Confutation of Monstrous and Horrible Heresies, Article 9
H.N. The nienth Article.
Wee beleeue one holy Churche a communialtiea.Iohn. 17, c. Rom. 12. a. 15. b. 1. Cor. 12. a. Ephe. 4. b. of holie ones: which is the conioyned bodieb.Ephe. 10.5. a. of Chriſt or incorporated through the louelove, to Chriſt: and that the ſhedding forthc.Actes 2. a. of the holy Ghoſt commeth to paſſe: vnderunder the obedience of the louelove vppon the ſame. For through the holie Ghoſt (wherewith ſhee is: in all louelove annoynted, bleſſed, and elected, to a ſanctifiedd.Apo. 21. a. bride of Chriſt:) ſhee becommeth named one holy communialty of holie ones, which is the holie conioyned body of the bodie of Ieſu Chriſt
Section. 37We confes that this ſame one holye.Actes 2. a. comunialtie which becommeth euen ſo as is aboue ſaid incorporated through the louelove: into the bodie of Ieſu Chriſt, as onef.Iohn. 17. c. bodie with him, and baptized in his ſauing health: is the true Chriſtianitie, and the vpright holieg.Apo. 22. a. 22. churche of Ieſu Chriſt. Wherevnto all people ſhoulde of right aſſemble them vnderunder the obedience of the louelove, to their bleſſing and ſaluation according to the promiſes: For ſhe is God maieſty,h.Iohn. 14. b. Apo. 21. a. or the true houſe of the louelove, for his dwelling, wherein God will hauehave merciemercy on all people.
Section 38.Who ſo nowe therefore aſſembleth him not vnderunder the obdiēce of the louelove: vntounto the ſame holy Church of Ieſu Chriſt, neither yet ſubmitteth him humbly, vnderunder the ſame maieſtie of GOD, but contemneth the righteouſneſſe of GOD: and the ſpiritual giftes & riches of Chriſt & ſo turnethi.Tim. 4. a. 2. Tim. 3. a. 2 Pet. 3. a. away him ſelf from the communialtie of the louelove, the choſen holy ones of God, he ſheweth that hee is falſe of hearte, and ſtandeth minded agaynſt GOD and his holie Church, and bringeth euen ſo the iudgementk.Iud. 1. b. of his condemnation ouer himſelfe.
Anſweare. H.N. profeſſeth here, that this ſect is the true, and onelyonly Church of Chriſt, incorporated through louelove to Chriſt, wherevnto all people ſhoulde of right aſſemble themſelues, to their bleſſing and ſaluation, becauſe ſhe is Gods Maieſtie, for theſe be his owne wordes. Hee profeſſeth likewiſe, that whoſoeuer turneth himſelfe away, from this communialtie of the louelove, hee bringeth euen ſo the iudgement of his condemnation ouer himſelfe. In many places of this booke he flatly condemneth all people, that are not of this ſecte, hee affirmeth their eſtate to hee a falſe beyng, the Diuell, the Antichriſt, the wicked ſpirit the kingdome of Hell, 1. Exhor. 15.17.& the maieſtie of the Diuell himſelfe: they are his verie woordes in the fifteenth Chapter of his firſt exhortation. I will not ſtand long vponupon this point, but content my ſelfe onelyonly with two teſtimonies, and thoſe taken out of this, and the next chapter, whereby eueryevery man may eaſily perceiue, what his iudgement is, both of the Preachers and people, whereſoeuer, or howe many ſoeuer that are not of his familie. Thus he ſpeaketh in the fifteenth Chapter of his firſt Exhortation, and tenth Section: The vnilluminated vnſent teachers, buſie, and apply them very earneſtly about the profounde knowledge of the Scriptures, or high vnderſtandinges, according to the pleaſing, either contentation of men, or about a paynted holines, or falſe righteouſnes, according to the fleſhe, or outwarde appearance, that hath before the fleſhly minded, a ſhewe of righteouſnes, but inwardly their nature or minde, is full of iniquitie and full of all falſe witneſſinges, againſt God his gratious woorde, and his Miniſters, and they are not elſe what, but a neſt of Diuelles, and of all wicked Spirites. Therefore ſurely, the riches of the knowledge, in all falſe heartes, of the Scripture-learned, and in all preſumptuous or arrogant ſelfe wiſe is the falſe ſpirite of Antichriſt, which through his ſhew of outwarde holines, and great knowledge in the Scripture, worketh a ſecrete iniquitie, and eſteemeth himſelfe as more worthie, then the louelove and her ſeruice, and aboue the wiſedome of God, or the vpright life, to be the ſpirit of the ful wiſedom it ſelf. And in the ſixteenth Chapter, which is the next following, and ſeuenteenth Section he confirmeth his iudgement in theſe woordes. Therefore it is aſſuredly al falſe, & lies, ſeducing and deceitful, what the vngodly or vnilluminated men, out of the imaginatiō or riches of their own knowledg, & out of the learnednes, of the Scriptures bring foorth, inſtitute, preache, and teache. They preache in deed the letter & imaginatiō of their knowledge, but not the word of the liuing God. Seing then they hauehave not fulfilled obediently, the firſt entrance, into the doctrine of the gratious word, & yet neuertheleſſe, with free hearts preſumptuoſly boaſt them to hauehave. and to vſe all what is brought, & geuē out of grace, to the holieones of God, in the communialtie of the louelove, There is no true Chriſtianitie but among them that growe vp in the family of louelove vntounto illuminate elders.& lie or erre therein: ſo is doubtleſſe all their doing, & word that they vſe, out of the free mindednes of their heat, a falſe freedom, out the falſe light, the imagination of the knowledge, & all their congregation, let thē eſteeme thēſelues ſo holy as they will: a falſe Chriſtianity, and Deuilles Synagogue or ſchoole. For there is none other cōmunialtie of holie ones or true Chriſtianitie but the communialty of holy ones in the louelove of Ieſu Chriſt, & al ſuch as adioyne thē thervnto, and grow vp vnderunder the obedience of the louelove, in the ſame louelove, to elders of the holy & godly vnderſtanding. His woordes can no waye be arreſted ſo, but that any man, who ſhall read them may ſee and plainly perceiue, that he thinketh of al that are not of his familie, imbracing his doctrine, & adioyning themſelues to that number as of a falſe chriſtianitie, a diuels ſinagogue or ſchole: they be his owne woordes euen now cited as you hauehave hearde. It is very expedient therefore to examine what trueth there is, in this his aſſertion. The true Church of Chriſt, reſteth vponupon Chriſt and his obedience: H.N. his familie, reſteth vponupon the law, and their obedience yeelded vntounto the ſame: for that is their Chriſt, and all the meanes of ſaluation that they doe acknowledge, as doeth plainely appeare by that which hath beene ſpoken afore of their Chriſt. Wee may therefore ſay vntounto them with the Apoſtle:Galla. 5.4. ye are aboliſhed from Chriſt, who ſoeuer are iuſtified by the law,Galla. 3.29. ye are fallen from grace. The Church of Chriſt is Abraham his ſeede, and therfore as he was, ſo they be heires by promiſe: H.N. his familie, commeth to all their happineſſe by their own paines & proper purchaſe, & therfore fallen frō grace, and lye vnderunder the curſe of God: For ſo many as are of the workes of the law, are vnderunder the curſe, ſaith the Apoſtle.Galla. 3.10. In the true Church of Chriſt, the iuſi man, who becauſe he is iuſt, cannot be voyde of the fruites of righteouſneſſe and true holineſſe: yet leaneth he not to that his labour, as now beeing altogither free from imperfection: but liueth by his faith, and reſteth in the mercy of his God, according as it is written by the Apoſtle: The iuſte ſhall liue by faith. Galla. 3.11.But in this Familie, there iuſt men leaue and let goe, all faith and credite in the goodneſſe of any other, and will liue by their owne laboure.
This ſanctification and holineſſe of the Church of Chriſte, albeit it be ſounde and ſincere, yet is it neuer perfect and abſolute in this life, without ſinne and imperfection at all.Iohn. 15.2. For we doe reade in the Goſpell after Saint Iohn, that braunches, euen all of thoſe without exception, which bring forth fruite, be in no other eſtate, but that they hauehave in them notwithſtanding matter of neceſſitie to be purged, that ſo they may bring foorth more fruite: EueryEvery 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 hauehave from thence their ſappe, & ſtrength to beare: but the fellowes of this Familie hauehave 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 hauehave our ſap in our ſelues.