Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 2 · Chapter 64 – Chapter 65
CHAP. LXIV. Antinomian differences between the Law and the Gospel, confuted.
WEe cannot be satisfied with the Antinomian differences betweene aSaltmarsh 143. Towne assert. grace, 53.54. How can good works be required as necessary conditions toward the attaining of justification, salvation, and blessedn…sse, since these are possessed before we can doe any good works? Towne asser. 144▪ I see little difference between merit, and the reward you stand for.Law and Gospel. The Law (say they) …ommands us to obey, to love, to feare, to be holy, that God may be our God, and wee his people; the Gospel commands us to obey, and love, because we are the people of such a God.
Answ. The Law never, neither before,Law-obedience did not winne God to be our God in the first covenant, nor Evangel…ek beleeving, or acting, to be our God in covenant of grace. nor after the fall of Man, did command obedience as a merit and deserving cause of having God to bee our God, for so Antinomians speake of all Law-obedience, that it hireth God, and of all our Gospel-obedience, that it putteth God in our debt, as if we were hirelings, and God a Master obliged in a Legall way, and in termes of buying and selling, to pay us our wages.
2. How will Saltmarsh prove God was not Adams God, till he should worke out his dayes worke of Legall service perfectly, and winne his wages, without a slip or sinne? This is a conjecture. I would conceive, by creation the Lord was Adams God, and the indenture or paction to reward his obedience with eternall life was to goe on, that Adam should have his other reward of life by doing, according as hee kept the Law. But I take it thus, God could not require Law-obedience at all of Adam, but he was first his God, but God was to remaine his God, no longer then Adam should perfectly serve God.
3. None of us, whom Saltmarsh would, if he could, confute, doe teach, That we are to obey, and doe Gods Commandements, according to the Gospel-grace and strength from Christ, to the end, that God may be our God, else if we faile he is not our God. Now this Gospel-service he must say, we teach, if he refute us.
Diff. 2. The Law (saith Saltmarsh) commands us in the power of God, as a Law-giver, and tutor, or Minister: the Gospel in the power of a Father.
Answ. When Saltmarsh shall make these two contrary, to command as a Law-giver and as a Father, The authority of God as a Law g…ver, and of God as … Father, n…t contrary, as Antinomians imagine.as wrath and love, we shall say Amen to this difference. But Antinomians thinke to command as a Law-giver cannot be, except God command under the paine of an eternall curse, for (say Towne …ssert. pag 30.they) The Law not condemning, is not Law. So the Law-giver not cursing and condemning, must be no Law-giver; But this is a false principle. God commandeth as a Law-giver in the Gospel, all that eternall righteousnesse which hee commandeth in the Law; for neither the Gospel, nor Christ dissolveth one tittle or jot of the eternall Morall Law of God, but hee commandeth, not as a condemning Judge, the curse is removed from the Law, Gal. 3.10. Not the Law it selfe, nor the authority, majestie, nor spirituall holynesse of the Law, or Lawgiver; and so God both commandeth in the Gospel, as a God, and Law-giver, even as our God a consuming fire to such as are not under grace, and as a Father to his owne in Christ.
Diff. 3. The Law (saith Saltmarsh ibid 148.hee) commandeth, by promises and threatnings, blessings and cursings, the Gospel rather perswadeth then commandeth, and rather by promises; and exhorts rather then bids, and reasons us to duty, rather then inforceth, and rather drawes us, then drives us, and setting forth promises, and priviledges, and prerogatives, done on Gods part, and Christs part for us, rather argues us to doing, and working, and loving reflections againe, and Christ is chiefly proposed to us for holinesse, obedience, mortification, newnesse of life. So the Gospell commands rather by paterne, then precept, and by imitation, then command, Hebr. 12.12, 13.
Answ. 1. The Law did also perswade by promise…, Doe this and live; and argueth out of highest love, with all the heart to obey the Gospel, (I confesse) addeth a transcendent and incomparable motive, which is the soule-conquering love of God, to give his bloud and precious life a ransome for his enemies. But (I pray) why doth not Saltmarsh speake accurately, in setting downe the differences between the Law, and Gospel (For they are the very hinges of the controversie betweene Antinomians and us:) he speaketh doubtfully, neither denying nor affirming, but the Gospel commandeth, onelyonly he saith, it rather perswades and argues, then commands. If hee meane, it commandeth not the same way that the Law doth, that is, that we give personall perfect obedience, of our own purse and stocke, without the grace of a Mediator, under pain of everlasting burning, then he should not have said, it rather perswades, nor commands, which is as much, as it commands, but swaies more to the perswading hand, but thus it commands not at all any in Christ, it speaks its commands, and issueth forth royall mandats, as a King to his owne Subjects, that is, to these onelyonly that are under the Law, not to these under Gospel-grace.
But if Antinomians state the difference between Law and Gospel, aright to speake against us; the truth is, the Gospel commands not,The Gospel commandeth not any thi…g by the Antinomian way. by their way of obedience to the tenne Commands to a beleever, so as the beleever doth sinne against any Command, or Law of God, (call it as you will) or violate any authority of the Law-giver, if he disobey. 1. Because the Law-giver, in the Gospel, gives up all his authority as Law-giver, to command beleevers, as well as he resigneth his Law-giving Authority to curse and condemne beleevers: for the same way that God by no Law can condemne and curse beleevers, becaus… Christ was condemned, and made a curse for them; so neither can the Lord command by the authoritie of a Law-giver, any duty in the ten Commandements to a beleever, as a beleever. For saith dTown· asser. of grace, pag. 140.Towne, with the Antinomians; What Christ performed for us, that wee are freed from by him, but Christ not onelyonly was made a curse for us; but also performed compleatly all active obedience that the Law commanded us. Therefore wee are freed from all active obedience to the Law. So 1. as an arbitrary command is not properly a command, but rather a will-counsell and free advise, that one friend giveth to another; so that the friend refusing the counsell, sinneth against no Law; just so is it here. Antinomians may say, Beleevers sinning against Gospel-hortations, (for commands of God they are not) sinne against the love, and deepest, and broadest grace of God, which is a higher offence, then to sinne against a Law of God, and so its not arbitrary to them to obey. I answer. 1. Sinne is no sin, if it be not now under the New Testament, a transgression of the Morall Law; but wee are no more under the Law, say Saltmarsh, Crisp, Towne, and Denne, then an Englishman can fail against the Lawes of Spaine, and where there is no Law; to the same purpose, saith eSaltmarsh free grace, pag. 44.Saltmarsh, there is no transgression, nor trouble of minde for sinne. 2. If offending against the love of Christ be a greater sinne then offending against the Law, then it is a sinne; but this is false, for sure if it were a sinne in them, God who seeth all, should see it to be a sinne in them; now this God cannot doe, for there is no more sinne in a beleever, (say fHoney combe cap. 3 25.they) then in Christ; then the Gospel-exhortations must bee arbitrary Commandements, that is, no Commandements of God.
3. If God in the Gospel give up, and denude himselfe of authority of commanding, then came Christ to dissolve the Law, contrary to his owne Word, Math. 5.18, 19, 20. For nothing is more essentiall to the Law, then its commanding authority, even to command us to doe, and teach others to doe all, even to the least of the Commandements.
That the Gospel both commands and perswades, agree friendly together, but are not cont…ary, as Anti…omians s…p…ose.4. The Gospel (saith he) perswades rather then commands. But say we, it both commands, (as the Law doth) and with a more strong obligation of the constraining love of Christ, beside the authority of the Lawgiver, and also perswadeth; so here be no differences at all; for Christ hath not redeemed us from the curse of the Law, to free us from active obedience by his grace to the Law, that we should be Sonnes of Beliall, from under all yoake, but that with a stronger tye, we should live in holinesse and righteousnesse to him who dyed for us. O then (saith gTowne asser. pa. 40. Libert…nes call obedience to God, a mis…rie, a yoake, and a bondage.Towne) I am sure if we bee faster tyed to the obedience of the Law, then before; we have no helpe by Christ, but rather hee hath made our case more miserable, —why doe you unloose the coards, and abate so much of the rigour of the Law.
Answ. Miserable bee they, with Herod and Pilate, who call it a miserable case, that Christs silken coards of love, and tyes of free Gospel-bands, oyled and sweetned with the love of Christ, renders us no helpe, but makes our yoake and Law-chaines heavier. It is happinesse, not misery, and sweetest liberty to serve God. But to Antinomians, Puritanicall walking, and strickt adhering to the Law of God, as a rule of righteousnesse, sweetned and perfumed with Gospel-grace, to performe any personall obedience (they lay all on imputative mortification abused,Wherein Law rigour and Gospel-sweetnesse doe consist. not rightly expounded) to God is bondage. 2. The rigour of the Law is not in commanding holinesse, the Law then should be unjust, but in that it now obligeth us to obedience under a curse, when we are utterly unable to obey, but Christ abateth the rigour of the Law, in that 1. He removeth the curse, which Towne seemeth to esteeme a poore courtesie Christ hath done us. 2. Giveth grace to obey. 3. Pardoneth in Christs bloud the sinnefull defects of obedience. 4. Justifieth us not by Law, (that doore to heaven is shut, never to be opened to sinners) but by faith, (which is his own gift) laying hold on the righteousnesse of Christ freely, and of onelyonly pure grace imputed to us.
5. hConference of M Iohn Cotton. p. 17. Saltmarsh, 155, 156.Cornewell and other Antinomians make arguing obedidience, and perswading comforts, by inferences and consequences, works of man, not able to produce assurance; and Saltmarsh thinketh, discoursing and reasoning not enough to produce assurance of faith, and he thinks it a Legall bondage to support the soule from marks, and such things as cannot give evidence but by inferences; yet all the superstructures of faith in Gospel-obedience, as binding upon perswading, arguing, reasoning. All other assurances (saith iSaltmarsh Free grace. 85. Antinomians reject all inferences, and arguing in matters of faith, as humane and Legall. The Gospel containes precepts, as well as patternes to be followed.Saltmarsh) beside the assurance of the light of faith, such as are from marks, and love to the brethren, (that come by way of reasoning and arguing) are rotten conclusions from the Word, and such things as true legall teachers have invented, not understanding the mystery of the kingdome of Christ; then all Scripture and Gospel-arguing, are vaine janglings by this.
6. Nor doth the Gospel command by patterne rather then precept, as if the examples of the cloud of Witnesses, who running their race with patience, inherit the promise of free salvation, Hebr. 12.1, 2, 3. should destroy commands, or as if patternes without Law, or any otherwise, but in so farre as they are warrantted by the Law of God, did tye and oblige us to obedience and imitation; for if patternes, as patternes did tye us, then should we be obliged to follow the Fathers, and Christ, in their extraordinary works and miracles, which neither Law nor Gospel commands us to doe.
7. But the truth is, outward commandements written or preached by Antinomians are given to us in the Gospel onelyonly by accident, and because we are carnall and sinnefull; but were we as spirituall as we should be, wee should need no Law, but that which is spirituall, and written in the heart, no more then Angels need a written and outward Law. Now that Antinomians meane this, is cleere by kSaltmarsh Free grace, 170 p 2. c. 37.Saltmarsh his Divinity, — Commands (saith hee) are for obedience, as well as tydings of forgivenesse; — this kind of Gospel fits both God and man: and God the Father may be seen in commanding holinesse, and the Spirit in forming the holynesse commanded, and the Sonne in redeeming us to holynesse, even to the will both of the Father and the Spirit. And this Gospel fits man, who is made up both of flesh and Spirit, and so hath need of a Law w…thout, and in the Letter, as well▪ as in the heart and Spirit: the Law is spirituall, but we are carnall. Rom. 7. Nor can a state o… flesh and Spirit bee ordered onelyonly by a Law within; for the word and Law of the Spirit, meerely is for a spirituall condition, or estate of glory, as Angels who live by a Law spirituall, and state of revelation.
Though we be regenerate and spirituall, … need we sc…iptural teaching, and the written Scriptures are not given to the flesh onelyonly and the unrenewed part, as Antinomians fancie.Answ. 1. Here be strange conceits of old libertinisme. Gospel commands are as well (saith he) for obedience, as tydings of forgivenesse. But why for obedience? Any disobedience to them, is no sinne in a beleever, as is proved; then they are not to a beleever for obedience. 2. I know not how man, because hee is flesh, hath need of a Law without, and the letter of an outward command; then because he is spirit, or as he is spirituall, he hath need of no Law, nor letter of an externall command. Timothy then hath no need, as he is a renewed man, to give himselfe to meditation, and reading, and doctrine; l1 Tim. 4.14, 15.nor to continue in the things that he had knowne from the Scriptures, which are m2 Tim. 3.14 15, 16, 17.given by divine inspiration to save his owne soule n1 Tim. 4.16and others, and to make him o… Tim. 3, …7perfect to every good worke. Nor have the Saints at pCol. 3.…6.Colosse need, that the word of Christ dwell richly in them. Nor the called of Iesus Christ at Rome, qRom. 1.6.as they are called and sanctified, any need of learning from rRom. 15.4.the Scriptures, that they through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. OnelyOnly the flesh and the old man, possibly hath need of the Scriptures, and the letter of the command; then it was not Davids inward man, that esteemed the testimonies of God and his promises sweeter then the honey and the honey combe; and as his heritage, and more then thousands of silver and gold. Nor did Peter, or the Saints as regenerated to a lively s1 Pet. 1.hope 1 Pet. 1.3. and as they obtained the t2 Pet. 1.3.like precious faith, relish the promises as great uVers. ….and precious: but onelyonly their flesh found sweetnesse in Gods word. And Mary, not as renewed, but xLuk. 10 39.40.41.42 43.according to the flesh and corruption, sate at Christs feete, and heard his word, and choosed the better part, that could not bee taken from her. And this sorts well with the old Anabaptists, who said that the unregenerate onelyonly needed outward ordinances, as the Word preached by men, and hearing, reading, Sacraments; but for the regenerate, there is no need, that yIer. 31.34.any teach his neighbour, because we are all taught of God; and z1 Ioh. 2 17.the annoynting teach-them all. And aTh…o…og. Germanica▪ cap. 28. p. 72.the Sonnes of God are not subject to the Law, that is, they are not to bee taught, what they should doe, or leave undone, seeing the Spirit of God which is their instructor, will teach them sufficiently, neither is any thing to bee commanded or injoyned them, as to doe good, or eschew evill, or the like. The same Spirit, I say, doth command or injoyn them; likewise to retaine the best, and quit the contrary, and obey them accordingly. And so speake the Libertines of bRise, raigne, er. 4.5.N. England, These that bee in Christ, are not under the Law, or commands of the Word, as the rule of life. 3. If man, because he is flesh, hath need of a Law without, and in the Letter; by flesh is either understood a body and sensitive soule; but then the meaning must be, that the Law of Word and Gospel is given to the outward man, to regulate him in his animal and vitall actions, as eating, sleeping, walking, seeing, hearing, and other senses, as if no Law were imposed on the Spirit, heart, understanding, conscience, and will, a carnall dreame that many put upon the Pharisies; or by the flesh must be understood, the unrenewed and sinnefull corruption. This must be the sense of Saltmarsh, for hee citeth, Rom. 7.14. The Law is spirituall, that is just, and holy; as vers. 12. Wherefore the Law is holy, and the commandement is holy, and just, and good; but I am carnall: that is, sinfull, flesh, unholy, and sold under sinne. Now thus, Law and Gospel commands threatnings; Gospel-promises sweet invitations of free grace, that loaden sinners would come to Christ, and bee refreshed, eased, saved, are all given to man, because he is sinnefull; and no outward Commandement would be laid on man, if he had not sinned, which is a conjecture and fancie. Divines say, the Tree of life, and of knowledge of good and ill, were Sacraments to innocent Adam, the Sabbath was ordained for Adams worshipping of God, an outward Law was laid on him, If thou eate, thou shalt die, when as yet Adam was not carnall, or sold under sinne. Yea, so it would appeare to Antinomians, nothing in man is under an outward Law or Command, either of Law, or Gospel, or any Gospel-promise, or Law-threatning, save onelyonly the fleshly body of sinne; then Christ came in the flesh to redeeme and save onelyonly the Old Adam, and the corrupt flesh; then is the corrupt flesh, and it onelyonly obliged by a Law without, and the Letter to beleeve in Christ, to eat the flesh and drinke the bloud of the Sonne of man, to live with, and in Christ, to sit in heavenly places with Christ, to have right to the Tree of life, to have the hid Manna, the White stone, the new Name given to it. And what then shall be the condition of the New man; shall not he beleeve, walke in Christ, converse with God, seeke the things that are above, rejoyce evermore, repent, mortifie the deeds of the flesh, &c. this is strange Divinity. 4. This savours strongly of another Antinomian and Familisticall fancie, cTown …sser. grace, pag. 35.The old Adam sinneth, Jam. 3.2. is found to bee a sinner, reproved, accursed, condemned; he, and all his works, shut up under the Law and wrath of God; then the man sinneth not, is under no Law, no Gospel, No Law without, and in the Letter, onelyonly the flesh; the Libertines Asse, corrupt Adam sinneth, is to be reproved, sent to Hell; and whither shall the other halfe, or quarter of the man goe? to heaven? But, if yee will listen to Scripture: that which was under the Law, was under the curse; what was under the curse is redeemed by Christ; beleeveth, is justified by Faith, is blessed with Abraham, Gal. 3.10, 11, 12, 13. But is the old Adam, the flesh, sinne dwelling in Paul, redeemed from the curse, justified by faith, blessed and saved with Abraham? Or is the beleever freed from the Law, because of the flesh, and for the old Adam that dwells in him? Then because the flesh and sinne dwelleth in him, while he is in this life, he must then sinne, bee under the Law, deserve the curse in so far? Or must the flesh be an invisible Spirit, that lusteth in man, against the holy and just Law? but God seeth it not? What dreames are these?
The last difference dSaltmarsh Free grace, pag. 148.149.is, The end of the Law (saith he) was to bondage, feare, tutorship, revealing of sinne, outward conformity, the end of the Gospel-Lawes is to love, newnesse of Spirit, praise and thankesgiving for righteousnesse, and life received.
Answ. Bondage and feare (servile, such as he meaneth here) was never any proper, or intrinsecall end of the Law, the Law is spirituall, and can command no sinne, nor have any intrinsecall end that is sinnefull; servile feare, is sinnefull feare. This is an use of the Law which God maketh, through occasion of our sinnefull condition: and holy feare that the Law commandeth, is the end of the Gospel-Lawes as well as love, Gospel-grace teacheth us to feare God, and to walke in godly feare. Its true, we were shut up under the Law, that the Law might be to us, in its bloudy ordinances, and legall washings, and cursings, a herald of our guiltinesse, and a rigid exactor and craver of our debts, to compell us to runne to the surety, and as the persuer and avenger of bloud, to drive us to our feet, that upon life and death, we may escape to Jesus, our City of refuge, our sanctuary, and be safe; not that for doing of the Law we may be justified, but we come to Christ, also to the end, we may sow to the Spirit, walke in holinesse, not because we have heaven in compleat fruition already, but that wee may attaine the resurrection of the dead, and may come by life eternall, the free reward of grace.
CHAP. LXV. The Gospel is a rare Covenant of grace.
WEe agree, that the Gospel is not a Covenant; such as is betweene God and man in Law-termes, like this, If yee doe, without a Mediators grace, perfectly, yee shall live? God in a manner said of the Crowne, Buy heaven, and winne it, and have it. Give works without grace, and its your owne. 2. Nor is the Gospel such a covenant,Every thing singular and rare in the covenant of grace▪ as is betweene man and man, in which he fulfils his part, and he is the one, not helping the other: but because this is the covenant of grace, all the bones, articles, joynts, limmes, lithes, and parts of the covenant, is free grace. Christ undertaketh for his Father, hee shall faithfully make good all he sayes, hee undertaketh for himselfe as surety, to make sure worke of the purchase, to buy all with a ransome, an over-ransome; he shall give an over-summe, an infinite price for all hee indents for; he ingages for the Holy Ghost. I will send you the Comforter. Christ impawneth his word for all the three. Christ bindeth for his people in covenant, to give them of his fulnesse, to keepe them in his truth, to intercede and Advocate for them, that their faith faile not, and to raise them up at the last day; this last is in no covenants between man and man. But Saltmarsh speaketh not aSaltmarsh Free grace. pag. 15….153. Saltmarsh findeth fault with the holy Ghost, because he termeth the Gospel a Covena…t.soberly, when he indirectly challengeth the Holy Ghost, as a Legalist; for using the word Covenant, which hath a little (saith he) corrupted some in their Notion of free grace, and makes them conceive a little too Legally of it, for it is a promise. But with his leave, a promise is as legall a word as a covenant, and there be as peculiar characters of God, and of free grace in Gods Gospel-promises, above all Law-promises, or promises and bonds betweene man and man, as in the covenant of grace: nor is any promise between man and man, capable of such free grace, as the Gospel-promises are; and this is a false principle of Antinomians falsely asserted, and never proved. bSaltmarsh Fre… grace▪ …. 153.154.That if righteousnesse and life, be covenanted to us, upon conditions meerely Evangelick, and which the pure, free, unmixed grace of Christ, worketh in us, then life should be purchased by us, not for us.