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…

For I will, and may boast of it in truth, that there is no Papist now adays so conscientious, and in such good earnest, as once I was. For those that now profess Popery, do it not for any fear of God, (as I a poor wretch was given over to do) but they seek something else, as the world may see, and themselves know. I was fain to learn by experience, what Saint Peter writes: Crescite in cognitione Domini. Nor doe I find, that any Doctor, Council, or Fathers (though I should distil their books, and extract the quintessence out of them) have on a sudden, and in their first entrance perfected their Crescite, ¹Or that the word Crescite, should be as much as perfectum esse. For instance, Saint Peter himself did learn his Crescite from Saint Paul, Gal. 2. and Saint Paul from Christ himself, who told him by way of incouragement, Sufficit tibi gratia mea, &c. Good God! will not men endure it, when the holy Church acknowledgeth her sins, believes the remission of sins, asks in the Lords Prayer, the forgiveness of sins? But how come we to know what sin is, if there be no Law, nor conscience? And where shall we learn what Christ is, and what he hath done for us? if we could not know, what the Law is, which he hath fulfilled, or what sin is, for which he hath satisfied? And though we should not stand in need of the law for our part, but could pull it out of our hearts (which yet is impossible) notwithstanding there is a necessity of preaching it in respect of Christ (which also is done, and must be done) that the world may know, what he hath either done or suffered for us. For who could know, what, and wherefore Christ hath suffered for us, if no body could tell, what sin was, or the law? I conclude therefore, that the Law, will we, nill we, must be preached, if we mean to preach Christ, though we should ⟨p. 75⟩not use the word Law. For, do what you can, the conscience will be terrified by the Law, when it is told,² that Christ was to fulfil the Law for us, at so dear a rate. Why therefore should any go about to abolish it, when it cannot be abolished? Yea, when by the abolition of it, it is the more firmly established, and deeper rooted?

For I will, and may boast of it in truth, that there is no Papist now adayes so conscientious, and in such good earnest, as once I was. For those that now professe Popery, doe it not for any feare of God, (as I a poore wretch was given over to doe) but they seek somthing else, as the world may see, and themselves know. I was faine to learn by experience, what Saint Peter writes: Crescite in cognitione Domini. Nor doe I finde, that any Doctor, Councell, or Fathers (though I should distill their books, and extract the quintessence out of them) have on a sudden, and in their first entrance perfected their Crescite,