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…

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;