I still say therefore that the Doctrine of Antinomians is the most ready way to Apostasy and perdition: and no wonder if it lead to the Licentiousness and Scandals which our eyes have seen to be its genuine fruits! They cry down the weakness, unbelief and folly of poor Christians, that will apprehend themselves in danger of falling away, and so live in fear, after they are once Justified; and that if they fall into sin (as whoredom, drunkenness, murder, Perjury, destroying the Ministry, and expelling the Gospel, &c.) will presently question or fear their estates and their Justification. Such like passages I lately read in some printed Sermons of one of my ancient acquaintance, who would never have come to that pass that he is at now, if his Judgement and Humility had been as great as his Zeal. I entreat you therefore never to expect such an Assurance as shall extinguish all your apprehensions of danger. He that sees not the danger, is nearest it and likely to fall into it. Only he that seeth and apprehendeth it, is likely to avoid it. He that seeth no danger of falling away, is in ⟨p. 216⟩greatest danger of it. I doubt not but that's the cause of the Seditions, Scandals, Heresies, Bloodguiltiness, Destroying of the Churches of Christ, and most Horrid Apostasies, Hypocrisy and wickedness, which these late times have been guilty of; that they apprehended not the danger of ever coming into such a state, or ever doing such things, but would have said, Am I a Dog? to him that should have foretold them what is come to pass. Wonderful! that men should be so blinded by false doctrine, as not to know, that the apprehension of danger is made in the very fabrication of the nature of man, to be the very engine to move his soul in all ways of self-preservation and salvation! Yea it is that very supposed principle, upon which all the Government of the world, and the Laws and order of every Nation, are grounded. We could not keep the very Brutes from tearing us in pieces, but for their own safety: because they apprehend themselves to be in danger by it! The fear of man is it that restraineth them. But for this, no mans life would be in any safety. For every malicious man would be a murderer: He that feareth not the loss of his own life, is master of another mans.
I still say therefore that the Doctrine of Antinomians is the most ready way to Apostacy and perdition: and no wonder if it lead to the Licentiousness and Scandals which our eyes have seen to be its genuine fruits! They cry down the weakness, unbelief and folly of poor Christians, that will apprehend themselves in danger of falling away, and so live in fear, after they are once Justified; and that if they fall into sin (as whoredom, drunkenness, murder, Perjury, destroying the Ministry, and expelling the Gospel, &c.) will presently question or fear their estates and their Justification. Such like passages I lately read in some printed Sermons of one of my ancient acquaintance, who would never have come to that pass that he is at now, if his Judgement and Humility had been as great as his Zeal. I intreat you therefore never to expect such an Assurance as shall extinguish all your apprehensions of danger. He that sees not the danger, is neerest it and likely to fall into it. Only he that seeth and apprehendeth it, is likely to avoid it. He that seeth no danger of falling away, is in ⟨p. 216⟩greatest danger of it. I doubt not but thats the cause of the Seditions, Scandals, Heresies, Bloodguiltiness, Destroying of the Churches of Christ, and most Horrid Apostacies, Hypocrisie and wickedness, which these late times have been guilty of; that they apprehended not the danger of ever coming into such a state, or ever doing such things, but would have said, Am I a Dog? to him that should have foretold them what is come to pass. Wonderfull! that men should be so blinded by false doctrine, as not to know, that the apprehension of danger is made in the very fabrication of the nature of man, to be the very engine to move his soul in all waies of self-preservation and salvation! Yea it is that very supposed principle, upon which all the Government of the world, and the Laws and order of every Nation, are grounded. We could not keep the very Bruits from tearing us in pieces, but for their own safety: because they apprehend themselves to be in danger by it! The fear of man is it that restraineth them. But for this, no mans life would be in any safety. For every malicious man would be a murderer: He that feareth not the loss of his own life, is master of another mans.
