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Crisp Tobias, D.D.

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a divine of the 17th century born 1600, died rector of Brinkworth 1642. His life was distinguished by charity, piety, humility, and purity, but he was nevertheless charged with simony in obtaining the living of Newington Butts in 1627. He followed the Puritan side in the ecclesiastical troubles, and was an extreme Calvinist, running into Antinomianism The Westminster Assembly proposed to have his sermons burnt. The last edition of them, edited by Gill, appeared in London 1791 (2 vols. 8vo), to which the life of Crisp is prefixed. Dr. Crisp acknowledges that, "in respect of the rules of righteousness, or the matter of obedience, we are under the law still, or else," as he adds, "we are lawless, to live every man as seems good in his own eyes, which no true Christian dares so much as think of." The following sentiments, however, among others, are taught in his sermons: "The law is cruel and tyrannical, requiring what is naturally impossible." "The sins of the elect were so imputed to Christ as that, though he did not commit them, yet they became actually his transgressions, and ceased to be theirs." "The feelings of conscience, which tell them that sin is theirs, arise from a want of knowing the truth." "It is but the voice of a lying spirit in the hearts, of believers that saith they have yet sin wasting their consciences, and lying as a burden too heavy for them to bear." "Christ's righteousness is so imputed to the elect that they, ceasing to be sinners, are as righteous as he was, and all that he was." "An elect person is not in a condemned state while an unbeliever; and should he happen to die before God call him to believe, he would not be lost." "Repentance and confession of sin are not necessary to forgiveness. A believer may certainly conclude before confession, yea, as soon as he hath committed sin, the interest he hath in Christ, and the love of Christ embracing him." These dangerous sentiments, and others of a similar bearing, have been fully answered by many writers, but by none more ably than by the Rev. John Fletcher, in his Checks to Antinomianism." — Buck, Theol. Dict. s.v.; Orme, Life of Baxter, 2:232; Bogue and Bennett, Hist. of Dissenters, 1:400. (See ANTINOMIANISM).