LAST CHECK TO ANTINOMIANISM.
John Fletcher
A POLEMICAL ESSAY
ON THE
TWIN DOCTRINES OF CHRISTIAN IMPERFECTION
AND
A DEATH PURGATORY.
Be ye perfect. Every one that is perfect shall be as his Master. lf thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor. Jesus Christ.
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud. St. Paul.
Let no man deceive you, &c. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he [the vine] is, so are we [the branches] in this world, St. John.
Why the following tract is called "The Last Check to Antinomianism," and "A Polemical Essay" Mr. Hill's creed for perfectionists. A short account of the manner in which souls are purged from the remains of sin, according to the doctrine of the heathens, the Romanists, and Calvinists. The purgatory recommended by the Church of England, and vindicated in this book, is Christ's blood, and a soul-purifying faith.
The best way of opposing the doctrines of Christian imperfection and a death purgatory, is to place the doctrine of Christian perfection in a proper light. Christian perfection is the maturity of a believer's grace under the Gospel of Christ. It is absurd to suppose that this perfection is sinless, if it be measured by our Creator's law of paradisiacal innocence and obedience. Established believers fulfil our Redeemer's evangelical law of liberty. While they fulfil it, they do not transgress it, that is, (evangelically speaking,) they do not sin.
Pious Calvinists have had, at times, nearly the same views of Christian perfection as we have. They dissent from us chiefly because they confound the anti-evangelical law of innocence, and the evangelical law of liberty; Adamic and Christian perfection; and because they do not consider that Christian perfection, falling infinitely short of God's absolute perfection, admits of a daily growth.
Several objections raised against our doctrine are solved merely by considering the nature of Christian perfectionlt is absurd to say that all our Christian perfection is in the person of Christ.
Mr. Hill's first argument against Christian perfection is taken from the ninth and fifteenth articles of the Church of England. These articles, properly understood, are not contrary to that doctrineThat our Church holds it, is proved by thirteen argumentsShe opposes Pharisaic, but not Christian perfectionEight reasons are produced to show that it is absurd to embrace the doctrine of a death purgatory because our reformers and martyrs, in following after the perfection of humility, have used some unguarded expressions, which seem to bear hard upon the doctrine of Christian perfection.
Mr. Hill intimates that the apostles were imperfectionistsSt. Peter and St. James, far from pleading for a death purgatory, stand up for Christian perfection.
St. Paul preached Christian perfection, and professed to have attained itA view of the different sorts of perfection which belong to the different dispensations of grace and gloryThe holy child Jesus' imperfection in knowledge and suffering, and his growing in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man, were entirely consistent with his perfection of humble love.
St. Paul was not carnal, and sold under sinThe true meaning oj Gal. v, 17, and of Rom. vii, 14, &c, is opened consistently with the context, the design of the Epistles to the Galatians and to the Romans, and the privileges of Christians, and the doctrine of perfection.
An answer to the arguments by which St. Paul's supposed carnality is generally defended.
St. Paul, instead of owning himself a "carnal man," still "sold under sin," presents us with a striking picture of the perfect Christian, by occasionally describing his own spirituality and heavenly mindedness and therefore his genuine experiences are so many proofs that Christian perfection is attainable, and has actually been attained in this lifeWhat St. Augustine and the Rev. Mr. Whitefield once thought of Rom. viiAnd how near this last divine, and the Rev. Mr. Romaine, sometimes come to the doctrine of Christian perfection.
St. John is for Christian perfection, and not for a death purgatory1 John i, 8, &c, is explained agreeably to St. John's design, the context, and the vein of holy doctrine which runs through the rest of the epistle.
Why the privileges of believers under the Gospel of Christ cannot be justly measured by the experience of believers under the law of MosesA review of the passages upon which the enemies of Christian perfection found their hopes that Solomon, Isaiah, and Job, were strong imperfectionists.
Containing a variety of arguments, to prove the absurdity of the twin doctrines of Christian imperfection and a death purgatory.
Containing a variety of arguments to prove the mischievousness of the doctrines of Christian imperfection.
An answer to the arguments by which the imperfectionists support the doctrine of the necessary indwelling of sin in all believers till they go into the death purgatory.
Mr. Hill objects, that the doctrine of Christian perfection is popish; and the author shows that it is truly evangelical, and stands inseparably connected with the cordial obedience required by the mediatorial law of Moses and Christ, insomuch that there is absolutely no medium between the doctrine of an evangelically sinless perfection and lawless AntinomianismThis section contains a recapitulation of the Scripture proofs of the doctrine maintained in these sheets; and therefore the careful perusal of it is humbly recommended to the reader.
The author shows that the distinction between sins, and (evangelically speaking) innocent infirmities, is truly Scriptural, and that judicious Calvinists and the Church of England hold itHe draws the line between sins and innocent infirmitiesA view of the extremes into which rigid, Pelagian perfectionists, and rigid, Calvinian imperfectionists, have run east and west, from the Gospel line of an evangelical perfectionAn answer to Mr. Henry's grand argument for the continuance of indwelling sinConclusion of the argumentative part of this essay.
An address to perfect Christian Pharisees.
An address to prejudiced imperfectionists.
An address to imperfect believers, who cordially embrace the doctrine of Christian perfection.
An address to perfect Christians.