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
maker they bid us trust assuredly that we are heard of the Father for Christs sake But as touching the Saints there are neither commandements nor promises nor examples for this purpose in the Scriptures And Christs office and honour is obscured when men flie to Saints and take them for Mediatours and invocate them and frame unto themselves an opinion that the Saints are more gracious and so transferre the confidence due to Christ unto Saints But Paul saith There is one Mediatour betweene God and men Therefore Christ especially requireth this worship that we should beleeve that he is to be sought unto that he is the Intercessour for whose sake we are sure to be heard c. In the third Edition these things are thus found Artic. 21. TOuching the worship of Saints they teach that the memory of Saints may be set before us that we may follow their faith and good works according to our calling as the Emperour may follow Davids example in making warre to drive away the Turks from his countrey for either of them is a King But the Scripture teacheth not invocate Saints or to aske help of Saints because it propoundeth unto us one Christ the Mediatour Propitiatour high Priest and intercessour This Christ is to be invocated and he hath promised that he will heare our prayers and liketh this worship especially to wit that he be invocated in all afflictions 1 Ioh. 2. If any man sin we have an Advocate with God c. Out of the Confession of SAXONY Of invocating godly men that are departed out of this life Artic. 22. IN the 42. Chapter of Esay it is written I am the Lord this is my name I will not give my glory to another Invocation is a glory most properly belonging to God as the Lord saith Matth. 4. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve And it is an immooveable and eternall Decree of the first Commandement Thou shalt have no strange Gods It is necessary therefore that the doctrin touching Invocation should be most purely upholden in the Church for the corrupting of which the devill even since the beginning of mankind hath and will divers wayes scatter seeds Wherefore we ought to be the more watchfull and with greater care to reteine the manner of invocation or adoration set down in Gods word according to that saying Whatsoever ye shall aske the Father in my name he will do it In these words there is an order established which we ought most constantly to maintaine not to mingle therewith other means contrary to Gods word or which are warranted by no example approoved in the Scriptures There is no greater vertue no comfort more effectuall then true invocation They therefore must needs be reprooved who either neglect true invocation or corrupt it as there be divers corruptions Many doe not discerne their own invocation from that which is heathenish neither indeed consider what it is which they speake unto Of these the Lord saith Iohn Chapter 4. Ye worship ye know not what He will have the Church to consider whereto it speaketh saying We worship that we know Many consider not whether or wherefore they shall be heard They recite prayers and yet they doubt although it be written Let him aske in faith without wavering Of these matters we will speake else-where In this place we reproove this heathenish corruption whereby the custome of those that caâ—â— upon men departed out of this life is defended and help or intercession is sought for at their hands Such invocation swarveth from God and giveth unto creatures vertue help or intercession For they that speake some what modestly speake of intercession alone But humane superstition goeth on farther and giveth vertue to them as many publike songs declare O Mary Mother of grace defend thou us from the enemie and receive us in the houre of death These short verses have we heard a Monk of their divinitie say before one that lay a dying and often repeating them wheras he made no mention of Christ and many such examples might be rehearsed There are yet also other brain-sick opinions Some are thought to be more gracious with such or such images these frantike imaginations seeing they are at the first sight like heathenish conceits doe undoubtedly both greatly provoke the wrath of God and are to be reprooved by the Teachers and sharply to be punished by Godly Magistrates which reproofe containeth these three manifest reasons To ascribe unto creatures omnipotencie is impietie Invocation of a creature which is departed from the societie of this life ascribeth unto it Omnipotencie because it is a confession that it beholdeth all mens hearts and discerneth the true sighes thereof from feined and hypocriticall These are onely to be given to the eternall Father to his Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ and to the holy Ghost Invocation therefore is not to be made to men that are departed out of this life It is to be lamented that these evils are not perceived but looke to thy selfe and weigh what thou doest in this invocation thou forsakest God and doest not consider what thou doest invocate and thou knowest that those patrones which thou seekest as Aâ—ne and George see not the motion of thy heart who if they know themselves to be invocated they would even tremble and would not have this honour 〈◊〉 to God given to any creatures But what kinde of invocation is there of the deafe Albeit we know what answer the Adversaries make for they have coyned cavils to delude the truth yet Gods testimonies are wanting to their answer and prayer which is without faith that is when thou canst not be resolved whether God allow and admit such kinde of praying is in vaine We remember that Luther often said that in the old Testament it is a cleare testimonie of the Messiah his Godhead which affirmeth that he is to be invocated and by this propertie is the Messias there distinguished from other Prophets he complained that that most weightie testimonie was obscured and weakened by transferring prayer to other men And for this onely cause he said that the custome of praying to other was to be misliked The second reason is Invocation is vaine without faith and no worship is to be brought into the Church without Gods commandement but there is no one sentence to be seene which sheweth that this prayer made to men which they maintaine pleaseth God and is effectuall the prayer therefore is vaine For what kinde of praying is it in this sort to come unto Anne or George I pray unto thee but I doubt whether thy intercession do me good I doubt whether thou hearest me or helpest me If men understood these hid sinnes they woudl curse such kinde of prayers as they are indeed to be cursed and are heathenish Afterward of such faults what outrages ensue flocking and praying to particular images craving certaine benefits of every one of Anne riches are begged as of Iuno of
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
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
Act. 15. Peter saith Why tempt ye God laying a yoke upon the necks of the disciples which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare but by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we hope to be saved as did also they Here Peter forbiddeth to burden the consciences with many rites whether they be of Moses or of any others appointing and 1 Tim. 4. he calleth the forbidding of meats a doctrine of devils because that it is flat against the Gospel to appoint or doe such workes to the end that by them we may merit remission of sinnes or justification or because that there could be no Christianitie without them Here our adversaries object against us that our Ministers hinder all good discipline and mortification of the flesh as lovinian did But the contrary may be seene by our mens writings For they have alwaies taught touching the Crosse that Christians must suffer afflictions This is the true earnest and unfeigned mortification to be exercised with divers afflictions and to be crucified with Christ Moreover they teach that every Christian must so by bodily discipline or bodily exercises and labour exercise and keepe under himselfe that fulnesse and sloth do not prick him up to sinne not that he may by such exercises merit such remission of the fault or of eternall death and this corporall discipline must alwaies be plied not onely to a few and those set dayes according to the commandement of Christ Take heed that your bodies be not oppressed with surfetting Againe This kinde of devill is not cast out but by fasting and prayer And Paul saith I chastise my body and bring it under subiection Where he plainly sheweth that he did therefore chastise his body not that by discipline hee might merit remission of sinnes but that his body might be apt and fit for spirituall things and to do his duty according to his calling Therefore we doe not condemne fasts themselves but the traditions which prescribe certaine daies and certaine meates with danger to the consciences as though such workes as these were necessary duties Yet many of the traditions are observed among us which tend unto this end that things may be done orderly in the Church as namely the * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession order of lessons in the Masse and the chiefest holy dayes But in the meane time men are admonished that such a service doth not justifie before God and that there is no sinne to be put in such things if they be left undone so it be without offence This libertie in humane rites and ceremonies was not unknowne to the fathers For in the East Church they kept Easter at another time then they did in Rome and when as they of the Church of Rome accused the East Church of Schisme for this diversitie they were admonished by others that such fashions should not be alike every where And Ireneus saith The disagreement about facting doth not breake off the agreement of faith Besides Pope Gregorie in the 12. distinction insinuateth that such diversitie doth not hurt the unitie of the Church and in the Tripartite history lib. 9. many examples of different rites are gathered together and these words are there rehearsed The minde of the Apostles was not to give precepts of holy daies but to preach godlinesse and a good conversation What is then to be thought of the Lords day and of such like rites used in Churches Hereunto they answer that it is lawfull for the Bishops or Pastors to appoint ordinances whereby things may be done in order in the Church not that by them we should merit remission of sins or satisfie for sins or that mens consciences should be bound to esteeme them as necessarie services and think that they sinne when they violate any one of them though it be without the offence of others So Paul ordained that women should cover their heads in the congregation that the Interpreters of Scripture should be heard in course or order in the church Such like ordinances it behoveth the Churches to keepe for charitie and quietnesse sake so farre forth that one offend not another that all things may be done in order and without tumult in the Church but yet with this caution that mens consciences be not burdened so as they should account them as things necessarie to salvation and think they did sin when they brake any one of them without offence of others as no man would say that a woman doth offend if she come abroad with her head uncovered without the offence of any Of this sort is the observation of the Lords day of Easter of Pentecost and such like holy dayes and rites For they that think that the observation of the Lords day was appointed by the authoritie of the Church instead of the Sabbath as necessarie they are greatly deceived The Scripture requireth that the observation of it should be now free for it teacheth that the Mosaicall ceremonies are not needfull after the Gospel is revealed And yet because it was requisite to oppoint a certain day that the people might know when to come together it seemeth that the Church did for that purpose appoint the Lords day which day for this cause also seemed to have better liked the Church that in it men might have an example of Christian libertie and might know that the observation neither of the Sabbath nor of any other day was of necessitie There are extant certaine monstrous disputations touching the changing of the law and the ceremonies of the new law and of the change of the Sabbath which did all spring up of a false perswasion that there should be a worship in the Church like to the Leviticall worship and that Christ gave the charge of devising new ceremonies which should be necessary to salvation to the Apostles and Bishops These errours crept into the Church when as the doctrine of faith was not plainely enough taught Some dispute that the observation of the Lords day is not indeed of the law of God but as it were of the law of God and touching holy days they prescribe how far it is lawful to work in them What else are such disputations but snares for mens consciences Out of the Confession of SAXONIE Of Anointing MOreover that which now is called Extreame anointing was in times past a kinde of healing as it is evident out of Art 19. ss 2. the Epistle of Saint James cap. 5. Now is it become a shew full of superstition They say that sinnes be forgiven through these anointings and they adde thereunto invocation of the dead which also must of necessitie be disliked Therefore these ceremonies are not kept in our Churches neither in times past did the Church think that they were necessary But for the sicke we doe make godly prayers publiquely and privately as also the Lord hath promised that he will asswage even corporall griefes in them that aske it of him according to that saying Psalme 49.
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
valiant and notable men deserve well at the hands of godly men as Gedeon Ezechias Iosias and Constantine and sundry others Wherefore you must thinke it your dutie also to take heed lest such things as be godly and profitably brought to light and reformed by God and learned men be smoothered againe and lest that wicked abuses be established by your authoritie The Psalme saith for thy temples sake in Ierusalem the King shall offer gifts unto thee The proper gifts that Kings are to bestow upon the Church are to search out true doctrine and to see that good teachers be set over the Churches to give diligence that the controversies of the Church may be rightly decided Not to take away true and holy doctrine but to raise it up and to set it forward and to defend it and rightly to set it in order and to maintaine the quiet concord of the Church By these true gifts most noble Emperour you may adorne the Church of Christ which especially both Christ himself requireth and the Churches that are rent and torne in most horrible manner doe crave at your hands Last of all seeing that humane traditions ought to give place to times and opportunities especially in the Church wherein there should be more regard had of the salvation of the godly and of love and publike peace then of any humane traditions it were a great deale better to make shew of abrogating this silly tradition of single life then to strengthen lusts to dissolve marriages to exercise crueltie against the Priests and their wives and chidren to oppresse true and holy doctrine and to make havocke of the Church We do therefore commend this matter of their marriage unto your piety and bountie O noble Emperour as that which hath no difficultie or doubtfulnesse in it For they that be governours both may and ought to abolish an unjust law And the laws of single life whether they be new or old belong only to humane equitie in mitigating whereof the authoritie of the Church should be of great force We could bring very many examples out of the Histories of all times and countries in which there might be seene horrible examples of judgements which followed upon uncleane lusts Among many other causes of the generall flood there is mention made of fleshly lusts Afterward five cities were swallowed up in an opening of the earth so as the lake called Asphalites was left as a perpetuall monument of that punishment when the Israelites were departed out of Egypt and divers had defiled themselves by going in unto Moabitish women the twelve Princes of the tribes were hanged up and twentie foure thousand men were slaine The Cananites after this were cleane rooted out and among the causes thereof incestuous copulations are namely reckoned up shortly after followed the overthrow of the tribe of Beniamin for abusing the Levites wife After this David was driven out of his kingdome for adultery And Ieremie in divers places cryeth out that these three idolatry oppressions and adulteries are the causes of those great calamities which overwhelmed the whole nation of the Iews then when they were carried captives to Babylon These things are written for this purpose that we might know certainly that God is displeased with wandring lusts of uncleannesse and that uncleane and incestuous persons do not fall into punishments by chance but are punished of God Therefore the destructions of heathenish Cities also doe put us in minde of the wrath of God against these villanies Sibaris was overthrowne Athens Sparta and Thebes being tossed with civill warres received due punishment of their filthinesse And Rome when it brought forth many Neroes and Heliogabales at length it came to ruine the Empire being rent into sundry parts by the warres of sundry barbarous nations There is also a long Catalogue in Aristotle of cities wherein there happened changes of government and seditions for uncleane lusts Besides all which punishments Paul warneth the Church that there is another judgement that followeth upon these lusts and that is madnesse or fury as it is written Rom. 1. and Ephesians 4. And it may well be that this judgement hath seased upon our Ecclesiasticall governours who for the most part are open Epicures open defenders of Idols that they may get wealth and authoritie and scoffe at those heavenly sayings which threaten vengeance upon Idolaters uncleane persons and Parricides They vaunt that they doe all things well which they do for their kingdomes sake and that such are good subjects and love quietnesse and peace that allow of errours and open naughtinesse that they may uphold the Majestie of the Popes kingdome The whole world can beare witnesse that there is a God that doth revenge all filthinesse uncleannesse and oppression Wherefore though they now deride and scoffe at these speeches yet let them know that they shall one day stick fast in those punishments whereunto the world it selfe doth call them Seeing then it is a cleare case that the law of single life is directly against the commandement of God we thinke that the Priests and others do very well which joyne in honest marriage as Paul saith that a Bishop must be chosen that is the husband of one wife We judge also that the Rulers both may and ought to abolish this law of the Pope For they are foulely deceived that think either that marriage is forbidden to Priests by Gods law or else that the Kings or Bishops may make a law to forbid them marriage And if that Rulers will not helpe the Church in this behalfe yet the godly doe well which follow the Apostles rule which saith That we must rather obey God then men To conclude seeing the defence of the Popes law hath many faults joyned with it as namely the strengthning of wandring lusts superstitions and murdering of godly Priests every one may see that our Churches deale well in abolishing and condemning that law of the Pope And we beseech the most renowned Emperour that he will not defile himselfe with defending that uncleane single life and with the blood of the Priests for it is written Blessed is he that hath pitie on the poore and needy the Lord shall deliver him in the evill day This Article we found elsewhere placed in the second place amongst those wherein the abuses that are changed be mentioned Of the marriage of Priests Art 2. THere was a common complaint of the examples of such Priests as were not continent For which cause also Pope Pius is reported to have said that there were certaine causes for which marriage was forbidden to Priests but there were many weightier causes why it should be permitted again For so Platina writeth When as therefore the Priests among us fought to avoyd these publike offences they married wives and taught that it was lawfull for themselves to joyn in marriage First because that Paul saith To avoide fornication let every man have his wife Again It is better to marry then to burn Secondly
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
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
much peevishnesse through which some do straight way upon very small occasion call their brethren heretikes schismatikes ungodly Mahometans let these speeches be thrown out against Atheists Epicures Libertines Arians Anabaptists such like mischevous persons which desire to have the Lords field utterly destroyed but let us every day grow in faith love and let us teach the flocks committed to our charge to fear God to hate vices and follow after vertues to denie the world and themselves obeying the commandement of our Lord and teacher Iesus Christ who biddeth us not to braule but to love each other Whose example in governing the Church if we will follow we shall raise up those that are afflicted take up those that are falne cōfort the feeble waken the drowsie and not negligently denounce Gods wrath against sinnes and shall draw out the sword of the same word which is no blunt one against hypocrites wolves dogs swine goates and to conclude against all wicked ones which in our Churches mingle themselves with the true sheepe and which cause the word of God to be evill spoken of It were a farre better thing surely then that which some do busying the sharpnesse of their wit in making of certaine trifles that forsooth the knowledge of such subtilties may shake out of our mindes all conscience It was justly said that the strength of the Gospel was weakened through the thorny subtilties of schoole-questions and we through our wayward disputations what else doe we then cause that the authoritie thereof be not strengthned but rather weakned and doe even stagger among the wicked We reade it excellently written in Livie a very grave writer that not onely grudges but also warres have an end and that oftentimes deadly foes become faithfull confederates yea and sometimes Citizens and that by the same speeches of the people of Rome very bitter or cruell enmities have beene taken up betweene men of great account And that which these few words wrought with the heathen shall not godlinesse toward God obtaine at the hands of Christians of Divines and of Pastours of Churches yea of the travell of reading and diligently examining and conferring of this booke shall not be irkesome if upright and sincere judgement if not prejudicate opinions but the love of one truth shall beare sway in all mens hearts it will shortly obtaine it That old contention about the celebrating of Easter very hotly tossed to and fro for two hundred yeeres or there about betweene the Greeks and the Latines was long since by us thought worthy of laughter but we must take good heed lest in a matter not altogether unlike we seeme to be wiser then both if so be that we desire to have the Church whole and not to leave it rent unto the posteritie and would have our selves be counted not foolish among men and not stubborne in the sight of God There hath scarce been any age which hath in such sort seene all Churches following altogether one thing in all points so as there hath not alwaies been some difference either in doctrine or in ceremonies or in manners and yet were not Christian Churches through the world therefore cut asunder unlesse peradventure then when the Bishop of Rome brake off all agreement and tyrannically injoyned to other Churches not what ought to be done but what himselfe would have observed but the Apostle did not so Barnabas indeed departed from Paul and Paul withstood Peter and surely for no trifle and yet the one became not more enemie or strange to the other but the selfe same spirit which had coupled them from the beginning never suffered them to be dis-joyned from them-selves It is the fashion of Romists to command to enforce to presse to throw out oursings and thunder excommunications upon the heads of those that whisper never so little against them but let us according to the doctrine of the holy Ghost suffer and gently admonish each other that is keeping the ground-work of faith let us build love upon it and let us joyntly repaire the wals of Sion lying in their ruines It remaineth that through the same Lord Christ we beseech our reverent brethren in the Lord whose Confessions published we set forth that they take this our paines in good part and suffer us to leane as it were to a certaine stay to the common consent of the reformed Churches against the accusations and reproches of the common adversaries of the truth But it had been to be wished that we might at once have set out all the Confessions of all the reformed Churches but because we had them not all therefore we set out them onely that were come to our hands to which the rest also so farre as we suppose may easily be drawne And we also could have wished that the thing might have beene made common to all the reformed Churches But when as the state of our Churches seemed to force the matter and that they could not abide any longer delay the right well beloved brethren will pardon us with whom by reason of the time we could not impart both the Harmonie it selfe and the Observations as also the intent of this whole Edition Whereas moreover we have put to moe confessions of one and the same Nation as of Auspurge and Saxonie as also the former and latter of Helvetia that was not done without cause for besides that one expoundeth another we thought it good also hereby to ridde them from all suspicion of inconstancie and wavering in opinion which the adversaries are wont to catch at by such repetitions of Confessions Yet why we would not adde some Confessions of the brethren of Bohemia often repeated we will straight way shew a cause and we hope that our reason will easily be liked of them And we have set downe every where two yea in some places three Editions of Auspurge for this respect lest in this diversitie we might seeme to have picked out that which rather favoured our side and to have utterly misliked the other Wherein notwithstanding we have not every where followed the order of times in which every of them came to light but the coppie which we had in our hands printed at Wirtemberge 1572. with a double Edition And we have therefore thought it meet to passe over the Apologies adjoyned to the Confessions as of Auspurge Bohemia Sueveland and England as well that the worke might not grow to be exceeding bigge as also that we might not seeme rather to increase disputations and controversies then to make an Harmonie of doctrine And as for our Observations our minde was to meet with the cavils of sophisters who we know well enough will take hold on the least matters that they may thereby set us on worke Wherefore lest they should charge us to set out a discord rather then a concord of Confessions we have added in the end very short Observations in which we lay open those things which might seeme some what obscurely spoken and
have done but according to his mercy he hath saved us And it is a reproch unto the Sonne of God to imagine that any our workes are merits or the price of remission of sinnes and that they are propitiations for sinnes Therefore we doe openly condemne those Pharisaicall and Pelagian doting dreames which feigne that that discipline is a fulfilling of the law of God also that it doth deserve remission either of congruity or of condignity or that it is a righteousnesse whereby men are made acceptable to God And after a few pages in the same Article Seeing that the minde is raised up by this faith it is certain that remission of sinnes reconciliation and imputing of righteousnesse is given for the merit of Christ alone and that Christ is effectuall in us and doth by his holy spirit quicken the beleveers and deliver us from eternall death and withall make us heires of eternall life So saith Paul Rom. 3. We conclude that man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Also we are iustified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood And Acts 10. To him give all the Prophets witnesse that all that beleeve in him shall receive remission of sinnes Now the words are knowne and manifest Faith doth signifie not onely the knowledge of the historie for that is also in the Devils of whom it is said The devils doe beleeve and tremble but it doth signifie to embrace all the Articles of Faith and among those this article I do beleeve the remission of sinnes neither doe I beleeve that it is onely given to others but to me also This faith is also a confidence resting in the Mediatour according to that Being iustified by faith we have peace So that Paul speaketh of faith which consenting to all the articles of the Creed doth behold and imbrace the promise for it joyneth together faith and the promise Rom. 4. Therefore is it by faith that the promise might be sure In expounding the word Iustified it is usually said To be Iustified doth signifie of unrighteous to be made righteous which being rightly understood doth agree also to our purpose Of unrighteous to be made righteous that is acquitted from the guilt for the Sonne of God his sake that is laying hold by faith upon Christ himselfe who is our righteousnesse as Jeremie and Paul doe say because that by his merit we have remission and God doth impute his righteousnesse to us and for him doth account us just and by giving his holy Spirit doth quicken and regenerate us as it is said Iohn 5. This is life in his Sonne He that hath the Sonne hath eternall life he that hath not the Sonne of God hath not life And Rom. 3. That he may be iust and a iustifier And although newnesse is withall begun which shall be perfect in the life eternall whereunto we are redeemed yet neither for the new qualities nor for any works is any man in this life made just that is acceptable to God and heire of eternall life but onely for the Mediatours sake who suffered rose againe reigneth and prayeth for us shadowing and quickning us For although vertues are here begun yet be they still imperfect and the reliques of sinne do stick in us Therefore we must hold this comfort that the person is accepted for the Sonne of God his sake his righteousnesse being imputed to us as it is said Rom. 4. Abraham beleeved God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Also Blessed are they whose iniquities be forgiven and whose sins be covered Therefore this saying must be understood correlatively We are iustified by faith that is we are justified by confidence in the Son of God not for our qualitie but because he is the reconciler in whom the heart doth rest in confidence of the promised mercy for his sake Which confidence he doth raise up in us by his holy Spirit as Paul saith Ye have received the spirit of the adoption of the sons by whom we cry Abba father Here also we must speake of the exclusive member Paul doth often repeat the word Freely by which it is most certaine that the condition of our merits is excluded Therefore it is said in our Churches We are iustified by Faith aboue which we so understand and declare Freely for the onely mediatours sake not for our contrition or other our merits we have our sinnes forgiven us and are reconciled to God For although contrition and many other vertues are together with Faith or with this confidence kindled in us yet these vertues are not the cause or the merit of the Remission of sinnes neither doth the person please God in regard of them according to that saying No man living shall be iustified in thy sight but the person hath remission and doth certainly please God by reason of the Mediatour who must be apprehended by faith as it is said Eph. 3. By whom we have boldnesse and entrance with confidence by faith in him This whole doctrine is more manifest in the true conversion and daily invocation of the godly When we are in great feare by the knowledge of the wrath of God this one comfort is firme and sure to flie to the Son of God who faith Come unto me all ye that labour and are laden and I will refresh you Also As I live I will not the death of a sinner but that he returne and live Also Grace aboundeth more then sinne In these griefes if man be taught to doubt of the remission of sinnes sorrow will have the upper hand and then follow most grievous murmurings against God and desperation and eternall death but if man be caught that doubting is to be overcome by faith then shall he understand that by the word Faith is not onely signified the knowledge of the story he shall know that confidence doth relie upon the only Mediator and he shall perceive what is meant by these words Freely for the Mediatours sake remission is received by faith alone and so the person is made acceptable This wrastling hath at all times instructed some For though Origen and many other writers and sententiaries have brought forth an impure kind of doctrine yet in Augustine certain others we reade divers sentences which shew that they also received comfort out of these true fountains Who although they do sometime speak unproperly or things unlike because they were somewhat negligent in speaking yet we may easily gather what was their perpetuall judgement if we will judge aright Augustine upon the Psal 31. saith Who be happie not they in whom God shall not finde sins for those he findeth in all men For all men have sinned and are destitute of the glory of God Therefore if sinnes be found in all men it is evident that none are happie but those whose sins be forgiven This therefore the Apostle did thus commend Abraham
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
except a * Looke the 2. Observation upon this confess Priest be ordained in the Church to the ministerie of teaching he cannot rightly take unto him neither the name of a Priest nor the name of a Bishop Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Of the Office dignitie and power of Ecclesiasticall Persons TOuching the ministery and dignitie of the Ecclesiasticall Order Artic. 13. we doe thus teach First that there is no power in the Church but that which tendeth to edifying 2 Cor. 10. Secondly that we must not thinke otherwise of any man in this state then Paul would have men to esteeme either of himselfe or of Peter and Apollo and others As of the servants of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God in whom this is chiefly required that they be faithfull For these be they which have the keies of the kingdome of God and the power to binde and loose and to remit or retaine sinnes yet that power is so limited that they be neverthelesse the ministers of Christ to whom alone the right and authoritie to open heaven and forgive sinnes doth properly pertaine For neither he which planteth nor he that watereth is any thing but God that giveth the increase 1 Cor. 3. Neither is any man of himselfe fit to thinke any of those things as of himselfe but if any man be found fit thereunto he hath it all of God Who giveth to whom it pleaseth him to be the ministers and preachers of the New Testament to wit so farre forth as he giveth them a mind faithfully to preach the meaning and understanding of the Gospel and useth them hereunto that men may be brought by a true faith to his new covenant of grace Furthermore these be they which doe minister unto us the dead letter that is such a doctrine of truth as pearceth no further then to humane reason but the spirit which quickneth and doth so pearce into our spirit and soule that it doth throughly perswade our heart of the truth These are the true fellow-labourers of the Lord 1 Cor. 3. opeaing indeed heaven and forgiving sinnes to those to whom they declare the doctrine of faith by meanes of the grace and spirit of God Whereupon Christ sending out his Apostles to exercise this dutie he breathed upon them saying Take ye the holy Ghost And furthermore he addeth whose sins ye remit c. Hereof it is manifest that the true and fit Ministers of the Church such as be Bishops Seniors annointed and consecrated can doe nothing but in respect of this that they be sent of God For how shall they preach saith Paul except they be sent That is except they receive of God both a minde and power to preach the holy Gospel aright and with fruite and to feed the flocke of Christ And also except they receive the holy Ghost who may worke together with them and perswade mens hearts Other vertues where with these men must be endued are rehearsed 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Therefore they which are in this sort sent annointed consecrated and qualified they have an earnest care for the flocke of Christ and doe labour faithfully in the word and doctrine that they may feede the people more fruitfully and these are acknowledged and accounted of our preachers for such Bishops as the Scripture every where speaketh of and every Christian ought to obey their commandements But they which give themselves to other things they place themselves in other mens seats and doe worthily take unto themselves other names Yet notwithstanding the life of any man is not so much to be blamed as that therefore a Christian should refuse to heare him if peradventure he teach something out of the chaire of Moses or Christ that is either out of the Law of God or out of the holy Gospel that may serve for edification They which bring a divers or a strange voice whatsoever they be they are in no account or estimation with the sheepe of Christ Iohn 10. * Looke before the third Observation upon the August confession Also after sect 17. 3. observat upon the same confession of August Yet they which have a secular power and soveraigntie they have it of God himselfe howsoever they be called therefore he should resist the ordinance of God whosoever should oppose himselfe to that temporall government These things doe our Preachers teach touching the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall persons so that they have great injurie offered to them in that they are blamed as though they sought to bring the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall Prelats to nothing whereas they never forbad them that worldly government and authority which they have But they have often wished that they would come neerer to the Ecclesiasticall commandements and that either they themselves would instruct and faithfully feed the consciences of Christians out of the holy Gospel or that at the least-wise they would admit others hereunto and ordain such as were more fit for this purpose This is it I say that our Preachers have oftentimes requested of the Prelates themselves so farre they have beene from opposing themselves at any time to their spirituall authoritie But whereas we could not either beare any longer the doctrine of certaine Preachers but being driven thereunto by necessitie we have placed others in their roome or else have retained those also which have renounced that Ecclesiasticall superioritie We did it not for any others cause but for that these did plainely and faithfully declare the voyce of our Lord Iesus Christ the other did mingle therewith all mans inventions For so often as the question is concerning the holy Gospel and the doctrine of truth Christians must wholly turne themselves to the Bishop of their soules the Lord Iesus Christ and not admit the voyce of any stranger by any meanes wherein notwithstanding neither we nor they doe offer violence to any man for Paul saith All things are yours whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come even all are yours and ye Christs and Christ Gods Therefore seeing that Peter and Paul are ours and we are not theirs but Christs and that after the same manner that Christ himselfe is his Fathers to wit that in all things which we are or may be we might live to him alone Furthermore seeing to this end we have power to use all things yea even men themselves of what sort soever they be as though they were our owne and are not to suffer that any man or any thing should hinder us therein no Ecclesiasticall person may justly complaine of us or object to us that we are not sufficient by obedient to them or that we doe derogate any thing from their authoritie seeing that the thing it selfe doth witnesse that we have attempted and done all those things according to the will of God which we have attempted against the will of Ecclesiasticall persons These therefore be those things
Christ till he come And whereas many doe commonly celebrate the Masses without all regard of godlinesse onely for this cause that they may nourish their bodies our Preachers have shewed that that is so execrable a thing before God that if the Masse of it selfe should nothing at all hinder godlinesse yet worthily and by the commandement of God it were to be abolished the which thing is evident even out of Esay onely For our God is a Spirit and truth and therefore he cannot Isa 2. abide to be worshipped but in Spirit and truth And how grievous a thing this unreasonable selling of the Sacraments is unto the Lord our Preachers would have men thereby to conjecture that Christ did so sharply and altogether against his accustomed manner taking unto himselfe an externall kinde of revengement cast out of the temple those that bought and sold whereas they might seeme to exercise merchandize onely in this respect that they might further those sacrifices which were offered according to the law Therefore seeing that the rite of the Masse which was wont to be celebrated is so many waies contrarie to the Scripture of God as also it is in every respect divers from that which the holy Fathers used it hath beene very vehemently condemned amongst us out of the pulpit and by the word of God it is made so detestable that many of their owne accord have altogether forsaken it and else where by the authoritie of the Magistrate it is abrogated The which thing we have not taken upon us for any other cause then for that throughout the whole Scripture the Spirit of God doth detest nothing so much neither command it so earnestly to be taken away as a feigned and false worship of himselfe Now no man that hath any sparke of religion in him can be ignorant what an inevitable necessitie is laid upon him that feareth God when as he is perswaded that God doth require a thing at his hands For any man may easily foresee how many would take it at our hands that we should change any thing about the holy rite of the Masse neither were there any which would not rather have chosen in this point not onely not to have offended your sacred Majestie but even any Prince of the lowest degree But when as herewithall they did not doubt but by that common rite of the Masse God was most grievously provoked and that his glory for the which we ought to spend our lives was darkened they could not but take it away lest that they also by wincking at it should make themselves partakers with them in diminishing the glory of God Truely if God is to be loved and worshipped above all godly men must beare nothing lesse then that which he doth hate and detest And that this one cause did constraine us to change certaine things in these points we take him to witnesse from whom no secret is hid THE FIFTEENTH SECTION OF ECCLESIASTICALL MEETINGS The latter Confession of HELVETIA Of holy and Ecclesiasticall meetings CHAP. 22. ALthough it be lawfull for all men privately at home to reade the holy Scriptures and by instruction to edifie one another in the true Religion yet that the word of God may be lawfully preached to the people and prayers and supplications publikely made and that the Sacraments may be lawfully ministred that that collection be made for the poore and to defray all necessarie charges of the Church or to supply the wants it is very needfull there should be holy meetings and Ecclesiasticall assemblies For it is manifest that in the Apostolike and Primitive Church there were such assemblies frequented of godly men So many then as doe despise them and separate themselves from them they are contemners of true Religion and are to be compelled by the Pastours and godly Magistrates to surcease stubbornly to separate and absent themselves from sacred assemblies Now Ecclesiasticall assemblies must not be hidden and secret but publique and common except persecution by the enemies of Christ and the Church will not suffer them to be publique For we know what manner assemblies the Primitive Church had heretofore in secret corners being under the tyrannie of Roman Emperours Let those places where the faithfull meet together be decent and in all respects fit for Gods Church Therefore let houses be chosen for that purpose or Churches that are large and faire so that they be purged from all such things as doe not beseeme the Church And let all things be ordered as is most meete for comelinesse necessitie and godly decencie that nothing be wanting which is requisite for rites and orders and the necessarie uses of the Church And as we beleeve that God doth not dwel in temples made with hands so we know that by reason of the word of God and holy exercises therein celebrated places dedicated to God and his worship are not prophane but holy and that therefore such as are conversant in them ought to behave themselves reverently and modestly as they which are in a sacred place in the presence of God and his holy Angels All excesse of apparell therefore is to be abandoned from Churches and places where Christians meet in prayer together with all pride and whatsoever else doth not beseeme Christian humilitie decencie and modestie For the true ornament of Churches doth not consist in Ivorie gold and precious stones but in the sobrietie godlinesse and vertues of those which are in the Church Let all things be done comely and orderly in the Church to conclude Let all things be done to edifying Therefore let all strange tongues keepe silence in the holy assemblies and let all things be uttered in the vulgar tongue which is understood of all men in the company Of prayer singing and Canonicall houres CHAP. 23. TRue it is that a man may lawfully pray privately in any tongue that he doth understand but publique prayers ought in the holy assemblies to be made in the vulgar tongue or such a language as is known to all Let all the prayers of the faithfull be powred forth to God alone through the mediation of Christ only out of a true faith and pure love As for invocation of Saints or using them as intercessors to intreat for us the Priesthood of our Lord Christ and true religion will not permit us Prayer must be made for Magistracie for Kings and all that are placed in authoritie for Ministers of the Church and for all necessities of Churches in any calamity specially in the calamity of the Church prayer must be made both privatly and publikely without ceasing Moreover we must pray willingly and not by constraint nor for any reward neither must we superstitiously tie prayer to any place as though it were not lawfull to pray but in the Church There is no necessity that publike prayers should be in forme and time the same or alike in all Churches Let all Churches use their libertie Socrates in his history saith In any countrey or
the determination and commandement that it giveth by the plain word of God so soone doe we reverence and embrace the same But if men under the name of a Councel pretend to forge unto us new Articles of our faith or to make constitutions repugning to the word of God then utterly we must refuse the same as the doctrine of Devils which draweth our soules from the voice of our onely God to follow the doctrine and constitutions of men The 1 Tim 4. cause then why that generall Councels came together was neither to make any perpetual law which God before had not made neither yet to forge new Articles of our beliefe neither to give the word of God authoritie much lesse to make that to be his word or yet the true interpretation of the same which was not before his holy wil expressed in his word But the cause of Councels we mean of such as merit the name of Councels was partly for confutation of heresies for giving publike confession of their faith to the posteritie following which both they did by the authoritie of Gods written word and not by any opinion of prerogative that they could not erre by reason of their generall assembly And this we judge to have been the chiefe cause of generall Councels The other was for good pollicie and order to be constitute observed in the Church wherein as in the house of God it becometh all things to be done decently and in order Not that we think that one pollicie and one order in ceremonies can be appointed for all ages times and places for as ceremonies such as men have devised are but temporall so may and ought they to be changed when they rather suffer superstition then that they edifie the Church using the same Of the Sacraments AS the fathers under the law besides the veritie of the sacrifices had two chief Sacraments to wit Circumcision the Passeover the despisers and contemners whereof were not reputed for Gods people so we acknowledge and confesse that we now in the time of the Gospel have two chiefe Sacraments only instituted by the Lord Iesus and commanded to be used of all those that wil be reputed members of his body to wit Baptisme and the Supper or Table of the Lord Iesus called the communion of his bodie and his blood And these Sacraments as well of the Old as of the New Testament now instituted of God not onely to make a visible difference betwixt his people and those that were without his league but also to exercise the faith of his children and by participation of the same Sacraments to seale in their hearts the assurance of his promise and of that most blessed conjunction union and societie which the Elect have with their head Christ Iesus And thus we utterly damne the vanitie of those that affirme Sacraments to be nothing else but the naked and bare signes No we assuredly beleeve that by baptisme we are ingrafted into Christ Iesus to be made partakers of his justice by which our sins are covered and remitted And also that in the Supper rightly used Christ Iesus is so joyned with us that he becometh the very nourishment and food of our soules Not that we imagine any transubstantiation of the bread in Christs naturall body and of wine in his naturall blood as the Papists have perniciously taught and damnably beleeved but this union and conjunction which we have with the body and blood of Christ Iesus in the right use of the Sacrament is wrought by the operation of the holy Ghost who by true faith carrieth us above all things that are visible carnall and earthly and maketh us to feed upon the body and blood of Christ Iesus which was once broken and shed for us which now is in heaven and appeareth in the presence of his Father for us and notwithstanding the farre distance of place which is betwixt his body now glorified in heaven and us now mortall in this earth yet we must assuredly beleeve that the bread which we breake is the communion of Christs body and the cup which we blesse is the communion of his blood so that we confesse and undoubtedly beleeve that the faithfull in the right use of the Lords Table doe so eate the body and drink the blood of the Lord Iesus that he remaineth in them and they in him Yea they are so made flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones that as the eternall Godhead giveth to the flesh of Christ Iesus which of the owne condition and nature was mortall and corruptible life and immortalitie so doth Christ Iesus his flesh and blood eaten and drunken by us give unto vs the same prerogatives Which albeit we confesse are neither given unto us at this time onely neither yet by the proper power and vertue of the Sacrament onely yet we affirme that the faithfull in the right use of the Lords Table have such conjunction with Christ Iesus as the naturall man cannot apprehend yea and further we affirme that albeit the faithfull oppressed by negligence and manly infirmitie doe not profit so much as they would in the very instant action of the Supper yet shall it after bring fruit forth as lively seed sowne in good ground For the holy spirit which can never be divided from the right institution of the Lord Iesus will not frustrate the faithfull of the fruit of that mysticall action but all this we say cometh of true faith which apprehendeth Christ Iesus who onely maketh his Sacraments effectuall unto us And therefore whosoever slandereth us as that we affirme or beleeve Sacraments to be onely naked and bare signes doth injury unto us and speaketh against the manifest truth But this liberally and frankly we confesse that we make distinction betwixt Christ Iesus in his eternall substance and betwixt the elements in the sacramentall signes So that we wil neither worship the signes in place of that which is signified by them neither yet doe we despise and interpret them as unprofitable and vaine but do use them with all reveverence examining our selves diligently before that so we doe Because we are assured by the mouth of the Apostle that such as eate of that bread and drink of that cup unworthily are guilty of the body and of the blood of Christ Iesus Of the right administration of the Sacraments THat Sacraments be rightly ministred we judge two things requisite the one that they be ministred by lawfull ministers whom we affirme to be onely they that are appointed to the preaching of the word into whose mouthes God hath put some Sermon of exhortation they being men lawfully chosen thereto by some Church The other that they be ministred in such elements and in such sort as God hath appointed else we affirme that they cease to be right Sacraments of Christ Iesus And therefore it is that we flie the societie with the papisticall Church in participation of their Sacraments first because their Ministers are no