Confutation of Monstrous and Horrible Heresies, Article 4
H.N. The fourth Article.
Wee beleeue that this holie ſeede of bleſſing, namely thiſſame onelyonly ſonne of GOD Ieſus Chriſte, our Lorde and Sauior,i.Colo. 1. b. the very like beeing of GOD the Father,k.Eſa. 53. a.b. hath ſuffered vnderunderl.Matth. 27. b. Luke 23. 1. Timo. 6. b. Pontius Pilate: was crucifiedm.1. cor. 15. a. 1. Pet. 2. c. dead and buried and deſcended to the hel.
Wee confeſſe that thiſſame ſonne of GOD, inaſmuch as hee beareth all thinges with then.Heb. 1. a. worde of his owne power,o.Eſai. 53. b. beareth alſo in vsus our ſinnes.
Anſweare. For as much as this Mathematicall Chriſte which H.N. diſcribeth, is in the minde of man, as a qualitie or affection thereof, begotten by his doctrine: therefore hee is conſtrayned to ſaye, that hee beareth our ſinnes in vsus. For he will hauehave the obedience which his familie doth performe, through his doctrine which hee calleth the beliefe, to be of that valewe: that immediatly vppon the receite thereof, they hauehave a Quietus eſt of the Lord for all their ſinnes, are clearely diſcharged of all their iniquities, and ſtand fully reconciled vntounto their God, becauſe then in all thinges they doe his will, according as is declared in the twelfth chapter of his Euangelie, Section 7. where ſpeaking how the Prieſthoode of Aaron had place vntill the reuealing of his doctrine, hee hath theſe woordes: According to thiſſame manner, had this Teſtament. adminiſtred by the elders of the holye vnderſtanding, the foregoing and his fruitefulneſſe, with the vnilluminated, vntill that the beliefe, out of the power of GOD, became with childe through the holy Ghoſt, and bare or brought foorth a newe man, or a newe creature, according to the very like beeing of the heauenly Godheade, by the beleeuers, and illuminated them euen ſo in their ſpirite and minde, with the vpright righteouſneſſe and holineſſe. For this is the right procreation, to the renewing of the ſpirit and minde of the beleeuers, and is alſo the true newe Teſtament, which God hath promiſed to errect with his people, which new Teſtament is the very true that God himſelf witneſſeth in his people, which are obedient vntounto him out of faith, in the ſeruice of his worde, and bringeth euen ſo vntounto them in the ſpirite of their minde, the true God ſeruice of the ſpirituall and heauenly goodes, and writeth according to his godly and heauenly trueth, his lawe, inſtitutions and rites, in the beeing of their inwarde minde. In ſuch ſorte worketh the Lorde, the holie one in Iſrael, and bringeth forth euen ſo his children, ſonnes & daughters, ſeruants and handmaidens, vponupon which he in theſe laſt dayes poureth forth his ſpirit, and remembreth no more their ſinnes, for they are a reconciled people vntounto him, which doe in all his wil. Beholde and conſider, ſuch is the newe teſtament with his children, for that ſame newe Teſtament is in his children the heauen, the ſeate of the moſt hyeſt, alſo ſpirit and life, & for that cauſe it is with his children, heauenly, ſpirituall, and liuingly minded, which children of the new teſtament, louelove not the worlde, nor that which is in the worlde, in aſmuch as that the newe teſtament, is wholy and altogether of God, alſo the louelove, the life, and the vpright beeing of the holie Ghoſt it ſelfe.
The ſtate of his young ſcholers, which he calleth the beliefe, inaſmuch as they hope for the perfection, becommeth (as hee ſaith) with childe through the holy Ghoſte, and bringeth foorth a new creature, according to the very like beeing of the heauenly Godhead, and illuminateth the beleuers in their ſpirit and minde, with the vpright righteouſneſſe and holineſſe. He calleth his doctrine likewiſe, The true new teſtament, & all thoſe vponupon whom the ſpirit is powred forth in this ſorte now in theſe laſt dayes, he affirmeth of them, that the Lord remembreth their ſinnes, no more, rendring this reaſon, becauſe they are a reconciled people vntounto him, which doin all his wil. He affirmeth heere in like maner that theſe his children of the new teſtament, louelove not the worlde, nor the things in the world, and will hauehave this to be the cauſe and occaſion thereof, for that the new teſtament is wholy and altogither of God, the louelove, the life, & the vpright being of the holie Ghoſt it ſelfe, of ſuch vertue & operation, that ſo ſone as a man hath had a few receites therof, all his worldly humours are forthwith voided thereby, and he as cleare purged of them, as if hee neuer had beene infected with them, and which is yet more, he ſayth that this new teſtament, The newe teſtament is heauen, and the ſeate of the moſt higheſt.is in his children the heauen, the ſeate of the moſt higheſt, alſo ſpirit and life, for they be his owne words euen in this place. You ſee then, according to the doctrine of H.N. that our obedience whervnto we be brought by it, beareth our ſinnes in vsus, becauſe when in all things wee doe his will, wee ſtande as a people fully reconciled vntounto our God, and therefore wholy and altogether diſcharged of all daunger for our former ſinnes. For according to this doctrine, when once we hauehave ceaſed to ſinne, ſinne likewiſe ceaſeth to lay anie thing to our charge, and thus this obedience beareth our ſinnes in vsus. This doctrine is confirmed by the Prophet Eſay, in his 53. Chapter, (if we will beleeue H.N.) for that place is alledged by him for it. Wherin he plainly bewrayeth vntounto al the worlde, that the ſpirite of darkeneſſe, euen palpable blindneſſe doth poſſeſſe him. For if a man ſhould come prepared to ſpeake agaynſt that poynt, (of hauing our ſinnes anſwered and borne in our ſelues) it were not poſſible to ſpeake more plainly, and more effectually againſt it, then doeth the Prophet in that place. For is it poſſible to adde anie thing plainer then this ſpeach:Eſay. 53.5.6. We like ſheepe hauehave gone aſtray, we hauehave turned eueryevery one to his owne way, and the Lord hath layd vponupon him the iniquitie of vsus all, he was wounded for our tranſgreſsions, he was broken for our iniquitie, the chaſtiſement of our peace was vponupon him, and with his ſtripes wee are healed? Such groſſe blindneſſe is a iuſt puniſhment from God vponupon thē, which are offended and ſtumble at the cleare light that nowe ſhineth in the Goſpel, and ſo blinde guides are meete Scholemaiſters for ſo manie as louelove darkeneſſe more then light. Could H.N. the ſeede of Satan iuſtifie our ſinnes to be borne in our ſelues as from the Prophet, euen in that place, where he in plaine wordes ſayeth, that the iniquitie of vsus all are laide vppon another: if the Prince of darkeneſſe, had not bereft him of al iudgement, and pulled cleane out of his heade the eyes of vnderſtanding. We did iudge him to hauehave beene plagued of God, (ſaith the Prophet) but it is cleare and out of all doubt, he hath borne our infirmities, and caried our ſorrowes. Neither is the Prophet more plaine in this caſe, then is the Apoſtle Paule in the Epiſtle to the Romaines, Rom. 5.9.where he ſetteth the righteoſneſſe of one man, for the making of many righteous, againſt the diſobedience of one, vntounto the making of manie ſinners. Can the righteouſneſſe of one man make manie righteous if this doctrine of H.N. be true, that our ſinnes are borne in our ſelues, and our righteouſneſſe not layde vp in another for vsus, but reſteth in our owne breaſtes within vsus? In the ſecond Epiſtle to the Corinthes, the Apoſtle doeth yet more plainly declare himſelfe to hauehave a contrarie ſpirite to H.N. in that hee is flatte contrarie in ſpeach. For he affirmeth Chriſt, to be a ſinner in vsus, and vsus to be righteous in him: our ſinnes to be imputed vntounto him, and his righteouſneſſe to be reckoned ours: our ſinnes to be borne in him, and ſo he to be made ſinne for vsus: and we righteouſneſſe in him.2. Cor. 5.21. For he made him to bee ſinne for vsus, (ſayth the Apoſtle) which knewe no ſinne, that we ſhould be made the righteouſneſſe of God in him. If he be made ſinne for vsus, then are not our ſinnes borne in vsus, if we be righteous before God, or the righteouſnes of God in him: then not in vsus, but in him, are our tranſgreſſions both borne and buried, and our righteouſneſſe wholie and altogither purchaſed. If the Sacrifices for ſinne, appointed to make reconciliation, had beene eaten as were other, then H N. and other heretikes, ſhoulde hauehave had ſome colour to bleare the eyes of their Diſciples withall, touching this doctrine: (to hauehave their ſinnes borne in them, and their righteouſneſſe wrought by themſelues:) but the ſacrifices for ſinne, whoſe blood was brought into the tabernacle of the Congregation, to make reconciliation in the holie place, beeing figures of that alone Sacrifice by Chriſte: by expreſſe woordes were forbidden to bee eaten and receyued into men. Wherein the holie Ghoſt no doubt made a ſpecial Prouiſo againſt this daungerous doctrine, which not onelyonly H.N. but all other Heretikes profeſſe [of hauing our ſinnes anſwered by and in our ſelues, either wholy, or at leaſt in ſome part,] that the verie figures ſhoulde hauehave light ſufficient in them, to driue awaye all darkeneſſe and doubting herein. But what lighte can make him ſee, that is blinde, or open thoſe eyes, that in iuſt iudgement are cloſed vp by the Lorde?