Confutation of Monstrous and Horrible Heresies, Article 10
H.N. The tenth Article.
Wee beleeue the forgiueneſſe ofl.Matth. 9. a. 16.18. Iohn. 20. c. Actes. 13. c▪ ſinnes, namely in the ſame communialty of holy ones, which ſtandeth grounded in thſſame vpright and godly beliefe of Ieſu Chriſt, and becommeth baptized in that ſame holie beeing of GOD aboue rehearſed, and where them.Col. 3. b. louelove hath obtained the victory. Wee confeſſe alſo, that no man ſhall obtaine grace, or forgiueneſſe of ſinnes at Gods hand, without thiſſame holie communialtie of Chriſt. For thiſſame is the holy Chriſtianitie: the familie of LoueLove: wherein GOD himſelfen.2. Cor. 6. b. Apo. 21. a. dwelleth, liueth, and walketh: and the true communialtie of Iſraell, which reigneth with God and Chriſt, ouer all her enemyes.
Anſweare. Hee that calleth to minde that doctrine which H.N. which hath ſet foorth before, in his expoſition vponupon the 4. Article, ſhall plainely perceiue, that remiſſion and forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, is nothing elſe, but to bee ſet free from ſinning any more againſt God: and that not to be attained vntounto any otherwiſe, then by following his Chriſt, in the death of the croſſe, vnderunder the obedience of the louelove. Which opinion is confirmed in his Euangelie Chapter 30. Section 6. The clenſing, which is called Purgatory, Euan. 30.6.ſignifieth vntounto vsus, the making pure of the beleeuers of Chriſt, which they in diſtreſſe, affliction, ſorrowe and anguiſh for the ſinnes cauſe, doe paſſe thorowe, wherein they, as in a fire of humiliation, are purged, or iuſtified from all their ſinnes, through the beliefe, for to enter euen ſo with pure heartes, into the kingdome of the GOD of heauēs. In which fire of clenſing, or Purgatory, the vpright beleeuers of Chriſt, ſhew foorth patience in prayer vntounto God, and euen ſo in the beliefe, and in manner of ſuffering, they followe after Chriſt in his death of the croſſe, to the purging of their ſinnes. And the 28 Chapter of that ſame booke, and firſt Section, this his opinion is likewiſe eſtabliſhed. Theſe be his woordes. Whilſt nowe the children of men cleaued vntounto the vpright faith of Abraham, which was of one beeing with the true light of life, or grounded themſelues therein, and euen ſo obediently ſuſpected the ſeruice of the beliefe, adminiſtred out of the true light, which is Chriſt himſelfe in his requiring, exerciſed them therein, and onelyonly gaue eare and had regarde vntounto the miniſters of the holie word, which had kept the Paſſeouer with Chriſt, out of the fleſh, into the ſpirit, & out of death into life, & were euen ſo implanted into Chriſt, & coedified with God: and alſo beeing obedient vntounto the worde, in his requiring, bide ſtedfaſt therein, vntill that they had alſo kept the paſſouer with Chriſt, and obtayned the renewing of their ſpirit and mind, in Ieſu Chriſt, the which is the vpright ſupper, or Paſcha, wherein men rightly eate the body of Chriſt, drinke his bloode, are partakers of his ſuffering, and baptized in his death, vntounto his burying: and euen ſo remember the ſuffering of Chriſt, and witneſſe or publiſh his death, till vntounto his comming, that is, vntill the true light ariſe in the heart, ſo were they made ſafe, iuſtified from their ſinnes, renewed in the ſpirit of their minde, and ſanctified in Chriſt, to fellow members of his body, & to coheires in the riches of God his father, in the euerlaſting life. This doctrine which maketh man his owne Sauiour and redeemer, is plentifully confuted in the fourth Article, wherevnto I refer the reader. A man would not imagine that they could attempt ſo much miſchieuous matter againſt vsus, and our ſaluation: euen then, when they giuegive vsus no worſe woordes, then the holie Ghoſt doth vſe. For heere are heard no other wordes, then wordes of pardon, and forgiueneſſe, and yet there is no other matter in hand, thē matter of purchaſing and paying for our ſaluation. But no marueile if H.N. (who before was ſufficiently prooued to bee Iudas) doe nowe kiſſe, when he meaneth to kill, and in woords putteth vsus in hope of a pardon: when in deede is drift is, to hauehave vsus pay the vtmoſt farthing.Heb. 10.16.17 In the tenth Chapter to the Hebrues, it is plainely prooued, that euen thoſe his deare and beſt beloued Children, in whoſe heartes and mindes, himſelfe hath written his owne lawes: hauehave in them notwithſtanding matter to be pardoned and forgiuen. After thoſe dayes (ſaieth the Lorde) I will put my lawes in their heart, and in their mynde I will write them, and their ſinnes and iniquities I will remember no more. The place is alleadged out of the Prophete Ieremye, Iere. 32.I wil make an euerlaſting couenant with them, that I will neuer turne away from them to doe them good: but I will put my feare in their hearts, that they ſhall not departe from me. Theſe people to whome the Lorde hath made this large and liberall promiſe, that they ſhall enioy ſuch a portion of his feare, as ſhalbe able to kepe thē from departing from him: theſe (I ſay) that hauehave and enioy ſuch a meaſure of mercy from the Lorde: hauehave all this notwithſtanding in that their eſtate ſinnes to be pardoned, and that with one offering for all, neuer after to be renued: With one offering hath he cōſecrated for euer (ſaith the holie Ghoſt) them, that be ſanctified. And againe,Verſe. 14. Where remiſſion of theſe things is, there is nowe no more offering for ſinne. If one offering conſecrate for euer them that be ſanctified: then are there not ſo many offeringes to conſecrate wtall, as there be perſons ſanctified: which is the doctrine of H.N. If one offering conſecrate for euer, them that be ſanctified: then H. N. and his Familie, are not ſanctified, becauſe they refuſe that one offering, which the Lord hath appointed, thereby to conſecrate for euer them that are ſanctified: and hauehave erected in ſteade therof, a continuall offering, and oblation for ſinne, wherin eueryevery man muſt play the Prieſte for himſelfe. And therefore, albeit he affirme words, that there is remiſſion, and forgiueneſſe of ſinne in his Familie: yet in trueth it is otherwiſe:Heb. 10.18. for where there is remiſſion of ſinne, there is no more offering for ſinne: Nowe in H. N. his Familie, there is more offering for ſinne, and therfore there is among them no remiſſion of ſinne. The Prophete Dauid affirmeth,Pſal. 3 2.6. that becauſe the Lorde had pardoned him his ſinne, therefore eueryevery man that is godly ſhoulde bee emboldened likewiſe in their ſinnes to flie vntounto him: wherevpon it followeth that eueryevery man that is godly, is ſubiect to ſinne. And if this offence of Dauid, which had pardon from the Lorde had not beene ommitted after his calling, and walking vntounto the worde of God: then could it not hauehave beene an argument of hope for the godly, becauſe it was committed before he began to liue in the feare of God: and therfore their eſtate & condition ſhould be ſo diuerſe, that one coulde not yeelde the helpe of hope vntounto an other. Now if eueryevery godly man ſhould hauehave hope by it: then is there no man ſo illuminate, but he remaineth ſubiect to ſinne, and therefore muſt liue by faith, and with the true Church of God, beleeue the forgiueneſſe of ſinnes. Nowe forgiueneſſe of ſinne (if H.N. his doctrine may be beleeued) is not to bee had or hoped for, without this his familie of louelove: ſo that eueryevery man, not beeing of that his number, is ſhut out of the Church,He that is not of this familie of LoueLove, shall neuer obtaine forgiueneſſe of his ſins at God his hand. and kingdome of Chriſt, and liueth without all hope of mercy, and forgiueneſſe from the Lorde. For theſe be his wordes, in explaning this Article: No man ſhall obteine grace, nor forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, at God his hands, without thiſſame holy communialtie of Chriſt: for thiſſame is the holy chriſtianity, the Familie of louelove, wherein God himſelfe dwelleth, liueth & walketh &c.