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
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
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
the same place in the marginall note upon the word Saints Neverthelesse we confesse that they serve in Gods presence and that they reigne with Christ everlastingly because they acknowledged Christ and both in deed and word confessed him to be their Saviour redemption and righteousnesse without any addition of mans merit For this cause doe we praise and commend them as those who have obteined grace at Gods hand and are now made heires of the everlasting kingdome Yet doe we ascribe all this to the glory of God and of Christ We plainly protest that we condemne and renounce all strange Artic. 11. and erroneous doctrines which the spirits of errours bring forth c. And ss 2. Of the selfe same article We condemne that doctrine which saith that we may in no case sweare although Gods glory and the love of our neighbour require it And in the marginall note upon the word Sweare It is lawfull to use an oath in due time For God hath commanded this in the old Testament and Christ hath not forbidden it in the new yea Christ and the Apostles did sweare Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA or the WALDENSES Of the unitie of the divine Essence and of the three Persons CHAP. 3. OVt of this fountaine of holy Scripture and Christian instruction according to the true and sound understanding and meaning of the holy Ghost our men teach by faith to acknowledge and with the mouth to confesse that the holy Trinitie to wit God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are three distinct Persons but in essence one onely true alone eternall almightie and incomprehensible God of one equall indivisible divine essence Of whom through whom and in whom are all things Rom. 11. Exod. 20. who loveth and rewardeth righteousnesse and vertue but hateth and punisheth all iniquitie and sinne According to this faith men are taught to acknowledge the wonderfull workes of God and those properties which are peculiar to each person of the holy Trinitie and of the Divine Vnitie and to acknowledge the soveraigne and infinite power wisedome and goodnesse of the one onely God out of which also ariseth and proceedeth the saving knowledge as well of the Essence as of the will of God One kind of workes or properties of the three persons of the Godhead by which they are discerned one from the other are the inward eternall and hypostaticall proprieties which alwaies remaine immutable and are onely apprehended by the eyes of faith and are these That the father as the fountaine and wel-spring of the Godhead from all eternitie begetteth the Sonne equall to himselfe and that himselfe remaineth not begotten neither yet is he the person of the Sonne seeing he is a person begetting not begotten The Sonne is begotten of the eternall Father from all eternitie true God of God and as he is a person he is not the Father but the Sonne begotten of the essence or nature of the Father and consubstantiall with him which Sonne in the fulnesse of time which he had before appointed for this purpose himselfe alone as he is the Sonne tooke unto him our nature of the blessed Virgin Mary and united it into one person with the godhead whereof we shall speake afterward But the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne and so he is neither the Father nor the Sonne but a person distinct from them eternall and the substantiall love of the Father and of the Sonne surpassing all admiration these three persons are one true God as is aforesaid The other kind of workes in these persons and in the unitie of the godhead issueth as it were into open sight out of the divine essence and the persons thereof in which being distinct they have manifested themselves and these are three The first is the wonderfull worke of Creation which the Creeds doe attribute to the Father The second is the worke of Redemption which is proper to Christ The third is the worke of Sanctification which is ascribed to the holy Ghost for which cause he in the Apostles Creed is peculiarly called holy And yet all these are the proper workes of one true God and that of him alone and none other to wit the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost This true and absolute faith and difficult knowledge of God as well concerning his nature as his will is comprehended and contained in the aforenamed Catholike and Apostolicall Creede and in the decree of the Nicene Councell agreeing therewith and in many other sound decrees and also in Athanasius his confession All which we judge and professe to be true But it hath everlasting and sure grounds on which it relyeth and most weightie reasons by which it is out of the holy Scripture convinced to be true as by that manifestation wherein the whole Trinitie shewed it selfe when Christ the Lord was baptized in Iordane by the commandment Matt. 3. Matt. 28. of Christ because in the name of the persons of the same holy Trinitie all people must be baptized and instructed in the faith Also by Christs words when he saith the holy Ghost the Comforter whom the Father will send in my name shall teach you all these Iohn 14. things and before these words he saith I will pray the Father and he will give you another Comforter who shall be with you for ever even the spirit of truth Besides we teach that this onely true God one in essence and in divine nature and three in persons is above all to be honoured with high worship as chiefe Lord and King who ruleth and reigneth alwaies and for ever and especially after this sort that we looke unto him above all and put all our confidence in him alone and offering unto him all subjection obedience feare all faith love and generally the service of the whole inward and outward divine worship doe indeed sacrifice and performe it under paine of loosing everlasting salvation as it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve and againe Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Deut. 6. Matt. 22. Mar. 12. Luk. 10. with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy minde and to be short with all thy might as well of the inward as outward powers to whom bee glory from this time forth for evermore Amen Of holy men and their worship CHAP. 17. AS touching holy men it is taught first that no man from the beginning of the world unto this time either was is or can be henceforth unto the end sanctified by his workes or holy actions according to the saying of Moses the faithfull servant of the Lord when he cried out unto the Lord O Lord in thy sight no man Exod. 34. Iob. 15. is innocent that is perfectly holy And in the book of Iob it is written What is man that he should be undefiled and he that is borne of a woman that he should appeare iust to wit before God Behold
cover our great and unspeakable miseries Thus for the Mediatours sake both the person is received and also our works doe please God that in either of them our faith may shine Therefore Peter saith 1 Pet. 2. Offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Iesus Christ This comfort is set forth Rom. 8. Now there is no condemnation to them which doe walke in Christ Iesus And Rom. 3. Ye are not under the law but under grace In that place this question is asked whether our obedience doe please God seeing it doth not satisfie the law Paul answereth that it doth please God Because we are not under the law that is condemned by the law but we are under grace reconciled or received into favour Rom. 8. Who shall condemâ—e Christ hath died for us and is risen againe and sitteth at the right hand of God and maketh request for us that is holy men doe please God for the Son his sake who also offered his obedience for us and maketh request for us We must oppose these sayings to doubting lest faith and invocation be extinguished for doubting doth weaken our invocation Seeing therefore that we know both that new obedience as necessary and that helpe is certainly given us and that this obedience doth please God although it be unperfect and needie let us acknowledge the infinite mercie of God and give thanks for it and have a great care how to governe our actions because we know that we are both helped and that this obedience is acceptable to God for the Sons sake And let this necessitie be alwaies in our eyes that if the benefits of God to wit Iustification and Regeneration be shaken of we loose eternall life according to that saying We shall be cloathed if so be that we be not found naked And Rom. 8. If any have not the Spirit of Christ he is not his And alwaies in Iustification let there be also a beginning of newnesse of life The theefe hanging on the crosse hath good works and those both internall and externall it grieveth him that he had sinned and he confesseth that he is justly punished then by faith he doth acknowledge the Saviour and desireth salvation of him and therefore he heareth expresse absolution and the preaching of eternall life and the promise and resteth in this voice of the Messias and submitteth himselfe to God and doth not beare the punishment impatiently but is eased by acknowledging the Messias and by the hope of eternall life and giveth thanks to God Moreover to give an evident token of his confession he found fault with the other which cursed Christ These things are done by him because this very Messias being partner with him in his punishment in a word doth teach his minde and by the same comfort the Word is effectuall in him and through him the eternall Father doth poure the holy Ghost into the heart of this hearer that he may kindle in him joy love invocation hope of eternall life and other vertues Of Rewards PAul saith Rom. 6. Eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord and they that are reconciled or justified Are heires annexed with the Sonne of God and that for his sake not for their own merits Faith receiving remission of sins and justification and the hope of eternall life doe relie upon the Son of God the Mediatour as it is said Joh. 6. This is the will of the Father that every one that beleeveth in him should have eternall life And Rom. 5. Being iustified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have accesse through faith unto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce under the hope of eternall life He joyneth faith and hope together and affirmeth that either of them doth relie upon the Mediatour And it is manifest that hope ought not to relie on our works because it is said Psal 142. No man living shall be iustified in thy sight But as they which repent are accounted just by faith for the onely Sonne of God his sake and for him and through him are quickned so for him and not for our merits is eternall life given unto us as the thiefe on the crosse heareth this promise To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luk 23. Neither must we dreame that the Sonne of God did merit or give unto us a preparation onely to eternall life but let that most comfortable saying of Hosea be alwaies in our sight O death I will be thy death O hell I will be thy destruction For by the Son of God and through him we are delivered from eternall death and translated into life eternall as he saith I give unto them eternall life And 1 Joh. 5. He that hath the Son hath life And let hope be sure and firme as Peter saith 1 Pet. 1. Hope perfectly that is looke for eternall life not with doubtfull opinion in an assured hope to wit for the Mediatours sake And Augustine saith well in his booke of Meditations The certaintie of our whole confidence consisteth in the blood of Christ Let us hold both these points assuredly that he which repenteth doth freely by faith receive remission of sins and justification for the Sonne of God his sake and that he is an heire of eternall life as Paul saith Rom. 8 As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God And if they be children they are also the heires of God Yet notwithstanding this also is true * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession in the 4. Sect. that they which doe shake of the holy Ghost falling from faith or sinning grievously against their conscience and doe not returne unto God by repentance are not heires as it is said Galat. 5. They which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God And 1 Tim. 2. Fight a good fight having faith and a good conscience which some have put away and as concerning faith have made shipwracke And Matth. 25. I was hungry and ye gave me not to eate And These shall goe into everlasting punishment but the righteous shall goe into life eternall Now although life eternall is given to the regenerate for the Sonne of God yet withall it is also a reward of good works as it is said Your reward is plentifull in heaven as a patrimonie is the reward of the labours of a sonne although it be given to the sonne for another cause Moreoever God hath added unto good workes certaine promises of his and therefore even for the good works of holy men God doth give spirituall and corporall gifts even in this life and that diversly as it seemeth good to his unspeakable wisdome 1 Tim. 4. Godlinesse hath the promises of the life present and of that that is to come Mark 10. They shall receive a hundred fold in this life but with tribulation and after this life eternall life Matth. 10. Whosoever shall give unto one of
world but that the world through him might be saved He that beleeveth in him shall not be condemned but he that beleeveth not is condemned already because he beleeveth not in the onely begotten Sonne of God Therefore if any man shall depart out of this life in the faith of Christ he hath a I the merit of Christ and needeth none other For God which gave his Sonne doth also give all things with him as Paul saith But he that departeth hence without Christ cannot be helped by any merits of men because that without Christ there is no salvation Cyprian against Demet. Tract 1. saith When a man is once departed hence there is no place left for repentance there is no effect of satisfaction here life is either lost or held fast here we must provide for eternall salvation by the service or worship of God and by the fruit of faith And Hierome upon the Epistle to the Gal. Chap. 6. saith We are taught by this small sentence though obscurely a new point of doctrine lyeth hid to wit that whilest we be in this present world we may help one another either by prayers or by counsell but when we shall come before the tribunall seat of Christ it is not Iob nor Daniel nor Noe that can intreat any thing for us but every man shall beare his owne burden For as touching that which is cited out of the Maccabees That sacrifices were offered for the sinnes of the dead the Authour himselfe of the booke doth doubt in the end of the booke whether he hath written well c. craveth pardon if in any point he hath erred Therefore let us pardon him that without any authoritie of the holy Scripture he affirmeth that the dead are freed from their sin by the sacrifices and prayers of them that be alive And Tertullian saith Oblations are made one day every yeere for them that are dead But this was either received without authoritie of the word of God from the customes of the heathen as many other things were or by the name of Oblation we must understand a publique remembrance of those which died in the faith of Christ and a thanksgiving for those benefits which God bestowed upon them CHAP. 25. Of Purgatorie ALthough we ought not to doubt but that the Saints have their Purgatorie fire in this life as the examples of David Ezechias Jonas and others doe witnesse yet it is not without cause doubted whether that after this life there be such a Purgatorie as the common sort of men do thinke there is wherein the souls be so long tormented till either by their punishment they doe satisfie for their sins or be redeemed by Indulgences For if Purgatorie be such a thing it is much to be marvelled at that neither the Prophets nor the Apostles have in their writings delivered unto us any thing thereof certainly and plainly but rather doe teach and that not obscurely the cleare contrary Mark 16. Preach ye the Gospell to every creature he that shall beleeve and be baptized shall be saved but he that will not beleeve shall be condemned Here be two degrees of men placed the one of them which beleeve the Gospell and they are pronounced saved the other of them which doe not beleeve the Gospell and these are pronounced condemned there is no meane betwixt these two For either thou doest depart out of this life in the faith of Iesus Christ and then thou hast remission of thy sinnes for Christ his sake and the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed to thee Therefore he which dyeth being accompanied with Christ he wanteth nothing toward the obtaining of true and eternall life but he which departeth from hence without Christ goeth into eternall darknesse If beside these two degrees there were some other third state of souls in another world certainly Paul Who was taken up into Paradise and into the third heaven and saw many secret things would not have envied the Church this knowledge But see when he doth of set purpose write to the Thessalonians concerning Christians that sleepe he maketh no mention at all of any Purgatorie but rather willeth them Not to be sorrowfull even as others which have no hope Therefore if there were any such state of souls in another world as the common people thinketh there is Paul could not be withheld but in so fit a place he would plainly have declared this state of souls and would have prescribed a meane unto the Church whereby miserable souls might be delivered from their torment But the true Catholike Church in deed hath plainly shewed that she hath no certaintie at all concerning this third kinde of the state of souls in another world Chrysostome in his second Sermon of Lazarus saith If thou hast violently taken any thing from any man restore it and say as doth Zacheus If I have taken from any man by forged cavillation I restore fourefold If thou art become an enemie to any man be reconciled before thou come to iudgement Discharge all things here that without griefe thou maist behold that tribunall seat Whilest we be here we have many excellent hopes But so soone as we depart thither it is not then in our power to repent nor to wash away our sins And againe He that in this present life shall not wash away his sins shall not finde any comfort afterward Augustine although he place certaine men in the middest betwixt them that be very good and those that be very evill to the one sort whereof he seemeth to assigne the place of Purgatorie yet in other places he doubteth of that matter and doth not define any certaintie Therefore we must so thinke of this opinion of Augustine as he requireth that is we must receive that which is confirmed either by the authoritie of the Scripture or by probable reason But it is evident that those places of the Scripture which are commonly cited to establish Purgatorie are wrested from the naturall to a strange sense and are farre otherwise expounded even of the ancient Writers themselves And those reasons which Augustine bringeth for his opinion doe seeme to leane to this foundation That we obtaine remission of our sins and life not onely for Christ his sake through faith but also for the merits of our works But how this agreeth with the true Apostolike doctrine we have before declared Wherefore we thinke that this speculation of Purgatorie fire is to be left to it own authors and that we must chiefly doe this as Paul exhorteth us that we may confirme our selves one another with speeches touching the assured faith of our resurrection and salvation in Christ Iesus for whose sake God doth so favour the faithfull that in the middest of death he preserveth them and giveth them true peace Out of the Confession of SVEVELAND Of Prayers and fastings CHAP. 7. VVE have among us Prayers and Religious Fasts which are These things which are mingled in this 7. and after in the 10.
your fathers but walke in my commandements And often are such warnings repeated And Psal 1 18. Thy word is a lanterne to my feet And Numb 15. Let them not follow their owne imaginations The third error is this Hypocrites doe imagine that such works are a kinde of perfection as Monks doe preferre their vowes full of vanitie before the civill and housholders life whereas God by his wonderfull providence hath so joyned mankinde together in fellowship and in these travels and dangers would have our faith prayer and confession or liberalitie one toward another or patience and other vertues to be tried The fourth errour is the opinion of necessitie as some doe write That the fasting of Lent is necessary and other things are arbitrary Neither is it onely a torment of conscience to judge that he is no Christian nor member of the Church of God that eateth flesh on the Saturday or observeth not the fast of Lent but it is also an error that darkeneth great matters as the doctrine of the righteousnes of the Gospel and of the Church what manner of Church it is and how the members of the Church are to be discerned not by meat and drink but by faith prayer and other vertues And against the opinion of necessitie it is expresly said Col. 2. Let no man iudge you in meat or drinke And Gal. 5. Stand in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made you free and be not againe intangled with the yoke of bondage And that opinion of necessitie hath alwaies bread great discord as in time past there was great contention about Easter day and about leven and now also many such like contentions have risen The fifth errour To the former opinions this errour also is added that the Bishops take to themselves authoritie to ordaine new kinds of worship and to binde consciences as Gregory hath ordained That married men translated to the order of priesthood should forsake the company of their wives and the constitution of confession commandeth to recken up sins and decrees have been made of differences of meats and fasting and such like Of such traditions there are also late bookes set forth full of labyrinths wherein it is written that the transgressions of such ceremonies are mortall sins yea though they be committed without giving offence to others Gerson sought for some mittigations but the true comfort is the voice of the Gospel which would have the understanding of this liberty to be made knowne and maintained in the Church namely by removing those errors whereof hath been spoken But ceremonies invented by man such as are seemely devised for order may be observed without any opinion of merit worship or necessitie as hath been aforesaid out of the Col. 2. Let no man iudge you in meat or drinke And Peter saith Act. 15. Why do ye tempt God laying upon the necks of the disciples a yoke which neither your fathers nor we were able to beare The third rule Those errors being removed whereof the Church must needs be admonished afterward we both observe certain ceremonies which are comely and made for good order and also teach that they ought to be observed even as men cannot live without order And Paul saith 1 Cor. 14. Let all things be done decently and in order And there is a saying of Athanasius Ceremonies are profitable but with knowledge of the truth and in measure It is plain that this last word is opposed to superstition which then also daily increased ceremonies and darkened the truth and burdened consciences and the Churches But we thank God the everlasting Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who for his Son and by him gathereth an eternall Church for that even from the first beginning of mankind he hath preserved the publike ministery of the Gospel and honest assemblies who himselfe also hath set apart certain times for the same and we pray him that henceforth he wil save and govern his Church And we diligently teach that all men ought to help to maintain the publike ministerie and avoid offences and dislentions that scatter the Church as in it proper place more at large is declared Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of Ecclesiasticall Ceremonies VVE acknowledge that by Christ the Sonne of God two Artic. 35. Ceremonies were ordained in the Church Baptisme and the Lords Supper which are also to be observed according to the institution of Christ We confesse also that the Apostles did appoint certaine ordinances in the Church That all things be done decently and in order as Paul speaketh such as they be that are set downe 1 Cor. 14. and 1. Tim. 2. The Apostles also in ordaining Ministers of the Church used laying on of hands which being retained out of the custome of the old Law and not being commanded to the Church may be freely observed They ordained also in the Acts of the Apostles That the Gentiles should beware of eating of that which was strangled and of blood not that this observation should be for ever among the Gentiles but for a time and so long to continue till this eating were no more offensive We confesse this also that it is lawfuâ—l for the Bishops with with the consent of their Church to appoint holy days lessons Sermons for edifying for instruction in the true faith in Christ But it is not lawfull for them to thrust upon the Church the ceremonies of the old law for the holy service wherewithall God alone is worshipped Neither is it lawfull either to restore the old ceremonies of the law or devise new to shadow forth the truth already laid open and brought to light by the Gospel as in the day light to set up candles to signifie the light of the Gospel or to carrie banners and crosses to signifie the victory of Christ through the Crosse Of which sort is all that whole furniture of massing attire which they say doth shadow out the whole passion of Christ and many other things of that kinde Much lesse is it lawfull to ordain ceremonies and holy rites by the merit whereof sin may be purged the kingdome of heaven purchased For of that former kind of ceremonies and holy rites Christ out of Esay preacheth saying In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the precepts of men And Paul saith Let no man iudge you in meat or drink or part of an holy day or of the new Moone c. Hitherto may be added the testimonies of Augustine others touching the observation of such ceremonies But touching the latter kind of ceremonies it is manifest that they are wicked rites reprochful to the death and resurrection of Christ by whose onely merit we have deliverance from sin and inheritance of eternall life by faith Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Of humane Traditions CHAP. 14. FVrthermore touching the traditions of the Fathers or such as the Bishops and Churches doe at this day ordaine this is the opinion of our men They reckon no traditions