46▪that it is no sinne in a beleever not to see his grace. Which is all one, as not to know, try, and prove himselfe, whether he be in Christ or no. And so wee may contravene a y2 Cor. 13.5. 1 Cor. 11.28.command of God, and not sin; and to sin against one of the z1 Cor. 2.12….offices of the Spirit, which is to make us know the things that are freely given us of God is no sin…. And in Calvins time, Libertines say, to know good or ill, was the old Adam, to know and want the feeling of grace, of holinesse, or of sinne, was mortification; and a dead conscience, not to bee moved, nor touched with sorrow or feeling of sinne, nor to feare it in justified persons, is faith and and true mortification; so the *Rise, raigne, …r. 64. A man must take no notice of his sinne, or of his repentance for sinne.New England Libertines.
CHAP. XLIV. Antinomians say, all doubtings is inconsistent with Faith.
THe Justified (say the Antinomians) are to aTowne asser. 34.doubt no more, freedome and libertie purchased in Christ, frees you from all bSaltmarsh pag 140.bondage, as if you were in heaven, and gives assurance cTowne, asser. 7.without all wavering, feare, or doubting. Wee are dCrispe vol. 111. S …. p. 19.10, 21, 33. &c. 40, 41, 45, &c.not to feare our sinnes, nor any thing else. Which keepeth good harmony with eRise, raigne, er▪ 32. Power of love pag. 27▪ 28.New Englands Libertines, who say, that doubting in any sort is inconsistent with true assurance; especially fRise raigne, er. 2….after the revelation of the Spirit, which some call the broad Seal…, and gMath. 14.31.to doubt upon the commission of some haynous sinne, whether God be my Father, argueth the party doubting to bee under a covenant of works.dRise, raigne, er▪ 4….
No question, doubting in justified persons is a sinne. Christ rebuketh it, gMath. 14.31.Why doubt yee? 2. Christ hMath. 21.21.requireth faith without doubting. 3. Hee forbiddeth iLuk. …2.25. Acts 1….12.it. 4. Its contrary kRev. 21.8. 1 Tim. ….8. Rom. 14.23.to faith. 5. And lLuk. …. 20.punished. But it is in the truely justified; Faith and fainting are almost woven thorow either in the same prayer in David, Psal. 31.22. I said in my hast, I am cut off from before thine eyes; this is great fainting, yet there is fire under ashes, faith bordering with fainting, neverthelesse thou hardst the voice of my supplication: So is it with mIonah 2.4.Jonah, nEs…i. …8.13.14, 15, 16, 17Ezechiah, oIob 16.12.13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.Iob. Dregges in the bottom when the wine is jumbled, appeare in the Prophets complaint, an ague of madnesse starts up beside reason, and above faith, even after pPsal. 77.7.Asaph, and qIer. 5.18.Jeremiah, both had received the broad seale of the revealing Spirit; when Faith sickens, it dyeth not; Will the Lord cast us off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? is his mercy cleane gone for ever? doth his promise faile for evermore? And wilt thou be altogether to me as a lyar, and as waters that faile?
2. This goeth on another false ground; that being freed from the curse of the Law, wee are freed from all fits of the old agues of the Spirit of bondage, and that all trouble of conscience rRise, raigne, er. 70.argue a Law-state of works; but that old guest upon sense of sinne, and apprehension of wrath, can make a new plea betweene the soule and Christ, and there will arise new stormes of love-jealousies and complaints against s2 Cor. 7.…1, 1▪ Can…. 3.1, …, 3, 4. Can…. 5.2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Esa. 6.7, 18 Es…. 64.7, 8, 9 Psal. 90.7, 8.the beloved, surmises of unbeliefe, because sinne dwelleth in the justified.
3. Davids tPsal. 51.8.bones were broken, for sinne, and for his sinnes the arrowes uPs. 39.2, 3.of God sticke in his flesh, and his xPs. 31▪ …, 3, 4moisture is turned into the drought of summer.
4. There can be no neerer way to despaire, and shake the very foundations of a beleevers faith, then comfort him so miserably, as say, if ever he doubt, he is under the Law, and under the curse; since it argueth the strong man to be cast out when he throweth in fire-brands of doubtings in at the windowes, to see if he can regaine his place.