94. Not that we justify the Turks, and say that they should remain in their blindness. No, but to the counterfeit 1 [verbal] Christians we declare, that they are alike [with the Turks] before God, in that they are as blind as to Christ's kingdom as the Turks. As it plainly shows itself in that Christendom is full of strife and contention about Christ's deity, and humanity; and abominably profanes the holy name in his humanity; and uses it only for a form and custom to swear [and covenant by] also to idolatry [and hypocrisy], and is gone from the sword of the Holy Spirit, unto a bloodthirsty confounding sword, wherein is nothing but contending, and contemning one another; and the whole titular Christendom is turned into mere sects and orders, where one sect does despise and brand another for unrighteous. And thus they have made of Christendom a mere murdering den, full of blasphemies about Christ's person; and have bound the spirit of Christ, (in which a Christian should live in deepest humility), to the forms and orders of disputation; and have set foolish reason to be a master of the understanding 2 above Christ's kingdom.
95. But ought we to speak so of Christendom and the Turks as if they were alike? Thus we say, The Turk is openly an Ishmaelite, and a mocker of Christ's humanity, and holds him not for the Son of God and for the son of man, jointly; for he understands not the heavenly ens in the person.
96. But the sects of Christendom do indeed cover themselves with Christ's mantle, but do attack him in his humanity and deity, and revile him in his whole person; tear and rend one another [with words, and swords] about his person; the one will have it this way, another that way, every one will be master over his words and spirit;
and deride Christ in his members, and are as revolting rebellious and fugitive Ishmaelites as the Turks, and live in their selfish will; and serve the kingdom of nature in their selfhood, and worldly interests and pleasure.
97. A Christian should be dead with Christ to self; and be risen again in Christ; and be born anew of Christ, and put on Christ; that so he might be a Christian in Christ, in the spirit and heavenly flesh of Christ, according to the internal spiritual man.
1 Painted.
2 Or, to judge what the meaning of the Holy Spirit is in the
Scripture.
98. But instead hereof men have put on Babel and the Antichrist; and do boast themselves of their ordinances [and of the divine orders in the performances of devout duties in lip-labour and much prating], and in the stone houses of the churches, cathedrals and cloisters of Christendom; where indeed they do counterfeit somewhat of Christ, seeing that they there read the writings which the Apostles left behind them; but afterwards in their preaching, for the most part they foist in the kingdom and government of nature, with brawling, and disputing; and spend the time with disputing, confuting, and contending about sects [and their different mental idols and opinions], in so much that one party is brought wholly to condemn another, and the ears [and hearts] of the hearers are so infected with gall and bitterness that one sect wilfully opposes another, and cries it down for devilish; whence nothing but wars, and disdainful provocations do arise, to the desolating of countries and cities.
99. Thus they are alike before God, and lie as it were shut up in Hagar, in the dead reason; except the true children of God, which verily are here and there to be found among all nations and sects, but wholly simple, and despised; also covered under Christ's cross, to the reasonwise world.
100. For as the four elements receive the powerful influence of the
94. Not that we justify the Turks, and say that they should remain in their blindness. No, but to the counterfeit 1 [verbal] Christians we declare, that they are alike [with the Turks] before God, in that they are as blind as to Christ's kingdom as the Turks. As it plainly shows itself in that Christendom is full of strife and contention about Christ's deity, and humanity; and abominably profanes the holy name in his humanity; and uses it only for a form and custom to swear [and covenant by] also to idolatry [and hypocrisy], and is gone from the sword of the Holy Spirit, unto a bloodthirsty confounding sword, wherein is nothing but contending, and contemning one another; and the whole titular Christendom is turned into mere sects and orders, where one sect does despise and brand another for unrighteous. And thus they have made of Christendom a mere murdering den, full of blasphemies about Christ's person; and have bound the spirit of Christ, (in which a Christian should live in deepest humility), to the forms and orders of disputation; and have set foolish reason to be a master of the understanding 2 above Christ's kingdom.
95. But ought we to speak so of Christendom and the Turks as if they were alike? Thus we say, The Turk is openly an Ishmaelite, and a mocker of Christ's humanity, and holds him not for the Son of God and for the son of man, jointly; for he understands not the heavenly ens in the person.
96. But the sects of Christendom do indeed cover themselves with Christ's mantle, but do attack him in his humanity and deity, and revile him in his whole person; tear and rend one another [with words, and swords] about his person; the one will have it this way, another that way, every one will be master over his words and spirit;
and deride Christ in his members, and are as revolting rebellious and fugitive Ishmaelites as the Turks, and live in their selfish will; and serve the kingdom of nature in their selfhood, and worldly interests and pleasure.
97. A Christian should be dead with Christ to self; and be risen again in Christ; and be born anew of Christ, and put on Christ; that so he might be a Christian in Christ, in the spirit and heavenly flesh of Christ, according to the internal spiritual man.
1 Painted.
2 Or, to judge what the meaning of the Holy Spirit is in the
Scripture.
98. But instead hereof men have put on Babel and the Antichrist; and do boast themselves of their ordinances [and of the divine orders in the performances of devout duties in lip-labour and much prating], and in the stone houses of the churches, cathedrals and cloisters of Christendom; where indeed they do counterfeit somewhat of Christ, seeing that they there read the writings which the Apostles left behind them; but afterwards in their preaching, for the most part they foist in the kingdom and government of nature, with brawling, and disputing; and spend the time with disputing, confuting, and contending about sects [and their different mental idols and opinions], in so much that one party is brought wholly to condemn another, and the ears [and hearts] of the hearers are so infected with gall and bitterness that one sect wilfully opposes another, and cries it down for devilish; whence nothing but wars, and disdainful provocations do arise, to the desolating of countries and cities.
99. Thus they are alike before God, and lie as it were shut up in Hagar, in the dead reason; except the true children of God, which verily are here and there to be found among all nations and sects, but wholly simple, and despised; also covered under Christ's cross, to the reasonwise world.
100. For as the four elements receive the powerful influence of the
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.