Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 2 · Chapter 45 – Chapter 46
CHAP. XLV. Antinomians, not Protestants, Merit-mongers.
Of Merits.ANtinomians aTowne asser. of grace, pag. 144.say, that wee teach the same with Merit-mongers, who say the reward is given, ex pacto, by covenant, as due debt, because of the fidelity of God, and not that our works in strictnesse of justice deserve such a reward, to which we answer.
1. None of us say, the crowne is given, either for faith, or for good works, as if they should determine the Lord to give a reward, or lay bands on him for the intrinsecall dignitie and meritorious vertue that Christs merit hath put on our works; we utterly deny any such vertue, either in our good works, considered in their owne nature, or as they borrow some perfume of Christs meriting vertue. Paul, Rom. 3. argueth, that none are justified by works, because (saith hee) all have sinned, vers. 9. both Jew and Gentile, every mouth, vers. 19.20. stopped, and all the world is become guilty; if then our works were thus perfect, that they were void of sinne, they should have a power to justifie. But Towne asser. 77.78. Eaton Honey comb…, cap 16.459.460.461. say, Christ giveth perfection to our works, and maketh them free of inherent sin; this is as much as Papists say, Christs bloud conferreth a power of meriting on good works.
2. They say, we fulfill the Law in Christ, when he makes our works perfect and sinnelesse, then we also justifie our selves by our good works in Christ. But we know that Antinomians give more then a meriting power to good workes, while they make them perfect as Christ, and free from sinne as his actions are; Why? but then should they not justifie us before God? if they be perfect and render us before God, perfect as M. Towne bTowne ass. 77.78.saith; and cEaton Honey combe c…. 16. pag. 459.Eaton saith, Justification is meritorious of all the favour and blessings of God: Sanctification of it selfe merits nothing at all. This is more horrid merit then ever a Papist taught. For Justification if it merit all the favor and blessings of God, then must it merit the favour of eternall election to glory, of effectuall calling, of Christs comming in the flesh, of free Redemption, of the sending of the Gospel of grace to this nation, rather then to this; whereas all these goe before justification, and flow from a more ancient and eternall free grace then Justification; even from eternall election and everlasting love.
2. But Sanctification (saith he) of it selfe merits nothing; nor doe Merit-mongers say, their best works of themselves merit any thing, but as dipt in Christs bloud, Vt tincta sanguire Christi▪ vim merendi habentfrom whose grace they borrow a meriting power; and of justice, besides a free promise and paction. God oweth a crowne of glory to these works, say Papists; and this meriting power (say they) though it be borrowed from Christ, yet our workes have from the grace of Christ the formall principle of them, a meriting power beside, before, and without all free paction and promise of reward that God maketh to our works: and here we part waies with all Merit-mongers, and shall never (we hope) meet. But that God hath made a promise, of his free grace, to reward our works, and hath tyed himselfe to himself, not to us, is cleare: For dHeb. 6.10.God is not unrighteous to forget your worke (saith the Scripture) and labour of love; and e2 Thess. ….6, 7.it is a righteous thing with God, to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you who are troubled, rest with us, &c. And Merit-mongers say, our good works are made condignely and morally meritorious from Christs merits, and so are made and dignified with a sort of infinitenesse to buy heaven, as Antinomians say, they have sinnelesse perfection from Christs merits, and are made as white, faire, spotlesse, as God can see no sinne in them, but looking on them, seeth them as faire as the works of Christ, or the elect Angels. Wee judge that there is no worth to come neere in value or proportion to grace or glory, and that no reward is promised for them, none to them, but as to signes and fruits of grace.
CHAP. XLVI. That there is grace inherent in the Saints, beside that free favour and good will that is in God.
WEe accord not with Antinomians who say, that grace is onelyonly in Christ, none in us, they are but aTown ass. Pag. …3.gifts and effects of grace in us, G…ace inherent.saith Towne. The new bRise, … …r. 7.creature, the cEr. …. Er. 15.armour of God, and d2 Cor. 5.17.love is nothing but Christ. But wee say, Grace, or free favour, is in Christ, as the cause, root, spring; but this is the infinite God, freely of meere grace, imparting his goodnesse, mercy, redemption, calling us without hire or money; and this indeede is not in us, but in him; but there is a grace created the fruit of this free grace in God, that is in us subjectively, and inherently, and denominates us gracious, and new creatures; grace is in Christ, as the floure in the root, but in vsus, as the smell, that comes from the floure, and is communicated to us who have senses. The Scripture saith, 1. If any man be e2 Cor. …in Christ, he is a new creature; a new creature cannot be Christ the Creator; the new man is created in righteousnesse, and Col. 3.….…0. Ezech 36 26, 27.true holynesse; and these be created graces in us: as the lusts of the flesh, contrary to these are not the first Adam, but the fruits of this sinne, so neither can these bee the second Adam. 2. The Armour of God, Ephes. 6. Faith, Hope, the Word of God, Prayer, the chiefe parts of that armour have Christ for their object, and subject, and wee are to pray in Christs name, then they cannot be Christ himselfe, faith may be weake, Christ cannot be weake; prayer lesse fervent, Christ not so. 3. The Scripture saith, God putteth in the Col. 3.….…0. Ezech 36 26, 27.Saints a heart of flesh, a new heart, gEsai. 44.3.powreth water, that is, his spirit on the hZach. 12.1thirsty ground, the Spirit iIer. 31 32.of grace and supplication on the Family of David; writes his kDeut. 30.6.Law in our inward parts, gives, l1 Io…. ….9.a circumcised heart. 4 There is an in-biding principle, m1 Io…. 2.37.The seed of God remaining in the Saints, n1 Tim. 4.the annoyting that teacheth them all; Grace in o… Tim. ….6.Timothy, p2 Cor. 5.17.faith unfained dwelling in him, and his grandmother. 5. The Saints are denominated q1 …. 1.…. Rom. 1.6.7. Epes. ….1, 2. Phil. ….new creatures from grace inherent rI…h. 3▪ ….faithfull and sanctified in Christ Jesus, s1 Pet. …. Rom. 8.17.borne againe of God, Sonnes, and heires, t2 Pet. 1.4.partakers of the Divine nature, uRev. 1.5, 6.Kings and spirituall Priest▪ to God, xRom. 12.…. Ephes. 4.23.changed and renewed. 6. From this yRise, ra…gne. er. 16.Libertines say, there is no difference betweene hypocrits and beleevers, whereas they are blessed, meeke, shall see zMatth. 5.God, shall be satisfied, have a great reward in heaven; which is falsely said of aIob 27.8. Iob. 20.5, 6, 7, …. Math. 7.2….hypocrits: and its neere of kinne to that foule errour. bRise, raigne, er. 18.The Spirit works in hypocrits, by gifts, and graces; in the Saints immediatly, whereas the Saints doe many things from the feare of God, cIob 31.…3. Heb. …1.7from Faith, dHeb. 11.10, 25, 26.from humility, and Col. 3.1…, …3meekenesse, which are graces in them, and it neighbours with that heresie, that Christ acteth immediatly in the Saints, hee being incarnate in them, and they fRise, raigne, er. 11.Christed and Godded with him; Christ dwelling in their flesh, which maketh every Saint, Christ, and the onelyonly begotten Son of God; and it sides with that error gRise, raigne, er. 35.that the efficacie of Christs death doth kill the activity of all graces, and that hRise, raigne, er. 36.all the activity of a beleever is to act sinne, there being nothing in him but sinne; Christ without acting all in him.