c. to the forgiving and releasing of their synns Where agayn he perversly applieth that to obedience and mortification which is due vnto faith For when the Eunuch would be baptised Philip required nothing of him but to beleeve and Paul sayth to him that worketh not but beleeveth in him that justifyeth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnes Although therfore obedience to the faith must be given by all true Christians and they which are baptised into I. Christ are baptised 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 doe live and lay hold on Christ whom God 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 vs 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 vpon 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 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 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 vnto the end Thus hath this deceiver of minds drawn all Gods ordinance of Baptisme which with men is outward and was by the Apostles admininstred with materiall water vnto 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 vs and sealed vnto vs in baptisme he hath wiped away vnder 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 vnto 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 vnto it yea see vnto 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 vnto 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 H. A. That which is here sayd of the supper of Christ if an honest faithful mā had written the same might wel be yielded vnto for in the words ther would lurk no frawd But coming from this old seducer H. N. and being affixed to his former heresies I deny that after such a like manner as H. N. before treated of Bapisme Paul witnesseth of the supper of Christ. For Paul sayth not that we ar one Being with Christ but that we are the body of Christ and that the bread which we break is the communion of his body which body we eat and have communion with by faith not really and essentially as fleshly men imagine and we ar caled the body of Christ not properly but figuratively by way of similitude and in great mystery for as a man joyned to a woman is one flesh so he that is joyned vnto the Lord is one Spirit But as the woman notwithstanding her conjunction is not the man neyther hath the Being of the man so the church notwithstanding her conjunction is not Christ neyther hath the Being of Christ but by faith is coupled vnto him as he sayth by the prophet I will mary the vnto me in faith Now that H. N. hath the like grosse understanding of the Lords supper as he shewed before of Baptisme appeareth not onely by his entrance saying After such a like manner c but also by his words in his Gospel wher speaking of the Passover he sayth Christ gav his disciples to drink out of the cup which is his passion his true blood which is his holy life of the New Testament Thus applyeth he all things about Christ to a holy life even then and there wher it is playnly spoken of death For though blood whiles it is in the body is the life of the same yet when it is shed out of the body as Christ ther sayth his was it signifieth death not the life of the party as also the Apostle testifieth so oft as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye shew the Lords death til he come And as David would not drink the water that came out of the well of Bethlehē because it was the blood of the men that fetched it that is because they jeoparded their lives vnto the death to fetch it so we when we drink the wine out of the cup in the Lords supper doe drink the blood of Christ that is his death which for our synns he did vndergoe But H. N. by
creator who is blessed for ever Amen To al then that H. N. can say for his own Godhed or his disciples let al true Christians answer as Jeremy taught the Jewes to answer the men of Babel The Gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shal perish from the earth and from vnder these heavens Ier. 10. 11. By this the reader may perceive what a poysoned religion this Nachash H. N. hath brought into the world concerning God Now for his Christ H. N. teacheth vs not according to the scriptures of one particular man of the stock and generation of the Jewes born about xvi hundred yeres agoe in Bethlehem who himself alone being God equal with the Father before the world was and in that fulnes of time took vnto him our humane nature bare in his own body the syns of al his elect and by that once offring of himself vpon the crosse hath purged them al from al their syns c. No H. N regardeth not as after in this Letter sect 11. he sheweth this knowledge that in times past ther was one Christ in Israel which was born amongst his own c. but telleth vs of a Lovely being and a holy life this is his Christ. For in his First exhortation he sayth walk with your spirit in the Lovely and vertuous Being Fasten your mind therto and build your righteousnes theron For that is an eternal and fast standing foundation wheron al Gods prophets and holy ones have builded and is Christ himself Agayn in the same book he sayth After a little time of your distresse and anguish or heavines the Lord wil bring his Christ that is his best beloved and most holy being in power and glory vnto you In this his Epistle to the two daughters he expoundeth Pauls words 1 Cor. 13. though I had al faith c. if I had not love it were nothing that is sayth H. N. whosoever hath not Christ he is with uâ— God thâ—rfâ—re also in an other place he caleth Love the vpright Being of Christ himself And because this Lovely life and being appeareth dayly fresh and new in those that come to the family of Love therfore they professe to beleeve not that Christ was but that he Iâ—â—â—â—â—eived of the holy Ghost through the power of the most highest born of the H. virgin Mary And wheras the scriptures teach that Christ suffred for vs and for our syns H. N. 〈…〉 Christ beareth in vs our syns The scriptures teach that by the obedience of one meaning Christ many are made righteous he hath washed vs from our syns in his blood he was once offred to take away the syns of many and with one offring hath he consecrated for ever them that are sanctified H. N. teacheth vs that Christ vnder the obedience of the Love of his Father is gone before vs therin for that we should in like manner follow after him vnder the obedience of his Love in his death of the crosse to the safemaking of vs from our syns Thus must we save our selves by our own suffrings and Christ set forth vnto vs in the scriptures is but an example to teach vs what we must doe But what should I stand longer vpon this point for the Familists hold and professe that an obedient and godly life is Christ Iesus and so their doctrine of Christ agreeth with their former doctrine of God both being wretched and blasphemous Having thus opened the groundwork of H. Ns. religion it shal be the easyer to discerne his frawd in this Letter which I now wil particularly answer Let every one now through the same service of Love sayth this author be warned that he boast not himself in any of the works of righteousnes or take on the same to salvation neyther to condemnation before that he in the spirit of Christ though the love of the Father be renewed in al righteousnes of life In that H. N. sayth before he be renewed he playnly intimateth that his deadly error that after men are renewed they may boast in and take on their works to salvation contrarie to Pauls doctrine who sheweth that not onely the vncircumcision the vnrenewed Gentiles but also the circumcision the renewed Jewes should be justified of God by faith which faith excludeth mans rejoycing or boasting and al works of the Law He confirmeth it also by Abrahams example who though he were renewed in righteousnes of life had nothing to rejoyce of with God but was justified by faith alone and as he so we al shal have faith not works imputed to vs for righteousnes But H. N. speaking of the 10. commandements given on mount Sina caleth that law God 's eternal true living righteousnes that he would have to be erected through his people Israel vpon the earth and wherin al the children of men generations and heathen should live Wherin his doctrine is quite contrary vnto Pauls who sayth if ther had been a law given which could have given life suerly righteousnes should have been by the Law but the scripture hath concluded al vnder syn that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be given to them that beleeve Now the way of life the Apostle had before shewed in the same chapter saying it is evident that no man is justifyed by the Law in the sight of God for the just shal live by faith and the Law is not of faith but the man that shal do thoâ—e things shal live in them H. N. therfore teaching contrary to the Apostle as we have seen even a miserable doctrine and false wisdome of the flesh which gendreth her own righteousnes is by th' Apostles commandement to be holden accursed Gal. 1. 8. And this gift of his hath no witnesse of the holy prophets or Apostles to confirm the same but by his predecessor Mahomet is wel approved for eveÌ„ so did he teach the Turks That the Law of God is not impossible and intollerable howsoever the Apostles say the contrary Rom. 8. 3. Act. 15. 10. and that they which keep the the Law are joyned with God saved After this H. N. sheweth that he meanes not the elemetish ceremonial righteousnes but that which according to the heavenly truth is in the Being of Christ for this we had heard is his heaveÌ„ly truth that every man should have the Being of Christ or be Christ himself His proof herof is The Father is not honoured but through the Son that is sayth H. N. no man may knowe or serve God but that he must be born out of the spirit of Christ. And thus he leadeth the daughters by degrees to their own new birth for their righteousnes and salvation and to maynteyn this heresie he corrupteth and abuseth the scripture Gal. 6. 15. wher Paul sayth against such as vrged Christians to be circumcised
vs to be our own saviours we our selves must conquer the death divil and hell for as wee have heard our own Lovely Being that is H. Ns. Christ. And wheras the Apostles teach vs that forgivnes of syns is by Gods imputation of Christs righteousnes and death and not imputing our syns vnto vs and that our fayth in Christ is imputed vnto vs for justice Rom. 4. 6. 8. 24. 25. 2 Cor. 5. 19. H. N. hath put imitation in stead of imputation saying that through the dayly God-service and offring in the Holy in the taking vp of our crosse in the Imitation of Christ in his death we obteyn the remission of syns Therfore he willeth vs to follow after Christ in his suffring for those are the dayes of affliction heavines and death wherin Christ hath gone before vs in the Holy for to prepare vs throuh the same death of the crosse the everlasting forgivnes and redemtion of syns Agayn in his book called The spiritual land of peace he telleth vs of an Instrument wherwith all enimies be overcome This instrument of victorie is the crosse of Christ not that which Christ of whome we read in the scriptures died himself on and triumphed in the same over the principalities and powers Col. 2. 15. but that which we bear in imitation of Christ it is named patience or sufferance such as is mentioned Heb. 12. 1. Iam. 5. 7. and it sayth H. N. is the true altar in the Holy vpon the which the true meat offring is that is given to the faithful beleeving travellers to eat and also the true drink offring that is given them to drink which meat offring is named the flesh or body of Iesu Christ and the drink offring is named the blood of Iesu Christ. And the same body and blood of Iesu Christ is vnto the constant faithful traveiler in the proceeding on in his pilgrimage a true mediator to lay away the syn in the flesh to establish the promises with him that are made to the Fathers Thus the things which are spoken of Christ and his oblation of himself and of our partaking therof by faith this man perversly applyeth to our own patient suffrings and maketh Patience to be our victory contrarie to the evident doctrine of the Apostle who sayth that it is Faith 1 Iohn 5. 4 5. Agayn the scriptures teach not that our Christianlike nature but that Christ himself in his own person for vs by death destroyed him that had the power of death which is the Divil and so delivered al vs his children which for feare of death wer all our life time subject to bondage Heb. 2. 14. 15. but H. N. teacheth that Christs death is our like suffring as appeareth by his First exhortation where he sayth that the man ought in his yongnes to learn to take vp his crosse on him to follow after Christ his Saviour in his like suffering and death of the crosse and to shew forth patience with Christ against all the assaultings vntil that all the enemies or adversaries of the Lovely life through the death of Christ that is in maner of suffering be vtterly vanquished By these wordes and the scriptures which he quoteth it is playne that he meaneth our own suffrings in imitation of Christ to be our vanquishing the enimies and our salvation which heresie he every where out of his own carnal wisdome vrgeth and perswadeth to the dishonor of our Lord Jesus and magnifying mens own sufferings and merits And if we look further what H. N. meaneth by his Death Divil and Hel we shal find these also to be idols and fictions of his own that in deed his victory is like his Christ even erroneous fabulous and blasphemous The holy scriptures teach vs of a death in syn when men are wholly given over therevnto Ephe 2. 1. contrary to which is a death to syn by sanctification of life Rom. 6. 2. They teach vs also of a death for syn that is a reward of eternal punishment in hel Rom. 6. 23. Gen. 2. 17. Iam. 1. 14. called the second death Rev. 2. 21. 20. 14. Vnto which the Divils and all reprobate men shal be condemned for ever and ever for their syns at Christs appearing Mat. 25. 41. 46. Now H. N. playing the part of the old Serpent which perswade Evah that she should not die perswadeth his disciples that here in this present world and life is death and hel so the judgement the fyre the condemnation threatned in the scriptures he maketh fantastical imaginations or humane affections For as with him the Love and to walk in the Lovely vertuous Being is Christ himself so on the other hand inveighing against them that speak evil by the service of Love and the minister of the same he sayth their false Being is the Divil the Antichrist the wicked Spirit the kingdome of Hel and the Majestie of the Divil himself Now the punishment for this is the Sentence which H. N. who as we have heard vaunteth that he sits on the throne of Christ to judge the world pronounceth his condemnation of the false Being is eternal death and hel fyre as appeareth by his Crying voice where he calleth al men to himself to Come al and cōfesse their syns and make known vncoveredly the inwardnes of their harts to the end that they may become justified or purged from all their synnes and received into the holy Communialty of the Love when as now in thissame day the wicked world becommeth judged with the Lords mighty hand Which wicked world sayth he is reserved or kept in store til vnto this same day of the Love to the fyre of hell for to be condemned in the self same day of the Love for evermore to her eternal cursing judgement of the fyers cruel vehemencie And a little after he addeth Verily now in thissame day when as now all vngodly and all selfwise with al vnrepentant persons and false harts of the scripture-learned c. inherite with much smart and grief in the vehement crueltie of the fyre of hel the terrible condemnation then shal the people of God namely the whol communialty of the Love of Iesu Christ c. rejoyce them in all Love c. And that this their joy is like Epicures in this present world and life and in their counterfeyt regeneration and godded estate he elswhere playnly confirmeth saying that in their citie of Peace there is a watchman on the wal therof that hath a trumpet named After-this-time-no-time-more and that the watchmā foūdeth out of the same last time as out of the last trumpet the sound of the everlasting life after the which there is no life more to be wayted for for the same life continueth for evermore Therfore in the conclusion of his Crying voice when he had bidden all Come now hither to the Love and her service he addeth Come now al hither to
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 though by certayn demonstration it is manifest that a divine artizen hath procreated vs yet by no reason or wit can we perceave what his essence or being is That God is One alone separated from all who cannot be explayned nor perceived that he is the first simplicity incomprehensible incomparable vniform that he cannot be known or found out yea that it 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 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 he is conceived of the holy Ghost and born of the holy Virgin Mary And that thissame Son of God beareth in vs our synnes c. and that he vnder the obedience of the Love of his Father is gone before vs therin for that we should in like manner follow after him vnder the obedience of his Love in his death of the crosse to the safemaking of vs from our synns become incorporated to him with his like death and baptised or washed vnder 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 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 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 vs that he is conceived and born whereas we beleeve in that Christ which was conceived and borne now many yeres ago But the Nicholaitans have a Christ in them to weet their Lovely Being as 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 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 w th 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 onely their own saviours but as a little before in the same place he writeth 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 vs but of one child that is born vnto vs which should be prince of peace should order and stablish the kingdome of David forever yet these tel vs 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 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 of the pure doctrine out of the seed of Lov. Now Mary caled in Greek Mariam in Hebrew 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 vpon H. Ns authority who as he hath given them a new gospel so also a new language farr differing from the language 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 vs to beleev hath washed vs from our synns in his own blood and put thē away by the sacrifice of himself for he was wounded for our transgressions his own self bare our syns in his body on the tree and died for vs. How erroneously then doth H. N. perswade that Christ beareth in vs our synns Thirdly he sayth that Christ is gone before vs for that we should in like maner follow after him vnder the obedience of his Love in his death of the crosse to the safemaking of vs from our synns so teaching vs to save our selves by imitation of Christ this being all the benefit we have by his death that it is an example vnto vs 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 One man should die for the people and that the whol nation perished not so prophesying 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 for our syns and is risen agayn for our justification That as by 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 reign in life and as by 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 vnder the obedience of the beleef in his name or safemaking and bury even so through the Beleef the old man
the spirit of error that possessed him he takes Christs death for vs to be a holy life in vs as before is more largely shewed Vnsound it is and savoring of a fātastical spirit that he opposeth in the end the services and ceremonies which ar ministred through the comaundement of the holy Ghost out of a Christian like being vnto the service fashioned like to the scripture For ther is no service commanded by the holy Ghost but it is fashioned like to the scripture and hath the ground and warrant therfrom otherweise it cometh from the Spirit of Satan and not from God For Gods Spirit leadeth men into al truth Iohn 16. 13. and it is Gods word which is the truth Iohn 17. 17. The three that bear witnes in heaven The Father the Word and the holy Ghost as they ar in Being so are they also in their testimony one 1. Ioh. 5. 7. As the doctrin of Christ was not his own but the Fathers that sent him so neyther is the doctrine of the holy Ghost his own but the sons that sent him as Christ witnesseth saying he shal not speak of himself but whatsoever he shal hear he shal speak and agayn he shal glorify me for he shal receiv of mine and shal shew it vnto yow Now seing the holy Ghost teacheth no other doctrine then Christ nor Christ then the Father and seing Christ himself sendeth al men to serch the scriptures as they which testify of him and his Apostle hath taught vs that the knowledge of the scriptures is able to make vs wise vnto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus we may veryly deem it to be a delusion of Satan whatsoever any would teach vs towching Gods service that is not warranted by the scriptures and that those are spirits of errour which so disdeyn and scoff at scripture-learning and boast of illumination by the holy Ghost Vnsound also it is and contrary to the scriptures that H. N. here would perswade vs that where it commeth not to passe that the holy Ghost which is the pledge of the godly inheritance is not received vnto them there is not the Christian service ministred For the Apostle sheweth that Israel had the true Christian service ministred to them when they did al eat the same spiritual meat and drink of the spiritual Rock which followed them which Rock was Christ yet received they not the Godly inheritance which is the holy Ghost for with many of them God was not pleased they were overthrown in the wildernes and could not enter into the Rest of God because of their vnbeleef The Christian service was rightly administred to Simon Magus whē he was baptised yet was not his hart right in the sight of God also vnto Iudas when he did sit and eat with the other Apostles yet even then Satan and not the holy Ghost entred into him Even so with vs the true Christian service in the administration of the word seales and censures is set forth and practised though many receiv it into evil harts and vnfaithful to their greater condemnation But the elect of God are edified comforted and confirmed in his grace hereby though these are not many for many be called but few elected Mat. 20. 16 Agayn H. N. hath here set down that which overthroweth the whole scope of his writing when he sayth Those services cerimonies which are ministred through the commandement of the holy Ghost out of a Christian-like Being they have the promises whiles they are rightly obeyed c. If thus it be then ought all Christians to labour and seek for those services and ceremonies as he calleth them that so they may obteyn the promises then also must they shun and refreyn from al false and humane ceremonies or services which have no promise and are but the profaning of Gods name And this is our cause fayth and practise which witnes against and absteyn from the Antichristian services and ceremonies of Popery for which doing the world hateth and persecuteth vs from which profession practise and patient suffering this writer would diswade and allure to communion with wickednes by the vayn pretenses set forth in this Letter as after more playnly foloweth H. N. 21. Oh how wel should they doe which do now extol themselves before the simple and say that they are preachers of Christ if they would first learn to know Christ before they made themselves ministers of him They wil preach the word of Christ and yet they have not according to the Spirit seen the fashion or shape of Christ or heard of the same in any world They say the scripture witnesseth vnto vs that we for Christs cause should forsake our lives the which according to the truth is very true but the most part which speaks so much thereof they themselves vnderstand not the mind or meaning of God in that which the scripture sayth namely how that we must hate and forsake our own life or els we cannot be the disciples of Christ. Therfore mark wel therevpon not only vpon that but also vpon al the witnessings of the scripture 22 Oh vnderstand advisedly what I doe write of the forsaking of our own life When God had created the man then was the man in subjection to the life of God and not to his own life for therevnto God had created the man that he should be of one life one being one Spirit and of one nature with God But when the man desyred in his hart to love some other thing beside the life of God namely the concupiscence of the syn then went he into his own life and contentation and forsook the life of God and lived even so his own life and the life of the Divil 23. The whiles now that the office of Christ hath his ministration for to bring the man agayn vnto God the Father so cannot Christ bring the man to the Father vnlesse that the man forsake his own life which he hath lived so long to the Divel and to himself which is al that same wherin he hath sought loved lived to himself 24. Is not this now a great overshooting or misunderstanding that the children of men can say and teach that Christ meant hereby the natural or elementish man H. A. IT had been wel in deed if H. N. who so extolleth himself before the simple sayth that he is a preacher of Christ yea Godded with God would first have learned to know Christ before he hade made him self a minister of him For now being ignorant of the principles of religion and a meer stranger from the life of God he hath perverted al things to his own and ther mens perdition Witnes this his corrupt doctrine about the forsaking of our own life Wherin he first and generally seeketh to colour his iniquity with deceit and fraud For to perswade that we need not give our lives our natural elementish lives for
N. is but a carnal worldling to love his elementish life more then Christ and teach men so vnder colour of forsaking our own wicked life and life of the Divil If the prophets and Apostles had known this deep vnderstanding which H. N. conceiveth and had not thought they were also bound to lay down the natural and elementish man they would never have endured such things in their flesh as is witnessed of them What needed Shadrach Meshach and Abednego to have changed the kings commandement and yielded their bodies to the fyre rather then they would serv or worship his image or Daniel have jeoparded his life among the Lions or Stephen have been stoned to death for confessing of Christ or others to have been racked scourged prisoned hewen asunder slayn with the sword c or what meant the Apostles to shew vs these patterns and wil vs to take the prophets for an example of suffering adversity Was is not thinketh H. N. a great overshooting or misunderstanding in al these to teach both by word and practise that afflictions should be suffred in the natural or elementish man Or rather had not al these holy martyrs first layd down the spiritual synful life and then gave vp the natural life also How cōtrary then is this H. N. to al holy men that ever were or wrote that thus disswadeth frō the outward crosse vnder pretence of inward holynes Therfore let vs al y t lov the Lord Jesus say Anathema to such false prophets as thus teach doctrine cōtrary to the scriptures for to favor the flesh avoid afflictiō as is best pleasing to their sēsual minds Let the same mind be in vs that was in Christ Jesus who besides the troubles and anguishes in his hart humbled himself and became obedient vnto the death evē the death of the crosse And he which suffred these things for vs hath left vs an ensample as sayth the Apostle that we should folow his steps who his own self bare our synns in his body on the tree And let vs learn with Paul to take pleasures in infirmities in reproches in necessities in persecutions in scripes and prisonment in hunger and thirst in cold and nakednes and al other anguish for Christs sake for when we are weak then are we strong and this is a part of our mortification and denyal of our selves vnto which when true faith and obedience in the spirit is adjoyned God 's work goeth forward in vs towards perfection the end wherof wil be everlasting life H. N. 25. Oh comprehend I beseech yow the vnderstanding We our selves have not made the natural mā wherfore he cannot belong vnto vs. For the heaven with the earth and al that is therin belongeth vnto God and it is Gods pleasure and will that al shaped creatures so wel the manly creature as any other of al those which God hath created should live and that it mought goe wel with them 26. What shal the man then forsake that he mought be reconciled to God not any thing els but his own life that is the man of syn which hath so long lien hidd in the hart of man which is the temple of God and hath sayd that he was God 2. Thes. 2. H. A. IT is hard to cōprehend any good vnderstanding in any thing which H. N. doth write he is so ledd with the spirit of error in al his wayes yet may we comprehend that his first reason here is against himself we have not made the natural man wherfore he cannot belong vnto vs. Very true but God hath made it therfore it belongs to him If he made it and it be his then may he require it when he wil and we must not deny him his own Now he requireth it when for witnesse of his truth men wil shed our blood though they doe it vnjustly yet his requiring is just and we may not deny him or his truth for the saving of our lives as before is proved Of this reason therfore which H. N. bringeth we may say with the prophet his sword hath entred into his own hart His next reason is a depth of iniquity for seeming to plead for God he seeketh to draw men from God Gods wil is sayth he that al shaped creatures so wel the manly creature as any other should live that it might goe wel with thē So then to save their natural lives y e Familists think they may deny forswear Christ al true religion may cōmunicate with al idolatrie worship of divils if Princes vpō payn of death shal so cōmād This was the intendement of this present Letter sent to two maydens that refused as it seemeth the idolatrous Masse and subjectiō to the Romish Antichrist with hazard of their lives This is the dayly practise of the Nicolaitans H. Ns disciples who rather then they wil suffer imprisonment banishment death or the like for their religion wil joyn with Papists Protestants Arrians Anabaptists or any religion if the magistrate authorize and cōmand it For though they hold that their God of Love as they cal him is the true living God and besides him ther is no God more and his Gods-service of Love which they minister vnder the obedience of his Love is the true safe-making Gods-service and besides the same ther is not any Gods-service more neyther in heaven nor yet in earth yet wil they partake with any of the Godservices vsed in the world though they be contrary one to another For H. N. in his new Gospel complayneth that many have vnorderly rejected and blasphemed the services and ceremonies of the catholik church of Rome rented the concord nurturable sustentation of the same turned them away therfrom even so out of their knowledg which they took out of the scripture brought in certayn services ceremonies in another wise or order c. But his disciples in England which land hath rejected and departed from the catholike church of Rome as many other nations have doe pretend in their late supplicatiō to the King y t they ar his true faithful loyal and obedient subjects to al his lawes and ordinances spiritual temporal and doe deny that they vary or swarve frō the now established religion in this land eyther in services ceremonies sermons or sacraments Thus eyther H. N. or these his folowers or both must needs be hypocrites that so doe write and professe of two adverse churches and religions when in deed they approve of neyther but think as H. Ns Co-elder avoucheth that they which remayn without them and their Communaltie and without the Requiring of the gracious Word and his Service of Love or withdraw them selves therfrō have no living God nor yet true God-service but are without God and without Gods-service in this world yet notwithstanding this their judg mēt and profession rather then the manly creature should die they wil
an elementish body It is far from the harts of al the faithfull to imagine that any thing which themselves can eyther doe or suffer in body or sowl is able to appease God They have otherweise learned to know the guilt and wages of syn the infinitenes of Gods majesty who is angry with the world for their misdeeds the weaknes and vnworthynes of al mens works and suffrings To that therfore which H. N. pretendeth to say on Gods behalf I answer with Job and ask him if he wil speak wickedly for God or talk deceitfully for his cause For we esteem our suffrings nothing and all our righteousnes as dung It is the body of our Lord Jesus that was hanged on the tree which is the onely sacrifice for our synns and appeaseth the wrath of his Father and the things that we doe or suffer benifit not him but our selves for the chastisements of God whither on our bodies or sowles are as the Apostle teacheth vs for our profit that we might be partakers of his holynes Wherfore H. N. hath conceived mischief and brought forth a lie whiles labouring to abolish the outward confessing and suffring of Christians he falsly imputeth vnto thē this error to beleev they appease God with an elementish body yea the frawd of this falser is manifestly discovered as the reader may observ for the error which he would lay vpon others is found to be in himself whose doctrine is such as teacheth men to be their own saviours By the Apostles Gospel we have our redemption and forgivenes of syns through the blood of Christ once offred to him also give al the prophets witnesse that through his name al that beleev in him shal receiv remission of syns sayth Peter but by H. Ns. Gospel we obteyn it by our own imitation of Christ in his death and taking vp of our crosse And many such like deadly venimous doctrines are sparsed in his writings to disanull the true Christ with his suffrings and merits and to set vp a false and imaginary Christ bred and born in his corrupt hart as I have before proved Now though we hold not God to be appeased with our suffrings as this man cavilleth yet hold we vpon ground frō the scriptures that we must serve and glorify God both with our bodyes and with our spirits because both ar Gods and therfore are we willed to give vp our bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God which is our reasonable serving of God And if by bonds and prisonment by racking scourging stoning hewing asundex or other the like torments of body as others before vs have suffred God also try vs we ought with patience to bear them and not to go from the confessing of Christ and his truth for avoyding them as this deceiver would perswade vs. His conclusion therfore which he maketh agaynst these two daughters namely that they have not confessed Christ according to the truth c. is yet to be proved for asmuch as he hath not by any ground from Gods word overthrowen their faith or confessiō in any poynt but onely sought to vndermine it by falshood and deceyt abusing the readers ād perverting the holy scriptures his desire being to draw others into the same destruction with himself who in sted of confessing Christ according to the truth hath like an Antichristian overthrown the whol Gospel of Christ denyed him to be come in the flesh and set vp an Idol in his place even the Lovely Being out of his own fleshly hart H. N. 31. God is my witnes that it is true which I here write vnto you the occasion of my writing is chanced for that I bear a sorrowfull hart with you both But this is my hope over you that ye will take it at my hands as out of the Love of Christ and not to be in any case obstinate in your selves for to wind away your selves from the reading of these Letters with humble harts 32. And when ye have deliberately read the same witnesses and the Lord added his wisdome therto wherby the eyes of your harts mought be a little opened then spare me not to be your servant and give me to vnderstand by the bringe therof ther shal yet more be brought vnto yow then that which yow have presently 33. And if yow cannot acknowledge this for the truth yet look well alwayes hereto that ye do not blaspheme the same which ye know not And I likewise shal not blame yow although that yow cannot comprehend the same For the godly gifts cannot be brought to any one by violence or compulsion for they are the gifts of God 34. Herewith I salute yow both whose names I know not very hartily through the love of Christ wish vnto yow out of the ground of my sowl the knowledge of the very true Spirit of Christ that ye mought learn to know aright your caling in Christ. That grant vs the Almighty God through his Love Amen By your vnknown friend H. N. H. A. IF God were witnes that it is true which H. N. here hath written the scriptures which are Gods witnesses or testimonies would approve of the same but by holy writ his errors are disproved and the evils which he vnjustly layeth vpon others are justly returned vpon his own head and found to be in himself and his bewitched folowers whom I leav to the doon of him which hath sayd I wil come neer to yow to judgement and I wil be a swift witnes against sorcerers against adulterers and against false swearers c. And for al that shal read these writings as they ought to be farr from blaspheming the truth which they know not so should they be far also from approving or hearkning to a knowen deceiver and blasphemer of God such as this Henry Nicolas by this Epistle and his other vngodly writings is proved for to be His fawning words and submissive cariage with promise of more matters after are but the behaviour of the Lewd woman that vseth to entise with flattering lips when her howse is the way vnto the grave which goeth down to the chambers of death What thank or reward then remaynes for H. N. for al his paynes and proffered kindnes but that which the wise man hath appointed saying He that blesseth his friend with a lowd voice rising early in the morning it shal be counted to him as a curse Pro. 27. 14. FINIS In pag. 47. lin 5. before the end for love read live◠†Pro 7. 11. 9. 13. 18 * Pro. 9. 3. | 1 Exhort cap. 11. See 1. * Ephe. 5. 13. | Ps. 119. 105 Pro 6. 13. †Iob. 38. 13 | Iob. 34. 25. ‡ Ps. 12. 7. 8. * 2 Tim. 3. 6. 7. ‡ 1 Cor. 1. 24. | Math. 7. 15. | Tim. 4. 1. †1 Ioh. 4. 1. * 2 Pet. 2. 1. | vers 3. ‡ Rom. 16. 18 * 2 Pet. 2. 18.
mouth is the right confessing of Christ wherof the scripture speaketh No my beloved no the confession of Christ must stand in greater force or effect then to be confessed with the mouth in the ceremonical service which is a baptising with water or an other elementish confession H. A. HEre H. N. openeth his evil mind more playnly to the two daughters Whom hitherto he hath boarded with feighned flattering speeches First he is offended that mâ—n wil so boldly say they are Christians But we have no cause to be afrayd or ashamed of this name which is warranted in the word of God Act. 11. 26. 1 Pet. 4. 16. But to be caled The family of Love is a name that H. N. hath invented and taken to himself and his sectaries Secondly he speaketh of erring wayes when he hath not yet shewed any one error that we walk in but pratled against vs as the Apostle sayd of Diotrephes with malicious words Then coming to speak of confessing Christ he denyeth not the thing but stands vpon the meaning He inveigheth against the knowing confessing with the mouth of one Christ whom they read of in the scripture that in times past was born in Israel c. Wherin he teacheth open Antichristianity for our Saviour speaking of his own person that was born in Israel sayd except ye beleev that I am He meaning the redemer of the world which was promised ye shal die in your syns and agayn praying to his Father he sayth this is life eternal that they know thee the onely very God whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. The Apostles preached this one man and no other who was born among his own of Davids seed after the flesh according to the scriptures they require a confession of this Christ with the mouth as well as beleef in him with the hart and did themselves confesse him with the mouth as ensamples vnto vs. Act. 2. 22. 23. c. 3. 13. c. But H. N. liketh not of this Christ nor of this manner confessing with the mouth he would perswade an other Christ bred and borne in his own fansie and corrupt imagination as before hath bene shewed and another manner confession doth he require which what it is let vs now examine H. N. 12. Mark wel what I write No man can confesse Christ among al those that wil confesse him vnlesse that he in his like being have his fashion or shape in him not according to the elementish ceremonies wherwith the one maketh another wise with the historical scriptures O no but according to the true being or flowing out of the Christian-like nature Through which Christian-like nature ther is subdued or brought vnder foot among al those wher the same is born out of grace the death Divel hel H. A. UUE mark wel that H. N. writeth for truth his own errors and deceits out of his corrupt hart No man sayth he can confesse Christ vnlesse that he in his like being have his fashion in him This is an vntruth of H. Ns. fiction he writeth thus but in the holy scriptures it is not so written For to confesse Christ is one thing to hav his fashion in vs is another thing the first may be wher the latter is not as the Apostle telleth vs of some that confesse that they know God but in works do deny him Tit. 1. 16. The confessing of Christ is with the mouth Rom. 10. 10. the having of Christs shape in vs is by fayth Eph. 3. 17. Phil. 3. 8. 9. which faith is in the hart and as th'Apostle sheweth Rom. 10. 10. these both confession with the mouth and beleef with the hart are needful to salvation It is possible for hypocrites to make a good and true confession of Christ with the mouth and yet in their harts not be partakers of the Christian or godly nature as Iudas Iscariot Simon Magus and others that were baptised and made Christs disciples by a true outward confession but it is vnpossible that any should have the Christian like nature in him in deed and truth but he wil also confesse Christ with his mouth or weep bitterly with Peter if through fraylty of the flesh he doe deny him Wheras therfore Gods word requireth both these in Christians and H. N. would draw these two daughters from the one namely from outward confessing with the mouth vnder pretense and colour of the other namely of having Christs shape within them he dealeth deceitfully and not according to truth It is as if he should allure them to fornication and when they alleged against him Gods Law Heb. 12. 16. Let ther be no fornicator c. he should answer true but the meaning you vnderstand not many suppose that the chastity of body is the right chastitie no my beloved no the godly chastitie must stand in greater force effect then to be in the outward or elementish body for so the Pharisees vnderstood the Law of old but Christ applyeth it against the lusts of the hart Mat. 5. 27. 28. If this reasoning be naught so is H. Ns. about confessing Christ. For as Gods word requiring chastitie intendeth it both of the body and of the mind so when it requireth confessing of Christ it meaneth both with mouth and hart as is playnly set down Rom. 10. 10. Other deadly poison hath H. N. here touched as where he sayth Christ in his like Being must have his shape in the man wherby he meaneth such a kind of traÌ„substaÌ„tiatioÌ„ as that Christ and the man should be one substance one being yea the Lovely vertuous being in man that is his Christ as before I have shewed This opinion is not possible to be warranted by holy writ but is the mere invention of this Antichristian Christ our redeemer is in his own substance and person in heaven at Gods right hand Mark 16. 19. Act. 3. 21. but we are on earth and Christ dwelleth not otherwise in vs theÌ„ by fayth Ephe. 3. 17. which faith purifieth the hart Act. 15. 9. and worketh by Love Gal. 5. 6. and fayth which is the evidence of things not seen apprehendeth Gods great and precious promises which are given vnto vs that by them we should be partakers of the godly nature in that we flee the corruption which is in the world through lust not by having the very substance and Being of God and of Christ as H. N. grossly imagineth and wayt with pacience for the second coming of our Lord in the clowdes of heaven at what time both the dead in Christ and those that are alive shabe caught vp in the clowds to meet the Lord in the aire and so shall we ever be with the Lord as th'Apostle sayth 2 Thes. 4. 17. An other damnable error H. N. here hath saying that through the Christian-like nature ther is subdued among all those where the same is born out of grace the death Divil and hell Wherby he would teach