without commandement or word of God which thing if it be lawfull to doe you can shew no cause why the heathenish sacrifices slaying of dogs sacrifices offered at Lampsacum to Priapus and such like monstrous worship should not please God Whether hath mans foolehardinesse rushed not onely amongst the Ethnicks in feigning worships but also among the Popish rout in devising eft-soons new and foolish ceremonies in prayer to the dead in the worshipping of Saints and in the babling of Monks Here therefore let us be watchfull and not suffer lawes to be thrust upon the Churches which prescribe workes without the commadement of God as Gods worship and mans righteousnesse And whereas all our adversaries even they that speake most modestly doe tie this opinion of worship unto those workes let us know that it is a good work to withstand them and by violating such traditions to shew a patterne by which the godly may know what to judge of them As Euscbius writeth of Attalus That he was commanded by God to speake unto a certaine man which eat nothing but bread salt and water that he would use common meat lest hee should bring others into error Moreover this second errour which maketh these workes to bee the worship of God brake farther For many in the Church were deceived through a perverse emulation of the Leviticall ceremonies and did thinke that there should be some such rites in the New Testament and that they are the worship of God or things whereby God will be honoured yea and that they are righteousnesse And for that cause they gave authoritie to the Bishops to ordaine such rites and such services This Pharisaicall errour Christ and his Apostles noted who taught that the worship of the New Testament is repentance the feare of God faith and the workes of the Ten Commandements as Paul saith The kingdome of God is not meat and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost For he that in these serveth Christ pleaseth God and is approved of men The Monks fained themselves to be Nazarites The Masse Priests that sacrifice for the dead would have men thinke that they imitate Aaron offering sacrifices But these examples doe not agree the rites of Monks and the Priests mercenarie Masses have no word of God for them yea there are many fond opinions mingled with them which of necessitie must be reproved in our Churches The third errour is the opinion of necessitie wherein they imagine that the Church is like unto other humane governments For they surmise that it is a kingdome wherein the Bishops as if they were Kings have power to make new laws that are besides the Gospel and that they must of necessitie be obeyed even as the Princes laws must necessarily be obeyed especially seeing this life of man cannot be without traditions And this opinion of the necessitie of these things hath stirred up contentions whilest every one defendeth his owne rites invented by man as simply necessarie But Christ and his Apostles teach that such rites set forth without Gods Commandements are not to be taken for things necessary Against this libertie enacted and established by Gods authoritie the opinion which maintaineth that the violating of traditions about things indifferent though it be not in a case where offence may be given is not to be received Hitherto belongeth the saying of Paul Let no man iudge you in meate and drinke and entercourse of holy daies c. For to judge signifieth to binde the consciences and to condemne them that doe not obey Againe Gal. 5. Stand in the libertie wherein Christ hath made you free Hitherto it hath bin shewed in what respect it is not lawfull to appoint traditions or to approve them Now some man may aske whether we would have this life of man to be without order and rites No surely But we teach that the true Pastors of the churches may ordain publike rites in their Churches but so as it be only for an end belonging to the body that is for good orders sake to wit such rites as availe for the instruction of the people As for example set daies set lessons and such like and that without any superstition and opinion of necessitie as hath been said before so that it may not be counted any sin to violate any of these ordinances so it be not with giving offence But if so be that they be broken with offence there where the Churches are well ordered and there is no error in doctrine let him that in such place breaketh them know that he doth offend because he disturbeth the peace of the Church wel ordered or doth withdraw others from the true ministery This reason doth sufficiently warrant the authority of profitable traditions and layeth no snare on mens consciences So the Church in the beginning of it ordained set dayes as the Lords day the day of Christs nativitie Easter Pentecost c. Neither did the Church dispence with the morall precepts but Gods own authoritie abrogated the ceremonies of Moses law And yet it was meet that the people should know when to come together to the hearing of the Gospel and unto the ceremonies which Christ did ordain And for that cause certain dayes were appointed to that use without any such opinions as were above mentioned And the general equity abideth still in the morall law that at certain times we should come together to these godly exercises but the special day which was but a ceremonie is free Wherupon the Apostles retained not the seventh day but did rather take the first day of the week for that use that by it they might admonish the godly both of their libertie and of Christs resurrection * Looke the 4. Observat The things objected against this may easily be taken away The Apostles decree touching things offered to Idols and fornication was moral and perpetuall but in that which they added touching bloud and that which was strangled they had regard of offence giving at that time For it was an use even before the Apostles time that such as then were conquered by the Iews should abstain from bloud things strangled The Apostles therefore have laid no new thing upon those that were joyned unto their fellowship but as yet they kept the old usuall rite which was pleasing both to the godly Iews and such as joyned with them in the society of Christ As for that which Christ saith I have yet many things to say unto you doubtlesse he meant not those foolish ceremonies that the Popes have brought in nor that any new articles of faith but a farther illumination of that Gospel which he had already delivered And therefore afterward he addeth touching the office of the holy Ghost that he should not bring any other kind of doctrine but should enlighten the minds of the Apostles that they should understand the Gospel touching the will of God which before had been taught Therefore he saith Ioh. 14. He shall teach you
in the word of God This especially every one ought to take diligent heed of that he doe not by unlawfull means thrust himselfe into those offices For every one must waite untill he be called of God himselfe that he may have a certaine testimonie of his vocation and may know that it is from the Lord. Yet in what place of the world soever the Ministers of the word of God doe keep they have all of them the same and equall power and authoritie being all of them equally the Ministers of Christ the onely universall Bishop and head of the Church Moreover lest that this holy ordinance of God be despised and brought into contempt it is the dutie of all men to have a very honourable and reverent opinion of all the Ministers of the Word and Seniours of the Church even for that works sake wherein they doe labour also to be at peace and unitie with them and as much as possibly may be to abstaine from all manner of quarrellings and contentions one with another Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE COncerning Ecclesiasticall Orders they teach that no man Artic. 14. should publiquely in the Church teach or Minister the Sacraments except he be rightly called according as Saint Paul giveth commandement to Titus To ordaine Elders in every Citie Out of the Articles concerning abuses Of the power Ecclesiasticall THere have been great controversies touching the power and Artic. 7. authoritie of Bishops in which many have incommodiously mingled together the Ecclesiasticall power and the power of the sword And out of this confusion there hath sprung very great wars and tumults while that the Popes bearing themselves bold upon the power of the keyes have not only appointed new kindes of worship and service of God and burdened mens consciences by reserving of cases and by violent excommunications but also have laboured to transferre worldly kingdomes from one to another and to spoile Emperours of their power and authoritie These faults did godly and learned men long since reprehend in the Church and for that cause our Divines were faine for the comfort of mens consciences to shew the difference betweene the Ecclesiasticall and civill powers And they have taught that either of them because of Gods commandement is dutifully to be reverenced and honoured as the chiefest blessings of God upon earth Now their judgement is this that the power of the keyes or the power of the Bishops by the rule of the Gospel is a power or commandement from God of preaching the Gospel of remitting or retaining sins and of administring the Sacraments For Christ doth send his Apostles with this charge As the Father hath sent me so send I you Receive ye the holy Ghost whose sins ye forgive they are forgiven them and whose sins ye retaine they are retained Mar. 16. Go and preach the Gospel to every creature c. This power is put in execution onely by teaching or preaching the Gospel and administring the Sacraments either to many joyntly or to severall persons according to their calling For they be not corporall things but eternall that are granted unto us as an eternall righteousnesse the holy Ghost life everlasting These things cannot be gotten but by the ministerie of the Word and Sacraments As Paul saith The Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth Seeing then that the power Ecclesiasticall concerneth things eternall and is put in use onely by the ministery of the word it hindreth not the politicall government * Looke the 1. observation no more then doth the * skill of musicke or singing For the civill government is occupied about other matters then is the Gospel * Looke the 2. observation the Magistrate is to defend not the mindes but the bodies and bodily things against manifest injuries he restraineth men by the sword and corporall punishment that he may uphold peace and a civill justice Wherefore the Ecclesiasticall and civill powers are not to be confounded The Ecclesiasticall power hath a peculiar commandement to preach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments Let it not by force enter into another charge let it not turne worldly kingdomes from the right owners Let it not abrogate the Magistrates laws let it not withdraw from them lawfull obedience let it not hinder judgements touching any civill ordinances and statutes or contracts let it not prescribe lawes to the magistrate touching the forme of a common-wealth as Christ saith My kingdome is not of this world Againe Who made me a iudge over you And Paul to the Philip. 3. Our conversation is in heaven 2 Cor. 10. The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty in God to throw downe the imaginations c. Thus doe our Divines discerne and distinguish the duties of each power one from the other and doe warne all men to honour both powers and to acknowledge both to be the good gift and blessing of God * Looke the 3. observation upon this confession If so be that the Bishops have any power of the sword they have it not as Bishops by the commandement of the Gospell but by mans law given unto them of Kings and Emperours for the civill government of their goods Yet this is a kind of function and charge diverse from the ministery of the Gospell Therefore when as the question is touching the jurisdiction of Bishops rule and dominion must be distinguished from Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction Againe by the Gospell or as they tearme it by Gods law Bishops as they be Bishops that is such as have the administration of the word and Sacraments committed to them have no jurisdiction at all but onely to forgive sinne also to know what is true doctrine and to reject such doctrine as will not stand with the Gospell and * Looke the 4. Observation to debarre from the communion of the Church such as are notoriously wicked not by humane force and violence but by the word of God And * herein of necessity the Churches ought by the law of God to perform obedience unto them according to the saying of Christ he that heareth you heareth me But when as they teach or determine any thing contrary to the Gospell then have the Churches a commandement of God which forbiddeth obedience to them Matt. 7. Beware of false Prophets Gal. 1. If an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel let him be accursed 2 Cor. 13. We cannot doe any thing against the truth but for the truth Also This power is given us to edifie and not to destroy So doe the Canons command 2. quaest 7. Cap. Sacerdotes Cap. Oves And Augustine in his Treatise against Petilians Epistle saith Neither must we subscribe to Catholike Bishops if they chance to erre or hold opinion which be against the Scriptures If so be * Looke the 6 Observat that they have any other power or jurisdiction in hearing and understanding certaiâ—â— cases as namely of Matrimony and
obedience is most necessary in such things as belong properly to this ministery ordained of God For these sayings do not allot unto Bishops a kingdome without the Gospell Christ gave them certaine commandements and those he will have us obey Againe he forbad that any new found worship should be set up in the Church and such he will not have us yeeld unto There are certaine bonds and limits prefixed within which both the Pastours authority and our obedience must containe it selfe But these limites do those Bishops most malapertly remove who proudly challenge to themselves a triple power whereby they establish most pernicious errours to wit a Princely and supream power of interpreting the Scriptures Secondly a power of erecting new worship and service of God Thirdly a soveraigne power of making new lawes And thus they trans forme the Church into an humane government They imagine forsooth that as the Prince or highest Iudge in a Realme is to interpret the law and as the Prince hath power to make new lawes so the Bishops must have a power in the Church not unlike that And they cannot abide that the Church should be governed by the dumbe writings as they call them of the Prophets and Apostles which because sometime they scarse make the matter plaine enough which they do set down the ambiguity breedeth dissentions and discords Here therefore there must needs be say they a definitive voice of some soveraigne or high Iudge to interpret that which is ambiguous and doubtfully written And except all be tied to stand to their interpretation there will be no end of strife and controversies Againe unlesse they may according as times and occasions require make lawes what a disorder would there follow These things are set out with bigge words and they carry a shew of probability in them because they are in imitation of the civill government And surely such conceits as these have in all ages from the beginning of the world hurt the Church greatly and still will hurt it The godly are therefore to be admonished that they be not overtaken with these subtilties sleights God will have his Church governed by his word which Christ and his Apostles have left unto the Church and he will have this his voice to sound in the Church by the mouthes of his ministers And though it do containe a wisdome that is farre from reasons reach yet the word of the Prophets and Apostles is sure and not doubtfull Therefore Peter saith Ye do well in attending to the word of the Prophets as to a light in the darknes Besides the Church hath the gift of interpretation that is the understanding of the heavenly doctrine but that is not tyed to the name or degree of Bishops and therefore it is no power of interpreting like to the power of a Prince or highest Iudge But those that are learned in the word of God and born again by his spiritin what place soever they be they assent unto the word of God and understand the same some more some lesse Men must therefore judge wisely of those huge Bulwarkes of the peoples power Touching lawes to be made by the Bishops Peter saith in a word Why doe ye tempt God laying a yoke on them c. Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of Order IT is evident by the holy Scriptures that all they which are indeed Artic. 20. Christians are consecrated in baptisme by Christ the Son of God to be spirituall priests and that they ought alwaies to offer up to God spirituall sacrifices Neither is it unknowne that Christ in his Church hath instituted ministers who should preach his Gospel and administer the Sacraments Neither is it to be permitted to every one although he be a spirituall priest to usurpe a publike ministerie in the Church without a lawfull calling For Paul saith Let all things be done honestly and decently among you And againe Lay hands suddenly on no man Wherefore we doe not account it an unprofitable thing to prove as it were by certaine steps the faith of them that are to be admitted to the publike ministerie of the Gospel And it seemeth not a little to further concord and unitie to keepe a due order among the Ministers of the Church But the holy Scripture doth not teach us that Christ hath instituted in his Church such priests as should be Mediatours betweene God and men and pacifie the wrath of God towards men by their sacrifices and apply the merit of Christ to the quick and the dead without the preaching of the Gospel and administration of the Sacraments For if we will speake of the great and true Mediatour There is but one Mediatour betweene God and men Jesus Christ the Sonne of God * Looke the 2. Observat upon this confession If we will speake of the Mediatour of praying every godly man is made a Mediatour each for other through Iesus because that their dutie doth require that they should commend one anothers health to God in their prayers the which dutie also then every one doth performe when they say the Lords prayer in faith If we speake of the sacrifices which doe purge our sinnes and appease the wrath of God then is there one onely sacrifice which doth purge us and reconcile God unto us to wit the sacrifice of our Lord Iesus Christ which was once made on the Crosse And as Christ doth die no moe death hath no more Dominion over him so this sacrifice of his shall never be made againe but by his one oblation as it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews He hath made perfect for ever those that be sanctified If we speake of the remembrance of this one sacrifice and of the applying of the merit thereof then the publike ministers of the Church which doe teach the Gospel publikely and administer the Sacraments according to the institution of Christ doe not onely make a true and right remembrance of this purging sacrifice but doe also apply by their dispensation the merit of this sacrifice to all those that doe receive the Gospel and the Sacraments by faith Therefore we cannot see what use there is of those kinde of men in the Church which are ordained for this purpose that they may have authoritie to sacrifice for the quicke and the dead Paul when as in his Epistles to the Corinthians and Ephesians he rehearseth those offices and ministeries which are necessary to the edifying and preserving of the Church he reckoneth Prophets Apostles Evangelists Pastors Doctors and such like but in this rehearsall he maketh no mention at all of private Priests of which sort the world is now full neither is it like that he would have omitted this kinde of Priests if either Christ had appointed it or if it had been profitable and necessary for the Church And Paul writeth that a Bishop ought to be apt to teach And Jerome teacheth that A Priest and a Bishop are all one Therefore it is evident that
to be any longer defiled with such foilies Out of the Confession of BELGIA IN the meane time we beleeve that it is in deed profitable that Artic. 32. the Elders which doe governe in Churches should appoint some order among themselves so that they doe diligently take heed that in no case they do swarve or decline from those things which Christ himselfe our onely Master hath once appointed Therefore we doe reject all humane inventions and all those laws which were brought in to be a worship of God that mens consciences should any way thereby be snared or bound and we receive those onely which are fit either to cherish or maintaine concord or to keepe us in the obedience of God And hereunto * Looke the 1. observation upon this confâ—ssion excommunication is chiefly necessary being used according to the commandement of the word of God and other additions of Ecclesiasticall discipline annexed thereunto Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE Artic. 15. COncerning Ecclesiasticall rites which are ordained by mans authority they teach that such rites are to be observed as may be kept without sin and do tend to quietnesse and good order in the Church as namely set holidaies certain godly Psalmes and other such like rites But yet touching this sort of rites they teach that mens consciences are not to be burdened with superstitious opinions of them that is it must not be thought that these humane ordinances are righteousnesse before God or do deserve remission of sins or are duties necessary unto the righteousnesse revealed in the Gospel But this is to be thought of them that they are indifferent things which without the case of offence may be omitted But such as breake them with offence are faultie as those which do rashly disturbe the peace of the Churches Such traditions therefore as cannot be observed without sinne are rejected of us as the tradition of single life We reject also that impious opinion of traditions and vowes wherein they feigne that worships invented by mans authoritie doe merit remission of sins and are satisfactions for sin c. Of which like false opinions touching vowes and fastings not a few have been spread abroad in the Church by unlearned men This Article is thus to be found in another Edition COncerning Ecclesiasticall rites they teach that those rites are to be observed which may be kept without any sinne and are availeable for quietnesse and good order in the Church such as as are set holydaies feasts and such like Againe out of the 7. Article touching abuses of the same confession These words that follow pertaine to this place and the rest unto the eleventh Section Of the authoritie of the Ministers BEsides these things there is a controversie whether Bishops Here also be many things which might very fitly have been referred to the former Sect. by reason of speciall examples of meats and holy dayes here rehearsed but seeing that the title or this page is generall it could not here be pretermitted or Pastours have power to ordaine ceremonies in the Church and to make laws of meats and holidaies and degrees or orders of Ministers They that ascribe this power to the Bishops alledge this testimonie for it I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot beare them away now But when that spirit of truth shall come he shall teach you all truth They alledge also the examples of the Apostles which commanded the Christians to abstaine from blood and that which was strangled They alledge the change of the Sabbath into the Lords day contrary as it seemeth to the morall law and they have no examples so oft in their mouthes as the change of the Sabbath They will needs have the Churches power and authoritie to be very great because it hath dispensed with a precept of the morall law But of this question our men doe thus teach that the Bishops have no power to ordaine any thing contrary to the Gospell as was shewed before The same also doe the Canons teach distinct 9. Moreover it is against the Scripture to ordaine or require the observation of any traditions to the end that we might merit remission of sinnes and satisfie for sinnes by them For the glorie of Christs merit receiveth a blow when as we seeke by such observations to merit remission of sinnes and justification And it is very apparant that through this perswasion traditions grew into an infinite number in the Church In the meane while the doctrine of faith and of the righteousnesse of faith was quite smoothered for ever and anone there were new holidaies made new fasts appointed new ceremonies new worships for Saints ordained because that the authors of such geare supposed by these works to merit remission of sinnes and justification After the same manner heretofore did the penitentiall Canons increase whereof we still see some footings in satisfactions Againe many writers imagine that in the New Testament there should be a worship like to the Leviticall worship the appointing whereof God committed to the Apostles and Bishops wherein they seeme to be deceived by the example of the law of Moses as if the righteousnesse of the New Testament were the outward observing of certain rites as the justice of the law was Like as therefore in the law it was a sinne to eate swines flesh c. so in the New Testament they place sinne in meates in daies in apparell and such like things and they hold oppinion that the righteousnesse of the New Testament can not stand without these From hence are those burdens that certaine meats defile the conscience that it is a mortall sinne to omit the canonicall houres that fastings merit remission of sinnes because they be necessary to the righteousnesse of the New Testament that a sin in a case reserved cannot be pardoned but by the authoritie of him that reserved it whereas the Canons speake onely of reserving of Canonicall punishments and not of the reserving of the fault Whence then have the Bishops power and authoritie of imposing these traditions upon the Churches for the burdening of mens consciences For there are divers cleare testimonies which inhibit the making of such traditions either for to deserve remission of sinnes or as things necessarie to the righteousnesse of the New Testament or to salvation Paul to the Coloss 2. Let no man iudge you in meat drinke or a peece of a holy day in the new moone or in the Sabbath Againe If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye lived in the world are ye burdâ—ned with traditions as Touch not taste not handle not which all doe perish with the using and are the precepts and doctrines of men which have a shew of wisedome And to Titus he doth plainly forbid traditions For he saith Not listning to Jewish fables and to the precepts of men that abhorre the truth And Christ Matth. 15. saith of them which urge traditions Let
lawfull for the ministers of the Church to be married before they were ordained ministers but also to marry after their ordination For which opinion there be very evident arguments Neither ought the vow of chastitie to be any hinderance herein because that such a vow being taken upon a man by humane superstition without the authoritie of the word of God and against faith is not acknowledged of God and wedlock also hath it chastity that he which before had vowed chastitie marrieth a wife in the Lord doth indeed fulfill the vow of chastitie Seeing therefore that the word of God is evident touching the honestie of wedlock the examples of the Apostles and Bishops of the Primitive Church be evident the weaknesse of mans nature is evident dangers of single life be evident and seeing that the offences which unchaste Priests do give are evident we do verily hope that it will come to passe that they which have the government of the Church will not go forward severely to maintaine and defend this constitution touching the marriage of Priests but favourably to interpret it For so it shall come to passe that there may be both fewer and lesse offences in the Church and that many good mens consciences may be relieved Also we hope that it will come to passe that all good Bishops and Princes will permit them who by a lawfull divorce are separated from their adulterous wives or husbands to use that libertie of marrying againe in the Lord which the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ hath granted to them Matth. 5. and 16. Hitherto also pertaineth the 26. Article Of Monasticall vowes THere is no doubt but that godly just and lawfull vowes are to be kept and payed and that wicked vowes are to be disanulled But it is not without cause made a matter of controversie in what kinde of vowes Monasticall vowes touching virginitie or single life povertie and obedience are to be placed For it is evident that single life is not commanded by the Word of God also it is evident that although the estate of single persons be in publike dangers quiet and more fit and commodious to execute the publike Ministeries of the Church then is theirs which use it not yet we must not think that this kind of life is of it selfe before the tribunal seat of God more excellent and more holy then is marriage For as in Christ there is neither Iew nor Grecian neither servant nor freeman as Paul saith so in Christ there is neither married nor unmarried And as In Christ Iesus circumcision availeth nothing but the keeping of the commandements of God and a new creature so also doth single life availe nothing and wedlock availeth nothing but to be renued in Christ Iesus and to obey the calling of Christ In the Councel held at Gangrum there was this Canon If any of those who for the Lords sake do keep virginitie is lifted up against those that be married let him be accursed And an other Canon saith If any man for continencie as it is thought doth weare a cloake as beleeving that hereby he hath righteousnesse and doth despise others who with reverence doe weare other common and usuall kindes of garments let him be accursed And Augustine De bono coniugali cap 21. dareth not preferre the virginitie of the Baptist before the wedlock of Abraham Therefore he that doth vow virginitie or single life doth either vow it as a singular worship of God And then because the state of single life is not commanded by the word of God this vow pertaineth to the commandements of men whereof Christ saith In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the precepts of men Or else he worketh it as a merit of remission of sinnes and of life eternall and then it is evidently a wicked vow whereunto no man is bound It is to no better purpose to vow povertie For either thou are poore by condition or estate and possessest no earthly substance And then this crosse which God hath laid upon thee thou must beare it patiently which moreover if thou doe vow thou doest nothing else then if in thy sicknesse thou shouldest vow that thou wouldest alwaies bee sicke or that in thy infamie thou shouldest alwaies vow to be infamous which kind of vow is rather a madnesse then godlinesse Or else thou dost possesse substance and vowest that forsaking thy substance thou wilt alwaies leade a poore life and get thy living by beging and obtaine by the merit of this vow eternall life and then this vow is first of al repugnant to the love of thy neighbour which requireth that by thy begging thou be not troublesome to any further then necessitie compelleth secondly it is contrary to faith in Christ because that he alone is the merit of eternall life Therefore it is evident that this kind of vow is unlawful and wicked But so to forsake thy substance as to give it to a common use is not to follow after poverty but to provide a more certaine and bountiful living for thy selfe the which what manner of worship it is before God it cannot be unknown And as for obedience it is either referred to God and then it is not an arbitrary vow but of due necessitie of which obedience it is said Obedience is better then sacrifice Or else it is referred to man and then of their owne accord they are to perform those duties which the subject oweth to the Magistrate children to the Parents servants to their Lords and schollers to their Schoolemasters These things doth God look for at mens hands whether they be vowed or not vowed but yet with this condition that we do alwaies rather obey God then men But to vow obedience unto man without a speciall calling of God that by the works of such obedience a man may not onely performe a singular worship unto God but also purge his sins before God it is altogether superfluous because that Christ saith They worship me in vain with the traditions of men and also wicked because the obedience of Christ alone which he performed to God his Father hath puged our sinnes and reconciled us with God By all these things it is manifest that the kinde of vowing single life povertie and obedience doth not agree with that doctrine which is indeed Catholique especially seeing that certain men are not afraid to make this kinde of vowing equall with Baptisme Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Of Monkerie CHAP. 12. ANd for the same cause that all our Iustification doth consist The former part of this 12. Chap. might more commodiously have been referred to the 17. Sect. where we intreated of true Christian libertie if those things which follow had not hindered it in faith in Iesus Christ whereupon we have libertie given to us in all externall things we have permitted the bonds of Monkerie to be released among us For we saw that this liberty of Christians was vehemently challenged in every place by
Ministers of Christ Iesus yea this is more horrible they suffer women whom the holy Ghost will not suffer to teach in the Congregation to baptize and secondly because they have so adulterated both the one Sacrament and the other with their owne inventions that no part of Christs action abideth in the originall puritie For oyle sait spattle and such like in baptisme are but mens inventions adoration veneration bearing through streets and townes and keeping of bread in boxes or boists are prophanation of Christs Sacraments and no use of the same For Christ sesus said Take eat c. Do you this in remembrance of me By which words charge he sanctified bread and wine to be the Sacrment of his holy body and blood to the end that the one should be eaten and that all should drink of the other and not that they should be kept to be worshipped and honoured as God as the Papists have done heretofore who also have committed sacriledge stealing from the people the one part of the Sacrament to wit the blessed cup. Moreover that the Sacraments be rightly used it is required that the end and cause for which Sacraments were instituted be understanded and observed as well of the Minister as by the receivers For if the opinion be changed in the receiver the right use ceaseth which is most evident by the rejection of the sacrifices as also if the teacher plainly teach false doctrine which were odious and abominable before God albeit they were his owne ordinance because the wicked men use them to another end then God hath ordained The same we affirme of the Sacraments in the Papisticall Church in which we affirme the whole action of the Lord Iesus to be adultered as well in the external forme as in the end and opinion What Christ Iesus did and commanded to be done is evident by the Evangelists and by Saint Paul what the Priest doth at his Altar we need not to rehearse The end and cause of Christs institution and why the selfe same should be used is expressed in these words Doe ye this in remembrance of me As oft as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup you shall shew forth that is extoll preach magnifie and praise the Lords death till he come But to what end and in what opinion the Priests say their Masse let the words of the their own Doctors and writings witnesse to wit that they as Mediatours betwixt Christ and his Church doe offer unto God the Father a sacrifice propitiatory for the sinnes of the quick and the dead which doctrine is blasphemous to Christ Iesus and making derogation to the sufficiencie of his onely sacrifice once offered for purgation of all those that shall be sanctified we utterly abhorte detest and renounce To whom Sacraments appertaine VVE confesse and acknowledge that Paptisme appertaineth as well to the insants of the faithfull as unto them that be of age and discretion And so we damne the errour of the Anabaptists who deny Baptisme to appertaine to children before they have faith and understanding But the Supper of the Lord we confesse to appertain to such onely as be of the houshold of faith and can trie and examine themselves as well in their faith as in their duty towards their neighbours Such as eate and drink at that holy Table without faith or being at dissention with their brethren do eate unworthily and therefore it is that in our Church our Ministers take publique and particular examination of the knowledge and conversation of such as are be admitted to the Table of the Lord Iesus Of the civill Magistrates VVE confesse and acknowledge Empires kingdomes domininions and cities to be distincted or ordained by God the powers and authoritie in the same be it of Emperours in their Empires of Kings in their Realmes Dukes and Princes in their dominions and of other Magistrates in their cities to be Gods holy ordinance ordained for manifestation of his own glory and for the singular profit and commoditie of mankinde so that whosoever goeth about to take away or to confound the whole state of civill pollicies now long established we affirme the same men not onely to be enemies to mankinde but also wickedly to fight against Gods expressed will We farther confesse and acknowledge that such persons as are placed in authoritie are to be beloved honoured feared and holden in most reverent estimation because they are the Lievetenants of God in whose seats God himselfe doth sit and Iudge yea even the Iudges and Princes themselves to whom by God is given the sword to the praise and defence of good men and to revenge and punish all malefactours Moreover to Kings Princes Rulers and Magistrates we affirme that chiefly and most principally the conservation and purgation of the Religion appertaineth so that not onely they are appointed for civill pollicie but also for maintenance of the true Religion and for suppressing of idolatry and superstition whatsoever As in David Iosaphat Ezechias Iosias and others highly commended for their zeale in that case may be espied And therefore we confesse and avow that such as resist the supreame power doing that thing which appertaineth to his charge do resist Gods ordinance and therefore cannot be guiltlesse And farther we affirme that whosoever deny unto them their aide counsell and comfort whilest the Princes and Rulers vigilantly travell in execution of their office that the same men deny their helpe support and counsell to God who by the presence of his Lieutenant doth crave it of them The gifts freely given to the Church ALbeit that the word of God truly preached and the Sacraments rightly ministred and discipline executed according to the word of God be the certaine and infallible signes of the true Church yet we meane not that every particular person joyned with such company is an elect member of Christ Iesus For we acknowledge and confesse that darnell cockell and chaffe may be sown grow and in great aboundance lye in the middest of the wheat that is the reprobate may be joyned in the societie of the elect and may externally use with them the benefits of the Word and Sacraments But such being but temporall professors in mouth and not in heart doe fall backe and continue not to the end And therefore they have no fruit of Christs death resurrection nor ascension but such as with heart unfainedly beleeve and with mouth boldly confesse the Lord Iesus as before we have said shall most assuredly receive these gifts First in this life the remission of sins and that by onely faith in Christs blood In so much that albeit sin remaine and continually abide in these our mortall bodies yet it is not imputed unto us but is remitted and covered with Christs justice Secondly in the generall judgement there shall be given to every man and woman resurrection of the flesh For the sea shall give her dead the earth those that therein be inclosed yea the eternall God shall stretch out his hand on the dust and the dead shall arise uncorruptible and that in the substance of the same flesh that every man now beareth to receive according to their works glory or punishment For such as now delight in vanitie crueltie filthinesse superstition or idolatry shall be adjudged to the fire unquenchable in which they shall be tormented for ever as well in their own bodies as in their souls which now they give to serve the devill in all abhomination But such as continue in well doing to the end boldly professing the Lord Iesus we constantly beleeve that they shall receive glory honour and immortalitie to raigne for ever in life everlasting with Christ Iesus to whose glorified body all his elect shall be made like when he shall appeare againe in judgement and shall render up the kingdome to God his Father who then shall be and ever shall remaine all in all things God blessed for ever to whom with the Sonne and with the holy Ghost be all honour and glory now and ever So be it The Kings Majesties charge to all Commissioners and Ministers within his Realm SEeing that We and Our houshold have subscribed and given this publique Confession of our Faith to the good example of Our Subjects We command and charge all Commissioners and Ministers to crave the same confession of their Parishioners and proceed against the refusers according to Our laws and order of the Church delivering their names and lawfull processe to the Ministers of Our house with all haste and diligence under the pain of 40. pound to be taken from their stipend that We with the advise of Our Counsell may take order with such proud contemners of God and Our laws Subscribed with Our hand At Holyrudhous 1581. the 2. day of March the 14. yeere of Our Reign Now unto the King everlasting immortall invisible unto God only wise be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen
quietly and soberly conferre with their brethren of what things they shall think good rather then themselves to slander and give the adversaries occasion to rayle upon the Gospel But if they will not do it let this publique and everlasting monument witnes to all that come after that we all of our side are and shall be free not only from the grievous reproches with which we are undeservedly laden but also without blame of all the hurly burlies and dissentions that have been hitherto and that which God forbid are peradventure like to be more grievous unlesse it be speedily prevented on both sides And seeing in this Harmonie we speake not onely with our owne but even with the mouth of all those Nations whose Confessions we have brought into one forme of one and the same doctrine we hope it will come to passe that not so much the several names of the French Belgia and other Confessions shall hereafter be heard as that one onely universall simple plaine and absolute Confession of all the Churches speaking as it were with one and the same tongue of Chanaan shall be seene and that they who were thought to be farre wide as hath hitherto not altogether without desert by reason of over many mens private writings beene thought of us and the brethren of the Confession of Auspurge if so be that men keep within the bounds of the Confessions and all cavilling and sophistrie be laid aside and as well faithfull as favourable exposition be admitted shall be thought very neerely to agree in all things And this was the cause why we desired to put the Confession of Auspurge together also with that of Saxony and Wirtemberge in this Harmonie that it might be the more easily kuowne that both we agree with them in all particular points of faith and that there are very few matters hanging in controversie between us For concerning that doubt about the Lords Supper in the thing and of the thing it selfe there is no strife we differ in certaine adjuncts and circumstances of the thing In the thing it selfe I say we agree although as the gifts of God are divers so some doe more plainely some doe not so plainly and perhaps not so fitly utter that which they thinke For we all acknowledge that the holy signs have not a bare signification but that by the ordinance of God they assure our consciences that the things themselves are as truly and certainly given of God to all that come as the signes themselves are given by Gods Minister But this question remaineth whether as the signe so also the present thing it selfe be given to the body or rather the present signe be given to the body but the present thing given onely to the minde and faith Againe whether as both be given to all so both be received of all of some unto life and of other some unto death In like sort we all beleeve the true Communication of the true body and the true blood of our Lord Iesus Christ The controversie standeth in the manner of communicating but who may therefore of right think that the holy unitie of the Churches is to be plucked asunder That they of our side were alwaies desirous of peace and agreement the history of the conference at Marpurge and such things as were afterward done in the yeere 1536. do sufficiently witnesse Moreover so often as there appeared any hope of agreement it is cleare that there was no other cause but the importunitie of some certain men why new and sudden braules being raised the matter could not come or long continue in that agreement which was hoped for For that we may let passe very many other things although in the beginning it were openly known among al that there was no cōtroversie between us no not so much as the very Papists excepted in the opinion about worshipping the mysterie of the holy Trinitie loe about the latter end that unhappy monster of Vbiquitie came forth which if it be admitted will quite overthrow the true doctrine of Christs person and his Natures Hence then come the distractions of Churches hence come so deadly quarrellings But seeing this whole matter hath been often handled by many learned men it is no time for us to deale any farther therein For it is sufficient for us to shew in few words that our men so farre as was possible alwaies provided for the peace of the Church Neither truely hath any man cause after the example of certain Moderators such as not long since have been why he should perswade himselfe that we would heare of this hotch-potch of opinions make a certaine medlie as it were of contrarie qualities But we leave all things whole that every one may so know his owne words being compared with the sayings of others that he shall finde nothing forged nothing taken away nothing put to or wrested And to conclude the forme and drift of this whole work if it be more narrowly viewed shall not unworthily be judged a sound body of Christian doctrine framed and allowed by the writings and as it were by a common councel of the godly Churches well nigh of all Europe For here all the chiefe points of our Religion being discussed and approved are by the publique authoritie of all the chiefe Nations in Christendome with one consent published and knit together yet we must confesse as we afore touched that through the manifold and busie braulings of private persons and glosses as men commonly speak the matter was brought farre from the grounds thereof to things cleane besides the purpose and impertinent For first there beganne to be dealing onely about the Supper then it came to Christs Ascension and sitting in heaven and within a while after to the personall union of both his natures and what stay will there be in the end for many by all mens leave be it spoken seeme to be delighted with this continuall striving that howsoever and whatsoever it might cost them they might not be unknowne But it becometh the Disciples of Christ to seeke peace and to despise glory For as Bernard saith They that despise peace and seeke after glorie they lose both peace and glory Away therefore with those speeches I am of Paul I am of Cephas and let that one saying be heard I am Christs I am the Churches There is something that may be misliked yet there are very many things that may well be liked the same ground worke of faith abideth let therefore the same love continue and let us not thinke much to take them for brethren whom God vouchsafeth to take for sonnes neither let us despise those for whom Christ despised him selfe That thing is assuredly true and very much liked of us that nothing in holy doctrine is to be thought of small importance but rather that even in the least points thereof a certaine faith and full assurance is required flat contrary to the wavering of the Academikes yet we cannot like of too too
notes thereof 26 27 28 Of Ecclesiasticall functions 29 Of the power and authoritie of the ministers 30 Of their lawfull calling election 31 Of Ecclesiasticall discipline 32 Of Excommunication and other Censures 33 Of the Sacraments in generall 34 Of Baptisme 35 Of the holy Supper of the Lord. 36 Of the efficacie and true communication of the thing signified by the signes 37 38 Of the Magistrate and politicke laws 39 40 The Articles of the English Confession OF one God in three Persons 1 Of Iesus Christ being the true Sonne of God and of the Incarnation and other works of Redemption and of his two natures being unseperably united and unconfounded 2 Of his last coming Of the holy Ghost and his works in us 3 Of the Catholique Church and the one onely King head and husband thereof 4 Of the divers degrees of the Church 5 Of the lawfull calling the Antichrist of Rome 5 Of the lawfull calling and Election of Ministers 6 Of their power and the use of the Keyes 7 Of marriage and a single life 8 Of the Canonicall Scriptures 9 Of the Sacraments and the number thereof 10 Of Baptisme 11 Of the holy Eucharist 12 Of the sale of Masses 13 Of Purgatorie 14 Of Ceremonies and Ecclesiasticall rites 15 Of Prayer in a vulgar tongue 16 Of the onely Intercessour and Mediatour Christ 17 Of the corruption of man through sinne of his iustification through Christ 18 Of the one onely sacrifice of Christ whereby we are perfectly reconciled to God 19 Of good works 20 Of the last resurrection of this flesh 21 The Articles of the Confession of Belgia OF the Essence or nature of God 1 Of the double knowledge of God 2 Of the beginning and author of the word of God 3 Of the Canonicall books of the old and new Testament 4 Of their authoritie 5 Of the Apocryphall books 6 Of the perfection of the Canonicall Scripture above all the doctrines of all men 7 Of three persons in one onely essence of God 8 Of the testimonies of both the Testaments whereby both the Trinitie of the persons and also their properties may be proved 9 Of the divine nature and generation of Iesus Christ the Son of God 10 Of the divine nature of the holy Ghost 11 Of the creation of the world and Angels and the distinguishing of them 12 Of the Providence of God and of his iust government both generall and speciall 13 Of the creation of man his fall corruption and servile free-will 14 Of originall sinne 15 Of free election iust reprobation 16 Of the repairing of man through Christ 17 Of the first coming of Christ and his true incarnation of the seed of David 18 Of his two natures hypostatically united in one onely person 19 Of the cause or end of his death and resurrection 20 Of his onely Priesthood and expiatorie sacrifice 21 Of faith the onely instrument of our iustification 22 Of true iustificatiō through Christ 23 Of regeneration and good works 24 Of the abrogating of the law and shadows 25 Of the onely Mediatour or Intercessour Christ against the Intercession of Saints 26 Of the Catholique Church 27 Of the unitie and communion thereof 28 Of true notes of the true Church 29 Of the government and Ecclesiasticall functions 30 Of the Election of Ministers Elders and Deacons and of their authoritie 31 Of Ecclesiasticall traditions 32 Of the Sacraments and their number 33 Of Baptisme 34 Of the Supper of the Lord. 35 Of Magistrates and their office and power 36 Of the last Iudgement 37 The Articles of the Confession of Auspurge OF God and the persons of the divinitie 1 Of originall sinne 2 Of the incarnarion of the Sonne of God 3 Of Iustification 4 Of the Preaching of Repentance and generall Remission 5 Of the righteousnesse of good works 6 Of the Church 7 Of the Sacraments which are administred by evill men 8 Of Baptisme 9 Of the Lords Supper 10 Of Repentance 11 Of Confession 12 Of the use of Sacraments 13 Of Ecclesiasticall order or degrees 14 Of Ecclesiasticall rites 15 Of civill ordinances 16 Of the last iudgement 17 Of free-will 18 Of the cause of sinne 19 Of good works 20 Of Invocation 21 Articles concerning the abuses which are changed in externall rites OF the Masse 1 Of either kinde of the Sacrament 2 Of Confession 3 Of the difference of meats and such like Popish traditions 4 Of the marriage of the Priests 5 Of the vows of Monks 6 Of Ecclesiasticall power 7 The chiefe points of the Confession of Saxonie OF Doctrine 1 Of originall sinne 2 Of the remission of sinnes and of Iustification 3 Of free-will 4 Of new obedience 5 What works are to be done 6 How good works may be done 7 How new obedience doth please God 8 Of rewards 9 Of the difference of sins 10 Of the Church 11 Of the Sacraments 12 Of Baptisme 13 Of the Lords Supper 14 Of the use of the whole Sacrament 15 Of Repentance 16 Of Satisfaction 17 Of Wedlocke 18 Of Confirmation and anointing 19 Of traditions or Ecclesiastical rites 20 Of a Monasticall life 21 Of the invocating of godly men departed out of this life 22 Of the civill Magistrate 23 The chiefe points of the Confession of Wirtemberge OF God and three persons in one Godhead 1 Of the Sonne of God 2 Of the holy Ghost 3 Of sinne 4 Of Iustification 5 Of the law 6 Of good works 7 Of the Gospell of Iesus Christ 8 Of the Sacraments 9 Of Baptisme 10 Of Confirmation 11 Of Repentance 12 Of Contrition 13 Of Confession 14 Of Satisfaction 15 Of Prayer 16 Of Fasting 17 * Of Almes 18 Of the Eucharist that is of the Sacrament of thanksgiving 19 * Of the Masse 20 Of holy orders 21 Of Marriage 22 * Of extreame Vnction 23 Of the invrcating of Saints 24 Of the remembrance of the dead 25 Of Purgatorie 26 * Of Monasticall vows 27 Of Canonicall houres 28 Of Fasting 29 Of the consecrating of water salt wine and other such like things 30 Of the holy Scripture 31 * Of the Pope 32 Of the Church 33 Of Councels 34 Of the Teachers of the Church 35 Of Ecclesiasticall Ceremonies 36 THE CONTENTS OF THE BOOKE FOLLOWING ACCORDING TO THE SECTIONS which are in number nineteene and of how many confessions each Section doth consist THE FIRST SECTION pag. 1. OF the holy Scripture being the true word of God and the interpretation thereof This Section consisteth of ten confessions to wit Of the former and latter confessions of Helvetia of that of Basil or Myllane of Bohemia or the Waldenses the French the English that of Belgia Saxonie Wirtemberge and Sheveland THE SECOND SECTION pag. 19. OF God in essence one in persons three and of his true worship This Section consisteth of 11. confessions to wit Of the former and latter confession of Helvetia that of Basil of Bohemia or the Waldenses the French the English that of Belgia Auspurge Saxonie Wirtemberge
very word of God is preached and received of the faithfull and that neither any other word of God is to be fayned or to be expected from heaven and that now the word itself which is preached is to be regarded not the Minister that preacheth who although he be evill and a sinner neverthelesse the word of God abideth true and good Neither do we think that therefore the outward preaching is to be thought as fruitlesse because the instruction in true religion dependeth on the inward illumination of the spirit because it is written No man shall teach his neighbour For all Jer. 12. 1 Cor. 3. John 6. men shall know me And he that watreth or he that planteth is nothing but God who giveth the increase For albeit no man can come to Christ unlesse he be drawn by the heavenly Father and be inwardly lightned by the holy Ghost yet we know undoubtedly that it is the will of God that his word should be preached even outwardly God could indeed by his holy spirit or by the Ministery of an Angel without the Ministery of Saint Peter have taught Cornelius in the Acts but neverthelesse he referreth him to Peter of whom the Angel speaking saith he shall tell thee what thou must doe For he that illuminated inwardly by giving men the holy Ghost the self same by way of commandement said unto his Disciples Goe ye into the whole world and preach the Gospell to every creature And so Mark 16. Acts 16. Paul preached the word outwardly to Lydia a purple seller among the Philippians but the Lord inwardly opened the womans heart And the same Paul upon an elegant gradation fiâ—ly placed in the 10. to the Romanes at last inferreth therefore faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God We know in the meane time that God can illuminate whom and when he will even without the externall Ministery which is a thing appertaining to his power but we speake of the usuall way of instructing men delivered unto us of God both by commandement and examples We therefore detest all the heresies of Artemon the Manichees Valentinians of Cerdon and the Marcionites who denied that the Scriptures proceeded from the holy Ghost or else received not or polished and corrupted some of them And yet we do not deny that certain books of the old Testament were of the ancient authors called Apocriphall and of others Ecclesiasticall to wit such as they would have to be read in the Churches but not alleadged to avouch or confirme the authoritie of faith by them As also Austin in his 18 Book De civit Dei C. 38. maketh mention that in the books of the Kings the names and books of certaine Prophets are reckoned but he addeth that they are not in the Canon and that those books which we have suffice unto godlinesse CHAP. II. Of interpreting the holy Scriptures and of Fathers Councels and Traditions THE Apostle Peter hath said That the holy Scriptures are 2 Pet. 2. not of any private interpretation therefore we do not allow all expositions whereupon we do not acknowledge that which they call the meaning of the Church of Rome for the true and naturall interpretation of the Scriptures which forsooth the Defenders of the Romane Church do strive to force all men simply to receive but we acknowledge that interpretation of Scriptures for authenticall and proper which being taken from the Scriptures themselves that is from the phrase of that tongue in which they were written they being also wayed according to the circumstances and expounded according to the proportion of places either like or unlike or of moe and plainer accordeth with the rule of faith and charitie and maketh notably for Gods glory and mans salvation Wherefore we do not contemne the holy Treatises of the Fathers agreeing with the Scriptures from whom notwithstanding we do modestly dissent as they are deprehended to set down things meerely strange or altogether contrary to the same Neither doe we thinke that we doe them any wrong in this matter seeing that they all with one consent will not have their writings matched with the Canonicall Scriptures but bid us allow of them so farre forth as they either agree with them or disagree and bid us take those things that agree and leave those that disagree and according to this order we doe account of the Decrees or Canons of Councels Wherefore we suffer not our selves in controversies about Religion or matters of faith to be pressed with the bare testimonies of Fathers or Decrees of Councels much lesse with received customes or else with multitude of men being of one iudgement or with prescription of long time Therefore in controversies of religion or matters of faith we cannot admit any other Iudge then God himself pronouncing by the holy Scriptures what is true what is false what is to be followed or what to be avoided So we do not rest but in the judgements of spirituall men drawn from the word of God Certainly Ieremie and other Prophets did vehemently condemne the assemblies of Priests gathered against the Law of God and diligently forewarned us that we should not heare the Fathers or tread in their path who walking in their own inventions swarved from the Law Ezek. 20. 18. of God We do likewise reject humane Traditions which although they be set out with goodly titles as though they were Divine and Apostolicall by the lively voice of the Apostles and delivered to the Church as it were by the hands of Apostolicall men by meane of Bishops succeeding in their roomes yet being compared with the Scriptures disagree from them and by that their disagreement bewray themselves in no wise to be Apostolicall For as the Apostles did not disagree among themselves in doctrine so the Apostles Schollers did not set forth things contrary to the Apostles Nay it were blasphemous to avouch that the Apostles by lively voice delivered things contrary to their writings Paul affirmeth expressely that he taught the same things in all Churches And againe We 1 Cor. 4. 2 Cor. 1. saith he write no other things unto you then which ye read or also acknowledge Also in another place he witnesseth that he and his Disciples to wit Apostolicall men walked in the same 2 Cor. 12. way and ioyntly by the same spirit did all things The Iews also in time past had their traditions of Elders but these traditions were severely confuted by the Lord shewing that the keeping of them hindereth Gods Law and that God is in vain worshipped Mat. 15. Mar. 7. with such Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA THe Canonicall Scripture being the Word of God and delivered Artic. 1. Scriptura by the holy Ghost and published to the world by the Prophets and Apostles being of all other the most perfect and ancient Philosophie doth alone perfectly contein all piety and good ordering of life The interpretation hereof is to be Artic 2.
FRENCH Confession THis one God hath revealed himselfe to be such a one unto men first in the creation preservation and governing of his workes secondly farre more plainly in his word which Artic. 2. word in the beginning he revealed to the fathers by certaine visions and oracles and then caused it to be written in these bookes which we call holy Scripture All this holy Scripture is contained in the Canonicall books Artic 3. of the old and New Testament The Catalogue whereof is this The five bookes of Moses namely Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomie Iosua Judges Ruth two bookes of Samuell two bookes of the Kings two bookes of Chronicles or Paralipomenon one book of Esdras Nehemiah Ester Iob the Psalmes Solomons Proverbs Ecclesiastes the Song of Songs Esay Ieremie with the Lamentations Ezechiel Daniel the 12. small Prophets namely Ose Ioel Amos Abdiah Ionah Michea Nahum Abacuc Sophon Haggaie Zacharie Malachie the holy Gospel of Iesus Christ according to Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn the Acts of the Apostles Pauls Epistles namely one to the Romanes two to the Corinthians one to the Galathians one to the Ephesians one to the Philippians one to the Collossians two to the Thessalonians two to Timothie one to Titus one to Philemon the Epistle to the Hebrews the Epistle of Iames two Epistles of Peter three Epistles of Iohn one Epistle of Iude Iohns Revelation We acknowledge these bookes to be Canonicall that is we Arâ—ic 4. account them as the rule square of our faith and that not only for the common consent of the Church but also much more for the testimonie and inward perswasion of the Holy Ghost by whose inspiration we are taught to discerne them from other Ecclesiasticall bookes which howsoever they may bee profitable yet are they not such that any one article of faith may be builded upon them We beleeve that the word contained in these books came Artic. 5. from one God of whom alone and not of men the authority thereof dependeth And seeing this is the summe of all truth conteining whatsoever is required for the worship of God and our saâ—vation we hold it not lawfull for men no not for the Angels themselves to adde or detract any thing from that word or to alter any whit at all in the same And hereupon it followeth that it is not lawfull to oppose either antiquitie custome multitude mans wisedome and judgement edicts or any deerees or Councels or visions or miracles unto this holy Scripture but rather that all things ought to be examined and tried by the rule and square thereof Wherefore we doe for this cause also allow those three Creeds namely the Apostles the Nicen and Athanasius his Creed because they be agreeable to the written Word of God Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE receive and embrace all the Canonicall Scriptures Artic. 10. both of the Old and New Testament giving thankes to our God who hath raised up unto us that light which we might ever have before our eyes lest either by the subtiltie of man or by the snares of the devill we should be carried away to errors and lies Also we professe that these be the heavenly voyces whereby God hath opened unto us his will and that onely in them mans heart can have setled rest that in them be abundantly and fully comprehended all things whatsoever be needfull for our helpe as Origen Augustine Chrysostome and Cyrillus have taught That they be the very might and strength to attain to salvation that they be the foundations of the Prophets and Apostles Whereupon is built the Church of God that they be the very sure and infallible rule whereby may be tried whether the Church doe swerve or erre and whereunto all Ecclesiasticall doctrine ought to be called to account and that against these Scriptures neither law nor ordinance nor any custome ought to be heard no though Paul himselfe or an Angel from heaven should come and teach the contrary Out of the Confession of BELGIA HE hath revealed himselfe much more plainly in his holy Aâ—tic 2. Sub fiâ—em Word so farre forth as it is expedient for his owne glory and the salvation of his in this life We confesse that this Word of God was not brought or delivered Artic 3. by any will of man but that holy men of God inspired by Gods holy Spirit spake it as S. Peter witnesseth but afterward God himself for that exceeding teÌ„der carefulnes which he hath of his and of their salvation gave in Commission to his servants the Apostles and Prophets that they should put those oracles in writing and he himselfe also wrote the two Tables of the Law with his own finger which is the cause why we call such writings sacred and divine Scripture And we comprehend the holy Scripture in those two books of the Old and New Testament which are called the canonicall Artic. 4. bookes about which there was never any adoe And of them this is the number and also the order received of the Church of God The five bookes of Moses the book of Iosua of the Iudges of Ruth two books of Samuel two of the Kings two of the Chronicles which are called Paraâ—ipomena the first of Esdras Nehemiah Ester Iob also Davids Psalmes three books of Solomon namely the Proverbs Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs the foure great Prophets Esay Ieremie Ezekiell and Daniel and further more also the 12. small Prophets moreover the Canonicall bookes of the New Testament are the foure Evangelists namely Saint Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn the Acts of the Apostles the 14. Epistles of Saint Paul and seven of the other Apostles the Revelation of Saint Iohn the Apostle These books alone doe we Artic. 5. receive as sacred and canonical whereupon our faith may rest be confirmed and established therfore without any doubt we beleeve also those things which are contained in them and that not so much because the Church receiveth and alloweth them for Canonicall as for that the holy Ghost beareth witnes to our consciences that they came from God and most of all for that they also testifie and justifie by themselves this their owne sacred authoritie and sanctitie seeing that even the blinde may clearely behold and as it were feele the fulfilling and accomplishment of all things which were foretold in these writings We furthermore make a difference betweene the holy Artic. 6. bookes and those which they call Apocriphall for so much as the Apocriphall may be read in the Church and it is lawfull also so farre to gather instructions out of them as they agree with the Canonicall bookes but their authoritie and certaintie is not such as that any doctrine touching faith or Christian Religion may safely be built upon their testimonie so farre off is it that they can disanull or impaire the authoritie of the other We beleeve also that this holy Scripture doth most perfectly Artiâ— 7. containe
all the will of God and that in it all things are abundantly taught whatsoever is necessary to be beleeved of man to attaine salvation Therefore seeing the whole manner of worshipping God which God requireth at the hands of the faithfull is there most exquisitely and at large set downe it is lawfull for no man although he have the authoritie of an Apostle no not for any Angel sent from heaven as Saint Paul speaketh to teach otherwise then we have long since beene taught in the holy Scriptures For seeing it is forbidden that any one should adde or detract any thing from the Word of God thereby it is evident enough that this holy doctrine is perfect and absolute in all points and parcels thereof and therefore no other writings of men although never so holy no custome no multitude no antiquitie nor prescription of times nor personall succession nor any councels and to conclude no decrees or ordinances of men are to be matched or compared with these divine Scriptures and bare truth of God for so much as Gods truth excelleth all things For all men of their owne nature are lyars and lighter then vanitie it selfe therefore we doe utterly refuse whatsoever things agree not with this most certaine rule as we have beene taught by the Apostles when they say Trie the spirits whether they be of God And If any come unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not to house c. Out of the SAXONS Confession Of Doctrine SEeing it is most undoubtedly true that God out of mankinde doth gather together unto himselfe a Church unto eternall life for and by his Sonne through preaching of that doctrine which is written in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles we plainly avouch before God and the whole Church in heaven and in earth that we doe with a true faith embrace all the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and that in that very naturall meanning which is set downe in the Creeds of the Apostles of Nice and of Athanasius And these selfe same Creedes and the naturall meanning of them we have alwaies constantly embraced without corruption and will by Gods helpe alwaies embrace and in this faith doe we call upon the true God who sending his Sonne and giving cleare testimonies hath revealed himself in his Church joyning our prayer with all Saints in heaven and in earth and our Vide obseru 1. adhaac confâ—ss tum in hac sâ—ct tum in sâ—ct secunda declarations upon the Creeds are abroad containing the whole body and ground of doctrine which shew that this our protestation is most true We doe also very resolutely condemne all brainesicke fantasies which are against the Creeds as are the monstrous opinions of heathen men of the Iewes of the Mahometists of Marcion the Manichees of Samosatenus Servetus Arrius and those that deny the person of the holy Ghost and other opinions condemned by the true judgement of the Church Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of the holy Scripture CHAP. 30. THe holy Scriptures we call those Canonicall books of the Vide obseru 1. in hanc Confess old and new Testament of whose authoritie there was never doubt made in the Church This Scripture we beleeve and confesse to be the Oracle of the holy Ghost so confirmed by heavenly testimonies that If an Angel from heaven preach any other thing let him be accursed Wherefore we detest all doctrine worship and Religion contrary to this Scripture But whereas some men thinke that all doctrine necessary to be known of us to true everlasting salvation is not contained in this Scripture and that the right of expounding this Scripture lyeth so in the power of chiefe Bishops that what they according to their owne will give out is to be embraced for the meaning of the holy Ghost it is more easily said then proved The whole Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable 2 Tim. 3. to teach to improve to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect being throughly prepared to every good worke And Iohn 15. I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my father have I made knowne to you And those things which the Apostles received of Christ those have they by their preaching published in the whole world and by their writings delivered them to posteritie It is a plain case therefore that all things which are needfull to be knowne to salvation are contained in the Prophets Chrysost ad Titum hom â— and Apostles writings He hath revealed his owne word in due season by preaching which is all committed to me this is the preaching For the Gospel containeth things both things present and things to come as honour piety and faith yea and all things he hath ioyntly comprised in this one word preaching Againe Ierome ad Tit. Cap. 1. August super Joan. Cap. 11. Tract 40. Without authority of the Scriptures babbling hath no credit For seeing the Lord Iesus did many things al are not written as the same holy Evangelist himselfe witnesseth that the Lord Christ both said and did many things which are not written But those things were selected to be written which seemed to suffice for the salvation of those that beleeve For wheras they say that the right of expounding the Scripture lyeth in the power of cheif Bishops it is evident that the gift of expounding the scripture is not of mans wisedome but of the holy Ghost To every man saith Paul is given the manifestation of the spirit to profit withall for to one is given by the spirit the word of wisedome c. But the holy Ghost is altogether at libertie and is not tied to a certain sort of men but giveth gifts to men according to his own Num. 11. good pleasure Oh that all the people had power to prophecie and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them Debora a woman Iud. 4. the wife of Lapidoth is raised up to be a Prophetesse Againe I am Amos. 7. no Prophet nor Prophets sonne but I am a heard man and a gatherer of wilde figs. And yet Amos received the holy Ghost and was made a Prophet All these things worketh one and the 2 Cor. 12. same spirit distributing to every man as he will Many examples also do witnesse that chiefe Bishops have been often and very foulely deceived wherfore the gift of expounding the Scripture is not so tied to the Popes that whosoever shall be Pope must needs rightly expound the Scripture but the true meaning of the Scripture is to be sought in the Scripture it selfe and among those that being raised by the spirit of God expound Scripture by Scripture CHAP. XXXIIII Of Councels VVE confesse that Councels ought to have their judgements in the Church concerning the holy doctrine of Religion and that the authoritie of lawfull Councels is great but the authoritie of Gods Word must
needs be the greatest For although the Church have a sure promise of Christs continuall presence and be governed by the holy Ghost yet not every assembly of men may be taken for the true Church and albeit never so many seeme often times to come together in the name of Christ yet few are chosen and all have not faith And as it is wont to fall out in civill meetings so doth it also in meetings of the Church that for the most part the greater side overcommeth the better Hitherto may be added that the holy Ghost doth not make men in this life not subject to sinne but leaveth in them many and sundrie infirmities Examples also witnesse that not onely the Popes but also Councels have beene deceived Wherefore seeing that the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is confirmed of God the sentence of no one man nor of any assembly of men is to be received simply without triall for the Oracle of the holy Ghost but it is to be laid to the rule of the Prophets and Apostles doctrine that that which agreeth therewith may be acknowledged and that which is contrary thereunto may be confuted If we or an Angel from heaven Gal. 1. preach unto you a Gospel beside that which wee have preached unto you let him bee accursed And beleeve yee not every spirit 1 Ioh. 4. but trie the spirits whether they bee of God Againe 1 Thess 5. Trie all things and keepe that which is good Augustine against Maximius a Bishop of the Arrians in his 3. booke Chap. 14. saith But now am I neither to cite the Councel of Nice nor you the Councel of Arimine as it were to preiudice the matter neither am I bound by the authoritie of the one nor you by the authoritie of the other with authorities of Scripture which are witnesses not proper to any one but common to us both let matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason c. And Panormitane in the Chapter significasti Extr. de electio In things concerning faith even the verdict of one private man were to be perferred before the Popes if he were lead with better warrants of the old and new Testament then the Pope And Gerson in the first part about triall of doctrines The first truth should stand that if there a plaine private man sufficiently instructed in holy Scripture more credit were to be given in a case of doctrine to his assertion then to the Popes definitive sentence For it is plaine that the Gospel is more to be beleeved then the Pope If then a man so leaned teach any truth to be contained in the Gospel where the Pope were either ignorant or willingly deceived it is cleare whose iudgement were to be preferred And a little after Such a learned man ought in that case while a generall Councel were holden at which he himselfe were present to set himselfe against it if he should perceive the greater part of malice or ignorance to incline to that which is contrarie to the Gospel Of Ecclesiasticall Writers CHAP. 34. RIse up before an hoare head saith the Scripture and reverence the person of an old man We do therefore reverence the gray haires of our ancestours who even since the Gospell began to be revealed and published have in the world taken upon them the travell of furthering the Church not only by preaching but also by publike writings that the posteritie might from the Apostles even unto this time have manifest and certaine testimonies of the holy doctrine And we so embrace their writings as both the holy Scripture alloweth us to use mans authoritie and as themselves would have their writings acknowledged You my friends say that in the ancient Iob 12. is wisdome and in the length of daies is understanding but I say unto you that with him to wit with the Lord our God is wisdome and strength he hath councell and understanding And 1 Corinth 4. Let the Prophets speake two or three and let the rest iudge And Try all things and keepe that which is good 1 Thess 5. It is not lawfull for us to bring in any thing of our own Tertut Lib de scrip haeret head no not so much as to take that which any man hath brought in of his own head We have the Apostles of the Lord for Authors who chose nothing of their own heads which they might bring in but the discipline which they received of Christ they faithfully delivered to all nations And Augustine saith Neither Epist ad Fâ—â—â—unat Dist 8. ought we to esteeme of the writings of any men although they be Catholike and commendable persons as of the Canonicall Scriptures as though it were not lawfull yeelding them that reverence which is due unto such men to disallow and refuse something in their writings if perchance we finde that they have thought otherwise then the truth is understood either of others or of our selves through the gift of God Such am I in other mens writings In Proe in Lib. 3. de Trinie as I would have them construers of mine Againe Be thou not tyed to my writings as it were to the Canonicall Scriptures but in the Canonicall Scriptures that which thou didst not beleeve when thou hast found it beleeve it incontinently but in mine that which thou thoughtest to be undoubtedly true unlesse thou perceive it to be true indeed hold it not resolutely And againe I neither can nor ought to deny that as in those who have gone before Ad Vincent Lio. so also in so many slender works of mine there are many things which may with upright iudgement and no rashnesse be blamed And againe I have learned to give this reverence to In Epist aâ— Ierom. these Writers alone which are now called Canonicall Againe But I so read others that be they never so holy or never so learned I do not therefore thinke it true because they have so thought but because they could perswade me by other Author or by Canonicall or at least by probable reasons which disagree not from the truth And in another place Who knoweth not that holy Scripture De unico baptismo in Epist ad Vincent c. And Doe not brother against so many divine c. For these places are known even out of the Popes own Decree Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Art 1. ss 1. Whence Sermons are to be taken FIrst a controversie being raised amongst the learned about certaine Articles of Christian doctrine when as the people with us were dangerously divided by reason of contraâ—y preachings we charged our Preachers that they should henceforth broach nothing to the people in any Sermon which either is not taught in the Scriptures of God or hath not sure ground thereout as it was openly Decreed in the Assembly holden at Norimberge in the 22 yeere after the smaller account which moreover is also the opinion of all the holy Fathers For seeing Saint Paul
or vaine unmooveable rotten and dead pictures of all men whatsoever of which the Prophet spake truly They have eyes and see not c. Psal 115. Therefore we approove the judgement of Lactantius an ancient writer who saith Vndoubtedly there is no religion wheresoever there is a picture And we affirme that the blessed Bishop Epiphanius did well who finding on the Church doores a vaile that had painted in it the picture as it might be of Christ or of some other Saint he cut and tooke it away For that contrary to the authoritie of the Scriptures he had seene the picture of a man to hang in the Church of Christ and therefore he charged that from thence forth nosuch vailes which were contrary to our religion should be hanged up in the Church of Christ but that rather such scruple should be taken away which was unworthy the Church of Christ and all faithfull people Moreover we approove this sentence of S. Augustine Cap. 55. de ver a relig Let not the worship of mesn works be a religion unto us For the workmen themselves that make such things are better whom yet we ought not to worship Of the adoring worshipping and invocating of God through the onely Mediatour Jesus Christ CHAP. V. VVE teach men to adore and worship the true God alone this honour we impart to none according to the commandement of the Lord thou shalt adore the Lord thy God and Matth. 4. him alone shalt thou worship or him onely shalt thou serve Surely all the Prophets inveighed earnestly against the people of Israel whensoever they did adore and worship strange gods and not the one onely true God But we teach that God is to be adored and worshipped as himselfe hath taught us to worship him to weete in spirit and truth not with any superstition but with sinceritie Iohn 5. Isa 66. Ier. 7. Acts 17. according to his word lest at any time he also say unto us who hath required these things at your hands For Paul also saith God is not worshiped with mans hands as though he needed any thing c. We in all dangers and casualties of our life call on him alone and that by the mediation of the onely Mediatour and our intercessour Iesus Christ For it is expresly commanded us Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50. Moreover the Lord hath made a most large promise saying whatsoever ye shall aske of my Father he shall give it you And againe Iohn 16. Matth. 11. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavie laden and I will refresh you And seeing it is written How shall they call upon him in Rom. 10. whom they have not beleeved and we doe beleeve in God alone therefore we call upon him onely and that through Christ For there is one God saith the Apostle and one Mediatour betweene 1 Tim. 2. 1 Iohn 2. God and men Christ Iesus Againe If any man sinne we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous c. Therefore we doe neither adore worship nor pray unto the Saints in heaven or to other Gods neither doe we acknowledge them for our intercessours or Mediatours before the Father in heaven For God and the Mediatour Christ doe suffice us neither doe we impart unto others the honour due to God alone and to his Sonne because he hath plainly said I will not give my glory to another and Isa 42. Acts 4. because Peter hath said There is no other name given unto men whereby they must be saved but the name of Christ In which doubtlesse they that rest by faith doe not seeke any thing without Christ Yet for all that we doe neither despise the Saints nor thinke basely of them For we acknowledge them to be the lively members of Christ the friends of God who have gloriously overcome the flesh and the world We therefore love them as brethren and honour them also yet not with any worship but with an honourable opinion of them and to conclude with their just praises We also doe imitate them For we desire with most earnest affections and prayers to be followers of their faith and vertues to be partakers also with them of everlasting salvation to dwell together with them everlastingly with God and to rejoyce with them in Christ And in this point we approve that saying of Saint Augustine in his booke De verarelig Let not the worship of men departed be any religion unto us For if they have lived holily they are not so to be esteemed as that they seeke such honours but they will have us to worship him by whose illumination they reioyce that we are fellow servants as touching the reward They are therefore to be honoured for imitation not to be worshipped for religions sake c. And we much lesse beleeve that the reliques of Saints are to be adored or worshipped Those ancient holy men seemed sufficiently to have honoured their dead if they had honestly committed their bodies to the earth after that the soule was gone up into heaven and they thought that the most noble reliques of their ancestours were their vertues doctrine and faith which as they commended with the praise of the dead so they did endevour to expresse the same so long as they lived upon earth Those ancient men did not sweare by the name of the onely Iehova as it is commanded by the Law of God Therefore as we are forbidden To sweare by the name of strange Gods so we doe not sweare by Deut. 10. Exod. 23. Saints although we be requested thereunto We therefore in all these things doe reject that doctrine which giveth too much unto the Saints in heaven Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA VVE thus thinke of God that he is one in substance three in Artic. 6. persons and almightie Who as he hath by the word that is his Sonne made all things of nothing so by his spirit and providence he doth justly truely and most wisely governe preserve and cherish all things Who as he is the onely Mediatour intercessour and sacrifice Artic. 11. also our high Priest Lord and King so we acknowledge and with the whole heart beleeve that he alone is our attonement redemption satisfaction expiation wisedome protection and deliverance simply rejecting herein all meanes of life and salvation besides this Christ alone Out of the Confession of BASILL VVE beleeve in God the Father in God the Sonne in God Artic. 1. the holy Ghost the holy divine Trinitie three Persons and one eternall Almightie God in essence and substance and not three Gods And in the marginall note is added This is proved Artic. 10. by many places of the whole Scripture of the old and new Testament Therefore we mislike the worship and invocation of dead men the worshipping of Saints and setting up of Images with such like things And in
one onely God who is one onely and simple essence spirituall eternall invisible immutable infinite incomprehensible unspeakable almightie most wise good just and mercifull The holy Scripture teacheth us that in that one and simple divine essence there be three persons subsisting the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost The Father to wit the first cause in order and the beginning of all things the Sonne his wisdome and everlasting word the holy Ghost his vertue power and efficacie the Sonne begotten of the Father from everlasting the holy Ghost from everlasting proceeding from the Father and the Sonne which three persons are not confounded but distinct and yet not divided but coessentiall coeternall and coequall And to conclude in this mysterie we allow of that which those foure ancient Councels have decreed and we detest all sects condemned by those holy ancient Doctors Athanasius Hylarie Cyrill Ambrose and such as are condemned by others agreeably to Gods word Hitherto also belongeth the 2. Art This one God hath revealed himselfe unto men to be such a one first by the creation preservation and government of his works then much more clearely in his word c. Seeke the rest in the 3. division We beleeve that we by this one meanes obtain libertie of praying Artic. 19. to God with a sure confidence and that it will come to passe that he will shew himselfe a Father unto us For we have no entrance to the Father but by this Mediatour We beleeve because Iesus Christ is the onely Advocate given Artic. 24. unto us who also commandeth us to come boldly unto the Father in his name that it is not lawfull for us to make our prayers in any other form but in that which God hath set us down in his word and that whatsoever men have forged of the intercession of Saints departed is nothing but the deceits and sleights of Satan that he might withdraw men from the right manner of praying We also reject all other meanes whatsoever men have devised to exempt themselves from the wrath of God So much as is given unto them so much is derogated from the sacrifice and death of Christ Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE beleeve that there is one certaine nature and divine Artic. 1. power which we call God and that the same is divided into three equall persons into the Father into the Sonne and into the holy Ghost and that they all be of one power of one majestie of one eternitie of one Godhead and one substance And although these three persons be so divided that neither the Father is the Sonne nor the Sonne is the holy Ghost or the Father yet neverthelesse we beleeve that there is but one very God And that the same one God hath created heaven and earth and all things contained under heaven We beleeve that Iesus Christ the onely Sonne of the eternall Artic 2. Father c. The rest of this article you shall finde in the 6. section whereunto those things doe properly pertaine which are contained in this second article of the Person and Office of Christ We beleeve that the holy Ghost who is the third person in the Artic 3. Trinitie is very God not made not created not begotten but proceeding both from the Father and the Sonne by a certain mean unknowne unto man and unspeakable and that it is his very propertie to mollifie and soften the hardnes of mans heart when he is once received into the hearts of men either by the wholesome preaching of the Gospel or by any other way that he doth give other men light and guide them unto the knowledge of God to all way of truth to newnesse of life and to everlasting hope of salvation Neither have we any other Mediatour and Intercessour by Artic 3. whom we may have accesse to God the Father then Iesus Christ in whose onely name all things are obtained at his Fathers hand But it is a shamefull part and full of infidelitie that we see every where used in the Churches of our adversaries not onely in that they will have innumerable sorts of Mediatours and that utterly without the authoritie of Gods word so that as Ieremie saith the the Saints be now as many in number or rather above the number of the Cities And poore men cannot tell to which Saint it were best to turne them first and though there be so many as they cannot be told yet every of them hath his peculiar dutie and office assigned unto him by these folkes what to give and what to bring to passe But besides this also in that they doe not onely wickedly but also shamefully call upon the Blessed Virgin Christs Mother to have her remember that she is the Mother And to Command her Sonne and to use a Mothers authoritie over him Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve in heart and confesse with the mouth that Arâ—â—â— â— there is one onely and simple spirituall essence which we call God eternall incomprehensible invisible immutable infinite who is wholly wise and a most plentifull well-spring of all good things We know God by two meanes first by the creation and preservation Artic. 2. and government of the whole world For it is unto our eyes as a most excellent booke wherein all creatures from the least to the greatest as it were certaine characters and letters are written By which the invisible things of God may bee seene and known unto us Namely his everlasting power and Godhead as Paul the Apostle speaketh Rom. 1. â—0 which knowledge sufficeth to convince all men and make them without excuse But much more clearely and plainly he afterward revealed himselfe unto us in his holy and heavenly word so far forth as it is expedient for his owne glory and the salvation of his in this life According to this truth and word of God we beleeve in one onely God who is one essence truely distinguished into three persons from everlasting by meane of the incommunicable properties to wit in the Father in the Sonne and in the holy Ghost For the Father is the cause fountaine and beginning of all things visible and invisible the Sonne is the Word wisedome and Image of the Father the holy Ghost is the might and power which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne Yet so that this distinction doth not make God as it were divided into three parts seeing the Scripture teacheth that the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost have a distinct person or subsisting in their properties yet so that these three persons be one onely God Therefore it is certaine that neither the Father is the Sonne nor the Sonne the Father nor the holy Ghost either the Father or the Sonne Neverthelesse these persons thus distinguished are neither divided nor confounded nor mingled For neither the Father nor the holy Ghost have taken unto them mans nature but the Sonne alone The Father was never without his Sonne nor
he must needs be condemned If God should as it were deale by the rule propounded in the law whom should he deliver for he sindeth all men to be sinners So saith Paul All have sinned and stand in need of the glory of God What is this to stand in neede of Gods glory That he should deliver thee and not thou thy selfe For thou canst not deliver thy selfe Thou hast neede of a Saviour Why dost thou vaunt thy selfe what maketh thee to presume of the law and of righteousnesse Seest thou not that which doth sight within thee dost thou not beare one that striveth and confesseth his weakenesse and desireth aide in the battell O miserable man that I am c. Now it may easily be perceived how needfull this doctrine is for the Church that men may know that they doe not satisfie the law of God and yet may have true comfort knowing how their imperfect obedience doth please God This doctrine hath beene horribly darkned and suppressed heretofore by certaine fond perswasions wherein unlearned men have imagined against the authoritie of the Scripture that they can fulfill the law of God and that they are just through the fulfilling of the law c. And that Monks are perfect and doe performe more notable and worthy workes then the law doth require In the meane while there is not a word how the Mediatour Christ is to be apprehended by faith but they willed man to doubt or else to trust in his owne workes But as touching this obedience we doe teach * Looke the third observat upon this confession that they which commit mortall sinnes are not just because God requireth this obedience that we should resist sinfull lusts They then which strive not against them but obey them contrary to the commandement of God and do things against their consciences they are unrighteous and doe neither retaine the holy spirit nor faith that is confidence and trust of Gods mercy For confidence which seeketh remission of sinnes cannot so much as be in such as are delighted with their sinnes and remaine without repentance Fifthly this point is needfull also to be taught by what means men may doe good workes We shewed a little before how our workes doe please God In this place we adde how they may be done * Looke the 8. Observation Albeit that men by their owne strength be able to doe out ward honest deedes in some sort and must also performe this civill obedience yet so long as men are voide of Faith they are in the power of the devill who driveth them to shamefull sinnes occupieth their mindes with wicked and blasphemous opinions for that is the kingdome and tyrannie of the Devill * Looke the 9. Observat Moreover nature by it selfe is weake and cannot without Gods helpe strengthen it self to the performance of any spirituall works And for that cause are men taught that in the Gospel the holy Spirit is promised who shall aide and governe the mindes of them who doe repent and beleeve the Gospel Wherefore in so great infirmitie of nature in the middest of these assaults of Satan and in all dangers faith must be exercised in calling upon God even throughout our whole life that we may continue alwaies in the faith and in our obedience towards God Therefore Zacharie saith I will poure forth the spirit of grace and of prayer upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem He calleth him the spirit of grace because the holy spirit doth confirme and comfort troubled mindes and beareth record that God is pleased with us He calleth him the spirit of prayer to the end wee should daily exercise our faith in prayer that by these exercises our faith might be confirmed and a new life grow up and increase in us There is no doubt but true vertues are the gifts of God such as are faith cleerenesse of judgement in discerning of points of religion courage of minde such as is requisite in them which teach and professe the Gospel true care and paines in governing of Churches true humilitie not to hunt after preferment not to be puft up with popular praise nor cast downe with their disliking and ill will true charitie c. These Princely vertues Paul calleth Gods gifts Romans 12 Having divers gifts according to the grace that is given us And of these he saith to the Corinthians These things worketh one and the same spirit distributing to every one according c. Vnto these gifts we must joyne our exercise which may both preserve the same and deserve an increase of them according to the saying To him that hath shall be given And it is notably said of Augustine Love deserveth an increase of love to wit when it is put in use For good workes have rewards as in this life so also after this life in the everlasting life Now because that the Church in this life is subject to the crosse and to the death of the body therefore many rewards are deferred untill the life to come which though it be undoubtedly bestowed through mercy for Christs sake on those which are justified by the faith of Christ yet there is also a rewarding of good workes according to that saying Your reward is great it heaven By this it is evident that the doctrine of good workes is through the goodnesse of God purely and truely taught in our Churches How full of obscuritie and confusion the doctrine of good workes was in former times all godly mindes know full well There was none that put men in minde of the difference of mans traditions and the law of God none that taught how good workes did please God in this so great infirmitie of ours To be briefe there was not one word of faith which is most needfull unto remission of sinnes But now that these maters be opened and unfolded godly consciences lay hold of comfort and of certaine hope of salvation and doe understand which is the true worship and service of God and know how it pleaseth God and how it doth merit at his hands This article is thus set downe in another Edition OVr Divines are falsly accused to forbid good workes For their writings extant upon the tenne Commandements and others of the like argument doe beare witnesse that they have to good purpose taught concerning every kinde of life and duties what trades of life and what workes in every Calling doe please God Of which things Preachers in former times taught little or nothing onely they did urge certain childish and needlesse works As keeping of holy dayes set fasts fraternities pilgrimages worshipping of Saints Friaries Monkeries and such trash whereof our adversaries having had warning they doe now forget them and doe not preach so concerning these unprofitable workes as they were went to doe Besides they beginne now to make mention of Faith which they were wont to passe over with silence But yet they cease not to obscure and darken this
holy Ghost doe quicken our hearts when as by faith they are raised up in this comfort as Paul saith Galat. 3. That ye might receive the promise of the spirit through faith Therefore we doe not speake of an idle faith and the unskilfull are deceived whiles they thinke that remission of sinnes doth happen to such as are idle without a certain motion of the minde without wrastling and without a feeling comfort of in true griefes in that age which now is able to understand the voice of doctrine according to that saying Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God And because that in repentance we propound comfort unto the conscience * Looke the 6. observation upon the August confess we doe not here adde questions of predestination or of election but we lead all Readers to the word of God and exhort them to learne the will of God out of his word as the eternall Father by expresse voice commanded Heare him Let them not looke for other revelations Hitherto also pertaineth the fifth Article Of new obedience THE whole benefit of the Son of God is to be considered for he will so take away sinne and death and deliver us from the kingdome of the Devill that sinne being altogether abolished and death vanquished he may restore unto us eternall life wherein God may communicate unto us his wisdome righteousnesse and joy and wherein God may be all in all This great benefit he doth begin in this miserable lumpe of ours in this life as it is written 2 Cor. 5. If so be we shall be found cloathed and not naked Also Matth. 10. They that shall continue to the end shall be saved Therefore when we receive remission of sins and are reconciled and sealed by the holy Ghost it is a horrible madnesse to waste these good gifts as these wasters are described in the parable of the house that was made cleane and in the second Epistle of Peter Chap. 2. it is said If they after they have escaped from the filthinesse of the world are yet tangled againe therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning Now these good gifts are wasted or powred out if a man doe not hold the foundation that is the Articles of Faith and either willingly or being deceived imbraceth wicked opinions or Idols also if a man doe fall grievously against his conscience These rules are oftentimes repeated as Galat. 5. They which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God Therefore it is necessarie to have a care to avoide such falls If this manifest necessitie the great punishment to wit the losse of eternall life being set before their eyes doe not moove some to doe good works they shew themselves to be of the number of those of whom it is said 1 Joh. 3. He that committeth sin is of the Devill Also If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is not his And there be many causes of this necessitie First a debt that is an immutable order that the creatures should obey God Therefore Paul saith Rom. 8. Ye are debters Also lest the holy Ghost and faith be shaken of let there be a care to avoyd present punishments because it is most certaine that many falles even of the Elect are fearefully punished in this life as the Church speaketh in Micheas chap. 7. I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I have sinned against him And the Histories of all times doe containe fearefull examples of punishments as David Salomon Manasses Josias Nabuchodonozor and innumerable others were grievously punished Wherein this is most to be lamented that in the very punishments many sinnes are heaped up as in the sedition raised up against David and in the renting of the kingdome for the sinne of Salomon And touching the necessitie of doing good works the Lord saith Matth. 5. Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and of the Pharisees ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven The necessitie which is manifold being thus considered there questions insue thereupon what works are to be done How they may be done In what sort they doe please God What rewards they have what is the difference of sins * Looke the first observat upon this confession in the fourth Section what sins doe shake of the holy Ghost and what not What works are to be done IT is the will of God that Faith and works be governed by his word Therefore we must keepe the rule touching good works both internall and externall contained in the commandements of God which doe pertaine to us as it is said Ezech. 23. Walke ye in my commandements And these internall and externall works doe then become the worship of God when they be done in faith and are referred to this end that God by this obedience may be glorified Now we have shewed before that even the unregenerate may performe this externall obedience or discipline as Cicero liveth honestly and for his pains in government deserveth well of all mankinde but his minde is full of doubts touching the Providence of God neither doth he know nor speake unto the true God in invocation neither doth he know the promises and he alwaies doubteth whether he be heard especially when he is in misery and then is he angry with God and thinketh that he is unjustly punished seeing he was a honest Citizen and profitable for the Common-wealth Such darknesse in the minde is great sinne such as reason not being illuminated by God is is not able to judge of Therefore inward obedience true knowledge of God the feare of God sorrowes in repentance trust to obtaine mercie promised for the Sonne of God invocation hope love joy in God and other vertues must be begun also in the regenerate and they must be referred to a proper end to wit that God may be obeyed These kindes of true worship cannot be given unto God without the light of the Gospel and without faith which our adversaries who will seeme to be jolly preachers of good workes do neither understand nor require seeing they omit the doctrine of faith which is a confidence to obtaine mercy resting in the Sonne of God which is an especiall worke and the chiefe worship of God Of workes not commanded of God we shall speake hereafter and we must hold fast that rule Matth. 15. In vaine doe they worship me with the commandements of men And in the Church in falleth out oftentimes that ceremonies devised by men are more carefully kept then the commandements of God yea the authoritie of Pharisaicall and unjust traditions is preferred before the the commandement of God as in many ages for the unjust and wicked commandement of single life the commandement of God concerning true chastitie was horribly violated Therefore we must consider of the difference of the law whereof we will speake againe hereafter How good workes may be done GReat is the infirmitie of man
the earth and fighteth against the flesh the world and the prince of the world the devill and against sinne and death The other being already set at libertie is now in heaven and triumpheth over all those being overcome and continually rejoyceth before the Lord. Yet these two Churches have notwithstanding a communion and fellowship betweene themselves The Church militant upon the earth hath evermore had in it many particular Churches which must all notwithstanding be referred to the unitie of the Catholike Church This militant Church was otherwise ordered and governed before the law among the Patriarkes otherwise under Moses by the Law and otherwise of Christ by the Gospel There are but two sorts of people for the most part mentioned to wit the Israelites and the Gentiles or they which of the Iewes and Gentiles were gathered to make a Church There be also two Testaments the Old and the New Yet both these sorts of people have had and still have one fellowship one salvation in one and the same Messiah in whom as members of one body they are all joyned together under one head and by one faith are all partakers of one and the same spirituall meate and drinke Yet here we doe acknowledge a diversitie of times and a diversitie in the pledges and signes of Christ promised and exhibited and that now the ceremonies being abolished the light shineth unto us more cleerely our gifts and graces are more aboundant and our libertie is more full and ample This holy Church of God is called the house of the living God builded of living and spirituall stones founded upon a rocke that cannot be removed upon a foundation besides which none can be laid Whereupon it is called the pillar and foundation of the truth that 2 Tim. 3. doth not erre so long as it relyeth upon the rock Christ and upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles And no marvell * Looke the first observat upon this confession if it doe erre so often as it forsaketh him who is the alone truth This Church is also called a virgin and the spouse of Christ and his onely beloved For the Apostle saith I have ioyned you unto one husband that I might present you a chaste virgin unto Christ The Church is called a flocke of sheepe under one shepheard even Christ Ezek. 34. and Iohn 10. also the body of Christ because the faithfull are the lively members of Christ having him for their head It is the head which hath the preheminence in the body and from whence the whole body receiveth life by whose spirit it is governed in all things of whom also it receiveth increase that it may grow up Also there is but one head of the body which hath agreement with the body and therefore the Church cannot have any other head beside Christ For as the Church is a spirituall body so must it needs have a spiritua I head like unto it selfe Neither can it be governed by any other spirit then by the spirit of Christ Wherefore Paul saith And he is the head of his body the Coloss 1. Church who is the beginning the first borne of the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence And in another place Christ saith he is the head of the Church and the same is the Saviour of Ephes 5. his body And againe Who is the head of the Church which is his Ephes 1. body even the fulnesse of him which filleth all in all things Againe Let us in all things grow up into him which is the head that is Ephes 4. Christ by whom all the body being knit together receiveth increase And therefore we doe not allow of the doctrine of the Romish Prelates who would make the Pope the generall Pastour and Supreame head of the Church of Christ miâ—itant here on earth and the very Vicar of Christ who hath as they say all fulnesse of power and soveraigne authoritie in the Church For we hold and teach that Christ our Lord is and remaineth still the onely universall Pastour and highest Bishop before God his Father and that in the Church he performeth all the duties of a Pastour or Bishop even to the worlds end and therefore standeth not in need of any other to supply his roome for he is said to have a substitute which is absent But Christ is present with his Church and is the head that giveth life thereunto He did straightly forbid his Apostles and their successours all superioritie or dominion in the Church They therefore that by gaine-saying set themselves against so manifest a truth and bring another kinde of government into the Church who seeth not that they are to be counted in the number of them of whom the Apostles of Christ prophesied as Peter 2 Epist 2. and Paul Act. 20. 2 Cor. 11. 2 Thess 2. and in many other places Now by taking away the Romish head we doe not bring any confusion or disorder into the Church for we teach that the government of the Church which the Apostles set downe is sufficient to keep the Church in due order which from the beginning while as yet it wanted such a Romish head as is now pretended to keepe it in order was not disordered or full of confusion That Romish head doth maintaine indeed that tyranny and corruption in the Church which was brought into the Church But in the meane time he hindreth resisteth and with all the might hee can make cutteth off the right and lawfull reformation of the Church They object against us that there have beene great strifes and dissentions in our Churches since they did sever themselves from the Church of Rome and that therefore they cannot be true Churches As though there were never in the Church of Rome any sects any contentions and quarrels and that in matters of religion maintained not so much in the Schooles as in the holy chaires even in the audience of the people We know that the Apostle said God is not the authour of dissention but of peace 1 Cor. 11. And Seeing there is amongst you emulation and contention are you not carnall Yet may we not deny but that God was in that Church planted by the Apostle and that that Apostolike Church was a true church howsoever there were strifes and dissentions in it The Apostle Paul reprehended Peter an Apostle and Barnabas Gal. 2. Acts 15. fell at variance with Paul great contention arose in the Church of Antioch betweene them that preached one and the same Christ as Luke recordeth in the Acts of the Apostles And there have at all times beene great contentions in the Church and and the most excellent Doctors of the Church have about no small matters differed in opinions yet so as in the meane time the Church ceased not to be the church for all these contentions For thus it pleaseth God to use the dissentions that arise in the church to the glory of his name the
sigh and are sorry because that errours are established Therefore chiefly by the voyce of the Doctrine we may and ought to judge which and where the true Church is which by the voyce of the true doctrine and then by the lawfull use of the Sacraments is distinguished from other nations And what is the voice of the true doctrine the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and the Creeds doe declare In these the doctrine is not doubtfull touching the foundation to wit touching the Articles of faith the essence and will of God the Sonne the Redeemer the Law the Promises the use of the Sacraments and the ministery And it is manifest that it is not permitted to any creature not to Angels nor to men to change that doctrine which is delivered of God Now what the Church is the Sonne of God sheweth saying My kingdome is not of this world Also As my Father sent me so doe I send you By the voice of the Ministers of the Gospell an eternall Church is gathered to God and by this voice God is effectuall and turneth many to himselfe This exceeding great benefit of God we ought to acknowledge and thankfully to extoll And although the Church be a companie that may be seene and heard yet it is to be distinguished from Politicall Empires or those that beare the sword Bishops have not authoritie by the Law of God to punish the disobedient neither doe they possesse the kingdomes of the world and yet in the Church there is an order according to that saying He ascended he giveth gifts to Men Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers The Sonne of God is the high Priest anoynted of the eternall Father who that the Church might not utterly perish hath given unto it Ministers of the Gospell partly called immediatly by himselfe as the Prophets and Apostles partly chosen by the calling of men For he doth both allow of the choise of the Church and of his infinite goodnesse he is effectuall even when the Gospell doth sound by such as are chosen by voices or in the name of the Church Therefore we doe retaine in our Churches also the publique rite of Ordination whereby the ministerie of the Gospell is commended to those that are truely chosen whose manners and doctrine we doe first throughly examine And touching the worthinesse of the ministery we doe faithfully teach our Churches No greater thing can be spoken then that which the Sonne of God saith As my Father sent me so doe I send you He also declareth what commandements he giveth Preach ye the Gospell and he affirmeth that he will be effectuall by their voice as the Father sheweth himselfe to be effectuall by the Son Also we set before men the commandements of God He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Also Obey them that have the oversight of you And yet these sayings doe not erect a kingdome without the Gospel but they command an obedience which is due to the voice of the Gospel And these things pertaine to the ministery To teach the Gospell to administer the Sacraments to give Absolution to them that aske it and doe not persevere in manifest offences to ordaine Ministers of the Gospell being rightly called and examined to exercise the judgements of the Church after a lawfull manner upon those * Looke the 1. Observat upon this confession which are guiltie of manifest crimes in manners or in doctrine and to pronounce the sentence of excommunication against them that are stubborne and againe to absolve and pardon them that do repent That these things may be done orderly there be also Consistories appointed in our Churches We said in the description of the Church that there be many in this visible Church which be not holy who notwithstanding in outward profession doe imbrace the true Doctrine We condemne the Donatists who feigned that their ministerie is not effectuall which are not holy Also we condemne that Anabaptisticall filth which feigned that to be the visible Church wherein all are holy And we confesse that we are so to thinke of the visible Church in this life as our Lord saith Matth. 12. The kingdome of God is like unto a draw net cast into the sea wherein fishes are gathered both good and bad but yet they which become enemies to the true doctrine cease to be members of this visible congregation according to this saying If any man teach another Gospell let him be accursed Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of the chiefe Bishop THere be those that attribute this to the Bishop of Rome that he is the head of the Vniversall Church and that he hath power in earth not onely to ordaine civill kingdomes and to governe all Ecclesiasticall persons and matters but also to command the Angels in heaven to deliver souls out of Purgatorie and to blesse or deliver whom it pleaseth him But we acknowledge that if the Bishop of Rome were a godly man and did teach the Gospel of Christ according to the writings of the Prophets and Apostles then he had a ministery of high authoritie in this earth to wit a ministery of remitting and retaining sinnes then which ministerie there is nothing greater or more excellent in this earth But he alone hath not this ministerie but he hath it in common with all those who by a lawfull calling doe preach the Gospell of Christ For the ministerie of remitting or retaining sins which otherwise is called the Key of the kingdome of heaven is not given to the free power of the person of men but it is so neerely annexed to the word of the Gospell that so many as doe preach the Gospell may truly be said to remit and to retaine sins to wit to remit their sins who by faith do receive the Gospell to retaine theirs that doe contemne the Gospell Mar. 16. Preach the Gospell to every creature He that shall beleeve and be baptized shall be saved but he that will not beleeve shall be damned Hilarie De Trinit lib. 6. saith The Father revealed it to Peter that he should say thou art the Sonne of God Therefore upon this rocke of Confession is the Church builded this faith is the foundation of the Church whatsoever this faith shall loose or binde in earth shall be loosed or bound in heaven Chrysostome saith They which beare the keyes be the Priests to whom the word of teaching and interpreting the Scriptures is committed Now the key is the word of the knowledge of the Scriptures by which key the truth is opened to men Augustine De Doctr. Christ Lib. 1. Cap. 18. saith These keyes did he give to the Church that whatsoever it looseth in earth should be loosed in heaven to wit that whosoever would not beleeve that his sinnes are forgiven him in the Church they should not be forgiven to him but whosoever should beleeve and being corrected doth turne from his sins being placed in the lap of the Church should
by the same faith and correction be healed Ambrose saith Sinnes are remitted by the word whereof the Levite is the Interpreter or Expounder Bernard in Epist ad Eug. saith The true successour of Paul will say with Paul Not that we have dominion over your faith but we are helpers of your ioy The heires of Peter will heare Peter saying Not as though ye were Lords over Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke Thomas in Summa sua parte 3. in addit q. 6. art 6. saith Because the Church is founded upon Faith and the Sacraments therefore it doth not pertaine to the Ministers of the Church to make new Articles of Faith or to set apart those which are made neither to appoint new Sacraments or to take away those which are appointed but this is proper to that excellencie of power which is due to Christ alone who is the foundation of the Church And therefore as the Pope cannot dispense that any one may be saved without Baptisme so cannot he not dispense with any to be saved without confession because that he bindeth by force of a Sacrament And although Thomas have his opinions touching confession yet this which he saith It doth not pertaine to the Ministers of the Church among whom he reckoneth the Pope to make new Articles of Faith and to appoint new Sacraments is indeed an Apostolike and Catholike judgement For no other ministerie doth pertaine to the Ministers of the Church which have their calling from Christ then that which we mentioned before and which the Apostles of Christ themselves did execute touching the remitting and retaining of sins Therefore if any thing more then this ministerie be attributed to the Bishop of Rome this is either given unto him by mans ordinances or else it is feigned by the Monks and other flatterers against the authoritie of the word of God Of the Church VVE beleeve and confesse that there is one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church according to the Creed of the Artic. 32. Apostles and the Nicene Creed 2. That this Church is so governed of the holy Ghost that although he suffer it to be weake in this earth yet he doth alwayes preserve it that it doe not perish either by errours or by sins 3. That in this world many naughtie men and hypocrites are mingled with this Church 4. That these naughtie men and hypocrites if by a lawfull calling they shall take upon them the ministerie of the Church shall not of themselves any whit hinder the truth of the Sacraments except they pervert the ordinance of Christ and teach wicked things 5. That in this Church there is true remission of sins 6. That this Church * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confess hath authoritie to beare witnesse of the holy Scripture 7. That this Church hath authoritie * to judge of all doctrines according to that Try the spirits whether they be of God And Let the other iudge 8. That this Church hath authoritie * Looke the 2. observation to interpret the Scripture But where this Church is to be sought and whether her authoritie be limited within certaine bounds divers men doe judge diversly But we thinke that men are to judge by the authoritie both of the holy Scripture and also of the ancient Fathers that the true Catholike and Apostolike Church is not tied to one certaine place or nation nor to one certaine kinde of men but that it is in that place or nation where the Gospell of Christ is sincerely preached and his Sacraments rightly administred according to Christ his institution Ioh. 10. I have said ye are Gods He called them Gods unto whom the word of God was given c. Therefore there is the people or Church of God where the word of God is preached Joh. 15. Now you are cleane through the word which I have spoken to you Therefore the word of Christ which is the Gospell doth declare where that Church is which is cleane in the sight of God Romanes 1. The Gospell is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth Therefore where the Gospell is which is acknowledged by faith there God hath his Church wherein he is effectuall unto eternall life Chrysostome in his Commentaries upon Matthew Cap. 24 Hom. 49. saith Therefore at this time all Christians must goe to the Scriptures because that at this time since heresie possessed those Churches there can be no triall of true Christianitie neither can there be any other refuge for Christians that would willingly know the truth of faith but onely the Divine Scriptures And a little after Therefore he that will know which is the true Church of Christ whence may he know it but onely by the Scriptures Augustine Tom. 2. Epist 166. saith In the Scriptures we have learned Christ in the Scriptures we have learned to know the Church these Scriptures we have in common why doe we not in them retaine in common both Christ and the Church And againe Tom. 7. in Epist contra Epist Petiliani Donatistae cap. 2. 3. 4. It is a question betweene us and the Donatists where the Church is What then shall we doe shall we seeke the Church in our own words or in the words of her Head in our Lord Iesus Christ I thinke that we ought to seeke it rather in his words who is the truth and doth best of all know his body Now that which is affirmed that the Church hath authoritie to beare witnesse of the holy Scripture to interpret the Scripture and to judge of all doctrines it is not so to be understood that the Church hath absolute authoritie to determine what she listeth and also if it please her to change the Scripture and to feigne a new doctrine and to appoint new worships of God but that the Church as the Spouse of Christ ought to know the voice of her husband and that she hath received of her husband a certain rule to wit the Propheticall and Apostolicall preaching confirmed by miracles from heaven according to the which she is bound to interpret those places of the Scripture which seeme to be obscure and to judge of doctrines Psal 119. Thy word is a light unto my feete Rom. 3. Having gifts that be divers according to the grace that is given unto us whether we have prophecy according to the proportion of Faith c. 2 Pet. 1. We have a more sure word of the Prophets to the which ye do well that ye take heede as unto a light that shineth in a darke place c. Origen upon lerem Hom. 1. It is necessary for us to call the holy Scriptures to witnes for our meanings and interpretations have no credit without these witnesses Ierome upon Matth. 23. That which is spoken without authority of the Scriptures is as easily contemned as it is spoken And August De Nupt. Concup Lib. 2. Cap. 23. saith This controversie seeketh a Iudge Therefore let Christ
iudge and let him shew what thing it is that his death doth profit This saith he is my blood And a little after Together with him let the Apostle iudge because that Christ himself also speaketh in the Apostle he crieth out and saith touching God the Father He which spared not his owne Sonne c. Wherethe Church hath so farre authority to judge of doctrine that notwithstanding she must keep her selfe within the bonds of the holy Scripture which is the voice of her husband from which voice it is not lawfull for any man no not for Angell to departe Out of the Confession of SVEVELAND Of the Church FVrthermore we will shew what is taught among us both Artie 15. touching the Christian Church and also touching the holy Sacraments and touching the Church this is it that we teach The Church or congregation of Christ which as yet is in this world as a stranger from God is the fellowship and company of those which addict themselves to Christ and do altogether trust and rest in his protection among whom notwithstanding many shall be mingled even to the end of the world who although they professe the Christian faith yet they have it not in deed This hath our Lord taught sufficiently Matth. 13. by the parable both of the cockle and of the Net cast into the sea in the which the bad fishes are caught with the good Also Matth. 22 by the parable of the King inviting all men to the marriage of his Sonne and afterward casting him out being bound hand and foot into utter darknnes which had not a wedding garment Now these places of Scripture wherein the congregation of Christ is commended to be the Spouse of Christ for the which he hath given himselfe Eph. 5. The house of God the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3. Also The holy hill of Sion the City of the living God the heavenly Ierusalem and congregation of the first borne which are written in heaven I say all these places of Scripture do properly pertaine to them who for their sincere faith are truely and in the sight of God reckoned among the children of God For seeing that in these alone the Lord doth fully reigne these onely if we will speake properly are called the Church of Christ and the communion of Saints in which sence also the name of the Church is expounded in the common Articles of faith those false Christians being excluded which are mingled amongst them Furthermore the holy Ghost himselfe doth governe this Church or congregation and remaineth with it as Christ doth even to the end of the world and doth sanctifie it that at the length he may present it unto himselfe without spot or wrinckle as it is said Ephes 5. Also this is that Church which all men are commanded to heare and he that will not heare her is to be counted as an Heathen and Publicane And although that to wit faith it selfe cannot be seene wherby this Congregation hath obtained to be called the Church and company of Christ yet the fruits of that faith may be seene and knowne and of them a certaine Christian conjecture be taken These fruits be chiefly a bold profession of Faith a true love offering it selfe to do humble service to all men a contempt of all things Seeing therefore that these be the proper fruites wheresoever the holy Gospell and the Sacraments be exercised thereupon it may easily be known where and who be the Christian Church so much as is necessary for us to preserve among us the Christian communion and that in the same we may be instructed admonished and help one another according to the commandement of Christ Furthermore seeing this congregation is the very kingdome of God wherein all things ought to be appointed in best order she hath all kind of offices and ministers for she is the body of Christ himselfe compacted of many members whereof every one have their proper worke Therefore whosoever do faithfully discharge such functoins and do earnestly labour in the word and doctrine they do represent the Church and may do all things in the name thereof so that whosoever shall either despise them or refuse to heare them he may worthily be said to despise the Church it selfe Now with what spirit or with what spirituall authoritie we do beleeve that they are furnished we have declared before out of most firme foundations of the Scripture where we shewed what we thought of the spirituall or Ecclesiasticall offices and dignitie For they cannot by any means represent the Church of Christ or doe any thing in the name thereof which are not Christs and therefore propound no Christian things but whatsoever is contrary to the doctrine of Christ For although it may be that even the wicked may teach some good thing and may also prophesie in the name of Christ after their example to whom the Lord himselfe doth witnesse that he will once in time to come say That he never knew them Yet it cannot be that they can discharge the dutie of the Church of Christ and are to be heard in his stead which doe not propound the voice of their husband Christ although otherwise they should thinke aright of faith and be counted amongst the members of the Church as it doth oftentimes fall out when as the very children of God are wrapped in errours and doe also publish the same For the Church of Christ is wholly addicted to Christ himselfe Therefore that cannot be counted a doctrine precept or commandement of the true Church except it be the same with the doctrine precept and commandement of Christ himselfe And whosoever propoundeth any other thing in her name although he were an Angel from heaven he is not to be heard as also the Church in those things doth represent nothing lesse then the Church of Christ THE ELEVENTH SECTION OF THE MINISTERS OF THE CHVRCH and of their Calling and Office The latter Confession of HELVETIA Of the Ministers of the Church their Institution and Offices CHAP. 18. GOD hath alwaies used his Ministers for the gathering or erecting up of a Church to himselfe and for the governing and preservation of the same and still he doth and alwaies will use them so long as the Church remaineth on the earth Therefore the first beginning institution and office of the Ministers is a most ancient ordinance of God himselfe not a new devise appointed by men True it is that God can by his power without any meanes take unto himselfe a Church amongst men but he had rather deale with men by the ministerie of men Therefore Ministers are to be considered not as Ministers by themselves alone but as the Ministers of God even such as by whose meanes God doth work the salvation of mankinde For which cause we give counsell to beware that we doe not so attribute the things that appertaine to our conversion and instruction unto the secret vertue of the holy Ghost that we make frustrate
honesty of life according to that Apostolike rule which Saint Paul giveth in the 1 to Timothy 3. cap. and 1 to Titus And those which are chosen let them be ordained of the Elders with publike prayer and laying on of hands We doe here therefore condemne all those which runne of their own accord being neither chosen sent nor ordained We doe also utterly disallow unfit Ministers and such as are not furnished with gifts requisite for a Pastor In the meane time we are not ignorant that the innocent simplicitie of certaine Pastours in the Primitive Church did sometimes more profit the Church then the manifold exquisite and nice learning of other some that were over loftie and high minded And for this cause we also at this day doe not reject the honest simplicitie of certaine men which yet is not destitute of all knowledge and learning The Apostles of Christ doe terme all those which beleeve in Christ Priests but not in regard of their ministerie but because Exod. 19. 2 Pet. 1. Apoc. 1. that all the faithfull being made Kings and Priests by Christ may offer vp spirituall sacrifices unto God The ministerie then and Priesthood are things farre different one from the other For Priesthood as we said even now is common to all Christians so is not the ministerie And we have not taken away the ministery from the Church because we have thrust the Popish priesthood out of the Church of Christ For surely in the new covenant of Christ there is no longer any such priesthood as was in the ancient Church of the Iewes which had an externall anointing holy Heb. 4. garments and very many ceremonies which were figures and tipes of Christ who by his coming fulfilled and abolished them And he himselfe remaineth the onely Priest for ever and we doe not communicate the name of Priest to any of the ministers lest we should detract any thing from Christ For the Lord himselfe hath not appointed in the Church any priests of the new Testament who having received authoritie from the Suffragane may offer up the hoste every day that is the very flesh and the very blood of our Saviour for the quicke and the dead but Ministers which may teach and administer the Sacraments Paul declaring plainly and shortly what we are to thinke of the Ministers of the New Testament or of the Church of Christ and what we must attribute unto them Let a man saith he thus account of us as of 1 Cor. 4. the Ministers of Christ and dispensers of the mysteries of God So that the Apostle his minde is that we should esteeme of Ministers as of Ministers Now the Apostle calleth them as it were underrowers which should onely have an eye unto their master and chiefe governour and be as men that live not to themselves nor according to their owne will but unto others to wit their Masters at whose commandement and becke they ought to be For the Minister of the Church is commanded wholly and in all parts of his dutie not to please himselfe but to execute that onely which he hath received in commandment from his Lord. And in this same place it is expresly declared who is our Master even Christ to whom the Ministers are in subjection in all the functions of their ministerie And to the end that he might the more fully declare their ministerie he addeth further that the ministers of the Church are stewards and dispensers of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4. Now the mysteries of God Paul in many places and especially in the third to the Ephes doth call the Gospel of Christ And the Sacraments of Christ are also called mysteries of the ancient Writers Therefore for this purpose are the ministers called namely to preach the Gospel of Christ unto the faithfull and to administer the Sacraments We reade also in another place in the Gospel of the faithfull and wise servant that his Lord set him over his family Luk. 12. to give foode unto it in due season Againe in an other place of the Gospel a man goeth into a strange countrey and leaving his house giveth unto his servants authoritie therein committeth to them his substance and appointeth every man his worke This is now a fit place to speake somewhat also of the power and office of the ministers of the Church And concerning their power some have entreated and disputed overbusily and would bring all things even the very greatest under their jurisdiction and Luc. 22. Mat. 18. that against the commandement of God who forbad unto his all dominion and highly commendeth humilitie indeed there is one kinde of power which is a meere and absolute power called the power of right According to this power all things in the whole world are subject unto Christ who is Lord of all even as he himselfe witnesseth saying All power is given unto me in heaven Matth. 28 21. Apoc. 23 and 22. and in earth And againe I am the first and the last and behold I live for ever and I have the keies of hell and of death Again He hath the key of David which openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and no man openeth This power the Lord reserveth to himselfe and doth not transfer it to any other that he might sit idle by and look on his ministers while they wrought For Isaiah saith I will put the keie of the house of David upon his shoulder And again Whose government shall be upon his shoulders For he doth not lay the government on other mens shoulders but doth stil keep and use his own power thereby governing all things Furthermore there is another power of duty or ministeriall power limited out by him who hath full and absolute power and authority And this is more like a ministry then dominion For we see that some master doth give unto the steward of his house authoritie and power over his house and for that cause delivereth him his keies that he may admit or exclude such as his Master will have admitted or excluded According to this power doth the minister by his office that which the Lord hath commanded him to do and the Lord doth ratifie and confirme that which he doth and will have the deeds of his ministers to be acknowledged and esteemed as his own deeds unto which end are those speeches in the Gospel I will give unto thee the Mâ—th 16. keies of the Kingdome of heaven and whatsoever thou bindest or loosest in earth shall be bound and loosed in heaven Againe Whose sinnes soever ye remit they shall be remitted and whose sinnes soever Iohn 20. ye retaine the shall be retained But if the Minister deale not in all things as his Lord hath commanded him but but passe the limits and bounds of faith then the Lord doth make voyde that which he doth Wherefore the Ecclesiasticall power of the ministers of the Church is that function whereby they doe indeed governe the Church of God but
yet so as they doe all things in the Church as he hath prescribed in his word which thing being so done the faithfull doe esteeme them as done of the Lord himselfe but touching the keies we have spoken somewhat before Now the * Looke the 5. observation upon this confession power that is given to the Ministers of the Church is the same and alike in all and in the beginning the Bishops or Elders did with a common consent and labour governe the Church no man lifted up himselfe above another none usurped greater power or authoritie over his fellow Bishops for they remembred the words of the Lord He which will be the chiefest among Luc. 20. you let him be your servant they kept in themselves by humility and did mutually aide one another in the governement and preservation of the Church Notwithstanding for orders sake some one of the ministers called the assembly together propounded unto the assembly the matters to be consulted of gathered together the voyces or sentences of the rest and to be briefe as much as lay in him provided that there might arise no confusion So did Saint Peter as we read in the Acts who yet for all that was neither above the rest nor had greater authority then the rest Very true therefore is that saying of Cyprian the Martyr in his booke De simpl Cler. The same doubtlesse were the rest of the Apostles that Peter was having an equall fellowship with him both in honour and power but the beginning hereof proceedeth from unitie to signifie unto us that there is but one Church Saint Jerome upon the Epistle of Paul to Titus hath a saying not much unlike this Before that by the instinct of the Devill there was partaking in religion the Churches were governed by the common advice of the Priests but after that every one thought that those whom he had baptised were his owne and not Christs It was decreed that one of the Priests should be chosen and set over the rest who should have the care of the whole Church laid upon him and by whose meanes all schismes should be removed Yet Jerome doth not avouch this as an order set downe of God For straight way after he addeth Even as saith he the Priests knew by the continuall custome of the Church that they were subiect to him that is set over them So the Bishop must know that they are above the priests rather by custome then by the prescript rule of Gods truth and they should have the government of the Church in common with them Thus farre Jerome Now therefore no man can forbid by any right that we may returne to the old appointment of God and rather receive that then the custome devised by men The offices of the ministers are divers yet notwithstanding most men doe restraine them to two in which all the rest are comprehended to the teaching of the Gospel of Christ and to the lawfull administration of the Sacraments For it is the dutie of the Ministers to gather together a holy assembly therein to expound the Word of God and also to apply the generall doctrine to the state and use of the Church to the end that the doctrine which they teach may profit the hearers and may build up the faithfull The Ministers dutie I say is to teach the unlearned and to exhort yea and to urge them to goe forward in the way of the Lord who doe stand still or linger and goe slowly forward moreover to comfort and to strengthen those which are faint-hearted and to arme them against the manifold temptations of Satan to rebuke offenders to bring them home that goe astray to raise them up that are fallen to convince the gainsaiers to chase away the wolfe from the Lords flocke to rebuke wickednesse and wicked men wisely and severely not to winke at nor to passe over great wickednesse and besides to administer the Sacraments and to commend the right use of them and to prepare all men by wholesome doctrine to receive them to keepe together all the faithfull in an holy unitie and to meete with schismes To conclude to catechise the ignorant to commend the necessitie of the poore to the Church to visit and instruct those that are sicke or intangled with divers temptations and so to keepe them in the way of life Lastly to looke diligently that there be publike prayers and supplications made in time of necessitie together with fasting that is an holy abstinencie and most carefully to looke to those things which belongeth to tranquillity safety and peace of the Church And to the end that the Minister may performe all these things the better and with more ease it is required in him that he be one that feareth God pray diligently giveth himselfe much to the reading of the Scripture and in all things and at all times is watchfull and doth shew forth a good example unto all men of holinesse of life And seeing there must needs be a discipline in the Church and that among the ancient fathers excommunication was in use and there were Ecclesiasticall judgements amongst the people of God wherein this discipline was exercised by godly men it belongeth also to the Ministers dutie for the edifying of the Church to moderate this discipline according to the condition of the time and publike estate and according to necessitie whereas this rule is alwaies to be holden that All things ought to be done to edification decently honestly without any oppression or tumult For the Apostle witnesseth that power was given to him of God to edifie and not to destroy 2 Cor. 10. And the Lord himselfe forbad the cockle to be plucked up in the Lords field because there would be danger lest the wheate also should be plucked up with it But as for the errour of the Donatists we doe here utterly detest it who esteemed and judged the doctrine and administration of the Sacraments to be either effectuall or not effectuall by the good or evill life of the Ministers For we know that the voyce of Christ is to be heard though it be out of the mouthes of evill Ministers forasmuch as the Lord himselfe said Doe as they Matth. 22. command you but according to their workes doe ye not We know that the Sacraments are sanctified by their institution and also by the word of Christ and that they are effectuall to the Godly although they be administred by ungodly Ministers Of which matter Augustine that blessed servant of God did reason diversly out of the Scriptures against the Donatists yet notwithstanding there ought to be a streight discipline amongst the Ministers For there must be diligent enquirie in the Synods touching the life and Doctrine of the Ministers Those that offend are to be rebuked of the Seniours and to be brought into the way if they be not past recovery or else to be deposed and as wolves to be driven from the Lords flocke by the true Pastors if
they be incurable For if they once be false teachers they are in no wise to be tollerated neither doe we disallow of generall councels if that they be taken up according to the example of the Apostles to the salvation of the Church and not to the destruction thereof The faithfull Ministers also are worthy as good workemen of their reward neither doe they offend when as they receive a stipend and all things that be necessary for themselves and their family For the Apostle sheweth that these things are for just cause offered of the Church and received of the Ministers they are likewise of right 1 Cor. 9. and 1 Tim. 5. and in other places also The Anabaptists likewise are confuted by this Apostolicall doctrine who condemne and raile upon those ministers which live upon the ministerie Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA Of the Ministerie of the Word VVE confesse that the Ministers of the Church are as Paul Artic. 15. termeth them the fellow labourers of God by whom he doth dispense both the knowledge of himselfe and also remission of sinnes turne men to himselfe raise them up comfort them and also terrifie and judge them yet so that notwithstanding we doe ascribe all the vertue and efficacie that is in them unto the Lord and give a ministerie onely to the Ministers For it is certaine that this vertue and efficacie is not to be tied to any creature at all but is to be dispensed by the free favour of God in what manner and to whom it pleaseth him For he that watereth is nothing neither he that planteth but God that giveth the increase Ecclesiasticall power NOw the authoritie of the Word and feeding the flock of the Artic. 16. Lord which properly is the power of the keyes prescribing * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession to all as well high as low what to doe ought to be sacred and inviolable and is to be committed onely to those that are chosen and fit to discharge it and that either by the divine service of God or by the certaine and advised suffrage of the Church or by their sentence to whom the Church hath assigned this charge The choosing of Ministers FOr this function is to be given to none whom the Ministers Artic 17. and they to whom this charge is committed by the Church doe not finde and judge to be skilfull in the law of God to be of a blamelesse life and to beare a singular affection to the name of Christ which seeing it is the true election of God is rightly allowed by the consent of the Church * Looke the 2. observation upon this confession and by the laying on of the hands of the Priest The head and shepheard of the Church FOr Christ himselfe is the true head of his Church and he alone Artic. 18. is the Shepheard who giveth governours Pastours and Doctors that by the outward administration of the keies they may rightly and lawfully use that authoritie Wherefore we doe not acknowledge that those are Shepheards and that head of Rome which have the bare title and nothing else The duties of Ministers THe chiefe dutie of this function is to preach repentance and Artic. 19. remission of sinnes through Christ without ceasing to pray for the people to give themselves very diligently without wearinesse to holy studies and to the word of God and with the word of God as with the sword of the spirit and by all kinde of meanes to persecute Satan with deadly hatred and to weaken his force to defend those Citizens of Christ which are sound and to admonish reprehend and punish those that are infected and by a godly consent of them which are chosen out of the ministers and the magistrates by discipline to shut out or by some other fit meanes to mulct those which proceed further in wickednesse till such time as they doe repent and may be saved For that is the returning to the Church for a diseased Citizen of Christ if having changed his minde and endevour whereunto all this discipline doth tend hee acknowledge and confesse his errour and doth now of his owne accord require holesome discipline and by his new endeavour of godlinesse doth rejoyce all the godly Out of the declaration of the same Confession which Luther himselfe approved by his letters Anno 1537. VVE beleeve and confesse that mankinde by the onely mercy of God is justified by faith through Christ and that the Almightie God by the outward preaching of the Gospel and the holy seales doth declare and set before our eyes that salvation and happinesse which Christ without any worke or merit of ours hath purchased for us and given freely unto us But we are unjustly suspected of some as though we did attribute nothing to the preaching of the outward word and to the Sacraments or as though we did take that from them which the Lord himselfe doth attribute unto them and by this meanes should overthrow and abolish the ordering and guiding of those things which pertaine to the Church whereas on the contrary side wee have a chiefe regard unto this that we neither attribute too much nor too little to these things For we have learned both out of the holy Scriptures and also out of the Catholike Doctor Austin That the soule is in miserable servitude if any man take or worship the signes instead of the things which they signifie And againe That is an errour if any man interpret them unfruitfully We have learned also that the externall gifts are not to be despised because of the internall gifts knowing that Cornelius the Centurion was taught of God and that yet notwithstanding he was put over to heare Peter the Apostle preach and to be baptised of him Therefore that we may walke in the high and plain way that is that we may detract nothing from the Word and Sacraments which the Scripture doth attribute unto them and againe that we may not give that to the creature which is proper to the Creator and that the ordinance of God may not be disanulled but all glory may be given to God alone to conclude lest that by those externall things instituted of God we should too much tie the mindes of the faithfull to things created wee so beleeve touching the Ministerie of the Word and the Sacraments as we have professed which thing also wee do thus declare by that which followeth Of the ministery of the Word of God ALthough the Lord hath expresly said No man cometh to me except my Father which sent me doe draw him Yet it was his will that the Gospel of the kingdome should be preached to all nations and that Bishops should discharge this dutie of the Ministery with great care and diligence and with speciall watchfulnesse and be instant in season and out of season and by all means to gaine many unto Christ For therefore when he was ready to depart hence into heaven in his
and that they might have testimonie as well from the common sort as from their Elders that they were fit men and worthy of that place Together with these things it is taught that by the executing of that charge wherein they be lawfully placed they are bound to this that they take care for the soules of men committed to their charge and for their everlasting salvation and faithfully employ their service unto them by teaching of the Word of God and administring the Sacraments according to Christ his meaning and ordinance that they be an example and allurement to practiso all vertue make prayers for them bring them out of sinnes and errours and inquire after the will of God and search the same in the holy Scritures by diligent reading and continuall meditation as the Apostles also exhort men to these things Saint Peter writeth 1 Pet. 5. thus Feed the flocke of God which dependeth upon you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a readie minde In like sort Paul writeth to Timothy a Ruler and 2 Tim. 4. Bishop But be thou sober and watch in all things suffer adversitie doe the worke of an Evangelist make thy ministery fully knowne or with all diligence Againe Be thou an example to the faithfull in 1 Tim. 4. speech in conversation of life in love in the spirit in faith in purenesse Till I come be instant in reading exhorting and teaching Despise not the gift of grace which is in thee which was given to thee by prophecie with the laying on of the hands of the company of the Eldership These things exercise and give thy selfe unto them that 2 Tim 3. all men may see how thou profitest take heede to thy selfe and unto learning and abide in these things For in doing this thou shalt save both thy selfe and them that heare thee Such ministers ought also to deliver sound and wholesome doctrine such as they have received from Christ and the Apostles out of holy Scripture and being all alike minded through one spirit to teach the same in their Sermons according to the ordinance of Saint Paul who writeth thus Keepe the true patterne of the whole some words which 1 Tim. 1. thou hast heard of me in faith and in love which is in Iesus Christ And againe But abide thou in those things that thou hast learned and are committed unto thee knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that thou hast knowne the holy Scriptures of a childe which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Jesus Christ And else where charge certaine saith he that they teach no other thing But peculiar mention is made thereof that they which have the spirituall government of the Churches and doe their endeavour in them ought not themselves nor by others to use civill power or constraint to force men to beleeve or to exercise Lordly authoritie over the faith and people of God according to the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles The Lord spake thus to the Apostles and in them to all faithfull and true Preachers of the Gospel Ye know that they who are rulers of the people have domination Matth. 20. over them whose rulers they are and they that are great Lords exercise authoritie over the people that are subiect to them But it shall not be so among you But if any man among you will be great let him be your servant and he that will be chiefe among you or beare rule let him be your minister Even as the Sonne of man came not to be ministred unto but that he himselfe might minister to others and give his life as a price for the redemption of many Peter also 1 Pet. 5. saith Not as being Lords over the people or the Lords inheritance but as they who are an ensample to the flocke And Paul Not that 2 Cor. 1. we are Lords over your faith but because we are helpers of your ioy But the gain-sayers are with a quiet minde to be forborne and by reasons grounded on the truth of holy Scripture to be refuted and convinced and pains must be taken that they may suffer themselves to be bettered by wholsome doctrine as the Apostle giveth 2 Tim. 2. Tit. 3. in charge touching this matter And after other things Besides it is taught that all the people ought to performe obedience and that with a great affection of love toward them to such lawfull godly and faithfull Pastours of souls and that they ought to assure and undoubtedly to perswade themselves very well of them obey them use their helpe in matters pertaining to salvation yeeld them due honour and performe all convenient duties towards them whereunto they are bound by Gods word and that according to the Doctrine of Christ who saith He that Matth. 10. Luk. 10. Iohn 13. Heb. 13. receiveth you receiveth me and he that heareth you heareth me And also in the Epistle to the Hebrews Obey them that have the oversight of you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account for them And the Apostle 1 Tim. 5. Elders that rule well are worthy double honour especially they that are occupied in the Word and Doctrine Furthermore they ought to be provided for that they may have a competent living and such things as are needfull for the maintenance of the body according to the Lords ordinance whereof Paul speaketh after this sort The Lord hath so appointed that they which preach the Gospell 1 Cor. 9. should live of the Gospell And to the end that the danger of an idle secure and * Looke the 5. Observat upon this confession Sodomiticall life may be avoyded and so they may be an example to the flocke whereof they have charge and that by a feeling of the burdens of this common life they may learne to understand the miserie of men and may by this means be touched and have compassion on the miseries of others for these causes I say this is taught that they whose abilitie of strength in such * Looke the 6. Observation upon this confess especially those on whom as yet the greatest and painfullest charge of the people is not laid should themselves with their owne hands get their living that they be not a burden to the Churches especially in the beginning of their buildings and reparations or also in times of long persecution or otherwise by reason of the weaker sort and that they give not place to vaine 2 Cor. 6. 1 Thess 2. 2 Thess 3. voluptuous and riotous sloath as those who faithfully follow Saint Pauls doctrine and who have the Lords speech before their eyes saying it is a more happie thing to give then to take Acts 20. And if so be that some one of these Pastors slip into sin or errors or be somewhat negligent in looking to this charge he ought by the
ordinary and lawfull discipline of the Church to be brought into the way againe and to be chastised but if he will not repent nor be healed then he ought first to be remooved from the executing of his charge and from the ministerie and afterward as an unprofitable servant as a member which causeth offence a dry branch and unsavoury salt to be cast out or banished from the fellowship of the Church and injoying of salvation of whom the Lord saith that this salt is henceforth good for nothing that which Matth. 5. Joh. 15. Matth. 5. 1 Tim. 5. Paul also teacheth when he saith Those that offend meaning those that are Elders reproove or chastise before all men that the rest also may stand in feare But the people ought so to behave themselves toward such Teachers either growne out of kinde or entangled with errors or toward other Elders also not repenting and excommunicated as the holy Scripture sheweth and first Christ saith Take ye heed of false Prophets which come to you in Matth. 7. sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening woolves ye shall know them by their fruits and Paul Now I beseech you brethren marke Rom. 16. those diligently which cause division and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoyd them for they that are such serve not our Lord Iesu Christ but their own bellies Of the Keyes of Christ CHAP. 14. THE fourteenth Chapter of Ecclesiasticall doctrine is of the Lords Keyes of which he saith to Peter I will give thee the Matth. 16. Keyes of the kingdome of heaven and these Keyes are the peculiar Function or Ministerie and administration of Christ his power and his holy Spirit which power is committed to the Church of Christ and to the Ministers thereof unto the end of the world that they should not onely by preaching publish the holy Gospell although they should doe this especially that is should shew forth that word of true comfort and the joyfull message of peace and new tidings of that favour which God offereth but also that to the beleeving and unbeleeving they should publikely or privately denounce and make knowne to wit to them his favour to these his wrath and that to all in generall or to every one in particular that they may wisely receive some into the house of God to the communion of Saints and drive some out from thence and may so through the performance of their ministerie hold in their hand the Scepter of Christ his kingdome and use the same to the government of Christ his sheepe Therefore the condition and proper office of the Keyes is first first to open and loose that is in Christ to appease and still the conscience of the faithfull ones and of those that turne againe by repentance to make it knowne unto them that their sins be forgiven and to strengthen them in a sure hope of salvation and by this means to open the kingdome of heaven unto them to give them courage against all temptations and to stirre upstedfastnesse and cheerefulnesse in them And all these things are done by the faithfull Shepheards of souls in the Lords stead not doing this of themselves but upon Christ his commandement not by their own and proper vertue but by Christs and by the efficacie of his Word and Sacraments as those that are Stewards and Dispensers of the mysteries of God and Ministers onely In the administration of which things they may use some seemely and indifferent ceremonies that is which are no way necessary such as are * Looke the 6. observation 1 Cor. 4. 2 Cor. 3. 5. to lay on hands or to reach out the right hand or else they may omit them On the other side the office and proper worke of the Keyes of Christ is to shut and binde that is by the commandement of Christ and the authoritie of this office given by him to the Church which is his power and scepten to denounce against all stubborne impenitent unbeleeving and other such like sinners Gods horrible judgement and his intollerable wrath which no nature carrabide and his severe sentence and so by the word of Christ according to the qualitie of the offence to reproove sinne to sever them from the fellowship of Christ our Saviour and from the fruit and participation of the Sacraments and to cast them out of the Christian Church and in a word to shut the kingdome of heaven upon them and at the length to deliver them to Sathan This power of his Scepter and spirit hath the Lord granted and delivered to the holy Apostles and in them to all Ministers of Churches lawfully ordained that they might exercise in hisstead and he granted it to them by these words As the Father hath John 20. sent me so doe I send you also And by and by he addeth these words Receive ye the holy Ghost If ye forgive any men their sins they are forgiven them and if ye retaine any mans sins they are retained Moreover a manifest example of using the power of the Keyes is layed out in that sinner of Corinth and others whom St. Paul together with the Church of that place by the power and 1 Cor. 5. authoritie of our Lord Iesu Christ and of his spirit threw out from thence and delivered to Sathan and contrariwise after that God gave him grace to repent he absolved him from his sins he tooke him againe into the Church to the communion of Saints and Sacraments 2 Cor. 2. and so opened to him the kingdome of heaven againe By this we may understand that these Keyes or this Divine Function of the Lords is committed and granted to those that have charge of souls and * Looke the 7. observation to each severall Ecclesiasticall Societies whether they be small or great Of which thing the Lord saith to the Churches Verily I say unto you whatsoever things ye binde on earth Matth. 18. shall be bound in heaven And straight after For where two or three be gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Moreover this is likewise taught * Look the 8. Observation that every Christian so often as he needeth these Keyes of the Lord ought to require them particularly for himself of the Pastors of souls of that Church or fellowship of which himselfe is a part and to which he belongeth and that he use them with full confidence no otherwise then if he received them of Christ himselfe seeing that Christ hath delivered them unto the Pastours and that he by no meanes doubt that by the ministerie of these keyes through the vertue and power of Christ his sins are forgiven him and that he is freed from them according John 20. Luke 10. Matth. 10. John 13. to Christ his own saying whose sins you forgive c. And He that heareth you heareth me and he that receiveth you in the behalfe to wit of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and
in his time of need receiveth me and contrarily He that despiseth you despiseth me This is also taught and handled * Looke the 9. Observation that the Priests ought not to use these keyes of the Lord otherwise then according to the meaning and will of Christ which is declared expressely in his word and according to the sure flat and expresse determinations of his judgement and that they doe not any manner of way according to mens opinions much lesse after their own minde or lust abuse these keyes for so it would come to passe that the keyes should swarve from their office And this is to be taken heed of that it be not by this meanes fulfilled in the misusing of them which the Lord hath said by the Prophet For you saith be is this Malac. 2. commandement O ye Priests if you will not heare it nor consider it in your hearts to give glory to my name saith the Lord of Hrasts I will send a curse upon you and will curse your blessings as I have cursed them already because you regard not in your hearts the feare of the Lord. Out of the FRENCH Confession SEeing that we are not made partakers of Christ but by the Artic. 25. Gospell we beleeve that that good order which by the authoritie of the Gospell is confirmed ought to be kept sacred and inviolablâ— and that therefore Pastours are necessarily required in the Church upon whose shoulders the burden of teaching the word and administring of the Sacraments doth lie whom also we ought to honour and reverently to heare if so be that they being lawfully called doe discharge their dutie not as though God did stand in need of such stayes and inferiour helps but therefore rather because that so it seemeth good to him to governe us as it were by using this bridle Therefore we detest all those fanaticall spirits who as much as in them lyeth desire that both this sacred ministerie or preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments were utterly abolished We beleeve that this true Church ought to be governed by that Artic. 29. regiment or discipline which our Lord Iesus Christ hath established to wit so that there be in it Pastours Elders and Deacons that the puritie of Doctrine may be retained vices repressed the poore and others that be in miserie according to their necessitie may be provided for and that there may be holy meetings for the edifying both of small and great We beleeve that all true Pastours in what place soever they be Artic 30. placed have the same and equall authoritie among themselves given unto them under Iesus Christ the onely head and the chiefe and alone universall Bishop and that therefore it is not lawfull for any Church to challenge unto it selfe Dominion or Soveraigntie over any other Church We beleeve that it is not lawfull for any man upon his owne Artic. 31. authoritie to take upon him the government of the Church but that every one ought to be admitted thereunto by a lawfull election so neere as may be and so long as the Lord giveth leave And this exception we doe expressely adde because that sometime as it fell our also in our daies the state of the Church being disturbed it was necessary that some should be raised up of the Lord extraordinarily which should repaire the ruines of the decayed Church Neverthelesse howsoever it be we beleeve that this rule is alwaies to be followed that all Pastours and Elders should have a testimonie of their calling Out of the ENGLISH Confession FVrthermore we beleeve that there be divers degrees of Ministers in the Church whereof some be Deacons some Artic. 5. Priests some Bishops to whom is committed the office to instruct the people and the whole charge and setting forth of Religion Yet notwithstanding we say that there neither is nor can be any one man which may have the whole superioritie in this universall state for that Christ is ever present to assist his Church and needeth not any man to supply his roome as his onely heire to all his substance and that there can be no one mortall creature which is able to comprehend or conceive in his minde the Vniversall Church that is to wit all the parts of the world much lesse able rightly and duely to put them in order and to governe them For all the Apostles as Cyprian saith were of like power among themselves and the rest were the same that Peter was And that it was said indifferently to them all Feedye indifferently to them all Goe into the whole world Indifferently to them all Teach ye the Gospell And as Hierome saith All Bishops wheresoever they be be they at Rome be they at Eugubium be they at Constantinople be they at Rhegium be all of like preeminence and of like Priesthood And as Cyprian saith There is but one Bishopricke and a peece thereof is perfitly and wholly holden of every particular Bishop And according to the judgement of the Nicene Councell we say that the Bishop of Rome hath no more jurisdiction over the Church of God then the rest of the Patriarks either of Alexandria or of Antioch have And as for the Bishop of Rome who now calleth all matters before himselfe alone except he doe his dutie as he ought to do except he minister the Sacrament except he instruct the people except he warne them and teach them we say that he ought not of right once to be called a Bishop or so much as an Elder For a Bishop as saith Austine is a name of labour and not of honour that the man that seeketh to have preeminence and not to profit may understand himselfe to be no Bishop And that neither the Pope nor any other worldly creature can no more be head of the whole Church or a Bishop over all then he can be the Bridegroome the light the salvation and life of the Church For these priviledges and names belong onely to Christ and be properly and onely fit for him alone And that no Bishop of Rome did ever suffer himselfe to be called by such a proud name and title before Phocas the Emperours time who as we know by killing his owne Soveraigne Mauritius the Emperour did by a trayterous villany aspire to the Empire Which was about the sixth hundred and thirteenth yeere after Christ was borne Also the Councell of Carthage did circumspectly provide that no Bishop should be called either the highest Bishop or chiefe Priest And therefore sithence the Bishop of Rome will now adaies so be called and challengeth unto himselfe an authoritie that is none of his besides that he doth plainly contrary to the ancient Councels and contrary to the old Fathers We beleeve that he doth give to himselfe as it is written by his own companion Gregory A presumptuous a prophane a sacrilegious and an antichristian name that he is also the King of pride that he is * Looke the 1.
Tithes c. They hold it by mans law and that in such places where the ordinary judges failing the Princes are constrained will they nill they to minister justice to their subjects for maintaining of peace And a few lines after So oft as we handle this place by and by our Adversaries cry out that the Bishops authoritie being overthrowne there followeth disorder that the peoples behaviour cannot be ordered that the common sort waxe lusty and unbridled and in a word there followeth a hellish life such a one as is painted out by Euripides in this verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They complaine also that when as some laws are abrogated the common people taketh it as a patterne how to deale with all the rest And so shaking off the bonds and reines of discipline and order they take an excessive libertie to themselves which breedeth infinite offences breaches betweene Princes scattering of Churches tumults warres and desolations To conclude they tell us here what an enemie to mankinde want of government is and how many vices and calamities arising out of this fountaine doe overflow the whole life of man They advise therefore for the avoiding of these so great evils to establish the authoritie of Bishops to retaine still the laws that have been in use before and also to beare with the inconveniences if there be any in them in respect of the common weaknesse of men and for quietnesse sake to dissemble them especially seeing there can no state or order be appointed which is without all manner of faults Here also they bring in that old saying That an evill well couched is not to be stirred They rehearse many examples how great overthrows followed upon the remooving of laws and the change of the forme of government in the Cities of Athens Sparta Rome and divers others At Rome how oft did the dissentions of the Consuls and the Tribunes stirre up great civill warres Though these Senatour like declamations be very plausible and incense the mindes of many against us yet they may be confuted by most true and substantiall arguments First therefore we desire that these our Accusers would turne over the Historie of the Church from time to time and that they would not thinke that those notable men the Prophets and Apostles were withit common sense and reason and so hard hearted that they caned not for the peace and quiet of their country or so barbarous and cruell that they made no great accompt of the discipline lawes and good order of the kingdome For those most wise vertuous and grave men Esay Ionas Ieremy Iohn Baptist * Look the 7. Observation Christ Peter Iames and Paul Did both know what a great good civill concord is and loved their country and country-men and also were greeved to behold the discords and renting a sunder of those notable common-wealthes How often did Christ weep when he spake of the discords and Tumults of his nation and the sacking of the City Albeit therefore the Prophets and Apostles did very well know and greatly like of those civill duties Yet were they constrained by the commandement of God to warre against the divels kingdome to preach heavenly doctrine to collect a Church unto God and to imploy their service to the eternall salvation of a great number of men These are the first lawes that ever were given and are to be preferred before all other Thou shalt have no other Gods Thou shalt not take the name of God in vaine And this concerning the sonne This is my beloved sonne heare him These lawes must needs be obeyed The true doctrine of God and his true worship must needs be embraced and received and all errors that tend to the dishonour of God must be abhorred and forsaken though all the world should breake and fall downe No humane thing must be preferred before Gods commandement not our life not our friends not the concord and agrement of neighbours and countrymen Moses a very wise man no doubt a politick man layeth upon the tribe of Levi the charg of teaching and knowing what great conflicts and dangers teachers shall meete withall he forewarneth them of that which he tooke to be most difficult of all other And chargeth them that the defence of true doctrine be most deare unto them for so he saith Deut. 33. These shall keepe thy word and shall forget their Parents children and brethren And hereof we have experience that it is no small burden that is laid upon the teachers of the word Our men are cruelly dealt with in many places We are sore oppressed and the discord in our country bringeth no small griefe unto us But as was said before the commandement of God concerning the embracing of the true doctrine of God and renouncing of errours must be preferred before these great inconveniences We are not ignorant what wise men have written of changing and altering lawes We remember well the saying of Plato that as the manners of doting parents so the customes and fashions of our country though none of the wisest are to be borne with all But these precepts have their bounds and limits within which they must be restrained Bondage without impiety may be borne but Idolatry is not to be borne with nor the light of the Gospell to be extinguished Againe why do our adversaries declaime of such a moderation unto us when as they in the meane while murder the Citizens and members of Christ They might easily establish peace and maintaine the author of good order if they would abolish superstition and unjust lawes But now they contend not for the safety of the Church but for their owne profits and pleasures They would not have the Idolatry of the Masse nor praying to the dead spoken against because they cannot abide that their gaine should decrease They forbid wandring lusts because the unmarried state is best for the keeping of their goods These things are in all mens eyes Therefore let them leave of their Senator like invectives wherein to use the old Poets words under a faire colour they seeke to establish shamelesse facts Hereto I adjoyne also the other part of our defence both true and unfeigned We doe not shake of government to bring in disorder We teach that the ministery of the Gospel is most highly to be reverenced and obeyed in those things which according to the gospel do properly belong to the ministery thereof And he is a wicked and an accursed wretch that doth not with reverence entertaine as most beautifull the feet of such as bring tiding of peace And as for the civill power which beareth the sword it hath been highly commended and approved in our writings Wherefore it is a vile slaunder that they object against us that we be enemies of government Hitherto also belongeth the ss in the end of this 7. Article THey alleadge against us also other sayings which command obedience Obey those that are set over you How oft must we answer that
by a close sinner For so long as the overthwartnesse of such wicked hypocrites is not as yet publikely knowne neither punished more gently or severely by the Ecclesiasticall Discipline neither they which have behaved themselves more stubbornly have beene excommunicated those Sacraments which thâ—â— doe administer may be received of them if so be that they doe administer them according to the will minde and institution of Christ the which thing also the constitutions of the ancient Church doe confirme For the vertue and efficacie of the Sacraments doth neither consist in him nor depend on him who doth either administer them whosoever he be or doth receive them but it consisteth in the institution and in the commandement that was most absolute and mightie in authoritie and in the word of the authour of the Sacraments to wit of our Lord Iesus Christ on which one thing they they doe relye and have from thence whatsoever they are able to doe Neverthelesse the Ministers must throughly looke to it and take good heed lest whilest by their labour they be serviceable to others They themselves become 1 Cor. 9. reprobates or worthy to be rejected and also lest they give holy things to dogs or cast pearles before swine Also the people must endevour Matth. 7. by all means to take heed that they doe not in any case receive the Sacraments with the offence of the Church and the proper danger of the salvation of their souls that is to their own fault and judgement whereof we made mention before Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that there be Sacraments adjoyned to the Artic. 34. word for the more ample confirmation thereof to wit that they may be pledges and tokens of the grace of God whereby our weake and rude faith may be helped For we confesse that these outward signes be such that God by the power of his holy Spirit doth worke by them that nothing may there be represented to us in vaine yet we thinke that the whole substance and truth of them is in Christ Iesus from whom if they be separated they be nothing else but vaine shadows and smoakes Also Artic. 35. We acknowledge that there be onely two Sacraments common to the whole Church c. That which followeth pertaineth to the 13. Sect. Out of the ENGLISH Confession MOreover we allow the Sacraments of the Church that is to say certaine holy signes and Ceremonies which Christ Artic. 10. would we should use that by them he might set before our eyes the Mysteries of our salvation and might more strongly confirme the Faith which we have in his blood and might seale his grace in our hearts And these Sacraments together with Tertullian Origen Ambrose Augustine Hierome Chrysostome Basill Dionysius and other Catholique Fathers we doe call Figures Signes Marks Badges Prints Copies Formes Seales Signets Similitudes Patternes Representations Remembrances and Memories and we make no doubt together with the same Doctors to say that these be certaine visible words Seales of Righteousnesse and Tokens of Grace And we doe expressely pronounce that in the Lords Supper there is truely given unto the Beleeving the body and blood of our Lord the Flesh of the Son of God which quickeneth our soules the meate that commeth from above the food of Immortalitie of Grace Truth and Life and that the same Supper is the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ by the partaking whereof we be revived strengthned and fed unto Immortalitie and whereby we are joyned united and incorporated unto Christ that we may abide in him and he in us Besides this we acknowledge that there be two Sacraments which we judge properly Artic. 11. ought to be called by this name that is to say Baptisme and the Sacrament of thankesgiving For thus many we see were delivered and sanctified by Christ and well allowed of the old Fathers Ambrose and Augustine and such others Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve that God having regard to our dulnesse and Artic. 33. infirmitie did institute Sacraments for us that by them his promises might be sealed to us and that they might be most certaine pledges of his heavenly love towards us and of his gifts bestowed upon us for the cherishing and sustaining of our faith These Sacraments he added to the word of the Gospel that he might more lively set before our externall senses both those things which he declareth unto us in his word and those also which he worketh inwardly in our hearts and to confirme more and more in us that salvation which he vouchsafeth to communicate unto us For the Sacraments are signes and visible tokens of internall invisible things by the which as by certaine means God himself worketh within us by the power of the holy Ghost Therefore they be not vaine or idle signes neither yet ordained of God to deceive or frustrate us of our hope For the truth of our Sacraments is Iesus Christ without whom they are of no value Moreover that number of Sacraments sufficeth us which Christ himselfe our true and onely Doctor hath instituted and those are onely two to wit the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Sacrament of the holy Supper of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Out of the Confession of AUSPURGH SEeing that in this life many evill ones and hypocrites are Artic. 8. mingled with the Church and have fellowship with it in the outward signes and pledges the Sacraments administred by such as are evill may lawfully be used according to the saying of Christ The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses chaire c. For the Sacraments and the word of God are effectuall by reason of the institution and commandement of Christ though they be delivered by wicked and evill men They condemne the Donatists and such like who said it was not lawfull for the people to use the ministery of evill men in the Church and held opinion that the ministerie of evill men was quite without fruit and effect The beginning of this eighth Article is elsewhere thus set downe THough the Church to speake properly be a Congregation of Saints and true beleevers yet seeing that in this life many hypocrites and evill men bee mingled with it it is a lawfull thing to use the Sacraments ministred by the hands of evill men c. Touching the use of the Sacraments they teach that they were instituted not so much to be notes of profession amongst men as to be signes and pledges of Gods good will towards us set before the eyes to stirre up and confirme faith in them which use them Therefore we must use Sacraments so as wee must joyne faith with them which may beleeve the promises that are offered and declared unto us by the Sacraments By this faith we receive both the grace promised which is represented by the Sacraments and also the holy Ghost Therefore they condemne that Pharisaicall opinion of the Papists which suppresseth the doctrine of faith
of that thing which by Christs owne words is assigned to this age and is imparted unto it For so Christ in generall and without exception giveth in charge not touching some but touching all Teach ye all nations and baptize them in the name Matth. 28. Act. 4. of the Father the Son and the holy Ghost And so over children this most holy name is called upon in which alone there is salvation This is further also taught that they who are once lawfully and truely baptized when they come to yeeres ought to do their endeavour that they may learn to acknowledge and know what holy Baptisme is and therewithall the Catholike and Christian faith without which Baptisme availeth nothing to the end that afterward when they doe desire to be partakers of the Lord his Supper they may with their owne mouthes and of their owne accord make profession of their faith and may renew their sanctification by which they were consecrated to the Lord. And such that is which are thus instructed our ministers receive unto this covenant of holy baptisme and * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confession by the laying on of hands do testifie to them that grace is conteined in baptisme to strengthen them to the warfare of faith and so after a convenient and godly manner with use of pure ceremonies and such as are profitable to edifying they bring them to the sacrament of the L. Supper without any reiteration of baptisme as there are evident tokens and examples to be seen of this matter in the Primitive Church which is the true and best maistresse of the posteritie and going before leadeth us the way For if so be that a man should even after a true manner enjoy the Baptisme of Christ and should by meanes here of be buried with Christ into his death to newnesse of life if afterward his life being prolonged he should not according to the doctrine of the holy Gospel shew forth a true and lively faith in Iesus Christ brotherly love towards all those that are consecrated to the Lord and so should leade a life unworthy his place or calling and unworthy of God and his neighbour and should not in baptisme conceive a lively hope of life everlasting such a one should assuredly give certain testimonie of himselfe that he had in vaine received grace in holy Baptisme wherein the name of the holy Trinity was called on over him the which thing God the Lord as his word declareth suffereth Exod. 20. by no meanes to escape unrevenged or unpunished Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE acknowledge that there be two onely Sacraments Artic. 35. common to the whole Church whereof the first is Baptisme the which is given to us to testifie our adoption because that therein we are ingrafted into Christs body that being washed in his blood we may also be renued to holinesse of life by his Spirit This also we say Although we are baptized but once yet the fruit of baptisme doth pertaine to the whole course of our life that this promise to wit that Christ will be alwaies unto us sanctification and justification may be sealed up in us with a sure and firme seale Furthermore although Baptisme be a Sacrament of faith and repentance yet seeing that God doth together with the Parents account their posteritie also to be of the Church we affirme that infants being borne of holy parents are by the authoritie of Christ to be baptized We say therefore that the element of water be it never so Artic. 38. fraile doth notwithstanding truely witnesse or confirme unto us the inward washing of our soules in the blood of Iesus Christ by the vertue and efficacie of the holy Ghost Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE say that Baptisme is a Sacrament of the remission of Artic. 12. sinnes and of that washing which we have in the blood of Christ and that no person which will professe Christs name ought to be restrained or keept backe therefrom no not the very babes of Christians forsomuch as they be borne in sinne and pertaine unto the people of God Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve and confesse that Iesus Christ which is the end of the law hath by his owne bloud sheading made an end of all other propitiatorie sacrifice for sinnes Also that Circumcision which was done by blood being abolished he hath instituted Baptisme in the place thereof whereby we are received into the Church of God and separated from all other nations and all kinde of strange religions being consecrated unto him alone whose badge and cognisance we weare Finally Baptisme is a token unto us that he will be our God for ever who also is our gracious Father Therefore the Lord hath commanded all his to be baptized with pure water In the name of the Father the Sonue and the holy Ghost To signifie that the blood of Christ doth internally through the operation of the Spirit performe and effect that in the soule which water doth externally worke in the bodies For as water being poured upon us and appearing in the body of him that is baptized moistning the same doth wash away the filthines of the body so the blood of Christ washing the soule doth cleanse it from sinne and doth make us the sonnes of God which before were the children of wrath Not that this materiall water doth these things but the sprinckling of the precious blood of the Son of God which is unto us as the red sea wherethrough we must passe that we may depart from the tyranny of Pharaih that is the Devill and enter into the spirituall land of Canaan Therefore the ministers verily doe deliver unto us the Sacraments and the visible thing but it is the Lord himselfe that giveth it unto us that is represented by the Sacrament namely the gifts and invisible graces washing purifying and cleansing our soules from all spots and iniquities renuing in like manner and filling our hearts with all comfort and to conclude giving unto us a certain perswasion of his Fatherly goodnesse cloathing us with the new man and putting off the old man with all his deeds For these causes we do beleeve that every one that desireth to obtaine eternall life ought to be baptized with one baptisme and that once alone which never afterwards is to be itcrated seeing that we cannot be borne twise Neither doth this Baptisme profit us onely at that moment when the water resteth upon us and when we are sprinckled with it but it is available throughout the whole time of our life Therefore here we doe detest the errour of the Anabaptists who are not onely content with one onely Baptisme and that once received but doe also condemne the Baptisme of infants yea of those that be borne of faithfull parents but we by the same reason doe beleeve that they ought to be baptized and sealed with the signe of the covenant for the which in times past the infants amongst
but a vaine shadow Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of Baptisme CHAP. 10. VVE acknowledge that Baptisme is to be ministred as well to infants as to those that are growne to full age and that it is to be used in the Church even to the end of this world in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost according to Christ his institution Also we beleeve and confesse that Baptisme is that Sea into the bottome whereof as the Prophet saith God doth cast all our sins and forgive them for Christ his Sons sake through faith But whereas some affirme that sinne remaining in man after Baptisme is not indeed sinne of it owne nature we thinke it to be a more pernitious errour then the common sort of men doth judge it to be For although we doe not doubt but that sinne which remaineth after baptisme is forgiven to the faithfull for Christ and by the free mercie of God is not imputed any longer before the tribunall seat of God yet if a man weigh and consider the nature thereof it is in deed in it selfe sinne by reason whereof as Augustine said before No man living is justified in the sight of God and there is not a iust man in the earth which doth good and sinneth not Rom. 7. I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captive unto the law of sinne which is in my members Here Paul speaketh of sin which remaineth after baptisme and he affirmeth that it doth rebell against the law of his minde that is against the affection of the holy Ghost Now that which rebelleth against the holy Ghost undoubtedly it is necessary that it be very sinne indeed For this is the nature of sinne that it strive against the holy Ghost And Galat. 5. it is said The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot doe the same things that ye would Here againe Paul speaketh of sinne remaining after Baptisme and doth manifestly attribute it to the nature of sinne to wit to lust against the spirit to be contrary to the Spirit and to hinder that righteousnesse may not be perfect in man Therefore sinne remaining after baptisme of it nature is indeed sinne although it be not imputed to him that beleeveth but is forgiven for Christ And therefore Augustine in his Book De Nupt. Concap ad Valer. Lib. 1. Cap. 25. saith It is answered that the concupiscence of the flesh is forgiven in Baptisme not that there should be no concupiscence but that it should not be imputed to sinne For although the guilt be already discharged yet the sinne remaineth till all our infirmities be healed c. And againe De Baptis parnulorum de Cons Dist 4. Cap. Per Baptismum Through Baptisme it is brought to passe that the flesh of sinne be made voide yet it is not so made voide that ingendered concupiscence should not remaine in the flesh but that it should not hurt Moreover we teach that he that is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost is sprinckled with a spirituall anointing that is is made a member of Christ through faith and endued with the holy Ghost that the eares of his minde may be opened and the eies of his heart lightened to receive and understand heavenly things And it is evident that the use of the outward anointing was lawfull in that government which Moses instituted and that outward anointing was used also in the Church after that the Gospel was published But it is also evident that in the law of Moses there was a time for shadowes but now Christ being revealed It is the time of truth and the use of externall anointing pertaineth to the rudiments of the world Concerning the abrogating of these rudiments Paul saith Col. 2. If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye lived in the world are ye burdened with traditions And Dyonisius whom they call Areopagita Iâ— Caelest Hicraâ— De Baptis and whom they thinke to have written out the ceremonies which the Apostles delivered to the Church doth insinuate that an outward anointing was used in the Church but withall hee doth insinuate and that not obscurely that this ceremonie was taken partly from the heathenish anointings which wrestlers did use and partly out of the law of Moses But by what authoritie or with what profit we may take examples of the Heathen how to worship God and to administer his Sacraments that saying of Moses Deut. 12. doth witnesse Take heed that thou doe not imitate the heathen and enquire after their ceremonies saying As these nations worshipped their Gods so will I doe likewise Ye shall not so doe unto the Lord your God And that saying of Christ Mat. 15. In vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrine the precepts of men And it is not to be doubted that the ceremonies of Moses whereof one part is the use of externall anointing doe pertaine to the rudiments of this world to whose decrees Paul said before that we are not tied and whereof he saith in another place Seeing that ye know God yea rather are knowne of God how turne ye againe unto impotent and beggerly rudiments whereunto as from the beginning ye will be in bondage againe Furthermore how can it truely be affirmed as Fabianus writeth that the making or ceremonie of the outward anointing should be taught of the Apostles seeing that the Acts of Councels doe witnesse that this Ceremonie was instituted of Sylvester And the Ecclesiasticall Historie doth shew that the Apostles had no purpose to make lawes concerning holy dayes but to teach men true godlinesse and an upright conversation how much lesse did they purpose to institute externall anointings in the Church and to bring in shadowes where the Sunne doth shine most clearely There were added unto Baptisme certaine other Ceremonies also of salt durt apparell but because these are not thought necessary no not of themselves amongst whom they are used and are in some sort an idle imitation of those ceremonies which Christ sometime used in doing miracles there is no cause why we should take any care for them whilest we are conversant in so many necessarie things Of Confirmation CHAP. 11. VVE doe not doubt but that the Apostles in the beginning when the Gospel was revealed and confirmed in the day of Penticost did by the laying on of hands give unto the beleevers in Christ that wonderfull gift of the holy Ghost to wit that they might speake with tongues But of a personall and temporall fact of the Apostles a generall and temporall sacrament cannot be ordained in the Church without the speciall commandment of God And it is a horrible thing to be heard that the Sacrament of Confirmation such as the Bishops Suffragans use to give unto Children
faith and his own use of the Sacrament For when we in our owne persons use the Sacrament Christs institution of it doth belong unto us This kinde of use of the Sacrament is holy and to be taught in the Churches which doth give light unto the doctrine of faith and of the spirituall exercises and true worship and bringeth unto the consciences of the godly very great comfort and strength of faith Before these dayes the Church hath been farre otherwise taught touching the use of the Sacrament there was no word of any thing but that this worke was to be done But no man spake any thing of faith or the comfort of consciences And mens consciences were racked with over great care and paines of confessing themselves This they tooke to be the puritie which the Gospel requireth whereas the Gospel doth require true feare true faith and trust comforteth us by the use of this Sacrament that they which doe truly repent may assuredly beleeve that God is become mercifull unto them by Christ though that our nature be fraile and uncleane and though that this our imperfect obedience be farre from the perfection of the Law By all this that hath beene said it is cleare that the Masse that is in use amongst us doth agree with the institution of Christ and the manner of the Primitive Church And besides it doth notably lay open the true use of the Sacrament Such a common worke was there in the Church of old time as Chrysostome doth witnesse who saith that the Priest did stand at the Altar and call some unto the communion and put backe others And by the decrees of the Nicen Synode it is â—vident that some one did celebrate the Liturgie as the Grecians call it and did minister the body and blood of the Lord to all the rest For these are the words of the Decree Let the Deacons in their order after the Priests receive the holy communion of a Bishop or of a Priest Here he doth expressely say that the Priests did receive the Sacrament of some one that ministred it And before Gregories time there is no mention of any private Masse But as oft as the old Writers speak of a Masse it is evident that they speake of a Masse that was common Seeing therefore that the rite and manner of the Masse used with us hath authoritie out of Scripture example from the old Church and that we have onely rejected certaine intollerable abuses we hope that the use of our Churches cannot be misliked As for other indifferent rites and ceremonies they are for the most part observed according to the usuall manner But the number of Masses is not alike Neither was it the use in the old times in the Churches whereunto was greatest resort to have Masse every day as the Tripartite historie lib. 9. cap. 38. doth witnesse Againe saith he in Alexandria every fourth and sixth day of the weeke the Scriptures are read and the Doctors doe interpret them and all other things are done also except onely the solemne mannerof oblation or offering This Article we finde elsewhere placed in the third place among those wherein the abuses that be changed are reckoned up in this manner Of the Masse Art 3. OVr Church is wrongfully accused to have abolished the Masse For * Look the 2. Observation the Masse is retained still among us and celebrated with great reverence Yea and almost all the ceremonies that are in use saving that with the songs in Latine we mingle certaine Psalmes in Dutch here and there which be added for the peoples instruction For therefore we have need of ceremonies that they may teach the unlearned and that the Preaching of Gods word may stirre up some unto the true feare trust and invocation of God This is not only commanded by Saint Paul to use a tongue that the people understand but mans law hath also appointed it We use the people to receive the Sacrament together if so be any be found fit thereunto And that is a thing that doth increase the reverence and due estimation of the publike ceremonies For none are admitted except they be first proved and tried Besides we use to put men in minde of the worthinesse and use of a Sacrament how great comfort it bringeth to fearefull consciences that they may learne to beleeve God and to looke for and crave all good things at his hands This worship doth please God such an use of the Sacrament doth nourish pietie towards God Therefore it seemeth not that Masses be more religiously celebrated among our adversaries then with us But it is evident that of long time this hath been the publike and most grievous complaint of all good men that Masses are filthily prophaned being used for gaine And it is not unknown how farre this abuse hath spread it selfe in all Churches of what manner of men Masses are used onely for a reward or for wages and how many doe use them against the prohibition of the Canons And Paul doth grievously threaten those which handle the Lords Supper unworthily saying He that shall eate this bread or drinke the cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guiltie of the body and blood of the Lord. Therefore when we admonished the Priests of this sinne private Masses were laid aside among us seeing that for the most part there were no private Masses but onely for lucres sake Neither were the Bishops ignorant of these abuses who if they had amended them in time there had now been lesse dissension Heretofore by their dissembling they suffered much corruption to creepe into the Church now they begin though it be late to complaine of the calamities of the Church seeing that this hurly burly was raised up by no other meane then by those abuses which were so evident that they could no longer be tolerated There were many dissentions concerning the Masse and as touching the Sacrament And peradventure the world is punished for so long a prophaning of Masses which they who both could and ought to have amended it have so many yeeres tolerated in their Churches For in the ten commandements it is written He that abuseth the name of the Lord shall not escape unpunished And from the beginning of the world there neither was nor is any divine thing which might seeme so to be imployed to gaine as is the Masse There was added an opinion which did increase private Masses infinitely to wit that Christ by his passion did satisfie for Originall sin and appointed Masse wherein an oblation should be made for daily sins both mortall and veniall Hereupon a common opinion was received that Masse is a work that taketh away the sins of the quicke and the dead and that for the doing of the worke Here men began to dispute whether one Masse said for many were of as great force as particular Masses said for particular men This disputation hath brought forth an infinite multitude of Masses Concerning these opinions our preachers have
admonished us that they doe disagree from the holy Scriptures and hurt the glory of the passion of Christ For the passion of Christ was an oblation and satisfaction not onely for Originall sinne but also for all other sinnes as it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews We are sanctified by the oblation of Iesus Christ once made Also By one oblation he hath made perfit for ever those that are sanctified Also the Scripture teacheth that we are justified before God through faith in Christ when we beleeve that our sins are forgiven for Christ his sake Now if the Masse doe take away the sins of the quicke and the dead even for the works sake that is done then justification cometh by the work of Masses and not by faith which the Scripture can not away withall But Christ commandeth us to do it in remembrance of himselfe therefore the Masse is instituted that faith in them which use the Sacrament may remember what benefits it receiveth by Christ and that it may raise up and comfort a fearefull conscience For this is to remember Christ to wit to remember his benefits and to feele and perceive that they be in deed exhibited unto us Neither is it sufficient to call to minde the historie because that the Iewes also and the wicked can doe that Therefore the Masse must be used to this end that there the Sacrament may be reached unto them that have need of comfort as Ambrose saith Because I doe alwaies sinne therefore I ought alwaies to receive a medicine And seeing that the Masse is such a communion of the Sacrament we doe observe one common Masse every Holiday and on other daies if any will use the Sacrament when it is offered to them which desired it Neither is this custome newly brought into the Church For the ancient Fathers before Gregories time make no mention of any private Masse of the common Masse they speake much Chrysostome saith That the Priest did daily stand at the Altar and call some unto the Communion and put backe others And by the ancient Canons it is evident that some one did celebrate the Masse of whom other Priests and Deacons did receive the body of the Lord. For so the words of the Nicen Canon do sound Let the Deacons in their order after the Priests receive the holy communion of a Bishop or of a Priest And Paul concerning the communion commandeth that one tarry for another that so there may be a common participation Seeing therefore that among us the Masse hath the example of the Church out of the Scripture and the Fathers we hope that it cannot be disliked especially for that our publike ceremonies are kept of us for the most part alike unto the usuall ceremonies onely the number of Masses is not alike the which by reason of very great and manifest abuses it were certainly farre better to be moderated For in times past also in the Churches whereunto was greatest resort it was not the use to have Masse said every day as the Tripartite historie lib. 9. cap. 38. doth witnesse Againe saith he in Alexandria every fourth and sixth day of the weeke the Scriptures are read and the Doctors doe interpret them and all other things are done also except onely the solemne manner of oblation or offering Of both kindes of the Sacrament ANd because that we doe celebrate the common Masse that Artic. 2. the people may understand that they also are sanctified through the blood of Christ and learne the true use of this ceremonie either part of the Sacrament in the Supper of the Lord is given to the Laitie because the Sacrament was instituted not onely for a part of the Church namely for Priests but also for the rest of the Church And therefore the people doth use the Sacrament as Christ appointed it And certainly Christ saith Matth. 26. Drinke ye all of this where he saith manifestly concerning the cup that all should drinke And that no man might cavill that it doth only appertaine to the Priests the ordinance of Paul to the Corinthians doth witnesse that the whole Church did in common use either part This custome remained a long time even in the latter Churches neither is it certaine when or by what author it was changed Cyprian in certaine places doth witnesse that the blood was given to the people for thus he writeth to Cornelius the Pope How doe we teach or provoke them to shed their blood in the confession of his name if we denie the blood of Christ to them which are in this warfare or how shall we make them fit for the cup of Martyrdome if we doe not first admit them by the right of communidation to drinke in the Church the cup of the Lord And Hierome saith The Priests doe minister the Eucharist and devide the blood of the Lord to the people In the Decrees there is a Canon of Pope Gelasius which forbiddeth the Sacrament to be devided these be the words We doe understand that certaine men having received the portion of the holy body onely doe abstaine from the Cup of the holy blood who because that I know not by what superstition they are taught to be tied hereunto either let them unfeignedly receive the whole Sacraments or let them be put backe from the whole Sacraments because that one and the selfe same mystery cannot be devided without great sacriledge In the Tripartite History it is written in the reprehension of Theodosius the Emperour whom Ambrose would not admit to the communion without repentance because that at Thessalonia he had too grievously revenged the death of a few Souldiers which were slaine in an uproare and had murthered seven thousand Citizens here saith Ambrose How caust thou with these hands receive the holy body of the Lord with what rashnesse canst thou take into thy mouth the Cup of that holy blood c. Therefore it is evident that it was the custome of the ancient Church to give either part of the Sacrament to the people onely a new start up custome doth take away one part from the people Here we will not dispute what men are to thinke concerning a received custome contrary to the authoritie of the Apostolike Scripture contrary to the Canons and contrary to the example of the Primitive Church For all godly men doe understand that touching Christian doctrine consciences are to aske counsell at the word of the Lord and that no custome is to be allowed which is contrary to the word of God And although in the Latine Church custome hath changed the ancient manner yet it doth not disallow or forbid it neither in deed ought humane authoritie to forbid the ordinance of Christ and the most received custome of the ancient Church Therefore we have not thought it good to forbid the use of the whole Sacrament and in that ceremonie which ought to be the covenant of mutuall love in the Church we would not contrary to charitie be hard to other
joy of conscience and thanksgiving doe after this sort increase the receiving is profitable Neither are any * Look the 2. Observation admitted to the Communion except they be first heard and absolved of the Pastour or his fellow Ministers In this triall the ruder sort are asked and oftentimes instructed touching the whole doctrine and then is absolution published Also men are taught that Sacraments are actions instituted of God and that without the use whereunto they are ordained the things themselves are not to be accounted for a Sacrament but in the use appointed Christ is present in this communion * Looke the 3 4. Observ truly and substantially and the body and blood of Christ is in deed given to the receivers in that Christ doth witnesse that he is in them and doth make them his members and that he doth wash them in his blood as Hilarie also saith These things being eaten and drunke doe cause both that we may be in Christ and that Christ may be in us Moreover in the ceremonie it selfe we observe the usuall order of the whole ancient Church both Latine and Greeke We use no private Masses that is such wherein the body and blood of Christ was not distributed as also the ancient Church for many yeers after the Apostles times had no such Masses as the the old descriptions which are to be found in Dionysius Epiphanius Ambrose Augustine and others doe shew And Paul 1 Cor. 11. Doth command that the Communion should be celebrated when many do meet together Therefore in the publike congregation and such as is of good behaviour prayers and the creed are rehearsed or sung and * Looke the 5. Observat lessons appointed usually for holy dayes are read After that there is a Sermon of the benefits of the Son of God and of some part of doctrine as the order of time doth minister an argument Then the Pastour doth rehearse a thanksgiving and a prayer for the whole Church for them that are in authoritie and as the present necessitie requireth and he prayeth to God that for his Sons sake whom he would have to be made a sacrifice for us he would forgive us our sins and save us and gather and preserve a Church Then he rehearseth the words of Christ concerning the institution of the Supper and he himselfe taketh and distributeth to the receivers the whole Sacrament who come reverently thereunto being before examined and absolved and there they joyne theirs with the publike prayers In the end they doe againe give thanks All men which are not altogether ignorant of antiquitie doe know that this rite and this Communion doth for the most part agree with the writings of the Apostles and with the custome of the ancient Church even almost to Gregories time which thing being so the custome of our Churches is to be approved not to be disallowed but our Adversaries misliking our custome doe defend many errours some more foule and grosse others coloured with new deceits Many heretofore have written that in the masse there is an oblation made for the quicke and the dead and that it doth deserve remission of sins both for him that maketh it and for others even for the works sake And thus were most of them perswaded and as yet are like unto the Pharisees and the heathen For after the same manner the Pharisees the Heathen did dreame that they for the works sake did deserve for themselves and for others remission of sinnes peace and many other good things Or although those which were not so blind did speake more modestly and said that they did deserve but not without the good intention of the sacrificer yet they imagined that those sacrifices were merits and a ransome By reason of this opinion there were a multitude of sacrifices and the craftie meanes of gaine were increased Such is the merchandise of Masses and the prophanation of the Lords Supper almost throughout the whole world But God will have corrupt kindes of worship to be reproved and abolished Therefore we doe simply and in deed propound the voice of God which doth condemne those errours and with all our heart we affirme before God and the whole Church in heaven and in earth that there was one onely sacrifice propitiatorie or whereby the wrath of the eternall Father against mankinde is pacified to wit the whole obedience of the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ who was crucified and raised up againe This is that onely Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1. Of this onely sacrifice mention is made Heb. 10. By one onely sacrifice he made perfect for ever those that are sanctified And this sacrifice is applied to every one by their owne faith when they heare the Gospell and use the Sacraments as Paul saith Rom. 3. Whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood And Habac. 2. The iust shall live by his faith And 1 Pet. 1. Being sanctified in the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ Other Sacraments in the old Testament were typicall whereof we shall speake more at large in their place and they did not deserve any remission of sins and all the righteousnesse of holy men at all times were are and shall be sacrifices of praise which doe not deserve remission either for them that did offer them or for others but they are services which every one ought to performe and are acceptable to God for the Mediatours and our high Priest the Son of God his sake as it is said Heb. 13. By him we offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God That this is an unchangeable and eternall truth it is most manifest And whereas certaine fragments which they call the Canons of the Masse are alledged against this so cleare light of the truth it is also manifest that the Greeke and Latine Canons are very unlike the one to the other and that the Greeke Canons doe disagree among themselves in a most wrightie matter and it appeareth that in the Latine Canon many jagges and pieces were by little and little patched together of ignorant authors The ancient Church doth use the names of Sacrifice and oblation but thereby it understandeth the whole action prayers a taking of it a remembrance faith a confession and thankesgiving This whole inward and outward action in every one that is turned to God and in the whole Church is indeed a sacrifice of praise or thankesgiving and a reasonable service And when the Lord saith Ioh. 4. The true worshippers shall worship the Lord in spirit and in truth he affirmeth that in the New Testament outward sacrifices are not commanded which of necessitie should be made although there were no motions of the holy Ghost in the heart as in the law it was necessarie that the ceremonie of the Passeover should be kept But touching the Supper of the Lord it is said 1 Cor. 11. Let every man
is she appointeth at what times and where the Church shall come together For this civill end it is lawfull to make traditions But men that are not acquainted with the doctrine of Christ are not content with this end but they joyne superstitious opinions unto traditions and by superstition multiply traditions out of measure Of this there hath been complaint made in the Church not onely by late Writers as Gerson and others but also Saint Augustine Wherefore it is needfull to admonish the people what to thinke of the traditions which are brought into the Church by mans authoritie For it is not without cause that Christ and Paul doe so often speake of traditions and admonish the Church to judge wisely of traditions There was a common opinion not of the common sort alone but also of the Teachers in the Church that the difference of meats and such like works which the Ecclâ—siasticall traditions doe command are services of God which deserve remission of sinnes Also that such kindes of worship are Christian righteousnesse and as necessary as the Leviticall ceremonies in the Old Testament ever were and that they cannot be omitted without sinne no not then when they might be omitted without danger of giving offence These perswasions have brought forth many discommodities First the doctrine of the Gospell is hereby obscured which teacheth that sins are forgiven freely by Christ This benefit of Christ is transferred unto the worke of man And by reason of this opinion traditions were especially encreased because that these works were supposed to deserve remission of sins to be satisfactions and to be Christian righteousnesse Moreover for this cause especially doth Saint Paul so often and so earnestly give us warning to beware of traditions lest that Christs benefit should be transferred to traditions lest the glory of Christ should be obscured lest that true and found comfort should be withheld from mens consciences and in a word lest that faith that is trust of the mercie of Christ should be quite smothered These dangers Saint Paul would have avoided For it is greatly needfull that the pure doctrin of the benefit of Christ of the righteousnesse of faith and of the comfort of consciences should be continued in the Church Secondly these traditions have obscured the Commandements of God for this kinde of schooling was thought to be spirituall and the righteousnesse of a Christian man Yea the traditions of men were set aloft above the commandements of God All Christianitie was placed in the observation of certaine festivall dayes rites fasts and forme of apparell These beggerly rudiments carried goodly titles namely that they were the spirituall life and the perfection of a Christian In the meane while the commandements of God touching every calling were of small estimation that the Father brought up his children that the Mother bare them that the Prince governed the Common-wealth these works were little set by They were not taken to be any service of God The mindes of many stood in a continuall mamering whether marriage magistracie and such like functions of a civill life did please God or no. And this doubtfulnesse did trouble many very much Many forsaking their callings leaving the Common-wealth did shut up themselves in Monasteries that they might seeke that kinde of life which they thought did more please God yea which they supposed to merit remission of sins Thirdly the opinion of necessitie did much vexe and disquiet the consciences Traditions were thought necessary And yet no man though never so diligent did ever observe them all especially for that the number of them was infinite Gerson writeth That many fell into desperation some murthered themselves because they perceived well that they could not observe the traditions And all this while they never heard one comfortable word of grace and of the righteousnesse of faith We see that the Summists and Divines gather together the All this matter of the ceremonies and traditions in generall doth properly belong to the 17. Section next following but for as much as here is intreated of daies meats fasts it was requisite that it should be brought in this Section because the generals cannot well be severed from particulars traditions and seeke out qualifications of them for the unburdening of mens consciences but even they cannot satisfie themselves nor winde themselves out and sometimes also their very interpretations themselves doe snare mens consciences The Schooles also and Pulpits were so busied in numbring up the traditions that they had no leasure to handle the Scripture or to search out more profitable doctrine of faith of the Crosse of Hope of the excellencie of civill affairs or of the comfort of mens consciences in sore tentations Wherefore many good men have oft complained that they were hindered by these contentions about traditions that they could not be occupied in some better kinde of doctrine When as therefore such superstitious opinions did cleave fast unto the traditions it was necessary to admonish the Churches what they were to judge of traditions to free godly mindes from errour to cure wounded consciences and to set out the benefit of Christ We doe not goe about to weaken the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall power we detract nothing from the * Looke the 3 4 Observ upon this confession in the 11. Sect. dignitie of Bishops we doe not disturbe the good order of the Church Traditions rightly taken are better liked but we reprove those Iewish opinions onely Thus therefore we teach touching ceremonies brought into the Church by mans authoritie First touching traditions which are opposed to the commandement of God or cannot be kept without sinne the Apostles rule is to be followed We must obey God rather then men Of this sort is the tradition of single life Secondly touching other ceremonies which are in their owne nature things indifferent as Fasts Festivall daies difference of apparell and the like we must know that such observations doe neither merit remission of sinnes neither yet are they the righteousnesse or perfection of a Christian but that they are things indifferent which where is no danger of giving offence may well be omitted This judgement of ours hath these evident and cleere testimonies in the Gospel to the end that it may admonish the Church that the Gospel be not oppressed and obscured by superstitious opinions Rom. 14. The kingdome of God is not meat and drinke but righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Here Paul teacheth plainly that a Christians righteousnesse is the spirituall motions of the heart and not the outward observation of meates and daies c. Coloss 2. Let no man iudge you in meat drinke or a part of a holyday He forbiddeth that their consciences should be judged that is that their consciences should be condemned in the use of such things but will have them counted altogether indifferent things and such as pertaine not to the righteousnesse of the Gospel Then there followeth a long and a
Chapt. touching Prayers did appertaine to the 15. Sect. if they might fitly have been separated most holy works and such as doe very much beseeme Christians whereunto our Preachers doe most diligently exhort their hearers For true fasting is as it were a renouncing of this present life which is alwaies subject to evill lusts and desires and a meditation of the life to come which is free from all perturbation And prayer is a lifting up of the minde unto God and such a familiar speech with him as no other thing can so greatly set a man on fire with heavenly affections and more mightily make the minde comformable to the will of God And though these exercises be never so holy and necessary for Christians yet seeing that a mans neighbour is not so much benefited by them 1 Cor. 13. as man is prepared that he may with fruit and profit have regard of his neighbour they are not to be preferred before holy doctrin godly exhortations and admonitions and also other duties whereby our neighbour doth presently receive some profit Whereupon we reade of our Saviour that in the night time he gave himselfe to prayer and in the day time to doctrine and to heale the sicke For as love is greater then faith and hope so to beleeve those things which come neerest unto love to wit such as bring assured profit unto men are to be preferred before all other holy functions whereupon S. Chrysostome writeth that Among the In Matth. Hom. 48. whole companie of vertues fasting hath the last place Of the commanding of Fasts CHAP. 8. BVt because that no mindes but these that be ardent and peculiarly stirred up by the heavenly inspiration can either pray or fast aright and with profit we beleeve that it is farre better after the example of the Apostles and the former and more sincere Church by holy exhortations to invite men hereunto then to wring them out by precepts such especially as do binde men under pain of deadly sin the which thing the Priests that were of late tooke upon them to doe when as then the order of Priests had not a little degenerated But we had rather leave the place time and manner both of praying and also of fasting to the arbitrement of the holy Ghost then to prescribe them by certaine laws especially such as may not be broken without some sacrifice of amends Yet for their sakes that be the younger and more imperfect sort our Preachers doe not dislike that there should be an appointed time and meanes both for prayer and also for fasting that as it were by these holy introductions to exercises they might be prepared hereunto so that it be done without binding of the conscience We were induced thus to thinke not so much for that all compulsion being against a mans will is repugnant to the nature of these actions but rather because that neither Christ himselfe nor any of his Apostles have in any place made mention of such kinde of precepts and this doth Chrysostome also witnesse saying Thou seest that an upright life doth helpe more then all other things Now I tearme an upright life not the labour of In Matth. Hom. 47. Fasting nor the bed of haire or ashes but if thou doest despise money no other wise then it becommeth thee if thou burne with charitie if thou nourish the hungry with thy bread if thou overcome thy anger if thou doest not desire vain glory if thou be not possessed with envie for these be the things that he teacheth for he doth not say that he will have his fast to be followed howbeit he might have proponed those fortie dayes unto us but he saith Learne of me because I am meeke and lowly in heart Yea rather on the contrary side saith he eate all that is set before you Moreover we doe not read that any solemne or set fast was enjoyned to the ancient Church but that fast of one day For those fasts which as the Scripture doth witnesse were ordained of Prophets and of Kings it is certaine that they were no set fasts but enjoyned onely for their time to wit when as evident calamities either hanging over their heads or presently pinching them did so require it Seeing therefore that the Scripture as Saint Paul doth affirme doth instruct a man to every good work and yet is ignorant of these fasts which are extorted by precepts we doe not see how it could be lawfull for the successours of the Apostles to overcharge the Church with so great and so dangerous a burthen Truly Ireneus doth witnesse that in times past the observation of fast in Churches was divers and free as it is read in the Ecclesiasticall historie lib. 8. cap. 14. In the same booke Eusebius maketh mention that one Apollonius an Ecclesiasticall Writer among other arguments used this for one to confute the doctrine of Montanus the heretike Because he was the first that made lawes for fasts Thereupon Chrysostome saith in a certaine place Fasting is good but let no man be compelled thereunto And in another place he exhorteth him that is not able to fast to abstaine from dainties and yet affirmeth that it doth not much differ from fasting and that it is a strong weapon to represse the furie of the Devill Moreover experience also it selfe doth more then prove that these precepts concerning fasts have been a great hinderance to godlinesse Therefore when we saw it very evidently that the chief men in the Church did beside the authoritie of the Scripture take upon themselves this power so to enjoyne fasts as to binde mens consciences under paine of deadly sinne we did loose the consciences out of these snares but by the Scriptures and chiefly by Pauls writings which doe with a singular endeavour remove these rudiments of the world from the necks of Christians For we ought not lightly to account of that saying of Paul Let no man condemne you in meat and drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbath daies And again Therefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye lived in the world are ye burdened with traditions For if Saint Paul then whom no man at any time did teach Christ more certainly doe earnestly affirme that through Christ we have obtained such libertie in outward things that he doth not onely not give authoritie to any creature to burden those which beleeve in Christ no not so much as with those ceremonies and observations which notwithstanding God himself appointed and would have to be profitable in their time but also denounceth that they be fallen away from Christ and that Christ shall nothing at all profit them who suffer themselves to be addicted thereunto what shall we then thinke of those commandements which men have devised of their owne braine not onely without any oracle but also without any example worthy to be followed and which are therefore made
before things of greater weight You leave saith he the weightiest matters of the law as iudgement Matth. 13. and mercie and fidelitie These ought ye to have done and not to Luk. 11. have left the other And although our Preachers doe not keepe all rites alike with other Churches the which thing neither can be neither is necessary to be done that in all places where there be Christian assemblies one and the same ceremonies should be used yet they doe not withstand or oppose themselves to any good and godly constitution neither are they so minded as that for the ceremonies sake they would raise up any dissensions although they should thinke that some of them were not very necessary so that they be not found to be contrary to God and to his worship and glory and be such as doe not diminish true faith in Iesus Christ which alone doth purchase righteousnesse How be it in this place and in this point it must not be passed over with silence to wit that we ought by no means to burden the people with many superfluous and grievous traditions such as the Mosaicall traditions were under the law For the Apostles forbad that this should be done as also holy Peter said unto certaine concerning this matter Why do ye tempt God in laying a yoke upon the necks of the disciples Also Gal. 5. Be ye not saith Paul intangled with the yoke of bondage For which cause also Christ did vehemently inveigh against the Scribes saying Woe also be to you Scribes for ye lay burdens upon mens shoulders which can scarse be borne Luk. 11. Also men are taught to acknowledge this that humane tradittions do not containe a perpetuall immutable law but as they are for just causes instituted of men so also they may upon just and weightie causes and if the matter so require be broken abrogated and changed without any sin according to the example of the Apostles who did transgresse the traditions of the Elders when as they did eate bread with unwashed hands and did not observe the Matth. 15. Mark 7. same fasts with others and yet they were not by this means guiltie of any sin also according to the example of the first and holy Church upon which the Apostles and the whole Councell layed this commandement by the holy Ghost that they should abstaine Acts 15. from the eating of those things which were sacrificed to Idols and of blood and of that which is strangled Notwithstanding after that the causes and occasions for the which this decree was made in processe of time did vanish away even this Apostolicall constitution did grow out of use Neither in these things ought we to care for the offence of the wicked who are offended with this thing as the Lord faith Let them alone they be blind and guides of Matth. 15. the blind And on the other side we must take diligent heed hereunto that no offence be given to little ones by a rash froward Rom 14. 1 Cor. 8. Matth. 15. and wicked using of Christian libertie for this also the Lord saith Woe be to that man by whom offence cometh Now if so be that there be any unlikenesse in traditions and externall ceremonies and if any diversitie which is not hurtfull be found in Ecclesiasticall assemblies certainly no man ought to be so ignorant in these things as for this cause to be offended therewith or to take offence at others and in this respect to reproach or hurt others or to be an author of sects and also of factions seeing that there was never in all places one and the same forme of an Ecclesiasticall constitution in this point neither is at this day the same The which thing also is mentioned in the books of the Canon law in these words The holy Church of Rome doth know Dist 12 Cap. Scit that constitutions and customes being divers according to time and place do nothing at all hinder the salvation of the faithfull if the Canonicall authoritie be not against them Rather it becometh every sound Christian to be content in his conscience to rest in that if he see Christians to have the one spirit of Christ and with agreeing Phil. 2. Eph. 4. mindes to hold and follow his true meaning and one and the same doctrine in all these things and chiefe points of saith For he that hath not this Spirit of Christ he is not Christs as the Apostle Rom. 8. doth witnesse although he use all and every kinde of ceremonies or constitutions Therefore whosoever be Christs this is their dutie as in all other such like things that as members of one body they doe suffer and beare one with another in charitie without 1 Cor. 13. the which no thing can profit any whit according to the meaning of the Apostolike doctrine Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that it is expedient that they which be chosen Artic. 32. to be governours in any Church doe wisely looke unto it among themselves by what means the whole body may conveniently be ruled yet so that they doe never swarve from that which our Lord Iesus Christ hath instituted Yet this doth not hinder but that every place may have their peculiar constitutions as it shall seeme convenient for them But we exclude all humane devises and all those laws which Artic. 32. are brought in to binde mens consciences under pretence of the word of God and we doe onely like of those which serve for the nourishing of concord and to keepe every one in due obedience wherein we thinke that we are to follow that which our Lord Iesus Christ appointed touching excommunication which * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confession we doe allow of and together with it additions thinke to be * necessary Out of the ENGLISH Confession AS touching the multitude of vaine and superfluous Ceremonies Artic. 15. Epist ad Ianuar. 119. we know that S. Augustine did grievously complaine of them in his own time and therefore have we cut of a great number of them because we know that mens consciences were encumbred about them and the Churches of God overladen with them Neverthelesse we keep still and esteem not onely those Ceremonies which we are sure were delivered to us from the Apostles but some others too besides which we thought might be suffered without hurt to the Church of God for that we had a desire that all things in the holy congregation might as Saint Paul commandeth be done with comlinesse and in good order But as for all those things which we saw were either very superstitious or utterly unprofitable or noisome or mockeries or contrary to the holy Scriptures or else unseemely for sober and discreet people whereof there be infinite numbers now adayes where the Romane Religion is used these I say we have utterly refused without all manner exception because we would not have the right worshipping of God
all things and shall bring all things to your remembrance which I have shewed you Againe He shall not speake of himselfe but what he hath heard that shall he speake Out of the Confession of SAXONIE Of traditions that is of Ceremonies instituted in the Church by mans authoritie ALthough for orders sake there must needs be some decent and seemely Ceremonies yet notwithstanding men that Artic. 20. are given to superstition doe soone pervert those Ceremonies falsly imagining that such observations doe merit forgivenesse of sinnes and are accepted for righteous in the sight of God and do turne the signes into Gods like as many have ascribed a Godhead unto Images and many either of superstition or by tyrannie doe heape up Ceremonies and superstition hath increased in the Church the Ceremonies of satisfaction as they call them Nebuchadnezar and Antiochus because they are of opinion that consent in Religion is availeable to the peaceable governement of their kingdomes doe ordaine such service of God as they will have indifferently observed of all their subjects There new laws and new gods were erected not of superstition but by tyranny Thus we observe that amongst men true and false religion are confounded and each changed into other and we marvell at the cause why men doe not stedfastly continue in the truth revealed by God But the word of God pronounceth that men are set on by Devils to fall away from God and the nature of man being blinde curious and inconstant loveth to play with divers opinions Against these great mischieves God armeth and confirmeth his Church and delivereth a sure and certaine doctrine which is contained in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles and in the Creed Wherefore it is necessary to consider what those lawes or rites be and whence they had their beginning The first rule therefore is this It is lawfull for no creature neither for Angels nor for men neither for Kings nor for * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession Bishops to make laws or ordaine ceremonies disagreeing from the word of God Horribly sinned the King of Babylon although he excelled in wisedome and valour when he commanded his Image to be worshipped and all men doe sinne that obey such Proclamations or lawes even as Eve sinned when she departed from the commandement of God for the lying perswasion of the Devill But generally the rule is to be observed which is set downe Act. 5. We ought rather to obey God then men Such are the Edicts which command to call upon dead men or to imbrace false doctrine or to use ungodly worship Touching all these that Rule of the first Commandement is to be holden 1 Cor. 10. Flie from Idols Such is also the law of the single life of Priests which many can not observe without sinne And albeit we know what opinion politique and expert men doe hold of the change of lawes yet God hath so commanded obedience that still he would have us fast tied unto himselfe and to agree with his wisedome and righteousnesse From whence do arise those unchangeable and perpetuall rules Exod. 20. Thou shalt have no strange gods Also Act. 5. We ought rather to obey God then men Also Gal 1. If any man teach you any other Gospel let him be accursed The second rule For as much as it is usuall to adde superstition to those works which otherwise in their owne nature were indifferent as to eate or not to eate flesh it is necessarie to reprove such superstitions and errours as are in this sort added and in the practice of our libertie examples of this doctrine may modestly be shewed And that errour is not among the least which the folly of many teachers and for the most part of the people bringeth in in that they teach and thinke that fasting and such like works deserve forgivenesse of sinnes both of the guiltinesse and of the paine as both Thomas doth write of satisfactions and many also doe say the same This Pharisaicall imagination easily intangleth the mindes of men and darkeneth the light of the doctrine of the benefits proper to Christ and of free forgivenesse of sinnes and of faith For when as men think that they merit remission of sinnes by these their Ceremonies they take away the honour due unto Christ and give it unto these ceremonies and are somewhat puffed up with vaine confidence Yet afterward when they be in true sorrow they fall headlong into many doubts which turne to their destruction And of it selfe it is a great sinne not to know the benefits of God For this cause Paul so earnestly contendeth for the abolishing of circumcision and other ceremonies of the law of Moses for feare lest the true acknowledgement of the Mediatour might be cleane put out if men should thinke that they deserved remission of sinnes and were made righteous by this observation of the law and ceremonies of Moses as the Pharisees did avouch And oftentimes Paul admonisheth to beware that the light of the Gospel be not darkened by new ceremonies of mans invention This second errour is not so evident but yet very dangerous After that some men see that this Pharisaicall errour cannot be defended they come to this Although say they these ceremonies deserve not remission of sinnes yet are these traditions defended because they are good workes and services of God as in the law of Moses the abstinence of the Nazarites although it deserved not the remission of sinnes yet it pleased God and was a service acceptable unto God With this colour certaine of late have learned to paint traditions which yet strive not about these indifferent matters but go about to establish other foule errors and the opinion of the power of Bishops But it is necessary for the godly here to beware of deceitfull doctrine There is a great error even in this colourable reason neither is that example well alledged out of Moses The workes ordained and commanded by God do farre differ from workes not commanded nor ordained by God but onely devised by mans invention The workes ordained in the law of God were services of God although they deserved forgivenesse of sinnes But wil worship devised by men neither have beene nor are any service of God God doth not allow this boldnesse of men which notwithstanding hath alwaies beene usuall to devise new worship that is such as is immediately intended to honour God withall Therefore the Word of God crieth out Matth. 15. In vaine doe they worship me after the ordinances of men And every where in the Apostles and in Paul this boldnesse is reproved But the true service of God are those works that he hath commanded which are done in the acknowledgement and confidence of the Mediatour to the end that God may be obeyed and that we may professe him to be the true God whom we so worship So also Ezec. 20 he calleth us back to the commandement of God saying Walke not after the ordinances of
for mens traditions but such as are condemned in Scripture but such as are contrary to the law of God such as binde the Conscience about meat drink and times and other outward things such as forbid marriage to them who have need thereof to live honestly and the rest of that stamp For such as agree with the Scripture and were ordained for good manners and the profit of men although they be not word for word expressed in the Scriptures neverthelesse in that they proceede from the commandement of love which ordereth all things most decently they are worthily to be accounted rather of God then of man Of this sort were those set downe by Paul that women should not pray in the Church bare-headed 1 Cor 14. 1 Cor. 14. nor men with their heads covered that they who are to communicate together should tarry one for another that no man should speake with tongues in the congregation without an Interpreter that the Prophets without confusion should deliver their Prophecies to be judged by them that sit by Many such the Church at this day for good cause observeth and upon occasion also maketh new which who so refuseth he despiseth the authoritie not of men but of God whose tradition it is whatsoever is profitable For whatsoever truth is said or written by his gift it is spoken and written who is truth as Saint Augustine hath godly written But oftentimes there is disputing about that what tradition is profitable what not that is what set forward godlinesse what doth hinder it But he that shall seek nothing of his owne but shall wholly dedicate himselfe to the publike profit he shall easily see what things are agreeable to the law of God what are not Furthermore seeing the estate of Christians is such that they are also helped by injuries the Christian will not refuse to obey no not unjust lawes so they have no wicked thing in them according to the saying of Christ If any man compell thee to goe with him one mile go with him two Even so servile the Christian ought to become all unto all that he may studie to do and suffer all things so that they be not contrary to the commandements of God to pleasure and profit men withall Hence it cometh to passe that every man so much the more willingly obeyeth the civill lawes which are not repugnant to religion the more fully he is indued with the faith of Christ THE EIGHTEENTH SECTION OF WEDLOCK SINGLE LIFE AND MONASTICALL VOWES The latter Confession of HELVETIA Of Single life Wedlocke and Houshold government CHAP. 29. SVch as have the gift of chastitie given unto them from above so as they can with the heart or whole minde be pure and continent and not be grievously burned with lust let them serve the Lord in that calling as long as they shall feele themselves indued with that heavenly gift and let them not lift up themselves above others but let them serve the Lord daily in simplicitie and humilitie For such are more apt for doing of heavenly things then they which are distracted with private affaires of their family but if againe the gift be taken away and they feele a continuall burning let them call to minde the words of the Apostle It is better to marry then to burne 1 Cor. 7. For wedlock which is the medicine of incontinencie and continencie it selfe was ordained by the Lord God himselfe who blessed it most bountifully and willeth man and woman to cleave Mat. 13. one to the other inseparably and to live together in great love and concord Whereupon we know the Apostle said Marriage Heb. 13. 1 Cor. 7. is honourable among all and the bed undefiled And againe If a Virgin marry she sinneth not We therefore condemne Poligamie and those which condemn second marriages We teach that marriages ought to be made lawfully in the feare of the Lord and not against the lawes which forbid certaine degrees to joyn in matrimony lest the marriages should be incestuous Let marriages be made with consent of the parents or such as be instead of parents and for that end especially for the which the Lord ordained marriages and let them be confirmed publikely in the Church with prayer and blessing of them Moreover let them be kept holy with peace faithfulnesse dutifulnes love also puritie of the persons coupled together Therefore let them take heed of brawlings debates lusts and adulteries Let lawfull judgements and holy Iudges be established in the Church which may maintaine marriages and may represse all dishonestie and shamefulnesse and before whom the controversies in matrimonie may be decided and ended Let children also be brought up of the Parents in the feare of the Lord and let Parents provide for their children remembring the saying of the Apostle He that provideth not for his owne hath 1 Tim. 5. denied the faith and is worse then an infidell But specially let them teach their children honest sciences whereby they may maintaine themselves let them withdraw them from idlenesse and plant in them a true confidence in God in all these things lest they through distrust or overmuch carelesse securitie or filthy covetousnesse waxe loose and in the end come to no good Now it is most certaine that those workes which parents doe in a true faith by the duties of marriage and government of their families are before God holy and good workes indeed and doe please God no lesse then prayers fastings and almes deeds For so the Apostle hath taught in his Epistles especially in those to Timothy and Titus And with the same Apostle we account the doctrine of such as forbid marriage or doe openly dispraise or secretly discredit it as not holy or cleane amongst the doctrines of Devils And we doe detest unclean single life licentious lusts and fornications both open and close and the continencie of dissembling hypocrites when as they are of all men most incontinent All that be such God will judge We doe not disallow riches and rich men if they be godly and use their riches well but we reprove the sect of the Apostoliques c. Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA Of holy Wedlocke VVE thinke that wedlock being appointed of God for all Artic. 37. men that be fit for it and are not called to some other thing is nothing repugnant to the holinesse of any degree The which as the Church doth consecrate and establish with a solemne exhortation and prayer so it is the dutie of the Magistrate to see that it be worthily kept and maintained * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confession and that it be not dissolved but upon just cause Therefore we doe farre reject this Monasticall single life and this whole slothfull kinde of life of superstitious men which is nothing else but an abominable devise as being as much repugnant to the Church as to the common wealth Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA Hitherto pertaineth
he saw many Plat. in vita â—ii 2. moe and more weightie causes why they ought to be restored to them againe Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE Art 5. Of Abuses Of the marriage of Priests VVHereas the Doctrine of Christ maketh honourable mention of marriage and willeth men to use the same not onely for procreation sake but also to bridle and avoyd lusts now a dayes the marriages of Priests are not onely by the Popes law but also by a new and unwonted crueltie forbidden and such as be made and contracted are dissolved and broken Which is so much the more unseemely for that these things are done in the Church which as she ought most of all to abhorre and detest filthinesse so should she with great care defend wedlocke for the avoiding of many grievous enormities Besides seeing that in all heathenish Common-wealthes that were but meanely well ordered marriage was in great account for very waightie causes what is there lesse seemely in the Church then either to breake in sunder the most holy knot of wedlocke or to punish marriage with punishments of death as though it were a most hainous offence Whence is it that this crueltie hath spread it selfe into the Church in which mutuall love should flourish most of all Moreover the matter it self doth testifie how much beastlinesse and how many villanies this popish law of single life doth bring forth no voice of man is able to shew how many vices have issued forth of this fountaine into the Church For to say nothing of Epicures who blush at nothing how many good and godly men have had ill successe in striving with their naturall weaknesse and at the last have fallen into horrible despaire Now whereto tendeth this new crueltie but that those innumerable villanies might be confirmed in the Churches and that wicked men might sinne more freely This matter needeth no disputation at all For this new law defended by our Adversaries which forbiddeth Priests to marry and dissolveth those that are contracted is flat contrary to the law of nature to the law of God to the Gospell to the constitutions of ancient Synods and to the examples of the ancient Church Onely in this calling we need the godlinesse and equitie of the most excellent Emperour whom we beseech for his godlinesse and duties sake that he would seeke some remedie for the Church by abolishing this tyrannicall law For as all unjust crueltie doth displease God so that most of all which is exercised against godly and learned Priests which deserve well of the Church And in this case we have not onely the word of God threatning most grievous plagues against them which exercise crueltie on the Priests but also there are examples to be seene in all ages which doe plainly testifie that such threatnings are not in vaine For to let passe infinite other examples the Tribe of Beniamin was almost quite destroyed for abusing the Priests wife that came thither as a stranger For when as the dead body of the woman which died after she had been so abused was cut in pieces and sent to all the Princes of Israel all the people judged that such outrage ought most severely to be revenged And when they could not get the authors of this shamefull fact to be delivered unto them for to be punished the whole Tribe of Beniamin receiving a great overthrow was punished for it Now in these dayes the Priests are vexed with sundry injuries they are when no other crime is objected unto them but marriage racked with most horrible torments and so put to death their miserable wives and little children being throwne out of house and home wander up and downe as banished persons without any certaine place of abode or house to dwell in Paul calleth The forbidding of marriage the doctrine of Devils which to be true not onely these filthy vices which the single life hath brought into the Church but also the crueltie which by reason of this law is exercised upon Priests and their wives and children doe testifie plainly For the Devill is a murtherer and he is chiefly delighted with the miseries of the godly But the devisers of such counsell shall one day have their just reward from God We judge that such crueltie is not worthy for Christians to use nor profitable to the Church of God Whereas they object the authoritie of the Popes law why doe they not alledge the authoritie of the Canons against those shamefull examples of uncleane single life and those villanies that were worthy of most severe punishment The authoritie of the Popes decree which is contrary to the law of nature and the commandement of God should be of no waight Men are so made by nature that they should be fruitfull Whereupon the Lawyers say That the coniunction of man woman is by the law of nature And the same the first book of Moses teacheth in the first and second Chapters Againe when Saint Paul saith To avoide fornication let every man have his wife it is certaine that he biddeth all which are not apt for a single life to joyne in marriage And Christ doth admonish that all are not fit for a single life when he saith All men doe not receive this thing Moreover neither mens laws nor any vows are of force which are against the commandement of God And the event it selfe doth testifie that nature cannot be changed by mans law For we see what vile filthinesse this single life doth bring forth and if there be any honest men which endeavour to keepe themselves chaste they perceive right well how great a burden how great danger there is in this thing and they doe especially be waile this slavery of their order Certaine men went about in the Nicene Synod to make a law to forbid Priests the use of their wives This law was resused by the holy Synod and the Latine Churches in the old time was not so severe in this point for they did put from the ministery onely such as when they had taken upon them any Ecclesiasticall function did afterwards marry wives yet they did not forbid marriage But this is a new law of the Pope unknowne to the ancient Churches and Synods which doth wholly forbid marriages and breaketh of such as are contracted But it is evident that either part of this decree is flat contrary to the Gospell They alledge against us the authoritie of the Church and of Synodes which the Popes themselves that were Authors of this decree did impudently contemne and godly Priests did evidently withstand this new law For the Ecclesiasticall Histories doe testifie that it was never layed upon the Churches without great contentions and resistance The Bishop of Tarracon writeth to Syricius the Pope That the Priests of Spaine could not be brought to admit that law which forbad them the use of their wives What a stirre doth Syricius keepe there How sharply doth he write For these are the words of Syricius which are
unmeet for a Pope Let him tell me whosoever he be a hunter after lusts and a Master of vices And thereupon he wresteth the words of Saint Paul to his cause which are most farre from it They which live in the flesh cannot please God A man may doubt surely whether it may better be attributed to his ignorance or his impudencie that he speaks so disdainfully of marriage For he goeth about nothing else but to forbid Priests the use of their wives which then they had married But the Popes that succeeded after were yet more hard and cruell When the Archbishop of Mentz did in a Synode rehearse the Popes decree touching the putting away of wives in Germanie the Priests were so kindled in their anger that they threatned to set upon the Archbishop himselfe And it was in deed both an unworthy and cruell thing to put away their wives which they then had But at last either force or superstition got the upper hand Cyprian was farre more equall and gentle to such women as had not kept their vowed chastitie For he writeth in the first booke the 11. Epist If they will not or cannot indure it it is better they should marry then that they should fall into the fire through their importune lusts In any wise let them give no offence to the brethren or sisters Besides this unjust laws are not wont to be perpetuall We doe therefore intreat the most excellent Emperour that among many other enormities of the Church he will also consider the faults of this law in which case that also is to be weighed The nature of man doth as it were waxe old and is become weaker Wherefore there must be care had that vices doe not increase Neither must the laws themselves be seeds of vices Plato saith very wisely that Laws must be made for vertues sake Now whether this tradition of single life be maintained for pieties sake or for some other purpose it is no hard matter to determine Last of all seeing that Christ hath especially commended the care of the Ministers of the Gospell to the godly we desire therefore that the most excellent Emperour would restraine this crueltie which hath a long time been exercised upon godly Priests and would rather consult with the Church then with our Adversaries in that behalfe Surely love and mercifull dealing should flourish in the Church Wherefore the true Church doth greatly abhorre unnecessary crueltie and would not have the Priests put to death for a tyrannicall tradition Shee would also have the poore Wives and Children of Priests favourably dealt with All whose lives and safetie the Church doth commend unto thee O most mercifull Emperour All the godly wheresoever are touched with their miseries and doe in heart desire Christian lenitie in this behalfe and doe also with teares joyntly commend learned and honest men that are profitable to the Church together with their wives and children unto thee whom they see both to be indued with an excellent and heroicall goodnesse and kindnesse and also to have used in this cause very notable moderation which doth let us understand that thou art carefull of bringing some remedy unto the Common-wealth The Church would not have thee to be a Minister of another mans crueltie The greatest honour of Kings is that which Esay giveth to them when he saith that they should be nurse fathers to the Church that is that kingdomes and the maintenance of peace and of humane societie should not only serve for the profit of the body but also should further the Gospell namely when as they both rule the Priests and also grant peace and quietnesse in cities that the youth might be trained up in religion and men might be instructed The Church therefore doth beseech thee to remember that the care of defending the godly Priests as of certaine nourslings lyeth upon thee It belongeth unto this calling to be a succour for innocencie to save from injuries especially such as are weake which are not able to defend themselves as namely godly women children and orphanes or the fatherlesse Among which you may well thinke that the wives and children of Priests which are right orphanes in deed are left unto your charge by the Lord. The Church as most full of naturall affection and love doth not onely approve of the mutuall love of married folks one to another and of the love of parents to their children but is also touched with the miseries of those that are forlorne and fatherlesse And surely shee judgeth in so great goodnesse of your nature that there is no inhumanitie or want of naturall affection VVherefore shee is in good hope that the murders and executions of Priests and the banishment of their wives and children doe grieve thee not a little The Church also doth give thee warning to look to it lest many points of Christian doctrine the unfolding and laying open whereof is very necessary be smothered up whiles godly and learned Ministers are put to death and whiles men are driven from the study of Christian doctrin What else do our Adversaries seek but that all good learning and true doctrin may be rooted out or oppressed and men may only depend upon the authoritie of such as do beare rule and that they might esteeme the dreams of unlearned men though never so impious never so absurd for oracles Our Adversaries imagine that this barbarous bondage is the best and surest for their Lordly rule And in deed it is very evident how the Church in many places is oppressed with this bondage Now though libertie may not be granted to disanull such determinations as be received by good authoritie and though men ought not to depart either from the Scriptures or from the decrees of the ancient Synods wherein they have determined of Christian doctrine yet is it not meet that the authoritie of the Church should be pretended for all such abuses and faults as the latter and worser age hath brought into the Church And surely men doe flatter and deceive themselves too much if they thinke that there be no faults conveighed into the Church by the desires of covetous men and by those Labyrinthes and obscurities of the doctrine and traditions of the Schoolemen For now adaies good men are not so much in danger for their marriage sake as for their care and desire they have to purge and bring to triall the doctrine of Christ Which care the Bishops ought wisely to direct and further For to them especially is the care of setting forth the maintenance of true doctrine commended they should be the Ringleaders and furtherers of this most holy and fruitfull care and study But it belongeth not to the Bishop alone but also to godly Princes and especially to the Emperour to understand the Gospell purely to judge of opinions to be warie and watchfull that no wicked opinions be received or rooted and to abolish Idolatry with all his might and main By these and such like duties did many
that he will vouchsafe to rule preserve purge and increase his Church which he hath purchased and redeemed by the blood of his Sonne Amen The faithfull and subiects to the Emperours Maiestie Iohn Duke of Saxonie Elector George Marques of Brandembrough Ernest Duke of Luneborough Philip the Lantgrave of the Hesses Iohn Frederick Duke of Saxonie Francis Duke of Luneborough Wolfgang Prince of Anhalt The Senate and Magistrates of Nurnborough The Senate of Reutling Out of the Confession of SAXONY Artic. 23. Of the civill Magistrate BY the benefit of God this part also of doctrine of the authoritie of the Magistrate that beareth the sword and of the authoritie of Laws and Iudgements and of the whole civill state is godlily set forth and by great travell and many writings the manifold and great furies of the Anabaptists and other fantasticall men are refuted We teach therefore that in the whole doctrine of God delivered by the Apostles and Prophets and degrees of the civill state are avouched and that Magistrates Laws order in judgements and the lawfull societie of mankinde are not by chance sprung up among men And although there be many horrible confusions which grow from the Devill and the madnesse of men yet the lawfull government and societie of men is ordained of God and whatsoever order is yet left by the exceeding goodnesse of God it is preserved for the Church sake as it is said Rom. 13. and Psal 126. Except the Lord keepe the Citie in vaine he watcheth that keepeth it c. Therefore in themselves they are things good to beare the authoritie of a Magistrate to be a Iudge to be a Minister to execute judgements to make lawfull warres and to be a souldier in lawfull warres c. And a Christian man may use these things as he useth meat drinke medicines buying and selling Neither doth he sinne that is a Magistrate and dischargeth his vocation that exerciseth judgement that goeth to warre that punisheth lawfully those that are condemned c. And subiects owe unto the civill Magistrate obedience as Paul saith Romanes 13. Not onely because of wrath that is for feare of corporall punishment wherewith the rebellious are rewarded by the Magistrate but also for conscience sake that is rebellion is a sinne that offendeth God and withdraweth the conscience from God This heavenly doctrin we propound unto the Churches which establisheth lawfull authoritie and the whole civill state and we shew the difference of the Gospell and the civill government God would have all men to be ruled and kept in order by civill government even those that are not regenerate in this government the wisdome justice and goodnesse of God toward mankinde is most clearely to be seene His wisdome is declared by order which is in the discerning of vertues and vices and in the societie of mankinde under lawfull government and in contracts guided and disposed by marvellous wisdome Then the justice of God appeareth in civill government in that he will have open sinnes to be punished by the Magistrates and when they that are in authoritie doe not take punishment on offenders God himselfe miraculously draweth them unto punishment and proportionably doth lay upon grievous sins grievous punishment in this life as it is said Matth. 26. Whosoever taketh the sword shall perish with the sword and Heb. 3. Whoremongers and adulterers God will iudge In these punishments God will have to be seene the differences of vertues and vices and will have us learne that God is wise just true and chaste The goodnesse of God also toward mankinde is seene in that he preserveth the societie of men after this order And for that cause doth he maintaine it that from thence his Church may be gathered and he will have Common-wealthes to be places for the entertainment of his Church And the civill government is one thing which keepeth in order all men even those that are not regenerate and forgivenesse of sins and righteousnesse in the heart which is the beginning of life and of eternall salvation which by the voice of the Gospell is effected in the hearts of them that beleeve is another thing Both these benefits God hath bestowed upon mankinde and will have us to understand the difference of civill justice and light in our hearts Neither doth the Gospell condemne or overthrow Common-wealths or families And although it belong not to those that teach in the Church to give particular laws of politique government yet the word of God doth generally teach this of the power of the Magistrate First God would that the Magistrate without all doubt should sound forth the voice of the morall law among men touching discipline according to the ten commandements or the law naturall that is he would have by the voice of the Magistrate first soveraigne and immutable laws to be propounded forbidding the worship of Idols blasphemies perjuries unjust murders wandring lusts breach of of wedlock theft and fraud in bargains contracts and judgements The second dutie Let the Magistrate be an observer of these divine and immutable lawes which are witnesses of God and chiefe rules of manners by punishing all those that transgresse the same For the voyce of the law without punishment and execution is little availeable to bridle and restraine men Therefore it is said by Saint Paul Rom. 13. The Magistrate is a terrour to him that doth evill and giveth honour to them that doe well And well hath it beene said of old The Magistrate is a keeper of the Law that is of the first and second Table as concerning discipline and good order The third dutie of the civill Magistrate is to adde unto the law naturall some other lawes defining the circumstances of the naturall law and to keep and maintaine the same by punishing the transgressours but at no hand to suffer or defend lawes contrary to the law of God or nature as it is written Isa 10. Woe be to them that make wicked lawes For kingdomes are the ordinance of God wherein the wisedome and justice of God that is just lawes ought to rule even as the wise King and one that feared God Jehosaphat said 2 Chron. 19. Ye exercise not the iudgement of men but of God who is with you in iudgement Let the feare of God be with you and doe all things diligently For although many in kingdomes doe despise the glory of God yet notwithstanding this ought to be their especiall care to heare and imbrace the true doctrine of the Sonne of God and to cherish the Churches as the second Psalme speaketh And now ye Kings understand and be learned ye that iudge the earth And Psal 23. Ye Princes open your gates that is open your kingdomes to the Gospel and give entertainement to the Sonne of God And Isa 49. and Kings and Queenes shall be thy nurces that is let common wealths be nurces of the Church let them give entertainement to the Church and to godly studies Let Kings and Princes
themselves be members of the Church and rightly understand the doctrine thereof and give no help unto those that establish false doctrine and exercise unjust crueltie and remember this saying I will honour them that honour me And Daniel in the fourth Chapter exhorteth the King of Babylon to acknowledge the wrath of God and to shew mercy to the banished Church when he saith Redeeme thy sinnes with righteousnesse and with mercy towards the poore and there shall be a healing of thy transgressions And since they are among the principall members of the Church let them provide that judgement be rightly exercised in the Church as Constantine Theodosius Arcadius Martian Charles the great and many godly Kings have provided that judgement in the Church should be sincerely executed But of the difference of both states namely of the Ministerie of the Gospel and the civill Magistracie there are many writings in our Church which declare that we teach no phantasticall nor seditious opinions but doe shew the necessary doctrine delivered in the Gospel touching both degrees profitable to godlinesse and common peace Thankes be to God THis is the summe of that doctrine which by the blessing of God with one consent we teach in our Churches which to be the sincere meaning of the doctrine delivered from God in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and in the Creeds we nothing doubt and it may be understood out of the ancient and purer writers to bee agreeable to the ancient and purer Churches Now the matter it selfe declareth that we have not sought to dispute about new fangled curious and subtle questions neither doe strive about authoritie or riches but onely to unfold and bring to light from the great darknesse of traditions and opinions that doctrine which is necessary to the true invocation of God to true worship to the right knowledge of the Sonne of God and to the salvation of soules and doe in most simple and plaine manner propound the same unto the Churches For all wise men must needs confesse that there was much obscuritie and many errours in the doctrine of the Monkes and many snares of conscience in the Popes traditions and whether doctrine is true plaine evident profitable for consciences and for manners comparison doth declare For we avoid not the judgements of the godly yea rather we desire that the whole true Church of God that is all the faithfull and learned wheresoever they are may understand what we say who we doubt not will be witnesses that this doctrine is the consent of the true Catholike Church of God Also we offer our selves at any time to a more full declaration in every point and think that this rehearsall of our doctrine now made is agreeable to the confession exhibited at Auspurge Anno 1530. For as much therefore as the doctrine which we here recite is true and necessary for the Church we intreat that our Churches may not be condemned as if they either imbraced errours or foolishly or seditiously stirred up strife without any weightie cause The truth and weight of the matters may deliver us from this unjust accusation Next after a godly manner we admonish the Councel it selfe They see that old abuses and many great errours are as yet sticking in the Church because in all ages even from the beginning of mankinde the devill continueth scattering his seed of errour and since that time through the ignorance of men by superstition they are either confirmed or doe shoote forth againe And now for that the vanitie of many superstitions is knowne the times require a reformation and unlesse the Governours provide that the truth may be brought to light great division in opinions is like to follow especially because in this last age of the world great confusion is to be feared Therefore let the Councel see to it that they condemne not a manifest truth And if a godly sort they will deliberate how they may provide for the Churches and if a more ample declaration shall be demanded of us men learned of understanding loving the truth and fearing God must be chosen to consult together of these so weighty matters Neither let them onely strive with us in number of vices seeing it is manifest by many prejudices of what opinion the Bishop of Rome others that are are addicted unto him who now by the space of many yeeres have not onely set forth against us Edicts written with blood but also have slain many of our side and there be many that neither understand nor looke after any truth of doctrine but being already corrupted with prophane perswasions doe thinke this to be an especiall part of politique men to defend the present state and to maintaine their owne authoritie And for this purpose they seeke fit Ministers by sophisticall juggling to jest out the truth Wherefore now we testifie that we will not reject the truth although it be condemned by the judgements of such men And we openly professe that we consent not to the Councel of Trent which heretofore hath sent abroad Decrees partly false partly captious and sophisticall but doe earnestly request that both we may be heard in the same matter and that the errors before confirmed by the Decrees of the Tridentine Councel may be reformed And we reverently beseech the most worthy Emperour Carolus â—ugustus that he give not leave to the Adversaries to oppresse the truth by their presumption and to strengthen their crueltie which they exercise against innocents and to stirre up greater dissention by their unjust Decrees And now we commend the Church and our selves to the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ who we know by the voyce of the Gospel gathereth together to himselfe an everlasting Church and we pray him that he would governe us and not suffer the light of his Gospel to be extinguished nor the assemblies of them that rightly call upon him to be dispersed An Addition ANd we request all that teach in the Churches neere adjoyning or elsewhere that receive the Confession exhibited at Auspurge 1530. that when they reade these things if in any point they finde any want they would lovingly admonish us thereof for that it was not our purpose to bring up any other kinde of doctrine but plainly to receite the summe of the Confession of Anspurge and the common consent of these Churches and we desire that we may be favourably and not quarrelously judged of We purpose not to stirre up new contentions but especially we pray to the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ that was crucified for us and rose againe that prayed in his agonie that we might be one in God that he would make us also in the most Churches one in himselfe We whose names are subscribed hereunto who doe now teach in the Churches and Vniversities under mentioned doe protest that in this writing which we desire to have rightly and not quarrelously understood we have recited the common doctrine published in the Churches and
Vniversities wherein we teach the Gospel and we are perswaded that this is the true sincere and incorrupt doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ agreeing with the Apostles and Prophets and with the Creeds and that it is necessarie for the Churches and we pray our Lord Iesus Christ who was crucified for us and rose againe that hee would mercifully governe and defend these Churches Also we offer our selves to further declaration in every Article This was written Anno 1551. Iuly â—0 in the Towne of Wirtemberg where the Pastours of the Churches neere adjoyning were met together c. Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE The Conclusion which is placed in the latter end of the 35. Chapter VVE have rehearsed those things which seeme good both to be approved and also to be refuted or amended in the Ecclesiasticall doctrine and in the whole administration of the Church And if any thing be spoken either more briefly or more obscurely then so great a matter would require our Preachers doe promise that they wil expound them more largely and more cleerely That which remaineth we beseech all the godly through Iesus Christ the Sonne of God our onely Saviour that which thing we hope they will doe of their owne accord every one according to his office and calling would take unto himselfe a true and earnest endeavour to reforme the Church It cannot be denied but that hitherto for these many yeeres not onely the discipline of the Church hath decayed and the manners thereof have beene corrupted with great and horrible vices and they have very much degenerated from the honestie of our Elders but that also the doctrine of the Church hath beene depraved in suffering and bearing with corruptions which if hereafter they be either dissembled or confirmed every man that is but meanly wise may consider how great evils are like to follow in the Church of God Those execrations and cursings are well known whereunto the law of God doth addict the transgressours of his word And Josias the King of Iuda was endued with an heroicall minde when he repaired the Church and although the wrath of God was by his godly repentance and obedience mittigated after that the book of the law was found out and well knowne that those punishments which the Church of God at that time had desâ—rved through the neglect of his word and their impietr might be deferred till another time yet notwithstanding such was the severitie of God against the contemnets of his word and the impenitent that the King although he were very godly could not altogether take it away from them and appease it Now we think that in these times the wrath of God is no lesse yea much more grievously kindled and set on fire against the assembly of his Church by reason of so many hainous wicked deeds and offences which even in that people which glorieth in the Name of God are more evident then that they can be denied and more cleere then that they may be excused then in times past when as yet the Sonne of God was not made knowne to the world by his Gospel And the judgement of God shall be so much the more severe by how much his benefits are the greater which he seemeth to have bestowed both in the former and also at these present times upon unthankfull men But many other things have need of amendment in the Church and ministery thereof and especially the doctrine of Repentance Iustification and the use of the Sacraments and single life of the Ministers of the Church doe require a godly amendment If these things by the mercy of God and by the diligence and care of all good men shall be restored according to the writings of the Prophets and the Apostles and according to the true Catholique consent of the ancient and purer Church we shall not onely give unto God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ a most acceptable worship but also the whole Christian world shall be stirred up to declare their thankfulnesse and obedience in all dutifull manner that they may We truly doe not know of any errour in our Preachers either in doctrine or in the other administration of the Church yet we doe not doubt but that they are indued with so great modestie and godlinesse that if they be admonished by the testimony of the heavenly doctrine and by the true consent of the Catholique Church they will in no case be wanting to the edifying of the Church And as much as lyeth in us and in our government we will do our endeavour that the mercy of God helping us none of those duties may be pretermitted of us whereby we hope that the true quietnesse of the Church and salvation in Iesus Christ the Sonne of God may be preserved Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Of Secular Magistrates CHAP. 23. IN the former points we have declared that our Preachers doe place that obedience which is given unto Magistrates among good workes of the first degree and that they teach that every man ought so much the more diligently to apply himselfe to the publique lawes by how much he is a more sincere Christian and richer in faith In the next place they teach that to execute the office of a Magistrate it is the most sacred function which can happen unto man from God whereupon also it is come to passe that they which are endued with publike authoritie are in the Scriptures called Gods For when as they doe justly and orderly behave themselves in their function it goeth well with the people both in doctrine and in life because that God doth use so to moderate our affaires that for the greater part the safetie and destruction of the subjects doth depend upon them which are the Governours Wherefore none doe more worthily execute Magistracie then they which of all others are the most Christian and Bishops and other Ecclesiasticall men were promoted by most godly Emperours and Kings to an externall government in civill affaires Wherein though they were religious and wise yet in this one point they offended because they were not able to discharge both those functions sufficiently and it was necessary that either they should be wanting to the Churches in ruling them by the word or to the commonwealth in governing it by authoritie The Conclusion THese be the chiefe points most mightie and religious Emperour wherein our Preachers have somewhat swerved from the common doctrine of Preachers being forced thereunto by the only authoritie of the Scriptures which is worthily to be preferred before all other traditions These things being so declared as the shortnes of time would give us leave we thought it good to offer them to your sacred majestie and that to this end that we might both give account of our faith to thee whom next unto God we doe chiefly honour and reverence and might also shew how necessary it is speedily and earnestly to consult of a way and meane whereby a thing of so great
particular cursing to wit of this or that man if the word be taken for a perpetuall and an unrepealable casting out from the Church of God we leave it to God alone and therefore we would not lightly admit it in our Churches For the Church useth onely such a cursing as determineth nothing finally following Saint Paul 1 Cor. 16. 22. Vpon the same Goe and chastise him that is reprove him and admonish him of Observ 4. page 215. his dutie Vpon the confession of Saxonie THe sentence of excommunication c. Looke before in the Observ 1. page 226. 3. Observation upon the Confession of Bohemia in this same Section Vpon the Confession of Wirtemberge HAth authoritie to beare witnesse of the holy Scripture This Observ 1. pag. 228. authoritie and right you must understand in this respect that the true Church of God discerning the Canonicall bookes of the Scripture from all others teacheth and defendeth that nothing is to be added to or taken from the Canon of the old Hebrew or to the new Scripture of the Christians Vpon the same Authoritie to iudge of all doctrines and to interpret Scripture Observ 2. pag. 228. To this we yeeld with these cautions First that in the judging of controversies not any judges whatsoever doe take unto themselves the name of the Church but that as the matter and importance of the cause doth require judges lawfully chosen whether more or fewer whether in an ordinary assembly of a particular Church or in a more generall meeting ordinary or extraordinary provinciall or generall be appointed to judge of the matter Secondly that there be free obedience and free giving of voyces Thirdly that all controversies be determined out of the word of God alone yet so as the fathers judgements be not condemned but laid to the onely rule of Gods word according as they themselves would have us to doe Now the Church is said to judge of doctrine not that it is above the truth of the doctrine or that the doctrine is therefore true because the Church hath so judged but in as much as the Church being taught and confirmed out of the word by the holy Ghost doth acknowledge and hold fast the true doctrine and teach men to hold it fast and condemneth and rejecteth and teacheth to reject all other strange doctrines IN THE ELEVENTH SECTION Vpon the latter Confession of Helvetia ANd such are found among us c. To wit interpreters of the Observ 1. pag. 235. Scriptures that were indued with a speciall gift of the spirit thereunto For as touching the visions of Prophets and those extraordinary motions and inspirations of the holy spirit this gift as also the gift of tongues and of healings being fitted for the confirmation of the Church when it was beginning is now long since ceased after that the whole Counsell of God touching our salvation was plainly revealed howbeit God yet can when he will raise it up againe Vpon the same And were also Preachers of the Gospell Such as the Apostles Observ 2. pag. 235. did joyne unto themselves as helpers and sent them now to this place now to that and these also are no more in use since the Churches were setled in good order Of which sort divers are mentioned in the Acts and in the Epistles of the Apostles Vpon the same Bishops were the overseers and watchmen of the Church which Observ 3. page 235. did distribute c. Taking this name for those which in a more strict signification are called Deacons and are distinguished from them which attend upon the preaching of the word Vpon the same Provide things necessary for it To wit spirituall things by Observ 4. page 235. teaching reproving correcting instructing both all in generall and man by man particularly yet tied to their speciall flocks and charges Vpon the same Now the power given to all the Ministers To wit of the word Observ 5. page 235. that is the Pastours and Doctors whose divers functions are afterward more fully set forth Vpon the former Confession of Helvetia BY the voice of God As namely if at any time the lawfull ordinary Observ 1. pag. 242. vocation being quite abolished as it hath fallen out under the Papacie God by his spirit hath extraordinarily raised up certaine men Which thing when it appeareth by their fruits then the liking and approbation of the Church reformed being added thereunto they are confirmed in their calling For otherwise while the lawfull order of calling standeth in the Church no man may enter into the ministerie but by that doore Vpon the same By the laying on of hands of the Priest By Priest take that they Observ 2. page 242. meane him that is appointed out of the Colledge and companie of the Pastours for to set him that is lawfully chosen as it were into the possession of his ministerie in the sight and presence of the whole Church Now as touching the very rite of this ordination every Church hath it own libertie so that both alike superstition and occasion of superstition be avoided Vpon the Confession of Bohemia BY laying on of hands Looke before the 2. observation upon Observ 1. page 246. the former Confession of Helvetia and looke after in the 14. Chapter of this same Confession and the 1. observation upon this Confession in the 13. Section Vpon the same Hereof speaketh the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews Yet Obsâ—rv 2. page 246. not properly for he disputeth of the Leviticall Priesthood which was abrogated by Christ and not of the ministerie under Christ Vpon the same Are a long time c. Let the reader thus take these words not Observ 3. page 247. as though this same order were prescribed unto all and singular Churches or were observed of all seeing we neither have any commandement touching that matter neither can it every where be performed But that this is very carefully to be looked unto that none but he that is furnished with learning and an approved integritie and uprightnesse be advanced to any Ecclesiasticall functions Vpon the same And Sodomiticall life That is of an unclean life given to riot Observ 4. page 249. and excesse as Ezech. chap. 16. vers 49. chargeth the inhabitants of Sodome Vpon the same Especially those c. Once againe this is to be taken as that Observ 5. page 249. we must know that this law of working with their owne hands is is not prescribed to the Churches Vpon the same Such as are to lay on hands Touching this rite looke before in Observ 6. page 251. the 2. Obser upon the former Confession of Helvetia Vpon the same To each severall Ecclesiasticall societies That is to Presbyteries Observ 7. pag. 252. or Consistories which stand of Pastours and Elders and unto whom properly the dispensing and ordering of the keies and Ecclesiasticall Censures doe belong As afterward is taught in the fifth Observation
onely inspiration of the lying spirit Vpon the same Do agree with the Canon law c. We would have it declared Obser 2. pag. 446. unto us what manner of law this Canon law is seeing that there be many things both in certaine ancient and especially in the Canons of the Popes flat repugnant to the word of God and to equitie Vpon the same As mortall sins and such as expell the holy Ghost c. why we Observ 3. 446. do think that this also hath need to be more diligently expounded we have shewed not once before Looke the 4. Sect. observ 1. and 2. upon this same Confess Also Sect. 8. observ 4. upon the Confession of Auspurge Vpon the same Where as the words of Christ did speake c. If so be that we Obser 4. pag. 448. should admit that Gospell according to the Egyptians wherein those words be attributed to Christ Vpon the Confession of Wirtemberge ANnd that it is a mysterie c. to wit a spirituall marriage Observ 1. 451. between Christ and his Church and not this carnall or corporall and humane marriage which is not appointed to represent that other which is spirituall Vpon the same The politique laws which are the ordinances of God c. we Obser 2 pag. 451. also do approve the politique laws touching these things so that the consciences be not snared and that which in this contract is meerely divine be administred according to the true word of God being distinguished from civill controversies which fall out in marriage Looke before observation 1. upon the former Confession of Helvetia IN THE NINETEENTH SECTION Vpon the latter Confession of Helvetia VVIth good laws made according to the word of God that is Obser 1. pag. 458. with such as doe not forbid that which God doth command in the morall law and by the voice of nature it selfe nor command that which he forbiddeth For otherwise by the name of the word of God the Iudaicall civill law might also be understood to the which not withstanding we are not bound in so much as it is civill but onely so farre forth as it is grounded upon a generall and perpetuall rule of justice Vpon the former Confession of Helvetia ACcording to iust and divine Laws c. That is agreeable to Observ 1. pag 400. equitie and righteousnesse and to conclude to the law of nature whereof God himselfe is the Author Vpon the same And the oath which we made to him c. That is an oath whereby Obser 2. pag. 460. subjects are bound to their Magistrates Vpon the Confession of Basil IN the number whereof we also desire to be c. These things are Obser 1. pag. 461. spoken in the person of the Magistrates themselves and not of the Pastours of the Church at Basil in so much as this Confession was published in the name of the Magistrates themselves Vpon the Confession of Bohemia THe people is taught that they ought to obey no man more then Obser 1. pag. 464. God This is so farre to be extended as that we must understand that we ought not to obey any in these things which pertaine to the conscience and to salvation but God alone seeing that the Apostle doth not except so much as the Angels themselves Gal. 1. The end of the Harmonie and of the Observations A GENERALL CONFESSION OF THE TRVE CHRISTIAN FAITH and Religion according to Gods Word and Acts of our Parliaments subscribed by the Kings Majestie and his Houshold with sundry others To the glory of God and good example of all men At Edinborough the 28. day of Ianuary The yeere of our Lord 1581. And in the 14. yeere of His Majesties Raigne WE all and every one of us under written protest that after long and due examination of our owne consciences in matters of true and false Religion are now throughly resolved in the truth by the Word and spirit of God And therefore we beleeve with our hearts confesse with our mouthes subscribe with our hands and constantly affirme before God and the whole world that this onely is the true Christian faith and religion pleasing God and bringing salvation to man which is now by the mercie of God revealed to the world by the preaching of the blessed Evangell and is received beleeved and defended by many and sundry notable Churches and Realms but chiefly by the Church of Scotland the Kings Majestie and three Estates of this Realm as Gods eternall truth and onely ground of our salvation as more particularly is expressed in the Confession of our Faith established and publikely confirmed by sundry Acts of Parliaments and now of a long time hath been openly professed by the Kings Majestie and whole body of this Realm both in burgh and land To the which confession and form of Religion we willingly agree in our consciences in all points as unto Gods undoubted truth and verity grounded onely upon his written word And therefore we abhorre and detest all contrary religion and doctrin but chiefly all kinde of Papistry in generall and particular heads even as they are now damned and confuted by the word of God and Church of Scotland but especially we detest and refuse the usurped authoritie of that Romane Antichrist upon the Scriptures of God upon the Church the civill Magistrate and conscience of men all his tyrannous Laws made upon indifferent things against our Christian liberty his erronious doctrin against the sufficiencie of the written word the perfection of the law the office of Christ and his blessed Evangell his corrupted doctrin concerning originall sin our naturall inabilitie and rebellion to Gods law our justification by faith onely our imperfect sanctification and obedience to the law the nature number and use of the holy Sacraments his five bastard sacraments with all his rites ceremonies and false doctrin added to the administration of the true Sacraments without the word of God his cruell judgement against infants departing without the Sacrament his absolute necessitie of Baptisme his blasphemous opinion of transubstantiation or reall presence of Christs body in the elements and receiving of the same by the wicked or bodies of men his dispensations with solemn oathes perjuries and degrees of marriage forbidden in the word his crueltie against the innocent divorced his devilish Masse his blasphemous Priesthood his prophane sacrifice for the sins of the dead and the quick his Canonization of men calling upon Angels or Saints departed worshipping of Images reliques and crosses dedicating of Churches Altars Daies Vows to creatures his Purgatory prayers for the dead praying or speaking in a strange language with his processions and blasphemous Letany and multitude of Advocates or Mediatours his manifold orders Auricular confession his dispersed uncertain repentance his generall and doubt some faith his satisfactions of men for their sins his justification by works Opus Operatum works of supererogation merits pardons peregrinations and stations his holy
water baptizing of Bels Conjuring of spirits Crossing Sauing Anointing Conjuring Hallowing of Gods good creatures with the superstitious opinion joyned therewith his worldly Monarchy and wicked Hierarchy his three solemned vows with all his shavelings of sundry sorts his erronious bloody decrees made at Trent with all the subscribers and approvers of that cruell and bloody band conjured against the Church of God And finally we detest all his vain allegories rites signes and traditions brought in the Church without or against the word of God and doctrin of this true reformed Church to the which we joyne our selves willingly in doctrin faith religion discipline and use of the holy Sacraments as lively members of the same in Christ our head promising and swearing by the great name of the Lord our God that we shall continue in the obedience of the doctrine and discipline of this Church and shall defend the same according to our vocation and power all the daies of our lives under the pains contained in the law and danger both of body and soule in the day of Gods fearefull judgement And seeing that many are stirred up by Satan and that Romane Antichrist to promise sweare subscribe and for a time use the holy Sacraments in the Church deceitfully against their own conscience minding hereby first under the externall cloake of Religion to corrupt and subvert secretly Gods true Religion within the Church and afterward when time may serve to become open enemies and persecuters of the same under vain hope of the Popes dispensation devised against the word of God to his greater confusion and their double condemnation in the day of the Lord Iesus We therefore willing to take away all suspition of hypocrisie and of such double dealing with God and his Church protest and call the searcher of all hearts for witnesse that our mindes and hearts do fully agree with this our confession promise oath and subscription So that we are not moved for any worldly respect but are perswaded onely in our conscience through the knowledge and love of Gods true Religion printed in our hearts by the holy Spirit as we shall answer to him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed And because we perceive that the quietnesse and stabilitie of our Religion and Church doth depend upon the safetie and good behaviour of the Kings Majestie as upon a comfortable Instrument of Gods mercie granted to this Countrey for the maintaining of his Church and ministration of Iustice amongst us we protest and promise with our hearts under the same oath hand writ and pains that we shall defend his person and authoritie with our goods bodies and lives in the defence of Christs Evangell Libertie of our countrey ministration of justice and punishment of iniquitie against all enemies within this Realme or without as we desire our God to be a strong and mercifull defender to us in the day of our death and comming of our Lord Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and glory eternally Amen THE ESTATES OF SCOTLAND WITH THE INHABITANTS OF the same professing Christ Jesus and his holy Gospell To their naturall countrey-men and to all other Realmes and Nations professing the same Christ Jesus with them wish grace mercy and peace from God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ with the spirit of righteous judgement of salvation LOng have we thirsted deare brethren to have notified unto the world the summe of that doctrine which we professe and for the which we have sustained infamie and danger But such hath been the rage of Sathan against us and against Christ Iesus his eternall veritie lately borne amongst us that to this day no time hath been granted unto us to cleare our consciences as most gladly we would have done For how we have been tossed at times heretofore the most part of Europe as we suppose doth understand But seeing that of the infinite goodnesse of our God who never suffereth his afflicted utterly to be confounded above expectation we have obtained some rest and libertie we would not but set forth this briefe and plaine confession of such doctrine as is proponed unto us and as we beleeve and professe partly for satisfaction of our brethren whose hearts we doubt not have been and yet are wounded by the despitefull railing of such as yet have not learned to speake well and partly for stopping of the mouthes of the impudent blasphemers who boldly damne that which they have neither heard nor yet understood Not that we judge that the cankred malice of such is able to be cured by this our simple confession No we know the sweet savour of the Gospell is and shall be death to the sonnes of perdition but we have chief respect to our weake and infirme brethren to whom we would communicate the bottome of our hearts lest that they be troubled or carried away by diversitie of rumours which Satan spreads abroad against us to the defacing of this our most godly enterprise protesting that if any man shall note in this our confession any article or sentence repugning to Gods holy word and doe admonish us of the same in writing we by Gods grace doe promise unto him satisfaction from the mouth of God that is from his holy Scriptures or else reformation of that which he shall prove to be amisse For God we take to record in our consciences that from our hearts we abhorre all sects of heresie and all teachers of erronious doctrine and that with all humilitie we imbrace the puritie of Christs Gospell which is the onely food of our souls and therefore so precious unto us that we are determined to suffer the extremitie of worldly danger rather then that we will suffer our selves to be defrauded of the same for hereof we are most certainly perswaded that whosoever denieth Christ Iesus or is ashamed of him in the presence of men shall be denied before the Father and before his holy angels And therefore by the assistance of the Almightie the same our Lord Iesus we firmly purpose to abide to the end in the confession of this our faith as by articles followeth Of God VVE confesse and acknowledge one onely God to whom Deut. 6. Isa 44. Deut. 4. onely we must cleave whom onely we must serve whom onely we must worship and in whom onely we must put our trust who is eternall infinite unmeasurable incomprehensible omnipotent invisible one in substance and yet distinct in three Matth. 28. Gen. 1. persons the Father the Son and the holy Ghost By whom we confesse and beleeve all things in heaven and earth as well visible as invisible to have been created to be retained in their being and to be ruled and guided by his inscrutable providence to such end as his eternall wisdome goodnesse and justice hath appointed Prov. 16. them to the manifestation of his glory Of the creation of Man VVE confesse and knowledge this
soever they have professed For as without Christ Iesus there is neither life nor salvation so shall there none be participant thereof but such as the Father hath given unto his Sonne Christ Iesus and those in time to come unto him avow his doctrine and beleeve in him we apprehend the children with the faithfull parents This Church is invisible known only to God who alone knoweth whom he hath chosen and comprehendeth as well as is said the Elect that be departed commonly called the Church triumphant as those that ye live and sight against sinne and Satan and shall live hereafter The immortalitie of the soules THe Elect departed are in peace and rest from their labours Apâ—c 14. Apoc. 7. not that they sleepe and come to a certaine oblivion as some phantastikes doe affirme but that they are delivered from all feare and torment and all temptation to which we and all Gods Elect are subject in this life and therefore doe beare the name of the Church militant as contrariwise the reprobate and unfaithfull departed have anguish torment and paine that cannot be expressed So that neither are the one nor the other in such sleep that they feele not their torment as the parable of Christ Iesus in the 16. of Luke his words to the thiefe and these words of the Luke 16. soules crying under the Altar O Lord thou art righteous and Apoc. 6. iust how long shalt thou not avenge our blood upon these that dwell in the earth doe testifie Of the notes by which the true Church is discerned from the false and who shall be iudge of the doctrine BEcause that Satan from the beginning hath laboured to deck his pestilent Synagogue with the title of the Church of God and hath inflamed the hearts of cruell murderers to persecute Gen. 4. 21. 17. trouble and molest the true Church and members thereof as Caine did Abel Ishmael Isaac Esau Jacob and the whole priesthood of the Iewes Christ Iesus himselfe and his Apostles after Mat. 23. Iohn 11. Acts 3. hiw It is a thing most requisite that the true Church be discerned from the filthy Synagogues by cleere and perfect notes lest we being deceived receive and imbrace to our condemnation the one for the other The notes signes and assured tokens whereby the immaculate spouse of Christ Iesus is knowne from the horrible harlot the Church malignant we affirme are neither antiquitie title usurped lineall descent place appointed nor multitude of men approving an errour for Cain in age and title was preferred to Abel and Seth Ierusalem had prerogative above all places of the earth where also were the Priests lineally descended from Aaron and greater number followed the Scribes Pharisies and Priests then unfainedly beleeved and approved Christ Iesus and his doctrine and yet as we suppose no man of sound judgement will grant that any of the forenamed were the Church of God The notes therefore of the true Church of God we beleeve confesse and avow to be first the true preaching of the word of God in the which God hath revealed himselfe unto us as the writings of the Prophets and Apostles doe declare Ioh 1. 20. Secondly the right administration of the Sacraments of Christ Iesus which must be annexed unto the word and promise of Rom 4. God to seale and confirme the same in our hearts Lastly Ecclesiasticall discipline uprightly ministred as Gods word prescribeth 1 Cor. 5. whereby vice is repressed and vertue nourished Wheresoever then these former notes are seene and of any time continue be the number never so few above two or three there without all doubt is the true Church of Christ who according to his promise is in the middest of them Not in the universall of which we have before spoken but particular such as was in Corinthus Acts 16. 18. 1 Cor. 2. Acts 20. Gallacia Ephesus and other places in which the Ministerie was planted by Paul and were of himselfe named the Churches of God and such Churches we the inhabitants of the Realme of Scotland professours of Christ Iesus professe our selves to have in our Cities townes and places reformed For the doctrine taught in our Churches is contained in the written word of God to wit in the Books of the Old and New Testaments in those Books we mean which of the ancient have been reputed Canonicall In the which we affirme that all things necessarie to be beleeved for the salvation of mankinde are sufficiently expressed The interpretation whereof we confesse neither appertaineth to private nor publique person neither yet to any Church for any preheminence or prerogative personall or locall which one hath above another but appertaineth to the Spirit of God by the which also the Scripture was written When controversie then happeneth for the right understanding of any place or sentence of scripture or for the reformation of any abuse within the Church of God we ought not so much to looke what men before us have said or done as unto that which the holy Ghost uniformely speaketh within the body of the Scriptures and unto that which Christ Iesus himselfe did and commanded to be done For this is one thing universally granted that the Spirit of God which is the spirit of unitie is in nothing contrary to himselfe 1 Cor. 1â—â— If then the interpretation determination or sentence of any Doctor Church or Councel repugne to the plaine word of God written in any other place of the Scripture it is a thing most certaine that there is not the true understanding and meaning of the holy Ghost although that Councels Realmes and Nations have approved and received the same For we dare not receive or admit any interpretation which repugneth to any principall point of our faith or to any other plaine text of Scripture or yet unto the rule of charitie The authoritie of the Scriptures AS we beleeve and confesse the Scriptures of God sufficiently to instruct and make the man of God perfect so doe we 1 Tim. 3. affirme and avow the authoritie of the same to be of God and neither doe depend on men nor Angels We affirme therefore that such as alledge the Scripture to have no other authoritie but that which he hath received from the Church are blasphemous against God and injurious to the true Church which alwaies heareth and obeyeth the voyce of her own spouse and Pastour Iohn 10. but taketh not upon her to be maistresse over the same Of the generall Councels of their power authoritie and causes of their convention AS we do not rashly damne that which godly men assembled together in generall Councel lawfully gathered have proponed unto us so without just examination we doe not receive whatsoever is obtruded unto men under the name of a generall Councel for plain it is as they were men so have some of them manifestly erred and that in matters of great weight and importance So farre then as the Councel proveth
rehearsing the context of every Confession because we were to have regard of the order of things and doctrine rather then either of the time or worthinesse of the Churches and Authours that wrote them or other such like circumstance therefore it seemed good without any envie or preiudice of other Confessions either more ancient or more famous to give the first place to the latter Confession of Helvetia both because the order thereof seemed more fit and the whole handling of doctrine more full and convenient and also because that Confession was publiquely approved and subscribed unto by very many Churches of divers Nations Farther upon this doe the rest fitly follow to wit the former Confession of Helvetia and then all other without any choise indifferently save that we had rather ioyne together the Confessions of Germany then sever them each from other according to the argument of every Section Yet we were inforced to put that Confession of the foure Cities as received somewhat late in the last place Which order notwithstanding if it shall not seeme fit and convenient to any it may easily be altered in the second Edition as other Confessions also if any such besides these shall be wanting may in their due place be adioyned To conclude that the godly Reader may want nothing and that no man may suspect any thing to be taken away or added to any of those Cofessions we have here set downe the Articles or chiefe points in the order wherein they were first written Which we desire every man favourably to interpret and to enioy this our labour rather seeking peace and agreement then maliciously hunting after occasions of dissentions PROPER CATALOGVES FOR EVERIE CONFESSION CONTAINED IN THIS HARMONIF AFTER THAT ORDER wherein they were first written The Articles of the former Confession of Helvetia SCripture 1 Interpretation 2 Fathers 3 Humane Traditions 4 The drift of the Scripture 5 God 6 Man and his strength 7 Originall sinne 8 Free will 9 The eternall Counsell touching the restoring of man 10 Iesus Christ and those benefits which we reape by him 11 The drift of the doctrine of the Gospel 12 Faith and the force thereof 13 The Church 14 Of the Ministers of the word 15 Ecclesiasticall power 16 The choosing of Ministers 17 The head shepheard of the Church 18 The duties of Ministers 19 Of the force and efficacie of the Sacraments 20 Baptisme 21 The Eucharist 22 Holy assemblies 23 Of Heretikes and Schismatikes 24 Of things indifferent 25 Of the Magistrate 26 Of holy Wedlocke 27 The Chiefe points of the latter Confession of HELVETIA OF the holy Scripture being the true word of God 1 Of Interpreting the holy Scripture and of Fathers Councels and Traditions 2 Of God his unitie and the Trinitie 3 Of Idols or Images of God Christ and Saints 4 Of the Adoration worship and Invocation of God through the onely Mediatour Iesus Christ 5 Of the providence of God 6 Of the creation of all things of Angels the Devil and Man 7 Of the fall of man sinne and the cause of sinne 8 Of free will and so of mans power and abilitie 9 Of the Predestination of God and Election of the Saints 10 Of Iesus Christ being true God and man and the onely Saviour of the world 11 Of the law of God 12 Of the Gospel of Iesus Christ of the promises also of the spirit and the letter 13 Of Repentance and the Conversion of man 14 Of the true iustification of the faithfull 15 Of Faith and good works and of their reward and the merit of man 16 Of the Catholique and holy Church of God and of the onely head of the Church 17 Of the Ministers of the Church their institution and duties 18 Of the Sacraments of the Church of Christ 19 Of holy Baptisme 20 Of the holy Supper of the Lord. 21 Of holy and Ecclesiasticall assemblies 22 Of the Prayers of the Church of singing and Canonicall houres 23 Of holy dayes fasts and choise of meates 24 Of Comforting or visiting the sick 25 Of the buriall of the faithfull and the care that is to be had for the dead and of purgatorie and the appearing of Spirits 26 Of Rites Ceremonies and things indifferent 27 Of the goods of the Church 28 Of single life Wedlocke and the ordering of a Family 29 Of the Magistrate 30 The Articles of the Confession of Basil OF God 1 Of man 2 Of the care of God toward us 3 Of Christ being true God and true man 4 Of the Church 5 Of the Supper of our Lord. 6 Of the Magistrate 7 Of Faith and workes 8 Of the last day 9 Of things commanded and not commanded 10 Against the errour of the Anabaptistes 11 The chiefe points of the Confession of Bohemia OF the holy Scripture and of Ecclesiasticall writers 1 Of Christian Catechising 2 Of the unitie of the divine essence and of the three Persons 3 Of the knowledge of himselfe Also of sinne the causes and fruits hereof and of the promises of God 4 Of repentance 5 Of Christ the Lord and of Iustification through faith in him 6 Of good workes which be holy actions 7 Of the holy Catholique Church the order and discipline hereof and moreover of Antichrist 8 Of the Ministers of the Church 9 Of the word of God 10 Of the Sacraments in generall 11 Of holy Baptisme 12 Of the Supper of the Lord. 13 Of the Keyes of Christ 14 Of things accessory that is of rites or Ecclesiasticall ceremonies 15 Of the politique or civill Magistrate 16 Of Saints and their worship 17 Of fasting 18 Of single life and wedlocke or the order of married folke 19 Of the time of Grace 20 The Articles of the French Confession OF God and his one onely essence 1 Of the knowledge of God 2 Of the Canonicall bookes of the holy Scripture 3 Of distinguishing the Canonicall booke from the Apocryphall 4 Of the authoritic of the word of God 5 Of the Trinitie of the Persons in one onely essence of God 6 Of the creation of the world 7 Of the eternall providence of God 8 Of the fall of man and his free-will 9 Of originall sinne 10 Of the propagation of originall sinne and of the effects thereof 11 Of the free election of God 12 Of the repairing of man from his fall through Christ 13 Of two natures in Christ 14 Of the hypostaticall union of his two natures 15 Of the death resurrection of Christ and of the fruit thereof 16 Of the merit and fruit of the sacrifice of Christ 17 Of the remission of sinnes and true Iustification 18 Of the Intercession or Mediation of Christ 19 Of iustifying Faith and the gift and effects thereof 20 21 22 Of the abolishing of ceremonies and true use of the mor all law 23 Of the intercession of Saints Purgatory and other superstitious traditions of the Popish sort 24 Of the ministery of the Gospell 25 Of the unitie of the Church and the true