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 the Law terrifies far more dreadfully, when I am told, that Christ the Son of God must necessarily satisfy the same for me, then if without Christ, and such great torments of the Son of God, it had been preached to me, with bare threatenings. For in the Son of God, I really see the wrath of God, which the Law declare• but verbally, and with far less operation and efficacy. Alas! that my own friends should thus molest me; I have enough to do with Papists, I might say almost with Job, and Jeremiah: O that I never had been born! Yea, I might almost say: O that I had never appeared in Books! I did not care, but would be content, if all of them were already perished, And that the works of such haughty spirits, might be sold in all Book-sellers shops, which is that indeed they would have, that so they might be satiated with their goodly vain-glory. Again, I must not count my self better then our Lord Jesus Christ, the Master of the house, who complains once and again: In vain I have laboured, and spent my strength in vain. But it is so, the devil is lord in the world, and I could never be brought to believe, that the devil was the Master and God of this world, till I found by a pretty deal of experience, that Princeps Mundi, Deus hujus soeculi, was also one of the Articles of Faith: Howbeit the children of men still remain in their unbelief, and I my self but weakly believe it. For every one is in love with his own way, and all persuade themselves, that the devil sure lives beyond Sea, and that they carry God in their pocket. But for the godly, which desire salvation, we must live, preach, write do, and suffer all things. Otherwise, if you regard the devil and false brethren, it were better to preach and to write nothing at all, but presently to dye and to be buried. For, do what you can, they will be still perverting and traducing all things, and raise mere Scandals and mischiefs, according as the devil doth ride or lead them. There is no remedy, but we must, and will fight and suffer. We must not ⟨p. 76⟩think to fair better, then the blessed Prophets and Apostles, which were used as we are. They have invented to themselves a new Method, which is that the doctrine of Grace should be preached in the first place, & afterwards the revelation of wrath, that by no means forsooth the word [Law] might be heard or spoken of.

For the Law terrifies farre more dreadfully, when I am told, that Christ the Son of God must necessarily satisfie the same for me, then if without Christ, and such great torments of the Son of God, it had been preached to me, with bare threatnings. For in the Son of God, I really see the wrath of God, which the Law declare but verbally, and with farre lesse operation and efficacy. Alasse! that my own friends should thus molest me; I have enough to doe with Papists, I might say almost with Job, and Jeremiah: O that I never had been born! Yea, I might almost say: O that I had never appeared in Books! I did not care, but would be content, if all of them were already perisht, And that the works of such haughty spirits, might be sold in all Book-sellers shops, which is that indeed they would have, that so they might be satiated with their goodly vain-glory. Againe, I must not count my selfe better then our Lord Jesus Christ, the Master of the house, who complaines once and againe: In vain I have laboured, and spent my strength in vain. But it is so, the devill is lord in the world, and I could never be brought to beleeve, that the devill was the Master and God of this world, till I found by a pretty deale of experience, that Princeps Mundi, Deus hujus soeculi, was also one of the Articles of Faith: Howbeit the children of men still remain in their unbeliefe, and I my self but weakly beleeve it. For every one is in love with his own way, and all perswade themselves, that the devill sure lives beyond Sea, and that they carry God in their pocket. But for the godly, which desire salvation, wee must live, preach, write doe, and suffer all things. Otherwise, if you regard the devill and false brethren, it were better to preach and to write nothing at all, but presently to dye and to be buryed. For, doe what you can, they will be still perverting and traducing all things, and raise meere Scandals and mischiefes, according as the devill doth ride or lead them. There is no remedy, but we must, and will fight and suffer. We must not