Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 2 · Chapter 89 – Chapter 92
CHAP. LXXXIX. Antinomians are ignorant of Faith, to dreame that its Faith to beleeve against sense, that our sinnes are no sinnes.
IT is the true aHoney comb, c. 4. p 48. Saltmarsh pag. 142.nature and essence of Faith, say Antinomians, To beleeve cleane contrary to that which we see and beleeve in our selves, if God hath spoken the contrary, — as if God were not able to abolish that sinne, which wee dayly feele dwelling in us, bTowne asser. grace, pag. 126.129.130bHoney comb c. 4. pa 52.out of his owne sight, above our reason, sense, and feeling. The Mystery is this, as for the Adulteries, Oppressions, treacherous Covenant-breach, Lying, that justified Antinomians commit, Faith is to beleeve, they are no sinnes before God, against no Law; but meere nullities in the Lords Law-court, as Towne saith, though Lying and deceiving, reason beleeveth them to be sins; for its true faith cPag. 50.To beleeve the contrary, of what sense and reason apprehendeth; because dPag. 48.49.God so saith, and giveth his Sonnes bloud, to cleanse us from all sin, and sweareth the same.
But this is a dead, false, lying faith of Antinomians. 1. Because the light of faith discovereth the sinnes of a justified person to bee hainous provocations of the majestie of God, so ePsal. 51.3.David; I acknowledge my transgression, and my sinne is ever before me. And the Church, fEsa. 59.…2.For our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them. And Paul gRom. 7.18.in the New Testament; I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good. And hVers 21.I find then a Law, that when I would doe good, evill is present with me. And iVers. 23. The light of faith clearely findeth and discerneth sin to be in the beleever.I see another Law in my members, rebelling against the Law of my minde, and bringing me into captivity, to the Law of sinne, which is in my members; these three words, foreign, I know, I find, I see rebellion and sinne in me, were words that came from the light of Faith, not from lying sense. And Faith, and a sight of God, can discover more corruption to kEsa. 6.5.Esaiah, lIob 42.5, 6.Job, to m1 Tim. 1.1…Paul, to the woman that nLuk. 7.47.washed Christs feet with teares, then reason can reveale to them.
2. Faith doth not stupifie the conscience, to blot out all sense of sinne out of it; its true, the Libertine oCalvin in opusc. advers. Libert. pag. 464 Nunc vivificati sumus cum secundo Adam qui est Christu…, non cernendo amplius peccatum, quia est mortuum.Pocquius, spake in the stile of Eaton…; now we are quickned in the second Adam Christ, through seeing sinne in our selves no more, because it is dead. But the second Adam commeth in the soule with a candle, to make us see, and know, and feele by the light of Faith, sinne, which was hidden before.
3. The Antinomian dead faith is against confession of sin, because we must know, and beleeve, we have sinne, if we confesse it; this was Gods challenge to a heardned people. pIer. 2.35.Yet thou sayest, because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turne from me: Behold I will plead with thee, because thou saist, I have not sinned. This is that which the qIer. 3.13.Lord commandeth; onelyonly acknowledge thine iniquity. Antinomians say, lying sense, and corrupt reason knoweth iniquity, but Faith is as blind as a Mole, and seeth no sinne in the beleever.
4 This faith of Antinomians is repugnant to the godly shame, confusion, and selfe-indignation that the justified man in rEzek. 9.6. Ezek. 16.62. Rom. 6.21. 2 Cor, 7.11.Scripture beareth against himselfe for sinne. The want whereof is the Whores sIer. 3.2. Esai. 3.9.forehead that cannot blush; and therefore must Faith see and know sinnes, that are the cause of shame.
5. This lying faith, is to beleeve, that Adultery and Lying, to come, as well as the past sinnes, are pardoned, and abolished, and so that they are no sinnes before ever they bee committed; what feare then, what holy care, what challenges of conscience can be required to an Antinomian lying faith, to eschew and feare these sinnes ere they be committed? For its the act of lying sense (say Antinomians) to apprehend them as sinnes, then sure they cannot lawfully be apprehended as ills to bee feared and eschewed, if it bee a lying apprehension to thinke that, that is a snare to my feet, which is no snare at all, but a boggle to affright a childe, it must be a lying apprehension to conceive, that a fancied snare to be an evill to bee shunned and declined. If the Whore be no Whore, the Antinomian needs not eschew the going neere her house, for feare the house fall on him, as Salomon intimateth, Prov. chap. 5. And surely, the justified Antinomian may goe on in Adulteries and blouds before he act them, and feed his lusts without feare; for if he conceive these to be sinnes, it is his lying sense, and deceiving reason, for faith is to beleeve the just contrary, that they are no sinnes, and so not to bee eschewed as sinnes; because an antedated pardon doth no lesse abolish their being, and nature before they bee committed, (in which case they are remitted, and so nullities and shaddowes before God) then a pardon doth utterly abolish their being, when they are committed in the Antinomian way.
CHAP. XC. Antinomians free all converted, or non-converted from obligation of obedience, or practise of Christian duties.
ANtinomians aSaltmarsh Free gra. pag. 40▪ 44.cry out against Preaching of duties as a Legall way, and destructive to Gospel-preaching of Christ and Faith.
1. Because there bee no acts of Sanctification commanded in the Gospel: so as the beleever sinneth, either in omitting these duties, or in doing contrary to them. I appeale to all their writings, for any such Commands either of Law or Gospel.
2. They cry out against Preaching of duties, as Legall preaching without any limitation; wee cry out, as much as they, against this Preaching in an unjust way. 1. If duties be preached without Christ, and not issuing from the grace of Christ. 2. If they bee more Preached then Gospel-grace, and free Redemption in Christ. 3. If duties as conditions of the Covenant of Works, as parts, conditions, or causes of our justification, are fellow-saviours with Christ, be pressed.
3. It will be found they free the unconverted from all doing, or eschewing of sinne, because they can doe nothing out of faith, and out of saving principles of grace: So Saltmarsh adviseth the troubled in spirit,bSaltmarsh Free grace. pag 16.17▪ 18 18.19▪ 20. onelyonly to beleeve immediatly everlasting love, without any foregoing humiliation, desire of the Physitian, sense of sinne, or setting on any duties. Much like the Familists of cRise, raigne ▪ er 36. er 35.New England, who say, that the Spirit acts most in the Saints, when they indeavour least: as if our doings, desire, sense of sinne going before conversion, did so much the more hinder conversion. 2 Nor can our impotency to doe good without the grace of God, loose us from an obligation of doing our dutie, seeing the omitting of these duties in the substance of their acts is a greater sinne, then the doing of them; for so the unconverted should not sinne in not giving to the poore, because they cannot give it for God; nor in abstaining from murther, because they cannot abstain out of sonly feare; or in not praying, because they cannot pray in faith; whereas Peter, Act. 8. commandeth Simon Magus to pray, though being in the gall of bitternesse, hee could not pray in faith. 3. The converted so should be under no obligation to pray, heare beleeve, but when the Spirit wrought actually in them to will, and to doe; for without such an actuall influence they can doe nothing.
CHAP. XCI. How, and for whom, Christ intercedeth in Heaven.
ANtinomians aCrispe vol. 3. ser. 5 pag. 176.177.hold, that Christ advocateth at the right hand of God, for the unbeleeving and unconverted elect, as well as for beleevers; onelyonly Christ intercedeth not (say they) for the manifestation of the purchased Redemption to the elect, not converted.
Its true, the purchased Redemption and bloud-shed of Christ is for the elect, as well not converted, as converted. But Antinomians goe on another ground, that sinners are bCrispe vol. 3 Ser. 5. pag. 180.justified, and pardoned before they be converted and beleeve. But the Scripture knoweth not any intercession of Christ; but for applycation of the purchased Redemption.
Christs intercession is properly for such as beleeve.1. Because Christ liveth againe, that hee may bestow the blessings of his Testament actually upon his friends; Christ confirmeth his owne Testament, which no other dead friend doth, and the goods of his Testament are peace, Joh. 14.27. The sprinkling of the Conscience from dead works, to serve the living God, Heb. 9.14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. As Moses sprinkled the booke, and the people, the Tabernacle, the vessels, 19.20. So that Christ as our high priest is entred into heaven as a sprinkler; Now he is no sprinkler to the unconverted.
2. The thing he prayeth for, as intercessor, is the not failing of the faith of the cLuk. 21.31.32.Saints, and he liveth to save the commers to God through him, that is, the beleevers, and is touched with our eHeb. 4.15.infirmities, dH…b. 7.25.and that we should fHebr. 4.14.hold fast our profession, and by him as intercessor; Heb. 10.20.21▪ 22.23.We have boldnesse to enter into the holyest, and to draw neere with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an ill conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water; all which agree to the beleevers onelyonly.
3. John h1 Ioh. 1.1.2deduceth a ground of comfort from Christs Advocation with the Father, if we sinne. Now this extendeth onelyonly to such, as 1 Joh. 1.7. walke in light, as confesse their sinnes are pardoned; and they know him by keeping his Commandements, 1 Joh. 2.4. This comfort cannot be stretched out to the unconverted who sinne not of infirmity, but with a higher hand, as is cleare from Ephes. 2.1, 2, 3. Tit. 3.3. 1 Tim. 1.13. though we shall not deny, but Christ hath another eye upon the elect in the course of their sinnefull vanity, then on others, and so that he keeps a fountaine for them, and indeclinably calleth them to grace and glory.
CHAP. XCII. Antinomians contend for the faith of assurance, and reject the faith of Dependance.
ANtinomians contending for faith of assurance, and leading men to be aSaltmarsh fr. gr. 200.201.202.203perswaded, that God loveth every one whom he commandeth to beleeve with an everlasting love; and that bSaltmarsh free grace, pa. 93.94.95.no man ought to call in question more whether hee beleeve, or no, then he ought to question the Gospel, and Christ, doe with cRise, raigne, er. 55.Libertines acknowledge a faith of assurance, but deny all faith of dependance on God through Christ; as if wee were not justified by such a faith. Now the Scripture expresseth, saving faith most frequently with a dependance and recumbency on God, as Psal. 22.8. he trusted, or he rouled himselfe on the Lord, that he would deliver him. Jehovah was dPsal. 18 18.my stay, or staffe. So the same word is used, The Lord taketh from Judah the stay and eEsai. 3.1. foreign Ful…rum As …. Mo…tan. Scip… as Iu…ius, and the foreign.the staffe. The residue fEsai. 10 20. A faith of dependencie is true faith.of Jsrael shall leane upon the Lord. So is foreign, to beleeve on Christ, or rest on the stone layd on Zion.
2. Many weake ones rest upon Christ, and so beleeve, who cannot come up to an assurance of perswasion they are chosen to life, and have faith, and yet faint and doubt. As Mark 9.24. I beleeve, helpe my unbeliefe. Psalm. 31.22. I said in my hast, I am cut off from before thine eyes. Then there hath not beene in David much assurance, yet he had faith, else he could not so pray, as to be hoard, when he saith. Neverthelesse thou heardst the voice of my supplication when I cryed to the… ; a crying faith is Faith, whereas a dumbe faith is no faith. See Jona 2.4.