Theologicall axioms or conclusions publikly controuerted, discussed, and concluded by that poore English congregation, in Amstelredam: to whome H.C. for the present, ad-ministreth the ghospel. Togither with an examination of the saide conclusions, by Henoch Clapham. Here-vnto is added a litle tractate entituled. The carpenter.

Examination.

WHo is to vs a visible true Christian / is a Question (in these days) not a litle turmoylinge the heads and hearts of many. Yea / the crosse Conclusions that mainy do thervpon inferre / either giueth (in effect to all / or taketh from all professinge and confessinge the name / IESVS / the title of True Christian.

To auoyde therfore the errour of the right and lefte hand / and to sayle betwene these rocks of extreames (seyng our Dauids kyngdo∣me must remayne as fixed as the Son end Moone in the heauens materiaall) though somtijmes by clowdes end the schadowe of the Earth obscured to the ey of the Earths inhabitants we (I. say) therfore haue concluded that Person to vs a visible Christian / who 1. holdeth / and 2. buildeth to the praise of God / on the corner stone Christ Iesus.

First the Person beleiuelh: what? That Iesus Christ the Son of God is com in our nature for the full saluation therof. First / he beleiuelh that God is: Hebre. 11.6. secondly / that Iesus Christ is the Son of God: ac∣cording tho the Apostles their confession: Math. 16.16. Thirdly that he is alredy com: and 4. in our nature. Gal. 4.4. Hebr. 2.16.17. fiftly / vnto this end: namely / fully to saue vs: Acto. 4.12. Heb. 7.25.

1. Atheistes / must beleiue that God is. ••for / how commeth this worlde and all the things therein to exist / and in their kyndes to be conserued / if there be not som Power (or God) eternall and incomprehensible / that giueth being he∣reto? The Atheist comminge into a stately pallace / senig no body there / is notwith standing forced to confesse / that the Pallace was made by som / who was before it.

2. The Iewes must beleiue / that IEsus is Christ. His blood remain∣ge vpon them and their Children (Math. 27.25.) The expiration of Da∣niels propheticall 70. weeks of yeares (that is / of 490. Yeares / from Cyrus edict for building IErushalem / vnto Messiahs ceasinge sacrifice) Dan. 9.24. etc. Isa. 44.28. end 2. Chro. 36.22.23.) and the full remouall of Iu∣dahs Scepter (Gen. 49.10. Math 2.1.) May teach them / first / that Christ is com: secondly / that IEsus was the Christ.

3. The Arrians and Samosatenistes must knowe that Christ is the Son of God / namely / by eternall generation (and so without Mother: and begining of days / and If hais roote / Hebr. 7.3. (Ioh. 1.1.2.)

This is / becawse the father and he is one in essence) Philip. 2.6. Hebr. 1.••. Colos. 2.9.) and not only God by Office / as they wickedly teach.

4. The Anabaptistes must beleiue that (as CHrist is God and one with the father / so) He is com in our nature / and ther fore also verily Man. If he only had essence or nature with the father / then (God being a spirit: and a spirit not hauing flesh and bone / he shold not dy and suffer Indeede / but phantastically and in shewe: as was the Maniches phantasie. If he assumed som other Nature then ours / then he and his Church sholde not be two in one Flesh (as was the typicall Adam and his wyfe: Gen. 2.25. Ephes. 5, 31.32.) so / neither God shold be satisfied in our Nature / nor our Nature be iustified / sanctified / glorified. Nay / he was the first fruites in our Nature that rose from vnder the power of Death (1. Cor. 15.20.) and by him (the First-fruites) is the whole sumpe sanctified / that by fayth is vnited vnto him. If to be in the forme of God (Philip. 2.6.) be / to be One with God in Nature: Then what letteth (vers. 7.) that to be in the forme of Man / shold not (by like proportion) be / to be One with man in Na∣ture. Though it be a mysterie: yet the mysterie herein is plaine: namely / that he was the Son of god and the Son of Man: verily God / verely Man: God verily his Father: woman verily his Mother: passible (as Man) impassi∣ble / as God. In regard of which humaine nature: he is thee seede of wo∣man: Gen. 3.15. Gal. 4.4. And as the humaine nature was assumed for the benefit of the faith full / he is called / Abrahams seede (Hebr. 2.16. a roote springing from Ishai: Isa. 11.1.

5. Romanistes (of what sect soeuer) must beleiue that this Iesus is our full righteousnes / and redemption: not leaving any thing in the worke of salvation imperfect that so we might adde therevnto: least our flesh shold reioyce in his presence: 1. Cor. 1.29.30. Rom. 4.2. Hebr. 7.25.

Secondly / the person so beleiuinge / buildeth vpon this foundation of God / in a new and holy Conuersation / as God his spirit thensforth / by the ministrie of the ghospell / shall teach vnto him: and that vnto the praise and glory of God.

First he knowes that there is a spirit of God / who speaketh the will of God by Man. This spirit must he knowe to be in essence one with the Fa∣ther and the Son. 1. Ioh. 5.6.7. Math. 28.19. and 2. Cor. 3.17. This ar∣ticle (it semeth) som Christians in the primatiue age / or begining of Chri∣stian Churches / were much ignorant of: or vnderstood but confusedly: and this Definition concludeth with in it all such as haue bene accomted true vi∣sible Christians / though otherwise labouring of manie infirmities. Second∣ly / according to this Spirits ministerie thensforth he buildeth in a newe and holy conversation (Iam. 2.18. Ephes. 1.4. Gal. 5.24.) And this holy buildinge is either in perfection (and that was in Christ) or in imperfection: and that is in all his members: Rom. 7.15.23. Thirdly / he doth is to the praise of God.

1. First / anie Obedience (though voluntarie and hauing a shewe of wisdome / Colloss. 2.23.) is not true / or / holy Obedience: but only that which is builded vpon true faith in Christ (for this only is as Golde / syluer end precious stones: 1. Cor. 3.12. etc.) for that only is by the spi∣rit of God incommended to Man by the written worde: 2. Tim. 3.15.16. Reuel. 22.18.19. And this ouerturneth all manner of Obedience (seme it neuer so glorious) as the works of a transformed spirit / that is not groun∣ded vpon the faith of Christ Iesus written / it being the inspired square of the spirit of God.

2. Secondly / he thensforth (namely / after the profession of true faith) buildeth (though imperfectly) in a newe conver••acon. He rons in Christs rare / though wth manie falls / but he still riseth by the staffe of repentaunc and still setteth on forwards: looking vpon the Author / end finisher of our faith set at the right hand of Maiestie: Hebr. 12.1.2. Reuel. 3 1.2.3.5. And this ouerthwarteth first / such as returne back to their former filth. (2. Pet. 2.20.21.22.) secondly / it convinceth such as teach by worde directly or by necessarie Consequent (in their Nouatian practise) that amie man or Church can obay / or walke perfectly. To what end doth our saviour commaund so often pardoning a brother (Math. 18.22.) or Paul will vs to beare with the weake and to support with meecknes such brethren as haue fallen vnder som tentation (Rom. 15.1. Gal. 6.1. etc.) if not because / the holiest may he ignorant in maine things / as also fall often?

3. Thidly / in referring all to the praeise and glorie of God / it stop∣peth the mowth of euery proud Pharisie (Luc. 18.9. etc.) who puffed vp with Nebuchadnetzar / do builde end performe glorious worcks for the ho∣nour of their owne name: rawsing the trompet to sound forth their al∣mes. Such alredy haue their rewarde: namely / a litle praise of Mans mowth.