Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
death_n dead_a sin_n spirit_n 5,831 5 5.3807 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A04901 A confutation of monstrous and horrible heresies, taught by H.N. and embraced of a number, who call themselues the Familie of Loue by I. Knewstub. Seene and allowed, according to the Queenes Maiesties iniunctions. Knewstubs, John, 1544-1624. 1579 (1579) STC 15040; ESTC S108097 192,800 286

There are 18 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

duetie with them not only payeth their olde debt but also purchaseth more lande and liuing Let one of them yeelde a litle seruice vnto their God in their deuotion suche as it is and they will make that to answere the debt and daunger of their former sinnes yea and to deserue also more and greater graces to be geuen them from God according as H.N. sayth heere that they muste burie the olde man to the ende that they might euen so obteine the renuing of their spirite and minde in an vpright life Yf they coulde perswade men that there were either equitie right or reason in this kinde of dealing which they wil force vpon the Lorde it were no great matter too growe soone as riche in goodes as they doe take them selues to be in godlinesse For when they haue long tyme gone vpō credit if after their beginning to pay for wares as they shall take them they coulde perswade their creditours that the same dealing which nowe at the laste they haue light vppon doeth not onely answere their former debtes but also in equitie deserue to haue better penie-worthes alwayes after howesoeuer it should fare with their creditours they were sure to gaine greatly by it Thus blinde is man when he walketh without the worde And when his reason for some long time hath been his rule his punishment from GOD is so great that he taketh it in the ende to bee reason to depart from all equitie and reason If our sinnes were answered in that obedience wherby our life is reformed how commeth it then to passe that the Apostle speaking to the Church of Corinth after they were turned from theyr lewde life to serue the liuing God affirmeth that yf Christe be not risen they are yet in their sinnes They walked in humble obedience vnto theyr GOD they had left idolatrie fornication drunkennesse and other fruites of ignorance wherein before they had liued Notwithstanding the apostle telleth them that if Christ by his rising vp againe haue not made a cōquest for them ouer sinne hel and destruction their rising from sinne will stande them in no steede Because albeit they haue left those sinnes yet haue they not answered the Iustice of GOD for the offence whereof they haue made them giltie by theyr committing of the same as the Theefe or other malefactour may not thinke that all his offence passeth when the action is once past the purpose lefte of doeing the like it is no Plea either in lawe or reason for hym to say the deed is long since doone and my wayes are now otherwyse his offence committed against the good lawes vnder the with he liueth against the peace of his Prince must necessarily either be pardoned or els in his punishementes satisfied For albeit the deede passeth away with the tyme it is in doeing yet leaueth it that giltinesse in vs which no other thing but either pardon or punishment can discharge As for that H. N. affirmeth that our burial of the old mā obteineth the renuing of our spirite and minde in an vpright life it will in no wise stande with the doctrine left vnto vs in the woorde of god The woorde of GOD will not beare that blasphemie Touching this point God saith the Apostle which is rich in mercy euen when wee were dead by sinnes not when we had put our sinnes to death hath quickened vs togeather in Christ by whose grace yee are saued and hath raysed vs vp togeather that hee myght shewe in the ages too come the exceeding ryches of his grace through his kindenesse towardes vs in IESVS Christe For by grace are yee saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of GOD not of woorkes least any man shoulde boast him selfe Which doctrine not onely affirmeth that grace and not woorkes hath brought vs vnto the estate of saluation but also that wee haue passed immediatly from the woorkes of darkenesse and a damnable estate into the workes of light and estate of our saluation Euen when wee were dead in sinnes saith the Apostle hath God quickened vs in Christ by whose grace ye are saued How is our saluation of grace not of workes if by buriyng the olde man and woorking the death and destruction of sinne we obteyne the renuing of our mind in an vpright life How can it be said that hee hath quickened vs euen when we were dead by sinnes if we haue by our woorks greatly preuailed against sinne euen so farre as to procure the death thereof before we be quickened by beeyng renued in our spirite and mynde in an vpright lyfe H.N. Beholde after this manner as wee beeleeue and doe heere confesse or acknowledge become wee rightly baptized in the name of the Sonne incorporated or implanted as fellowe members of Christe into the bodye of Christe and the stocke of Israel to the ende that wee shoulde euen so according to the trueth as true Christians and an holy people of Israel of the seed of Abraham beare or carry his holy name confesse or acknowledge the same Christ as our Sauiour before men and euen so liue and walke in his louelie vpright beeyng Wee confesse likewise that all suche as doe not imitate or followe after Iesus Christ in his death of the crosse in all obedience of the holy worde of Iesu Christ and of his holy spirite of loue to the vanquishing of the sinne the death and the hel to a burying of all iniquitie destroying nature vngodly being or become not euen so baptized or washed in his name neither yet beare the death of the sinne through the death of the crosse of Christ in their inwardnesse are no christians nor yet baptized in the name or saluation of the sonne For al such as become not baptized or washed in the name of Iesu that is in the sauing health of his death to the mortifiyng of the sinfull fleshe according to the inwarde man neither yet indeuour them thereto and yet neuerthelesse boast them to be christians they are al false n Christians also lying in al theyr confessing teaching because they enter not into the cōmunialtie of the sheepe of Christ through the death and coincor porating of the death of Christ which is the right doore of the sheepe folde of Christ but breake in some other way and beleeue not the saluation or sauing health of Iesu Christ Answeare THis conteyneth nothing els but a iustifiyng of that which hee hath professed before to wit that our imitation of Christe in his death of the crosse is our beliefe in the sonne and our baptizing in the name of the sonne and a condemning of al as false Christians who shal not enter by this his way into the sheepefolde of Christ And therfore my former answere doth dispatch this also Through this doctrine professed by H. N. faith is vtterly banished and woorkes onely and altogeather imbrased so that instead
of saying I beleeue in Iesus Christ if we wil become scholers vnto H. N. we are to say I work Iesu Christ The matter that ministreth vnto vs faith and comfort in Iesus Christ is that he being God equall with his father hath notwithstanding abased himselfe in our nature and for our saluation vnto the estate of a seruant wherein he hath humbled himselfe vnto all reproch contempt anguish and bitternesse of paine both in soule and bodie in the time of his life and vnto all infamie and slander by his death For his death was the death of the crosse and his graue was giuen him with the wicked and the wicked had their will of him insomuch that the Prophet saith He was famous for his miserie and affliction This is that loue and friendship which the Apostle saith hath no fellow or match to be found among men For who hath beene found to offer himselfe to an infamous death for his friend the sonne of God doth it for his enemies For he was counted among the transgressours Here is the ground worke of our faith and comfort that when there was no religion or feare of God in vs and therefore deadly enmitie betwene him and vs yet so great was the good will he did beare vnto vs that himselfe would wade throughout all those raging waues to saue and preserue vs that were vnder the water of euerlasting destruction Here is the triumph of Christians in whom religion is in trueth begonne and his feare truely entered and therefore hatred banished and they truely reconciled that if his death were able of enemies to make friends his life which is of much more efficacie power shall well be able where friendship is begonne to continue it for euer If that which is weaker hath done the greater worke the stronger will bee much more able to goe thorowe with the lesse labour H. N. his Christ cutteth of all this comfort For his estate in suffring was not abased and lower then before it had beene but better and nearer vnto glorie H. N. his Christ was not equall with God before the time of his passion and humiliatiō but an vtter enimy vnto god For the time of his humiliation and suffering is from his first entrance into the familie vntill he become an illuminate elder before which time in his opinion hee is a straunger nay an vtter enimie to God and all godlinesse Here is then no argument of good will by abasing himselfe from a better estate vnto a worse whereby comfort especially commeth vnto vs Besides H.N. his Christ suffereth for his owne benefite for hee coulde not come to euerlasting ioy and his perfect estate vnlesse he should die in the flesh And this vtterly killeth all comfort for what argument of good will towardes vs can wee haue from another in that matter whereby himselfe is either the whole or at the least the greatest gayner Moreouer shall his death by reconciling of vs to God which is the greater worke from the weaker instrument put vs in assured hope to be safely kept by his life vnto eternall glorie when wee are both by our owne death suffering to rid vs from the daunger of our sinnes reconcile vs vnto our God and by our life to continue and preserue our selues vnto glorie Howe fearefull is the fall of H.N. and his familie that haue forsaken the true Messias that bringeth so great comfort vnto mankinde to imbrace so cursed and comfortlesse a Christ H.N. The fift Article We beleeue that the God of Abraham hath raysed vp this his sonne Iesus from the dead and that hee euen so the third day rose againe from the dead and appeared or made manifest himselfe vnto his friends which loued him shewing vnto them through his suffering and death of the Crosse the victorie ouer the sinne death deuill hell the flesh and the worlde Answere The resurrection of H.N. his Christ answereth vnto that doctrine which he hath deliuered before touching his death For as that was nothing but a passing out of the flesh or letter of the law which is a condition common to the Nouices and yong ones in H.N. his schoole so this is the resurrection when a man is come into the spirit or that estate of perfection which his illuminate elders are pertakers of That which hath beene spoken of before may sufficiently satisfie vs touching H.N. his opinion that thus he thinketh and not otherwise of the resurrection yet shall it not be amisse to adde one testimonie out of his Euangelie where of purpose he handleth the resurrection of Christ it is in the. 22. Chapter where he speaketh thus Now whē Iesu Christ was foūd faithful in the death of his crosse til vnto his burial to a true Passeouer out of the flesh into the making aliue according to the spirit was also through the power of God his father raised vp frō the death and made aliue againe and that he had shewed himselfe in his making aliue vnto his disciples for that they should stedfastly beleeue so was he then wholy taken vp from the eyes of their fleshe and he set himselfe according to the spirite at the right hande of God his father in the heauenly being and entred euen so as the true high Priest when as the seruice had perfectly ended his course according to the true being in the holy into the most holy his disciples therefore were mindful of all this and what he had said vnto them remained within Ierusalem wayting concordably with supplication and praier for the promises of the father vntil that Christ after the spirite appeared vnto them out of the heauenly being the most holy in the holy in spirituall and heauenly powers like as hee after the Spirite and according to the trueth of the heauenly Godhead is an euerlasting and true Christ of GOD. He is plaine as you heare in this point that Christ his resurrection and making aliue was according to the spirite for he sayth that Iesus Christ was founde faythfull in his death of the crosse to a true Passouer out of the flesh into the making aliue according to the spirit He is likewise as plaine in this that his sitting at the right hand of God is in spirit spiritual For those are his very words as you haue heard he set himselfe according to the spirit at the right hād of god his father in the heauēly being More ouer he is of opinion that he is not a true Christ but as he speaketh imagineth of him that is according to the spirit For touching this point these are his words He after the spirit and according to the trueth of the heauenly Godhed is an euerlasting and true Christ of God. And that in this absurd doctrine heauē earth might come togither and a mingle mangle made of all things hee shameth not to affirme that Christ is the holy ghost and that the doctrine which is deliuered in the 2.
of the Actes of the Apostles touching the holy ghost appearing in clouen tongues like fire was nothing else but the appearing of this his Christ after the spirit These are his wordes touching this matter His disciples therefore were mindfull of all this and what he had said vnto thē remained within Ierusalē waiting cōcordably with supplication praier for the promises of the father vntil that christ after the spirit appeared vnto them out of the heauenly being The subtiltie of that ancient enimie vnto mankind may here euidently be seene for albeit heauē be not further distant frō the earth then the meaning of H.N. is from the truth of the doctrine set forth in this cōmon Creede these articles of our belief yet to colour his craft withall he keepeth him to the same words which the church vseth professing the christ rose the third day frō the dead saue that he interlaceth some odde words which cannot wel be discerned but by thē that are well acquainted with his bookes vnder the which he conueyeth all his corrupt doctrine Here hee sayeth that the God of Abrahā hath raysed vp this his sonne Iesus hauing relation in these wordes this his sonne vnto that Christ which he describeth And likewise when he affirmeth that Christ rose euen so the thirde day from the dead by this speach euen so hee caryeth vs from the resurrection in the fleshe vnto the rising in the spirite according as himselfe hath imagined of the matter and yet is hee content to make mencion of the thirde day as if there were no ill meaning in the man when as indeede this rising the thirde day must bee euen so as hee meaneth that is nothing so as the truth is Where the scripture affirmeth that Christ appeared in the flesh after his resurrection vnto his disciples and shewed vnto them his handes and his side and that hee willed Thomas who had affirmed he woulde neuer beleeue his resurrection vnlesse hee shoulde put his finger into the print of the nayles and his hande into his side to put his finger where the nayles had beene and his hande into his side H.N. to mainteine his doctrine of the resurrection in the spirite affirmeth that he shewed vnto his disciples nothing else but the victorie ouer sinne death deuil and hell as if he had declared vnto them howe by his suffering passion he came by the victorie ouer sin death the deuil and hell to the ende they might follow him in the same footesteppes and so become partakers of the like victorie with him Which thing in plaine woordes hee professeth in the next Section Heere he setteth foorth the matter not altogither so plainely and yet clearely enough to him that is anie thing acquainted with his subtile writing and craftie manner of speaking These bee his woordes in this place Hee appeared or made manifest him selfe to his friendes which loued him shewing vnto them thorowe his suffering and death of the Crosse the victorie ouer the sinne death deuill hell the fleshe and the worlde What plainer proofe can be brought not onely that Christ did rise in the fleshe but also that he rose in the same flesh wherein he suffered then this euen now alledged out of the Gospel after saint Iohn for the Apostles see his handes and his side Thomas putteth his finger into the place where the nayles had beene and his hande into his side which thing H. N. shall neuer bee able to wipe away by any mystical interpretation whatsoeuer inasmuch as our Sauiour Christ reproouing the want of fayth in Thomas and that he was so hardly led to beleeue his resurrection before his senses were satisfied sayth vnto him Thomas because thou hast seene me thou beleeuest blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleeued In the second of the Actes saint Peter proueth that Christ must be raised vp concerning the flesh and bee set vpon the throne of his father and that he should not bee left in the graue neither should his flesh see corruption and that Dauid long before as he was a prophet did both foresee foretel this therfore seeing he was a prophet knew that God had sworne with an othe to him that of the fruit of his loines he wold raise vp christ cōcerning the flesh to set him vpō his throne he knowing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ that his soule should not be left in graue neither his flesh shuld see corruptiō This testimony of the apostle cannot agree with H. N. his Christ For his flesh must necessarily bee left in the graue and see corruption because when his Christ after the fleshe is dead hee neuer resumeth or taketh vnto him againe that estate but as hauing for euer done with it riseth vp in the spirite and continueth in the same being for euer after an illuminate elder who neither can erre in iudgement nor offend anie more in conuersation So that death or the graue do still keepe that possession or power which once they had of his flesh neither will he that they yeelde it vnto him anie more againe As for the true Christ it was impossible for death to keepe and continue that holde which once it had of him as appeareth in the Actes The Lord if it be his good will giue this Familie to see what a Christ H. N. hath brought vnto them that they refuse no longer the true Christ and onely comfort of all Christians for this miserable Christ whome the graue hath closed vp and holdeth all that euer it had of him For their Christ after the spirite was neuer in the graue and their Christ after the fleshe by H. N. his owne testimonie doeth neuer arise after that once he hath beene in the graue How shall these men bee euer able to gette out at the doores of death when their Christ and Captaine is yet groping and to this day hath not founde the gate that leadeth out of the graue H.N. Wee confesse that no man can become partaker with all the holie ones of God and beleeuers of Iesus Christ of the resurrection of Christ nor of the resurrection from the dead or yet rise vp with the holie ones of God and Christ but such as indeuour themselues in the beliefe vnder the obedience of the loue of Iesus Christ to become implanted into Christ the gracious worde of the Lorde and euen so then to die with Christ in his like death as also to lay away slay and burie through the death of his crosse the sinne in the flesh whereby they may euen so out of the second birth from the dead become renued in the spirit of their minde in Iesus Christ For therethrough wee all obteine and enioy in the vpright righteousnesse and holinesse which GOD esteemeth the making aliue from the dead namely with all the righteous and holie ones of God in the day of the
his is ascended into heauen sitting at the right hand of God his almightie father but with this cautiō that it is like as the scripture mencioneth therof that is as his owne head shall imagine the Scripture to speake when it is transformed from the true and naturall sence into allegories and mysteries of his owne making And therefore after his woonted manner louing to make his Commentarie darker then the Text which hee hath taken in hande to open and explane hee saith That his Iesus hath taken in the heauen raigneth ruleth essentiallie in the heauenlie being that is that beeing free from sin the knowledge of the worde after the letter he is now become altogether heauenly spiritual inspired with knowledge immediatly frō God himself For his Christ after the spirit is him selfe and all that his number who are by obedience vnto his doctrine growen to such perfection that now they sinne no more beeing replenished with the fulnesse of the holie spirit of Christ as himself speaketh And that he meaneth no other ascending into heauen ▪ neither any other taking in of the heauen is euidently proued out of his Euangelie chapter 26. and 10 Section Beholde when as now the law of Moses was in such wise as is said fulfilled or accomplished and had no longer seruice with the death of the sinne and with the beleuers of Christ which through the lawe were dead vnto the law but the spirit of Christ which made the diseassed beleeuers of Christ aliue againe in righteousnesse out of the death of Christ so had then also the Priesthoode in his Images figures and shadowes after the manner of Aaron no more ministration with the liuing in Iesu Christ neither yet gaue it any clerenes more with them because the heauenly clearnesse of Christ and his vpright beeing of loue wherein the disciples of Christ were comprehended excelled farre away all cleerenesse of the figuratiue seruices for that cause the priesthood of Aaron chaunged also with the Disciples of Christ and ceassed by them for with them there was a spirituall heauenly priesthood appeared in vpright righteosnesse and euen so was the same with his seruice established on Christ after the spirit the true light which is an high Prieste that bideth for euer at the right hand of God in the heauenlye beeing whose seruice of the spitituall heauenlie ministration commeth not to passe in the letter nor in the figures but in the verie true beeing Beholde euen so was Christ after the spirit in his office or seruice a minister of the very true and heauenly goods among his disciples and beleeuers and hath when hee had taken in the Heauen multiplied him selfe through his seede of the holie Ghost out of the heauenly beeing to the increasing of his generation the vpright seede of Abraham according to the promises and euen so became Christ fruitfull vpon earth in many thousandes of his Saintes all which he through his death made free or iustified frō the sinne made them aliue through his holy Ghost taking them vp from the earth and assembling them vnto him at the right hande of God his father in the heauenly beeing He affirmeth as you heare in the 10. Section that when the lawe of Moses was accomplished by the death of sinne and had resigned vnto the spirit of Christ which made the deceassed beleuers aliue again in righteousnes thē had the priesthood after the manner of Aaron no more ministration with these liuing neither gaue it any more clearnes vnto them this is his reason because the heauenly cleerenesse of Christ wherein the disciples of Christ were comprehended excelled farre away all cleerenesse of the figuratiue seruices The same reason hee rendreth in the next Section saying that the priesthood of Aaron ceassed with the disciples of Christ for that vnto them there had a spirituall heauenly priesthood appeared who was with his seruice established on Christ after the spirit which is an high Priest that bideth for euer at the right hand of God in the heauenly being In the 12. Section continuing his speach of those to whome nowe the heauenly Priesthood had appeared hee calleth them Christ after the spirite and affirmeth that when he had taken in the heauen he multiplyed himselfe thorowe his doctrine which he calleth his seede of the holie Ghost for beeing perfect they may publiquely teache and professe to the increasing of his generation the vpright seede of Abraham according to the promises and so became Christ fruitfull vppon the earth and assembled many vnto him at the right hand of God his father in the heauenly beeing This is the taking in of the the heauen or the ascending into Heauen of H.N. his Christ and the sitting at the right hand of God his father euen to become heauenly minded and inspired from aboue in all fulnesse with this knowledge and obedience which H.N. requireth in this his seruice of loue Heere is neither hope nor comfort for vs in any other man beside our selues neither is any consolation opened either from the ascencion of Christ either else for that he sitteth at the right hande of God his father only this is confessed that the number of his perfect ones are become inclosers and haue taken in the heauen so that there is no portion of heauen and other true happinesse to be hired or otherwise had vnlesse a man renounce the knowledge of the worde after the letter become voyde of all sinne and perfectly illuminated with thefull cleerenes of H.N. his doctrine The greatest comfort that I see a man who would willingly become a disciple can haue by H. N. his doctrine is that though his religion be very highe and mysticall yet his Heauen is very lowe euen heere vppon Earth among vs For this ascention of his Christe and sitting at the right hande of his father is performed in this life when the disciples become once comprehended of this his heauenly cleerenesse and of his vpright beeing of the loue When shall we once come to the bottom of this dungeon of darkenesse How hard is it when once a man hath giuen way to heresie to finde that stoppe which shall make him stay and recouer himselfe Howe great is the goodnesse of our God that hath armed vs with cleere and plaine doctrine out of his woorde against these and the like daungers and hath left vnto vs the knowledge of his Christ to our exceeding great comfort and consolation insomuch that euery article of our beliefe addeth something to the consolation of a christian For albeit our hope be great in that we heare of him who went downe into the graue in our sinnes that hee is risen againe and so acquite of that danger and iudgement which he lay vnder for the same yet is it much more when we vnderstand that the Lord hath not so left him and caste him of who was the whole dealer doer for vs but hath receiued him into heauen his owne
which H. N. claimeth vnto himselfe in the first Chapter of his booke intituled Euangelium Regni The Gospel and ioyfull message of the kingdome H. N. Through the grace and mercie of God and through the holy spirite of the loue of Iesu Christe raised vp by the highest GOD from the death according to the prouidence of God and his promises annoynted with the holie Ghoste in the olde age of the holy vnderstanding of Iesu Christe Godded with God in the spirite of his loue made heyre with Christe in the heauenlye goodes of the riches of God illuminated in the spirite with the heauenly trueth the true light of the perfect Beyng elected to a Minister of the gracious woorde which is nowe in the laste time raysed vp by God according to his promises in the moste holy seruice of God vnder the obedience of his loue Answere THE first thing that H. N. would perswade vs is that God hath raised him from the dead or to vse his owne wordes that he is raised vp by the most highest God from the death For confirmation hereof hee alleageth the sixt of Iohn the 17. of the Actes and the seconde to the Ephesians For he wil not seeme to say that thing which two or three shall not be redy to witnesse with hym VVe are therefore to heare what these can say to that point In the sixt of Iohn he directeth vs by this letter f vnto this Scripture conteyned in the 54. verse Whosoeuer eateth my flesh drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him vp at the last day Heere is a promise made vnto all true christians for they onely haue their hartes prepared by faith to digest the flesh and blood of Christe that the Lorde will raise them vppe at the laste day which wee call the day of iudgement and the seconde comming of Christe The promise I graunt is past but the day taken to performe the couenant is yet to come For by the promise it is playne that wee may not looke to haue the matter perfourmed before the laste day which is the seconde comming of Christe I wil not here call it into question whether H. N. be one of them who eate his fleshe and drinke his blood that shall go as graunted at this time onely this I will saye that hee is to begge shamefully who with no other helpe then that hee hath from hence shall obteine so muche as a place among the common sorte of Christians but hee that will vppon this warrant deale as a Prophete and Teacher in the Churche It cannot be excused but that he doeth felloniously enter breake in and steale For there is no colour of anie good title to bee shewed for the same Now I pray you consider of his argument which is this The Lorde will raise vppe all his faithfull at the last day and therefore H. N. is already risen from the dead The matter is established as doone but the grounde is no other then a graunt and promise made in expresse woordes for the time yet to come For our Sauiour Christe sayth playnely that hee will raise them vp at the laste day Where there is not only noted a time to come but of that time also the laste and furthest day is taken and yet yee see that H. N. will haue the matter to be alreadie accomplished in him selfe and that not otherwise then by vertue of this promise Let that bee graunted which H. N hath begged and let his felonious acte for once bee pardoned yet hath hee proceeded no farther in proofe then that hee ought to be taken as a Prophet risen from the dead with condition to wit if that the day of iuddgemēt alredy be past The Lord open the eies of his familie leaste as hee is no Prophet vnlesse that bee paste which is yet to come so they in like maner become no true Christians before that which is for euer past heereafter shall come If the cause of suche confusion bee demaunded this it is He expoundeth the doctrine of our resurrection Allegorically and taketh it to be nothing els but to ryse in our iudgemente and affection from the likyng of all other too the embracing of his doctrine and religion And therefore the day of iudgement which wee looke for is in his opinion already come because the troumpe of his doctrine now soundeth which woorketh this his spiritual resurrection The confutation whereof you shall God willing haue more at large heereafter and yet there is sufficient euen in this place aleadged by him to ouerthrowe it For speaking of the children of GOD who are true Christians possessed by fayth of eternall life and therefore already rysen from the dead because to rise from errour to the imbrasing of the trueth which hee taketh his owne doctrine too bee is with him the rising from the dead euen of those hee sayth I will rayse them vp in the last day appoynting an other resurrection yet to come for those who by a true faith haue alredy taken holde of that spiritual rising from darknesse to light from sinne and iniquitie to righteousnesse and true christianitie If his best bulwarke appointed to beare of the first and greatest assault that shal be made against him bee thus weake there is good hope it wil be no great woorke too winne the hold it selfe His seconde confirmation is taken out of the Acts 17. verse 31. The woordes be these God wil iudge the worlde in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath appointed whereof he hath geuen assurance vnto al in that he hath raised him from the dead A place proper and peculiar vnto Christe alone whom God the father hath raised from corporall death to be an assuraunce vnto vs that hee is the man appointed who shal iudge the world in righteousnesse at the latter day There can be no other place more peculiar and proper vnto Christe then is this whereunto for all that H. N. wil be entituled Notwithstanding yf the woorde of GOD haue geuen it vnto him good reason hee shoulde enioy it Let it therfore bee considered what he hath saide for it This is his reason GOD hath geuen vs assuraunce that hee will iudge the world in righteousnesse by the man Christ in that hee hath raysed hym from the dead therefore H. N. is alreadie risen from the dead If H. N. bee Christ it foloweth necessarily though not by force of this argument yet by sufficient strength from the trueth of the matter it selfe that he shoulde be rysen from the dead because hee is the same person of whom it is sayde that he is already risen from the dead to assure vs of the last iudgement that it shal be holden by him selfe But if H.N. bee anie thing beside Christe there is no maner of helpe to bee had from this place For hee speaketh playnely heere of the bodyly death of Christe him selfe As for the affinitie betweene H. N. and Christe howe
great it is that shall GOD willing hereafter appeare What shal we be able to hold free from his assaults when he shameth not to geue the attempt for breaking of so strong barres as these bee and that to gette the possession from Christ himselfe Cicero doth geue it foorth of Caesar that there was almost no man to bee founde who had not rather yeelde to his request how vnreasonable soeuer then once to enter into the fielde with him for to fight Nec adhuc ferè inueni qui non concedendum putaret Caesari quod postularet potiùs quam pugnandum But we are to reioyse in it it fareth farre otherwise with the captayne of this bande for he is so shamelesse in demaundes and so foolish in his fight that he would tempte the mildest man that is to take his owne weapon from him and to beate him with it vnto blood before once hee begonne to reason the matter for his request The last aucthoritie alleadged for proofe that H.N. is raised from the dead is taken out of the second Chapter of the Epistle vnto the Ephesians and sixth verse these bee the wordes God which is rich in mercie euen when we were dead by sinnes hath quickened vs together in Christ and hath raysed vs vppe together A benefite flowing from Almightie God vnto euerie member of his to be quickened and raysed vp in Christe and by his grace from the death of sinne If it shall fall out by plaine proofe whē we come to speake of Christ that H.N. denieth both his person his office then hath he no maner of colour or shewe of reason at all out of this place For the resurrection which the Apostle speaketh of here is saide to be in and by Christ But bee it that his iudgement touching Christ were sound the contrarie whereof God willing shall hereafter playnely appeare yet this spoken of men approued both in doctrine and in life and that by the testimonie of the Apostle himselfe is no proofe to induce those to thinke that H.N. is risen from the deade by whom his life as well as doctrine shall at any tyme as now it is be called into question I hope H.N. wil neuer goe aboute to haue goodes that be priuate made common in his familie seeing that himself turneth things common vnto his owne priuate vse For this place is common vnto ali true Christians wherein notwithstanding H N. clameth propertie For otherwise what reason is it that euery one who is risen frōvnder the dominiō of sin should therfore haue the place authoritie of a Prophet in the Churche It remayneth nowe to consider with what iudgement or conscience H N. hath ioyned together these testimonies for the proofe of one matter So shall we come to some sight of his dangerous doctrine The first testimonie as you see plainely speaketh of the resurrectiō in the last day The second of Christ his rising from death corporally The third of rising from sinne iniquitie These how diuerse soeuer one from an other are notwithstanding by H. N. yoked together for strengthening of one and the same matter And the reason thereof is because hee taketh the doctrine touching the resurrection vnto life at the seconde comming of Christ And the doctrine also of Christ his bodily rising agayne from death to be vnderstoode onely of rising from sinne to leaue no other doctrine beside that vnto vs You perceiue then by this doctrine wee are depriued both of the comfort comming vnto vs by Christ his dying in the flesh and also of the hope that we shal rise vp at the last day both in bodie soule to inherit euerlasting life For both of these are sunke vp by his doctrine into one onely spirituall rising from sinne and that not otherwise then by imbracing his religion and doctrine for the gouernment of our liues This is the stuffe that hee hath bounde together for drawing of himselfe out from among the dead But if the lines of his life had bene no more able to haue holden him among the liuing then these cordes are to pull him out from among the dead then I am well assured Sathan shoulde long before this time haue lost one principall factor for him here vpon earth When this Author addeth more that this his rising from death is according to the prouidence of God and his promises he sendeth vs for proofe hereof vnto the eight chapter of the Romanes and by these letters C. and D. vnto the thirtienth and twentie three verses thereof In the thirtienth verse it is thus written If ye liue after the fleshe ye shall die but if ye mortifie the deedes of the bodie by the spirite yee shall liue His reason is this The children of GOD who by his spirite mortifie the deedes of the fleshe in this life shall in the worlde to come liue for euer therefore by vertue of this promise H. N. is alreadie risen from the dead Hee claimeth still his olde priuiledge that it may be lawfull for him by speciall dispensation to make that which is yet to come to be alreadie done euerlasting life to bee in this life and the resurrection in the last day to be no other thing then the rising from sinne If this absurde kinde of reasoning had ben his gheast but for one night the matter might happily haue had some colour frō a cūning excuse but beyng a seruant of his downe lying and vprising with him euery day there is no place left for any defence to cleare him of the shame and infamie thereof Meruayle no more therefore why H. N. shoulde in all his writinges so sore inueigh against the Scripture Learned as he calleth thē it was no smal poynt of wisedome to complayne first For he was well assured it coulde neuer bee that learning shoulde attayne anie such portion of pacience as were able to beare the weight of halfe that wrong which hee had in purpose to lay vpon it In the 23. verse it is thus written We also which haue receiued the first fruites of his spirite euen we do sigh in ourselues wayting for the adoption euen the redemption of our body This is then his reason the faithfull doe waite for the adoption resurrection therefore it must be by promise that H. N. is alredy risē frō the dead Howe repugnant vnto all shew of reason and truth is this that H. N. shoulde therfore be risen from the dead because the children of God doe yet waite for the resurrection In effect he saith thus much There is a thing which shortly is like to be lost and therefore H. N. hath alreadie founde it Who can yeeld to such absurde conclusions vnlesse it be proued vnto him before that H N. hath a speciall commission to finde thinges before they be lost and to take them vp when as yet they are not fallen Howe heauie is the hande of God vppon heresie and idolatrie and howe great is the blindnesse that they be in and yet
shewed vnto his disciples howe or in what maner his flesh must be offered and giuen ouer to a life of men that they all euen so which in the beliefe of their safe making from their sinnes eate his flesh and followed after him euen vnto the second birth should haue the life in fulnesse in all godly clearnesse according to the spirit Behold this is the vpright Passeouer with Christ or the right supper which the vpright beleeuers disciples of Christ keepe with Christ to wit that they depart euen so with Christ out of the flesh into the spirit and out of the death or mortalitie into the eternall life of euerlasting immortalite wherethrough the sinne and all destruction becommeth vanquished This death of H.N. his Christ in the flesh is to renounce the knowledge of Christ after the letter to die vnto that and so to passe into that clearenesse of the spirite in knowledge and obedience whereto we are led by the doctrine of H.N. which he calleth that eternall life of euerlasting immortalitie wherby sinne and all destruction becommeth vanquished The maner of the death and suffering of H.N. his Christ what it is may well be conceyued by the Allegorie of Agar and Sara in the 8. Chapter of his Euangelie By Agar as hee sayeth in that place is signified the written woorde which hee calleth the seruiceable writing or letter of the beleefe By Sara a perfect estate according to H.N. his doctrine For he sayeth That so manie be her children as are borne out of the beleefe of the true being of Abraham and are growne vp in the holy and godly vnderstanding Now when the seede of Sara the free woman which before was called Christ after the spirite is borne then is Agar with her seede that is Christ after the flesh or the written word which he calleth the seruiceable writing or letter of the beleefe put away and discharged And therfore then is H.N. his Christ killed put to death whē any disciple of his hath so profited that he is now no longer led by the writtē word but altogither ruled by reuelatiō with estate as H.N. teacheth is altogither void of sin imperfection If it be required what benefite we reape from his passion and suffering because H.N. affirmeth in this place that hee hath suffered for our sinnes cause that is answered in the 20. Chap. of this first exhortation Sect. 17. For when in the 12. Section hee had exhorted his yong disciples that if they shoulde offend or as he speaketh ouerreach themselues in anie thing they shoulde not suffer themselues to bee iudged or condemned by their conscience but shoulde humble themselues to the elders or Ministers of the word in the seruice of the loue to bee instructed by them giuing the reason of his speach in the Section following hee hath these wordes For we haue in our communiaitie of the loue a true iudge Iesus Christ our Lord and King he is vnto vs in all our walking a fountaine of life and to a-making a liue of vs all against the death and the deadly venime of the sinne And continuing his speach of the same matter speaketh thus Wee haue also thorow him a dayly offering in the holiest his spiritual and true tabernacle into which holy he is gone before vs therein himself beareth our sinnes through his suffering and death of the crosse wherethrough hee sheweth or teacheth vs the vpright offering for our sinnes and prepareth for vs euen so a free entrance with him into the holy to an eternall and liuing way H.N. therefore and these illuminate elders or Ministers of the word in the seruice of Loue to whom he giueth the name of Christ and speaketh of them all as of one person are saide to suffer for our sinnes because they hauing gone before vs in the conflictes with these enemies of the louely being haue shewed vnto vs by their example the vpright offering for our sinnes And this is all the helpe wee haue from the passion death and suffering of H.N. his Christ that wee haue the way beaten before vs howe to suffer for our owne sinnes and to procure the remission of the same Which thing he testifieth likewise in the 19. Section of this chapter saying Through which daylie God seruice and offering in the holy in the taking vppe of our Crosse in the imitation of Christ in his death we obteine the remission of sinnes they be his owne woordes But I neede not to trauayle farre for proofe that this is his opinion of the benifite wee haue by Christ for euen in the woordes which do immediatly folow this place we haue in hand he affirmeth that Christ is gone before vs in the obedience of the word of his Father in reproche and contempt that we should in like maner folow after him vnder the obediēce of his loue in his death of the Crosse to the safemaking of vs from all our sinnes What blasphemie can be vttered agaynst Christ that doeth not followe this opinion of H.N. for by this docrrine H.N. by speciall prerogatiue and the illuminate elders in the seruice of loue after a seconde sort be Christ himselfe By this doctrine Christ when he was a young one had sinne and suffered the death of the Crosse for it By this doctrine we suffer the death of the Crosse for our own sinnes make the purchase thereof by our selues By this doctrine wee are released of our sinnes by imitation but not not by imputation And whether would not this heresie stretch if a man should thorowly searche the length deapth and breadth thereof seeyng that by this doctrine the historie of Christ his birth death and suffering had no trueth according to the naturall sense meaning of the letter but was only a figure of a spiritual kinde of birth death suffering which should be procured by obedience vnto this doctrine of H.N. not signifying a thing once done by one man according to the natural meaning of the woordes but a figure of a thing to bee often doone and by many according to an illegitimate and bastardely wringing of the woordes in vtterly denying the trueth of that doctrine which telleth vs that Christe hath come in the fleshe ouerthrowing both his person and office The Crosse then that H.N. his Christ died vppon was his doctrine which he calleth the beliefe and therefore as wee hearde before in the twētieth chapter he saith that he died in the beliefe And in trueth it is a doctrine that killeth the true Christ and all true Christianitie These thinges beyng considered it shal be no hard matter to discerne who is Iudas here and who be the Scribes and Pharisees that bring Christ to the death of the Crosse For who is the chiefe man to bring other to the beliefe which is the crosse whereon Christ dieth in fleshe but H N He therefore of necessitie must be Iudas And as for the illuminate elders by
necessary consequence they are the Scribes and Pharisies because they are other Ministers about this matter which likewise helpe forward the death of Christ You may see howe safe it is to leaue the naturall sense of the Scripture and to followe allegories as doeth this familie For H. N. hath walked so long this way in the beliefe leauing the certaintie of the worde that hee hath prooued himselfe to bee Iudas that betrayeth Christ and his doctrine to bee that crosse which doeth take the life from Christ Hee hath prooued that Christe was woorthie of his death and coulde not haue come to euerlasting ioy if hee had not died in the fleshe and so consequently that Iudas and the high Priestes did a verie good woorke vnto Christ himselfe in putting him to that death that the Crosse was a blessed thing and the death thereof a blessed death for Christe himselfe that Iudas and the Iewes were blessed men in that woorke of procuring Christ his death and that his life and estate before ▪ that time for his owne good and benefite did necessarily require the same that the life of Iudas and the Iewes that crucified Christ was better then the life of Christ and their estate in al respectes better then his that they walked in the wayes of life and hee in the wayes of death that they who wished and procured his death were his best friends and his mother and disciples who stoode agaynst it and councelled him otherwise were his greatest enimies and those who did in truth betray him that Christ himselfe had the greatest benefite by his owne death and shoulde haue had the greatest losse himselfe if hee had not dyed And that others shoulde haue no further benefite from his death then they receiue instruction and example by his death to suffer as he hath done the death of the Crosse Howe doeth this passion agree with that hystorie of Christ his passion which is set foorth in the Scripture The woorde of GOD reporteth this matter of Christ his passion and death not as an Allegorie or a type and figure of a truth to be accomplished but with circumstaunces of time place person and order of proceeding setteth it foorth as a true historie and the very truth it selfe of that thing which by types and Figures had beene shadowed out long before and was nowe in Christe one person and yet both GOD and man truely accomplished Wee haue an historie in the woorde of GOD touching his apprehension and the manner of proceding agaynst him before Pilate In like manner touching his death and buriall not barely and in a woorde deliuered but with al circumstances fully discharged Hee foretelleth his Disciples both of the time of his death that it shoulde bee within two dayes when his aduersaries had purposed to deferre it till after the feaste for feare of an vprore among the people and of the manner of his death A woman comming by the instinct of GOD his spirite with a boxe of very costly ointment powring it on his head as he sate at the table declare thereby that the death of his bodie and burial were at hande and not any spirituall dying in respect of sinne and imperfection which he neuer had no not in his youngnes as H.N. speaketth The chiefe Piestes the Scribes the elders of the people assēbled togither into the Hall of the highe Prieste called Caiphas consulting howe they might take Iesus by subtiltie and kill him determining that it should not be at the feast of the Passeouer for feare of vprore at which time notwithstanding the Lorde woulde haue it performed that the very time might admonishe vs that Christ was the true Paschall lambe and the true bodie of those shadowes and figures that had gone before according as the Apostle restifieth If this had beene a conspiracie of many men against their affections because they woulde not yeelde obedience to true doctrine or a type and fygure of anie suche matter why then is a thing common to so manye made speciall in the type and figure Why is there such specialtie of person in the patterne where so manie haue interest in the thing Suche choyse likewise of the daye to foreshewe a matter free and lawfull to bee done at all times and bounde to no day Why is there suche feare of displeasure from the people at one speciall time whose malice agaynst true doctrine endeth not with anie time Here Christe his Aduersaries woorke procure and in ende performe with their owne destruction his death and suffering But to conspire the death of H.N. his Christ in the fleshe is required necessarilie to their saluation and therefore the one cannot bee a type of the other Hee that betrayed Christ was one of his disciples hyred therevnto with thirtie pieces of siluer who after that hee sawe him condemned brought the monie agayne confessing that hee hadde betrayed the innocent and went and hanged him selfe and bursting asunder in the middest all his bowelles gushed out so iust and heauie was the iudgement of GOD vppon him but hee that shoulde betray H.N. his Christe in the fleshe hath for recompence euerlasting life Neyther can any passe into immortalitie but by betraying and killing of him and therefore one of these cannot bee so muche as a tipe or figure of an other muche lesse the thing it selfe Wee reade that our Sauiour Christe charged Iudas and his companie that they came with materiall weapons swordes staues as vnto a theefe to apprehend him when notwithstanding he had taught daily in the Temple and beene in their companie continually there and yet they had no power before that time whiche he telleth them was their very houre when darkenesse had power graunted to preuayle against the light for a time And the Disciple likewise who wounded the seruant of the high Priest with his sworde receiued a reproofe from Christ with this answeare That he might with a worde haue obtayned armies of Angelles from heauen in his defence but that it might not be otherwise for then the scriptures shoulde not haue beene fulfilled This declareth that the true Christ was subiect to externall force and apprehended and that he was willing to die to fulfil the Scriptures wheras otherwise he might haue had legions of Angels in his quarrell and therefore that Mathematicall Christ who suffereth in wardly in the minde of man a departure out of the letter into the spirtie hath no resemblaunce with this Christ which is here set foorth in the Scriptures When this true Christ his passion and suffering is in hande it is declared particularly and playnely howe the Scriptures which foretolde that matter and the manner of it also are verified in him who accomplished all that trueth which they foretolde and therefore can not the hystorie of him bee a foretelling or shadowing out of a truth yet to bee performed by H.N. or any other their doctrine or doinges whatsoeuer They crucifie two theeues
of God whereof he had a merciful promise and graunt made vnto him Likewise when Dauid his sinnes were not imputed neither laid vnto his charge that was fauour in the Lord pardoning them and not imputing them vnto him Howe doeth this hang togeather with the doctrine of H. N. who saith that wee are to folowe Christ in the death of his crosse to the pardoning releasing of vs from our sinnes And howe will this folowing of Christ in his death of the crosse for the safe making of vs frō our sinnes stand with this not imputing of our sinnes vnto vs For if our righteousnes stande by imputation then is it not purchased by imitation and following of Christe in his like death and suffering If Christ his satisfaction for sinne stande beetweene the wrath of GOD and vs then doeth not our imitation of Christ in his death keepe of the daunger of our sinnes from vs The Brasen Serpent erected in the wildernesse at the commaundement of Almightie God which was a figure of Christ declareth that it is faith in him that did hang vppon the crosse and not the following after him in the death of the crosse that doeth iustifie vs and keepe the sting of our sinnes from beeing deadly vnto vs For those who are bitten with the liuing serpentes were promised if they shoulde looke vppon the dead Serpent to liue and recouer by that meanes but were not inioyned to haue them selues after death erected and set vppe vppon a Pole for their recouery from that daunger As appeareth in the booke of Numbers And the Lord saide vnto Moses Make thee a fiery Serpent and set it vppe for a signe that as many as are bitten may looke vppon it and liue So Moses made a Serpent of Brasse and set it vppe for a signe and when a Serpent had bitten a man then hee looked to the Serpent of Brasse and liued Nowe the sharpe and daungerous biting and stingyng of the liuyng Serpent did force them to leaue them selues and too looke after comfort where it was to bee founde And when sinne shal once sting the fauourers of this opinion of H. N. theyr consciences beyng awaked which nowe are in a deadly sleepe they shall then bee forced to feele and confesse that there is no medicine in them selues able to asswage the heate and anger thereof But as it seemed vnlikely to fleshe and blood that a Serpent of Brasse beyng but a dead thing coulde euer woorke a cure vppon them who were stoong with quicke liuing Serpentes and in daunger of present death especially by the looking and beholding of the same So doeth it vnto H. N. the eyes of whose vnderstanding are altogeather fleshly that Christe his obedience vppon the crosse beeyng but looked vppon with the eies of our faith and not imitated in the selfe same practise shoulde bee able to heale the sores of our soule Albeit our Sauiour Christ affirmeth in plaine speache That as Moses lifte vp the Serpent in the wildernesse so muste the Sonne of man bee lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shoulde not perishe but haue eternall life The opinion of H. N. that our folowing after Christe and obediennce in the imitation of him shoulde be able to discharge vs of our sinnes that before were committed declareth that hee is ignorant altogether of the righteousnesse of GOD reuealed in his woorde For obedience if it were perfect in vs and no transgression to bee founde against the lawe of God either in thought woorde or deede after that once wee haue begunne to feare him yet coulde not all this answere for the least sinne that went before For it is but a part of that is due vnto the Lorde from vs Who teacheth vs that when wee shall haue discharged the whole debt and haue doone euery thing commaunded yet are wee humblie to acknowledge that wee bee but vnprofitable seruauntes and haue doone no more then that which was our dutie to doe according as hee by our owne experience and practise doth plainely prooue vnto vs For which of you sayth our Sauiour Christ Hauing a seruaunt plowyng or other wyse labouryng all the day long wyll by and by after hee bee come home say vnto him Goe and sit downe at the Table wyll hee not rather be ready to enioyne him an other woorke within the house as to prepare thynges for his owne Supper and when that is doone laye the thirde labour vppon him as to wayte at the Table and see nothing to bee wantyng vntyll hymselfe haue supped yea and when all this is doone doeth hee so muche as once open his mouth to thanke that seruant because he did that which was commaunded vnto him I trowe not saith our Sauiour Christ And in very deede we do looke for such duetie from a seruant that yf he shall deny to doe any thing of that which his maister shall commaunde him foorthwith wee geue sentence that he is no man meete for seruice because we think that the seruant ought not as if hee weere a free man to haue any libertie or priuiledge but to reache in obedience vnto all that his maister by commaundement shal enioyne him And therfore accordingly when our seruant shal haue dispatched labour after labour and obeyed commaundedement after commaundement yet do we not once thanke him for all that because wee thinke it is all duetie that a seruant doeth howe muche so euer Herevpon came that Prouerbe That no man can serue two maisters because seruice is voide of all priuiledge and libertie of infinite duetie if maisters shall make no ende of commaunding for all is accompted duetie in a seruaunt which the maister shall commaunde him to do A man cannot therefore sufficiently woonder at the blindnesse of H. N. and others who acknowledgyng that they be seruauntes vnto the Lorde dare notwithstanding in the pride of their hart make such a reckoning of their seruice a fewe dayes or yeeres as that it shoulde make a sufficient satisfaction for those dayes and times wherein they were not only loyterers and did no duetie vnto him at all but also were retained of his aduersarie and spared not to wounde his glory Dare a seruant who hath loytered one whole weeke and done his maister no woorke or seruice at all for shame open his mouth the next weeke when hee hath trauelled for his maister as a good seruaunt ought alwaies to doe and say Sir I trust now your selfe being iudge I haue made a sufficient satisfactiō for my loitering al this last weeke I cannot thinke this Famelie eyther to bee so full of loue or so empty of vpright iudgement as to take this for sufficient seruice or as a reasonable answeare to bee put vp at the handes of any of their seruantes not excepting those to whom they shall geue the least wages This familie of loue and the Papistes they are the best husbandes that I haue euer hearde of and the moste can they make of that litle they haue ▪ for
resurrection and inherite euerlasting life Answere All the comfort that H. N. doeth assure his familie of by the resurrection of their Christ is that such as shall become obedient vnto his doctrine which thing he expresseth in these woordes such as indeuour themselues in the beliefe vnder the obedience of the loue of Iesus Christ to become implanted into Christ the gracious woorde of the Lord for Christ as you haue heard before signifieth somtimes nothing else with H. N. but this worde and doctrine which he hath brought into the worlde shall by this their slaying and burying of sinne in the flesh become renued in the spirite of their minde obteyne and inioy the resurrection or as he speaketh the making aliue from the deade and inherite the euerlasting life But wee haue not thus learned Christ so manie as haue beene taught out of the woorde of God the truth of him and the true fruite of his resurrection For as Christ Iesus died in our sinnes and went downe into the graue in our iniquities inasmuch as it was our sinnes and no offence of his owne that drewe him vnto death so his resurrection was the perfect absolution and clearing of the faithfull from al their transgressions For had one sinne of his seruants bene vnsatisfied for neither woulde death haue resigned hir right who had arested him as suretie for sinne neither would the righteous Lord by raising him from the dead bringing him out of the danger that he lay vnder for our sinnes haue giuen sentence on his side so iustified vs in him Which thing the apostle cōfirmeth triumphing ouer condēnation not onely because we haue discharged it by his death but also because we haue our Quietus est acquittance to shew for the same euen his resurrectiō Who shal lay any thing to the charge of god his chose It is God that iustifieth who shal cōdēne it is Christ that is dead yea or rather which is risē againe And likewise the same apostle in his epistle to the Corin. affirmeth plainly that if Christ be not risen from the dead we haue nothing to shewe for our discharge against sinne but do remaine yet vnder the danger thereof And in the Epistle to the Romanes he declareth also that wee are by his resurrection cleared from our sinnes and they nowe no longer imputed vnto vs And therefore when he had before declared that not only Abraham his faith was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse but also that ours shal be imputed vnto vs hee telleth vs more particularly how this commeth to passe to wit because Christe who was deliuered to death for our sinnes is risen againe for our iustification For as God the father in deliuering Christ vnto death did cast all our sinnes vpon him and condemned our sinnes in him so in raysing him frō the dead he iustified and absolued him vs in him inasmuch as but for vs neither sinne nor death could haue any thing to doe with him from all our sinnes and trāsgressions whatsoeuer Now if the Lorde had let him make an escape who was in holde for our sinnes inasmuch as he had once taken vpon hym to satisfie for the same or wrougt his deliuerance and set him at libertie before a ful sufficient satisfaction had bene made then coulde not himselfe haue bene cleared of iniurye offred vnto vs nor his Iustice haue bene vnspotted euen before vs which if once wee suffer to enter but into our thoughtes it maketh vs giltye of high treason against our god This doctrine therefore of H. N. who will haue our dying vnto synne not onelie to preuent but also to procure our rising vnto righteousnesse not mencioning any other benefite that wee haue from Christ his resurrectiō beside the example that is set before vs for our imitation and following after him in the same is at defiance and vtter enmitie with the trueth which is taught in the word of god For Christ his resurrection which H. N. maketh so small an accounpt of not onelie is our iustification from the giltinesse and daunger of sinne but also the head and wel spring of al that righteousnes holinesse and newenes of life that is to be founde ni the conuersation of his seruāts And therfore the Apostle in the 2. to the Ephe. doth fetch our rising vnto righteousnesse frō Christ his resurrection and ioyning them togither speaketh thus God which is rich in mercie euen when we were deade by sinnes hath quickened vs togither in Christ and hath raysed vs vp togither And accordingly to the Collosians draweth his exhortation vnto newnesse of life from the resurrection of Christ as from the fountaine from the which floweth the reformation of our life If ye thē be risen with Christ saith the Apostle seeke those thinges which are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your affection on things that are aboue and not on thinges which are on the earth Which thing is also confirmed out of the Ephesians where we doe reade that the large and liberall distribution of his graces did followe his resurrection and ascention when that notable victorie and conquest ouer sinne death was fully accomplished The resurrection therfore of Christ according to the trueth of his worde is not onely our discharge against sinne but the fountaine and spring also of all that chaūge of life and conuersation which is to be seene in his seruants But according to this doctrine of H.N. it is neither our discharge against sinne nor yet the beginning of our good life therfore without mention either of iustification from sinne by it or viuification and quickening in the wayes of righteousnesse we are sent to make warre with our affections according to the rules of his doctrine that so wee may obteine the resurrection from the deade and the renewing of our spirit and minde So that we haue nothing in H.N. his Creed to be beleeued but many things in our conuersation to be practised nothing to leaue vnto that was once doone by him but al that we may trust to must proceede from our selfe Touching this poynt Whether our dying vnto sin doe both preuent and purchase the renewing of our minde it hath beene answeared in the article immediatly going before H. N. The sixt Article We beleeue that this same Iesus like as the Scripture mencioneth thereof is ascended into Heauen sitting at the right hand of God his almightie Father We confesse that he hath taken in the heauen and reigneth and ruleth essentially in the heauenly beeing with his father vntill that all his enemyes be layde vnder his fete and that he in like maner shall in euery behalfe take in the kingdome and all dominion and power and render it all ouer vnto his father that God may euen so be all in all according to the promises Answeare This confessor H. N. acknowledgeth and confesseth that this same Iesus of
in the same But to omit coniectures how euident soeuer they bee and to come to the matter iustified and warraunted by expresse writing howe is it that H. N. professeth that his holy Ghost becommeth poured foorth as he speaketh in the oldnesse of the time when men haue followed Christe in the death of his crosse vnto the newe life or seconde birth Can men make any beginning in Christianitie before the spirit of God bee geeuen vnto them Nay can they truely cōceine of that way before they be lightened with the spirite of God Doeth not the Apostle plainly affirme That no man knoweth the things of God but the spirite of God And therefore in the next verse confesseth That they had receiued the spirite of GOD whereby they myght knowe the thinges that were geuen them of GOD Haue the seruantes of GOD his spirite powred vppon them when they haue beene dead vnto sinne is it not by the power of the spirite of GOD that they die vnto sinne aswell as they that lyue vnto righteousnesse Doeth not the Apostle attribute the mortifiyng of the deedes of the body to the spirite in these woordes If yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirite yee shall liue Howe then dare H.N. vtter suche dangerous dreames as these bee of the holy Ghoste that hee shoulde not bee geuen vnto the seruauntes of GOD before they haue altogeather left sinne and become vtterly dead vnto the same For hee is of opinion that the holy ghost is not graunted vnto his familie before that time that Christe in the spirite as was spoken before appeare vnto them and they become partakers and possessed of that estate of perfection which hee dreameth of And therefore as was declared before he calleth the visible comming of the holy Ghost vpon the Apostles whereof mention is made in the second of the Actes the appearing of Christe in the spirite For that estate which his familie are partakers of before this perfection was called before the estate of the man in his youngnes and here it is called the dayes of the pacience of Christ in the obedience of the holy and gracious woorde and his seruice of loue and the keeping of the doctrine of his patience Now saith H.N. when those dayes of the pacience of Christ are fulfilled and when they haue kept the woorde of his pacience vnto the ende then becometh the holy Ghost powred foorth vpon suche from the right hande of GOD. By this doctrine in my iudgement H. N dealeth hardly with the man in his youngnesse For yf it shoulde please the Lorde to call any of his familie before they were come to this perfection which hee speaketh of they shoulde dye as reprobates out of the fauour of GOD the heires of euerlasting destruction For as saint Paule testifieth If any man haue not the spirite of Christ the same is not his and by this doctrine of H. N. they are not partakers thereof before those dayes of the pacience of Christe bee fully expired and this estate of perfection entred which hee calleth the second birth from the dead or the new life of the true beeyng of Christe H. N. Which vpright beleuers that folowe after Christ in death life become baptized or washed through Christ in the pure and liuing waters of the holy ghost those same shal also i become powred foorth ouer thē with ful clearenesse of God abūdantly for euen so through shedding foorth of the holy Ghoste ouer the vpright beleeuers in Christ vnder the obedience of the loue of the holy Ghost doeth Christ make manifest his holy church the cōmunialtie of his holy ones and establisheth on the same the promises of God his heauenly father and euen so plainely sheweth who are the right Christians in what maner of wise that they become baptized vnder the obedience of the beliefe of Iesu Christ in the name of the holy Ghost And that is the vpright christian baptisme in the name of the holy Ghost and it is the true seconde byrth out of the holy Ghost the ttue loue of GOD and Christ Answeare THese vpright beleeuers haue the waters of the holy Ghost as H. N. affirmeth powred foorth ouer them with full cleerenes of God abundantly and thus doth Christ make manifest his holy Churche vnder the obedience of the loue through the shedding foorth of the holy Ghost who is nothing els but the loue of God Christ with H.N. as appeareth in the lasse lyne of the last Section and this he calleth the baptisme in the name of the holy Ghost This doctrine hath bene confuted before there is nothing therefore remayning now but to geue you a sight of those absurde thinges which follow vppon it First of all by this doctrine H.N. his Christ in the spirite and his holie Ghost be all one Secondly the holie Ghost is not geuen but to them that are of this familie and subscribe to the doctrine and religion of H.N. Thirdly sinne is subdued before the holie Ghost bee graunted and geuen vnto them Fourthly Baptisme is no cutwarde seale and assurance of that good will the Lord beareth vnto vs but an inwarde perfect obedience that wee yeelde vnto him And last of al the holie Ghost is not that with begetteth in vs the loue of God Christ as it is written but it is the verie loue it self of God and Christ and nothing else These errours be so euident that if nothing had bene saide seuerally vnto them before being once brought out vnto the barre and arrayned a man woulde thinke they would at the first haue yeelded confessed and neuer for shame by pleading not guiltie haue made any further trouble vnto the countrie for their tryall H. N. Wee confesse that they all which become not grounded in this same vpright faith of Iesu Christ nor become euen so baptized as is before mencioned in the first article in the name of the Father vnder the obedience of the loue of the father and his lawe and as is before mencioned in the fourth article in the name of the Sonne vnder the obedience of the loue of the sonne and his beliefe and as is before mencioned in this 8. article in the name of the holie Ghost vnder the obedience of the loue of the holy Ghoste and his renuing of the life minde are no true Christians and that they also all that boast themselues to be Christians without this same vpright faith and baptisme are doubteles false christians Sectio 33. Therefore shall nowe in this same day of the loue the worde that the Lord Iesus hath spoken cōcerning the true be liefe and baptisme be a iudge also become fulfilled founde verie true and make knowen the beleeuers from the vnbeleeuers Section 34. For verilie who so beleeueth and becōmeth baptized after this maner like as we here confesse or acknowledge according to the word of Iesu Christ the vpright faith
them notwithstanding matter of necessitie to be purged that so they may bring foorth more fruite Euery braunch that beareth fruite he purgeth it that it may bring foorth more fruite and therfore doe we say in the next Article that we doe beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes but the sanctification and holynesse of H.N. his Church and Familie as they say is perfect euen in this life The members of the true Church bee braunches of that true Vine Christ and haue from thence their sappe strength to beare but the fellowes of this Familie haue all their sappe in them selues for they doe not acknowledge originall sinne nor yet the doctrin of our free election in Christ and therefore must of necessitie with Pelagius plant grace generally in our nature and so consequently confesse that we haue our sap in our selues H.N. The tenth Article Wee beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes namely in the same communialty of holy ones which standeth grounded in thssame vpright and godly beliefe of Iesu Christ and becommeth baptized in that same holie beeing of GOD aboue rehearsed and where the loue hath obtained the victory Wee confesse also that no man shall obtaine grace or forgiuenesse of sinnes at Gods hand without thissame holie communialtie of Christ For thissame is the holy Christianitie the familie of Loue wherein GOD himselfe dwelleth liueth and walketh and the true communialtie of Israell which reigneth with God and Christ ouer all her enemyes Answeare Hee that calleth to minde that doctrine which H.N. which hath set foorth before in his exposition vpon the 4. Article shall plainely perceiue that remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes is nothing else but to bee set free from sinning any more against God and that not to be attained vnto any otherwise then by following his Christ in the death of the crosse vnder the obedience of the loue Which opinion is confirmed in his Euangelie Chapter 30. Section 6. The clensing which is called Purgatory signifieth vnto vs the making pure of the beleeuers of Christ which they in distresse affliction sorrowe and anguish for the sinnes cause doe passe thorowe wherein they as in a fire of humiliation are purged or iustified from all their sinnes through the beliefe for to enter euen so with pure heartes into the kingdome of the GOD of heauēs In which fire of clensing or Purgatory the vpright beleeuers of Christ shew foorth patience in prayer vnto God and euen so in the beliefe and in manner of suffering they followe after Christ in his death of the crosse to the purging of their sinnes And the 28 Chapter of that same booke and first Section this his opinion is likewise established These be his woordes Whilst nowe the children of men cleaued vnto the vpright faith of Abraham which was of one beeing with the true light of life or grounded themselues therein and euen so obediently suspected the seruice of the beliefe administred out of the true light which is Christ himselfe in his requiring exercised them therein and onely gaue eare and had regarde vnto the ministers of the holie word which had kept the Passeouer with Christ out of the flesh into the spirit out of death into life were euen so implanted into Christ coedified with God and also beeing obedient vnto the worde in his requiring bide stedfast therein vntill that they had also kept the passouer with Christ and obtayned the renewing of their spirit and mind in Iesu Christ the which is the vpright supper or Pascha wherein men rightly eate the body of Christ drinke his bloode are partakers of his suffering and baptized in his death vnto his burying and euen so remember the suffering of Christ and witnesse or publish his death till vnto his comming that is vntill the true light arise in the heart so were they made safe iustified from their sinnes renewed in the spirit of their minde and sanctified in Christ to fellow members of his body to coheires in the riches of God his father in the euerlasting life This doctrine which maketh man his owne Sauiour and redeemer is plentifully confuted in the fourth Article wherevnto I refer the reader A man would not imagine that they could attempt so much mischieuous matter against vs and our saluation euen then when they giue vs no worse woordes then the holie Ghost doth vse For heere are heard no other wordes then wordes of pardon and forgiuenesse and yet there is no other matter in hand thē matter of purchasing and paying for our saluation But no marueile if H.N. who before was sufficiently prooued to bee Iudas doe nowe kisse when he meaneth to kill and in woords putteth vs in hope of a pardon when in deede is drift is to haue vs pay the vtmost farthing In the tenth Chapter to the Hebrues it is plainely prooued that euen those his deare and best beloued Children in whose heartes and mindes himselfe hath written his owne lawes haue in them notwithstanding matter to be pardoned and forgiuen After those dayes saieth the Lorde I will put my lawes in their heart and in their mynde I will write them and their sinnes and iniquities I will remember no more The place is alleadged out of the Prophete Ieremye I wil make an euerlasting couenant with them that I will neuer turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not departe from me These people to whome the Lorde hath made this large and liberall promise that they shall enioy such a portion of his feare as shal be able to kepe thē from departing from him these I say that haue and enioy such a measure of mercy from the Lorde haue all this notwithstanding in that their estate sinnes to be pardoned and that with one offering for all neuer after to be renued With one offering hath he cōsecrated for euer saith the holie Ghost them that be sanctified And againe Where remission of these things is there is nowe no more offering for sinne If one offering consecrate for euer them that be sanctified then are there not so many offeringes to consecrate withall as there be persons sanctified which is the doctrine of H.N. If one offering consecrate for euer them that be sanctified then H. N. and his Familie are not sanctified because they refuse that one offering which the Lord hath appointed thereby to consecrate for euer them that are sanctified and haue erected in steade therof a continuall offering and oblation for sinne wherin euery man must play the Prieste for himselfe And therefore albeit he affirme words that there is remission and forgiuenesse of sinne in his Familie yet in trueth it is otherwise for where there is remission of sinne there is no more offering for sinne Nowe in H. N. his Familie there is more offering for sinne and therfore there is among them no remission of sinne The Prophete Dauid affirmeth that because the
Church Nowe if vnto Allegories vsed in the scripture it be denied to speake as witnesses for the deciding of doubtes because theyr speache is so doubtfull and obscure in it selfe with what conscience can the testimony be taken of H. N. his Allegories to decide the chiefe pointes of religion withal seeing they are all hatched at home of him selfe and not one to be founde in the writinges of the holy Ghost Irenaeus likewise in his second booke Aduersus haereses and the tenth chapter speaking to the same purpose hath these woordes Omnis autem quaestio non per aliud quod quaeritur habet resolutionem nec ambiguitas per aliam ambiguitatem soluitur apud eos qui sensum habent aut aenigma per aliud magis aenigma sed ea quae sunt talia ex manifestis consonantibus claris accipiunt absolutiones Matters called into question can haue no resolution by other thinges that are likewise in question neyther can one obscure thing be cleered among them that haue eyther iudgement or sence by an other that is darke but of questions that be darke and obscure are wise men woont not otherwise to be resolued then by apparant and manifest proofes It is plaine therefore by the iudgement of these ancient and learned fathers that Allegories which are H. N. his best witnesses be as those men who haue heretofore worne papers For theyr testimony may not be taken to decide matters of question And he that bringeth no better matter then is an Allegorie for the deciding of a doubt is as he who because he wāteth better witnesse is glad to call a periured person to the booke I except not in this speach Allegories that are read in the scripture vnlesse they be suche as by plaine woordes either going before or comming after bee clearely opened and made manifest vnto vs The dispositions of such as haue their sence by circumstance made certaine and are founde in the scripture I deny it not may bee taken but that is altogeather for the assurance that the circumstances doe make vnto vs not for any certaine that is to bee had from them selues They must be plaine and certaine that shal induce a man to geue credite vnto any matter that he is not already resolued of The Logitians therefore refuse too haue them among their places from whence they deriue their proofes and probalities I deny not but that the Rhethoritians haue entertayned them among their figures to moue and delight vs when before the trueth of that thing is out of al doubt with vs The Familie therefore are greatly abused of H.N. their Lorde and maister whyle they are enforced of him to take Allegories onely for theyr euidence And yet are not Allegories so muche abused when they be admitted for proofe as when they are made to ouerthrowe the naturall and historical sence of the worde For albeit the case be to bee pitied when a man shall be forced for lacke of credible persōs who haue beene present to take a periured man to decide a doubt yet is this more lamentable when the party periured shal be suffered to the end that he only may be heard to stop the mouthes of men of good credite who both could and woulde resolue vs of the right And in trueth so the case stādeth with H. N. his Allegories for they vtterly abolishe the naturall sence of the worde and of an historie when H.N. hath doone with it there is nothing left to be heard or seene beside a naked Allegorie Ierome him selfe albeit he had some times ouer great a lykyng of Allegories yet was hee neuer so be witched with them but that he held this trueth in opiniō that the literal natiue sence of the woorde was first to be layde as a sure fundatiō before the roofe of any spiritual sence or Allegorical meanyng might be made therunto Cum Historiae habuerint fundamenta tunc spiritualis intelligentiae culmen accipiant vt verè Christus de virgine natus sit Verè Lazarū mortuū susetarit quamuis quotidie de anima Virginali nascatur sermo diuinus quotidide peccato mortui vitiorum funibus alligati de sepulchro scelerum suorum iubentur exire When they shall haue the foundation of an History then let them builde the roofe of a spiritual fence As for example It is the trueth of a deede once done that Christ was borne of a Virgin and that hee raysed vp Lazarus when hee was dead albeit a diuine word is dayly borne of a pure chast minde they that are dead vnto sinne and bound with the cordes of theyr offēces are dayly cōmaūded to come out of the graues of theyr sinnes Howe farre is H. N. from this moderation for his Allegories in the weightiest matters as in the birth death and resurrection of Christ haue wholy drunke vp and altogeather drowned the histories And generally throughout al his writinges after once hee hath begunne with it hee neuer ceasseth to pursue his Allegory vntyl hee haue seene it playe the hangman vnto the natural sence and history For the drift and scope of all his doinges is to make vs keepe our eares shut against that which the Lorde doeth speake plainely vnto vs out of his woorde that we may onely reuerence these rydles that proceede from him selfe The woorde of GOD wil not suffer vs with H. N. to place and put into possession Allegories which be illegitimate that the naturall sence and signification of the woorde which is the lawful heire might thereby bee dispossessed and driuen out The practise of our Sauiour Christ of the Apostle Saint Paule is our president to vpholde the credite of the natural sence and meanyng of the woorde which Allegories beeyng suffered to haue so large alowance as H. N. doeth make them woulde soone driue out at the doores For the least part of an Historie as a worde and circumstance of time the whole whereof H. N. his Allegories woulde vnhorse and ouerthrow is with our Sauiour Christ aduaunced to the credite of deciding and determinyng matters of greatest weight and moment in religion Nowe yf aworde in his proper signification be so much made of with Christ the Apostles as that it shal be of sufficient credit to carry away a matter of greatest weight What wrong doeth H. N. offer the worlde that with Allegories would beare downe not the natiue sence onely of a woorde but of many wordes and sentences set togeather to maintaine a proper and naturall sence and signification Our Sauiour Christ when he will prooue him selfe the true Messias to be more then a man he vrgeth the naturall signification of the woorde Lorde that because Dauid whose sonne he was after the fleshe calleth him Lorde therefore it coulde not bee but that he was more then a meere man Moreouer in that weightie matter of iustification doeth not the Apostle stande vpon the signification of this worde impute which is euer vsed when fauour and mercy preuayleth
as a matter out of doubt and yet might it well bee that the woorde whereof hee is a Minister were a gracious woorde as hee calleth it and for all that his election therevnto neither good nor gracious But woulde you heare what this gracious woorde is according as the Prophet testifieth of it Surely it is no other thing then euen now to bring vs the first newes of a matter done and past manie hundreth yeares agoe to witte that Iuda and Ierusalem shoulde bee inhabited againe by the Iewes after the captiuitie of Babilon In the place which he alledgeth out of the Prophete it is written thus Thus saith the Lord againe there shall be heard in this place which ye say shal be desolate without mā without beast euē in the cities of Iuda and the streetes of Ierusalem the voice of ioy and the voice of gladnesse the voice of the bridegrome the voice of the bride For I will cause to returne the captiuitie of the land as at the first The Iewes are cōforted by the prophet with this promise frō the Lord that they shal returne frō their captiuity and inhabite Iuda and Ierusalem with comfort and ioy of heart For saith he there shall be heard in your streetes the voice of ioy gladnes the voice of the bridegrome and the voice of the bride H.N. might well haue stayed among the dead neuer haue striuen so much about his resurrection from among them if he haue no other message then this for they are dead many hundreth yeares agoe to whom this matter did apperteine It is plaine therefore by his own testimonie that he hath no authority to deale with vs but with Iuda Ierusalem nor to bring anie doctrine into the world touching euerlasting saluation but onely cōcerning a temporall deliuerance neither to haue any thing to doe with men nowe liuing but with people long before this time deade Thus much in particular both touching his person and his office For his title in generall I haue to say that this title which is so ample and glorious being compared with the preface of the Apostles set before their writings wil soone discrie the diuersitie of spirits They dispatch vs touching the knowledge of themselues in the words of Seruant Apostle whē they stand the longest with vs vpō that matter By seruant declaring what they hold in common with all Christians by Apostle what they haue special in the function ministerie of the word Paul a seruāt of Iesus Christ called to be an Apostle Simon Peter a seruāt an Apostle of Iesus Christ And somtimes they are so sparing that they wil not spend both vpon vs. Iames a seruant of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ Peter an Apostle of Iesus Christ Iude a seruant of Iesus Christ But H. N. as if he could no longer beare such basenesse steppeth in before them with his stately stile and sayth H.N. Through the grace and mercie of God and through the holy spirite of the loue of Iesus Christ Raised vp by the highest God from the death according to the prouidence of God and his promises Anointed with the holy Ghost in the olde age of the holy vnderstanding of Iesus Christ Godded with God in the spirit of his loue Made heire with Christ in the heauenly goodes of the riches of God Illuminated in the spirite with the heauenly truth The true light of the perfect being Elected to a minister of the gracious worde which is now in the last time raised vp by God according to his promises in the most holy seruice of god vnder the obediēce of his loue What man measuring the matter by the outwarde face that is set vpon it would thinke the Apostles worthie to hold the candle to this mans cunning And what friend of theirs if H.N. would take vpon him to teach them the depth of his diuinitie would once seeme to offer with them lesse then the seruice of vii yeres Neither is there so great oddes betweene them in the multitude of titles as in the magnificence and dignitie of them How plain simple and farre from pride be the names of seruant Apostle How glorious swelling magnificēt be these speches Godded with God annointed with the holy Ghost in the olde age of the holy vnderstanding illuminated in the spirit the true light of the perfect being raised vp by the highest God frō the dead But no meruaile if H. N. be so glorious in titles for this he hath in common with the Heretikes of all times The Montanists who had their name beginning of Montanus the first heretike that practised to draw on disciples by procuring stipend and wages from the richer sorte of that sect to others the teachers and mainteyners thereof which was a baite that brought many to bite of those morsels and therefore vpon good consideration is nowe a freshe practised in this familie where there is so great famine of better arguments to perswade with all did affirme that they were wiser then the Apostles and alledged that place of the Apostle for it where Paule setting him selfe in the number with other sayeth We knowe in part For they mainteyned an absolute cleare and perfect reuelation in themselues affirming Montanus to be the holy Ghost promised to the Church whereof the Apostles had receyued but a little measure There were also a sect of people in that part of Pisidia which belongeth vnto Pamphilia who refused to receiue any into their felowship and communion that kept anie thing priuate and proper to themselues excluding them as straungers from the kingdome of God and they would be called Apostolici Apostolicall and be knowne by no other name Seruetus the heretike called himselfe Michael the keeper of the Church of God and the great prince of his people Dauid George H. N. his Schoole-maister though the scholer setting vp for himselfe will now take no more knowledge of anie maister or superiour calleth himselfe the seuenth Angell of GOD and the last trumpe And H. N. the father of this familie will bee godded with GOD and become the true light of the perfect being that in no wise hee might seeme to want that badge of boasting which is so speciall and proper vnto heretikes That which is commonly sayd of pictures and painted workes hath a fitte place in these workes of H.N. Picturae atque imagines eminùs non cominùs videndae Pictures and Images they are faire a farre off but if the eye drawe neare them there is then no sight or shew of them If a man looke at the diuinitie that is heere deliuered a farre off he would thinke it came from aboue the hiest heauen so great and goodly speaches of loue and peace be conteyned in it But come neare and lay it to the line of God his worde and beside that the lowest pit of hell shall not be able to afoorde worse wares then some that here be vttered It would
he take something for their standing other benefit he hath none by them This true essence and being of God which H. N calleth his loue is not according to his doctrine any thing that the Almightie hath proper and peculiar vnto himselfe in that he is God but that which all the faythfull are possessed of and that not in some little measure but so as there dwel liue or rule no other thing in all there spirite thoughtes mind and soule but alone this true godhead with his louely being of the vpright loue For these are his owne words in his first exhortation Chap. 15. and Section 26. The true freedome verily is this that the mā through the ministratiō of the gracious word is wholy released purged or purified frō all wicked nature which hath raigned ouer him that there dwel liue nor rule any other thing in him namely in al his spirit thoughts mind soule but alone the true godhed with his louely being of the vpright loue yea to be so wholy replenished with all vertues of God that there flow nothing in him but the spirituall heauenly and liuing waters And because H.N. his doctrine tendeth to establish a kinde of loue which in his opinion is the true beeing diuinitie and deitie of God therefore he calleth also his counsell and instruction this true being For thus he speaketh in his first exhortation Chapiter 12. Section 54. If yee stand minded to feare the Lorde to bee obedient to his lawe that passeth foorth presently out of the true Sion his word that passeth forth presently out of the heauēly Ierusalem giue ouer your selues after my counsaile and instruction according to it al as the Lord hath reuealed the true being vnto me out of Sion and Ierusalem wholy and altogither so will I then in like maner euen out of the heartie loue stand seruiseable so much as I may in the Lorde vnto you dayly and at all times thervnto to the end you should feare the highest God and might learne to knowe his righteousnesse For his righteousnesse is the loue the true being and the euerlasting life Speaking as you heare of his doctrine and exhorting them to the imbracing thereof hee calleth it the true being when hee sayeth according as the Lorde hath reuealed the true being vnto mee And in the ende he concludeth that the righteousnesse which he teacheth is the loue the true beeing and the euerlasting life So that the Deitie and beeing which H. N. giueth vnto GOD is no other then that which mortall men attaine vnto For the righteousnesse which they perfourme by his doctrine is as he sayeth the loue the true being and euerlasting life And forasmuch as this true being is no other thing with him then that loue which by his doctrine manie are made partakers off therefore in the beginning of his Euangelie H.N. affirmeth himselfe to be godded with God in the spirite of his loue and likewise sayeth that he was the true light of the perfect being And in his first exhortation Chapter 17. Section 5. The Childe confesseth of the Father and eldest Elder that the moste highest hath reuealed the possession of his moste excellent Maiestie in him and that with the same being of the perfect Godhead he hath made a godly dwelling with him This doctrine doeth vtterly ouerthrow the true diuinitie deitie of God it robbeth him of his true essence and beeing and couereth him with no other essence nature or being then is found in man it setteth the creator among the creatures and it matcheth the the creature with the creator The Lord if it be his good wil open their eyes that they may see it giue them harts that may blush and be ashamed of such blasphemie that e●that they may receiued in true repentance or otherwise if they will still harden their hearts that wee may see them laid downe in their confusion and couered with their owne shame H.N. In which name of the father wee are plucked Section 3 thorowe the seruice of his holie and gratious word vnder the obedience of the law of the Lorde of the beliefe of Iesu Christ and of the loue of the holie ghost by the father to the loue of his onely sonne Iesu or Sauiour the very like beinge or substaunce of his Godhed and euen so baptised or washed in the same name of the father Which plucking of the father and baptising in Section 4 the fathers name hath the foregoing by vs in the administration of the holie word vnder the obedience of the loue with the Law or ordinaunce of the Lorde And with his correction or discipline wherewithall we euen so as in an enmitie against the sinne beecome preuented and infourmed to an incorporating in the godlie righteousnesse For euen so in the becomming baptised in the name Section 5 of the father doth the Lord chastise or nurtur with his lawe euery man which hee plucketh or receiueth vnto him where through it becommeth than all made manifest in the man whatsoeuer becommeth chastised by the light or through the light Section 6 Through which fatherlie discipline in the becomming manifest of the sinne we are in seeing perceiuing in the light all the horriblenes of the sinne togither with Deuils and the fleshes lying craftie deceitful or false nature and Gods indignation and wrath ouer the same ouer all such as are of one minde therwith Section 7 When we nowe finde our selues guiltie in al and become in such sorte chastised by Gods grace through his light of the fatherlie loue so beare wee at that time greife sorrowe and anguish or affliction for the sinnes cause and confessing the same sinnes with humble heartes in the seruice of the holie word vnder the obedience of the loue of the father wee become wholy inclined and goodwilling to hate to leaue and to lay away or to mortifie the sinnes and all what is vngodly and to that effect we doe as than wholly giue ouer our selues in the counsaile of the holie worde and of the elders in the seruice of the loue To the ende that God the fathers name according to the requiring of the seruice of his loue might become hallowed and magnified in vs. Section 8 And euen so in the familie or communalty of the Loue wee obtaine grace and fauour before God the father and his sonne Iesu Christ become through the seruice of the holy woorde and of the fatherlie correction kepte and led foorth euen vnto Iesus Christ the sonne of GOD the father For to become iustified released or made free through the name of the sonne vnto whom God the father hath giuen all power both in heauen earth from the sinne ▪ and from her kingdom of the death of the Deuill and of all wicked spirites namely to our preseruation in the godlinesse in the
which not onely H.N. but all other Heretikes professe of hauing our sinnes answered by and in our selues either wholy or at least in some part that the verie figures shoulde haue light sufficient in them to driue awaye all darkenesse and doubting herein But what lighte can make him see that is blinde or open those eyes that in iust iudgement are closed vp by the Lorde H.N. And hath suffered in all obedience of the word of his heauenly father the death of the crosse in reproch blasphemie contempt and false defamation or accusation for our sinnes cause Answere The name of Christe as you haue hearde is giuen by H. N. vnto all his illuminate Elders as vnto those who haue atteyned vnto an estate of perfection by meanes of their obedience vnto his doctrine Whome howe manie soeuer hee comprehendeth vnder one name and speaketh of them as of one person It is giuen also as you haue hearde by speciall prerogatiue vnto the eldest Elder that is H. N. himselfe The suffering of this Christ his death of the crosse is set forth in this that he hath yelded all obedience to the worde of his heauenly father which is this doctrine of H.N. and gone vnder and borne reproch blasphemie contempt and false defamation or accusation for the same Thus hath H. N. his Christ suffered the death of the Crosse in that himselfe and his illuminate elders could neither by their owne affections nor yet by the reproch and contempt of others be brought from this doctrine and seruice of loue which thing is confirmed in the. 20. Chapter of this his first exhortation and third Section in these wordes Against these assaultings the man ought in his yongnesse to learne to take vp his crosse on him to follow after Christ his Sauiour in his like suffering or death of the crosse and to shewe forth pacience with Christ against all the assaultings vntil that al the enemies or aduersaries of the louely life through the death of Christ that is in maner of suffering be vtterly vanquished and that he euen so is growne vp thorow the death or togither suffering of Christ which is the dayly oblation in the holy to the olde age of the man Christ and entred thorow the secōd birth from the dead into the euerlasting life which passage or way to the euerlasting life we haue witnessed and figured forth distinctly and clearly in the figure of the true and spirituall tabernacle and in other moe places in the glasse of righteousnesse The yong scholler in this scoole of Loue whome hee calleth the man in his yongnesse is as you heare to follow Christ that is H.N. and those illuminate elders in his like suffering and death of the crosse So that Christ had no other suffering or death of the Crosse then the yongest scholler in H.N. his schoole must suffer go vnder and that is nothing else as he sayth in this place but to shewe foorth pacience against all assaultings vntill all the aduersaries of this louely life by this maner of suffering become vtterly vanquished and hee growne vp to the olde age of the man Christ that is a perfect and absolute elder And therefore in his two next sections hee exhorteth them that it shoulde not bee tedious vnto them to shewe foorth this pacience and to abide this death of the Crosse for a little time in bearing the assaultes of those enemies who woulde turne them from the good will they haue to this godly being vnder the obedience of the loue and doeth promise vnto them that after a little time of this their distresse affliction and anguish the Lorde will bring his Christ that is as he there sayth his best beloued and most holy being vnto them in power and glorie In the 26. and 27. Sections of this Chapter he doeth in plaine wordes declare that while a man is in this yongnesse and not fully setled in the doctrine and seruice of loue but subiect to anguishe and affliction with temptations and assaultes eyther with himselfe or from others that would drawe him from the same and with griefe for his stumbling or falling by meanes thereof then is he suffering with Christ vpon the Crosse for the redemption of his sinnes These bee his wordes in that place Wherfore when as now your stumbling and falling becommeth dayly figured very great and horrible before you and that yee for that cause beeing wofull of heart feele yet the pricking of the sinne the dartes of the death and the condemnation of the hell or beare the same with anguish in your hearts yet feare not nor be dismaied in your heartes but shewe foorth pacience and followe after Christ in his suffering for those are the dayes of affliction heauinesse and death wherein Christ hath gone before you in the holy for to prepare you through the same death of the crosse the euerlasting forgiuenesse and redemption of sinnes as there is before sayde Where you may painely see that H.N. his Christ in his yongnesse as hee calleth it was a sinner and was wofull in his heart for his stumbling and falling are woful in heart he sayeth Those are the dayes of affliction and heauinesse wherein Christ hath gone before you for to prepare you through the same death of the crosse the euerlasting forgiuenesse and redemption of sinnes And if yet some more specialtie touching the death of H.N. his Christ be asked after that shal be the sooner answered if we call to remembrance that which was vttered before out of the 9. Chap. of the Euangelie and tenth Section to witte that the knowledge after the letter and the obedience vnto the same is the first birth and the knowledge of Christ after the flesh which must bee crucified and put to death that the lawfull heire which is after the spirit spirituall and heauenly may take place comparing it with that which is written in the 21. Chapter of his Euangelie in these woordes Forasmuch nowe as that in times past the clearenesse of Christ through the holy ghost was yet vnknowne vnto the vpright and faythful disciples of Iesus Christ whilest that they knew him not otherwise but after the fleshe so was it therefore needefull that Christ should keepe the Pascha or Passeouer with them for that cause the Lord Iesus caused the same to be prepared him for to keepe the Passeouer with his Disciples in the true beeing and tolde them before of his suffering and Passeouer and that they must also doe the like if they woulde come to his clearenesse in the heauenly being with his father Therfore hee gaue them to vnderstande in what maner his Passeouer should be to wit that he namely Christ after the flesh should be slaine and euen so accomplish according to the true being the true God seruice with the gifte or offering of his fleshe in the holy namely on the true aultar of the holie offring which is his crosse whereon he died in the beleefe herewith Christ
seate habitation Neither haue the arguments tokens of his loue here had their end but he hath set him on his right hand that is hath cōmitted the whole gouernment administratiō of his kingdome heervpon earth into his hands How can it goe harde with vs when our mediatour and he that hath had all these dealings for vs is become so great with our God as to bee made the head of his church to haue receiued the gouernmēt charge ouer his chosen May we not with the Apostle triumph say Who shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is Christ which is dead or rather which is risen again nay which is at the right hād of God making intercession for vs If his death brought vs from such danger what benefite wil this his life bring vnto vs and against how many and how great dangers shal it be able to defend vs If when we were enimyes we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne much more beeing reconciled we shall be saued by his life For both the instrument hath now more power and strength to performe and the matter is the fitter to be wrought vpon Christ is not entred into the holie places that are made with hands which are similitudes of the true sanctuary but is entred into very heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs Seeing then we haue an high Priest whiche is ouer the house of GOD let vs draw neare him with a true heart in assuraunce of faith sprinkling in our heartes from an euil conscience and washed in our bodyes with pure water abhorring from our heartes this cursed and comfortlesse Christ which H.N. hath brought out not meaning to comforte feede but to pyne famish his familie withall We haue not onely comforte by our Christ touching his priesthood for that he appeareth nowe in the sight of our God for vs and that the sacrifice is continually before his eyes whereby we stand discharged against sinne and made acceptable and in good fauour and grace with our God neither yet for that he beeing ascended on high and leading captiuitie captiue doth giue giftes to his Church generallie and to the seuerall members therof particularly in gouerning them by his spirite and worde beeing forcible by the working thereof to promote his glory in them but also touching his kingdome because he is our Christ to whome is giuen all power both in heauen and earth and of whome it is written The Lorde saide vnto my Lorde sitte thou at my right hand vntil I make thine enemyes thy footestoole Be thou ruler in the middest of thine enemyes without whose licence and leaue euen in his humilitie lowest estate the deuils themselues durst not to deale no not against Hogges and swine And therefore beeing now exalted into such glory how dare they be bolde to attempt any thing against the least of his seruantes without speciall licence from himselfe The Familie can finde no such comforte in their counterfaite Christe who setteth and breedeth onely in their braine hatching his reuelations and coyning these such like mysteries ruling ouer no other enemyes neither beeing carefull to kepe of other aduersaries besides the true naturall meaning of the worde of god Thus as you haue hearde hath H.N. stopped the heads of all the wel springs of life taking from vs all the seuerall comfortes which by these Articles of our beliefe we are lawfully intituled vnto sending vs to dig pittes in our selues and there to seeke for this spring of life where by the worde of God wee are well assured it can neuer be founde H.N. The seuenth Article We beleeue that Iesus Christ shal come from thence namely from the right hand of God his father out of heauen to iudge the liuing and the dead Wee confesse that he wil euen so in his cōming shewforth his great power and maiestie and make manifest with him the glorious Lordlines of the many thousands of his holy ones in their garnishing possesse his inheritance with God his father and with al his saintes in triumph and perpetual ioy euerlastingly And iudge euē so with all his holy ones as a righteous Iudge the worlde and all nations generations and languages according to the trueth with righteousnesse Answeare This cōming of Christ to iudge the quicke the dead is by the doctrine of H.N. in this life yea it is euen now in this time whē H.N. and his doctrine are manifested and brought to light Now saith H.N. shal the glorious lordlynesse of the many thousand of his holie ones in their garnishing be made manifest now shal Christ possesse his inheritaunce in triumphe perpetuall ioy euerlastingly and iudge euen so all nations and languages according to the trueth with righteousnesse In his title I haue sufficiprooued that the day of iudgement is in this life if we wil beleeue his doctrine and that it is no other thing then the publishing of this his doctrine Yet because I woulde not haue any sent away vnsatisfied herein I will adde one or two testimonies vnto the former In his Euangelie cap. 34. thus he speaketh of that matter Behold and consider my beloued how wonderfully god worketh in his holie ones and how that now in this day or light of the loue the iudgement seate of Christ is reuealed and declared vnto vs out of heauen to a righteous iudgement vpon earth from the right hand of God how that on the same iudgement seate of Christ that the Scripture might be fulfilled there sitteth one nowe in truth in the habitation of Dauid which iudgeth vprightly thinketh vppon equitie and requireth righteousnesse Through him God will now in this day which he him selfe hath appointed or ordained thereunto iudge the compasse of the earth with righteousnes In which this same day or last time namely in the perfection of the woorkes of God and in his righteous iudgement the God of heauen hath now declared him selfe and his Christ togeather with al his Saints vnto vs his elect also made a dwelling with vs and brought euen so vnto vs out of his holy beeing the most holy of his true tabernacle with the fulnesse of his garishing and spirituall heauenly riches to an euerlasting fast standing Ierusalem and house for Gods dwelling according to the Scripture the which is the very true vndisturbable kingdome ful of all godly power ioy and of al heauēly beautifulnesse wherein the laude of the Lorde with fulnes of eternal life and louely sweetnesse is song from euerlasting to euerlasting and wherein al mindes of pure hartes doe dwell liue and walke with freedom and christian triumphe in al loue He professeth heere that the iudgement seat of Christ is now reuealed in this day of loue that God wil now in this same day through him whom hee hath appointed that is him selfe for this same place and authoritie out of the 17. of the Actes hee hath
Lorde had pardoned him his sinne therefore euery man that is godly shoulde bee emboldened likewise in their sinnes to flie vnto him wherevpon it followeth that euery man that is godly is subiect to sinne And if this offence of Dauid which had pardon from the Lorde had not beene ommitted after his calling and walking vnto the worde of God then could it not haue beene an argument of hope for the godly because it was committed before he began to liue in the feare of God and therfore their estate condition should be so diuerse that one coulde not yeelde the helpe of hope vnto an other Now if euery godly man should haue hope by it then is there no man so illuminate but he remaineth subiect to sinne and therefore must liue by faith and with the true Church of God beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes Nowe forgiuenesse of sinne if H.N. his doctrine may be beleeued is not to bee had or hoped for without this his familie of loue so that euery man not beeing of that his number is shut out of the Church and kingdome of Christ and liueth without all hope of mercy and forgiuenesse from the Lorde For these be his wordes in explaning this Article No man shall obteine grace nor forgiuenesse of sinnes at God his hands without thissame holy communialtie of Christ for thissame is the holy christianity the Familie of loue wherein God himselfe dwelleth liueth walketh c. H. N. The xi Article Wee beleeue the resurrection of the fleshe wee confesse that the dead which are deceased or fallen a sleepe in Christ rise vp with their bodyes and appeare with Christ in his glory where through the whole house of Israell becommeth erected or restored in the last day according to the promises Answeare That the resurrection of the body is wholy and altogither a spirituall matter according to the doctrine of H. N it plainely appeareth in all his bookes I in deede he vseth this worde body in this place but as his accustomed kind of dealing hath beene heeretofore that the simple may the sooner be deceiued thereby in not suspecting any straunge matter to be there where they heare no other beside the knowen accustomed wordes He calleth it the resurrection of the body be cause it is acccōplished while yet we are liuing in this body for so many as nowe imbrace the doctrine of H. N. and are growen to perfection in the same in his iudgement those are risen from the deade and that is with him the resurrectiō of the body in the last day whervnto he draweth all the scriptures which mention the day of iudgement the second comming of Christ when as wel good as bad shall rise againe in the fleshe and be adiudged either to ioy or paine euerlastingly That thus he thinketh of the resurrection it is plaine and euidently to be seene in his Euangelie Chapter 35.8 Beholde in this present day is this Scripture fulfilled and according to the testimonie of the scripture the raysing vp and resurrection of the Lordes dead commeth also to passe presently in thissame day through the appearing of the comming of Christ in his maiestie which resurrection of the dead seeing that the same is come vnto vs from Gods grace we doe likewise in this present day to an Euangelie or ioyfull message of the kingdome of God and christ publish in al the world vnder the obediēce of the loue In which resurrection of the dead God sheweth vnto vs that the time is now fulfilled that his dead or the dead that are fallen on sleepe in the Lord rise vp in this day of his iudgement appeare vnto vs in godly glory which shall also frō henceforth liue in vs euerlastingly with Christ and raigne vpon the earth wherein the scripture becommeth fulfilled in this present day like as there standeth written therof And in the seconde chapter of the Euangelie Section 3. For that cause awake now in the spirit ye louers of the trueth and throughly measure or try out the ground of this same spirit which to the making aliue of all the dead that are deceassed in the Lord is proceeded from God and meruaile not at any of thissame but search or examine the scripture whether that it make not mention of the same Likewise in the 4. Chapter Section 14. For this cause our hope standeth now in this day very little on many inhabitours of the worlde for of them there shall fewe come which shall stand minded or adioyne them vnto the loue and the requiring of her seruice with all their heart and yet many fewer which shall perseuer therin vnto the ende Therefore hope we with ioy much more on the appearing of the dead which dye in the Lorde or are dead in him to wit that they in their resurrectiō from the death shall liuingly come vnto or meete with vs For all the dead of the Lord or members of Christ shall now liue arise with their bodyes we shall assemble vs with them and they with vs to one body in Iesus Christ into one louely beeing of the loue and be altogither concordable in the loue and peace of Iesu Christ He that shall reade the booke of H.N. with iudgement shall soone see and perceiue that the knowledge of his doctrine and obedience thereunto is with him all in-all it is the cōming of Christ the sound of the last Trumpet the resurrection from the deade and euerlasting life of many I will giue you one place for proofe heereof it is in his Euangelie Chapter 38. Section 2 Wherefore awake now all lift vp your heades heare and see the wonderfull actes of God and haue regarde vnto the sounde of the laste Trumpet and consider the forefront of the true Tabernacle of God wherein the beginning of the true God seruice and of the vpright Christian life becōmeth erected the holie of the true tabernacle of God wherin the true God seruice and his requiring the obedience of the belief euen vnto the vpright christian life is accomplished the vaile remoued from the most holy the most holy of the true tabernacle of god wherein the perfection of the true Christian life and al that which God hath spoken from the beginning and promised thorow his Prophets is set vp the kingdome of the God of heauens full of al pure beautie and heauenly powers wherein all mindes of pure hartes doe liue with christian triumph free without feare the day of the righteous iudgement of God in which the compasse of the earth becommeth iudged with righteousnesse the iudgement seat of Christ before which all things must needes be manifested the perfect being of God and Christ in his abundant clearnesse of the godly light the true rest of al the children of God in their perfect louelinesse and vpright being the mysterie of the heauenly trueth wherein the right seruice of loue hath his ministration the declaring of the spirituall treasures or riches