Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 2 · Chapter 74 – Chapter 75
CHAP. LXXIIII. The harmonious compliance of old Libertines, Familists, and Antinomians.
WEe doe so much the more hate the Antinomian way, as Antichristian and fleshly, (for there bee other Antichrists then the Pope of Rome, and many False Christs, aParal I Libertines, Familists, Antinomians, agree in that, all deny there should be sense of sinne in bel…evers.risen now) in that in the doctrine of sinne, sorrow for sinne, repentance, sanctification, &c. they doe so comply with the old Libertines in Calvins time, and with David Georgius, and Henrie Nicolas, and the late Familists.
Parall. I. Libertines in Calvins C…lvin. in i…struct. adv. Lib…rt. ca. 8 450 451.452 Si De… sumus, veterem hominem in nobis crucifg…oportere, & veterem Adam…m inte…ire. Calvin. Ibid. 451. Quia hoc Adami peccatum suit commedere de fructu scientiae boni ac mali; fic, ex liber…inorum sententia, veterem A…amum mortificare nihil aliud est, quam nihil discernere quasi mal… (…eccati) cognitione sublata; puerorum more naturalem sensum atque inclinationem sequi, huic orationi locos Scripturae acommodant quibus pueril…s simplicitas commendatur.time, said, The state of innocencie was to know nothing good, or ill, more then children, and Adams first sinne is to know good and ill, and regeneration is to be stript naked of the knowledge and sense of either sinne or righteousnesse; and therefore the Libertines cCalvin. Ibid. 4 1. Si quem vident mali conscientiâ moveri, … Adam (inquiunt) adhuc aliquid cernis? Vetus homo nondum in te crucifixus est? Si quem vident timore judicij divini percelli, adhuc (inquiunt) po… g… stum habes? Cave ne bucella ista te strangulet, fi quis peccata sua confiderans sibi displiceat, ac maerore afficiatur: peccatum adhuc in ipso regna…e dicunt: & sensu carnis suae captiv…m …e…eri.said to any man troubled in conscience with sinne, O Adam dost thou yet know somewhat? Is not the old Adam yet crucified? If they saw any stricken with the feare of the judgement of God, Hast thou yet (say they) a tast of the old Aple, beware that that morsell doe not strangle thee. If any man was touched in conscience with remorse of sinne, and did sorrow or repent for his transgressions, they, said, sinne raigned in that man, hee was sinnes captive.
Just so the Familists cRise, raigne, er. 1.2.of New England. In conversion (say they) the faculties of the soule and workings thereof are destroyed, and in stead of them the holy Ghost comes in. And der. 64. Ibid.a man must take no notice of sinne, nor of his repentance for sinne. And eVnsaevorie speeches. er. 7.frequencie or length of holy duties, or trouble of conscience for neglect thereof, are all signes of one under a covenant of works; that is, of one in whom old Adam liveth and raigneth. And eVnsavoury speeches, ….I know I am Christs, not because I crucifie the lusts, but because I doe not crucifie them.
And our late Antinomians say, To bee touched with any sense of sinne; and for David Towne asser. pag. 10….to confesse his sinne, or bee grieved for it, was saith M. Towne, from want and weakenesse of faith, that is from the old man. I cannot (saith he) looke on my selfe, …wn asser. pag 97.my actions (sinnefull) and my conscience, and see my sinnes remaine — but I looke to the records of heaven, and Gods justice, and since the bloud-shed, I can find nothing there against me, — but sinnes as a debt discharged are become a nullitie before the Lord, — and therefore my peace and happinesse consisteth in the forsaking and not considering my selfe, and in my living and abiding in Christ, who is in heaven.
Antinomians with Lib…rtines repute all repentance, sense or sorrow for sinne, acts of the flesh and unbeliefe.This not considering himselfe and his sinnes, is neither to know, sorrow, mourne for, feare, or bee humbled for sinne. Pr…testant Divines say, when the Lord forgiveth a sinner, yet the sinner will never forgive himselfe, but know, consider, feare, mourne, and be humbled for his sinnes. Antinomians say, all these are works of the flesh, and of unbeliefe, and of the Old Adam, just as the Libertines said: so to feele sinne dwelling, in them, as Paul did, Rom. 7. saith gEaton Honey combe, cap. 5. pag. 87.88.Eaton is an act of the flesh contrary to faith; and if (saith hSaltmarsh Free grace. 142.Saltmarsh) A beleever live onelyonly by sense, reason, and experience of himselfe, and as hee lives to men (he meaneth dayly sinning by reason of an indwelling corruption) he liveth both under the power and feeling of of sinne, and under the Law. But if hee live by faith — he liveth out of the power of all condemnation, and unrighteousnesse. Then to Antinomians feeling of sin in us, and sense reason, and experience knowing, and discerning sinne in us, and our fearing sinne, sorrowing, or being humbled for it, or any acts of repentance are contrary to living by faith, and so the works of the old Adam knowing ill, and a taste of the soure apple. What then is regeneration, and the killing of the body of sin, and of old Adam? It is the abolishing of all conscience knowledge, discerning, feeling, feare, sorrow, dejection of men for feare of sinne. Hence Master iArcher Ser on Iob. 14.1Archer, kC…pe vol. 3. ser. 1. pag. 19 27.D. Crispe, and lSaltmarsh, Free grace. p. 4….45 p 174 175.176.Saltmarsh, make Sermons against feare of, or trouble for sinne, as works of unbeliefe, as contrary to the power of God, faithfulnesse, providence, death of Christ, free grace, a weakening of faith, a damping of all religious mPag. 40.41.42.43.44.45, &c.service.
And for their not knowing of any good wee doe, or acts of Sanctification (which is the other branch of the Libertines regeneration.) Familists nRise, raigne, er. 58.say, To fetch comfort from experience of grace in our selves, is no way of grace. And oRise, raigne, er 50. Adu…teries, lying, blasphemy of beleevers; to Antinomians, are no r… all, but onelyonly seeming, and falsely supposed sinnes.its poverty of Spirit when we see we have no grace; and Saltmarsh, Denne, Crispe, Eaton, Towne, and the Antinomians, reject all comforts, assurance, or rejoycing from acts of Sanctification, and works in the regenerate, and say, that its a seeking of righteousnesse in our selves, and sure then it must bee a worke of the flesh to exercise our knowledge that way, to discerne our selves to be sonnes, because wee walke in love, and after the Spirit.
Paral. II. Libertines said, All sinne was but an opinion that we sinne, and under opinion, they comprehend conscience, scruples, remorse, sense of pCalv…n. opusc. cap. 18. pag. 451.452 Notandum peccatū mundum, carnem, veterem homi…em nihil a…esse a…ud ipsis, quam ad quod opinatione… v…cant, sic modo ne amplius opinemar, ex eorū sententia non pe…camus; sub h…c autem opinatione comprehendunt om…em synterefin, scrupulu…, denique omnem sensum judicii; qui null…m habent rationem peccati novas creaturas v… cant quod ab opinatione vacui sunt— Pe… Christum Redemptionis benefi…ium p…nurt in hoc quod opinationem, i. e. mundum, diabolum, peccatum dist…uxerit.judgement. That Christs worke, of Redemption was to destroy opinion and sense of sinne, and then are men new creatures. And there is no Devill, no sinne, no world that are our spirituall enemies. David Georgius placed the spirituall life of his, in committing Adulteries without sense of sinne, and that publickely without shame, and that faith in Jesus Christ was the way to abolish this shame, in acting this filthinesse; which shame was the fruit of the first Adams disobedience. rPag. 24. ar. 8. in libro perfectionis se… prophetie, B. 3.4.5.6. In disputatione Argentinae Haebita, An. 1538.And that they should confesse all their sins, to their shame, again and again, in the publike assembly, till all pride and glorification of the flesh bee crucified, that grace and mercy may be seene to be more glorious. And Blesdikius in Histor. de Geor. Pag 32. ar. 18.they must goe in this selfe-denyall, while they be deaden, or to the opinion of any propriety of goods or possessions, or wives or Marriages, and then they come naked to the new Kingdome of David Georgius, where they are to live above all lawes of marriage, &c. tIb…d. pa. 29. ar. 15. ar. 16.or consanguinity, or the like.
qH…storia Davidis Georgii conscripta ab ipsius Genero N…colaio Blesdikio, Pag. 23. ar. 7.Antinomans doe well neere border with this way; onelyonly that which Libertines doe call opinion or discerning of sinne. Saltmarsh, Eaton, and Den, call sense, Towne calleth it sense, or unbeliefe, all call it, sinning not before God, but before men, and in the conversation. So they say, the Adulteries, Murthers committed by the justified, are seeming sinnes, sinnes in mens account, saith uSaltmarsh Free grace, 151. The Scripture calls us ungodly and sinners not that wee are so, but seeme so: or not so in Gods account, but in the worlds▪Saltmarsh, but not so before God, and to the eye of Faith. Now to live by faith is Antinomian Sanctification, or Mortification; or these sinnes (saith xTowne asser. pag. 97Towne) before God, are no sinnes, to faith they are meere nullities, but to our sense and flesh they are sinnes. So ySaltmarsh Free grace, pa. 142.Saltmarsh, and zHoney combe ca. 8 pag. 165.Eaton, to sense, reason, experience, or to unbeliefe that can but lye and deceive, they are sinnes; to faith, and before God, who seeth no sinne in us, they are no sinnes. Or, as aDen…e Ser. Of the Man of Sinne. pag. 9.10.11.12.Master Denne saith, They are sinnes in the conversation before men, not in the conscience and before God? and all come from this, the Justified are under no Law of God, and so cannot sinne; if then they thinke their adulteries to be sinne, that is sense, unbeliefe, ignorance of their Christian liberty, and the erronious opinion of the old Adam; Faith beleeveth Adultery to bee no sinne at all. Its true, to the beleever it is no condemning sinne; no sinne, such as actually bindeth them over to eternall wrath, say we; but not a nullity for that, not for that; an exorbitancie against no Law of God, as the Libertine and his brother Antinomian say. Then no sense of sinne, no trouble of minde for sinne (as good Saltmarsh saith) can be in beleevers, because where there is no transgression, bS…ltmarsh fr. gr. p, 44.there is no Law, and no trouble of minde for a breach of the Law. This is an opinion of faith that Christ hath purchased a power, to beleeve sinne to be no sinne; and this is with David Georgius, not to thinke shame of sinne, but to be deadned to all sense of sinne, and so Faith pulleth the conscience out of the justified man, hee may sinne with ease.
CHAP. LXXV. Libertines, Familists, and Antinomians free us from all Law, and that we neither sinne, nor are to be rebuked for sinne.
Paral. III. LIbertines Calvin in opu c. pag. …6. Sublata omni destinctione totam l…g…m abolere v… lunt, inquientes nu…lam, am…lius ejus rationem h… bendam.said, Wee were freed from all Law, either directing, commanding, or condemning. And bBlesdiki…s histor. Dav. Georgii, pag. 29. ar. 16.so did David Georgius, and so teach the Libertines of New cRise▪ raigne, er. 4.5.England. These that are in Christ, are under no Law, and dTowne asser. gr. pag. 8.19.20.21. &c.Antinomians; as Towne, eSal…marsh Free grace, pag. …40.146.Saltmarsh, Crisp, Denne, say, We are freed from all the Law of God, in all its offices, to direct, give light, rule, binde, oblige, or command, as well as to threaten and condemne.
Paral. IV. Libertines fCalvin. Instruct advers. lib…r. pa. 452. F…ngunt regenerationem instar A…gelici esse status in quo homo de…inquere aut labi non p…ssettaught, That when we are once regenerate, we can sinne no more, but are as Angels. So Libertines of New England and Antinomians say, hRise, raigne, V…savory speeches er. 4.A beleever is as free from Hell, Law, and bondage on earth, as if he were in heaven, nor wants he any thing to make him so, but to beleeve he is so. And iHoney combe, cap. 3 pag. 25.Hee that beleeveth (saith Eaton) that Christ hath taken away his sinnes, is as cleane from sinne as Christ himselfe. And to Faith kTown asser. of grace, pag. 71.there is no sinne, and the beleevers person lTowne Asser. pag. 77.and works are perfect before God, and free of sinne, and sinfull imperfections.
Paral. V. When Libertines mHoney combe, cap. 11. pag 321. …23.324.mCalv. adver. Liber. 452. Cam reprehenduntur de malesiciis dicunt, se …lla m…nime admisisse, sed asinū suum. Libertines and Antinomi…ns say, the beleever sinnes not, but his flesh.were rebuked for sin, they said, Its not I that sinne, but my Asse, or sinne dwelling in me, and they cited that text, 1 Joh. 3. He that is born of God, sinneth not. Its true, Paul saith, Rom. 7. Not I, but sin dwelling in me, but his meaning was, its not I, as regenerate, who sinne, because I make not sinne my taske and worke, nor doe I evill with the whole bensell of my soule, the whole strength of my mind, affections, and will, in regard the unrenewed part protesteth against sinne; but I, as unrenewed, and as fleshly in part, as halfe a sufferer I sinne, being as a captive sighing in my fetters, and complaining that I am wretched through necessitie of sinning. I doe the evill I would not doe, Rom. 7.17.18.22.23. But the Antinomians conspire with Libertines in the same sense; for nTown …sser. grace, pag. …5.Towne saith, That the old Adam, and all his works are shut up under the Law and wrath of God. So it is but the Old Adam, the flesh, the Law of the members oTowne asser. pa. 39 40.that doth sin, but it was never the Apostles minde, to deny that a beleever once justified can sinne any more, For in many things we sinne all, Jam. 3.2. And if wee say we have not sinne, we are lyars, 1 Joh. 1. But Antinomians deny that beleevers can more sin, then Christ pHoney comb, c. 5. p 25.himselfe, or then qSaltmarsh Free grace, pa. 140.the gloryfied in heaven; and rTowne asser. pag▪ 71.7…to a beleever there is no sinne; rSaltmarsh fr. gr. …42.God can see no sinne in them. Now, sure Libertines who said the state of the regenerate, was an Angelike puritie, did thinke sinnes acted by their Asse, the flesh, were no sinnes, as Antinomians deny Adulteries, and cousening, and robbing done by the justified, to be sinnes, but seeming sinnes as Saltmarsh, and no sinnes before God, as Eaton Honey com. ca. 5.87.Eaton saith.