An Epistle Unto Two Daughters of Warwick, Response to letter · Response 13 – Excerpt from letter 14
H. A.
THe Christian baptisme / consisteth of an outward washing with water by Christs Minister; and of an inward washing with the holy Ghost / by Christ himself. Ioh. 1. 33. Act. 8. 38. and 10. 47. The outward washing of the flesh / without the inward clensing of the hart, is not avaylable to salvation. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Yet may not the outward action be despised or neglected. For as the true circumcision was of|Rom. …. 29. … the hart in the spirit; yet if any had not circumcision also in his flesh, he was†Gen. 17. 14. to be cut off from his people / as having broken Gods covenant; so is it likewise for baptisme come in place of circumcision. Act. 2. 38. Colos. 2. 11. 12.
The outward baptisme many do rightly receive / which have not the inward; as did Symon Magus, Act. 18. 13. 20. 21. The inward none have in deed and truth / that do despise the outward; we teach that these both must be joyned togither according to the scriptures; and labour for both. The Familists therefore which boast of their inward baptisme / and administer not the outward among themselves / but present their children to be baptised of Papists or any other Antichristians / so offering their children vntounto|Levit. 18. … Molech, and perswading others to do the like; shew themselves to be farr from true Christian baptisme / which defile their bodies and sowles with such hypocrisie and idolatrie. And H. N. which laboureth here to disswade these two daughters from suffring and witnessing against Popery / bewrayeth himself not to have known Christ in any world; nor can he shew Christs shape to be in him / whiles vnderhand he teacheth grosse impietie; pretending inward baptisme and spiritual regeneration. But the drift of this man is / by his invective against others / to allure men to himself; for when he concludeth with his exhortation that every one should humble himself before the might of the Lord, and trust vponupon his grace; his meaning is / as elswhere he explaneth himself,†Crying voice chap. vlt. sec. 11. Let your selves now in all your being, nature, minde, and disposition, become renewed through the Love, in her service: and give all your vnderstanding captive vnderunder the obedience of the Love, and humble your selves even so vnderunder her service; to the end that ye all may become washed in the Love, with the pure water of the Love. For to become washed in the Love with her pure water, is the vpright washing, and the true Font of the regeneration or new birth▪ Now seing thus harlot-like he allureth all men to his*Prov. 9. 17. stollen waters within his lovely Family; for th'vpright washing; let vsus see what manner of washing and baptisme that is / which he so boasteth of. In this Letter he coucheth his heresie in a word, namely|Sec. 17. that Being of Christ; wherby the meaneth that the man / or the lovely Being in the man baptised / is Christ himself / as before is manifested / and after shal further appear. This error he would ground on the Apostles words Gal. 3. 27. For all ye that are baptised into Christ, have put on Christ; which place this author thus|Sec. 16. allegeth / so many of you as are baptised have put on Christ. Where first (as his maner is) he corrupteth the text it self / by taking away those words into Christ / and saying onelyonly baptised/wherby he would intimate / that none are rightly baptised / but such as have put on Christ; contrary to the scriptures which shew that|Act. 8. 13. 19. 20. 21. Symon Magus and†1 Cor. 10. 2. 5. many others were rightly baptised / as touching the Ministerie of man / which yet had not put on Christ / because they were not baptised into Christ as the Apostle here addeth / but H. N. omitteth. Agayn / he gathereth that which the Apostle strowed not / namely that to put on Christ is to have the Being of Christ in vsus: but this H. N. fansieth to himself; for the spirit of God speaketh not so; yea the Apostle meant farr otherweise; as his former words shew / wher he sayd / †vers. 26.for ye al are the sonnes of God, by faith in Christ Iesus. So Christ is put on by faith, as also elswhere he is sayd to*Eph. 3. 17. dwel in vsus by faith, not by a real or essential Being, such as the Familists feign to themselves by the spirit of error. Now to Beleeve in Christ, and to have the Being of Christ, that is / to be Christ himself: are farr differing things / as all men know. And as wel might the Familists plead / that Abraham was God / because he|Gen. 15. 6. beleeved in God; and that the multitude of Israel were the Lord because they†Exod. 14. 31. beleeved in him; as that men are Christ or have the Being of Christ / because they beleev in him / and by beleef have put him on. Neither can our imitation or following*Ephe. 5. 1. Rom. 6. 3. 4. of God or of Christ in the likenes of his death and resurrection / make the Being of God or of Christ to be in vsus; any more then our following of the Apostles / (which also we are|1 Cor. 4. 16. & 11. 1. … Thes. 3. 7. 9. exhorted vntounto;) can make vsus of one Being with them. How absurd these things are / any reasonable man may see: Yet such absurdities many / ar the groundly documents of this oldest Father H. N. touching Baptisme and other mysteries of religion; as is more playnly to be seen in his First exhortatation; For there treating of Baptisme / and having described God to be a might Spirig, a perfect cleer Light, and a true Being; he addeth that|First exhort. chap. 7. sec. 2. the same Being, is God the Fathers name, (meaning that Name of the Father into which we are baptised / ) and his Love it self. No word of God telleth him this / but he forgeth it out of his fleshly hart. The Being of God (as we may learn by the Scriptures) is such a thing / as neyther men nor Angels can know or comprehend: how then should they Be the same? 1 Tim. 6. 16. Isa. 6. 2. Psal. 145. 3. Iob. 11. 7. 8. and 36. 26. But the Name of God is that wherby in some sort he hath made known and manifested himself in his word and works; Exod. 3. 15. and 6. 3. & 33. 19. Deut. 12. 8. 11. Psal. 9. 11.
After this having discoursed of the|ibid. sec. 3. 4. &c. Fathers plucking vsus to the Love of Christ / and so baptising vsus into the name of the Father / and this by the Familists / in the administration of the holy word vnderunder the obedience of the Love / with the Law of the Lord and with his correction; &c. H. N. telleth vsus that†ibid. sec. 9. God the Father with the discipline of his Law, manneth himself with vsus, and we become likewise Godded with him, to the end that we through his own Being, should bear as men of God, his holy Name, vnderunder the obedience of his Law &c. Wherin this heretik vttereth double blasphemie; first that God the Father manneth himself with vsus; by which doctrine Ath…an like he spoileth God of his true Being, his simplicity / immutability / infinitenes and the like / which the scriptures shew to be in God; Deut. 6. 4. Iam. 1, 17. 1 King. 8. 27 Secondly in saying / that men become Godded with him / he wretthedly extolleth corruptible man into the throne of the incorruptible God; confounding heaven and earth / the creator and the creatures / between whose Being there is no comparison. Which things if he would not learn of the H. scriptures / (because he scorneth scripture learning / ) yet might he have learned of Philosophers and heathen men / who have sayd / that|Galen. lib. 9. de placitis Hipp. et Plat. though by certayn demonstration it is manifest that a divine artizen hath procreated vsus, yet by no reason or wit can we perceave what his essence (or being) is. That God is†Proclus in theolog. Plat. One alone separated from all, who cannot be explayned nor perceived, that he is the first simplicity, incomprehensible, incomparable, vniform; that*Theophrast. in Metaph. he cannot be known or found out, yea that it‡Plotin. En…. 6. lib. 8. chap. 11. is neyther possible to find him out, nor lawful to serch him out. And many like speeches have the Pagans spokē of God / more divinely soundly and religiously a great deal / then this Epicure H. N. (the God of the Familists) hath written in his blasphemous pamphlets.
After he hath thus described |H. N. first exhort. chap. 7. sect. 10.the vpright Christian Baptisme (as he sayth) or washing in the name of the Father; he proceedeth with his Baptisme / in the Name of the Son; of whom he sayth that †ibidē sec. 14.he is conceived of the holy Ghost, and born of the holy Virgin Mary. And that *sect. 17.thissame Son of God beareth in vsus our synnes &c. and that he vnderunder the obedience of the Love of his Father, is gone before vsus therin, for that we should in like manner follow after him vnderunder the obedience of his Love, in his death of the crosse, to the safemaking of vsus from our synns: become incorporated to him with his like death, and baptised or washed vnderunder the obedience of the Beleef in his Name or safemaking, and bury even so through the beleef the old man &c. to the forgiving and releasing of our synns through his name or safemaking, to the end that we might even so through Iesu Christ, obteyn the renewing of our spirit and mind, in an vpright life and resurrection from the dead with Christ in the appearing of his Majesty. And that ‡sec. 18.this is the vpright Christian Baptisme in the name of the Son, and is the true forgivnes and purging of our synns through Iesu Christ. And all that thus folow not Christ |sect. 20.are no Christians, nor yet baptised in the name or salvation of the Son.
Here is an other puddle of heresie for men to be washed in / in the name of H. Ns Christ. Of whom he first telleth vsus / that he is conceived and born; whereas we beleeve in that Christ which†Mat. 2. 1. was conceived and borne now many yeres ago. But the Nicholaitans have a Christ in them / to weet / their Lovely Being, as*pag. 18. before is shewed; Neither is their fayth setled on one Jesus borne heretofore in Israel, but they themselves are born of the virgin Mary / as their Father H. N. teacheth them in his Gospel / ‡chap. 18. sec. 10.saying / the vpright children of the beleef, which had their discent out of the seed of the faith of Abraham, and the pure virgin Mary, as also from the holy Ghost, were known to be the true seed of Abraham, because the same seed, was the seed of the promise of God the Father, & was likewise in his mind, according to the spirit, the likenes of God his Father; also spirit & spiritual, of the godly nature & being, & according to the wil of God, wholly minded wth God. These vpright children of the beleef / ar the Familists themselves / (if we wil beleev them / ) they are born of the holy Ghost / and of the pure virgin Mary / and are not onelyonly their own saviours / but / as a little before in the same place he writeth / †sec. 9.the seed out of the faith of Abraham, & out of the pure Virgin Mary, is the true seed of promise, to the blessing of all generations of the earth. Thus do these caytiffs take to themselves the honour of Christ; and though the Prophet telleth vsus but of one|Isa. 9. 6. 7. child that is born vntounto vsus / which should be prince of peace / should order and stablish the kingdome of David forever: yet these tel vsus of many children of the pure virgin Mary / as being that seed of promise in whom al generations of the earth should be blessed. How they have this strange birth / we may gather by H. N. his learned interpretation of the name Mary / which he sayth†Evang. reg. chap. 18. sec. 3. signifieth a Doctresse; for the doctrine of H. N. is that wherby his disciples are born anew; as elswher he expoūdeth that to be born of the virgin Mary out of the seed of David after the flesh / is*Docum. sent. chap. 3. sect. 5. of the pure doctrine out of the seed of Lov. Now Mary caled in Greek‡foreign Luk. 1. 27. Mariam / in Hebrew†foreign Exod. 15. 20. Mirjam, I find in the scripture to signify their rebellion; Nehem. 9. 17. which name very fitly agreeth to the Familists Doctrine: but how or in what tongue it signifieth a Doctresse / themselves I suppose can hardly shew / vnlesse vponupon H. Ns authority / who as he hath given them a new gospel / so also a new language / (farr differing from the language |Isa. 19. 18.of Canaan / ) wherby they may make what meaning and gather what allegories they lyst from words; and none must suspect any vnwisedome to be in them.
Secondly H. N. sayth that thissame Son of God beareth in them their synns; wheras that Son of God / in whom the scriptures teach vsus to beleev / hath washed vsus from our synns*Rev. 1. 5. in his own blood / and put thē away by the sacrifice‡Heb. 9. 26. of himself: for he was wounded †Isa. 53. 5.for our transgressions;|1 Pet. 2. 24. his own self bare our syns in his body on the tree / and died*Rom. 5. 8. for vsus. How erroneously then doth H. N. perswade / that Christ beareth in vsus our synns?
Thirdly he sayth that Christ is gone before vsus / for that we should in like maner follow after him vnderunder the obedience of his Love, in his death of the crosse / to the safemaking of vsus from our synns: so teaching vsus to save our selves by imitation of Christ; this being all the benefit we have by his death / that it is an example vntounto vsus how to do likewise. Wherin H. N. sheweth himself to be a greater enemy to Christianity then was Caiaphas / who sayd it was expedient that|Ioh. 11. 5…. One man should die for the people / and that the whol nation perished not; so prophesying†vers. 51. that Christ should die for the nation; wheras H. N. would have men die themselves for their own salvation / that so they might all perish for ever. But we have otherweise learned the true Christ / who was delivered to death *Rom. 4. 25.for our syns / and is risen agayn for our justification. That as by‡Rom. 5. 1…. one man / (the first Adam) syn entred into the world, and death by syn / and so death went over all men; so by one man / (the second Adam Christ) we might|vers. 17. reign in life / and as by*vers. 18. one mans disobedience many were made synners / so by the obedience of one / many might he made righteous.
Fourthly H. N. teacheth that men are baptised vnderunder the obedience of the beleef in his name or safemaking, and bury even so through the Beleef, the old man &c. to the forgiving and releasing of their synns. Where agayn he perversly applieth that to obedience and mortification / which is due vntounto faith. For when the Eunuch would be baptised / Philip required nothing of him but*Act. 8. 36. 37. to beleeve; and Paul sayth / to him that worketh not, but beleeveth in him that justifyeth the vngodly, ‡Rom. 4. 5.his faith is counted for righteousnes. Although therfore|Rom. 1. 5. obedience to the faith must be given by all true Christians / and they which are baptised into I. Christ / are baptised†Rom. 6. 3. 4. into his death and buriall; yet is not this done / to the forgiving and releasing of their synns, as H. N. Pharisaically inferreth; but to shew forth the fruit and force of faith / wherby the just‡Gal. 3. 11. doe live / and lay hold on Christ / whom God†Rom. 3. 25. hath set forth for a reconciliation though faith in his blood, to declare his righteousnes by the forgivnes of synns that ar passed through the pacience of God.
Wheras therfore H. N. doth gather from the premisses that this (which he hath set down) is the vpright Christiā baptisme in the name of the Son, & is the true forgivnes & purging of our synns through Iesu Christ; he is found a false witnes against God and Christ / and would give vsus a synful sink of error / even a vayn perswasion of our own obedience righteousnes and sanctification / to wash our selves in; and hath royled with his feet / the pure fountayn of Christs blood / which clenseth all beleevers from all syn. That vponupon himself his own words may justly be retorted / he boasteth himself of the baptismey of Christ, and he hath not known him in any world.
Of like leven / is H. Ns baptisme in the name of the holy Ghost; which he maketh to be also|1 Exhort. c. 7. sec. 31. the second birth out of the holy Ghost, the true love of God & Christ. And this (even as the former of baptising in the name of the Father and of the Son / ) we must not vnderstand / of any outward action by the minister of Christ / washing with water as did John the Baptist / nor yet to be done at one and the same time with the former: but as H. N. sayth / †ibid. sec. 29.in the oldnes of time, when the dayes of the patience of Christ, in the obedience of the holy and gracious word, & his service of Love are fulfilled, (that is / when men have walked long ynough in the Familists religion) that then the holy Ghost becommeth powred forth through Iesus Christ (vnderstanding / H. Ns Christ / to weet / the Lovely being;) over them all that have followed Christ in his death of the crosse obediently, (that is / which have saved themselves from their synns / by their own fantasticall suffrings / ) and have kept his doctrine, with the word of his patience even vntounto the end. Thus hath this deceiver of minds / drawn all Gods ordinance of Baptisme / (which with men is outward / and was by*Act. 8. 36. 38. and 10. 47. 48. the Apostles admininstred with materiall water / ) vntounto a blasphemous imagined Being and conformity with God / or regenerated estate: and the holy doctrine of Justification / by forgivnes of synns through the blood of Christ shed for vsus / and sealed vntounto vsus in†Act. 2. 38. and 22. 16. baptisme; he hath wiped away vnderunder colour of Sanctification or deification by our own following of Christ. Which things he teacheth by the same spirit that the Serpent taught Evah not to fear the outward eating of the forbidden fruit, seing she should be like vntounto God / knowing good and evil.
H. N.
19. After such a like maner witnesseth Paul of the supper of Christ wher he sayth, so many of you as have eaten of one bread, are become partakers of one body. Hath any man now rightly vsed the supper of Christ, the same is then become partaker of the body of Christ, according to the mentioning of the scripture.
20. Therefore see vntounto it, yea see vntounto it, everie one which sayth, that he hath fulfilled the service of Christ, or would be a disciple of Christ. For those services and ceremonies which are ministred through the comandement of the holy Ghost, out of a Christianlike Being; they have the promises whiles they are rightly obeyed, that should receive the pledge of the godly inheritance, which is the holy Ghost. And where that cōmeth not to passe, vntounto them ther is not the Christian service ministred; let them make them then so like fashioned to the scripture as they wil. For whatsoever is served without the spirit of Christ, it is an abomination before God; therein may everie one think freely.