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…

Let us be wise at last and learn when we enterprise any thing, first, to look (according to the counsel of Isaiah) into our hand, whether it be God or an Idol, whether it be gold or clay. But all this avails not; for we still remain secure, without fear or care. We can put the devil far from us, and believe not, that there is such a body of flesh in us, as Saint Paul complains, Rom. 7. That he could not do that which he would, and that he was led captive. For we (forsooth) are those Heroic Champions that need not fear our flesh and thoughts: but we are all Spirit, and have wholly captivated both flesh and devil; so, that whatsoever we think, or is cast into our minds, that must be a certain truth, and infallibly the Holy Ghost. How can it be otherwise? Therefore, what other fine Catastrophe could be looked for at last, but that both horse and rider must break their necks. But enough of those lamentations. The Lord Christ be, and remain our Lord Christ▪ blessed for ever, Amen. I conceive, without failing against charity, I may say that Eislebius after the death of Luther, returned to his vomit, and recanted his recantation, upon these reasons: First, because I think, we may credit Osiander his testimony, who saith, in his old age, he turned Epicure. An vero ante mortem ad meliorem mentem redierit affirmare nequeo. Audivi tamen eum etiam in provecta admodum aetate homini Epicuraeo, quàm pio Theologo fuisse similiorem. Lucas Osiander, Epit. hist. Ecclesiast. venture. 16. l. 3. p. 802. De•to. Agric. Eislebi. Printed at Wittingburgh, by Joseph Klug, an. 1539. that is, Whether or no, Eislebius before his death repented of his heresy, I dare not affirm, but I heard by report in his old age, that he ⟨p. 81⟩lived more like a voluptuous Epicure, then a Godly Divine, 2 The Divines of Eisleben in their large confession published an. 1560 say that after Luther's death, he again defended his error in his public writings, So Schlusserburg, Catalo. heretic. l. 4. pag. 36, 37. 3 he declined to publish in writing his own recantation, as Luther desired him, but shifted the business, and laid it upon Luther to do it, though he was a learned man and able to do it himself:

Let us be wise at last and learne when we enterprize any thing, first, to look (according to the counsell of Isaiah) into our hand, whether it be God or an Idoll, whether it be gold or clay. But all this availes not; for we still remain secure, without feare or care. We can put the devill farre from us, and beleeve not, that there is such a body of flesh in us, as Saint Paul complaines,