Theses Sabbaticæ, or, The doctrine of the Sabbath wherein the Sabbaths I. Morality, II.…

and yet this flame begins to catch, and this infection to spread, and therefore I find M. Saltmarsh and W. C. to speak out, and openly to own that which the Familists in former times have either been ashamed or afraid to acknowledge, and that is this, viz: That the promise of the Gospel do belong to a sinner, quâ sinner, or as a sinner; and that the Law speaks good news to a righteous man, quatenus a righteous man; but the Gospel quite contrary, it is to a man quatenus a sinner, not as a regenerate man, or as an humble man, or as a Saint, or as a believer, but as a sinner; and hence they infer, That a Christian will never have any settled peace, but be off and on, as a bone out of joint, in and out, in and out, a reed ⟨p. 113⟩tossed with the wind, never knit to Christ, if they lay hold on Christ and Gods love under any other consideration then as to sinners • and therefore though they see no good in themselves, though they be not humbled, broken-hearted sinners (as one Preacher tells them) nor believing sinners (as another Preacher tells them) yet if they see themselves sinners, they must know a sinner is the proper object of the Gospel, and therefore this is ground enough to believe: so that if the devil tell a man that he is no Saint, if the soul can say, I am a sinner, if the devil say thou art an hypocrite, I but an hypocrite is but a sinner still; though I be not a broken-hearted sinner, this will be (they say) a refuge of peace to retreat unto in all temptations; and when men have learnt this lesson, their souls will not be in and out any more, but have constant peace: for though they have no interest in Christ as Saints, yet they have real interest in the promises of Christ as sinners: hence also they say, that no Minister is to threaten or declare the curse and wrath of God against drunkards and sinners as such, until first Christ be offered in the Gospel, and they refuse him, and that if any do this, they are Ministers of the Old Testament not of the new. Sic de•init in piscem mulier formosa; let us therefore see what chaff and what corn, what truth and what falsehood there is in this n•w divinity. It is true, 1.

and yet this flame begins to catch, and this infection to spread, and therefore I finde M. Saltmarsh and W. C. to speak out, and openly to own that which the Familists in former times have either been ashamed or afraid to acknowledge, and that is this, viz: That the promise of the Gospl do belong to a sinner, quâ sinner, or as a sinner; and that the Law speaks good news to a righteous man, quatenus a righteous man; but the Gospel quite contrary, it is to a man quatenus a sinner, not as a regenerate man, or as an humble man, or as a Saint, or as a beleever, but as a sinner; and hence they infer, That a Christian will never have any setled peace, but be off and on, as a bone out of joint, in and out, in and out, a reed