Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 2 · Chapter 57
CHAP. LVII. Of the liberty which Christ hath purchased to us by his death.
ANtinomians aTown asser, grace, pag. 26.generally contend for a Christian liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and we contend for the same, but the question is, wherein the liberty consisteth, it concerneth us much, that we take not licence for liberty. We thinke, 1. We are freed by Christ, from not onelyonly bGal. 5.1, 2, 3, 4, 5.the Ceremoniall Law, so as Christ profiteth us nothing, if we come under that cGal 5.1. Act. 15.10.yoake againe, but also from all Commandements of men; for all these Ceremonies being now not commanded, but forbidden of God, become the Commandements of dCol. 2.18.19.…0. Ma…. 15 9. 1 Cor. 7.23. Yee are bought with a price, be not the servants of men.men, from which both Jewes and Gentiles were freed in Christ. 2. We are freed and redeemed, eGal. 3 10, 11, 12, 13.from the Morall Law as cursing, fRom. 1.2, 3, 4.and condemning, by gIoh. 8.36.the Son of God who makes us free indeed. 3. We are redeemed from the dominion of hRom. 6.1….13 14sin, by the Spirit of i2 Cor. 3.17.grace, for where this Spirit is, there is liberty; and Christ kIoh. 3.34, 35, 36.freeth us from this service of sin, in regard that the Law is a Lord by irritating our lRom. 7.5, 6, 7.corruption more and more (though this be accidentall to the Spirituall Law) mRom. 7 6. Rom. 8.3.that bringeth forth in us nRom. 7.11.13.sonnes and children to death; and o2 Cor. 3.7, 8, 9.over-aweth, and compelleth us to keep the Law, as a manifestation of wrath; whereas the Spirit of the Lord is a free, sweet, lovely-constrayning-Spirit in the Gospel-working, pRom. 8.2, 3, 4. Gal. 5.18. Rom. 8.15. 1 Ioh. 4.17.18.in a farre other way, obedience to the Law, then the Law-spirit of bondage doth. And upon these are we 4. freed from a necessity of being justified by the qGal. 3.1.2, 3, 4 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.Law, or the works thereof. 5. From all conquering Law-power of all Luk. 1.74. Rom 8.37, 38.39.enemies. But we are not delivered and freed from the commanding, directing, obliging and binding power of the Law, as a binding rule of life; so as beleevers once being beleevers sinne not, because they are under no Law, farre lesse is it such a freedome, as is that which is from the yoake of the Ceremoniall Law, as sTowne asser. pa. 8.26.Towne saith. But if we be free from the Law, with this kind of freedome, which is licence, it is free to us to sinne, whereas the end of our Redemption is to change the yoake of a condemning and cursing Law, in a sweet easie yoak of tMath. 11.29.Christ, to serve God uLuk. 1.74.45. Tit. 2.11.1….in holynesse and righteousnesse (the compend of the two Tables of the Law) to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts. 2. The Word of God calleth freedome from doing Gods will, a not using xGal. 5.13.14.our liberty in Christ, as an occasion to the flesh; and commandeth doing and fulfilling of the Law, in loving our neighbour as our selfe. 3. The service of sinne is the greatest bondage that is, and the sinner is overcome by this Tyrant; now yIoh 8 24, 25, 26. Ro. 6.…6, 17.the Sonne of God hath freed us from this bondage. Whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin; if the Son make you free, then are ye free indeed. And to serve God is a free mans life, as David saith, zPsa. 119.45.I will walk at liberty, for I seek thy precepts; and Christ hath loved us, and washed us in his bloud, aR…v 1.….and made us Kings and Priests unto God. Now Kings are, of all men, the freest on earth: but Kings and Priests to God, are Lords over their owne lusts, which is more then to take a walled City, and are to offer themselves, and their bodies, as bRom 12.1.a holy, living, and acceptable sacrifice, which is their reasonable service. 4. And the whole Gospel urgeth the same; for it subjecteth us to Gods externall Commandement, of honouring father and mother, cEp…es. 6.….of having our conversation honest amongst the Gentiles, d1 Pet. 2.12.in abstaining from fleshly lusts; of walking in Christ, as we have received eCol. 2.6.him, and f1 Thes. 4.….3.it is the Commandement that the Apostle gave by the Lord Jesus, which is our sanctification, and that we should abstain from fornication; and the whole doctrine of the Apostles, that we be holy, as he is g1 Pet. 1.16.holy; nor doth the Law cease to be the Law to hTowne Asser. 143.beleevers; as Towne saith, Because it neither can, nor actually doth condemne and curse these iPag. 3.…4.9▪that are in Christ, and consequently it cannot oblige them as a commanding rule, for you cannot separate the condemning power of the Law (saith kTown asser. pag. 31.he) from the commanding power of it. If the Law cannot condemn, it loseth the being of the Law, and Luther saith, it is no more Law, Lex non damnans, non est Lex; not one jot or title of the Law lTowne asser. pag. 30.31can perish. But the truth is, the Law as it is an instrument of the covenant of works,How we are freed from the Law, how no…. and justifieth or condemneth, ceaseth to be the Law to the beleever, as Luther saith, it ceaseth to be the Law of life and righteousnesse, and the way to heaven, according to the tenour of the first covenant, which is, He that doth these things, abiding in all things written in the Law, in thought, word, and deed, perfectly, without the least breach, in one Iota, by his own strength, he shall live, that is, he shall be justified, and obtaine eternall life, by the Law, without a Mediator, and shall be saved, but not be in Christs debt, nor obliged in one graine, to the grace of the Gospel. But where liveth (I pray you) this good man? Neither in heaven, nor earth, except the man Jesus Christ. So the Law is not such a Law as can save, to any man now under sin: so Luther saith right, but it was never Luthers mind, that the Law simpliciter, ceaseth to be the Law commanding, and obliging to holy walking. So it is a sophisme a foreign ad dictum, foreign; the Law foreign as it justifieth and saveth Legally, is no damning Law, and loseth its being, as it is a covenant of works to all beleevers. True; ergo, it is in no sort a Law to them, it followeth not, such a just Judge and King condemneth not this guilty man, because his Sonne, the Prince and heire suffered for him; ergo, he is not a Law-judge, condemning the poore guilty man, true, but ergo, he is not King and Judge to command this man to be obedient to all his good Lawes, and ergo, this pardoned man, is in all other things, and good Lawes, loosed from this oath of allegeance and the band of loyalty, and hee is no more the the Kings subject; so as if the man now break the Kings Lawes, and he doth not sin against the King, as Law-giver, or his Lawes: surely it cannot follow, that the Law bee urged in tenour of a meere covenant of works; yea, or as hedged with ceremoniall and bloudy sacrifices, that are Heraulds of our guiltinesse and handwritings of condemnation, is accidentall to the Law, not essentiall, though the Law have its denomination from this sad office, Rom. 7. Rom. 8. Yee are dead to the Law, yee are not under the Law; so that under the Gospel the Law is substantially and formally the same, saith Luther, as death is essentially the same, before the fall under Moses, and under Christ, Luth. tom. 1. fol. 56. Relativè non formaliter aut substantialiter, est peccatum sublatum, Lex abolita, mors distructa, then the Law in its essence and obliging power is eternall, never abolished.
But Antinomians will have the Gospel-grace to loose a man from all commanding Lawes, because he is pardoned, and because he getteth a pardon for Adultery, and murther, and such like, they conceive this pardon giveth a dispensation, that though he commit Adultery and Murther, being once a pardoned David, he sinneth now against no Law; henee beleeve and be pardoned (saith the Antinomian) and sinne if you can. The most ingenious Antinomian I know, is M. Randall, who as M. Gataker saith, Preached, that its as possible for Christ himselfe to sin, as for a child of God to sinne. Gatt…k…r Prefat. to Gods eye on Israel, Mart…n ….And M. Simson, That if a man know himselfe, by the Spirit, to be in the state of grace, though he be drunk, or commit murther, God seeth no sinne in him — And when Abraham denied his wife, and lyed, even then, truly, all his thoughts, words, and deeds, were perfectly holy, and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God. And Randall, Its blasphemy for a child of God to crave pardon for sinne. And it cannot bee avoided, the Adultery of a beleever is but seeming Adultery, and he is an Adulterer and a sinner, so (saith nSaltmarsh Free grac…, pag. 154.Saltmarsh) to the eyes of the world, and else-where to sense and feeling, not truely and before God, or in his account; for to Faith (saith Tow…e asser. 71.72.Towne) there is no sinne, And even that same Text, That not a tittle of the Law can perish, proveth the same; for Matth. 5.19. Whosoever (beleever, or unbeleever) shall breake one of these least Commandements, The place Math. 5.19. I came not to destroy the Law, &c. opened.and shall teach men so, (as Antinomians doe) shall bee called the least in the kingdome of heaven; and whosoever shall doe, and teach the same, shall be called great in the kingdome of heaven. Now, 1. that Christ speaketh of the Law there, as ordinarily, it was taken for a binding and obliging rule is cleare, vers. 17, Think not I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets; for hee speaks of that, which he came to fulfill; but hee came to fulfill the Law by doing and suffering. 2. That which may be broken in a sinnefull way, is a binding and obliging rule; but the Law Christ speaketh of there, may be broken; for hee saith, Whosoever therefore shall breake, &c. (2.) That he intendeth that the Law stand as a rule binding to personall obedience, and not to imputative obedience, onelyonly in the Mediator is cleare. For 1. he saith, Whosoever shall breake the least of these, it must bee understood of personall breaking not imputative; for hee that breaketh the Law in Christ, his breach being imputed to Christ, shall not be the least man, but a chiefe man in the kingdome of heaven, even a heire of heaven. 2. If the binding and obliging Law bee not understood, Christ came, in the Antinomian sense, to free beleevers both from the cursing, and obliging, and commanding Law. Now sure Christ came to destroy the Law, as it curseth and condemneth beleevers, for he exhausted the curse, and dyed the cursed death for us, but he came not to take away the binding power, because he both threatneth the breaker, and the Antinomian teacher of breaches, with being the least of the kingdome of heaven, that is, with being excluded out of heaven, by a meiosis, for it is opposed, to be great in the Kingdome, and also he promiseth a reward to the doer, he shall bee great in the kingdome. Now that Law which is hedged with threatning, and reward is a binding Law. 2. The beleever can neither breake the Law in order to punishment, nor keepe and doe the Law in order to reward, by the Antinomian way, because they are freed from all binding and obliging Law (say the Antinomians) as well as from all cursing and condemning Law: so Christ could doe no more, if he intended to come in the flesh, to destroy the Law, then if he should take away the whole, nature and being of the Law; for he removeth (say the Antinomians) all the binding and commanding, all the threatning and minatory power, and the rewarding and promissory power of the Law from beleevers. What then leaveth hee of the Law to any man who beleeveth? Just nothi…g. Antinomians say; Christ came to fulfill the Law by doing and suffering, and so came not to destroy it.
An…w. That cannot be his meaning here; for the Argument of our Saviour should so conclude nothing; and it is this, If whosoever breaketh the least Commandement of the Law, and teacheth others, to doe so, bee debarred out of heaven, and who so doth, and teacheth men to doe the Law, be great in heaven, then I the Saviour of man, came not to destroy, but to fulfill the Law. But the former is true. Ergo, so is the latter. The major proposition hath no truth; for by the Antinomian way, beleevers, according to the Antinomian Gospel, are neither excluded heaven in breaking the Law, nor admitted to heaven in doing the Law; but Christ doth all for them, and they are not excluded heaven, for breaking a Law; they are freed from all binding, commanding, and obliging power of the Law; and who can breake a Law, who is under no Law? Where there is no Law, there is no transgression, saith Saltmarsh, applying it wickedly to this case, and to all trouble of conscience for sinne, when we are once justified.
5. The Antinomians place liberty from the Law, in the free, loose, and wide walking, without any feare of sinning against a Law, which to them is a shaddow, a fancie, and nothing and in being compelled for feare of wrath and eternall vengeance, pT…wne asser. 137.to love and serve God, as if the Law of God did command us to serve God, for feare of wrath, and hire or hope, of reward. But the holy Law of God biddeth us feare sinne before and after it is committed. For qLevit. 19.3 Deut. 4.10. Deut. 5 29. 1 Chr…. 16.30 2. C…ro. 6.31 Ne… 1.11. Psal. 31 1…. P…al. 7.…. Ps…. 76.1…. Esa…. 59 19. Ie…. 10.7.the Law commandeth the whole feare of God, and the offending of his Majesty by sinne. And r…rov. 8.…4.happy is the man that feareth alway; this fearing of sin is contrary to hardnesse of heart, he is happy who sEccles. 9.2. Antinomians are ignorant of the Law, and of our freedome from it, as if the Law should command slavish feare and mer…nary service.feareth an oath, lest he be insnared. Now fearing sinne as sinne is contrary to a law. is bondage, and floweth from the Spirit of bondage (say Antinomians) Yea it is unbeliefe, and a making God a lyar, because (say they) there is no spot of sinne in the beleever; But the beleever is not, and shall not be, till his dying day, as free of sinne, and spotlesse in the sight of God, as Christ tEaton Honey combe, p…. 41 108. …d cap. 3. p…g. 25. C…isp. vol. …. …er.himselfe, and whosoever feareth sinne, and beleeveth not that uHoney combe pag. 40.108.God seeth no sinne in him, being once justified, robbeth God of his glory, and is undoubtedly damned, say they; for its unpossible, God can see sinne, where there xpag. 108.is none at all, say they; nor is this our freedome to be freed from the Law, that is from the servile feare of eternall wrath, or mercenary hope of reward, as if the Law of God could command such slavish feare and hireling hope, as yHoney comb cap. …. pag. 77 78 79.Towne saith. For the Law never did, never could command sinne, but so to feare or serve God, as to seeke him earely, when his rod is on us, and when he zTowne asse. 137. It cannot bee … said that my spirit doth tha… v…luntarily which the command of the Law bindeth & forceth unto, pag. 11, 12.13.14.slayeth us, when the heart is like a deceitfull bow, as aPsal. 73. v. 34.35, 36 37.38.Pharaoh did, is slavish feare, and to serve the Almighty, for hire or gaine is bExod. 6.22, 23.24, 25, 26, 27, 28.sinne; to feare the punishment, and love the reward, more then God, is slavish and mercenary: Gods holy Law can command no feare, no obedience, but what is free, liberall, ingenuous, sinlesse, sonnely, filiall and holy, for the Law is cIob 1 9. Iob 21.15. Mal, 3.14.spirituall; it is dRom. 7.14.holy, just, and good.
6. Christian liberty is not in freedome from subjection and obedience to Magistrates, Masters, Kings, Parliaments; for this, Peter eRom. 7, 14.saith, is to use our liberty as a cloake of maliciousnesse, and that opened the mouthes of ignorant and foolish heathen, f1 Pet. 2.10. 1 Pet. 2.16.who objected this to some peeping-up Antinomians in these daies, who said, their Christian liberty freed them from that yoake of subjection to lawfull Authority, Kings, Governours, Masters; now beside that, Antinomians teach, that Saints should not serve, nor obey those that are not Saints, nor beleevers, as if Dominion and Civill power were founded on grace, as Papists teach. They doe not speake out, but when they teach that Murthers, Adulteries or any thing done against our brethren, or to the disturbance of the peace of humane Societies, committed by beleevers, are no sinnes before God; and that there is no more sinne in the children of God, then in g1 Pet. 2.14.15. Christ freeth us not from obedience to Superiours; as Antinomians insinuate, if they would be plaineChrist himselfe: and upon this ground, God in justice cannot hEaton Honey combe, cap 3. pag. 25.punish, yea, nor iHoney combe, cap. 7. pag. 138.rebuke them for sinne. Then say I, these Adulteries, and Murthers committed by beleevers, if they bee no sinnes against God nor his Law, they can bee no sinnes before man kHoney combe, cap. 4.72.neither. For the Magistrate beareth the sword lR…n. 13.3.4. 1 Pet. 2.14.to take vengeance on evil doers; if these bee not sinnes against God, even because they are sinnes against our neighbour, then the Magistrate doth unjustly punish them. 1. The Magistrate is the Vicegerent of God, l2 Chron. 19 6.not judging for man but for the Lord, and so should not punish, but for these ill deeds, for the which the Lord himselfe would punish. But the Lord judgeth them,Magistrates cannot draw the sword of God against … murthers, adulter…es, are oppressions of beleevers, because by the Antinomian way, they are not reall, but imaginary sins. neither sinnes against his Law, nor can, in justice, punish them, say Antinomians. Ergo, neither can the Lords Vicegerent judge them sinnes; for they are against no Law of God, nor can he punish them upon the same reason. 2. The Law commandeth to Love our neighbour as our selves, no lesse then to love God; and he that loveth not his brother, m1 Iob. 3.15. 1 Iob. 2.8▪ 9, 10.loveth not God; and then, who ever sinneth not as an evill doer against God, cannot sinne against his brother, and the peace of humane Societies, and so the Magistrate ought not to draw his sword against him. I grant, Gods not punishing sinne, is not a ground, nor rule, to the Magistrate; not to punish sinne, but sure, Gods not punishing sinne, and his none-displeasure against any thing, as no sinne, as having lost the nature and being of sinne, as being against no Law; as all the Adulteries, Murtherings, Cousonings, Cheatings, Robbing, Stealing, false-Witnesse-bearing of beleevers are supposed to bee, in regard they are no more sinnes against a Law of God, then any thing that Christ doth, must be a rule to the Civill Magistrate, who may no more strick the innocent, who faileth against no Law of God, nor he may kill, robbe, and oppresse. Antinomians make a found escape from this, they say, The Adulteries, Murthers, lyings of beleevers, are sinnes before men, not before God, or sinnes to their sense and feeling, not to their faith, and before God, or sinnes in conversation, not in conscience, or sinnes in the flesh, not in the Spirit; So nTowne assert. 39 40.Towne, oSaltmarsh Free grace. pag. 57.Saltmarsh, pDe…ne Ser. Of the Man of sinne, pag. 9.10 11.12.Denne, qEaton Honey comb…, …ap. …. pag. 87. & 95.Eaton. So the Magistrates doe punish men for seeming Adulteries, and Murthers fancied to be murthers, but are not so indeed, nor before God; onelyonly the unbeleeving weake conscience, and erring sense, or flesh taketh them to bee sinnes, but they are not any reall injuries to God, nor contrary to any Law of God. 2. The Magistrate in conscience cannot judge that to bee violence to the life of a brother, nor worthy of death, which no Law of God can condemne as a sinne; nor can hee, in justice, for imaginary Murther inflict reall death. 3. Adultery and Murther must be then true and reall innocencies.