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John Saltmarsh and the Mystery of Redemption*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 July 2011

David Parnham
David Parnham*
Affiliation:
Melbourne, Australia
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Extract

Early in 1646, an intriguing little book came forth from Giles Calvert's press. Free-Grace, or, The Flowings of Christ's Blood Freely to Sinners by John Saltmarsh—at that time rector of Brasted in Kent and shortly to assume a chaplaincy at headquarters of the New Model Army—evoked caustic rebuttals from divines of high caliber and prominent profile, each sporting a nose for troublemakers and a willingness to controvert and condemn. This, prima facie, is mildly perplexing. For the demeanor of Saltmarsh's book is not obviously contentious. Rather, Free-Grace is studied in its disinclination to engage argumentatively with specific protagonists; it is neither thunderous nor acidulous, and makes scant effort to situate itself in the to-and-fro of the paper wars conducted in the mangled mid-century terrain of English practical divinity.

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ARTICLES
Information
Harvard Theological Review , Volume 104 , Issue 3 , 15 July 2011 , pp. 265 - 298
Copyright
Copyright © President and Fellows of Harvard College 2010

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References

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5 Como, Blown by the Spirit, 131, and passim.

6 McGiffert, Michael, “The Perkinsian Moment of Federal Theology,” CTJ 29 (1994) 117–48Google Scholar, at 131.

7 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, “To the Reader,” 19–20, 36, 39, 50–58, 68.

8 Ibid., 106–96, 197–203, 204–16.

9 Ibid., “An Occasional Word,” “To the Reader,” 48.

10 Ibid., 45, 39. William Perkins had enunciated the imagery: “You are as Gods corne, you must therefore goe under the flaile, the fanne, the milstone, and the oven, before you can be Gods bread.” Perkins, William, The Whole Works of That Famous and Worthy Minister of Christ in the Universitie of Cambridge, M. William Perkins (3 vols.; London: John Legatt, 1631Google Scholar) 1:410.

11 See McGiffert's seminal article, “The Perkinsian Moment of Federal Theology.”

12 Perkins, Works, 2:307, 311.

13 Ibid., 2:329.

14 “All justiciary people,” Perkins observed, “and persons that looke to bee saved and justified before God by the Law, and the workes of the Law, either in whole, or in part, are cast out of the Church of God, and have no part in the kingdome of heaven.” Works, 2:305; see also 2:319.

15 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 216.

16 Perkins, Works, 2:232–33, 248, 251, 298–300; also 1:463–64; 3 (second pagination): 412, 417.

17 Ibid., 2:232, 250, 248, 306; also 1:364–66.

18 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 206–7; see Perkins, Works, 2:209–10, 236, 243; 3 (second pagination): 363–64.

19 The value of the law's curse, for Perkins, was that it spurred the sinner to fly “to the throne of grace for mercy”; the law-hounded sinner is depicted “asking, seeking, knocking at the gate of mercy, for pardon of thy sinnes.” Works, 2:232; see also 2:275, 305, 312.

20 Ibid., 3 (second pagination): 413–14.

21 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 5, 10, 45, 49, 110–11, 114, 128, 143, 148, 158–59, 174.

22 Ibid., 27–28, 43–45, 172–74, 180–81.

23 Ibid., 9.

24 Ibid., 7–10, 34, 39, 43–44, 49, 179–81.

25 Bolton, Samuel, The True Bounds of Christian Freedome: or, a Treatise wherein the Rights of the Law are Vindicated, the Liberties of Grace Maintained, and the Severall Late Opinions against the Law are Examined and Confuted (London: Philemon Stephens, 1645) 75Google Scholar.

26 Ibid., 98, 101, 103, 113, and passim.

27 Ibid., 74; Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 213.

28 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 4, 10.

29 For this and the following paragraphs, see ibid., 12–25, 29, 53, 55–57.

30 Ibid., 118–20.

31 Ibid., 120.

32 Ibid., 115, 187.

33 Ibid., 116–18, 158–60.

34 Ibid., 111–12, 115–16, 123, 131.

35 Ibid., 139.

36 Ibid., 132, 139, 142–43.

37 Ibid., 159; cf. Eaton, John, The Honey-Combe of Free Justification by Christ Alone (London: Robert Lancaster, 1642) 143–44Google Scholar.

38 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 140; cf. Eaton, Honey-Combe, 464–65, 477–78.

39 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 144.

40 Ibid., 5, 143.

41 Ibid., 124–25.

42 Ibid., 126, 152–54, 164–65.

43 Ibid., 128.

44 Ibid., 126, 152–53.

45 Ibid., 96.

46 Ibid., 82; also Saltmarsh, Dawnings of Light, 61.

47 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 146–47, also 6–7, 36, 38, 43, 89, 159.

48 Ibid., 30, 80, 130, 140–41, 175–76.

49 Ibid., 144–45, 154.

50 Ibid., 153; and see also, on God's requiring “nothing,” Eaton, Honey-Combe, 83, 274; Crisp, Tobias, Christ Alone Exalted: Being the Compleat Works of Tobias Crisp, D.D. (London: William Marshal, 1690) 33Google Scholar, 90, 420, 561; Perkins, Works, 2:209–10, 236, 243; 3 (second pagination): 363–64; Sibbes, Richard, Works (ed. Alexander Grosart; 7 vols.; Edinburgh: James Nichol, 1862–1864Google Scholar) 3:23; 6:4, 19, 31; Preston, John, The Breast-Plate of Faith and Love (London: R. Y., 1634Google Scholar) pt. 1, 14, 35, 38, 62, 76, 79, 84; Hooker, Thomas, The Unbeleevers Preparing for Christ (London: Andrew Crooke, 1638) 13–14Google Scholar, 16, 21; Hooker, Thomas, The Soules Vocation or Effectual Calling to Christ (London: Andrew Crooke, 1638) 40–41Google Scholar; (Thomas Hooker), T.H., The Paterne of Perfection London: R. Y., 1640) 215Google Scholar; Bolton, Robert, Instructions for a Right Comforting Afflicted Consciences (London: Felix Kyngston, 1631) 422Google Scholar; Bolton, Samuel, True Bounds, 104, 282–84Google Scholar.

51 McGiffert, “Perkinsian Moment.”

52 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 104, 184–90; and see John Saltmarsh, Shadowes Flying Away: or, a Reply to Master Gataker's Answer to Somme Passages in Master Saltmarsh His Booke of Free-Grace, in Some Drops of the Viall, Powred Out in a Season, When It Is Neither Night Nor Day (London: Giles Calvert, 1646) 137.

53 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 152–54, 167; also Saltmarsh, Shadowes Flying Away, in Drops of the Viall, 135.

54 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 149.

55 Ibid., 151–52, 192.

56 Ibid., 57.

57 Ibid., 54–56, 117, 129, 141–43. Saltmarsh, in this respect, shares a mindset with Tobias Crisp, who thrilled to the task of expatiating upon the “transaction” that made Christ a sinner in place of the elect, activating unconditional blessings apprehended by the faith that is itself one of the blessings procured.

58 Ibid., 150–51.

59 Ibid., 193.

60 Ibid., 27–29, 34, 36–37, 41, 44–45, 49, 55, 71, 96, 173; Crisp, Compleat Works, 40–41, 49–50, 108, 457, 460–61.

61 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 192.

62 Ibid., 190.

63 Ibid., 188–89.

64 Ibid., 97, 99.

65 Ibid., 94.

66 Ibid., 30, 32–33, 38, 76–77, 142, 155.

67 Ibid., 84, 142.

68 Preston, John, Sins Overthrow: or, a Godly and Learned Treatise of Mortification (London: Andrew Crooke, 1633) 167Google Scholar, 173, 25.

69 See, for example, Perkins, Works, 1:83, 209, 231, 243–45, 300, 370, 457, 628–29, 664–66; 2:215–17, 308; Downame, John, The Summe of Sacred Divinitie (London: William Stansby, 1625) 452–64Google Scholar; Ames, William, The Marrow of Sacred Divinity (London: Henry Overton, 1642) 144–45Google Scholar; Preston, John, The New Covenant, or, the Saints Portion (London: Nicolas Bourne, 1629) 341–64Google Scholar; Preston, John, The Saints Qualification (London: Nicolas Bourne, 1634) 325–27Google Scholar, 390–93, 490.

70 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 56, 60, 62–67.

71 See, for example, Perkins, Works, 1:77–78, 299–301, 370, 436; 2:216–18; Downame, Summe of Sacred Divinitie, 429–39; Downame, John, The Christian Warfare against the Devill, World and Flesh (London: William Stansby, 1634) 217–18Google Scholar; Ames, Marrow, 126–27, 140–41; Sibbes, Works, 1:79–80; 5:189–91, 243; Preston, Breast-Plate of Faith and Love, pt. 1, 21–24; Preston, Saints Qualification, 488–90; Ball, John, A Treatise of Faith (London: E. Brewster, 1637) 132Google Scholar.

72 Hooker, Thomas, The Soules Ingrafting into Christ (London: Andrew Crooke, 1637) 3Google Scholar.

73 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 74, 144.

74 Ibid., 64, 60.

75 Ibid., 54–55, 60–63.

76 Ibid., 55.

77 Ibid., 67–68.

78 Ibid., 72, also 31, 98.

79 Ibid., 155–57.

80 Ibid., 88.

81 Ibid., 82–85.

82 Ibid., 100.

83 Ibid., 85, 88.

84 Ibid., 54–56.

85 Ibid., 56.

86 Ibid., 27, 48.

87 Ibid., 17.

88 Ibid., 40.

89 Ibid., 41–42.

90 Ibid., 43–45.

91 Ibid., 29–30.

92 Ibid., 100–101.

93 Ibid., “An Occasional Word.”

94 Ibid., 37–38; cf. Perkins, Works, 1:90; Sibbes, Works, 1:77.

95 Gataker, Thomas, A Mistake, or Misconstruction, Removed (London: Foulke Clifton, 1646Google Scholar) “To the Christian Reader,” 1–2, 10, 35, 39. Gataker had assailed Eaton's theology in Gods Eye on His Israel (London: Foulke Clifton, 1645), in selectively quoting from which in Free-Grace (pp. 209–210), Saltmarsh wryly turned Gataker's voice to his own purposes; hence Gataker's outrage at being made to speak with an antinomian-sounding tongue.

96 Gataker, A Mistake, 34, 42.

97 Ibid., 6.

98 Ibid., 33.

99 Ibid., 15, 17, 26.

100 Ibid.

101 Ibid., 7, also 30, 40.

102 Ibid., 32, 35.

103 Saltmarsh, Shadowes Flying Away, in Drops of the Viall, 127, 130–41.

104 Gataker, Thomas, Shadowes without Substance, or, Pretended New Lights (London: Robert Bostock, 1646) 99Google Scholar.

105 Ibid., 14, 18, 30–31, 38–39, 41, 46–47, 59–60, 92, 109–11, and passim.

106 Ibid., 79.

107 John Saltmarsh, Reasons for Unitie, Peace, and Love, in Drops of the Viall, 121, 149.

108 Saltmarsh, John, The Opening of Master Prynnes New Book, Called a Vindication (London: Giles Calvert, 1645Google Scholar); Saltmarsh, John, The Smoke in the Temple (London: Giles Calvert, 1646Google Scholar); Saltmarsh, John, Groanes for Liberty (London: Giles Calvert, 1646Google Scholar); Saltmarsh, John, The Divine Right of Presbyterie (London: Giles Calvert, 1646Google Scholar); Saltmarsh, John, An End of One Controversie (London: Giles Calvert, 1646Google Scholar).

109 Rutherford, Samuel, A Survey of the Spirituall Antichrist. Opening the Secrets of Familisme and Antinomianisme in the Antichristian Doctrine of John Saltmarsh, and Will. Dell, the Present Preachers of the Army Now in England, and of Robert Town, Tob. Crisp, H. Denne, Eaton, and Others (London: Andrew Crooke, 1648Google Scholar) pt. 2, 39–40, 129.

110 Ibid., pt. 2, 41.

111 Baxter, Richard, Aphorismes of Justification, with Their Explication Annexed (London: Francis Tyton, 1649Google Scholar) pt. 1, 111–14; Saltmarsh, John, Sparkles of Glory, or, Some Beams of the Morning-Star (London: Giles Calvert, 1647) 190–92Google Scholar; Rutherford, Spirituall Antichrist, pt. 1, 172–73.

112 Saltmarsh, Sparkles of Glory, 317–22.

113 Ibid., 323–26.

114 Ibid., “To All True Christians.”

115 Ibid., 187–88, 235–36, 240, 285.

116 Ibid., 277–79, 285–86.

117 Ibid., 100–101.

118 Ibid., “To All True Christians,” 194–95.

119 Ibid., 289–98.

120 Ibid., 186–89, 242–43, 254, 277–79.

121 Ibid., 196–98, 218–20.

122 Ibid., 225–26, 228–31, 255–61, 276.

123 Ibid., 190–94, 221–22, 241.

124 Ibid., “To All True Christians.”

125 Ibid., 235–36: “Some say, the Law is obligatory and binding to all Christians, because moral, and so perpetual, and that it was revealed because of transgressions: And that the Law is of no less efficacy now then before to reveal sin and convince of sin, and that Christ came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfil it; that the ministery of the Law ought to precede and go before the Gospel, because none ought to have Christ offered to them in a promise, but such as the Law hath humbled and prepared; that God doth sanctifie the Ministry of the Law to conversion and sanctification of his people, and such as preach it are not legal; thus the Protestant in general.”

126 Ibid., 237–40, 243–44.

127 Ibid., 246–47.

128 Saltmarsh, Free-Grace, 39.