But let all good men beware of such opinions and expressions, as give an handle to wicked men to abuse the grace of God, which haply the author himself dare not do, and may strongly hope others may not do : but if the principle will yield it, it is in vain to think corrupt nature will not catch at it, and make a vile use and dan- gerous improvement of it.
For example, If such a principle as this be asserted for a truth before the world, That men need not fear that any, or all the sins they commit, shall do them any hurt ; let the author, or any man in the world, warn and caution readers (as the Antinomian author of that expression hath done) not to abuse this doctrine, it is to no purpose : the doctrine itself is full of dangerous consequents, and wicked men have the best skill to infer and draw them forth, to cherish and countenance their lusts ; that which the author might design for the relief of the distressed, quickly turns itself into poi- son, in the bov/els of the wicked ; nor can we excuse it, by saying any gospel-truth may be thus abused ; for this is one of that num- ber, but a principle that gives offence to the godly, and encourage- ment to the ungodly. And so much as to the rise and occasion of Antinomian errors.
2. In the next place, let us view some of the chief doctrines commonly called Antinomian, amongst which there will be found a iiourov -^svdog, the radical and most prolific error, from which most of the rest are spawned and procreated.
Error 1. I sliall hecnn with the danj^crous mistake of tlie Anti- nomians in the doctrine o^ justification. The article of justiiication is deservedly stiled by our Divines, Articulus stantisy vel cadcntis religionis, the very pillar of the Christian religion.
In two things, however, I must do the Antinomians right : (1.) In acknowledging, that though their errors about justitication be great and dangerous, yet they are not so much about the substance as about the mode of a sinner's justification; an error far inferior to that of the Papists, who depress the righteousness of Christ, and ex^lt their ovvn inherent righteousness in the business of justification. (2.) I am bound in qharity to believe, that some among them do hold tUose errors but speculatively, whilst the truth lies nearer
556 THE SECONi) APPENDIX.
their hearts, and will not suffer them to reduce their own opinions into practice. Now as to their errors about justification, the most that I have read do make Justification to be an immanent and eternal act of God ; and do affirm, the elect were justified before themselves or the world had a being. Others come lower, and af- firm, The elect were justified at the time of' Chrisfs death. With these Dr. Crisp harmonizes.
Error 2. That justification by faith is no more but a manifesta- tion to us of what was really done before we had a being. Hence Mr. Saltmarsh thus defines faith, It is, saith he, a being persuaded more or less of Chrisfs love to us ; so that when we believe, that which was hid before doth then appear. God (saith another) can- not charge one sin upon that man who believes this truth. Thai God laid his iniquities upon Christ.
Error 3. That men ought not to doubt of their faith, or ques- tion, Whether we believe, or no : Nay, That we ought no more to question our faith than to qu.estion Christ. Saltmarsh of Free Grace, p. 92, 95.
Error 4. That believers are not bound to confess sin, mourn for it, or pray for the forgiveness of it ; because it was pardoned be- fore it was committed ; and pardoned sin is no sin. See Eaton's Honeycomb, p. 446, 447.
Error 5. They say. That God sees no sin in believers, whatsoever sins they commit. Some of them, as Mr. Town and Mr. Eaton speak out and tell us, That God can see no adultery, no lying, no blas- phemy, no cozening in believers ; for though believers do fall into such enormities, yet all their sins being pardoned from eternity, they are no sins in them. Town's Assertions, p. 96, 97, 98. Ea- ton's Honeycomb, chap. 7. p. 136, 137. with others of a more per- nicious character than these.
Error 6. That God is not angry with the elect, nor doth he smite them for their sins; and to say that he doth so is an injurious reflection upon the justice of God. This is avouched generally in all their writings.
Error 7. They tell us. That by God's laying our iniquities upon Christ, he became as completely sinful as we, and we as completely righteous as Christ. Vide Dr. Crisp, p. 270.
Error 8. Upon the same ground it is that they affirm, That believers need not fear either their own sins, or the sins of others ; for that neither their own, nor any other men's sins can do them any hurt, nor must they do any duty for their own salvation.
Error 9. They will not allow the new covenant to be made properly with us, but with Christ for us; and that this covenant is all of it a promise, having no condition on our part. They do not absolutely deny that faith, repentance, and obedience are condi-
OF ANTINOMIANISM. 55T
lions in the new covenant; but say, They are not conditions oil our part, but Christ's ; and that he repented, believed, and obeyed for us. SaUmarsh of Free Grace ^ p. 126, 127.
Error 10. They speak very slightingly of trying ourselves by marks and signs of grace. Saltmarsh often calls it a weak, low, carnal way ; but the New-England Antinomians, or Libertines, call it a fundamental error, to make sane tifi cation an evidence of justification : that it ia to light a candle to the sun ; that it dark- ens our justification; and that the darker our sanctification is, the brighter our justification is. See their book entitled^ Rise, Reign. Error 72.
In this breviate, or summary account of Antinomian doctrines, I have only singled out, and touched some of their principal mis- takes and errors into which some of them run much farther than others. But I look upon such doctrines to be in themselves of a very dangerous nature, and the malignity and contagion would cer- tainly spread much farther into the world than it doth, had not God provided two powerful antidotes to resist the malignity, viz.
1. The scope and current of scripture.
2. The experience and practice of the saints.
(1.) These doctrines run cross to the scope and current of the scriptures, which constantly speak of all unregenerate persons (without exception of the. very elect themselves, during that state) as children of wrath, even as others, without Christ, and under condemnation.
They frequently discover God's anger, and tell us his castiga- tory rods of affliction are laid upon them for their sins.
They represent sin as the greatest evil ; most opposite to the glory of God and good of the saints ; and are therefore filled with cautions and threatenings to prevent their sinning.
They call the saints frequently and earnestly, not only to mourn for their sins before the Lord ; but to pray for the pardon and re- mission of them in the blood of Christ.