Confutation of Monstrous and Horrible Heresies, Article 7
H.N. The ſeuenth Article.
We beleeue that Ieſus Chriſt ſhal come from thence (namely, from thet.Acte. 1. b. right hand of God his father, out of heauen, tov.Mat. 16. d. 24.25. Acte. 10. c 2. Tim. 4. a. 1. Peter. 4. a. 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, thex.Luke 21. 1. Theſta. 4. a. Iude. 1. b. 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,y.Eſay. 3. b. Sapien. 3. a. Mat. 19. c. c. 2. Theſſa. 1. a the worlde and all nations, generations and languages, according to the trueth withz.Acte, 17, d. Iude. 1. b. 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 hauehave 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 hauehave any ſent away vnſatiſfied herein, I will adde one or two teſtimonies vntounto 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 louelove, the iudgement ſeate of Chriſt is reuealed and declared vntounto vsus, out of heauen, to a righteous iudgement vponupon 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 vntounto vsus his elect: alſo made a dwelling with vsus: and brought euen ſo vntounto vsus 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 heauē ly 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 louelove. He profeſſeth heere that the iudgement ſeat of Chriſt, is now reuealed in this day of louelove, & 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 challenged to himſelfe in his title as you hearde before) to iudge the compaſſe of the earth with righteouſneſſe,Here in this life is the fulneſſe of eternall life. and that the God of heauen hath nowe declared him ſelfe and his Chriſt to his elect, with the fulnes of his garniſhing and ſpiritual heauenly riches, to an euerlaſting houſe for God his dwelling, the which (as he ſaith) is the true vndiſturbable kingdome full of all godly power, ioy, and heauenly beautifulneſſe, wherin is the fulneſſe of eternal life. And in the 35. chapter of his Euangelie, he confirmeth the ſame in theſe words. Behold in this preſent day is this ſcripture fulfilled: & according to the teſtimony of the ſcripture, the raiſing vp and the reſurrection of the Lordes dead, commeth alſo to paſſe preſently in this ſame day, through the appearing of the cōming of Chriſt in his maieſtie. Which reſurrectiō of the dead, ſeeing that the ſame is come vntounto vsus frō gods grace, we do likewiſe in this preſēt day, to an Euangelie or ioyful meſſage of the kingdōe of god & chriſt, publiſh in al the world, vnderunder the obediēce of the louelove, In which reſurrectiō of the dead, God ſheweth vntounto vsus, that the time is now fulfilled, that his dead, or the dead which are fallē a ſleepe in the lord, riſe vp in this day of his iudgement and appeare vntounto vsus in godly glory, which ſhal alſo frō henceforth, liue in vsus euerlaſtingly with Chriſt, & raigne vponupon the earth. Wherin the ſcripture becōmeth fulfilled in this preſēt day, The dead shal riſe and liue in H.N. and in the illuminate elders euerlaſtingly and raigne vponupon the earth.like as there ſtandeth writtē therof. He affirmeth here in plaine words▪ that ye dead wc are fallen a ſtepe in the Lord, riſe vp in this day of his iudgemēt & appeare vntounto H.N. & the illuminate elders of his familie, in godly glory. He affirmeth like wiſe, yt they ſhal frō hēceforth liue in him, & his felow elders euerlaſtingly, thē the wt, what can be more erronious? For by this doctrine, the reſurrectiō, ſhould be onelyonly of thē that ſleepe in the Lord, that is, of the good, of which number he taketh thē to be alone, who now receiue his doctrine: & euerlaſting life which they riſe vp to enioy, ſhould be onelyonly to liue after that courſe of life, which he & his illuminat felow elders do keepe. For he ſaith that they are to liue in him, and in his fellow elders euerlaſtingly, & to reigne vppon the earth. If their eies bee not altogeather cloſed vp, who fauour the doctrine of H.N. they may well diſcerne, that this reſurrection is not that reſurrection whiche the Scripture mencioneth, neither is this chaunge of them that imbrace his doctrine that which the Apoſtle reporteth. 1. Corinth, 15.52. Which (as he teſtifieth there) is to be perfourmed in a moment, in the twinckling of an eye, at the laſt Trumpe. Nowe I am wel aſſured experience wil tel thē, beſide the doctrine of H.N. which confirmeth the ſame, that they are not by and by in a moment, after they hauehave hearde the blaſte of H.N. his doctrine, partakers of the reſurrection, that is, made elders and illuminate men. In the 37. Chapter of of his Euangelie, likewiſe this ſame matter is teſtified of him more cleerely, yf poſſible that may be: Yea happy is he, which now reſpecteth wel the true light, and aſſembleth him in this day, vntounto the mercy ſeate of the Maieſtie of God and Chriſt to his ſaluation, for after this day, there ſhall no day of grace come vppon the earth, becauſe all the workes of God, and his Prophecies bee come fulfilled according to the ſcripture in the ſame. And for that the righteous iudgement of God, to an euerlaſting death and damnation of all vngodly, and to an eternall life and ſaluation of all the holy ones, and elect of God, becommeth alſo executed therein. This opinion of his, is confuted before at large in my anſwere to that title, which hee challengeth vntounto him ſelfe, This onelyonly teſtimony I wyll adde to the former, for the ouerthrowe of this opinion, If to doe good and liue well, be the reſurrection of life, howe is that true, which S. Iohn teſtifieth, that they which hauehave doone good, ſhall come foorth of the Graues, vntounto the reſurrection of life? With what trueth or in what ſence can it be ſaid of a man,Iohn. 5.29. that he commeth forth to that, which already he hath in him ſelfe and is poſſeſſed of? Nay if this bee the reſurrection to ariſe vp to the imbraſing of H.N. his doctrine, with what trueth can it be ſaide, that they which alreadie hauehave doone good, ſhal come forth vntounto the reſurrectiō of life: whē he is of opinion that we are voide of al goodnes & grace, vntil we become ſeaſoned with this ſeruice of the louelove? And howe can they which hauehave doone good come out of the graue, when by his doctrine they hauehave come out of theyr graues, before they hauehave done good? For death & burial vntounto ſinne, are in order before the reſurrection, vntounto righteouſnes and newneſſe of life. What comfort can our faith finde in this article of our beliefe, yf H.N. his doctrine be true? If all were perfourmed which hee promiſeth, yet can wee come by no other comfort from him then this, that yf wee ſhall imbrace his doctrine, then ſhall wee lyue as hee doeth heere vppon earth. This is all the benefite that our faith obteyneth by the reſurrection of H.N. his Chriſt from the dead.