Confutation of Monstrous and Horrible Heresies, Article 6
H. N. The ſixt Article.
We beleeuen.Mark. 16. b. Luke. 24. f. Actes. 1. b. that this ſame Ieſus (like as the Scripture mencioneth thereof) isn.Mark. 16. b. Luke. 24. f. Actes. 1. b. aſcended into Heauen ſitting at theo.Phil. 2. a. Collo. 3. a. Heb. 12. a. right hand of God his almightie Father. We confeſſe that he hathp.Mark. 16. b. Actes. 1. b. taken in the heauen, and reigneth and ruleth eſſentially in the heauenly beeing with his father, vntill that all his enemyes be layde vnderunder his fete:q.Pſal. 116. a Ephe. 1. c. and that he in like maner ſhall in eueryevery behalfe take in the kingdome,r1. Cor. 15. c. and all dominion, and power, and render it all ouer vntounto his father, that God may euen ſo beſNum. 14. c. 1. Cor. 15. c. all in all according to the promiſes.
Anſweare. This confeſſor H. N. acknowledgeth and confeſſeth that this ſame Ieſus of 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 wt knowledge immediatly frō God himſelf. For his Chriſt after the ſpirit, is him ſelfe, and all that his number, who are by obedience vntounto 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.: Euangelie. 16.10.11.12.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 vntounto 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 louelove, 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 vponupon 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 vntounto 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 vntounto 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, wt theſe liuing, neither gaue it any more clearnes vntounto 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 vntounto 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 vntounto him at the right hand of God his father in the heauenly beeing. This is the taking in of the the heauen,How H.N. his Chriſt hath aſcended into 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 louelove. Heere is neither hope nor comfort for vsus 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 hauehave 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 hauehave 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 vsus. 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 louelove. 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 vsus with cleere and plaine doctrine out of his woorde, againſt theſe and the like daungers, and hath left vntounto vsus, the knowledge of his Chriſt, to our exceeding great comfort and conſolation: inſomuch that eueryevery 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 vnderunder 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 vsus: but hath receiued him into heauen, his owne ſeate & habitation. Neither hauehave the arguments & tokens of his louelove here had their end, but he hath ſet him on his right hand, that is, hath cō mitted the whole gouernment & adminiſtratiō of his kingdome heervpon earth into his hands. How can it goe harde with vsus, when our mediatour, and he that hath had all theſe dealings for vsus, is become ſo great with our God, as to bee made the head of his church, & to hauehave receiued the gouernmēt & charge ouer his choſen? May we not wt 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 vsus? If his death brought vsus from ſuch danger, what benefite wil this his life bring vntounto vsus, and againſt how many and how great dangers, ſhal it be able to defend vsus? If when we were enimyes, we were reconciled vntounto 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 vponupon. 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 vsus. Seeing then we hauehave an high Prieſt, whiche is ouer the houſe of GOD, let vsus 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 hauehave not onelyonly comforte by our Chriſt, touching his prieſthood, for that he appeareth nowe in the ſight of our God for vsus, 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 giuegive 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 vntounto 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 onelyonly 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 hauehave hearde, hath H.N. ſtopped the heads of all the wel ſprings of life, taking from vsus all the ſeuerall comfortes, which by theſe Articles of our beliefe, we are lawfully intituled vntounto, ſending vsus 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.