Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 2 · Chapter 71
CHAP. LXXI. The Justified obey not God, by necessitie of nature, as the fire burneth, as Antinomians fancie.
ANtinomians aEaton H… ney comb… c…. 8. pag. 163. Towne assert. of grace, 131. Saltm…rsh Free grace. pag. … 6.say, the justified cannot sin, they obey God necessarily, as it is the nature and quality of fire to burn; the grounds of the New-England Libertines, are 1. The Holy Ghost comming bRise, raigne, er. 1.2in the place of naturall faculties, of understanding, will, and affections, doth all the works of these naturall faculties, and Christ and grace working all the supernaturall works of beleeving, repenting, and cRise, raigne, er. 7.8.15.18.that immediatly; the free will must have lesse liberty in loving God, and beleeving, then the Sunne hath to give light, and the fire to cast forth heat; for fire and Sun are thought to be agents in their naturall actions; but free will is a meere patient in these. 2. None are to be exhorted to beleeve (say dRise, raign, er. 22.they) but such whom wee know to be elect, or to have the Spirit in them effectually, and eRise, raigne, er. 2.there is neither inherent righteousnesse, nor grace inherent in the Saints, but Christ immediatly and onelyonly worketh all their works in them; so all the faculties of the soule lye as dead passive creatures, and powers void of freedome and action, and Christ immediatly, as the humane nature, and the faculties thereof doth eR…se, raigne, er. 2.act and worke in the Saints, as fer. 11.Christ is made flesh, and incarnate in the Saints, and doth in them beleeve, repent, rejoice, love; and beleevers have neither freedome nor action at all, more then blocks in their actions. Hence (say gRise, raigne, e. 36.they) all the beleevers activitie is to act sinne. So saith the hRise, raigne, unsavory speech, er. 4.Libertine; If Christ will let mee sinne, let him looke to it, upon his honour be it.
But 1. there remaineth true liberty in the regenerate man, his free will is not destroyed. iIoh. ….6.If the Sonne make you free, then are yee free indeed. But kR…. 6.7 18▪God be thanked that ye were the servants of sinne, but yee have obeyed from the heart that forme of doctrine which was delivered you, being then made free from in, yee became the servants of righteousnesse. Now the l2 …or. 3.17.Lord is a Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. mPsal. 119. vers. 45I will walke at liberty, for I seeke thy precepts. Hence rejoycing nRom. 5.2. 1 Pet. 1 8.in God, oP…l. 3.4. Psal. ….1 Rom. 7.…2.delight in his Law, pPsalm, 119,rejoycing in his word, qPsal. 16.7.….choosing of God above all other lovers; and r…sa. 119.30his testimonies, argue a sanctified elective power of free will in the soule. 2. The justified can sinne, otherwise, they should no more be capable of exhortations to walke in Christ, and grow in grace, and of dehortations from sinne, then the fire and the Sunne, can be requested or exhorted to cast out heate and light. 3. This foolish opinion is bottomed on this conceit: That a beleever as a beleever, walketh by faith perpetually; is admitted (saith sTowne asser. grace, pag. 129.Towne) to live and abide for ever, by sense and sight, in the kingdome of glory. And wants nothing of heaven (saith tSaltm…rsh Free grace ▪ 140.Saltmarsh) but to beleeve hee is in heaven, uHoney combe cap. 3. pag. 25.is as cleane from sinne (saith xTowne asser. grace, pa 39.40.Eaton) as Christ himselfe. Nothing sinneth in the regenerate but sense Honey combe cap. 5. pag 87. Denne, Ser. Of the Man of sinne, pag. 9.10, 11. Saltmarsh Free grace, p. 74.75.142.the flesh, the members of the body of sinne, or the Asse; nor is it more sinne that they doe before God, then the burning of the fire, or the illumination that commeth from the Sunne, for they are no more under any commanding, or restraining Law of God, then the fire or the Sunne. 4. The immediate rapt and pull of the Holy Ghost removeth all freedome, reason, deliberation, knowledge, action from the soule, in either supernaturall works of grace, or sinne, as if the soule were turned in a rock, or a stone. 5. All the sinnes of beleevers, their Adulteries, murthers, lying, cousening, must be counted on the Lords score (I tremble to speake it) upon his honour be it, if he will suffer perfect Angels to sinne, more then he can suffer Angels, and the glorified that stand before the throne, to fall or transgresse.