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…

Then 1 the Gospel preached externally to Del and to Antinomians, ⟨p. 34⟩is not that word by which Christ converts souls, faith is not from outward hearing as an instrument of our conversion, the contrary of which we have proved. Its from the inward word in the heart, now the word in the heart is very faith it self, the argument of both Swenckefel. and Del is nothing: for it is this, the word outwardly preached, except it come to the heart, can never convert the soul, because it is but a mere sound,¹ saith Swenckefeld, its but a very letter, say Antinomians, therefore the external word is no instrument of our conversion but only the internal word, I utterly deny the consequence; lay a pen well inked to paper a thousand times, it shall never write, except the hand of the writer draw the characters, ergo the pen is no instrument of writing, it follows not: So bread except by the blessing of God it be turned into blood and flesh, can never nourish, ergo the bread, that the Baker bakes, is no instrument, by which we are nourished. Its an unjust consequence and destroys all ordinances natural and Spiritual: It only follows, ergo the word without us, is no efficacious cause of conversion, and no principal cause, and can do nothing except the Spirit enact, and animate, and concur with the word which we with both hands yield and believe as a Gospel-truth.

Then 1 the Gospell p•eached externally to Del and to Antinomians, ⟨p. 34⟩is not that word by which Christ converts soules, faith is not from outward hearing as an instrument of our conversion, the contrary of which we have proved. Its from the inward word in the heart, now the word in the heart is very faith it selfe, the argument of both Swenckefel. and Del is nothing: for it is this, the word outwardly preached, except it come to the heart, can never convert the soule, because it is but a meere sound,¹ saith Swenckefeld, its but a very letter, say Antinomians, therefore the externall word is no instrument of our conversion but onely the internall word, I utterly deny the consequence; lay a pen well inked to paper a thousand times, it shall never write, except the hand of the writer draw the characters, ergo the pen is no instrument of writing, it followes not: So bread except by the blessing of God it be turned into blood and flesh, can never nourish, ergo the bread, that the Baker bakes, is no instrument, by which we are nourished. Its an unjust consequence and distroyes all ordinances naturall and Spirituall: It onely followes, ergo the word without us, is no efficacious cause of conversion, and no principall cause, and can do nothing except the Spirit inact, and animate, and concurre with the word which we with both hands yeeld and beleeve as a Gospel-truth.