Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 2 · Chapter 85 – Chapter 86
CHAP. LXXXV. Libertines and Antinomians come nigh to other, in making God the author of sinne.
Paral. 16. LIbertines taught, aCalvin. Instruct. advers. Libert. c. 13.14. pag. 445.446.447.That all things fall out good or ill by the will of God; bCalv. Ibid. cap. 16. adver. Libert. pag. 446. Hoc praetextu quod se a Deo regisinant, ex eodem principio dedu…unt perperam fieri, si de re aliquâ iudicatur.and so that rebukes, and exhortations should cease; and cCalvin Ibid p…g. 449.that so we should pardon the sinnes one of another, and dAntonius Pocquius in libello suo impio, Q…inetiam dicit: infirmitaes alij aliorum sustinete; nam si detractores simus, erimus cum Ser…ente, &c.beare the infirmities one of another. For to the eIbid. Calvin. pag. 46.cleane all things are cleane, and hee that is purged is altogether acceptable to God, but let him beware that he be not an offence to his brother, for it is written love thy neighbour, neither desire to revenge; and therefore said Pocquius the Libertine, in his booke, Rebuke not one another for sinne; since its Gods will it should be so. fPocquius Scrip. Enim omnia munda mundis: qui autem fide purificatus est, totus est gratus Deo, sed caveat, ne infirmo frair… ruina sit: quia scriptum est, ama proximum, usque ulcisc… velu.fBullinger advers. Anabapt. lib. 2. cap. 1.Bullinger tells us, that in the yeare 1526. there were two brethren Thomas Schykerus and Leonard, who were at a night-meeting, having spent the night in Enthysiasticall conference with other Anabaptists. Thomas commanding his brother Leonard to sit downe on his knees before him, in the sight of his Parents, and others, who admonished him to doe nothing but what was to be done, answered in the same Argument of Libertines, nihil metuendum esse, neque enim hic quicquam praeter voluntatem Patris fieri posse. Nothing was to be feared, because nothing here can be done beside the will of our heavenly Father, and with a Sword he cut off his brothers head, and having done this, with shirt and hose onelyonly, he did runne through the Town, and cryed, The day of the Lord was come, and the will of God is done, and gall and vinegar drunke; for which, by the Magistrate, he was justly put to death. But Gods decree doth not excuse us from sinne, nor remove necessitie of rebuking, or holy and religious abstaining from sinne, because Gods revealed will in his word, not his secret and unsearchable decrees can be our rule of walking: rebukes are also acts of love, not of hatred or revenge.
The same course doe the Libertines and Familists of New England take. For fRise, raigne, er. 22.none (say they) are to bee exhorted to beleeve, but such whom we know to be the elect of God, or to have his Spirit in them effectually. And we should hRise, raigne, er. 34.not pray against that which cannot be avoided, nor yet against all sinne. The Antinomians come nigh to this; For Doctor Crisp vol. 3. Ser. 1. pa. 42.Crispe the Antinomian, and kM. Archer Comfort for beleevers p…g. 36. Libertines & Antinomians take away prayer, feare, rebukes, and use of meanes, because God decreeth all things.Archer, both disswade beleevers to be troubled or dismaied at sinne; their reason holds good against all sinnes of unbeleevers also, because its contrary to the care and providence of God, and to Free grace, whether of eternal election, or of effectuall calling, to feare for, or sorrow at sinne. Surely I should thinke then, that sinne were not to be eschewed by the Saints, nor to bee rebuked by any. Wee are not to be troubled at, or feare sinne, because all changes by sinnes or sorrowes come from God. Some Divines (saith M. lArcher, p. 36 Comfort for beleevers.Archer) aknowledge not so much of God in sinne, as is in sinne and mArcher p. 38Gods will and pleasure is, the wombe that conceived, and whence springs every worke of the Creature, whether it be good or bad. Secondly, nIbid. p. 35.saith he, All things by sinne, or sorrow, which befall beleevers, come from God by a decree powerfull,—yea oIbid. p. 46.even by that eternall love and counsell in, and by which, they were ordained to life eternall. And pIb. p. 47.48.by and through a covenant of grace made with them.qCrispe vol. 3. Ser. 5. p. 178, 179, 180. To the same purpose, M. Del crying downe all outward Reformation, saith, Serm. pag. 13. I doubt not of the Churches Reformation, because it is Christs own worke, and he hath undertaken the doing of it, and none of the powers of the earth can helpe him, nor of the powers of hell can hinder him, — therefore he disswades the Parliament from building the Temple; but so hee himselfe should preach none, for Gods decrees none can hinder. So Antinomians teach, men are justified, pardoned, and saved before they beleeve, without faith, upon this ground, that they were elected absolutely to glory, as if God had ordained them for the end, but the meanes might miscary, and as if unbeliefe could not hinder them, or as if through unbeliefe many could not enter into their rest of glory; or as if sinne were an indifferent thing, simply depending on the will of God, in whose wombe M. Archer thinketh it was conceived.
CHAP. LXXXVI. Libertines and Antinomians would have us doe nothing, because God doth all.
Paral. XVII. LIbertines said, aPocquius. in libello apud Calvin. 16. pag. 463.All that are without God are nothing, all that wee doe or know is but vanity, therefore are we to deny our selves; this they said, inferring, we may live as we list, and doe nothing, but beleeve that God workes all our works in us, and for us; and impute all things to God. Saltmarsh bSaltmarsh pag. 84.speaketh most like this, when he saith, that all the precepts of Sanctification, set forth Christ to be all in all; Christ hath beleeved, repented, sorrowed, mortified sinne perfectly for us, and we are cRise, raigne, er. 36. er. 35. er. 14.but dead passive creatures, and the Spirit so acts in us, as in blocks, and so we must act nothing, being as blocks, and God must be the author of all sinnes of omission. Familists commonly say, I have nothing from the Creature, I can doe nothing.