2. To believe now (say gthey) is the only work of the Gospel; and Saltmarsh proveth it to be the only work, this is the work (the only work he must mean, if he prove his conclusion) That ye believe on him whom he hath sent, Joh. 6.29. This is the commandment, (that is, the only work commanded in the Gospel) That ye believe in his Son Jesus Christ, 21 Joh. 3.23. Then nothing falleth under a Gospel-commandment, but believing; now I would hold Antinomians at this, that nothing is a commandment, or a commanded duty but that which if we contravene, it maketh us guilty of sin before God, and in his Court, if he would actually enter in judgement with us: so then the Gospel as the Gospel commandeth not brotherly love, meekness, patience, temperance, and forbideth not rebellion to Rulers; murder the hating of our brother, adultery, robbing, stealing, lying, idolatry, swearing; so as these should be acts of obedience, or of sinful disobedience to God; but as acts arbitrary, and of mere courtesy, and simply free to believers, and to be done or omitted, only as the immediate rapture of the Spirit, without any commandment obliging to obedience rewardable, or to sin punishable by Law doth act and draw them, for the Law forbideth none of these to a believer who is under no Law; if I mistake, I crave pardon, for I cannot make sense of their commandments; but in this sense: one thing I complain of Antinomians, by any sect; They seem to me confused, and obscure, and to dissemble; because they have not yet set down in right ⟨p. 142⟩down ingenuity,3 that which I persuade my self is their mind; that the believer cannot sin, his adultery, and his murder is no adultery, no murder: except they difference between these two. The believer is free of all sin as Christ himself, and the believer doth and can truly sin, lie, murder, deceive, &c. And between these, sin is wholly removed out of the believer, no sin dwelleth in him, and the believer daily sinneth; nor are they plain whether the Gospel command chastity, and forbid adultery, and command the loving of our brother, and forbid murdering, and hating of our brother; as acts arbitrary, and merely free: or whether no Law command, or forbid, such things to believers; nor any Gospel at all, so as to contravene them were sin. Yea, nor so is believing the only work commanded in the Gospel;
2. To beleeve now (say gthey) is the onely worke of the Gospel; and Saltmarsh proveth it to be the onely worke, this is the worke (the onely worke hee must meane, if he prove his conclusion) That yee beleeve on him whom hee hath sent, Joh. 6.29. This is the commandement, (that is, the onely worke commanded in the Gospel) That yee beleeve in his Sonne Jesus Christ, 21 Joh. 3.23. Then nothing falleth under a Gospel-commandement, but beleeving; now I would hold Antinomians at this, that nothing is a commandement, or a commanded dutie but that which if we contravene, it maketh us guilty of sin before God, and in his Court, if he would actually enter in judgement with us: so then the Gospel as the Gospel commandeth not brotherly love, meeknesse, patience, temperance, and forbideth not rebellion to Rulers; murther the hating of our brother, adulterie, robbing, stealing, lying, idolatrie, swearing; so as these should be acts of obedience, or of sinfull disobedience to God; but as acts arbitrary, and of meer courtesie, and simply free to beleevers, and to be done or omited, onely as the immediate rapture of the Spirit, without any commandement obliging to obedience rewardable, or to sinne punishable by Law doth act and draw them, for the Law forbideth none of these to a beleever who is under no Law; if I mistake, I crave pardon, for I cannot make sense of their commandements; but in this sense: one thing I complaine of Antinomians, by any sect; They seeme to mee confused, and obscure, and to dissemble; because they have not yet set downe in right ⟨p. 142⟩downe ingenuitie,3 that which I perswade my self is their minde; that the beleever cannot sin, his adulterie, and his murther is no adulterie, no murther: except they difference between these two. The beleever is free of all sinne as Christ himselfe, and the beleever doth and can truly sinne, lie, murther, deceive, &c. And between these, sin is wholy removed out of the beleever, no sinne dwelleth in him, and the beleever daily sinneth; nor are they plaine whether the Gospel command chastitie, and forbid adultery, and command the loving of our brother, and forbid murthering, and hating of our brother; as acts arbitrary, and meerly free: or whether no Law command, or forbid, such things to beleevers; nor any Gospel at all, so as to contravene them were sin. Yea, nor so is beleeving the onely worke commanded in the Gospel;
- gSaltmarsh Free grace, 192.
- 2Faith only and no other duty, commanded in the Gospel by the Antinomian way.
- 3Antinomians dissemble in that they say not down right, that the believer cannot sin, and the believers lying, and whoring, is not lying, and whoring.Antinomians dissemble in that they say not downe right, that the beleever cannot sin, and the beleevers lying, and whoring, is not lying, and whoring.
