Heredical Antinomian Creed

John Fletcher has a Masterpeice, two volume set called "Checks to Antinomianism". It is one of the best works on Christian perfection and conditional security that has ever been written.

He confronted Antinomian Calvinists in his day. Here is an exerpt from his book. This is a "Calvinistic Creed" which should make you sick to your stomach. It's hard to believe that there are people that actually believe this kind of stuff. But this is the result of the Calvinistic "Imputed Righteousness" or what Fletcher calls the "mystical" and "imagionary righteousness" which supposedly covers even present and future sins!

Check it out for yourself. Here is the Antinomian Heredical Creed:

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Five Letters, 1st edit. pp. 33, 34, 27. "I most firmly believe, that the grand cause of so much lifeless profession is owing to the sheep of Christ being fed in the barren pastures and muddled waters of a legalized Gospel. The doctrines of grace are not to be kept out of sight for fear men of corrupt minds should abuse them. I will no more be so fearful to trust God with his own truths, as to starve his children and my own soul: I will make an open confession of my faith."

"1. I believe in God the Father Almighty, who from [b]all eternity unconditionally predestinated me to life, and absolutely chose me to eternal salvation[/b]. Whom he once loved he will love for ever; I am therefore persuaded, (pp. 28, 31,) that as he did not set his love on me at first for any thing in me, so that love, which is not at all dependent upon any thing in me, can never vary on account of my miscarriages: and for this reason; [b][u]when[/u] I miscarry, suppose by adultery or murder, God ever considers me as one with his own Son, who has fulfilled all righteousness [u]for me[/u].[/b] And as he is '[b]always[/b] well pleased' with him, so with me, who am absolutely 'bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.' (pp. 26, 31.) [b]There are no lengths, then, I may not run, nor any depths I may not fall into, without displeasing him; as I see in David, who, notwithstanding his repeated backslidings, did not lose the character of the man after God's own heart.[/b] I may [b]murder[/b] with him, worship Ashtaroth with Solomon, [b]deny[/b] Christ with Peter, [b]rob[/b] with Onesimus, and commit [b]incest[/b] with the Corinthian, without forfeiting either the Divine favour or the kingdom of glory. 'Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?' to the charge of a believer? to my charge? For,

"2. (Pages 26, 27, 32.) I believe in Jesus Christ, that 'by one offering has for ever perfected' me, who am [b]'sanctified' in all my sins[/b]: in him I am [b]complete in all my iniquities[/b]. What is all sin before his atoning blood? Either he has fulfilled the whole law, and borne the curse, or he has not. If he has not, no soul can he saved; if he has, then all debts and claims against his people and me, be they more [i](suppose a thousand adulteries, and so many murders) [/i] or be they less, ([i]suppose only one robbery,)[/i] be they small or Be they great, be they before or be they after my conversion, are for ever and for ever cancelled. I set up no more mountainous distinctions of sin, [b]especially sins after conversion[/b]. Whether I am dejected with Elijah under the juniper tree, or worshipping Milcom with Solomon; whether I mistake the voice of the Lord for that of his priest, as Samuel, or [b]defile my neighbour's bed[/b], as David, [b]I am equally accepted in the Beloved[/b]. For in Christ I am chosen, loved, called, and unconditionally preserved to the end. All trespasses are forgiven me. I am justified from all things. I already have everlasting life. Nay, I am now (virtually) set down in heavenly places with Christ; and as soon shall Satan pluck his crown from his head, as his purchase from his hand."

Pages 27, 28. "Yes, I avow it in the face of all the world; [b]no falls or backslidings can ever bring me again under condemnation;[/b] for Christ hath made me free from the law of sin and death. [b]Should I outsin Manasses himself, I should not be a less pleasant child; because God always views me in Christ, and in him I am without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. Black in myself, I am still comely through the comeliness put upon me: and therefore He 'who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity,' can, [u]in the midst of all adulteries, murders, and incests[/u], address me with, 'Thou art all fair, my love, my undefiled; there is no spot in thee!'[/b] And,

"3. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of grace, [b]against whom I can never sin,[/b] (p. 26,) whose light and love I can never quench, to whom I can never do despite, and who, in his good time, will [b]irresistibly and infallibly [/b](Review, p. 38) work in me to will and to do. In the meantime I am perfectly secure; for [b]I can never perish[/b], my salvation being already finished 'in the full extent of the expression.' (Review, p. 63, &c.)

"Once, indeed, I supposed, that 'the wrath of God came,' at least for enormous crimes, 'upon the children of disobedience;' and [b]I thought it would come upon me if I committed adultery and murder: but now I discover my mistake, and believe [/b](p. 28 and 25)[b] it is a capital error to confound me and my actions. While my murders, &c, certainly displease God, my person stands always absolved, always complete, always pleasant in the everlasting righteousness of the Redeemer[/b]. I repeat it, (2d edit. p. 37,) it is a most pernicious error of the school-men, to distinguish sins according to the fact, and not according to the person. [b]He that believeth hath as great sin as the unbeliever: nay, his sins, (p. 32,) for the matter of them are perhaps more heinous and scandalous than those of the unbeliever; but although [u]he daily sinneth[/u], perhaps as David and the Corinthian, by adultery, murder, and incest, [u]he continueth godly[/u]. [/b]

"[b]Before I was acquainted with the truth, I imagined that sin would dishonour God and injure me[/b]: but since the preachers of [b]finished salvation[/b] have opened my eyes, I see how greatly I was mistaken. And now I believe that God will overrule my sin, [i](whether it be adultery, murder, or incest,) [/i]for his glory and my good.

"(1.) [b]For his glory. (Pages 36, 30, 31, 32.) God often permits his own dearest children to commit adultery, murder, and incest, to bring about his purposes.[/b] He has always the same thing in view, namely, [b]his own glory and, my salvation[/b], together with that of the other elect. [b][u]This[/u] Adam was accomplishing when he put the whole world under the curse; Onesimus when he robbed Philemon his master; Judah when he committed incest with Tamar; and David when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. How has many a poor, faithless soul even blessed God for Peter's denial![/b] As for the incestuous Corinthian, the tenderness shown him after his crime, has raised many out of the mire, and caused them to recover their first love.

(2.) "For my good. (Page 32.) God has promised to make 'all things work for good to me;' and if all things, then [b]my very sins and corruptions are included in the royal promise[/b]. Should I be asked, What particular good sin will do me in time and in eternity? I answer:

A grievous fall [suppose into adultery, murder, or incest] shall serve to make me know my place, to drive me nearer to Christ, to make me more dependent upon his strength, to keep me more watchful, to cause me to sympathize with the fallen, and to make me sing louder to the praise of free, sovereign, restoring grace, throughout all the ages of eternity. Thus, although I highly blame (p. 33,) those who roundly say, 'Let us sin that grace may abound,' I do not [b]legalize the Gospel[/b], but openly declare, (p. 27,) that [b]if I commit adultery, murder, or incest, before or after my conversion, grace shall irresistibly and infallibly abound over these, and all my other sins, be they small or be they great, be they more or be they less. My foulest falls will only drive me nearer to Christ, and make me sing (p. 32) his praises louder than if I had not fallen. Thus [to say nothing of the sweetness and profit which may now arise from sin] adultery, incest, and murder shall, upon the whole, make me holier upon earth, and merrier in heaven." [/b]

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As you can clearly say why, Fletcher hammers against such false doctrines all throughout his Checks to Antinomianism. He not only abundantly scripturally attacks such heresies, but his wit and satire will have you laughing for hours!

Here is a short example of Fletchers humors. Calvinists in his day were calling ALL good works "dung, dross, filthy rags" and not just hypocritcal good works. This is Fletchers response:

Having thus endeavoured to rescue the passages on which you found your assertion concerning good works, and proved that there is not one scripture which gives you the least authority to call them either dung, dross, or filthy rags; to convince you that a heap of impious absurdities lies concealed under that doctrine, permit me to produce some of the scriptures where good works are mentioned: and to substitute to that phrase the hard names which, you tell us, the Scripture authorizes you to call them.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, {i.e. your dung,] and glorify your Father who is in heaven." "She has wrought a good work [i.e. a filthy rag] upon me, against my burial." "Dorcas was full of good works," [i.e. of dung and rags.] "God make you to abound in every good work," i.e. in every sort of dung and dross. "We are created in Christ Jesus to good works," i.e. to filthy rags, "which God had prepared for us to walk in." "Walk worthy of the Lord, being fruitful in every good work," i.e. in every filthy rag. "God establish you in every good work," i.e. in dung of every sort. "Provoke one another to love and good works," i.e. to dross and rags. "Be zealous of good works," i.e. of filthy rags. "Be rich in good works," i.e. in dross. "Be careful to maintain good works," i.e. dung. "Let the Gentiles by your good works," i.e. your dung, "which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation." "Be thoroughly furnished to every good work: be perfect in every good work," i.e. in dung and dross of every kind.

"Blessed are they that die in the Lord, for their works," i.e. their dung and rags, "follow them." "God is not unrighteous, to forget your work," i.e. your dung, "that proceedeth of love." "The Gentiles should do works," i.e. dung, "meet for repentance." "Esteem ministers highly in love for their work's [i.e. their dung's,] sake." "If he have not works," i.e. dung, "can faith save him?" "Faith without works," i.e. without filthy rags, "is dead." "By works," i.e. dung, "was Abraham's faith made perfect." "he and Rahab were justified by works," by filthy rags. "He that believeth in me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these," i.e. filthier rags, and more ornamental dung, "shall he do." "This is the work," i.e. the dung, "of God, that you believe," &c.

Indeed, sir, I am almost ashamed to take up the "filthy rag" of this bad divinity, though it is only with the point of my pen, to hold it out a moment to public view, that the world may be sick of barefaced Antinomianism. I drop it again into the sink of defiled religion, out of which Dr. Crisp raked it; and beg for the honour of Christ and your own, that you will no more recommend it as pure Gospel.

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I think that it would do some good for the Christians of this generation to revive this masterpeice and thoroughly saturate yourself in it.

Either buy Fletchers Checks from abe.com or print it off and read from the websites that have it online.

To me, Calvinism seems to be very confusing because there are so many different forms of it.

I heard that Perseverence of the Saints means true Christians simply do not sin ever.

I heard the Perseverence of the Saints mean's true Christians only sin sometimes, but normally obey.

And then John Piper says that He sins every single day, and that all of his future (daily) sins are already automaticly forgiven, so I don't know where He fits into the Perseverence doctrine.

Yes but even those who held to Historic Calvinist beliefs were against the Antinomian Calvinists, as well as the Neonomian Calvinists.

True Calvinism does not allow for law breaking Jesse, and it seems that you confuse Hyper-Calvinism with true Calvinism, as many do.

All true religion leads to holiness whether we call it arminism or calvanism. The bible does not use either phrase but rather "true religion that is from above" and the "doctrine that is according to godliness."

one of the most amazing verses of the bible,

"the gifts and [b]calling[/b] of God are without repentance.... ahh, i remember when this verse really hit me hard was about 2 years ago while listening to the interview with Mr. Len. but, since then it has amazed me where this verse shows up. Just about every other thread started on this board, esp in regards to spiritual discernment and ministries is attached to this verse. i still dont know i fully grasp this verse, but with honesty i can tell you it has been in my mind day by day now for 2 years.