Confutation of Monstrous and Horrible Heresies, Article 3
H.N. The third Article.
14. We beleeue that the ſame ſonne of GOD is conceiued of the holief.Eſa. 7. b. Matth. 1. c. Luke 1. d. Ghoſt, through the power of the moſte higheſt: and borne of the holieg.Luk. 2. b. Gal. 4. a. Virgin Mary.
15 We confeſſe that this ſame ſonne of God, which is conceiued of the holie Ghoſte, and borne of the holie Virgin Mary, is the true and promiſed ſeedeh.Gen. 22 b. Rom. 4. b. Gal. 3. b. and borne to the bleſſing of all generations of the earth according to the promiſes.
Anſweare. In this Creede ſo ful of new & ſtraunge matters, maruel not if H.N. adde ſome thing new and ſtraunge in words. We ſay in our common Creede as of a thing paſte, That Ieſus Chriſt was conceiued of the holie Ghoſte. In H.N. his Creede ye heare, wee are taught to ſay as of a thing preſent, that he is conceiued of the holie Ghoſte, whereby hee putteth vsus in remembraunce of this newe Chriſt, which he hath brought into the world, whom becauſe he hath imagined to be nothing elſe but a perfection in the minde of ſo many as hauehave bene or ſhall bee inheritours of the promiſes, he cannot ſay that his conception is altogither paſte: for ſo often as any are brought on, to that eſtate which H.N. ſetteth forth in his doctrine, ſo often in his opinion is Chriſt conceiued of the holy Ghoſt, as appeareth in the eighteenth chapter of his Euangelie, which place is already ſet downe before and alleaged by me. And albeit enough hath beene ſpoken to him that will vnderſtand,Chriſt is ſo often conceiued of the holie Ghoſt, as any shall hauehave profited wel in this doctrine of H.N. for proofe that H.N. taketh Chriſte to bee but a courſe in life and conuerſation, which ſo many attaine vntounto, as ſhall auoyde the wrath of God, or as himſelfe ſpeaketh, [a walking in the louely beeing]: yet I thinke it not amiſſe, to adde vntounto the former one teſtimonie more, becauſe this place we now hauehave in hand, is occupyed aboute that matter. In the twelfth Chapter of his firſt exhortation Section 22. and 34. theſe be his wordes: If ye wil not that the wrath of GOD ſhould come or fall vppon you, ſo deale faithfully before GOD and his holines, and walke with your ſpitite in the louely and vertuous beeing: faſten your minde thereto: and builde your righteouſneſſe theron, for that is an eternall faſt ſtandding foundation, wheron all GOD his Prophetes and q.Epheſ. 2. d.holy ones hauehave builded, and is Chriſte him ſelfe. This walking with their ſpirit in the louely and vertuous beeing, he calleth as you heare [Chriſt himſelfe] and thoſe who keepe this courſe of life, and walk in the louely beeing how many ſo euer, doth he ſpeake of heere in the ſingular number as of one perſon and one ſeede, when he ſaith, This ſame ſonne of GOD which is conceiued by the holy Ghoſte, and borne of the holy Virgin Mary, is the true and promiſed ſeede, borne to the blesſing of all generatiōs of the earth: As alſo he ſpeaketh in his Euangelie or Goſpel, when he ſaith, The vpright children of the beliefe which had their diſcent out of the ſeede of the faith of Abraham, and of the pure virgin Mary, as alſo from the holie Ghoſte, were knowen to bee the true ſeede of Abraham, becauſe the ſame ſeede was the ſeede of the promiſe of GOD the father, and was likewiſe in his minde according to the ſpirit the likenes of God his father, alſo ſpirite and ſpirituall, The Goſpell after H.N. Cha. 18 Section. 10.of the godly nature and beeing, and according to the will of God, wholly minded with God.
Nowe touching the humanitie of Chriſte, hee is ſo farre from thinking that Chriſt is a perſon now did take fleſhe of a Virgin called Mary, that woondering at the madneſſe of them who hauehave defended that, he ſaith thus, Euangely eighteen and Section ſeuenteene. Oh alas, how greate contention and vnprofitable diſputations hath there bene concerning the conception of Ieſus Chriſt, in the wombe of Mary, and touching his birth, but if they all which contended heere about, Euang. 18.had knowen the power of God, and that alſo the myſterie of the minde and works of God, had bene giuen thē to vnderſtand, ſo ſhould they then verily not hauehave contended there aboute. And whereas the Scripture declareth that Chriſt ſhould come of the ſeede of Abraham, he wipeth that away after his myſtical maner, & ſaith, that ye ſeed out of the faith of Abraham, and out of the pure virgin Mary, is the true ſeede of promiſe, to the bleſſing of all generations of the earth:Euan. 18.10 ſo that otherwiſe he will not hauehave him to be Abrahams ſeede,Chriſt, not Abrahams ſeede after the flesh, but only as he foloweth the faith of Abraham. but in that he followeth the faith of Abraham. And as for beeing borne of the virgin Mary, hee will hauehave that a matter common to all his illuminate elders and perfect men of his familie. Where he ſaith That the vpright children of the beliefe, which had their diſcent of the ſeede of the faith of Abraham, and of the pure virgin Mary, Euang. 18. Section. 3.were knowne to be the ſeede of the promiſe: His reaſon is rendred before, becauſe Mary with him ſignifieth nothing elſe but a doctrice. They therfore yt are taught in his ſchole, from whence only cōmeth (as he thinketh) pure doctrine, are ſaide to be borne of the pure virgin Mary, and for this cauſe,Euang. 18. Section. 9. when he had affirmed that the true ſeede of Abraham ſhould not be conceiued of the fleſhe, but of the holy Ghoſte, Hee ſaith further, that this is to bee done, through the power of the moſt higheſt in the beliefe. The word of God teacheth vsus another doctrine, that Chriſt was very man borne of a woman, as we reade in the Epiſtle to the Galathians: G…lla. 4.4.When the fulneſſe of time was come, God ſent his ſonne made of a woman, that hee might redeeme them that were vnderunder the lawe. And in the firſte of Matthewe and thirde of Luke, he is ſo plainly prooued to bee the ſeede of Abraham, and the ſeede of Adam after the fleſhe, that there can bee no admitting of H N. his myſticall meaning or allegoricall expoſition. Which thing the Apoſtle likewiſe affirmeth plainely, when hee ſaith:Rom. 9.5. I wiſh my ſelfe to be ſeperate from Chriſt, for my brethren that are my kinſemen according to the fleſh, which are the Iſraelites, of whome are the fathers, and of whome concerning the fleſhe, Chriſt came, who is God ouer all, bleſſed for euer. This damnable doctrine of H. N. ouerthroweth all comforte, which is giuen to Chriſtian conſciences in the worde of God. For ſeeing by man, and in our nature, ſinne was committed, and corruption did take beginning: the iuſtice of God did require, that he ſhould be very man, and hauehave our nature, who was to make ſatiſfaction for the ſame. That as equitie doth require, where the offence was committed, there the ſatiſfaction might be made. Otherwiſe howe coulde our conſciences reſt ſatiſfyed, that the law in iuſtice were anſweared, and for this cauſe the holie Ghoſt ſaith: He toke not on him the nature of Angels, but the nature of men, and the ſeede of Abraham. Heb. 2.16.And therefore in that he refuſing the nature of Angels, hath taken vponupon him the nature of man, hee hath in ſo doing ouerthrowen all H.N. his ſpiritual conſtructions, and ſuperceleſticall interpretations, touching the fleſh and humanitie of Chriſt: and forceth him to a true and naturall meaning in that matter. It was neceſſary likewiſe for our comfort, that his conception ſhould be pure, and therefore that hee ſhould be borne of a virgine, without the help of man. For otherwiſe, if hee had not beene pure in and from the conception, he had beene no meete Mediatour for others, but one that had ſtoode in neede of a Mediatour him ſelf. Neither ſhould the ſatiſfaction make our full and perfect diſcharge againſt the iuſtice of God ſeeing his beſt children, are not rid of the remnaunts of ſinne, but ſtil feele prouocations and motions vntounto euill in them: if our nature in him, who is the peacemaker, were not pure, and altogether without ſpotte or ſtaine. And therefore damnable is that doctrine of H.N. that would wring this comforte out of our handes, and make vsus beleeue that Mary ſignifieth nothing but a pure teacher, and that ſo many are borne of the pure virgine Mary, as are brought vp in the doctrine of H.N. which is as full of puritie, as Antechriſte is of Chriſtianitie. And as by his doctrine wee are lefte comfortleſſe, touching our ſatiſfaction for ſinne: ſo are we likewiſe, touching the hope to obtaine any thing by way of Prayer and interceſſion. Let vsus goe boldely (ſaieth the Apoſtle) vntounto the throne of grace, Heb. 1.15.for wee hauehave not an highe Prieſte, which can not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who was in all things tempted in like ſorte, yet without ſinne. If the bolde preſenting of our ſelues in Prayer before the throne of grace, ariſe heerevppon that our mediatour is ready to take compaſſion, becauſe he hath our nature, & in it had taſt & natural feeling of our infirmities: then by the ſame ſtroke that H.N. ouerthrowth his humanitie, he giueth the deadly wounde to the comforte that wee hauehave to call vponupon God in our neceſſities.