one truth and that all differences amongst vs are almost onely in such matters as concerne not the life of religion but the exteriour shape and garment thereof And this by the guidance of our inuisible head Iesus Christ and his blessed spirit of truth in better and in a more excellent maner then they by their visible Iudge the pretended vicar of Christ vpon earth And touching the second that neither directly wee teach nor indirectly may bee deduced from our doctrines that God is the author of sinne is so euidently and sincerely discouered in this booke as none that readeth the same with aduisement can but account our aduersaries notorious callumniaters to lay so soule a crime to our charges vpon so silly a ground but no maruell seeing slandering and lying is one of the chiefe pillars of their kingdome These bee the profitable vses that may be made of this booke Now the God of all mercie direct all our thoughts words and works to the aduancement of his glorie and the edification of his Church And thus commending this booke to thy fauourable acceptance I commend thee to the grace of Christ Iesus Thine in the Lord and the poore seruant of Iesus Christ Thomas Beard Doctor of Diuinitie THE CONTENTS OF THIS DECLARATION FIrst there is placed a Preface of the cause and end of this Declaration After followeth the Declaration it selfe wherein are ten Chapters Containing as followeth The 1. Chapter That we haue not such a detestable faith as is measured to vs abroad The 2. Chapter What our faith is in very truth The 3. Chapter That we haue not founded and learned such our faith from blind reason much lesse from the reuelation of Satan as some calumniate vs also not out of the writings of failable men but onely and alone out of the infallible word of God through the gratious inlightning of his holy spirit The 4. Chapter That Doctor Luther of happie memorie did euen beleeue and teach as we beleeue and teach except that only one point of the holy supper And that also we differ not in the same point so much as many imagine The 5. Chapter Wherefore we cannot hold with Doctor Luther in all things about the point of the holy Supper The 6. Chapter That we do not beleeue and teach otherwise of the person of Christ then as Doctor Luther of happy memory did beleeue and teach excepting the vbiquitie of the body of Christ which he also at last renounced himselfe The 7. Chapter That wee doe not belieue and teach otherwise of the foreknowledge and almightie prouidence of God ouer all creatures and of the originall of sinne then as Doctor Luther of happie memory hath beleeued and taught thereof The 8. Chapter That we belieue and teach no otherwise of the euerlasting Predestination of God or of the free election by grace of the children of God to euerlasting life or which is all one from whence faith springeth then as Doctor Luther of happie memorie did beleeue and teach The 9. Chapter That we beleeue and teach no otherwise of holy Baptisme then as Doctor Luther of happie memorie published in the Smalkaldish Articles and in the Sermon of the blessed Sacrament of holy Baptisme anno 1519. deliuered his opinion The 10. Chapter That the Ceremonies which wee vse in our Churches are neither against the word of God nor Christian liberty These are the Chapters of this Declaration vpon which this conclusion followeth that for the same they haue no iust cause to condemne vs as heathens The Vollumes of Luther mentioned are his Dutch Vollumes OF THE END AND CONTENTS OF THIS DECLARATION CHristian louing Reader it cannot bee vttered what mischiefe the contention about the Sacrament hath done and yet dailie doth and is to be feared will doe more and more in the Protestant Churches Now we for our parts are not only readie to imbrace peace continually and for that ende haue tried all meanes to purchase the same whatsoeuer any Christians are bound to doe therein but so there are also many God fearing people on the aduerse part both of high and low degree who desire peace as gladly euen as we doe and would further it to the vttermost of their powers who also acknowledge that the meanes thereto propounded by vs that we namely whilest we agree in the foundation of faith should not condemne each other for difference in opinion about by-questions considering that it is vnpossible in this life that the perfection and vniforme confession of all the misteries of God should be holden by all members of Christ in all things as the Scripture witnesseth and experience hath alwaies manifested are Christian and agreeable to the word and will of God Onely they are hindrered by part of their portly preachers who say and write that it standeth not alone vpon some few by-questions but also that there is difference in opinion in the foundation of Christian faith and that we haue so many detestable errours that no Christian man can with good conscience acknowledge vs for brethren in Christ and according to the same hold peace and brothership with vs. That now this obstacle may bee remooued and that good-hearted people may know what to trust vnto about vs wee are willing once more adding to full measure to declare what we beleeue or doe not beleeue of all and euery point of doctrine and thereby also declare what wee vse for Ceremonies or doe not vse in our Churches with the causes added thereto wherefore we doe the one and not the other The merciful true God and Father be pleased to bestow his grace and blessing on such a work that the eies of many people may be opened thereby to the honor of him and benefit of his Churches Amen A FVLL DECLARATION OF THE FAITH AND CEREMOnies of the Pfaltzgraues Churches CHAP. I. That we haue not such a detestable faith as is measured to vs abrode by peace-hating people NOw to begin We protest before God and whole Christendome that wee haue not in any sort such a detestable faith as peace-hating people ascribe vnto vs whereas they say That we denie Gods omnipotency The 〈◊〉 thes◠〈◊〉 is to the◠〈◊〉 Cha◠〈◊〉 That we make God the authour of sinne That we make God to be a tyrant That we denie the Godhead of Christ That we denie the personall vnion of both the natures in Christ That wee say that the diuine and humane natures in in Christ haue in no sort any actuall and working fellowship one with the other That we denie originall sinne That wee say that the sonne of God died not for vs indeed and in truth but onely a bare man That we denie the power of the death of Christ That we denie the necessity of beleeuing in Christ and say that the vnbeleeuing heathens can be saued as well as the Christians That we make holy Baptisme of no effect That we deny the blisse making eating and drinking of the body and blood of
honour and our saluation shal require Euen as a generall doth who cannot determine all things at one time what hee will doe afterwards but must daily consult according as occasion is administred If our contradictors be of this opinion then doe wee roundly confesse that wee are not of their opinion For we do not beleeue in such an vnmighty God who might order and change his councels according to the willes and purposes of his creatures But we doe beleeue in such an almighty God after whose councell and will all creatures must bee ordered whether they doe it gladly or not wittingly or ignorantly This is our faith and we trust no man that doth know God shall lay any blame vnto vs for the same Also vnto this is commonly drawne the disputation about the fall of our first parents and it is demanded whether such a fâ—ll were before from euerlasting ordained by God and determined that it should come to passe or no and whether accordingly it must so come to passe Now it were much better that wee on both sides troubled our selues how wee might bee raised againe from this heauie fall then that wee should much dispute how wee came into the same But yet for all that to the end that nothing be kept in silence by vs we doe plainly confesse that wee doe not beleeue that God did create man at a venturous haphazard but wee are thus perswaded that God first and before hee created man did consider all things well not only how he would create them but also how hee would gouerne them and what hee would make or in what manner hee would vse them to his honour For if God also careth so for the sparrowes whereof two are sold for a farthing that not one of them shall fall to the ground without his will Mat. 10.29 How much more hath hee then so cared for mankind which hee created after his owne image from euerlasting that nothing could befall vnto him without his will And wee reade expresly also in the holy Scripture that God hath from euerlasting decreed with himselfe the disposition or order 1. Pet. 1.20 Mat. 20.16 Ephes 1.3.4.5 6.7.8.9.10.11.12 Rom. 9.21.22.23 how he would deale with the fallen posterity of mankind Namely that he would giue them his Sonne to be a Mediatour and would conuert many of them to him and shew his mercy and grace to them but vnto the other his iust anger against sinne How can we then doubt that hee also did purpose and determine in himselfe from euerlasting to permit the fall yea that hee created the same humane race euen for that disposition and order sake which he would hold in the gouernment of mans posterity for it is vnpossible that God should not attaine vnto the end which hee purposed in himselfe in the creating of man or else he must not be an almighty God Then is there now no need to prie and search into the secret councell of God what hee decreed from euerlasting therin about the creation and gouernment of the posterity of mankind The issue thereof demonstrateth it plainely enough were we now but so humble that wee would suffer our selues to bee tutored by God and desired not to tutor him But whereas some will conclude hence that if the fall of mankind were ordained of God from euerlasting then could it not possibly faile but hee must bee a causer thereof that doth not follow at all Euen as little as God is the cause that Iudas did betray Christ though indeed he determined that it should come to passe Luk. 22.22 The cause why it followes not is this for that God did not determine that he would himselfe found and worke the fall of mankind but onely that hee would permit the diuell to bee founder of it and man to set it a worke as it also came to passe The diuell hath founded the fall our first parents haue set it a worke all out of free will Therefore is not the guilt to bee ascribed to God the Lord but onely to themselues Which yet is such a wise and almighty God who could establish from euerlasting his owne vnfallible councels euen also of the same which his creatures would doe out of free will And so much also of this point CHAP. VIII That wee doe not bebeeue and teach otherwise of Gods euerlasting Election or of the free election by grace of the children of God to euerlasting life or which is all one of the ofspring of faith then as Doctor Luther of happy memory did beleeue and teach THe third point which is brought to the lights after the death of Doct. Luther and aboue other points at this present day is most eagerly pursued and encountred is about the euerlasting election of God or of the free election by grace of the children of God to euerlasting life Or which is all one of the fountaine from whence faith springeth Whereof we thus expressed our minds in the faithfull Admonition That mankind is so corrupted through the fall Pag 35. that he is neuer able to beleeue in Christ Now in English in pag. 14. Luth. or to come vnto him by his owne power though he be called to him by the Gospell but that hee may vnderstand and receiue the Gospell of Christ God together with the outward preaching of the Gospell must also inwardly open his vnderstanding and turne his heart to Christ by his holy spirit And so is faith nothing lesse then a worke of free will but a meere free gift of God which gift no man hath deserued of God it so being that all men are sinners But God giues such grace freely by grace to whom hee will But those whom he presently will those hath hee willed from euerlasting according to the saying of Iames From the beginning of the world God knoweth all his workes Therefore floweth faith from this spring euen the euerlasting foreknowledge of God And the faithfull haue no cause to ascribe it to themselues but to praise God that they doe beleeue The vnbeleeuers also cannot ascribe the fault to God but to themselues that they do not beleeue For though all men are so corrupted by nature that they cannot of themselues beleeue in Christ yet hath not God so corrupted them but they haue so corrupted themselues seeing that through the diuels prouocatioÌ„ they fel willingly from God About which fal no man hath cause to complaine against God though he should leaue all men in their destruction and vnbeleefe together And therefore that he doth helpe onely some out of the same for that they are to magnifie his mercy and not to dispute with him about the rest But when as one desireth to know whether God hath foreseene and chosen him to eternal life or not Then shal hee not search into the secret councell of God for such a searching is but in vaine and tendeth to no other end then to serue to bring another to dispaire or indeed vnto fleshly security
But when one desireth to bee assured whether he be ordained to saluation or no let him hold himselfe to the reuealed word of God and according to the command thereof beleeue in Christ and repent And then need he not further search whether he be elected to euerlasting life or not for all they that beleeue in Christ without hypocrisie are chosen to life euerlasting as it is written All that beleeue in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Now Doctor Muller confesseth In the brothership of the Protestant Churches Thes 141.142 Pag. 85. 86. 87. Pag 87. that this confession is right Onely he saith wee lest out something therein Some man might say what is that that saith he To whom God will giue the gift of faith and to whom he will not giue it whether his will stands so that he will bestow faith on all those who are called by the Gospell or only to saue few namely only those which he foresaw and chose to euerlasting life from euerlasting freely out of his meere good pleasure This saith he is the Bride for whom the dance is prouided About this question consists the maine point onely Therein the poore brothership of the Psaltzgrauians are as still as a mouse Answere This is the maine point What is the maine question in this matter and that alone is about this question whether God will only giue faith to them to whom he hath determined to giue the same freely out of meere pleasure Or whether from euerlasting God found and saw any where any cause in vs wherefore hee would giue faith to vs before others This doe we affirme But that we should haue purposely omitted the same in our faithfull Admonition and haue beene therein as still as the mouse to this do we say no. And we appeale to the eye sight Our words about this question are these And so is faith nothing lesse then a worke of free will but a meere free gift of God which gift no man hath deserued of God it so being that all men are sinners But God giues such grace freely by grace to whom hee will But those whom he presently will those hath hee willed from euerlasting according to the saying of Iames From the beginning of the world God knoweth all his workes Therefore floweth faith from this spring euen the euerlasting foreknowledge of God and the faithfull haue no cause to ascribe it to themselues but to praise God that they doe beleeue Doe you call that as still as the mouse do we not set both the affirmatiue and negatiue that is which is the cause or is not wherefore God determined to bestow faith on vs before others from euerlasting Is not the negatiue cleare no man hath deserued such a gift of God Is not the affirmatiue also cleere But God giues such grace freely by grace to whom he will but those whom hee presently will those hath he willed from euerlasting Could not Doct. Muller see there that wee set downe a free meere good pleasure of God Then you confesse might some man say that God freely out of meere pleasure did chuse some men before others to this end that hee would giue them faith Answere What needeth much questioning It standeth cleerly there in our faithfull Admenition No man hath deserued it of God but hee giues it to whom he will freely by meere grace That is indeed a free meere good pleasure And wherefore should wee bee ashamed of this confessiō which is so manifest in the word of God By grace are yee saued through faith saith Paul and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes lest any man should boast himselfe Ephes 2.8.9 Also It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 Also therefore he hath mercy on whom he will Rom 9.18 And the Sonne of God himselfe knowes not to giue any other witnesse of the cause wherefore God did hide the Gospell from the wise and men of vnderstanding and opened it to babes but the meere good pleasure of God It is so saith he O father because thy good pleasure was such Matth. 11.26 How should we poore sinners then finde any where and shew any other cause Well then saith Doctor Muller whilest you confesse that that God giueth the gift of faith to some men out of meere good pleasure and giues it not to others therefore can wee not acknowledg you for brethren For that is a very abominable doctrine Pag. 90. lin 7. whereby the foundation of faith cannot stand pure and stable Pag. 89. lin 15. 16. and Doctor Luther neuer taught so in all his life but the Caluinists diuels hose stinke thus But this is the true sould doctrine of the Lutherans saith Doctor Muller further that Gods free election hath his reference vnto faith that is Pag. 95. lin 15. 16. 17. as hee plainely exsed his mind in others of his writings which writings as also the agreeable writings of Hunnius are witnessed by Doctor Daniel Hofman professor of Helmstadt in his Apologie Pag. 46 vnto 67. that God foresaw from euerlasting who would beleeue in Christ. And those did he predestinate to euerlasting life For though no man of himselfe can fully beleeue in Christ yet could euery man doe so much out of naturall strength which when he doth God will vndoubtedly giue him faith For euery man can by the power of nature heare and meditate in the word of God Also desire to beleeue Also to remoue the thornes and thistles out of the heart which hindreth faith and in short make himself so qualified as his should be to whom God wil giue faith And such faith was for seen of God and his election founded thereupon Therefore is not Gods election a free meere decree of God but the cause is in man wherefore he chuseth one and not the other Doctor Mar. Luther of the cause why God did chuse one man before another Answere Then heare peace-louing Reader Doctor Luther himselfe if that bee his doctrine In no sort saith Doctor Luther But this is my doctrine Euen as a man before he was created did adde nothing nor endeauoured thereunto that he might bee a creature c. but it befell onely by the will of Diuine power and goodnesse c. So before a man be regenerate and become a new creature by the spirit and faith hee doth nothing thereunto neither can he striue any thing whereby he may prepare himselfe to the spirituall new birth and to the kingdome of God Tom. 6. Witt. Germ. fol. 548. B. Also If not we our selues but God worketh our saluation in vs then cannot we doe any blessed worke before such time as his worke is there though wee doe frame our selues and worke it the best wee can fol. 479. B. Also Wee haue there the pretious cleare words which sound thus he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will hee
therefore yeelds the Scripture for such personall vnions sake also to the Deity a Namely in concreto as he presently shewes himselfe all that belongeth to the humanity and contrariwise b Note The fellowship of the propertieâ— p sse to and againe namely as well from the manhood to the Godhead as from the godly to the humane nature but not onely from the godly to the humane nature as at present the Vbiquitists do teach And is in truth so also For this must thou confesse the person meaning Christ suffereth dieth Now the person is true God Therefore it is truly spoken Gods Sonne suffered For although indeed that one part that I may so speake as the Diuine suffereth not yet suffereth the person which is God in the other part as in the Deity Euen as is vsually spoken the Kings Sonne is wounded when onely his leg is wounded Salomon is white when yet his soule onely is white Absolon is faire when yet his body is onely faire Peter is bald when yet his head onely is bald For whilest body and soule is one person so long the whole person is rightly and well applied in all whatsoeuer betideth the body and soule yea the smallest member thereof This is the manner of reasoning in the whole world not in Gods word alone And indeed it is the very truth Heere Doctor Luther vnderstood not Zwinglius right but that concernes vs not at all at this day Note Doctor Luther acknowledgeth that in this speech Christ is dead there is a trope Onely be will not haue it that the same trope shall be called an Alloeosis but it shall be called a Synecdoche which is no thing else then a meere word-strife For in very truth the Sonne of God was crucified for vs that is the person which is God For it it I say to wit the person was crucified according to the manhood So shal we appropriate according to the whole person what betideth to the other part of the person for this cause that both is one person So also doe the old fathers speake and all new Diuines and all languages and the whole Scripture But the cursed Alloeosis turnes this about and changeth and appropriateth to the parts which in the Scripture is applied to the whole person making Tropes of his owne to peruert the Scripture and to separate the person c. And presently after Whilest hee Tropes so gladly why remaines he not by the old Trope which the Scripture and all diuines hitherto haue vsed heerein namely Synecdoche as Christ is dead according to the manhood c. Also they exclaime on vs that wee mixe the two natures in one essence That is not true Wee doe not say that the Godhead is the humanity or the diuine nature is the humane nature which were to mingle the natures into one essence * Note But wee mingle the two differing natures in one onely person and say God is man and man is God But wee exclaime againe on them that they separate the person of Christ as if it were two persons For if the alloeosis shall hold as Zwinglius handles it then must Christ bee two persons one diuine and one humane a That was neuer the opinion of Zwinglius whilest he drawes the speech of the sufferings of Christ onely vpon the humane nature b That did not Zwinglius doe with any other meaning then as a little before Doctor Luther had also done and turneth all things from the Deitie c Not otherwise then as Doctor Luther also in the af regoâ—ng words For if the workes shall be seauered and parted then must also the person bee separated whilest that all workes or sufferings are not appropriated to the natures but to the persons For it is the person that doth all and suffers all one after this nature the other after that nature d That is the opinion of Zwinglius as all the learned vnderstand it well Therefore doe we e We also Tom 7 fol. 84. B. and 85. A. hold our Lord Christ so for God and man in one person non confundendo naturas nec diuidendo personam that wee mingle not the natures nor separate the person The third place where Doctor Luther handled the doctrine de communicatione Idiomatum or of the communion of the properties is in the exposition of the 14 Chap. of Iohn written Anno 1538. where amongst others he saith thus Christ speaketh both the word of God and man out of which is powerfully declared that he is both true man and also true God Also if a man speake of Christ The properties of both natures shall be ascribed to the person of Christ hee must teach significantly that he is one onely person and yet two seuerall natures namely godly and humane Also that the person in Christ must remaine vnseparated so that on both sides the properties of the humane and Diuine nature are to bee ascribed to the whole person and bee said of him the man Christ borne of the Virgin Mary is Almighty and doth all that we entreat of him Christ is Almighty according to the godly and not according to the humane nature but not in respect of the manhood but because of the Diuine nature not for that he was borne of his mother but because hee is the Son of God Euen so also on the contrary Christ Gods Sonne entreates the Father not according to the Diuine nature or essence it so being that he is alike almighty with the Father but therefore for that he is true man and the Sonne of Mary The natures shal be difference made of and yet the person be vnseparated So that the words be so drawne together and made to agree according to the vnion of the person that euermore the natures be made differing and yet the person remaine vnseparated c. Of the person of Christ may be said the properties of both natures Note Yet shall he well seene vnto what is to be vnderstood after the humane or what after the Diuine Whilest then God and man is beleeued to be one person we ought also so to speake of him as both natures require that some sayings concerne the manhood but some the Godhead that it bee marked what hee speaketh after the humane nature and also what according to the Diuine For if it bee not respected and truly made difference of then must needs follow so manie heresies as haue been in former times whereas some did say he was not true God some others he was not true man For they could not so resolue with themselues that they should distinctly separate the twofold speech according to the two natures For oftentimes hee spake in such a manner as the simplest man vpon earth should hardly doe As where hee saith I am come not to be serued but to serue there likeneth he himselfe wholly to a seruant vnder all men for all that hee is true God and