Confutation of Monstrous and Horrible Heresies, Article 8 – Point 11
H.N. The eight Article.
Wee beleeue in the holya.Iohn. 14. c. 16 1. Iohn. 5. a Ghoſt: and that the ſame, in the oldneſſe of theb.Ioel. 2. c. tyme, when the dayes of the patience of Chriſt, in the obedience of the holy and gratious woorde▪ and his ſeruice of louelove, are fulfilled, becommethc.Acts. 2. c. 10. c powred foorth from the right hand of God, through Ieſus Chriſt, namely ouer them all that hauehaved.Mat. 19. c. followed Chriſt in his death of the croſſe obediently, and hauehave kept his doctrine, with the word of his patiencee.Luk. 22. c. 24. euen vntounto the ende, that is which are paſſed through, or hauehave accompliſhed the Paſſeouer with Chriſt till vntounto the ſecondef.Mat. 19. Rom. 6. birth from the dead. Or vntounto the new life of the true being of Chriſt.
Anſweare. Wee doe heare nothing from H. N. to mooue vsus too thinke, that the holy Ghoſt is God, which thing woulde not hauehave beene omitted, if hee had been ſounde therein, ſeeing he openeth vntounto his familie the principles of religiō, whereof this is one of the chiefe, and ſetteth downe beſide the woordes of our Creede, his owne expoſition & explication of the ſame: ſeyng alſo that of all the churches which profeſſe Chriſtianitie throughout the whole worlde, there is no one, that hath vntounto this day imbraſed his doctrine, or ioyned with him in religion, and thoſe which throughly know hym, profeſſe warre with him: conſidering likewiſe, that the ſcripture hath not left vsus without ſufficient light, to prooue the holy Ghoſt not onelyonly to be God in ſubſtaunce one with the father and the ſonne, but alſo diſtinct in perſon. I ſay in theſe, and ſuche like reſpectes, his ſilence in ſo principal a thing, bewrayeth him ſelfe not to be ſounde 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 hauehave followed Chriſte in the death of his croſſe, vntounto the newe life or ſeconde birth? Can men make any beginning in Chriſtianitie, before the ſpirit of God bee geeuen vntounto 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? 1. Cor. 2.11.HaueHave the ſeruantes of GOD, his ſpirite powred vppon them, when they hauehave beene dead vntounto ſinne? is it not by the power of the ſpirite of GOD, that they die vntounto ſinne, aſwell as they that lyue vntounto righteouſneſſe? Doeth not the Apoſtle attribute the mortifiyng of the deedes of the body to the ſpirite in theſe woordes?Rom. 8.13. 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 vntounto the ſeruauntes of GOD, before they hauehave altogeather left ſinne, and become vtterly dead vntounto the ſame? For hee is of opinion, that the holy ghoſt is not graunted vntounto his familie, before that time that Chriſte in the ſpirite (as was ſpoken before) appeare vntounto 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 vponupon 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 louelove, 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 hauehave kept the woorde of his pacience, vntounto the ende, then becometh the holy Ghoſt powred foorth vponupon ſuche, from the right hande of GOD. Thoſe of the family which dye before they be elders and come to perfection, be damned for euer by the doctrine of H. N.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 hauehave not the ſpirite of Chriſt, the ſame is not his: and by this doctrine of H. N. they are not partakers thereof,Rom. 8.9. 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, becomeg.Actes. 1. a. baptized or waſhed through Chriſt, in the pure and liuingh.Iohn. 3. a. 7. 1. Actes. 2. c. 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, vnderunder the obedience of the louelove of the holy Ghoſt, doeth Chriſt make manifeſtk.Apo. 21. a. his holy church, thel.Actes. 2. a. Ephe. 1 c. 2. c. cōmunialtie of his holy ones, and eſtabliſheth on the ſame the promiſes m.Gen. 12, a. 22of God his heauenly father, and euen ſo plainely ſheweth who are the right Chriſtians, & in what maner of wiſe that they become baptized, vnderunder the obedience of the beliefe of Ieſu Chriſt, in the name of the holyn.Actes. 10. e Ephc. 1. b. 4. d. Ghoſt. And that is the vpright chriſtian baptiſme, in theo.Mat. 28. b. Actes. 1. a. 2. a. 10. e. name of the holy Ghoſt, and it is the true ſecondep.Iohn. 3. a byrth, out of the holy Ghoſt, the ttue louelove of GOD and Chriſt.
Anſweare. THeſe vpright beleeuers hauehave the waters of the holy Ghoſt, as H. N. affirmeth, powred foorth ouer them wt full cleerenes of God abundantly: and thus doth Chriſt make manifeſt his holy Churche vnderunder the obedience of the louelove through the ſhedding foorth of the holy Ghoſt, who is nothing els, but [the louelove 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,Sinne is ſubdued in vsus before we hauehave the holy Ghoſt. 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 vntounto them. Fourthly. Baptiſme is no cutwarde ſeale and aſſurance of that good will the Lord beareth vntounto vsus, but an inwarde perfect obedience, that wee yeelde vntounto him. And laſt of al, the holie Ghoſt, is not that wt begetteth in vsus the louelove of God & Chriſt, as it is written: but it is the verie louelove it ſelf of God and Chriſt, and nothing elſe. Theſe errours be ſo euident,Rom. 7 that if nothing had bene ſaide ſeuerally vntounto them before, being once brought out vntounto the barre, and arrayned, a man woulde thinke they would at the firſt hauehave yeelded, confeſſed, and neuer for ſhame by pleading not guiltie, hauehave made any further trouble vntounto the countrie for their tryall.