Antinomians do well near border with this way; only that which Libertines do call opinion or discerning of sin. Saltmarsh, Eaton, and Den, call sense, Town calleth it sense, or unbelief, all call it, sinning not before God, but before men, and in the conversation. So they say, the Adulteries, Murders committed by the justified, are seeming sins, sins in mens account, saith uSaltmarsh, but not so before God, and to the eye of Faith. Now to live by faith is Antinomian Sanctification, or Mortification; or these sins (saith xTown) before God, are no sins, to faith they are mere nullities, but to our sense and flesh they are sins. So ySaltmarsh, and zEaton, to sense, reason, experience, or to unbelief that can but lye and deceive, they are sins; to faith, and before God, who seeth no sin in us, they are no sins. Or, as aMaster Den saith, They are sins in the conversation before men, not in the conscience and before God? and all come from this, the Justified are under no Law of God, and so cannot sin; if then they think their adulteries to be sin, that is sense, unbelief, ignorance of their Christian liberty, and the erroneous opinion of the old Adam; Faith believeth Adultery to be no sin at all. Its true, to the believer it is no condemning sin; no sin, such as actually bindeth them over to eternal wrath, say we; but not a nullity for that, not for that; an exorbitancy against no Law of God, as the Libertine and his brother Antinomian say. Then no sense of sin, no trouble of mind for sin (as good Saltmarsh saith) can be in believers, because where there is no transgression, bthere is no Law, and no trouble of mind for a breach of the Law. This is an opinion of faith that Christ hath purchased a power, to believe sin to be no sin; and this is with David Georgius, not to think shame of sin, but to be deadened to all sense of sin, and so Faith pulleth the conscience out of the justified man, he may sin with ease.
Antinomans doe well neere border with this way; onely that which Libertines doe call opinion or discerning of sinne. Saltmarsh, Eaton, and Den, call sense, Towne calleth it sense, or unbeliefe, all call it, sinning not before God, but before men, and in the conversation. So they say, the Adulteries, Murthers committed by the justified, are seeming sinnes, sinnes in mens account, saith uSaltmarsh, but not so before God, and to the eye of Faith. Now to live by faith is Antinomian Sanctification, or Mortification; or these sinnes (saith xTowne) before God, are no sinnes, to faith they are meere nullities, but to our sense and flesh they are sinnes. So ySaltmarsh, and zEaton, to sense, reason, experience, or to unbeliefe that can but lye and deceive, they are sinnes; to faith, and before God, who seeth no sinne in us, they are no sinnes. Or, as aMaster Denne saith, They are sinnes in the conversation before men, not in the conscience and before God? and all come from this, the Justified are under no Law of God, and so cannot sinne; if then they thinke their adulteries to be sinne, that is sense, unbeliefe, ignorance of their Christian liberty, and the erronious opinion of the old Adam; Faith beleeveth Adultery to bee no sinne at all. Its true, to the beleever it is no condemning sinne; no sinne, such as actually bindeth them over to eternall wrath, say we; but not a nullity for that, not for that; an exorbitancie against no Law of God, as the Libertine and his brother Antinomian say. Then no sense of sinne, no trouble of minde for sinne (as good Saltmarsh saith) can be in beleevers, because where there is no transgression, bthere is no Law, and no trouble of minde for a breach of the Law. This is an opinion of faith that Christ hath purchased a power, to beleeve sinne to be no sinne; and this is with David Georgius, not to thinke shame of sinne, but to be deadned to all sense of sinne, and so Faith pulleth the conscience out of the justified man, hee may sinne with ease.
- uSaltmarsh Free grace, 151. The Scripture calls us ungodly and sinners not that we are so, but seem so: or not so in Gods account, but in the worlds▪Saltmarsh Free grace, 151. The Scripture calls us ungodly and sinners not that wee are so, but seeme so: or not so in Gods account, but in the worlds▪
- xTown asser. pag. 97Towne asser. pag. 97
- ySaltmarsh Free grace, pa. 142.
- zHoney comb ca. 8 pag. 165.Honey combe ca. 8 pag. 165.
- aDen•e Ser. Of the Man of Sin. pag. 9.10.11.12.Den•e Ser. Of the Man of Sinne. pag. 9.10.11.12.
- bS•ltmarsh fr. gr. p, 44.
