Confutation of Monstrous and Horrible Heresies, Point 10
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, vnderunder the obedience of the louelove of Ieſus Chriſt, to become implanted into Chriſt, the gracious worde of the Lorde: and euen ſo then to die with Chriſt in hisdRom. 6. a. Phil. 3. b. like death,eRom. 6. a. b. c. 2. Peter. 4. a. 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 thefIohn. 3. a. Rom. 6 a. ſecond birth from the dead, becomegEphe. 4. e. renued in the ſpirit of their minde, in Ieſus Chriſt. For therethrough wee all obteine and enioy, in the vprighthLuke. 1. g. Ephe. 1. a. righteouſneſſe and holineſſe which GOD eſteemeth, theiRom. 8. b. making aliue from the dead, namely with all thekEſay. 26. e. Ezec. 36. c. 37. b righteous and holie ones of God: in the daylOſe. 13. b. Iohn. 5. c. of the reſurrection: and inheritemRom. 6. g. 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 vntounto his doctrine, which thing he expreſſeth in theſe woordes (ſuch as indeuour themſelues in the beliefe, vnderunder the obedience of the louelove of Ieſus Chriſt, to become implanted into Chriſt, the gracious woorde of the Lord, for Chriſt (as you hauehave 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 hauehave not thus learned Chriſt, ſo manie as hauehave 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 vntounto 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 hauehave 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 vnderunder for our ſinnes, hauehave giuen ſentence on his ſide, & ſo iuſtified vsus in him. Which thing the apoſtle cōfirmeth, triumphing ouer condēnation, not onelyonly becauſe we hauehave diſcharged it by his death: but alſo becauſe we hauehave our Quietus eſt, & acquittance to ſhew for the ſame,Rom. 8.33. 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,1. Cor. 15.17. that if Chriſt be not riſen from the dead, we hauehave nothing to ſhewe for our diſcharge againſt ſinne,Rom. 5.25. but do remaine yet vnderunder 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 vntounto vsus. And therefore when he had before declared, that not only Abraham his faith was imputed vntounto him for righteouſneſſe, but alſo that ours ſhalbe imputed vntounto vsus, hee telleth vsus 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 vntounto death, did caſt all our ſinnes vponupon him, and condemned our ſinnes in him:Rom. 8.…. ſo in rayſing him frō the dead he iuſtified and abſolued him, & vsus in him, (inaſmuch as but for vsus, neither ſinne, nor death could hauehave 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 vponupon 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 hauehave bene cleared of iniurye offred vntounto vsus, nor his Iuſtice hauehave bene vnſpotted euen before vsus, which if once wee ſuffer to enter but into our thoughtes, it maketh vsus giltye of high treaſon againſt our God. This doctrine therefore of H. N. who will hauehave our dying vntounto ſynne, not onelie to preuent, but alſo to procure our riſing vntounto righteouſneſſe, not mencioning any other benefite that wee hauehave from Chriſt his reſurrectiō, beſide the example that is ſet before vsus, 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.Ephe. 2 6. And therfore the Apoſtle in the 2. to the Ephe. doth fetch our riſing vntounto righteouſneſſe frō Chriſt his reſurrection, and ioyning them togither ſpeaketh thus: God which is rich in merciemercy, euen when we were deade by ſinnes, hath quickened vsus togither in Chriſt, and hath rayſed vsus vp togither. And accordingly to the Colloſians, draweth his exhortation vntounto 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, Collo. 3.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, Ephe. 4.8.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 onelyonly 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 hauehave nothing in H.N. his Creed to be beleeued, but many things in our conuerſation to be practiſed, nothing to leaue vntounto that was once doone by him, but al that we may truſt to, muſt proceede from our ſelfe. Touching this poynt, Whether our dying vntounto ſin, doe both preuent and purchaſe the renewing of our minde, it hath beene anſweared in the article immediatly going before.