A Faithful Messenger Sent After the Antinomians, Letter 1
MAſter Walker, I have received your Letter, in which you make many cavils againſt my Booke, intitled (A ſhort view of the Antinomian Errors) you ſay that I have trimm'd up thoſe fine Tenets in tearmes of my owne, and given them a name at my pleaſure, with a promiſe of conviction, which are but ſo many lies in the Front of it: For firſt have I trimm'd them up, or whether have I not rather ſtripped them naked to the eternall ſhame of the Authors of them; and are they my tearmes, when as the Authors of them have owned them before that grave and worthy Aſſembly of Divines in my hearing, and many hundreds more, and did I give them a name? no, they were called Antinomians Errors before you were borne, onelyonly they lay a while in the privy, or houſe-of-office, till Eaton began to root among the dung for ſome ſweet odour, and he conceived ſome of it to be very ſweet, and pleaſing to his pallat, and ſo hee kept it by him; and when he was gone and left an ill ſavour of his dung behind, yet ſome there was that made much of this dung, in ſpeciall one Mr. Lankeſter, he put in the preſſe, and ſqueeſed it, and preſently in his conceit it was ſo ſweet as the honeycomb; then Criſpe he got a ſcrop, & away went he like the ſnuf of a candle Iſhold here have told you how it poyſoned Shaw, ſo that now he is become a profeſt enemy of Jeſus Chriſt & how young Gray was tainted & the Lord in mercy to his Church, ſmore him that he died. Thus ſome were reſtrained by impriſonment and ſome ſmitten to death, and others turned profeſſed enemies of Jeſus Chriſt, yet now there is ſprung up three or foure in their ſtead, whom the Father of lyes hath found for his purpoſe, one Simpſon a child, whom he ſaw began to ſcorne the judgment of our grave Divines ſits his tooth in this thing, and like a child is carried abous with every wind of Doctrine, Epheſ. 4.14. Then he finds out Randall, that loves his …-bottle better than the eternall Law of God, and inſtead of feeding the ſoules of his hearers, he fils their bellies with ſack, eſpecially the younger ſore, who came from him to their Father, and make him let them in at one or two a clock in the night, and he not knowing what is become of them, they tell him ſaying …o Father, I have beene with Mr. Randall, and we have had as much Sack as our bellies could hold; This man walking in the ſpirit of falſehood and lies, will propheſie of wine, and of ſtrong drinke, then he ſhall be the Prophet of this people. Micah 2.11. He will propheſie ſmooth things, and deceits as they would have him, Iſa. 30.10. Then the Divel fought for a third, and found one Battey; who loves their tenets dearly, and he will bee licking when their lips drop of that hony combe, and he hath a place of reſidence for greene aprons to come for ſatisfaction, unknowne, or at leaſt unliking to his wife. I proceed, you ſay that I promiſe you a conviction, but you doe bely me, for I will not take upon me to convince ſtubborne hearts, and obſtinate ſinners, yet I ſay, if this were well obſerved, it might convince them, Page 2. But if any receive any profit, benefit or ſatisfaction, let them give God the praiſe. Now for the five tenets; Firſt, you ſay you are juſtified in the ſight of God before faith, or calling, and yet you ſay that I grant that the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt was purchaſed for all the Elect, aſwell before the comming of Chriſt in the fleſh, as afterward, but you leave out vertually for beleivers; for (ſaith Paul) Wee which have believed, doe enter into reſt, but as for others, the Lord hath ſworne in his wrath that they ſhall never enter into his reſt (now marke) although the workes were finiſhed from the foundation of the world, ſee Heb. 4.3. He was ordained before the foundation of the world, and flaine vertually from the fall of Adam, but for whom? I anſwer, For thoſe who doe by him beleive in God that raiſed him from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God, 1 Pet. 1.20.21. This well obſerved, might convince Simpſons bold error, maintained before the Aſſembly of Divines, ſaying the people of God, before Chriſt came in the fleſh were ſaved for their ſincere obedience to the morall Law of God; And you ſay that I affirme, that this purchaſe was actually paid above ſixteene hundred yeares agon, when Chriſt died in our nature for us actually and really on the Croſſe, all which I grant, but will it follow hence that all the Elect have a true title to it, becauſe the purchaſe is payed, when as they are uncapable to receive it, for neither is Chriſt given to them, nor they to Chriſt, neither are they capable to enter into Covenant with Chriſt, being dead in ſin, and having neither life, nor motion, in that condition, Chriſt may come to his owne, and his owne receive him not, John 1.11. And the Miniſters of Chriſt, may beſeech them in the name of Chriſt, and yet not receive him till faith be given, and they have an inward & effectual calling by the ſpirit of God, then they have that priviledge with Chriſt to have all things, then all is yours, and not before. But by nature we are all dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, both the Elect and the Reprobate, when Chriſt bought this purchaſe for his Elect, therefore of neceſſity, we muſt be made alive, and have the eye of Faith to ſee it, and have the hand of Faith to take hold, before we are capable to receive, and take it; Then your conſequence is falſe, that wee muſt needs be juſtified before faith, and calling, becauſe that the purchaſe was payed, although it was neither given by Chriſt, nor received by us.
The ſecond Tenet is, that you are as perfectly righteous as Chriſt, and that God cannot ſee your ſin, and thus you are, as ſoone as you have a being, and faith doth but declare it to you, yet you ſay that I confeſſe we are juſtified at once; this I grant, that when God gives us faith, and calling, at the ſame time he actually juſtifies us, and at once; yet I deny your damnable inference, that all the Elect are actually juſtified at the ſame inſtant of time that every one is: For as one is actually juſtified at once, ni one go of the world, wherein he hath his being, yet another is not juſtified till another age of the world, wherein his being is, and yet all this hinders not, but that we are juſtified at once, although ſpiders will gather poyſon where ever they come: The Scripture foreſaw that God would juſtifie the heathen through faith, Gal. 3.8. But the time was not yet come, but what of his; whether is this rover travelling, I have proved clearly by Scripture, that God ſees the ſin of thoſe that are juſtified, and that they are not ſo righteous as Chriſt and I ſee nothing to the contrary, and ſol leave this, and ſpeak ſomething to the laſt clauſe of this Tenet, which is, that ſaith doth but declare this unto them; they make it to be only an eye to ſee, burthey deny it to be a hand or inſtrument whereby they become righteous by taking or receiving the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt to themſelves, by application, thatſo they may be righteous.
Yet I grant that faith declares to us ſomething that was done before we had it, but it is not juſtification nor adoption, nor ſanctification, nor the love and favour of God, nor reconciliation: yet I grant, that the world was made before that faith was given to us, and by our faith we come to know or underſtand the worlds were made by the word of God: And things that are ſeene, were not made of things which did appeare, Heb. 11, 3.
But wil our Antinomians hence conclude, that faith is but a declaritive grace to ſhew them that they were juſtified, adopted, ſanctified, and in the favour of God reconciled, and all this before they had it, let us turne backe to the ſame 11. of the Hebrews, and ſee whether all that faith mentioned there be only declarative, firſt by faith, Abel offered unto-God a more excellent ſacrifice then Cain, verſ 4. Will thoſe people ſay that his Sacrifice was offered before he had faith, and when he had faith, it did but declare what was done before, and ſo by faith, Enock was tranſlated, &c. But was this done before he had faith, and when hee had faith he came to ſee this, and ſo by faith Noah prepared an Arke to the ſaving of his houſhold, but was this ark made before, and by his faith only came to ſee it, and Abraham by faith when he was called, went into a ſtrange Countrey: But wil they ſay that he went before he had either faith or calling: and when hee had faith, he came to ſee what he had done, before he had it, and ſo by faith Sarah received ſtrength, and conceived ſeed, and was delivered of a man childe, but was all this done before ſhe had faith, and when ſhe had it, ſhe came to ſee what was done before; And ſo by faith Abraham offered up Iſaac: But wil they ſay that he was offered up before he had faith, and by it he came to ſee what was done before: And ſo Iſaac bleſſed his ſons by faith, and Iacob bleſſed the ſons of Ioſeph, wil they ſay that thoſe things were done before they had faith, and by it they came to ſee what was done, before they had it: And by faith Ioſeph when he dyed, made mention of the departing of the children of Iſrael; and if they ſay theſe things of dying men were done before they had faith, then ſure their ſoules departed to fetch it, that they might come to ſee what they had done before they had it, but the folly of theſe men cannot be hid; and ſo by faith when Moſes was bome, was hid by his parents, but was this done before they had faith: By faith Moſes refuſed to be called the ſon of Pharaohs daughter, chuſing rather to ſuffer afflictions with the people of God, eſteerning the reproach of Chriſt greater riches then all the treaſures of Egypt, and by faith he forſook Egypt: and through faith he kept the Paſſeover: but were all theſe done before he had faith, & when he had it, he came to ſee what was done before; by faith they paſſed through the red Sea, and by their faith the walls of Ierich… fell downe after they had compaſſed them about ſeven dayes, and the Harlot Rahab by faith received the ſpies: but were all theſe things done before they had faith? The time would faile me to ſpeake of all, who through faith ſubdued Kingdomes ſtopped the mouths of Lyons, quenched the violence of fire, and women received their dead of life, Againe, no ſay our Antinomians, they firſt ſubdued Kingdomes, ſtopped the mouths of lyons, and quenched the fire, and received their dead to life, and then they had faith to ſee it and not before: and ſo they firſt receive the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, and are juſtified, and then they have faith to ſee what they have done, and ſo nothing with them is done by faith, but all without it, and by their faith they only come to ſee what they have done, and with the Jewes, ſpeak againſt all thoſe things which were ſpoken by Paul, contradicting and blaſpheming, Acts 13.45.
Thirdly, you ſay the way to know your juſtification, is from a bare teſtimony, you ſay from the ſpirit of God, when as you deny the operation or ſanctifying worke of the ſame ſpirit of God to be any means whereby you may know it, then you come as the falſe witneſſes came to Chriſt, and ſay that I affirme; that the ſpirit of God beares witneſſe to our ſpirit, which is contrary to my writing and to Pauls words, which faith: The ſpirit witneſſeth with our ſpirit, Rom. 8.16. Whereas you by your ſophiſtry deny one of the witneſſes: But our rejoycing is the teſtimony of our conſcience, 2 Cor 1.12: My conſcience beareth witneſſe in the holy Ghoſt, Rom. 9.1. And you to great purpoſe ſay that no fleſh living ſhall be juſtified, as if you had been ſlumbring: For what of this, I am not here ſpeaking of the cauſes of our juſtification, but of the witneſſes, which is the ſpirit of God, and our ſpirit or conſerence: But one of theſe you have loſt, which is your conſcience, many of you which I can make to appeare, by your dealings with men, and you with me at this time.
The fourth tenet you hold, that God cannot correct you for ſ…n, and yet you ſay that I confeſſe that God doth not puniſh and plague his people in wrath & ſury: but what of this. Will it hold therefore that God doth not correct them at all for ſin, ſaith David: There is no reſt in my bones by reaſon of my ſin, Pſalms 38. But if thou be made whole, ſin no more, leſt a worſe thing come unto thee, John 5.14. Thou ſhalt be dumbe ſaith the Angel, becauſe thou beleeveſt not my words, Luke 1.20. But if you be not ſatisfied, read my book better, and anſwer thoſe Scriptures alleadged to prove it, or elſe for ſhame leave cavilling.
The fiſt Tenet, and ſo here you own them all, although you ſay that they are in my trimming, but here your naturall conſcience flyes in your face, ſaying, tongue thou lieſt: but for this Tenet, which is, that the free grace of Chriſt hath freed you from the commanding power of the law of God, and yet you ſay that I confeſſe that the Judiciall law was not made for us, and that the Ceremoniall Law was ended in Chriſt, and that we obey the morrall law freely, without the laſhing or conſtraining power of it, but what of this, we obey the law, and ſo eſcape a whipipng, but the beſt of us may be whipped againe, if we be negligent in our obedience to it, but this is not our controvercy about the manner of our obedience to the law of God, whether it be love, or whether it be fear that moves us to obey it, but whether the commanding power of the law of God be abrogated or made void to beleevers, ſo that they wil not be moved by love nor feare to obey the law, for ſay they, it is no rule for them. Thus Mr. Simpſon expreſſed himſelfe to me, and confeſted the ſame before the Aſſembly of Divines, if you would leave your ſophiſtay, and deſire ſatisfaction, I would entreate you to read my book better.
In the next place, you ſay I muſt not call you Aypocrites, and ſons of Belial, and rejecters of the law of God; juſt like theeves and whores, who love thoſe ſins, and as a ſweet morſell can hide them under their tongue, yet they would not be called theeves and whores, by no meanes, but it is my diſpoſition, you muſt bear with me, for I ſhal cal a ſpade a ſpade, and I am the more bold now the baudy Courts are down, yet I muſt needs confeſſe it is not very toothſome to them that are guilty, and if you ſay that I take upon me to be both witneſſe and Judge, I have anſwered you already, that your hereſte hath been condemned by all good men ever ſince Luthers time, and you tax me for ſlandering & accuſing you, but you need not, except you could cleare your ſelves better, and for raſh anger, but I being angry at your ſins, and not at your perſons, I may be angry and yet not ſin: And then you tax me with contradictions, but in the mean time you can prove none: Then you ſay that I ſtorme againſt thoſe that have inherent holineſſe, when I only bring it in for diſtinction betweene the imputed righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, and our inherent righteouſneſſe or ſanctification. Page 1. But marke here who they be you know not, for ſtil you are but dead ſtones and empty trunks.
Again, becauſe I ſay that the imputed righteouſneſſe of Chriſt abides in him, and not in us, although our faith receives and makes it ours, but you ſay faith abides in me, and faith is imputed for righteouſneſſe.
I anſwer, faith for the goodneſſe or worthineſſe of it, as a grace is not imputed, but as a hand or inſtrument taking hold of Chriſts righteouſneſſe, and thus faith hath a long arme which can reach from earth to heaven, and take hold of Chriſts righteouſneſſe, and yet not bring it into the ſoule by infuſion. A Beggar can take a ſuit of cloaths with his hand, and cloath himſelf, although he doe not put it into his belly, then take heed how you ſay that it is a lame faith that brings not the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt into the ſoule by infuſion, that juſtifies you, but leaves it without; but he is the bleſſed man whoſe ſins are covered, for the being of ſin is there ſtill: You ſay that I affirme that the ſinnes of Gods people lay on Chriſt upon the Croſſe, and yet you ſay that I affirme we are in a damnable eſtate before we beleeve, as if it was not Chriſt, but our ſaith that takes away our ſins, but this I have anſwered in the firſt Tenet.
Againe, you ſay that I ſay God is of purer eyes then to behold ſin, but here you miſtake my words again, & leave out with approbation, for the very next words of the Prophet are theſe: Wherefore lookeſt thou upon them that deal treacherouſly, Hab. 1.13. This was the divels practiſe to Chriſt, and his children will follow their example. Againe, you ſay that I confeſſe that the children of God have ſins, and that God ſees them. I anſwer, God ſees them as mortally wounded, and as dying daily, yet we are not freed from ſin till death, Rom. 6.7. But yet God ſees them, read my book better. Againe, you ſay that I affirme that Gods ſpirit wil not dwel where ſins are, & yet that I ſhould ſay that ſin is where the ſpirit of God dwels, the laſt of theſe I grant, but the firſt of theſe is a manifeſt lye, as if by ſophiſtry you would make me to be ignorant of what I have written, it is true, I ſay that the ſpirit of God wil not dwel in that foule and filthy heart where the divels reigne, page 4. line 3.8.15.20. Chriſt wil not be an underling in that ſoule where the Divel reignes in ful poſſeſſion, but there is no ſuch word in my book, that Chriſt wil not dwel where ſin is, the Divell may come ſometimes where Gods ſpirit dwels, as an intruder where he hath nothing to do, but to trouble and moleſt the beſt of Gods people. Againe, you ſay that I affirme ſome things that are doubtful, as where I charge you to hold, that you muſt neither repent nor be ſorry, nor pray for the pardon of any ſin paſt, preſent, or to come, neither muſt we heare of it any more. I anſwer, I ſhewed you my author wher it was written by ſome of your own gang, & I ſuppoſe you have ſeen it, the author was be that made the anſwer to Dr. Taylors book, I doubt but that you know him, and beſides your doubt is of my proofe, but you deny not the thing which ſhewes that you are or may be aſhamed of it, you ſay that I affirme that you may ſin, and inſtance a woman that ſhould proſtiate herſelfe to uncleaneſſe, and ſaid that no law did forbid her, nor was ſhe under the law, but under grace: and then you adviſe me to marke them that are ſuch as make the liberty of Chriſtians to be a cloak of malitiouſneſſe, now I thank you for your good advice, and I hope I ſhall take your counſel, and eſteem them as ſons of Belial, that will not have the law of God to be a rule for their better obedience: My ſoule come not thou into their ſecret, and into their Aſſembly; myne honour be thou not united, Gen 49.6. Againe, you ſay, that I wonder at ſuch blaſphemy, to ſay that the ſpirit of God ſhould dwel where Sathan is, I anſwer, this is but a repetition of your lyes already anſwered: It is true, I ſay it is blaſphemy to ſay that the bleſſed ſpirit of God ſhould be a companion, yea a very baud to curſed Divells, where they rule and range, page 4. line 40. Read it better, and you ſay that I wonder to heare them ſay they are as righteous as Chriſt, I anſwer, ſo I may at your bold preſumption, and you have nothing to ſay to the contrary, and I think my booke might convince your folly, if you had but common reaſon, page 6. but you condemne me of ignorance, like Nicodemus that knew no way to be born againe, but by entring the ſecond time into his motherr wombe: But remember how you ſaid before, that it was a lame faith, that did not bring the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt into the ſoule by infuſion that juſtifies you, but this curſed errour I have anſwered already, but for your warrant, that Nicodemus if hee had bin queſtioned, would confidently affirme that Chriſt taught him that hee muſt enter the ſecond time into the womb and be born again, I anſw. The man ſuſpected his miſapprehention of Chriſt, & asked him preſently what he meant, before he ſtirred from him, ſaying: How can a man be borne when he is old, Joh. 3.4. Other things you ſay that I affirm, but are not true, and you inſtance Luther, but I muſt ſend you back to my book, and read it better, and you ſhal ſee that he ſaith it is a guide to truth, and a rule to ſever your actions by, elſe why doth he examine them that fear God, to learn out of Paul to underſtand it, & why doth he fear that ſome wil tread it under foot, and aboliſh it, and why doth he call ſuch enemies to the truth; But you ſay Luther wel obſerved faith, the true uſe of the law is only to accuſe, curſe, and condemn, and for no other uſe, page 222.223. I have not the boook in my hand at this time to ſee theſe words, but I am confident that they are errant lyes, for in reaſon doth Luther admoniſh all that fear God, to learn to curſe, condemn, and accuſe their brethren: if this be ſo, why then do you blame me fort in your letter, & tel me that it is againſt the law of all Nations, and againſt nature it ſelfe, but your helliſh conſtructions of that worthy mans work wil not help you at all, but make you the more appear to the world, to be a ſhameleſſe lier like your father the divel, but in the neck of this comes another as bad, or worſe, you ſay that to the people of grace, the morrall Law is principally aimed at by Paul to be abolliſhed, but this I have anſwered in the ſiſt Tenet, and for Calvin and Perkins, you want means and leiſure, which is but a weak excuſe, but let it paſſe: I hope all are not of your blinde opinions, you ſay that I affirm boldly, that faith applying makes Chriſt ours: I anſwer, ſo I have, and proved it too ſtrongly for any Antinomian to confute; But this ſucking objection I have beaten twice from the ſtage already, and now let him take a kick on the arſe and be gone with ſilence: Then comes up non-ſence ſaying, Chriſt and our title to him, are both the free gift of God, but who denyes it, you know that I confirme it in the fourth cauſe of juſtification, but mark your next words, and make ſence of them if you can, ſaying, your juſtification by free grace in the 3 page, is as impoſſible as the other: you confirmed my 4th cauſe in ſaying Chriſt was the free gift of God, and faith is the free gift of God, and now you ſay it is unpoſſible as the other, but what other you mean I know not, I muſt caſt him off with ſilence, til he hath more wit to expreſſe himſelfe better, I may ſuppoſe Randalls ſack-bottle was too near him, and ſo I leave him to take a nap. Then comes blind Byard, and ſaith your contradictory alledging Scriptures, & your making them prove the things they never did intend, in 40. places of your book at leaſt, but when you thought to bring them in, there was none appeared, only one he puls in by the head and ſhoulders, which is that which I brought in to prove juſtification to be of free grace, becauſe Chriſt was freely given to us in theſe words; God ſo loved te world, that he gave his only begotten Son, Jo. 3.16 And this you did confeſſe not many lines paſt, that Chriſt was the free gift of God, and when I proved that nothing in us moved him to give his Son, yet this wil not down with Iohn Walker, to be of free grace, nor to be rightly alleadged for that purpoſe: but for the other 39. places, I hear no more of them, but here the Aſſe in the Lyons skinne, thought to make other beaſts afraid, but when the upſhot came, he could not hide his ears, nor alter his braying, and then you conclude all with a notorious lye, ſaying, that you want paper, and yet you have two ſides to write, and ſo you end with approbrious words, not worthy to be named & beſides, I would leave a little ſpot of paper to cover the writing, not knowing through how many hands, the manifeſting of Iohn Walkers wiſedome, and lyes may come, for the world ſhall ſee, who is a weather-cock, and a windmill, and fit for Bedlame, now if you have not gotten the haunt to Randalls Sack-bottle at one a clock in the night, nor too much frequented Batties place of meeting, wch is unpleaſing to his wiſe, there is hope that you may be brought to repentance of your Antinomian errours, and ſo become a good legalleſt, as you ſcornefully uſe to tearm them, that have any conſcience to obey the law of God.