of Christ after the flesh The second borne as he affirmeth in the eleuenth Section holdeth himselfe in stilnesse and obteyneth through the prudence of the holy Ghost the blessing of the promises In the nienth Section he calleth it the Godhead the truth Gods true being it selfe the inheritaunce of all spirituall and heauenly goodes the true seede of the beliefe that becommeth borne in vs according to the spirite inheriteth the promises of God the Father And in the twelfth Section and last line thereof hee calleth it Christ these be his woordes The seconde birth which is not minded according to the fleshe but according to the spirite of the heauenly trueth obteineth the victorie beareth rule with God and bringeth foorth the name of Israel or Christ it selfe By this which hath bene saide it appeareth euidently that H.N. his Christ is that estate of man or men which liueth as it best liketh not beyng nowe any more vnder the gouernement of the written woorde which he calleth the seruiceable letter hauing let the rayne loose vnto reuelations so that nothing shall now be good but that he thinketh to be good neither shall any thing be euill of it selfe vnlesse he iudge it to be euill For he is now the rule himself to make by his reuelation what construction soeuer he will of the worde so it be not according to the letter and naturall sence of the same for that is with him the first borne which cannot inherite the promises It shall now be now be no great hard matter by the light wee haue had from these former places to finde out the poyson that lyeth vnder the sweete wordes with he geueth Christ in his confession For confessing Christ to bee the very like beeing of God his Father wee may soone perceiue what he meaneth when hee calleth the seconde birh wherof so many be partakers as shall inherit the promises Gods true being it selfe the very like being of the Godhed it self which are his owne words in the xiii chapter of his Gospel and fifth Section Confessing likewise that God the Father by Christ hath made and accomplished all his woorke what is this more then that he attributeth in the xiii Chapter of his Gospel and thirde Section to this estate of his illuminate Elders and perfect men who bee come to the seconde birth which he calleth in that place The Lorde his Sabboth the seuenth day in the Paradice of God wherein God rested from all his workes So that then they are saide to rest as hauing accomplished all their woorkes when this their estate of perfection wherevnto he giueth this name of Christ is come vnto them And in the like sence hee saith That Christ beareth all things with the word of his power and maketh the purging of our sinnes through him selfe For that estate vnderstandeth the worde after the spirit therefore hath it in that power whereby it beareth and doth all thinges and that estate likewise freeth them from all daunger of sinne in as much as it wholly purgeth and cleanseth them from the same This so wicked horrible monstrous construction and meaning vnder so greate good words doth plainly declare that H.N. and his family are children of that great Whoore described in the seuenteenth chapter of the Reuelation which giueth foorth all her abhomination out of a Golden Cuppe H.N. The third Article 14. We beleeue that the same sonne of GOD is conceiued of the holie Ghost through the power of the moste highest and borne of the holie 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 seede 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 vs 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 haue 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 for proofe that H.N. taketh Christe to bee but a course in life and conuersation which so many attaine vnto 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 vnto the former one testimonie more because this place we now haue 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 holy ones haue 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 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 haue defended that he saith thus Euangely eighteen and
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 vnto him out of faith in the seruice of his worde and bringeth euen so vnto 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 vpon which he in these last dayes poureth forth his spirit and remembreth no more their sinnes for they are a reconciled people vnto 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 loue 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 loue 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 vpon 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 vnto him which doin all his wil. He affirmeth heere in like maner that these his children of the new testament loue not the worlde nor the things in the world and will haue this to be the cause and occasion thereof for that the new testament is wholy and altogither of God the loue 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 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 vs because when in all things wee doe his will wee stande as a people fully reconciled vnto our God and therefore wholy and altogether discharged of all daunger for our former sinnes For according to this doctrine when once we haue ceased to sinne sinne likewise ceaseth to lay anie thing to our charge and thus this obedience beareth our sinnes in vs 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 vnto 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 We like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath layd vpon him the iniquitie of vs all he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquitie the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes wee are healed Such grosse blindnesse is a iust punishment from God vpon 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 loue 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 vs 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 haue 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 where he setteth the righteosnesse of one man for the making of many righteous against the disobedience of one vnto 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 vs but resteth in our owne breastes within vs In the second Epistle to the Corinthes the Apostle doeth yet more plainly declare himselfe to haue a contrarie spirite to H.N. in that hee is flatte contrarie in speach For he affirmeth Christ to be a sinner in vs and vs to be righteous in him our sinnes to be imputed vnto him and his righteousnesse to be reckoned ours our sinnes to be borne in him and so he to be made sinne for vs and we righteousnesse in him For he made him to bee sinne for vs sayth the Apostle which knewe no sinne that we should be made the righteousnesse of God in him If he be made sinne for vs then are not our sinnes borne in vs if we be righteous before God or the righteousnes of God in him then not in vs 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 haue had some colour to bleare the eyes of their Disciples withall touching this doctrine to haue 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
shewed vnto his disciples howe or in what maner his flesh must be offered and giuen ouer to a life of men that they all euen so which in the beliefe of their safe making from their sinnes eate his flesh and followed after him euen vnto the second birth should haue the life in fulnesse in all godly clearnesse according to the spirit Behold this is the vpright Passeouer with Christ or the right supper which the vpright beleeuers disciples of Christ keepe with Christ to wit that they depart euen so with Christ out of the flesh into the spirit and out of the death or mortalitie into the eternall life of euerlasting immortalite wherethrough the sinne and all destruction becommeth vanquished This death of H.N. his Christ in the flesh is to renounce the knowledge of Christ after the letter to die vnto that and so to passe into that clearenesse of the spirite in knowledge and obedience whereto we are led by the doctrine of H.N. which he calleth that eternall life of euerlasting immortalitie wherby sinne and all destruction becommeth vanquished The maner of the death and suffering of H.N. his Christ what it is may well be conceyued by the Allegorie of Agar and Sara in the 8. Chapter of his Euangelie By Agar as hee sayeth in that place is signified the written woorde which hee calleth the seruiceable writing or letter of the beleefe By Sara a perfect estate according to H.N. his doctrine For he sayeth That so manie be her children as are borne out of the beleefe of the true being of Abraham and are growne vp in the holy and godly vnderstanding Now when the seede of Sara the free woman which before was called Christ after the spirite is borne then is Agar with her seede that is Christ after the flesh or the written word which he calleth the seruiceable writing or letter of the beleefe put away and discharged And therfore then is H.N. his Christ killed put to death whē any disciple of his hath so profited that he is now no longer led by the writtē word but altogither ruled by reuelatiō with estate as H.N. teacheth is altogither void of sin imperfection If it be required what benefite we reape from his passion and suffering because H.N. affirmeth in this place that hee hath suffered for our sinnes cause that is answered in the 20. Chap. of this first exhortation Sect. 17. For when in the 12. Section hee had exhorted his yong disciples that if they shoulde offend or as he speaketh ouerreach themselues in anie thing they shoulde not suffer themselues to bee iudged or condemned by their conscience but shoulde humble themselues to the elders or Ministers of the word in the seruice of the loue to bee instructed by them giuing the reason of his speach in the Section following hee hath these wordes For we haue in our communiaitie of the loue a true iudge Iesus Christ our Lord and King he is vnto vs in all our walking a fountaine of life and to a-making a liue of vs all against the death and the deadly venime of the sinne And continuing his speach of the same matter speaketh thus Wee haue also thorow him a dayly offering in the holiest his spiritual and true tabernacle into which holy he is gone before vs therein himself beareth our sinnes through his suffering and death of the crosse wherethrough hee sheweth or teacheth vs the vpright offering for our sinnes and prepareth for vs euen so a free entrance with him into the holy to an eternall and liuing way H.N. therefore and these illuminate elders or Ministers of the word in the seruice of Loue to whom he giueth the name of Christ and speaketh of them all as of one person are saide to suffer for our sinnes because they hauing gone before vs in the conflictes with these enemies of the louely being haue shewed vnto vs by their example the vpright offering for our sinnes And this is all the helpe wee haue from the passion death and suffering of H.N. his Christ that wee haue the way beaten before vs howe to suffer for our owne sinnes and to procure the remission of the same Which thing he testifieth likewise in the 19. Section of this chapter saying Through which daylie God seruice and offering in the holy in the taking vppe of our Crosse in the imitation of Christ in his death we obteine the remission of sinnes they be his owne woordes But I neede not to trauayle farre for proofe that this is his opinion of the benifite wee haue by Christ for euen in the woordes which do immediatly folow this place we haue in hand he affirmeth that Christ is gone before vs in the obedience of the word of his Father in reproche and contempt that we should in like maner folow after him vnder the obediēce of his loue in his death of the Crosse to the safemaking of vs from all our sinnes What blasphemie can be vttered agaynst Christ that doeth not followe this opinion of H.N. for by this docrrine H.N. by speciall prerogatiue and the illuminate elders in the seruice of loue after a seconde sort be Christ himselfe By this doctrine Christ when he was a young one had sinne and suffered the death of the Crosse for it By this doctrine we suffer the death of the Crosse for our own sinnes make the purchase thereof by our selues By this doctrine wee are released of our sinnes by imitation but not not by imputation And whether would not this heresie stretch if a man should thorowly searche the length deapth and breadth thereof seeyng that by this doctrine the historie of Christ his birth death and suffering had no trueth according to the naturall sense meaning of the letter but was only a figure of a spiritual kinde of birth death suffering which should be procured by obedience vnto this doctrine of H.N. not signifying a thing once done by one man according to the natural meaning of the woordes but a figure of a thing to bee often doone and by many according to an illegitimate and bastardely wringing of the woordes in vtterly denying the trueth of that doctrine which telleth vs that Christe hath come in the fleshe ouerthrowing both his person and office The Crosse then that H.N. his Christ died vppon was his doctrine which he calleth the beliefe and therefore as wee hearde before in the twētieth chapter he saith that he died in the beliefe And in trueth it is a doctrine that killeth the true Christ and all true Christianitie These thinges beyng considered it shal be no hard matter to discerne who is Iudas here and who be the Scribes and Pharisees that bring Christ to the death of the Crosse For who is the chiefe man to bring other to the beliefe which is the crosse whereon Christ dieth in fleshe but H N He therefore of necessitie must be Iudas And as for the illuminate elders by
duetie with them not only payeth their olde debt but also purchaseth more lande and liuing Let one of them yeelde a litle seruice vnto their God in their deuotion suche as it is and they will make that to answere the debt and daunger of their former sinnes yea and to deserue also more and greater graces to be geuen them from God according as H.N. sayth heere that they muste burie the olde man to the ende that they might euen so obteine the renuing of their spirite and minde in an vpright life Yf they coulde perswade men that there were either equitie right or reason in this kinde of dealing which they wil force vpon the Lorde it were no great matter too growe soone as riche in goodes as they doe take them selues to be in godlinesse For when they haue long tyme gone vpō credit if after their beginning to pay for wares as they shall take them they coulde perswade their creditours that the same dealing which nowe at the laste they haue light vppon doeth not onely answere their former debtes but also in equitie deserue to haue better penie-worthes alwayes after howesoeuer it should fare with their creditours they were sure to gaine greatly by it Thus blinde is man when he walketh without the worde And when his reason for some long time hath been his rule his punishment from GOD is so great that he taketh it in the ende to bee reason to depart from all equitie and reason If our sinnes were answered in that obedience wherby our life is reformed how commeth it then to passe that the Apostle speaking to the Church of Corinth after they were turned from theyr lewde life to serue the liuing God affirmeth that yf Christe be not risen they are yet in their sinnes They walked in humble obedience vnto theyr GOD they had left idolatrie fornication drunkennesse and other fruites of ignorance wherein before they had liued Notwithstanding the apostle telleth them that if Christ by his rising vp againe haue not made a cōquest for them ouer sinne hel and destruction their rising from sinne will stande them in no steede Because albeit they haue left those sinnes yet haue they not answered the Iustice of GOD for the offence whereof they haue made them giltie by theyr committing of the same as the Theefe or other malefactour may not thinke that all his offence passeth when the action is once past the purpose lefte of doeing the like it is no Plea either in lawe or reason for hym to say the deed is long since doone and my wayes are now otherwyse his offence committed against the good lawes vnder the with he liueth against the peace of his Prince must necessarily either be pardoned or els in his punishementes satisfied For albeit the deede passeth away with the tyme it is in doeing yet leaueth it that giltinesse in vs which no other thing but either pardon or punishment can discharge As for that H. N. affirmeth that our burial of the old mā obteineth the renuing of our spirite and minde in an vpright life it will in no wise stande with the doctrine left vnto vs in the woorde of god The woorde of GOD will not beare that blasphemie Touching this point God saith the Apostle which is rich in mercy euen when wee were dead by sinnes not when we had put our sinnes to death hath quickened vs togeather in Christ by whose grace yee are saued and hath raysed vs vp togeather that hee myght shewe in the ages too come the exceeding ryches of his grace through his kindenesse towardes vs in IESVS Christe For by grace are yee saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of GOD not of woorkes least any man shoulde boast him selfe Which doctrine not onely affirmeth that grace and not woorkes hath brought vs vnto the estate of saluation but also that wee haue passed immediatly from the woorkes of darkenesse and a damnable estate into the workes of light and estate of our saluation Euen when wee were dead in sinnes saith the Apostle hath God quickened vs in Christ by whose grace ye are saued How is our saluation of grace not of workes if by buriyng the olde man and woorking the death and destruction of sinne we obteyne the renuing of our mind in an vpright life How can it be said that hee hath quickened vs euen when we were dead by sinnes if we haue by our woorks greatly preuailed against sinne euen so farre as to procure the death thereof before we be quickened by beeyng renued in our spirite and mynde in an vpright lyfe H.N. Beholde after this manner as wee beeleeue and doe heere confesse or acknowledge become wee rightly baptized in the name of the Sonne incorporated or implanted as fellowe members of Christe into the bodye of Christe and the stocke of Israel to the ende that wee shoulde euen so according to the trueth as true Christians and an holy people of Israel of the seed of Abraham beare or carry his holy name confesse or acknowledge the same Christ as our Sauiour before men and euen so liue and walke in his louelie vpright beeyng Wee confesse likewise that all suche as doe not imitate or followe after Iesus Christ in his death of the crosse in all obedience of the holy worde of Iesu Christ and of his holy spirite of loue to the vanquishing of the sinne the death and the hel to a burying of all iniquitie destroying nature vngodly being or become not euen so baptized or washed in his name neither yet beare the death of the sinne through the death of the crosse of Christ in their inwardnesse are no christians nor yet baptized in the name or saluation of the sonne For al such as become not baptized or washed in the name of Iesu that is in the sauing health of his death to the mortifiyng of the sinfull fleshe according to the inwarde man neither yet indeuour them thereto and yet neuerthelesse boast them to be christians they are al false n Christians also lying in al theyr confessing teaching because they enter not into the cōmunialtie of the sheepe of Christ through the death and coincor porating of the death of Christ which is the right doore of the sheepe folde of Christ but breake in some other way and beleeue not the saluation or sauing health of Iesu Christ Answeare THis conteyneth nothing els but a iustifiyng of that which hee hath professed before to wit that our imitation of Christe in his death of the crosse is our beliefe in the sonne and our baptizing in the name of the sonne and a condemning of al as false Christians who shal not enter by this his way into the sheepefolde of Christ And therfore my former answere doth dispatch this also Through this doctrine professed by H. N. faith is vtterly banished and woorkes onely and altogeather imbrased so that instead
and baptism he shall become saued but who so beleeueth not hee shall according to the worde of Iesu Christ become cōdemned 35. For that cause let no mā boast him to be a christiā that hath not in the vpright faith receiued the true tokens of the Christianitie that is that beareth or carieth not the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghost essentially and liuingly in him otherwise he shall assuredly in this same day of the loue of the righteous iudgement before al the holie ones of God which are comprehēded in the communialtie of the loue bee founde false and lying For the woorde that the Lorde Iesus Christ hath spoken shal iudge him in this same newest day Answeare H.N. proceedeth nowe to the sentence of euerlasting condemnation which hee thundreth out agaynst all howe many soeuer who shall not nowe in this present day of the loue beleeue this doctrine which he hath here published and professed What sentence hee himselfe lieth vnder I leaue it vnto the Lorde but if there be any place left vnto prayer for him I pray God hee may be so truely touched with repentaunce as that curse may be turned from him which wayteth for so many as by damnable doctrine shall leade blinde and simple soules out of the way In the meane time we stande assured from the mouth of the lorde that the curse which is causelesse shall not come The true Churche of Christ acknowledgeth the holy Ghost to be God equall with the Father and the Sonne because the Scripture geueth libertie and freedome vnto him in distributing of graces and giftes vnto the children of god According as we reade in the former Epistle to the Corinthes Al these thinges worketh one and the self same spirite distributing to euerie man seuerallie as he will because in like maner it ioyneth him with the father and the sonne makinge but one God of those three persons as it is written in the first Epistle of Saint Iohn There are three which beare recorde in heauen the Father the worde and the holy Ghost and these three are one Wee doe assuredly beleeue that the holie Ghost will bee our comforter vnto the ende as well in woorking the woorkes of sanctification in vs as in making strong and sealing vp vnto our spirite the assurance of saluation and euerlasting life bringing all that to passe in our weakenesse which the Lorde hath promised in his woorde For the which ende he is sent from the Father and the Sonne into the world Which effectes are many in number and merueilous for the great workemanshippe thereof in such frailtie as wee are forced to feele and confesse to be within our selues For what a wonderful worke is this in flesh and bloud to haue a wise and vnderstanding heart in the will and word of his God The Apostle setteth this sight of God his goodnesse towardes vs which is offered in the Gospel farre aboue the reach eyther of sense or reason attributing it onely to the holy Ghost The things which eye hath not seen neither eare heard neither came into mans heart hath God prepared for them that loue him but God hath reuealed them vnto vs by his spirit for what mā knoweth the thinges of a man saue the spirit of a mā euen so the things of God knoweth no mā but the spirit of god What a rare work is this in like manner to geue vnto men who are priuie to themselues of manifolde offences and great wretchednes the confidence and boldenesse to call God Father making a full reckoning of his fauour and good wil towards them which thing is notwithstanding wrought in the seruants of God by the spirit of God as the Apostle witnesseth because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirite of his sonne into your hartes which crieth Abba Father Of what difficultie likewise is that woorke to quicken this not dull but dead disposition within vs in the wayes of the Lorde his lawes and in the woorkes of his commaundementes yet doeth the spirite of God performe it in vs as wee reade in the Epistle to the Romanes If the spirite of him that raised vppe Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raysed vp Christe from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirite that dwelleth in you Moreouer that passeth the power of man in our afflictions to be guided vnto God and to haue beside the matter the acceptable maner also of mourning and groning ministred vnto vs which proceedeth from the spirite of God as it is written to the Romanes Likewise the spirite also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought but the spirite it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed but he that searcheth the heartes knoweth what is the meaning of the spirite for he maketh request for the faultes according to the will of God. And howe woonderfull is the Lorde by this woorke of his spirite in vs who are yet kept from our Countrey kingdome and oftentimes so euill intreated and so litle regarded that not onelie men but the Lorde himselfe seemeth to reckon of vs as vnwoorthie of any welfare here vppon earth to haue notwithstanding within vs a good earnest of our inheritance in heauē euē the spirit of God who hath also to name Comforter for these and like effectes of consolatiō after that ye beleued ye were sealed with the holy spirite of promise which is the earnest of our inheritaunce for the redēption of that libertie purchased to the praise of his glory As for H.N. his holie Ghost there are no suche thinges to bee had from him for concerning the earnest and assurance to be made for our inheritaunce what vse can there be thereof when once wee are entred vpon the same nowe by H.N. his doctrine euerlasting life is in this life and in this estate of perfection which he professeth therfore when possession is taken there is no longer place for anie pledge or earnest of assurance and therefore H.N. his holie Ghost cannot bee he which the Scripture setteth foorth and maketh knowen by the propertie of a pleadge or earnest Beside this when H.N. his holie Ghost is once come they are past praier for sinne they haue not to pray against it beyng no sinners and goodnesse they want not beyng perfect and therefore he is not that holie Ghost which the Scripture speaketh off that helpeth their infirmities who know not what to pray as they ought making request with sighes and grones that cannot be expressed H.N. The nienth Article Wee beleeue one holy Churche a communialtie of holie ones which is the conioyned bodie of Christ or incorporated through the loue to Christ and that the shedding forth of the holy Ghost commeth to passe vnder the obedience of the loue vppon the same For through the holie Ghost wherewith shee is in