A survey of the spiritual antichrist opening the secrets of familism and antinomianism in…A survey of the spirituall antichrist opening the secrets of familisme and antinomianisme in…

CHAP. LX. How sins are remitted before they be committed, how not, and the Antinomian error in this point.

CHAP. LX. How sinnes are remitted before they bee committed, how not, and the Antinomian error in this point.

But then it may be said, do Antinomians soundly affirm that sins are remitted before they be committed? To which I answer, taking remission in a good sense, not in theirs; its true, a believer when he is justified, is freed from condemnation for these sins that are not yet committed: that is, he is put in such a condition, as he shall never come to condemnation; yea, not for these sins he shall hereafter commit: as when a forfeited Father is relaxed from treason, and his lands restored, the Pardon extendeth to the heir in the mothers womb, and not yet borne, yea, possibly not begotten; but this is neither a justifying of the unborn heir, nor a pardoning of the treason, nor a relaxing of the punishment, in a strict and right down sense; he that is not, and is not capable of guiltiness and treason, such as is a child, neither begotten, nor borne, is not capable of pardon. But in the Antinomian sense, we judge it abominable, that sins are removed, before they be committed. 1. Because Antinomian remission is the destruction of the being of sin, and the extirpation of his nature, root, and branch: for so it cannot be sin, nor can it be against the ⟨p. 107⟩Law of God, nothing is capable of the grace of free pardon, neither the sin, or the poor sinner; but by the Antinomian way, the Adulteries, and Murders of the believers, when committed, are neither against Law, nor the Commandment of God, for they are freed from all commanding and obliging power, of either Law or Gospel; so as they cannot sin or offend God, in contravening of either. 2. It is against common sense, that the being or nature of Adultery, can be removed, and made nothing, and yet when it is committed, it should offend humane society, and raise an evil report on the name of God and the Gospel. For that which is mere nothing, and hath neither being, nor nature, can neither offend God nor man. But neither Law of God, nor Gospel, doth forbid the Murders of a believer, but only of an unbeliever, by the Antinomian way. 3. Their remission of sin, before the commission thereof, chargeth confession of committed sins with sinful lying, craving of pardon with unbelief, fearing of sin with distrust; sorrow for, or feeling of sin with a work of Legal bondage, and of the old Adam, as Libertines did, because these committed sins are mere fancies against no Law of God.