Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 2 · Chapter 47
CHAP. XLVII. That we are not meere patients in the acting of the Spirit of Sanctification.
SO doe Antinomians hold that we are meere patients under the actings of the Spirit, aTowne …ss. pag. 49.50.55.6….68. What can yee doe more toward the sancti…ying, or changing of your selfe, then toward the just…fying of your selfethe Spirit acting in us immediately as on blocks and stocks. So there is, bRise, raigne, er. 49.say they, no obligation to pray, at set houres and times, but when the Spirit acteth and stirreth us immediatly thereunto. And Saltmarsh cSaltmarsh Free grace, pa. 179.saith, this is a bondage to times, and no spirituall serving of God. So hath Randel the Familist, prefixed in an Epistle to two Popish Tractats, furnishing to us excellent priviledges of Familisme, the one called Theologia Germanica, and the other the Bright starre, which both advance perfect Saints above Law, Gospel, Scripture, Ordinances, Praying, hearing, to a Monastike contemplative life, in which their perfectists see, injoy, live in God, without beholding him in formes, (or materiall images, the signe of the Crosse, lawfull books, as they thinke, to young beginners,) without any acting in them, either of understanding, will, desire, or any power, they, and their love, desire, joy, being all drowned, annihilated and swallowed up in God, immediatly injoyed, and the Spirit acting immediatly, Euthysiastically, in them as men dead, crucified, mortifyed, and if they have any acts of knowing, or willing, or loving, they bee acts of the old man and the flesh. And upon the same ground, God not efficatiously and immediatly concurring in morall actions, to act upon the creatures, men and Angels. The Libertines of old, some Familists, and Antinomians of late, have said, that God is the author of sinne, that his working, or not working on the creature, is the cause of good, and ill; righteousnesse and unrighteousnesse. 1. Because sinne is nothing but Gods not working. 2. It cannot hurt God, and why should he hate it? 3. It hath its first being in God. 4. It is his servant, and conduceth to heighten free grace, and rich mercy; I doe not impute this to all Antinomians, yet some have said it, and written it, the same principles common to Libertines and Antinomians, as you may reade in worthy dCalv…n. in … I…structione adversus LibertinosCalvin, incline to the same conclusions. It is true, Saltmarsh comes not up to truth in this. Mans sinnes was serviceable (saith hee) to the glory of Redemption, and was but for the bringing forth of this, eSaltmarsh Free gra…e. pag. 116.117.though not decreed of God, but occasioned by man, God foreknowing the changeablenesse of his creature, &c. In which words, not knowing what to make out of the Protestant doctrine, out of ignorance hee makes sinne the mother, and glorious Redemption the birth, that was warmed with life in the wombe of sinne, and was serviceable for the bringing forth of this. We know what M. Archer fArcher on Iohn, 14.… Saltmarsh his mistake of providence …ouching sin.said of late, (I scarse beleeve, that that godly man would have spoken so;) faire and glorious grace was warmed and enlived from eternitie, in the sweet bowels and heart of God; and never lay, never fetched heat of life from the foule wombe of sinne. 2. In the other extremity, Saltmarsh denieth simpliciter any decree of God▪ so much as permissive touching sinne, and gives him no more but a bare fore-knowledge, without any decree, and makes man onelyonly the occasion of sinne, who undeniably is such an occasion, as father and mother are of their owne births. Man were to bee pittied and excused, if hee were an occasion onelyonly of sinne.
But 1. if the Spirit act immediately on us; so as wee we are passive in beleeving, praying, and in all acts of Sanctification, as Towne saith, and we must be the same way passive, as when God justifies us, which he doth ere we be born again, and as Crispe gCrispe vol. 1. ser. 7. p…. 19 5.saith, by forcing grace on us, as a Physitian violently stoppeth Phisick in the mouth, and downe the throat of a backward patient against his will: and if wee bee not obliged to pray, beleeve, and upon the same ground, not to abstaine from Adultery, Murther, (for grace must act in both) but when the Spirit doth stirre and excite us, then we are no more guilty of sinne in omitting good, and committing evill, then a stone falling off a towre, is guilty of beating out a mans braines; for in these the man is a passive block, as the stone is in its motion: and if we abstaine from praying, not being obliged to pray, because the Spirit acts not on us, wee sinne not; judge then who is the father of sinnes of omission, by the good leave of Antinomians, and upon the same ground, it is as unpossible but we must fall into sinnes of commission, as swearing, lying, blasphemie, heresie, unbeliefe, adultery, murther, stealing, except either the restraining grace, or the renewing sanctifying Spirit act upon us, as wee cannot chuse but sinnefully omit duties of praying, beleeving, when the winde of the Spirit bloweth not faire on us for these duties; and so Antinomians must either be Pelagians, and say, there is no need of grace to eschew sinne, and so they must be un-friends to free grace; or then, men must be guiltlesse in all sinnes, by this opinion, and let them then choose upon whom they will father all sinne.
2. We are to pray continually h1 Thes. 5.17, and watch thereunto with all perseverance, iEph. 6.18.and keepe our selves in the love of God. Watch kIude v.21.and pray. Waite lMath. 26.41.for the comming of the Lord with girded up loynes, mLuk. 21.36.28. Math. 24.…2, 43, …4, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49. Rom. 28.13, 24.waite for the day of our redemption. Then are wee obliged by the command of Christ, whether the holy Ghost breath on us, or the wind of the Spirit blow faire from Christs heart, on our heart, or no, to the supernaturall acts of praying, beleeving, hoping, watching. Nor is Christs act of free grace in drawing, stirring, and actuall inliving, our obliging rule, but the revealed will of God in the Law and Gospel; n1 Pet. 1.13.and if we be meere passive as stones, and onelyonly obliged to supernaturall acts, when the tide of free love, and rich grace floweth on the shoare and banks of our whithered Spirits, then wee must not onelyonly say, we are freed from the Law, but from all Gospel-commands, all free invitations of rich grace, according to the letter, or then that the Spirit is obliged to attend and joyne his bedewings and flowing of free love and grace, ever when we heare or read the Gospel. But when nSaltmarsh, 15….153.154 155.156.157.Saltmarsh, oTowne …sser. pag, 12.13.9. and through all.Towne, and others of that Tribe say, the Gospel is not in the letter, dutie, opinion, sense, reason, but in the Spirit, life, grace, faith, they meane the same with New England pRise, raigne, er▪Libertines; That the will of God in the word, or directions thereof, are not the rule whereunto Christians are bound to conform themselves, to live thereafter. So as old Anabaptists taught, wee shall all bee taught of God, and the annointing teacheth us all things, and therefore the written Scripture, Law, Gospel, the Ordinances of Preaching, Reading, Praying, Sacraments, belong not to us: to be under them, is to be under the Law, and the old dead Letter, and the livelesse, passive, Inkie, and poore Paper-ordinances of Men, and not under the Gospel, that is, under the immediate actings of the Spirit; contrary to the Word of God, which maketh an harmonious subordination, not a contrariety betweene outward ordinances, and the inward working of the Holy Ghost, to the qEsai. 8.20.Law, and the Testimony, r2 Cor. 10 4.the weapons of our warfare are not carnall, but spirituall and mighty through God. Here are both Word and Spirit. As for me sEsa. 59.21this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord, my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy Seed, &c. 2. It is a close rejecting of the Word of God, written in the Old and New Testament, which the tHos. 8.12. Deut. 8.26. Deut. 7.…8. Ier. …0.2.….…6.28. Deut. 31.19.Prophets, uIoh. 20.32. Matth. 4.4. Mar. 1.2. Ioh. 6.31.….10.…4 …. 5.35. Luk. 24.25, 26, 27, 44.Christ, and the xRo…. 15.15 Hebr. 13.2…. Gal. ….11. 1 Pet. 5.2. 1 Ioh. 2 14. R…m. 1.17. ca. 2.24. ca. 3.4 10. ca. 4.…7. 1 Pet. 1.10. 2 Tim. 3.16.Apostles recommend to us, as our onelyonly rule: it is to subvert all Ministery, and Ordinances, contrary to yEph…s 4.11. Rom. 10.…4. 1 Tim. 4.15.16. 1 Cor. 12.28. Revel. 2.1. Revel. 1.20.Scripture, and to make the Gospel written, the holy Ghost himselfe. 3. This i… to loose us from the Commandement, and Gospel-exhortations to holy walking, delivered by the Prophets, Christ, and his Apostles.
3. And sure if we obey Gospel-commandements, as stones and blocks without any action in us, or from us at all, and must then obey onelyonly, when the Holy Ghost acteth, and stirreth the fire. Commandements, and Gospel-promises, Reasonings, Preaching, Ordinances, must be as vaine and unreasonable, to move men, as stones and dumbe wood; Upon this ground, Saltmarsh, with Antinomians would have all Logick abeted. But carnall ratiocinations and discourses, foreign,Antinomians will have … reaso… … consequence… ▪ all the l…tter of the Law, Gospel, Precept, Pr…mis…, threatnings, … …inde n…t …s und…r the N Testament. That exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, wee are more willing should be abeted and exiled from Divinity then Antinomians: who set free grace on pinnes of love rather then Faith, as if wee were justified by louelove, as their brethren of the Family of love dreame: And 2. who be they who remaining Antinomians turne Arminians, and fight for free will, and universall attonement, and generall Redemption, of all and every one, upon the meere principles of carnall reason, and such a naturall pitie, and impotencie of love to all, and every one of mankind as God cannot make out, and which by naturall principles tendeth to the universall salvation of all, and every one of mankinde; yea, of a world, including Devils also? And upon this ground … confe…ce of M. I. Cotton at Boston, pa. 17.Cornwell saith, Such a faith as is wrought by a practicall Syllogisme, because it followeth from the strength of reasoning, or reason, not from the power of God, is but an humane faith. And bShaddowes fleeing awray, pag. 8.Saltmarsh. The interpreting (saith hee) of the Scripture thus in the letter, and in consequence, hath much darkened the glory of the Gospel. And the Gospel (saith he) cFree grace▪ pag 163.is formed of exhortations, perswasions,— conditionall promises, commandements, — to the end that divinne and spirituall things might be more naturally conveyed, in a notionall and naturall way; as the key is made fit to the wards of the locke, — rather then for any supposed free will in man, as some imagine.
Which doth farther evidence the mind of Familists and Antinomians. 1. That they would have the Gospel a body and susteme of non-senses, and foolish dreames, and all Logick banished, that the Gospel may be a fardell of phancies, under the vaile of spirituall and supernaturall knowledge for the perfect; like that piece called the Bright Starre, and Theologi… Germanica, and the Power of Love, and the Tree of knowledge of good and evill. 2. All reasonings, and use of Logick, which the Prophets and Apostles make a heavenly and spirituall use of, in the Scripture, to them are Legall, and smell too much of the dead Letter, the sowre and killing Law; yea the Letter of written Gospel, because written, and because preached and opened in spirituall discourses to Cornwell, and others, is a humane thing, and begets but a humane faith, so that (Faith commeth by hearing) is to Saltmarsh not vocall Preaching, but the very Spirit of grace working faith, as I observed before. 3. All expounding of Scripture, by consequence, is expounding of Scripture in the Letter,Cornwel confer. pag. 17. saith Saltmarsh; in the Letter to Towne, is in a Law-way; to Cornewell, is in a humane, not a Divine way. Then Christ, Matth. 22. must bee a Legall Preacher, and must argue after a Law-way, or a humane, not a Divine and Gospel-way, and must much darken the glory of the Gospel; for he proveth the resurrection of the dead, onelyonly by a consequence, I am the God of Abraham, &c. Ergo, the dead shall rise, and he sharply rebuketh the Sadduces, as ignorant, both of the Scripture, and the power of God, because they did not thus argue, in the Letter, and in the consequence, to the darkening of the glory of the Gospel. Libertines said also, to reason against committing of Adultery, as Joseph doth; Shall I doe this, and sinne against God? Is a worke of Old Adam, discerning good and evill, as wee shall heare, if the Lord will. And Saltmarsh saith, Exhortations, perswasions, conditionall promises, and Gospel-commandements are natural, and so conveyances carnall, Legall, and of the Letter. Which to me is a foule aspes…ron laid on the Gospel, and a mixing of Law and Gospel, Works and Faith, according to the Antinomians way, and a rendering of the preaching of the Gospel, which is the 1 Cor. 1.24.power of God, and the wisdome 1 Cor. 1.23.of God, as odious, as the Jewes and Greeks fAct 9.21.2…,made it of old, that is to make it a meere naturall and humane thing. But reasoning from Scripture, is as Divine, as to convince, silence, 2 Tim. 3.…6 Acts 16.14.rebuke, Act… 2.37, 38, 39convert, and open the heart, though the Spirit bee the principall agent in these. 4. If wee be meere patients, and act nothing, by any obligation, but as the Spirit acteth on us, and in us; then not onelyonly the morall Law, but the very Law of nature, and the dictats of a naturall conscience, shall not of themselves oblige us, as to honour our Parents, to love our brethren, to doe to all, as we would that men should doe to us, except the Spirit act us to these duties, and then must either the Holy Ghost attend the suggestions and dictats of the law of nature to blow with, and concurre with them, and with the Word read and preached, which were a fettering of the Holy Ghost, to attend the inclinations and motions of our heart, or then no man could sinne at all against either the Law of nature, or written Scripture, save onelyonly these heathen and others, who resisted the Spirit; not to say, that grace were not grace, nor every way free, if the will of the creature should be master, and exercise a dominion over grace, to command, at its nod, the spirations and breathings of the Holy Ghost, then should it be in the power of free will to dispose of desertions, absence, and the ebbings of the joyfull out-goings, and manifestations of the Holy Ghost; so should wee command the North and South winde of the Spirit to blow upon the garden, that the Spices may flow out, and command the out-flowings of the river, and the tyde that gladneth the soule. Which, sure, we cannot admit, or then, our doubtings, complaints, love-jealousies, should be free of all unbeliefe, and disquieting doubts, contrary to Scripture, and experience: yea, and all our sinnes, and darknesse, and false apprehensions under sad desertions, should bee counted on the Holy Ghosts score, as his sin, who did not act us to the declining of these sinnes, and the performing the contrary duties, and not be imputable to us; for all sinne must bee contrary to some Law-obligation.
5: We hence clearely see, Antinomians must come fully up to New England Libertines, that iRise, reigne er. ….In the saving conversion of a sinner, the faculties and workings of the soule in things pertaining to God, are destroyed, and made to cease; and kRise, er. 2▪the holy Ghost commeth in place of them, as the faculties of the humane nature of Christ; whereas grace purgeth away the oare, but destroyeth not the gold, and doth not remove, nor substantially change the soule and heart; but maketh it lEzec. 36.26new, m1 Thes 5.23.sanctifieth it, nRom. 12.….reneweth the Spirit, pHeb. 9.…4.purgeth the conscien…e, qIoh. …4.26.bringeth all things to our memory. When Christ casteth the old heart in his furnace, or putteth it on a new frame, it loseth no substance, but receiveth a new mould.
6. It fomenteth the presumption of rRise raigne, V…sav…u…e speach, ….4.the Libertine, who saith, If Christ will let me sinne, let him looke to it, upon the perill of his honour bee it. Which may have this good sense, as to be a word of boldnesse of faith, holding forth as much as it highly concerneth the honor of Christ, his faithfulnesse and unchangeable grace, who is intrusted with all the flocke, young and old, to suffer none to fall in such sinnes, as may tend to, or be a finall falling from Christ, but that upon the perill of his glory, He will lose none, but raise them up at the last day; but as Libertines sense carrieth the matter, the justified cannot sinne; Christs Spirit is ingaged to enact immediatly, and to preserve the ransomed man from all sinne, if the man fall, Christs Spirit not inacting him to stand, is the Author and cause of his fall, Whereas we are commanded to keepe our selves in the love …of God; David Psal. ….23.kept himselfe from his iniquitie.