“For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I… For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do… I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me… But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?… So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Rom. 7:14-25
“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
1 Jn. 1:10
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Order of Contents
Intro
Articles 5
Books 2
Rutherford
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Intro
Perfectionism is the view that a state of sinless perfection can be reached in this life.
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Articles
1500’s
Vermigli, Peter Martyr – The Common Places… (d. 1562; London: Henrie Denham et al., 1583),
pt. 2, ch. 14, ‘The Last Precept’, ‘Whether the commandment of loving God with all the heart, etc. may be kept in this life’, pp. 562-65
pt. 3, ch. 9, ‘Of the Works of Supererogation, & Imagined Perfection of the Papists’ in The Common Places… (London: Henrie Denham et al., 1583), pt. 3, pp. 227-45
Musculus, Wolfgang – ‘The error of some of the Anabaptists which say that they be without sin’ in Common Places of the Christian Religion (1560; London, 1563), folio 24.b
Viret, Pierre – A Christian Instruction… (d. 1571; London: Veale, 1573), A Familiar Exposition of the Principal Points of the Catechism, 4th Dialogue
Of the Means that we have toward God, in recompence of the imperfections which always dwell in us
Beza, Theodore – pp. 46-47 in A Book of Christian Questions & Answers… (London, 1574)
Prime, John – ‘Of the Regenerate Man’s Imperfection, yet remaining, and of an impossibility of the exact keeping of the law’ in A Fruitful & Brief Discourse in Two Books: the One of Nature, the Other of Grace, with Convenient Answer to the Enemies of Grace, upon Incident Occasions Offered by the Late Rhemish Notes in their New Translation of the New Testament, & Others (London, 1583), bk. 2
Prime (c.1549-1596) was a reformed Anglican clergyman and Oxford scholar.
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1600’s
Davenant, John – ‘The Works of the Regenerate are Defiled with the Pollution of Sin’ in The Determinations, or Resolutions of Certain Theological Questions, Publicly Discussed in the University of Cambridge trans. Josiah Allport (1634; 1846), pp. 271-5 bound at the end of John Davenant, A Treatise on Justification, or the Disputatio de Justitia... trans. Josiah Allport (1631; London, 1846), vol. 2
Leigh, Edward – A System or Body of Divinity… (London, A.M., 1654), bk. 4
11. Signs of a Christian in regard of Sin, & that Great Corruptions may be found in True Christians 332-35
12. Two Questions Resolved about Sin 335-36
Q. 1, ‘How can grace and corruption stand together, so that corruption poisons not grace, nor grace works out corruption, when the admitting of one sin by Adam killed him presently?’
Q. 2, ‘Wherein lies the difference between a man sanctified and unsanctified in regard of the body of corruption?’
Turretin, Francis – 2. ‘Is sanctification so perfect in this life that believers can fulfill the law absolutely? We deny against the Romanists and Socinians.’ in Institutes of Elenctic Theology, tr. George M. Giger, ed. James Dennison Jr. (1679–1685; P&R, 1994), vol. 2, 17th Topic, pp. 693-702
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1800’s
Vos, Geerhardus – Questions 44-47 in ch. 6, ‘Sanctification’ in Reformed Dogmatics tr: Richard Gaffin 1 vol. ed. Buy (1896; Lexham Press, 2020), vol. 4, ‘Soteriology’, pp. 815-20
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Books
1900’s
Warfield, B.B.
Perfectionism (Abridged) ed. Samuel G. Craig (P&R, 1658) 488 pp. ToC
“This book contains but a part–however, the most important part for an understanding of present day Perfectionism–of Dr. Warfield’s 1,000 page study of this subject.
Dr. Warfield’s study as published by the Oxford University Press consisted of two volumes [below]–the first of which treated mainly of Perfectionism in Germany, and the second of which dealt primarily with Perfectionism as it has manifested itself in English-speaking countries.” – Preface
Warfield distinguishes between the defense of the doctrine by New Testament exegetical scholars (the most elaborate defense found in Church history, says Warfield) and the popular, practical, ‘sanctification’ movements. The former had little sympathy with the latter, but used them as confirmation for their own textual interpretation.
Perfectionism, vol. 1 (German scene), 2 (English scene) (Oxford University Press, 1931) ToC 1, 2
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Samuel Rutherford
Christ Dying & Drawing Sinners to Himself (London: 1647), pp. 342-45
“Randall in his epistle before the treatise called, The Bright Star: ‘I have therefore observed the ever to be bewailed non-proficiency of many ingenious spirits, who through the policy of others, and the too too much modesty and temerity of themselves, have precluded the way of progress to the top and pitch of rest and perfection against themselves, as being altogether unattainable, and have shortned the cut with a Non datur ultra [more is not given], and are become such who are ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth.’
But for the measure, sure it is not as Antinomians and Familists dream, complete and full in this life:
1. Because according to the manner and measure of the manifestation of Christ and knowledge, so is love and the perfection of believers. This is a truth in itself undeniable and granted by the author of the Bright Star, ch. 5, p. 52. For Christ’s excellency and drawing beauty in love goes in to the soul by the port and eye of knowledge. But 1 Cor. 13:9, ‘We know in part and we prophesy in part.’
2. Paul disclaimes perfection as being but in the way and journeying toward it, Phil. 3:12, ‘Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Jesus Christ.’ Now this perfection which Paul professes he wants [lacks], is opposed vv. 13-14, to his pressing toward the garland, for the price of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ, Heb. 11:40.
3. Perfection, such as we expect in heaven, is in no capacity to receive any farther addition, or accession of grace or glory; nor is there a growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, enjoined us there, as is expressly here in the way to our country, 2 Pet. 3:14, and to run our race to the end, Heb. 12:1, and be carried on to perfection, Heb. 6:1. It’s true, our good works are washed in the fountain opened for David’s house, in which our persons are washed; but that washing removes the sinful guilt, and Law-obligation from them, but not the inherent blot and sinful imperfection of our works, to make them perfect; for then might we be justified by our good works, if Christ’s blood make them to leave off to be sins; but that blood hinders them to be imputed to us only, but removes not their sinfull imperfections, as Antinomians say, that so they may make us perfect in this life: nor does that blood (as Papists say) add a meriting dignity and virtue to them, by which we are justified by works made white and meritorious in Christ’s blood and merits. God has so portraicted and chalked the way to heaven that all the most supernatural acts, even those that have immediate bordering with the vision of glory, should need a pass of pardoning grace; and to believe that Christ’s grace shall work in us acts void of sin, is not faith. Therefore we are to believe the pardon of such ere they have being, and not sanctifying grace to eschew them. It seems to me unbelieving murmuring to be cast down at these sins in such a way as to imagine we can eschew them, or that grace sanctifying is wanting to us in these; for grace is not due to sinless acts. Nor does the growing in grace which lies on us, by an obligation of a command, stop the way to the journeying toward perfection and heaven, nor shorten the cut to heaven, because heaven is not attainable in this life; but by the contrary, if perfection were attainable in this life, the man that attains it might sit down, rest there, and go not one step farther; for except he should go beyond the crown, and to the other side of heaven, and over-journey Christ at the right hand of God, whither should he go? And those that are ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth, are, 2 Tim. 3:5, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; such as we are to turn away from; as have a form of godliness, and have denied the power thereof; and are led away with diverse lusts; and are never entered into one only degree or step of the way of the saving knowledge of the truth, of which Paul speaks, and not the truly regenerate, who believe, with Paul and the Scriptures, that our greatest perfection is to sweat and contend for the highest pitch of perfection, even that which is beyond time.
4. Those that are perfected, as we hope we shall be in heaven, feed not with the Beloved among the lillies till the day break and the shadows fly away; but the perfectest, the Spouse of Christ, so feeds on Church-ordinances, Cant. 2:17. The perfect ones have the fullest pitch of the noon-day sun of glory; it shall never be afternoon nor the evening or twilight sky with them; nor shall any night-shadow nor cloud go over their sun.
5. In the Kingdom of perfect, on there shall be no indwelling of a body of sin, no sin, no uncleanness of heart, no turning of the love and liking of the soul off God; but the perfectest in this life sin and carry an indwelling body of sin with them; Prov. 20:9; Eccl. 7:20; Job says, ch. 14.4, The perfectest that beget children are unclean. Rom. 7:17-23; 1 Jn. 1:8-10; 1 Jn. 2:1. All that have need of a High Priest at the right hand of God to intercede for them, have sin, and insofar are imperfect, as all the saints are, Heb. 7:25 & 4:15 & 1:17-18 & 8:1-2, • & 9:23-26. And 1 Cor. 13:8, ‘Love never faileth:’ 〈…〉 abundantly, and is filled to satisfaction, that t•e 〈◊〉 I can contain no more of God; and is transformed in 〈…〉 of transcendent light, and highest love, as it were l•st in the deep fountain of universal and immensurable love and light; and the creature’s soul and love lives and breathes, rests in the bosom, in the heart, in the bowels of him who is an infinite mass of love; is wrapped in the sugared floods, in the honey-brooks and over-flowing waves and rivers of pure and unmixed joy, sleeps and solaces itself in the innocent embracings of the glory that shines, rays, and darts, world without end, out of Christ, exalted far above all heavens, all principalities, and powers, the souls there are sweetened, more than sweetened, over-solaced with the noonday-light of the Bridegroom’s glory, having in it the sweetest perfections of the morning-sun; they flee with doves’ wings of beauty after the Lamb, they never want the actual breathings of the Spirit of glory, they can never have enough of the chaste fruition of the glorious Prince Immanuel and they never want his inmost presence to the full; they suck the honey, the floods of milk of eternal consolations, and •ll all empty desires; and as if the soul were without bottom, afresh they suck again in acts for eternity continued; there be no such thing here in this life. Yet has Christ crucified in his bosom, the promise and full purchase of this life on the cross, and holds it out to sinners to draw them.
5 [sic]. We have not yet attained to the resurrection of our bodies, but cary about such clods of death as the wormes must sweetly feed on, and have a seed, and subject of distempers in our clay-tabernacles; all which we are uncapable of in the state of perfection, when the body shall be more naturally clothed with immortality, then the greenest and most delicious rose or flower which we could suppose were growing fresh, greene, and beautiful forever in such a happy soil as the fields that lie on the banks and within the drawings of sap from the river of life.
6. We are not masters of the invasion, at least of temptations of devils, of men, here.
7. Perfection makes the general assembly of all the sons of Sion, the heavenly family is never convened, but in place, country, condition separated, some born, some not born, some w•king, some sleeping in the dust, some in their country, some in the way to their country.
8. There is no Temple, no ordinances in our country of perfecttion, Rev.•1.2; 1 Cor. 13:8.
9. Th••e •s •o Ang•l▪ life here without marriage, eating, drinking, begeting of children, Lk. 22:29-30; Mk. 12:25. Clay cannot live, 〈◊〉 earthly, up above the clouds, and visible heavens, till this corruptible shall put on incorruption, 1 Cor. 15.”
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