able to bring forth any works which are not polluted with the corruption of our flesh and for that cause be worthy of punishment If it were granted that we were able to bring forth any such works yet the bare remembrance of our sinnes were sufficient to remoove that worke out of the sight of God Therefore we should alwaies stand in doubt staggering as it were this way and that way and our miserable consciences should be in continuall torment unlesse they should relie upon the onely merit of our Saviour Christ his death and passion and rest in it alone Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE THat we might obtaine these benefits of Christs namely remission of sins iustification and life everlasting Christ hath given his Gospel wherein these benefits are layed forth unto us as it is written in the last of Luke that repentance should be preached and remission of sinnes in his name among all nations For whereas all men borne after a naturall manner have sinne in them and cannot truely satisfie the Law of God * Locke the 1. Observat upon this confession the Gospell bewrayeth our sinne and sheweth us Christ the Mediatour and so instructeth us touching remission of sinnes When as the Gospell doth convict us of sinne our hearts thereby terrified must firmely beleeve that there is given unto us freely for Christs sake that remission of sinnes and justification by faith by the which we must beleeve and confesse that these things are given us for Christs sake who was made an oblation and hath appeased the Fathers wrath for us Notwithstanding therefore that the Gospell doe require repentance yet to the end that the remission of our sinnes may be certain and undoubted it teacheth us that remission is given us freely that is that it doth not depend upon the condition of our owne worthinesse nor is given for any works that went before nor for the worthinesse of such as follow after For then should remission be uncertaine if we should thinke that then onely we obtaine remission of sins when we had deserved it by our former works or when our repentance were well worthy of it For in true terrours the conscience findeth no worke which it may oppose against Gods wrath but Christ is given and set forth unto us to appease the wrath of God This honour must not be transferred from Christ unto our own works therefore Paul saith Ye are saved freely Againe Therefore by faith freely that the promise might be sure that is thus shall remission be certaine when we know that it dependeth not upon the condition of our unworthinesse but is given us for Christ his sake This is a sure and necessary comfort to all godly mindes that are terrified with the conscience of their sins And thus doe the holy fathers teach and there is a notable sentence in Saint Ambrose worthy the remembring in these words This God hath appointed that he which beleeveth in Christ should be saved without any worke by faith alone receiving the remission of sinnes Now this word Faith doth not onely signifie a knowledge of the History of Christ but also to beleeve and assent unto this promise that is proper unto the Gospel wherein remission of sinnes justification and life everlasting are promised untous for Christs fake For this promise also doth pertaine to the History of Christ even as in the Creed unto the History is added this article I beleeve the remission of sins And unto this one the other articles touching the History of Christ are to be referred For the benefit is the end of the Historie therefore did Christ suffer and rise again that for him remission of sins and everlasting life might be given unto us These things are found thus in another Edition ALso they teach that men cannot be justified before God by Artic. 4. their owne power merits or works but are justified for Christs sake through faith when they beleeve that they are received unto favour and their sins forgiven through Christ who by his death hath satisfied for our sins This faith doth God impute for righteousnesse unto them before himselfe Rom. 3. and 4. For this cause Christ hath appointed the ministerie of teaching Artic. 5. the Gospel which preacheth repentance and remission of sins and the preaching of either of these is generall and layeth open the sinnes of all men and promiseth remission of them unto all that beleeve for to the end that remission might not be doubted of out that all distressed mindes might know that they ought to beleeve that remission of sinnes is undoubtedly granted unto them for Christ and not for their owne merits or worthinesse All these doe certainly obtaine remission of sinnes And when as we doe in this sort comfort our selves by the promise of the Gospell and doe raise up our selves by saith therewithall is the holy spirit given unto us For the holy spirit is given and is effectuall by the word of God and by the Sacraments When as we doe heare or meditate of the Gospel or doe receive the Sacraments and comfort our selves by faith therewithall the spirit of God is effectuall according to that of Saint Paul Gal. 3. That the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve And to the Corinthians The Gospel is the ministerie of the spirit And to the Romanes Faith cometh by hearing When as then we doe comfort our selves by faith and are freed from the terrours of sin by the holy spirit our hearts doe conceive the other vertues acknowledge truly the mercie of God and conceive the true love and the true feare of God trust and hope of Gods helpe prayer and such like fruits of the spirit Such therefore as teach nothing concerning this faith whereby we receive remission of sinnes but will have mens consciences stand in doubt whether they obtaine remission or no and do adde further that this doubting is no sinne are justly condemned And these also doe teach that men may obtaine remission of sinnes for their own worthinesse but they doe not teach to beleeve that remission of sinnes is given freely for Christ sake Here also are condemned those phantasticall spirits which dreame that the holy Ghost is given or is effectuall without the word of God Which maketh them contemne the ministerie of the Gospel and Sacraments and to seek illumination without the word of God and besides the Gospel And by this means they draw away mens mindes from the word of God unto their own opinions which is a thing very pernicious and hurtfull Such were in old time the Manichees and Enthusiasts And such are the Anabaptists now adaies These and such like frensies we doe most constantly condemne For they abolish the true use of Gods word and do falsely imagine that the holy spirit may be received without the word and sticking too much to their own fancies they invent wicked opinions and are the cause of infinite breaches These things
which be without the reach of our capacity Nay rather we apply to our owne use that which the Scripture teacheth for our quietnesse and contentation sake to wit that God to whom all things are subject with a fatherly care watcheth for us so that not so much as a haire of our head falleth to the ground without his will and that he hath Satan and all our adversaries so fast bound that unlesse leave be given them they cannot doe us any little harme Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE know God by two manner of wayes first by the making Artic. 2. preserving and governing of this whole world For that to our eyes is as a most excellent book in which all creatures from the least to the greatest are graven as it were characters and certaine letters by which the invisible things of God may be seen and known of us namely his everlasting power and Godhead as Paul the Apostle speaketh Rom. 1. Chap. 10. which knowledge sufficeth to convince and make all men without excuse c. Looke for the rest in the first Section of the Scripture and in the second Section of God Artic. 12. VVE beleeve that the Father by his word that is by the Son made heaven earth and all other creatures of nothing when he saw it fit and convenient and gave to every one his being forme and divers offices that they might serve their Creator and that he doth now cherish uphold and governe them all according to his everlasting providence and infinite power and that to this end that they might serve man and man might serve his God He also made the Angels all good by nature that they might be his Ministers and might also attend upon the Elect of which notwithstanding some fell from that excellent nature in which God had created them into everlasting destruction but some by the singular grace of God abode in the first State of theirs but the Devils and those wicked spirits are so corrupted and defiled that they be sworn enemies to good and all goodnesse which as theeves out of a watch tower lye in waite for the Church and all the members thereof that by their juglings and deceits they may destroy and lay waste all things Therefore being through their own malice addicted to everlasting condemnation they look every day for the dreadfull punishments of their mischiefs We therefore in this place reject the errour of the Saduces who denied that there were any spirits or Angels as also the errour of the Manichees who hold that the Devils have their beginning of themselves and of their own nature evill and not corrupted by wilfull disobedience We beleeve that this most gracious and mightie God after he had made all things left them not to be ruled after the will of chance or fortune but himselfe doth so continually rule and governe them according to the prescript rule of his holy will that nothing can happen in this world without his Decree and Ordinance and yet God cannot be said to be either the author or guiltie of the evils that happen in this world For both his infinite and incomprehensible power and goodnesse stretcheth so farre that even then he decreeth and executeth his works and deeds justly and holily when as both the devill and the wicked doe unjustly And whatsoever things he doth passing the reach of mans capacitie we will not curiously and above our capacitie inquire into them Nay rather we humbly and reverently adore the secret yet just judgements of God For it sufficeth us as being Christs Disciples to learne onely those things which he himself teacheth in his word neither doe we thinke it lawfull to passe these bounds And this doctrin affordeth us exceeding great comfort For by it we know that nothing befalleth us by chance but all by the will of our heavenly Father who watcheth over us with a Fatherly care indeed having all things in subjection to himself so that not a haire of our head which are every one numbred can be plucked away nor the least sparrow light on the ground without the will of our Father In these things therefore do we wholly rest acknowledging that God holdeth the Devils and all our enemies so bridled as it were with snaffles that without his will and good leave they are not able to hurt any of us and in this place we reject the detestable opinion of the Epicures who fained God to be idle to doe nothing and to commit all things to chance THE FOVRTH SECTION OF MANS FALL SIN AND FREE-WILL The latter Confession of HELVETIA Of mans fall fin and the cause of sin CHAP. 8. MAN was from the beginning created of God after the Image of God in righteousnesse and true holinesse good and upright but by the instinct of the Serpent and his own fault falling from goodnesse and uprightnesse became subject to sin death and divers calamities and such an one as he became by his fall such are all his off-spring even subject to sin death and sundry calamities And we take sin to be that naturall corruption of man derived or spread from those our first parents unto us all through which we being drowned in evill concupiscences and cleane turned away from God but prone to all evill full of all wickednesse distrust contempt and hatred of God can doe no good of our selves no not so much as thinke of any And that more is even as Matth. 12. we doe grow in yeers so by wicked thoughts words and deeds committed against the law of God we bring forth corrupt fruits worthy of an evill tree in which respect we through our own desert being subject to the wrath of God are in danger of just punishments so that we had all been cast away from God had not Christ the Deliverer brought us back again By death therefore we understand not only bodily death which is once to be suffered of all us for sins but also everlasting punishments due to our corruption and to our sins For the Apostle Eph. 2. saith We were dead in trespasses and sins and were by nature the children of wrath as well as others But God which is rich in mercie even when we were dead by sins quickened us together in Christ Againe As by one man sin entred into the world and by sin death and Rom. 5. so death went over all men for as much as all men have sinned c. We therefore acknowledge that originall sin is in all men we acknowledge that all other sins which spring here out are both called and are in deed sins by what name soever they be tearmed whether mortall or veniall or also that which is called sin against the holy Ghost which is never forgiven we also confesse that sins are not equall although they spring from the same fountaine Mar. 3. 1 Joh. 5. Matth. 10. 11. of corruption and unbeliefe but that some are more grievous then other even as the Lord hath
our nature so that he is one person God and man Man I say that might suffer both in soule and also in body and made like unto us in all things sin onely excepted for that his flesh was indeed the seed of Abraham and David howbeit by the secret and incomprehensible power of the holy Ghost it was conceived in due time in the wombe of that blessed Virgin And therefore we detest as contrary to that truth all those heresies wherwith the Churches were troubled in times past and namely we detest those devillish imaginations of Servetus who gave to our Lord Iesus Christ an imaginarie Deitie whom he said to be the Idea and patterne of all things and the counterfeit or figurative Son of God to conclude he framed him a body compacted of three elements uncreated and therefore he did mingle and overthrow both his natures We beleeve that in one and the same person which is Iesus Artic. 15. Christ those two natures are truly and inseperably so conjoyned that they be also united either of those natures neverthelesse retaining it distinct proprietie so that even as in this divine conjunction the nature of the word reteining it proprieties remained uncreate infinite and filling all places so also the humane nature remained and shall remaine for ever finite having it naturall forme dimension and also proprietie as from the which the resurrection and glorification or taking up to the right hand of the Father hath not taken away the truth of the humane nature Therefore we doe so consider Christ in his Deitie that we do not spoile him of his humanitie We beleeve that God did declare his infinite love and goodnesse Artic. 16. towards us in this that he hath sent his Son who should die and rise againe and fulfill all righteousnesse that he might purchase eternall life for us We beleeve that by that onely sacrifice which Iesus Christ offered Artic. 17. on the crosse we are reconciled to God that we may be taken for just before him because we cannot be acceptable to him nor enjoy the fruit of our adoption but so farre forth as he doth forgive us our sins Therefore we affirme that Iesus Christ is our entire and perfect washing in whose death we obtaine full satisfaction whereby we are delivered from all those sinnes whereof we are guiltie and from the which we could not be acquitted by any other remedie Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE beleeve that Iesus Christ the onely Son of the eternall Artic. 2. Father as long before it was determined before all beginnings when the fulnesse of time was come did take of that blessed and pure Virgin both flesh and all the nature of man that he might declare to the world the secret and hid will of his Father which will had been laid up from before all ages and generations and that he might finish in his humane body the mystery of our redemption and might fasten our sins to the crosse and also that hand-writing which was made against us We beleeve that for our sakes he died and was buried descended into hell the third day by the power of his Godhead returned to life and rose againe and that the fourth day after his resurrection whiles his disciples beheld and looked upon him he ascended into heaven to fulfill all things and did place in Majestie and glory the selfe same body where with he was borne wherein he lived on earth wherein he was jested at wherein he had suffered most painfull torments and cruell kinde of death wherein he rose againe and wherein he ascended to the right hand of the Father above all rule above all power all force all Dominion and above every name that is named not onely in this world but also in the world to come And that there he now sitteth and shall sit till all things be fully perfected And although the Majestie and Godhead of Christ be every where aboundantly dispersed yet we beleeve that his body as S. Augustine saith must need be still in one place and that Christ hath given Majestie unto his body but yet hath not taken away from it the nature of a body and that we must not so affirme Christ to be God that we denie him to be man and as the Martyr Vigilius saith That Christ hath left in touching his humane nature but hath not left us touching his Divine nature and that the same Christ though he be absent from us concerning his manhead yet is ever present with us concerning his Godhead From that place also we beleeve that Christ shall come again to execute that generall judgement as well of them whom be shall finde alive in the body as of them that shall be ready dead And therefore that our onely succour and refuge is to flie to the Artic. 18. mercie of our Father by Iesus Christ and assuredly to perswade our mindes that he is the Obtainer of forgivenesse for our sinnes And that by his blood all our spots of sin be washed cleane That he hath pacified and set at one all things by the blood of his crosse That he by the same one onely sacrifice which he once offered upon the Crosse hath brought to effect and fulfilled all things and that for that cause he said when he gave up the Ghost It is finished as though he would signifie that the price and ransome was now fully paid for the sin of mankinde If there be any that thinke this sacrifice not sufficient let them Artic. 19. goe in Gods name and seeke a better We verily because we know this to be the Onely sacrifice are well content with it alone and looke for none other and forasmuch as it was to be offered but once we command it not to be renewed againe and because it was full and perfit in all points and parts we doe not ordaine in place thereof any continuall succession of offerings To conclude we beleeve that this our selfe same flesh wherein Artic. 21. we live although it die and come to dust yet at the last shall returne again unto life by the means of Christs spirit which dwelleth in us and that then verily whatsoever we suffer here in the meane while for his sake Christ will wipe away all teares and heavinesse from our eyes and that we through him shall enjoy everlasting life and shall for ever be with him in glory So be it Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve that our most mightie and graciâ—us God Artic. 17. when he saw that man had thus throwne himselfe into the damnation both of spirituall and corporall death and was made altogether miserable and accursed by his wonderfull wisdom and goodnesse was induced both to seeke him when through feare he had fled from his presence and also most lovingly to comfort him giving unto him the promise of his own Son to be boâ—â— of a woman which should breake the head of the Serpent and restore him to felicitie
doctrine of faith while they leave the conscience in doubt and would have men to merit remission of sinnes by their workes and teach not that we doe by faith alone undoubtedly receive remission of sinnes for Christs sake When as therefore the doctrine of faith which should be especially above others taught in the Church hath been so long unknowne as all men must needs grant that there was not a word of the righteousnesse of faith in all their Sermons and that the doctrine of workes onely was usuall in the Churches for this cause our Divines did thus admonish the Churches First that our workes cannot reconcile God unto us or deserve remission of sinnes grace and justification at his hands But this we must obtaine by faith whiles we beleeve that we are received into favour for Christs sake who alone is appointed the Mediatour and Intercessour by whom the Father is reconciled to us He therefore that trusteth by his workes to merit grace doth despise the merit and grace of Christ and seeketh by his owne power without Christ to come unto the Father whereas Christ hath said expresly of himselfe I am the way the truth and the life This Doctrine of Faith is handled by Paul almost in every Epistle Ephes 2. Ye are saved freely by faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of workes c. And lest any here should cavill that we bring in a new found interpretation this whole cause is underpropped with testimonies of the Fathers Augustine doth in many volumes defend grace and the righteousnesse of faith against the merit of workes The like doth Ambrose teach in his book De vocat Gent. and else where for thus he saith in the forenamed place The redemption made by the blood of Christ would be of small account and the prerogative of mans workes would not give place to the mercy of God if the iustification which is by grace were due to merits going before so as it should not be the liberalitie of the giver but the wages or hire of the labourer This doctrine though it be contemned of the unskilfull sort yet the godly and fearefull conscience doth finde by experience that it bringeth very great comfort because that the consciences cannot be quieted by any workes but by faith alone when as they beleeve assuredly that God is appeased towards them for Christs sake as Paul teacheth Rom. 5. Being iustified by faith we have peace with God This doctrine doth wholly belong to the conflict of a troubled conscience and cannot be well understood but where the conscience hath felt a conflict Wherefore all such as have had no experience thereof and all that are prophane men which dreame that Christian righteousnesse is naught else but a civill and phylosophicall justice are evill judges of this matter In former ages mens consciences were vexed with the doctrine of works they never heard any comfort out of the Gospel Whereupon conscience drave some into Monasteries hoping there to merit favour by a monasticall life Others found out other workes whereby to merit favour and to satisfie for sinne There was very great need therefore to teach this doctrine of faith in Christ and after so long time to renue it to the end that fearefull consciences might not want comfort but might know that grace and forgivenesse of sinnes and justification were apprehended and received by faith in Christ Another thing which we teach men is that in this place the name of Faith doth not onely signifie a bare knowledge of the history which may be in the wicked and as in the Devill but it signifieth a faith which beleeveth not onely the history but also the effect of the historie to wit the article of remission of sinnes namely that by Christ we have grace righteousnesse and remission of sinnes Now he that knoweth that the father is mercifull to him through Christ this man knoweth God truely he knoweth that God hath a care of him he loveth God and calleth upon him In a word he is not without God in the world as the Gentiles are As for the Devils and the wicked they can never beleeve this article of the remission of sinnes And therefore they hate God as their enemie they call not upon him they looke for no good thing at his hands After this manner doth Augustine admonish his Reader touching the name of faith and teacheth that this word faith is taken in Scriptures not for such a knowledge as is in the wicked but for a trust and confidence which doth comfort and cheere up disquieted mindes Moreover our Divines doe teach that it is requisite to doe good workes not for to hope to deserve grace by them but because it is the will of God that we should doe them And because that the holy spirit is received by faith our hearts are presently renued and doe put on new affections so as they are able to bring forth good workes For so saith Ambrose Faith is the breeder of a good will and of good actions For mans powers without the holy spirit are full of wicked affections and are weaker then that they can doe any good deed before God Besides they are in the devils power who driveth men forward into divers sinnes into profane opinions and into very hainous crimes As was to be seene in the Philosophers who assaying to live an honest life could not attaine unto it but defiled themselves with open and grosse faults Such is the weakenesse of man when he is without faith and the holy Spirit and hath no other guide but the naturall powers of man Hereby every man may see that this doctrine is not to be accused as forbidding good works but rather is much tobe cōmended because it sheweth after what sort we must doe good workes For without faith the nature of man can by no meanes performe the workes of the first and second table Without faith it cannot call upon God hope in God beare the crosse but seeketh helpe from man and trusteth in mans helpe So it commeth to passe that all lusts and desires and all humane devises and counsels doe beare sway so long as faith and trust in God is absent Wherefore Christ saith Without me ye can doe nothing Iohn 15. and the Church singeth Without thy power there is naught in man and there is nothing but that which is hurtfull Out of the Confession of SAXONY Of the remission of sinnes and of Iustification VVE said before that these controversies doe pertaine to the interpreting of two Articles of the Creed I beleeve the remission of sinnes and I beleeve the holy Catholike Church Neither doe we speake of not necessary or light things It is most necessary that in the Church the doctrine touching sinne should be propounded and that men should know what sinne is and that there should be an evident difference betweene politicall judgements and the judgement of God But seeing our adversaries doe not teach aright what
rehearsing the context of every Confession because we were to have regard of the order of things and doctrine rather then either of the time or worthinesse of the Churches and Authours that wrote them or other such like circumstance therefore it seemed good without any envie or preiudice of other Confessions either more ancient or more famous to give the first place to the latter Confession of Helvetia both because the order thereof seemed more fit and the whole handling of doctrine more full and convenient and also because that Confession was publiquely approved and subscribed unto by very many Churches of divers Nations Farther upon this doe the rest fitly follow to wit the former Confession of Helvetia and then all other without any choise indifferently save that we had rather ioyne together the Confessions of Germany then sever them each from other according to the argument of every Section Yet we were inforced to put that Confession of the foure Cities as received somewhat late in the last place Which order notwithstanding if it shall not seeme fit and convenient to any it may easily be altered in the second Edition as other Confessions also if any such besides these shall be wanting may in their due place be adioyned To conclude that the godly Reader may want nothing and that no man may suspect any thing to be taken away or added to any of those Cofessions we have here set downe the Articles or chiefe points in the order wherein they were first written Which we desire every man favourably to interpret and to enioy this our labour rather seeking peace and agreement then maliciously hunting after occasions of dissentions PROPER CATALOGVES FOR EVERIE CONFESSION CONTAINED IN THIS HARMONIF AFTER THAT ORDER wherein they were first written The Articles of the former Confession of Helvetia SCripture 1 Interpretation 2 Fathers 3 Humane Traditions 4 The drift of the Scripture 5 God 6 Man and his strength 7 Originall sinne 8 Free will 9 The eternall Counsell touching the restoring of man 10 Iesus Christ and those benefits which we reape by him 11 The drift of the doctrine of the Gospel 12 Faith and the force thereof 13 The Church 14 Of the Ministers of the word 15 Ecclesiasticall power 16 The choosing of Ministers 17 The head shepheard of the Church 18 The duties of Ministers 19 Of the force and efficacie of the Sacraments 20 Baptisme 21 The Eucharist 22 Holy assemblies 23 Of Heretikes and Schismatikes 24 Of things indifferent 25 Of the Magistrate 26 Of holy Wedlocke 27 The Chiefe points of the latter Confession of HELVETIA OF the holy Scripture being the true word of God 1 Of Interpreting the holy Scripture and of Fathers Councels and Traditions 2 Of God his unitie and the Trinitie 3 Of Idols or Images of God Christ and Saints 4 Of the Adoration worship and Invocation of God through the onely Mediatour Iesus Christ 5 Of the providence of God 6 Of the creation of all things of Angels the Devil and Man 7 Of the fall of man sinne and the cause of sinne 8 Of free will and so of mans power and abilitie 9 Of the Predestination of God and Election of the Saints 10 Of Iesus Christ being true God and man and the onely Saviour of the world 11 Of the law of God 12 Of the Gospel of Iesus Christ of the promises also of the spirit and the letter 13 Of Repentance and the Conversion of man 14 Of the true iustification of the faithfull 15 Of Faith and good works and of their reward and the merit of man 16 Of the Catholique and holy Church of God and of the onely head of the Church 17 Of the Ministers of the Church their institution and duties 18 Of the Sacraments of the Church of Christ 19 Of holy Baptisme 20 Of the holy Supper of the Lord. 21 Of holy and Ecclesiasticall assemblies 22 Of the Prayers of the Church of singing and Canonicall houres 23 Of holy dayes fasts and choise of meates 24 Of Comforting or visiting the sick 25 Of the buriall of the faithfull and the care that is to be had for the dead and of purgatorie and the appearing of Spirits 26 Of Rites Ceremonies and things indifferent 27 Of the goods of the Church 28 Of single life Wedlocke and the ordering of a Family 29 Of the Magistrate 30 The Articles of the Confession of Basil OF God 1 Of man 2 Of the care of God toward us 3 Of Christ being true God and true man 4 Of the Church 5 Of the Supper of our Lord. 6 Of the Magistrate 7 Of Faith and workes 8 Of the last day 9 Of things commanded and not commanded 10 Against the errour of the Anabaptistes 11 The chiefe points of the Confession of Bohemia OF the holy Scripture and of Ecclesiasticall writers 1 Of Christian Catechising 2 Of the unitie of the divine essence and of the three Persons 3 Of the knowledge of himselfe Also of sinne the causes and fruits hereof and of the promises of God 4 Of repentance 5 Of Christ the Lord and of Iustification through faith in him 6 Of good workes which be holy actions 7 Of the holy Catholique Church the order and discipline hereof and moreover of Antichrist 8 Of the Ministers of the Church 9 Of the word of God 10 Of the Sacraments in generall 11 Of holy Baptisme 12 Of the Supper of the Lord. 13 Of the Keyes of Christ 14 Of things accessory that is of rites or Ecclesiasticall ceremonies 15 Of the politique or civill Magistrate 16 Of Saints and their worship 17 Of fasting 18 Of single life and wedlocke or the order of married folke 19 Of the time of Grace 20 The Articles of the French Confession OF God and his one onely essence 1 Of the knowledge of God 2 Of the Canonicall bookes of the holy Scripture 3 Of distinguishing the Canonicall booke from the Apocryphall 4 Of the authoritic of the word of God 5 Of the Trinitie of the Persons in one onely essence of God 6 Of the creation of the world 7 Of the eternall providence of God 8 Of the fall of man and his free-will 9 Of originall sinne 10 Of the propagation of originall sinne and of the effects thereof 11 Of the free election of God 12 Of the repairing of man from his fall through Christ 13 Of two natures in Christ 14 Of the hypostaticall union of his two natures 15 Of the death resurrection of Christ and of the fruit thereof 16 Of the merit and fruit of the sacrifice of Christ 17 Of the remission of sinnes and true Iustification 18 Of the Intercession or Mediation of Christ 19 Of iustifying Faith and the gift and effects thereof 20 21 22 Of the abolishing of ceremonies and true use of the mor all law 23 Of the intercession of Saints Purgatory and other superstitious traditions of the Popish sort 24 Of the ministery of the Gospell 25 Of the unitie of the Church and the true
notes thereof 26 27 28 Of Ecclesiasticall functions 29 Of the power and authoritie of the ministers 30 Of their lawfull calling election 31 Of Ecclesiasticall discipline 32 Of Excommunication and other Censures 33 Of the Sacraments in generall 34 Of Baptisme 35 Of the holy Supper of the Lord. 36 Of the efficacie and true communication of the thing signified by the signes 37 38 Of the Magistrate and politicke laws 39 40 The Articles of the English Confession OF one God in three Persons 1 Of Iesus Christ being the true Sonne of God and of the Incarnation and other works of Redemption and of his two natures being unseperably united and unconfounded 2 Of his last coming Of the holy Ghost and his works in us 3 Of the Catholique Church and the one onely King head and husband thereof 4 Of the divers degrees of the Church 5 Of the lawfull calling the Antichrist of Rome 5 Of the lawfull calling and Election of Ministers 6 Of their power and the use of the Keyes 7 Of marriage and a single life 8 Of the Canonicall Scriptures 9 Of the Sacraments and the number thereof 10 Of Baptisme 11 Of the holy Eucharist 12 Of the sale of Masses 13 Of Purgatorie 14 Of Ceremonies and Ecclesiasticall rites 15 Of Prayer in a vulgar tongue 16 Of the onely Intercessour and Mediatour Christ 17 Of the corruption of man through sinne of his iustification through Christ 18 Of the one onely sacrifice of Christ whereby we are perfectly reconciled to God 19 Of good works 20 Of the last resurrection of this flesh 21 The Articles of the Confession of Belgia OF the Essence or nature of God 1 Of the double knowledge of God 2 Of the beginning and author of the word of God 3 Of the Canonicall books of the old and new Testament 4 Of their authoritie 5 Of the Apocryphall books 6 Of the perfection of the Canonicall Scripture above all the doctrines of all men 7 Of three persons in one onely essence of God 8 Of the testimonies of both the Testaments whereby both the Trinitie of the persons and also their properties may be proved 9 Of the divine nature and generation of Iesus Christ the Son of God 10 Of the divine nature of the holy Ghost 11 Of the creation of the world and Angels and the distinguishing of them 12 Of the Providence of God and of his iust government both generall and speciall 13 Of the creation of man his fall corruption and servile free-will 14 Of originall sinne 15 Of free election iust reprobation 16 Of the repairing of man through Christ 17 Of the first coming of Christ and his true incarnation of the seed of David 18 Of his two natures hypostatically united in one onely person 19 Of the cause or end of his death and resurrection 20 Of his onely Priesthood and expiatorie sacrifice 21 Of faith the onely instrument of our iustification 22 Of true iustificatiō through Christ 23 Of regeneration and good works 24 Of the abrogating of the law and shadows 25 Of the onely Mediatour or Intercessour Christ against the Intercession of Saints 26 Of the Catholique Church 27 Of the unitie and communion thereof 28 Of true notes of the true Church 29 Of the government and Ecclesiasticall functions 30 Of the Election of Ministers Elders and Deacons and of their authoritie 31 Of Ecclesiasticall traditions 32 Of the Sacraments and their number 33 Of Baptisme 34 Of the Supper of the Lord. 35 Of Magistrates and their office and power 36 Of the last Iudgement 37 The Articles of the Confession of Auspurge OF God and the persons of the divinitie 1 Of originall sinne 2 Of the incarnarion of the Sonne of God 3 Of Iustification 4 Of the Preaching of Repentance and generall Remission 5 Of the righteousnesse of good works 6 Of the Church 7 Of the Sacraments which are administred by evill men 8 Of Baptisme 9 Of the Lords Supper 10 Of Repentance 11 Of Confession 12 Of the use of Sacraments 13 Of Ecclesiasticall order or degrees 14 Of Ecclesiasticall rites 15 Of civill ordinances 16 Of the last iudgement 17 Of free-will 18 Of the cause of sinne 19 Of good works 20 Of Invocation 21 Articles concerning the abuses which are changed in externall rites OF the Masse 1 Of either kinde of the Sacrament 2 Of Confession 3 Of the difference of meats and such like Popish traditions 4 Of the marriage of the Priests 5 Of the vows of Monks 6 Of Ecclesiasticall power 7 The chiefe points of the Confession of Saxonie OF Doctrine 1 Of originall sinne 2 Of the remission of sinnes and of Iustification 3 Of free-will 4 Of new obedience 5 What works are to be done 6 How good works may be done 7 How new obedience doth please God 8 Of rewards 9 Of the difference of sins 10 Of the Church 11 Of the Sacraments 12 Of Baptisme 13 Of the Lords Supper 14 Of the use of the whole Sacrament 15 Of Repentance 16 Of Satisfaction 17 Of Wedlocke 18 Of Confirmation and anointing 19 Of traditions or Ecclesiastical rites 20 Of a Monasticall life 21 Of the invocating of godly men departed out of this life 22 Of the civill Magistrate 23 The chiefe points of the Confession of Wirtemberge OF God and three persons in one Godhead 1 Of the Sonne of God 2 Of the holy Ghost 3 Of sinne 4 Of Iustification 5 Of the law 6 Of good works 7 Of the Gospell of Iesus Christ 8 Of the Sacraments 9 Of Baptisme 10 Of Confirmation 11 Of Repentance 12 Of Contrition 13 Of Confession 14 Of Satisfaction 15 Of Prayer 16 Of Fasting 17 * Of Almes 18 Of the Eucharist that is of the Sacrament of thanksgiving 19 * Of the Masse 20 Of holy orders 21 Of Marriage 22 * Of extreame Vnction 23 Of the invrcating of Saints 24 Of the remembrance of the dead 25 Of Purgatorie 26 * Of Monasticall vows 27 Of Canonicall houres 28 Of Fasting 29 Of the consecrating of water salt wine and other such like things 30 Of the holy Scripture 31 * Of the Pope 32 Of the Church 33 Of Councels 34 Of the Teachers of the Church 35 Of Ecclesiasticall Ceremonies 36 THE CONTENTS OF THE BOOKE FOLLOWING ACCORDING TO THE SECTIONS which are in number nineteene and of how many confessions each Section doth consist THE FIRST SECTION pag. 1. OF the holy Scripture being the true word of God and the interpretation thereof This Section consisteth of ten confessions to wit Of the former and latter confessions of Helvetia of that of Basil or Myllane of Bohemia or the Waldenses the French the English that of Belgia Saxonie Wirtemberge and Sheveland THE SECOND SECTION pag. 19. OF God in essence one in persons three and of his true worship This Section consisteth of 11. confessions to wit Of the former and latter confession of Helvetia that of Basil of Bohemia or the Waldenses the French the English that of Belgia Auspurge Saxonie Wirtemberge
so great ungodlinesse For we at no hand offer up our prayers trusting to our own worthinesse but resting upon the only worthinesse and excellencie of the Lord Iesus Christ whose righteousnesse is ours by faith whereupon the Apostle for good cause to exempt us from this vaine feare or rather distrust saith that Christ was in all things made like unto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest in those things that were to be done with God for the cleansing of the peoples sins For in as much as he being tempted hath suffered he is also able to help those that are tempted And that he might encourage us to come the more boldly to this high Priest the same Apostle addeth Having therefore a great high Priest who hath entred the heavens even Iesus the Son of God let us hold fast this profession For we have not an high Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but he was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sin Let us therefore with boldnesse approach unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercie and finde grace to help in time of need The same Apostle saith that we have libertie to enter into the holy place through the blood of Iesus Let us therefore draw neer with a constant perswasion of faith c And againe Christ hath an everlasting Priesthood Wherefore he is able also to save them that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them What need many words when as Christ himself saith I am the way the trueth and the life No man commeth to the father but by me Why should we seek unto our selves any other Advocate especially seeing it hath pleased God himself to give us his own son for our advocate there is no cause why forsaking him we should seek another lest by continuall seeking we never finde any other For God undoubtedlie knew when he gave him unto us that we were miserable sinners Whereupon it is that according to Christs own commandement we onely call upon the heavenly Father by the self same Iesus Christ our onely Mediatour even as he himself also hath taught us in the Lords Prayer For we are sure that we shall obtaine all those things which we aske of the Father in his name Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE CHAP. 3. THE Churches with common consent among us doe teach Artic. 1. that the Decree of the Nicene Councell concerning the unitie of the Divine Essence and of the three persons is true and without all doubt to be beleeved To wit that there is one Divine Essence which is called and is God eternall without body indivisible of infinite power wisdome goodnesse the Creator and preserver of all things visible and invisible and that there be three persons of the same essence and power which also are coeternall the Father the Son and the holy Ghost And they use the name of person in that signification in which the Ecclesiasticall Writers have used it in this cause to signifie not a part or qualitie in another but that which properly subsisteth They condemne all heresies sprung up against this Article as the Manichees who set down two beginnings Good and Evill they doe in like sort condemn the Valentinians Arrians Eunomians Mahometists and all such like They condemn also the Samosatenes old and new who when they earnestly defend that there is but one person do craftily and wickedly dally after the manner of Rhetoricians about the Word and the holy Ghost that they are not distinct persons but that the Word signifieth a vocall word and the Spirit a motion created in things Artic. 21. We have found this 21. Article set forth three divers wayes The first Edition 1559. goeth thus INvocation is an honour which is to be given onely to God Almightie that is to the eternall Father and to his Son our Saviour Iesus Christ and to the holy Ghost And God hath proposed his Son Iesus Christ for a Mediatour and high Priest that maketh intercession for us He testifieth that for him alone our prayers are heard and accepted according to that saying Whatsoever you aske the Father in my name he shall give it to you Againe There is one Mediatour betweene God and men Therefore let them that call upon God offer up their prayers by the Son of God as in the end of prayers it is accustomed to be said in the Church through Iesus Christ c. These things are needfull to be taught concerning Invocation as our men have else-where more at large written of Invocation But contrariwise the custome of invocating Saints that are departed out of this life is to be reprooved and quite throwne out of the Church because this custome transferreth the glory due to God alone unto men it ascribeth unto the dead an Omnipotencie in that Saints should see the motions of mens hearts yea it ascribeth unto the dead the office of Christ the Mediatour and without all doubt obscureth the glory of Christ Therefore we condemne the whole custome of invocating Saints departed and thinke it is to be avoided Notwithstanding it profiteth to recite the true Histories of holy men because their examples doe profitably instruct if they be rightly propounded When we heare that Davids fall was forgiven him faith is confirmed in us also The constancie of the ancient Martyrs doth now likewise strengthen the mindes of the godly For this use it is profitable to the recite the Histories But yet there had need be discretion in applying examples The second Edition is thus Artic. 21. COncerning the worship of Saints they teach that it is profitable to propose the memory of Saints that by their examples we may strengthen our faith and that we may follow their faith and good works so farre as every mans calling requireth as the Emperour may follow Davids example in making warre to beate backe the Turks for either of them is a King we ought also to give God thanks that he hath propounded so many and glorious examples of his mercie in the Saints of his Church and that he hath adorned his Church with most excellent gifts and vertues of holy men The Saints themselves also are to be commended who have holily used those gifts which they employed to the beautifying of the Church But the Scripture teacheth not to invocate Saints or to aske help of Saints but layeth onely Christ before us for a Mediatour Propitiatour high Priest and Intercessour Concerning him we have commandements and promises that we invocate him and should be resolved that our prayers are heard when we flie to this high Priest and Intercessour as Iohn saith Chap. 16. Whatsoever ye shall aske the Father in my name he will give it you c. and Iohn 14. Whatsoever ye shall aske in my name that I will doe These testimonies bid us flie unto Christ they command us to beleeve that Christ is the Intercessour and Peace
and spirituall motions true feare patience constancie faith invocation in most sharpe tentations in the middest of Satans subtill assaults in the terrours of sinne In these surely we had great neede to be guided and * Looke the 2. observar helped of the holy Spirit according to that saying of Paul The Spirit helpeth our infirmitie We condemne the Pelagians and all such as they are who teach that by the onely powers of nature without the holy Spirit we may love God above all and fulfill the Law of God as touching the substance of our actions We doe freely and necessarily mislike these dreames for they doe obscure the benefits of Christ For therefore is Christ the Mediatour set forth and mercy promised in the Gospel because that the Law cannot be satisfied by mans nature as Paul witnesseth when he saith Rom. 8. The wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God For it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeed can be For albeit that mans nature by it selfe can after some sort * Looke the 3. observat upon this confession performe externall workes for it can containe the hands from theft and murder yet can it not make those inward motions as true feare true faith patience and chastitie unlesse the holy Ghost doe governe and helpe our hearts And yet in this place also doe we teach that it is also the commandement of God that the carnall motions should be restrained by the industrie of reason and by civill discipline as Paul saith The law is schoolemaster to Christ Also The law is given to the uniust These things are thus found in another edition As touching free will they teach that mans will hath some Artic. 18. libertie to worke a civill justice and to chuse such things as reason can reach unto But that it hath no power to worke the righteousnesse of God or a spirituall justice without the spirit of God Because that the naturall man perceiveth not the things that are of the spirit of God But this power is wrought in the heart when as men doe receive the spirit of God through the word These things are in as many words affirmed by Saint Augustine Lib. 3. Hypognost c. as before They condemne the Pelagians and others who teach that onely by the power of nature without the Spirit of God we are able to love God above all also to performe the commandements of God as touching the substance of our actions For although that nature be able in some sort to doe the externall workes for it is able to withhold the hands from theft and murder yet it cannot work the inward motions as the feare of God trust in God chastitie patience Touching the cause of sinne they teach that albeit God doth create and preserve nature yet the cause of sinne is the wil of the wicked to wit of the Devill and of ungodly men which turneth it selfe from God unto other things against the commandements of God when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his owne This is found thus in an other edition TOuching the cause of sinne they teach that albeit God doth create and preserve our nature yet the cause of sinne is the will of the wicked to wit of the Devill and of ungodly men which will being destitute of Gods helpe turneth it selfe from God as Christ saith Ioan. 8. When he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his owne Out of the Confession of SAXONY ANd seeing the controversies which are sprung up doe chiefly pertaine unto two articles of the Creed namely to the article I beleeve the remission of sinnes and I beleeve the Catholike Church we will shew the fountaines of these controversies which being well weighed men may easily understand that our expositions are the very voyce of the Gospel and that our adversaries have sowed corruptions in the Church And first of the Article I beleeve the remission of sinnes HEre many and great corruptions are devised of our adversaries I beleeve nay say they I doubt also Then I will beleeve when I shall have merits enow Also they doe not say I beleeve certainely that remission is given freely for the Sonne of God not for any merits of ours or any worthinesse of ours Also They doe not rightly shew what sinne is and feigne that man is able to satisfie the Law of God and that by the fulfilling of the Law he becommeth just before God in this life Therefore first as touching sinne and the cause thereof we doe faithfully retaine the doctrine of the true Church of God Seeing that God in essence is one the eternall Father the coeternall Sonne being the image of the Father and the coeternall holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne of infinite wisedome power and goodnesse true just bountifull chaste most free as he describeth himselfe in his Law and seeing he hath therefore made the Angels and men that being from all eternitie he might impart unto them his light wisedome and goodnesse and that they should be the temples of God wherein God might dwell that God might be all in all as Paul speaketh he therefore created them at the beginning good and just that is agreeing with the minde and will of God and pleasing him He also gave them a cleere knowledge of God and of his will that they might understand that they were made of God that they might be obedient as it is written in the fifth Psalme Thou art not a God that loveth wickednesse But the devils and men abused the libertie of their will swarved from God and by this disobedience they were made subject to the wrath of God and lost that uprightnesse wherein they were created Therefore free will in the devill and in men was the cause of that fall not the will of God who neither willeth sinne nor alloweth it nor furdereth it as it is written When the Devill speaketh a lie he speaketh of his owne and he is the father of lying And 1 John 3. He that committeth sinne is of the devill because the devill sinneth from the beginning Now sinne is that whatsoever is contrary to the justice of God which is an order in the minde of God which he did afterward manifest by his own voyce in the Law and in the Gospel whether it be originall disobedience or actuall for the which the person is both guiltie and condemned with everlasting punishment except he obtaine remission in this life for the Sonne the Mediatours sake We doe also condemne the madnesse of Marcion the Manichees and such like which are repugnant in this whole question to the true consent of the Church of God Of Originall sinne Artic. 2. AS touching originall sinne we doe plainely affirme that we doe retaine the consent of the true Church of God delivered unto us from the first Fathers Prophets Apostles and the Apostles schollers even unto Augustine and after his time and we doe expresly condemne Pelagius and all those who have scattered in
and happinesse Moreover we confesse that God did then at the length fulfill his Artic. 18. promise made unto the Fathers by the mouth of his holy Prephets when in his appointed time he sent his onely and eternâ—â— Son into the world who took upon him the forme of a servant being made like unto men and did truly take unto him the nature of man with all infirmities belonging thereunto sin onely excepted when he was conceived in the wombe of the blessed Virgin Mary by the power of the holy Ghost without any means of man The which nature of man he put upon him not onely in respect of the body but also in respect of the soule for he had also a true soule to the intent he might be true and perfect man For seeing that as well the soule as the body of man was subject to condemnation it was necessary that Christ should take upon him as well the soule as the body that he might save them both together Therefore contrary to the heresie of the Anabaptists which deny that Christ did take upon him the flesh of man we confesse that Christ was partaker of flesh and blood as the rest of his brethren were that he came from the loynes of David according to the flesh I say that he was made of the seed of David according to the same flesh and that he is a fruit of the Virgins wombe borne of a woman the branch of David a flower of the root of Iesse comming of the tribe of Iuda and of the Iews themselves according to the flesh and to conclude the true seed of Abraham and David the which seed of Abraham he tooke upon him being made in all things like unto his brethren sin onely excepted as hath been said before so that he is indeed our true Emmanuel that is God with us We beleeve also that the person of the Son was by this conception Artic. 19. inseparably united and coupled with the humane nature yet so that there be not two Sons of God nor two persons but two natures joyned together in one person both which natures doe still retaine their owne proprieties So that as the divine nature hath remained alwayes uncreated without the beginning of dayes and tearme of life filling both heaven and earth so the humane nature hath not lost his proprieties but hath remained still a creature having both beginning of dayes and a finite nature For whatsoever doth agree unto a true body that it still retaineth and although Christ by his resurrection hath bestowed immortalitie upon it yet notwithstanding he hath neither taken away the trueth of the humane nature nor altered it For both our salvation and also our resurrection dependeth upon the trueth of Christs bodie Yet these two natures are so united and coupled in one person that they could not no not in his death be separated the one from the other Wherefore that which in his death he commended unto his Father was indeed a humane spirit departing out of his body but in the meane season the divine nature did alwaies remaine joyned to the humane even then when he lay in the grave so that his Deitie was no lesse in him at that time then when as yet he was an infant although for a small season it did not shew forth it selfe Wherefore we confesse that he is true God and true man true God that by his power he might overcome death and true man that in the infirmitie of his flesh he might die for us We beleeve that God which is both perfectly mercifull and Artic. 20. perfectly just did send his Son to take upon him that nature which through disobedience had offended that in the selfe same nature he might satisfie for sinne and by his bitter death and passion pay the punishment that was due unto sinne God therefore hath declared and manifested his justice in his owne Sonne being loaden with our iniquities but hath most mercifully powred forth and declared his gracious goodnesse unto us guiltie wretches and worthie of condemnation whilest that in his incomprehensible love towards us he delivered up his Sonne unto death for our sins and raised him up againe from death for our justification that by him we might obtaine immortalitie and life everlasting We beleeve that Iesus Christ is that high Priest appointed to Artic. 21. that office eternally by the oath of his Father according to the order of Melchisedech which offered himselfe in our name before his Father with a full satisfaction for the pacifying of his wrath laying himselfe upon the altar of the crosse and hath shed his blood for the cleansing of our sins as the Prophets had foretold For it is written that the chastisement of our peace was laid upon the Sonne of God and by his wounds we are healed Also that he was carried as a sheepe unto the slaughter reputed amongst sinners and unjust and condemned of Pontius Pilate as a malefactour though before he had pronounced him guiltlesse Therfore he payed that which he had not taken and being just suffered in soul and body for the unjust in such sort that feeling the horror of those punishments that were due unto our sins he did sweat water and blood and at length cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me All which he suffered for the remission of our sins Wherefore we do not without just cause professe w th Paul that we know nothing out Iesus Christ and him crucified and that we doe account all things as dung in respect of the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christ our Lord finding in his wounds and stripes all manner of comfort that can be deserved Wherefore there is no need that either we should wish for any other meanes or devise any of our owne braines whereby we might be reconciled unto God besides this one oblation once offered by the which all the faithfull which are sanctified are consecrated or perfected for ever And this is the cause why he was called the Angel Jesus that is to say a Saviour because he shall save his people from their sinnes Last of all we doe beleeve out of the word of God that out Artic. 37. Lord Iesus Christ when the time appointed by God but unto all creatures unknowne shall come and the number of the elect shall be accomplished shall come againe from heaven and that after a corporall and visible manner as heretofore he hath ascended being adorned with great glory and majestie that he may appeare as Iudge of the quicke and the dead the old world being kindled with fire and flame and purified by it Then * Looke the second observat upon this confession all creatures and as well men as women and children as many as have beene from the beginning and shall be to the end of the world shall appeare before this high Iudge being summoned thither by the voyce of Archangels and the trumpet of God For all that have been dead
shall then rise out of the earth the soule and spirit of every one being joyned and coupled together againe to the same bodies wherein before they lived They moreover which shall be alive at the last day shall not die the same death that other men have done but in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye they shall be changed from corruption to an incorruptible nature Then the bookes shall be opened namely the bookes of every mans conscience and the dead shall be judged according to those things which they have done in this world either good or evill Moreover then shall men render an account of every idle word which they have spoken although the world doe now make but a sport and a jest at them Finally all the hypocrisie of men and the deepest secrets of their hearts shall be made manifest unto all so that worthily the onely remembrance of this judgement shall be terrible and fearfull to the wicked and reprobate But of the godly and elect it is greatly to be wished for and is unto them exceeding comfort For then shall their redemption be fully perfited and they shall reape most sweet fruit and commoditie of all those labours and sorrowes which they have suffered in this world Then I say their innocencie shall be openly acknowledged of all and they likewise shall see that horrible punishment which the Lord will execute upon those that have most tyrannically afflicted them in this world with divers kindes of torments and crosses Furthermore the wicked being convinced by the peculiar testimony of their owne conscience shall indeed be made immortall but with this condition that they shall burne for ever in that eternall fire which is prepared for the devill On the contrarie side the elect and faithfull shall be crowned with the crowne of glory and honour whose names the Sonne of God shall confesse before his Father and the Angels and then shall all teares be wiped from their eies Then their cause which now is condemned of heresie and impietie by the Magistrates and Iudges of this world shall be acknowledged to be the cause of the Son of God And the Lord shall of his free mercy reward them with so great glory as no mans minde is able to conceive Therefore we doe with great longing expect that great day of the Lord wherein we shall most fully enjoy all those things which God hath promised unto us and through Iesus Christ our Lord be put into full possession of them for evermore Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE ALso they teach that the word that is the Sonne of God tooke unto him mans nature in the wombe of the blessed Virgin Mary so that the two natures the divine and the humane inseperably joyned together in the unitie of one person are one Christ true God and true man who was borne of the Virgin Mary did truely suffer was crucified dead and buried that he might reconcile his Father unto us and might be a sacrifice not onely for the Originall sinne but also for all actuall sinnes of men The same also descended into hell and did truely rise againe the third day Afterward he ascended into heaven that he might sit at the right hand of the Father and reigne for ever and have dominion over all the creatures sanctifie those that beleeve in him by sending the holy Spirit into their hearts and give everlasting life to such as he had sanctified The same Christ shall openly come againe to judge them that are found alive and the dead raised up againe according to the Creede of the Apostles In the end of this Article after these words by sending his holy Spirit into their hearts these words are found in some Editions BY sending his Spirit into their hearts which may reigne comfort and quicken them and defend them against the Devil and the power of sin The same Christ shall openly come againe to judge the quicke and the dead c. according to the Creed of the Apostles Also they teach that in the end of the world Christ shall appeare to judgement and shall raise up all the dead and shall give unto men to wit to the godly and elect eternall life and everlasting joyes but the ungodly and the devils shall he condemne unto endlesse torments Also we condemne the Origenists who imagined that the devill and the damned creatures should one day have an end of their pains After the first period of this Article this is thus found else-where THey condemne the Anabaptists that are of opinion that the damned men and the devils shall have an end of their torments They condemne others also which now adaies do spread abroad Iewish opinions that before the resurrection of the dead the gody shall get the soveraigntie in the world and the wicked be brought under in every place Out of the Confession of SAXONIE Hitherto pertaineth a part of the third Article THE Son of God our Lord Iesus Christ who is the Image of the eternall Father is appointed our Mediator Reconciler Redeemer Iustifier and Saviour By the obedience and merit of him alone the wrath of God is pacified as it is said Rom 3. Whom he set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood And Heb. 10. It is impossible that the blood of Buls should take away sins But he offering a sacrifice for sins sitteth for ever at the right hand of God c. And although we doe not see as yet * Looke the first observat upon this confession in this our infirmitie the causes of this wonderfull counsell why mankinde was to be redeemed after this sort but we shall learn them hereafter in all eternitie yet these principles are now to be learned In this sacrifice there are to be seene justice in the wrath of God against sin infinite mercie towards us and love in his Son towards mankinde The severitie of his justice was so great that there be no reconciliation before the punishment was accomplished His mercie was so great that his Son was given for us There was so great love in the Son towards us that he derived unto himselfe this true and exceeding great anger O Son of God kindle in our hearts by thy holy spirit a consideration of these great and secret things that by the knowledge of this true wrath we may be sore afraid and that again by true comfort we may be lifted up that we may praise thee for ever Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE VVE beleeve and confesse that the Son of God our Lord Iesus Christ begotten of his eternall Father is true and eternall God consubstantiall with his Father and that in the fulnesse of time he was made man to purge our sins and * Looke the 1. Observat upon this confession to procure the eternall salvation of mankinde that Christ Iesus being very God and very man is one person onely and not two and that in this one person there be two natures not one
workes are not without their effect but have their rewards Such a promise is this Give and it shall be given unto you And when Paul saith 1 Cor. 11. If we would iudge our selves we should not be iudged he speaketh of whole repentance not of those most vaine shadowes which they reason to prevaile although a man fall againe into mortall sinne And in this matter they have devised new jugling tricks They confesse that these satisfactions are not recompences but they say that we must admit such satisfactions as chastisements as Paul doth punish the Corinthian 1 Cor. 5. That chastisement was excommunication and we confesse that they which are guiltie of manifest hainous deedes are by a lawfull judgement and order to be excommunicated neither is just excommunication a vaine lightning Yet notwithstanding the power of the Church doth not punish by corporall force as by prison or by hunger but it doth onely * Looke the 7. Obsâ—rvat pronounce this sentence The prison and common punishments doe pertaine to civill governours But such is the frowardnesse of certain men that although they see themselves convinced by the evidence of truth yet they seeke to dally by sophistrie lest if they should give place they should be thought to have betrayed their fellowes God which seeth the heart knoweth that with a simple indevour we have sought out the truth Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGH Of Repentance CHAP. 12. SEeing that we must alwaies acknowledge our sinnes and beleeve that they be forgiven for Christ his sake we thinke it also meete that men should alwaies repent in this life But divers men expound repentance diversly commonly they make three parts of repentance Contrition Confession and Satisfaction We will severally and briefly runne over these parts that we may declare what we may thinke to be in deed Catholike and Apostolike in this doctrine of Repentance Of Contrition CHAP. 13. VVE call Contrition a feeling of the wrath of God or a sorrow and great feare of the mind raised by the knowledge of the greatness of our sinnes and the weightinesse of the wrath of God And we thinke that such a Contrition as the law of God doth use to stirre up in man is necessarily required in true repentance but to teach that it doth deserve remission of sinnes or that it is a purging of our sinnes before God we thinke in contrary to the Apostolike doctrine God truely doth not despise a contrite and an humble heart as the Psalme saith but therefore he doth not despise it because the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ tooke upon him a contrite and humble heart by whose onely contrition and humiliation our sins are purged before God and his wrath is pacified Now we are made partakers of this pacification when with a contrite and humble heart we beleeve that Iesus Christ alone is our reconciler with the heavenly Father Isa 53. He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed 1 Iohn 2. He is the propitiation for our sinnes Act. 10. To him give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name all that beleeve in him shall have remission of their sinnes Also the examples of Cain Esau Saul Judas Iscarioth and such like doe witnesse that Contrition is not a merit of remission of sinnes For these men although they had so great contrition that it seemed to them a thing more tolerable to dispatch their life either by strangling or by thrusting themselves in with swords rather then to suffer those horrible griefes yet could they not obtain remission of their sinnes The Glosse saith If we looke narrowly to the matter remission of sinnes is to be attributed to the grace of God not to contrition Wherefore we confesse that to shew forth true repentance Contrition is necessarie yet not to this end that it should be any merit or purging of our sinnes before God but that man acknowledging the greatnesse of his sinnes should be stirred up to seeke remission of sinnes and salvation in the onely free clemencie and mercy of God and that onely for Iesus Christ our Lord his sake by faith Of Confession CHAP. 14. THey call Confession a reckoning up of sinnes before a Priest Therefore such confession as hath hitherto beene used as it was not commanded of God so it is manifest that the ancient Church did not exact it with such severitie as if it had beene necessary to obtaine eternall salvation And it is not to be doubted but that we ought to acknowledge our selves before God to be sinners and to confesse our sinnes to God yea the ancient Ecclesiasticall writers doe grant that it is free for any one to reckon up his sinnes before man unlesse in some matter man be offended and the truth by lawfull and divine calling is to be declared Chrysostome saith I will thee not to bewraie thy selfe openly nor to accuse Chrysost in cap. 12. ad Heb. in hom 31. In Psal Miserere August lib. 10. Confess cap. 3. thy selfe before others but I counsell thee to obey the Prophet saying Open thy way unto the Lord. And againe If thou art ashamed to shew thy sins to any man then utter them every day in thine heart I say not goe confesse thâ— sinnes to thy fellow servant that may upbraide thee with them but confesse them unto God that is able to cure them Now although these words of Chrysostome use to be expounded of those sins which were before confessed to a Priest yet is this exposition a manifest wresting of the meaning of Chrysostome and the Eecclesiasticall history doth evidently witnesse that this custome of confessing unto a Priest was abrogated in the Church of Constantinople Augustine saith What have I to doe with men that they should heare my confessions as if they were able Ambr. super Luc. de poeniten Dist 1. Cap. Petrus to heale all my griefes They are very curious to know an other mans life and very slow in amending of their owne Ambrose saith Peter sorrowed and wept because he erred as man I doe not finde what he said I know that he wept I reade of his teares I doe not reade of his satisfaction And although * Looke the first observat upon this confession we thinke that it is not necessary to salvation to reckon up sinnes before a Priest and that it is not any merit of of remission of sinnes yet we endevour that a generall confession of sinnes so farre as may be and is lawfull may be retained in our Churches and that for two causes One is that by this private conference the ignorant may be admonished and instructed in necessarie matters the other that by this occasion the Gospel of Christ touching remission of sinnes may be heard privately the which Gospel is the true Key of the Kingdome of heaven and absolution from sinne and that by the hearing of the Gospel
or absolution faith may be either conceived or confirmed For that we may truely repent we thinke that there is nothing more sure and certaine then that of necessitie we should have faith to this end that as the Gospel of Christ doth declare it so we may assuredly beleeve that our sinnes are freely pardoned and forgiven for our Lord Iesus Christ his sake We are not ignorant if we looke unto our workes that we are not onely to doubt but also to dispaire of our salvation because that our workes seeme they never so good cannot stand upright before the severe tribunall seate of God Neither are we ignorant that some doubt of the mercy and favour of God doth alwaies cleave to our flesh so long as we live in the body But seeing that God doth promise unto us his free mercy for Christ his Sonnes sake and doth require of us that we doe obediently beleeve the Gospel of his Sonne he there with also doth require that we mortifie the doubting of the flesh and have a most assured affiance in his mercy that we doe not accuse his promise to be so full of deceit as we are of doubting And that we may conceive sure confidence therein he placed our salvation not in the merits of our righteousnesse which is unperfect but onely in the merits of his Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ whose righteousnesse as it is most perfect so it is most firme and constant in the judgement of God Mar. 1. Repent and beleeve the Gospel He commandeth us to beleeve the Gospel which declareth unto us the certaine favour of God toward us for Christ his sake therefore he will not have us to doubt of his favour towards us but that we may conceive sure confidence thereof Iohn 6. This is the worke of God that ye beleeve in him whom the Father hath sent If God require of us that we beleeve in his Sonne certainely he would not have us to doubt but that we put our sure confidence in him Jam. 1. If any of you want wisedome let him aske of him which giveth it namely of God who giveth I say to all men without exception and upbraideth not and it shall be given him but let him aske with confidence nothing doubting Hilarie saith The kingdome of heaven In Mat. cap. 5. which the Prophets foreshewed Iohn preached and our Lord professed to consist in himselfe he will have us to hope for without any doubting of a wavering will Otherwise iustification through faith is none In Manueli cap. 23. at all if faith it selfe be doubtfull And Augustine saith He that doth despaire of the pardon of his sinnse doth deny that God is morcifull he that doth distrust of the mercy of God doth great iniurie unto God and as much as in him lyeth he denieth that God hath love truth and power in which things all our hope doth consist Sixtus Sixtus Pontifex Tom. 1. Epist Sixti Pont sicis saith He which is doubtfull in faith is an infidell Wherefore we thinke that they who counsell us to doubt of the favour of God towards us doe not onely dissent from the true judgement of the Catholike Church but also provide very ill for the salvation of the Church Of Satisfaction CHAP. 15. AS touching satisfaction we beleeve and confesse that the alone passion and death of the onely begotten Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ is a satisfaction for our sinnes and that this satisfaction of Christ is offered and applied to us by the ministery of the Gospel and is received of us by faith We also confesse that after the satisfaction of Christ is applied and by faith received we ought necessarily to doe those good workes which God hath commanded not that by them we might purge our sinnes before God but that we might bring forth good fruits of repentance and testifie our thankefulnesse For as touching prayer fasting giving of almes and such like workes we thinke that they are diligently to be performed yet that they have a farre other use then that they should by their merits either satisfie God for our sinnes or apply unto us the merite of Christ Out of the Confession of SVEVELAND Of Confession CHAP. 20. SEeing that true confession of sinnes and such as hath it beginning from godlinesse can be performed of no man whom his repentance and true sorrow of minde doth not force thereunto it cannot be wrested out by any precept Wherefore neither Christ himselfe nor the Apostles would command it Therefore for this cause our Preachers doe exhort men to confesse their sins and there withall they shew what fruit ariseth hereof that a man should secretly seeke for comfort counsell doctrine instruction and at the hands of a man that is a Christian and wise yet by commandement they urge no man but doe rather affirme that such commandements doe hinder godlinesse For that constitution of confessing sinnes unto a Priest hath driven infinite soules unto desperation and is subject to so many corruptions that of late it ought to have beene abrogated and without doubt had beene abrogated if the governours of Churches of late time had burned with so great a zeale to remove away stumbling blocks as in times past Nestorius the Bishop of Constantinople did burne who did utterly abolish secret confession in his Church because that a certaine noble woman going often to Church under pretence of doing the workes of repentance was deprehended to have to doe with a Deacon Infinit such undoubted sinnes were committed every where Moreover the Pontificall lawes doe require that the hearer and judge of confession should be so holy learned wise mercifull that a man can hardly finde out especially among those that are commonly appointed to heare confessions to whom he might confesse himselfe And now the Schoolemen doe thinke that it is better to confesse sinnes to a laie man then to that Priest by whom we may not looke to be edified in godlinesse This is the summe That confession bringeth more hurt then profit which sound repentance and true sorrow of the minde for sinnes committed doth not wring out Therefore seeing this is the gift of God alone that we may repent of our sinnes and be truely sorrowfull for that wee have sinned nothing that may turne to salvation can be done in this matter by commandements as hath hitherto beene too too manifest even by experience THE NINTH SECTION OF IVSTIFICATION BY FAITH AND OF GOOD Workes and their Rewards The latter Confession of HELVETIA Of the true Justification of the faithfull CHAP. 15. TO justifie in the Apostles disputation touching justification doth signifie to remit sinnes to absolve from the fault and the punishment thereof to receive into favour to pronounce a man just For the Apostle faith to the Romans God is he that iustifieth Rom. 8. who is he that can condemne Where to justifie and to condemne are opposed And in the Acts of the Apostles the Apostle saith Through Christ is preached unto
sinne is they confirme in men an evill securitie and many false opinions Againe what can be more miserable then either to obscure or to be ignorant of this great benefit namely the remission of sinnes and deliverance from eternall death seeing that there is no difference betwixt the Church and other men when as the light is extinguished concerning free remission of sinnes for the Sonnes sake and concerning Faith whereby remission must be received neither is there any other comfort drawing us backe from eternall death neither can there be any true Invocation without this comfort and God himselfe hath so often commanded that his Son should be heard and the Gospel kept which is a wonderfull decree brought forth out of the secret counsell of the Godhead when it was hid from all creatures therefore it is most necessary that the true doctrine touching remission of sinnes should be kept undefiled But in all ages even from our first fathers time the devils have scattered subtill delusions against the true doctrine concerning the Sonne of God and especially in this article whom notwithstanding God hath oftentimes refuted good teachers being againe raised up that the Church might not utterly perish Adam Seth Noe Sem Abraham Isaac Iacob and others after them did shew the true difference betwixt the Church of God and other men and taught that to the Church was given the promise touching the Mediatour the Sonne of God and touching remission of sinnes and that this remission is to be received freely for the Mediatours sake And they tied Invocation to this God which had manifested himselfe by giving a promise concerning the Mediatour and they had externall rites given them of God which were signes of the promise and the sinewes of the publike Congregation These rites did a great part of the multitude imitate omitting the doctrine of the promises and faith and when they had devised this perswasion that men by observing these rites might deserve remission of sins they heaped up many ceremonies and by little and little boldnesse went so far as commonly it cometh to passe that divers men devised divers gods So the heathen departed from the true Church of God and from the knowlege of the true God and the promise of the Redeemer The same thing also hapned after Moses his time Ceremonies were appointed for this cause that they should be admonitions of the Mediatour of the Doctrine of Faith of free remission for the Mediatours sake But they feigned that sinnes were forgiven for those rites and sacrifices and by this superstition they heaped up sacrifices and forgot the Mediatour and were without true comfort and without true invocation The same thing hapned also after the Apostles time the light of the Gospel being lost wherin is propounded free remission for the Mediatours sake and that to be received by Faith They sought remission by Monasticall exercises by single life by divers observations by the offering in the Masse by the intercession of dead men and many monstrous superstitions were devised as the histories of the whole Church which succeeded the Apostles doe declare Against these errors the infinite mercy of God hath oftentimes restored the voyce of the Gospel And as among the people of Israel he did often raise up Prophets which should purge the doctrine diligently so in the Church after the Apostles time when the writings of Origen and Pelagius and the superstition of the people had corrupted the purity of the Gospel yet notwithstanding as in a myst the light of the Gospel was again kindled by Augustine and him followed Prosper Maximus and others who reproved the false opinions touching this Article Afterward when the Monkes were sprung up and that opinion which feigneth men to merit by their works was a fresh spread abroad yet there was some of a better judgement although they added stubble to the foundation as Huge Bernard Gilbert William of Paris Tauler Ambrose Wesell and others in other places And now by the voyce of Luther the doctrine of the Gospel is more cleered and more evidently restored and the Lambe shewed unto us as the Baptist saith Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the World He that beleeveth in the Sonne hath eternall life he that beleeveth not the wrath of God abideth on him The same voyce of the Gospel our Churches doe publish and that without corruption and we doe discerne that discipline or righteousnesse which a man not regenerate may performe from the righteousnesse of faith and that newnesse whereof the Gospel doth preach We say that all men are to be restrained by discipline that is by that righteousnes which even the unregenerate ought after a sort may performe which is an obedience in externall actions according to all the commandements of God appertaining to all men * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession Because that God left this libertie in man after his fall that the outward members might after a sort obey reason and the will in stirring up or omitting outward motions as Achilles may draw his sword or put it up into the sheath Scipio may restraine his members so that he meddle not with another mans wife as in their place these things are truely and copiously declared Now it is most certaine that this discipline is commanded of God and that the breaking thereof is punished with present and eternall punishments even in those which are not converted unto God according to those sayings The law was made for the uniust He that taketh the sword shall perish with the sword Also Fornicatours and adulterers the Lord will iudge Also Wee unto thee which spoilest because thou shalt be spoiled And although all men ought to governe their manners by this discipline and God doth severely command that all kingdomes should defend this discipline and he by horrible punishments doth declare his wrath against this outward contumacie yet this externall discipline even where it is most honest is not a fulfilling of the law neither doth it deserve remission of sinnes neither is it that righteousnesse whereby we are accepted before God nor that light shining in the nature of men as righteousnesse shined in us in our creation or as new righteousnesse shall shine in us in the life eternall But all this discipline is an externall government such as it is like unto the leafe of a figge tree where with our first parents after their fall did cover their nakednesse neither doth it any more take away sinne and the corruption of nature and death then those figge leaves did Hence it is that Paul doth so often cry out that sinne is not taken away by the law Rom. 3. By the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified in his sight And Rom. 8. When it was impossible to the law to iustifie c. And Gal. 2. If righteousnesse doth come by the law then Christ died in vaine And Tit. 3. Not by the workes of righteousnesse which we
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
mens consciences which had rather use the whole Sacrament neither did we thinke that any crueltie should be used in that matter but so much as in us lyeth together with the ceremony we have restored the holy doctrine touching the fruit of the ceremonie that the people may understand how the Sacrament is laid before them to comfort the consciences of them that doe repent This doctrine doth allure the godly to the use and reverence of the Sacrament For not onely the ceremonie was before maimed but also the chiefe doctrine touching the fruit thereof was utterly neglected And peradventure the maiming of the ceremonie did signifie that the Gospel touching the blood of Christ that is the benefit of Christ his death was obscured Now by the benefit of God the pure Doctrine concerning faith together with this ceremonie is renued and restored This Article we finde placed else-where in the first place amongst those wherein the abuses which are changed are reckoned after this manner EIther kinde of the Sacrament in the Lords Supper is given to the laitie because that this custome hath the commandement of the Lord Matth 26. Drinke ye all of this where Christ doth manifestly command concerning the cup that all should drinke And that no man might cavill that it doth only appertaine to the Priests the example of Paul to the Corinthians doth witnesse that the whole Church did in common use either part This custome remained a long time even in the latter Churches neither is it certaine when or by what author it was changed Cyprian in certaine places doth witnesse that the blood was given to the people The same thing doth Hierome testifie saying The Priests doe minister the Sacrament and distribute the blood of Christ to the people Yea Gelasius the Pope commandeth that the Sacrament be not devided Dist 2. de consecr cap. Comperimus Onely a new custome brought in of late doth otherwise But it is manifest that a custome brought in contrary to the commandements of God is not to be allowed as the Canons do witnesse Dist 8. Cap. Veritate with that which followeth Now this custome is received not only against the Scripture but also against the true Canons and the examples of the Church Therefore if any had rather use both parts of the Sacrament they were not to be compelled to doe otherwise with the offence of their conscience * Looke the 1. observation And because that the parting of the Sacrament doth not agree with the institution of Christ we use to omit that procession which hitherto hath been in use Out of the Confession of SAXONY Of the holy Supper of the Lord. BOth Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord are pledges and testimonies of grace as was said before which doe admonish us of the promise and of our whole redemption and doe shew that the benefits of the Gospel do pertaine to every one of those that use these ceremonies But yet here is the difference by Baptisme every one is ingrafted into the Church but the Lord would have the Supper of the Lord to be also the sinew of the publique congregation c. The rest that followeth pertaineth to the 15. Sect. till you come to these words that follow Even as also in the very words of the Supper there is a promise included seeing he commandeth that the death of the Lord should be shewed forth this Supper distributed till he come That therefore we may use this Sacrament with the greater reverence let the true causes of the institution thereof be well weighed which pertaine to the publique Congregation and to the comfort of every one The first cause is this The Son of God will have the voice of his Gospel to sound in a publique congregation and such a one as is of good behaviour the bond of this congregation he will have this receiving to be which is to be done with great reverence seeing that there a testimonie is given of the wonderfull conjunction betwixt the Lord and the receivers of which reverence Paul speaketh 1 Cor. 11. saying He that receiveth unworthily shall be guiltie of the body and blood of the Lord. Secondly God will have both the Sermon and the ceremonie it selfe to be profitable both for the preservation and also for the propagation of the memory of his passion resurrection and benefits Thirdly He will have every receiver to be singularly confirmed by this testimonie that he may assure himselfe that the benefits of the Gospell doe pertaine to him seeing that the Sermon is common and by this testimonie and by this receiving he sheweth that thou art a member of his and that thou art washed in his blood and that he doth make this covenant with thee Joh. 15. Abide in me and I in you Also I in them and they in me Fourthly he will have this publique receiving to be a confession whereby thou maist shew what kinde of doctrine thou doest imbrace and to what companie thou docst joyne thy selfe Also he will have us to give thanks publiquely and privately in this very ceremonie to God the eternall Father and to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost both for other benefits and namely for this infinite benefit of our redemption and salvation Also he will that the members of the Church should have a bond of mutuall love among themselves Thus we see that many ends doe meet together By the remembrance of these weightie causes men are invited to the reverence and use of the Sacrament and we teach how the use may be profitable We doe plainly condemne that monstrous errour of the Monks who have written that the receiving doth deserve remission of sinnes and that for the works sake without any good motion of him that useth it This Pharisaicall imagination is contrary to that saying Habac. 2. The iust shall live by his faith Therefore we doe thus instruct the Church that they which will approach to the Supper of the Lord must repent or bring conversion with them and having their faith now kindled they must here seeke the confirmation of this faith in the consideration of the death and resurrection and benefits of the Sonne of God because that in the use of this Sacrament there is a witnesse bearing which declareth that the benefits of the Sonne of God doe pertaine to thee also also there is a testimonie that he joyneth thee as a member to himselfe * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession and that he is in thee as he said Joh. 17. I in them c. Therefore we give counsell that men doe not thinke that their sinnes be forgiven them for this works sake or for this obedience but that in a sure confidence they behold the death and merit of the Sonne of God and his resurrection and assure themselves that their sins are forgiven for his sake and that he will have this faith to be confirmed by this admonition and witnesse bearing when as faith comfort the
examine himselfe c. So the Supper of the Lord doth profit him that useth it when as hee bringeth with him repentance and faith and another mans work doth nothing at all profit him Furthermore concerning the dead it is manifest that all this shew is repugnant to the words of the institution of the Supper wherein it is said Take ye eat ye c. Do ye this in remembrance of me What doth this appertain to the dead or to those that be absent and yet in a great part of Europe many masses are said for the dead also a great number not knowing what they doe doe reade Masses for a reward But seeing that all these things are manifestly wicked to wit to offer as they speak to the end that they may deserve for the quick the dead or for a man to do he knoweth not what they do horribly sin that retain and defend these mischievous deeds And seeing that this ceremony is not to be taken for a Sacrament without the use whereunto it was ordained what manner of Idol worship is there used let godly and learned men consider Also it is a manifest profanation to carry about part of the Supper of the Lord and to worship it where a part is utterly transferred to an use clean contrary to the first institution whereas the Text saith Take eat and this shew is but a thing devised of late To conclude what be the manners of many Priests and Monks in all Europe which have no regard of this saying 1 Cor. 11. Let every man examine himselfe Also Whosoever taketh it unworthily shall be guiltie of the body and blood of the Lord. Every man of him-self doth know these things Now although the chiefe Bishops and hypocrites who seeke delusions to establish these evils doe scoffe at these complaints yet it is most certaine that God is grievously offended with these wicked deeds as he was angry with the people of Israel for their prophanations of the sacrifices And we do see evident examples of wrath to wit the ruines of so many kingdomes the spoile and waste that the Turks do make in the world the confusions of opinions and many most lamentable dissipations of Churches But O Son of God Lord Iesus Christ which wast crucified and raised up again for us thou which art the high Priest of the Church with true sighes we beseech thee that for thine and thy eternall Fathers glory thou wouldest take away idols errours and abominations and as thou thy selfe didst pray Sanctifie us with thy truth and kindle the light of thy Gospel and true invocation in the hearts of many and bowe our hearts to true obedience that we may thankefully praise thee in all eternitie The greatnesse of our sins which the prophanation of the Supper of the Lord these many yeers hath brought forth doth surpasse the eloquence of Angels and men We are herein the shorter seeing that no words can be devised sufficient to set out the greatnesse of this thing and in this great griefe we beseech the Sonne of God that he would amend these evils and also for a further declaration we offer our selves to them that will heare it But in this question we see that to be chiefly done which Salomon saith He that singeth songs to a wicked heart is like him that powreth vineger upon nitre Our Adversaries know that these perswasions of their sacrifice are the sinews of their power and riches therefore they will heare nothing that is said against it Some of them do now learn craftily to mitigate these things and therefore they say The oblation is not a merit but an application they deceive in words and retaine still the same abuses But we said before that every one doth by faith apply the sacrifice of Christ to himselfe both when he heareth the Gospel and then also when he useth the Sacraments and it is written 1 Corinth 11. Let every man examine himselfe Therefore Paul doth not meane that the ceremonie doth profit another that doth not use it And the Son of God himselfe did offer up himselfe going into the holy of holies that is into the secret counsell of the Divinitie seeing the will of the eternall Father and bearing his great wrath and understanding the causes of this wonderfull counsell these weightie things are meant when the text saith Heb. 9. He offered himselfe And when Esay saith Cap. 53. He will make his soule an offering for sin Now therefore what do the Priests meane who say that they offer up Christ and yet antiquitie never spake after this manner But they do most grievously accuse us They say that we do take away the continuall sacrifice as did Antiochus who was a type of Antichrist We answered before that we do retaine the whole ceremonie of the Apostolike Church and this is the continuall sacrifice That the sincere doctrin of the Gospel should be heard that God should be truly invocated to conclude as the Lord saith Joh. 4. It is to worship the Father in spirit and truth we doe also herein comprehend the true use of the Sacraments Seeing that we retaine all these things faithfully we doe with great reverence retaine the continuall sacrifice they doe abolish it who many waies doe corrupt true invocation and the very Supper of the Lord who command us to invocate dead men who set out Masses to sale who boast that by their oblation they doe merit for others who doe mingle many mischievous errours with the doctrine of Repentance and remission of sins who will men to doubt when they repent whether they be in favour who defile the Church of God with filthy lusts and Idols These men be like unto Antiochus and not we who endeavour to obey the Son of God who saith Joh. 4. If any man loveth me he will keepe my word Of the use of the whole Sacrament LEt Sophistrie be remooved from the judgements of the Church All men know that the Supper of the Lord is so instituted that the whole Sacrament may be given to the people as it is written Drinke ye all of this Also the custome of the ancient Church both Greeke and Latine is well knowne Therefore we must confesse that the forbidding of one part is an unjust thing It is great injurie to violate the lawfull Testament of men Why then do the Bishops violate the Testament of the Sonne of God which he hath sealed up with his own blood But it is to be lamented that certaine men should be so impudent as to feigne feigne sophistrie against this so weightie an argument that they may establish their prohibition the refutation of whom the matter being so cleare and evident we doe omit In another place this Article is not distinguished from that which went before but is thus ioyned with it To conclude we must also speake in few things of the use of the whole Sacrament Let sophistrie be remooved c. Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of the Eucharist CHAP.
themselves rehearse those great things wherewith God hath adorned her above all other women and they all rejoyce one with another and shew themselves most thankfull for the salvation which is purchased to mankinde and with all Christian people they confesse and professe that she is happie and they praise God for all these things and so much as lyeth in them they doe faithfully follow and imitate the holy life and good manners of that Virgin and they doe indeed execute that which she commandeth to them that ministred in the Marriage at Cana and do alwayes desire to be in heaven with her And all these things they doe according to the meaning of the holy Scriptures And a little after And thus doe we teach that the Saints * Looke the 1. observation are truly worshipped when the people on certaine daies at a time appointed do come together to the service of God and doe call to minde and meditate upon the benefits of God which he hath bestowed upon holy men and through them upon his Church and there withall doth admonish it selfe concerning their calling or place which they held their doctrine faith life and exercises of godlinesse and the last end of their life to the end that it may be as it were built up in the same truth by the word of God and may praise God and give him thanks for those men and in their name and may sing * Looke the 2. observation profitable songs and such as are free from superstition and may raise and stirre up themselves to the like obedience imitation of their faith works and deeds godlinesse holinesse and honestie and that they may call upon God that he would vouchsafe to give unto them to enjoy their companie and fellowship as well here in the time of grace as hereafter in eternall glory All which things are in few words comprehended in the Epistle to the Hebrews where it is said Remember them which have the Heb. 13. over sight over you which have declared unto you the word of God whose faith follow considering what hath been the end of their conversation Of Fasting CHAP. 18. TOuching true and Christian fasting we teach that it is an outward work of faith comprehending in it worship which is done by exercising the body to abstinencie joyning there withall Matth 6. prayers and giving of almes and that it is due to God alone and that among Christians according as their strength will suffer and their affaires and businesse desire and permit at what time soever they use it in any societie either generall or particular it must be done without hypocrisie or superstition as the holy Scriptures doe witnesse and Paul among other things doth thus write of it Let us approve our selves as the Ministers of God by 2 Cor. 6. Luk. 5. 1 Cor. 7. fasting c. And Christ saith Then they shall fast And again Paul saith in another place That ye may give your selves to fasting and prayer Now fasting doth not consist in the choise of meat which a man useth but in the moderate use of meat and in exercising chastising and bringing under the unruly flesh before God and chiefly the matter consisteth in the spirit and in the heart to wit how for what cause with what intent and purpose a man doth fast and how and by what meane the godly may exercise a wholsome and acceptable fast unto God and on the other side to know when they should not fast but rather take heed that they doe not fast it is expressed in the Prophet and manifestly taught Isa 56. Matth. 6. of Christ himselfe What is to be thought of the choise and difference of meats every man ought to learne out of the doctrine of Christ that by this meane what doubt soever is in this point it may be taken away and decided Theâ— Christ called the multitude unto him Matth. 15. and said Heare and understand That which goeth into the mouth Mark 7. defileth not the man but that which cometh out of the mouth that defileth the man that is maketh him guiltie Also out of the doctrine of the Apostle whose words are thus I am perswaded Rom. 14. through the Lord Iesus that nothing is uncleane of it selfe but unto him that iudgeth any thing to be uncleane to him it is uncleane But if thy brother be grieved for the meat now walkest not thou charitably Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died For the kingdome of God is not meat nor drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Christians indeed are not tyed to any law in this case yet so that they be not an offence to the weaker sort therefore the Apostle addeth All things indeed 1 Cor. 8. are pure but it is evill for the man which eateth with offence And in another place he writeth Meat doth not make men acceptable to God for neither if we eate have we the more neither if we eate not have we the lesse Out of the FRENCH Confession TO conclude we thinke that Purgatorie is a feigned thing Artic. 24. comming out of the same shop whence also Monasticall Vowes Pilgrimages the forbidding of marriage the use of meats a ceremoniall observation of certaine dayes auricular confession indulgences and such like things have proceeded by which things certaine men have thought that they doe deserve favour and salvation But we doe not onely reject all those things for a false opinion of merit added thereunto but also because they are inventions of men and a yoke laid upon the consciences of men by mens authoritie Out of the ENGLISH Confession ANd as for their brags they are wont to make of their Purgatoris Artic. 14. though we know it is not a thing so very late risen amongst them yet is it no better then a blockish and an old wives devise Augustine indeed sometime saith there is such a certaine place sometime he denyeth not but there may be such a one sometime he doubteth sometime againe he utterly denieth that there is any at all and thinketh that men are therein deceived by a certaine naturall good will they beare their friends departed But yet of this one errour hath there growne up such a harvest of those Massemongers that the Masses being sold abroad commonly in every corner the Temples of God became shops to get money and seelyfouls were borne in hand that nothing was more necessarie to be bought In deed there was nothing more gainfull for these men to sell Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE Of abuses that be taken away Of putting difference betweene meats and such like Popish traditions IN this corporall life we have need of traditions that is of the Artic. 4. distinctions of times and places that all things may be done orderly in the Church as Paul willeth Let all things be done in order and so as is meet and decent Therefore the Church hath her traditions that
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
that his minde may be stirred up and made more apt for heavenly affections It is not to bee thought that these exercises are a worship of God that deserve remission of sinnes or that they be satisfactions c. And this discipline must be continuall neither can certain dayes be set and appointed equally for all Of this discipline Christ speaketh Beware that your bodies be not oppressed with surfetâ—ing Againe This kinde of Devils doth not goe out but by fasting and prayer And Paul saith I chastise my body and bring it in bondage Wherefore we do not mislike fastings but superstitious opinions which be snares for mens consciences that are put in traditions Moreover these exercises when as they are referred unto that end that we may have our bodies fit for spirituall things and to doe our duties according to a mans calling c. they are good in the godly and * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confession meritorious workes as the example of Daniel doth testifie For they be works which God requireth to this end that they may subdue the flesh This former Article we found placed elsewhere in the fifth place among those wherein the abuses that are changed are reckoned up Of the difference of meats Artic. 5. This Treatise of ceremonies repeated generally doth properly pertaine unto the Section next following and unto this Section the next must be added because here is speciall mention of fastings and holy daies as we mentioned in the former Article IT hath beene a common opinion not of the common sort alone but also of such as are teachers in the Churches that the differences of meates and such like humane traditions are works available to merit remission both of the fault and of the punishment And that the world thus thought it is apparant by this that daily new ceremonies new orders new holy dayes new fasts were appointed and the teachers in the Churches did exact these workse at the peoples hands as a service necessary to deserve justification by and they did greatly terrifie their consciences if ought were omitted * Of this perswasion of traditions many discommodities have followed in the Church For first the doctrine of grace is obscured by it also the righteousnesse of faith which is the most especiall point of the Gospel and which it behoveth most of all to be extant and to have the preheminence in the Church that the merit of Christ may be well known and faith which beleeveth that sinnes are remitted through Christ and not for any works of ours may be exalted farre above works For which cause also Saint Paul laboureth much in this point he removeth the law and humane traditions that he may shew that the righteousnesse of Christ is a farre other thing then such workes as these be namely a faith which beleeveth that sins are freely remitted through Christ But this doctrine of S. Paul is almost wholly smothered by traditions which have bred an opinion that by making difference in meats and such like services a man must merit remission of sinnes and justification In their doctrine of repentance there was no mention of faith onely these satisfactory works were spoken of Repentance seemed to stand wholly in these Secondly these traditions obscured the Commandements of God that they could not be knowne because that traditions were preferred farre above the Commandements of God All Christianitie was thought to be an observation of certaine holy dayes rites fasts and attire These observations carried a goodly title and name that they were the spirituall life and the perfect life In the meane season Gods Commandements touching every mans 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 were reputed worldly affaires and unperfect and farre inferiour to those glistering observations and orders And these errors did greatly torment good mindes which were grieved that they were handfasted to an unperfect kinde of life in marriage in Magistracie and in other civill functions They had the Monks and such like men in admiration and falsely imagined that their orders did more deserve remission of sinnes and justification Thirdly traditions brought great danger to mens consciences because it was impossible to keep them all and yet men thought the observation of them to be necessarie duties Gerson writeth that many fell into despaire and some murdered themselves because they perceived that they could not keepe the traditions and all this while they never heard the comfort of the righteousnesse of faith or of grace We see the Summists and Divines gather together the traditions and seeke qualifications of them to unburden mens consciences and yet all will not serve but sometimes they bring more snares upon the conscience The Schooles and Pulpits have beene so busied in gathering together the traditions that they had not leasure once to touch the Scripture and to seeke out a more profitable doctrine of faith of the Crosse of hope of the dignitie of civill affaires of the comfort of consciences in perilous assaults Wherefore Gerson and some other Divines have made grievous complaints that they were hindered by braules about traditions that they could not be occupied in some better kinde of doctrine And Saint Augustine forbiddeth that mens consciences should be burdened with such kinde of observations and doth very wisely warne Januarius to know that they are to be observed indifferently for he so speaketh Wherefore our Ministers must not be thought to have touched this matter unadvisedly for hatred of the Bishops as some doe falsely surmise There was great need to admonish the Churches of those errors which did arise from mistaking of traditions for the Gospel driveth men to urge the doctrine of grace and the of righteousnes of faith in the Church which yet can never be understood if men suppose that they can merit remission of sinnes and iustification by observation of their owne choice Thus therefore they have taught us that we can never merit remission of sinnes and justification by the observation of mans traditions and therefore that we must not thinke that such observations are necessarie duties Hereunto they adde testimonies out of the Scriptures Christ excuseth his disciples Matth. 15. which kept not the received tradition which yet seemed to be about a matter not unlawfull but indifferent and to have some affinitie with the washings of the law and saith They worship me in vaine with the precepts of men Christ therefore requireth no unprofitable worship and a little after he addeth All that entereth in at the mouth defileth not the man Againe Rom. 14. The kingdome of God is not meat and drinke Col. 2. Let no man iudge you in meat or drinke in a Sabbath or in an holy day Againe If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye lived in the world are ye burdened with traditions Touch not taste not handle not
world but that the world through him might be saved He that beleeveth in him shall not be condemned but he that beleeveth not is condemned already because he beleeveth not in the onely begotten Sonne of God Therefore if any man shall depart out of this life in the faith of Christ he hath a I the merit of Christ and needeth none other For God which gave his Sonne doth also give all things with him as Paul saith But he that departeth hence without Christ cannot be helped by any merits of men because that without Christ there is no salvation Cyprian against Demet. Tract 1. saith When a man is once departed hence there is no place left for repentance there is no effect of satisfaction here life is either lost or held fast here we must provide for eternall salvation by the service or worship of God and by the fruit of faith And Hierome upon the Epistle to the Gal. Chap. 6. saith We are taught by this small sentence though obscurely a new point of doctrine lyeth hid to wit that whilest we be in this present world we may help one another either by prayers or by counsell but when we shall come before the tribunall seat of Christ it is not Iob nor Daniel nor Noe that can intreat any thing for us but every man shall beare his owne burden For as touching that which is cited out of the Maccabees That sacrifices were offered for the sinnes of the dead the Authour himselfe of the booke doth doubt in the end of the booke whether he hath written well c. craveth pardon if in any point he hath erred Therefore let us pardon him that without any authoritie of the holy Scripture he affirmeth that the dead are freed from their sin by the sacrifices and prayers of them that be alive And Tertullian saith Oblations are made one day every yeere for them that are dead But this was either received without authoritie of the word of God from the customes of the heathen as many other things were or by the name of Oblation we must understand a publique remembrance of those which died in the faith of Christ and a thanksgiving for those benefits which God bestowed upon them CHAP. 25. Of Purgatorie ALthough we ought not to doubt but that the Saints have their Purgatorie fire in this life as the examples of David Ezechias Jonas and others doe witnesse yet it is not without cause doubted whether that after this life there be such a Purgatorie as the common sort of men do thinke there is wherein the souls be so long tormented till either by their punishment they doe satisfie for their sins or be redeemed by Indulgences For if Purgatorie be such a thing it is much to be marvelled at that neither the Prophets nor the Apostles have in their writings delivered unto us any thing thereof certainly and plainly but rather doe teach and that not obscurely the cleare contrary Mark 16. Preach ye the Gospell to every creature he that shall beleeve and be baptized shall be saved but he that will not beleeve shall be condemned Here be two degrees of men placed the one of them which beleeve the Gospell and they are pronounced saved the other of them which doe not beleeve the Gospell and these are pronounced condemned there is no meane betwixt these two For either thou doest depart out of this life in the faith of Iesus Christ and then thou hast remission of thy sinnes for Christ his sake and the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed to thee Therefore he which dyeth being accompanied with Christ he wanteth nothing toward the obtaining of true and eternall life but he which departeth from hence without Christ goeth into eternall darknesse If beside these two degrees there were some other third state of souls in another world certainly Paul Who was taken up into Paradise and into the third heaven and saw many secret things would not have envied the Church this knowledge But see when he doth of set purpose write to the Thessalonians concerning Christians that sleepe he maketh no mention at all of any Purgatorie but rather willeth them Not to be sorrowfull even as others which have no hope Therefore if there were any such state of souls in another world as the common people thinketh there is Paul could not be withheld but in so fit a place he would plainly have declared this state of souls and would have prescribed a meane unto the Church whereby miserable souls might be delivered from their torment But the true Catholike Church in deed hath plainly shewed that she hath no certaintie at all concerning this third kinde of the state of souls in another world Chrysostome in his second Sermon of Lazarus saith If thou hast violently taken any thing from any man restore it and say as doth Zacheus If I have taken from any man by forged cavillation I restore fourefold If thou art become an enemie to any man be reconciled before thou come to iudgement Discharge all things here that without griefe thou maist behold that tribunall seat Whilest we be here we have many excellent hopes But so soone as we depart thither it is not then in our power to repent nor to wash away our sins And againe He that in this present life shall not wash away his sins shall not finde any comfort afterward Augustine although he place certaine men in the middest betwixt them that be very good and those that be very evill to the one sort whereof he seemeth to assigne the place of Purgatorie yet in other places he doubteth of that matter and doth not define any certaintie Therefore we must so thinke of this opinion of Augustine as he requireth that is we must receive that which is confirmed either by the authoritie of the Scripture or by probable reason But it is evident that those places of the Scripture which are commonly cited to establish Purgatorie are wrested from the naturall to a strange sense and are farre otherwise expounded even of the ancient Writers themselves And those reasons which Augustine bringeth for his opinion doe seeme to leane to this foundation That we obtaine remission of our sins and life not onely for Christ his sake through faith but also for the merits of our works But how this agreeth with the true Apostolike doctrine we have before declared Wherefore we thinke that this speculation of Purgatorie fire is to be left to it own authors and that we must chiefly doe this as Paul exhorteth us that we may confirme our selves one another with speeches touching the assured faith of our resurrection and salvation in Christ Iesus for whose sake God doth so favour the faithfull that in the middest of death he preserveth them and giveth them true peace Out of the Confession of SVEVELAND Of Prayers and fastings CHAP. 7. VVE have among us Prayers and Religious Fasts which are These things which are mingled in this 7. and after in the 10.
before things of greater weight You leave saith he the weightiest matters of the law as iudgement Matth. 13. and mercie and fidelitie These ought ye to have done and not to Luk. 11. have left the other And although our Preachers doe not keepe all rites alike with other Churches the which thing neither can be neither is necessary to be done that in all places where there be Christian assemblies one and the same ceremonies should be used yet they doe not withstand or oppose themselves to any good and godly constitution neither are they so minded as that for the ceremonies sake they would raise up any dissensions although they should thinke that some of them were not very necessary so that they be not found to be contrary to God and to his worship and glory and be such as doe not diminish true faith in Iesus Christ which alone doth purchase righteousnesse How be it in this place and in this point it must not be passed over with silence to wit that we ought by no means to burden the people with many superfluous and grievous traditions such as the Mosaicall traditions were under the law For the Apostles forbad that this should be done as also holy Peter said unto certaine concerning this matter Why do ye tempt God in laying a yoke upon the necks of the disciples Also Gal. 5. Be ye not saith Paul intangled with the yoke of bondage For which cause also Christ did vehemently inveigh against the Scribes saying Woe also be to you Scribes for ye lay burdens upon mens shoulders which can scarse be borne Luk. 11. Also men are taught to acknowledge this that humane tradittions do not containe a perpetuall immutable law but as they are for just causes instituted of men so also they may upon just and weightie causes and if the matter so require be broken abrogated and changed without any sin according to the example of the Apostles who did transgresse the traditions of the Elders when as they did eate bread with unwashed hands and did not observe the Matth. 15. Mark 7. same fasts with others and yet they were not by this means guiltie of any sin also according to the example of the first and holy Church upon which the Apostles and the whole Councell layed this commandement by the holy Ghost that they should abstaine Acts 15. from the eating of those things which were sacrificed to Idols and of blood and of that which is strangled Notwithstanding after that the causes and occasions for the which this decree was made in processe of time did vanish away even this Apostolicall constitution did grow out of use Neither in these things ought we to care for the offence of the wicked who are offended with this thing as the Lord faith Let them alone they be blind and guides of Matth. 15. the blind And on the other side we must take diligent heed hereunto that no offence be given to little ones by a rash froward Rom 14. 1 Cor. 8. Matth. 15. and wicked using of Christian libertie for this also the Lord saith Woe be to that man by whom offence cometh Now if so be that there be any unlikenesse in traditions and externall ceremonies and if any diversitie which is not hurtfull be found in Ecclesiasticall assemblies certainly no man ought to be so ignorant in these things as for this cause to be offended therewith or to take offence at others and in this respect to reproach or hurt others or to be an author of sects and also of factions seeing that there was never in all places one and the same forme of an Ecclesiasticall constitution in this point neither is at this day the same The which thing also is mentioned in the books of the Canon law in these words The holy Church of Rome doth know Dist 12 Cap. Scit that constitutions and customes being divers according to time and place do nothing at all hinder the salvation of the faithfull if the Canonicall authoritie be not against them Rather it becometh every sound Christian to be content in his conscience to rest in that if he see Christians to have the one spirit of Christ and with agreeing Phil. 2. Eph. 4. mindes to hold and follow his true meaning and one and the same doctrine in all these things and chiefe points of saith For he that hath not this Spirit of Christ he is not Christs as the Apostle Rom. 8. doth witnesse although he use all and every kinde of ceremonies or constitutions Therefore whosoever be Christs this is their dutie as in all other such like things that as members of one body they doe suffer and beare one with another in charitie without 1 Cor. 13. the which no thing can profit any whit according to the meaning of the Apostolike doctrine Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that it is expedient that they which be chosen Artic. 32. to be governours in any Church doe wisely looke unto it among themselves by what means the whole body may conveniently be ruled yet so that they doe never swarve from that which our Lord Iesus Christ hath instituted Yet this doth not hinder but that every place may have their peculiar constitutions as it shall seeme convenient for them But we exclude all humane devises and all those laws which Artic. 32. are brought in to binde mens consciences under pretence of the word of God and we doe onely like of those which serve for the nourishing of concord and to keepe every one in due obedience wherein we thinke that we are to follow that which our Lord Iesus Christ appointed touching excommunication which * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confession we doe allow of and together with it additions thinke to be * necessary Out of the ENGLISH Confession AS touching the multitude of vaine and superfluous Ceremonies Artic. 15. Epist ad Ianuar. 119. we know that S. Augustine did grievously complaine of them in his own time and therefore have we cut of a great number of them because we know that mens consciences were encumbred about them and the Churches of God overladen with them Neverthelesse we keep still and esteem not onely those Ceremonies which we are sure were delivered to us from the Apostles but some others too besides which we thought might be suffered without hurt to the Church of God for that we had a desire that all things in the holy congregation might as Saint Paul commandeth be done with comlinesse and in good order But as for all those things which we saw were either very superstitious or utterly unprofitable or noisome or mockeries or contrary to the holy Scriptures or else unseemely for sober and discreet people whereof there be infinite numbers now adayes where the Romane Religion is used these I say we have utterly refused without all manner exception because we would not have the right worshipping of God
all things and shall bring all things to your remembrance which I have shewed you Againe He shall not speake of himselfe but what he hath heard that shall he speake Out of the Confession of SAXONIE Of traditions that is of Ceremonies instituted in the Church by mans authoritie ALthough for orders sake there must needs be some decent and seemely Ceremonies yet notwithstanding men that Artic. 20. are given to superstition doe soone pervert those Ceremonies falsly imagining that such observations doe merit forgivenesse of sinnes and are accepted for righteous in the sight of God and do turne the signes into Gods like as many have ascribed a Godhead unto Images and many either of superstition or by tyrannie doe heape up Ceremonies and superstition hath increased in the Church the Ceremonies of satisfaction as they call them Nebuchadnezar and Antiochus because they are of opinion that consent in Religion is availeable to the peaceable governement of their kingdomes doe ordaine such service of God as they will have indifferently observed of all their subjects There new laws and new gods were erected not of superstition but by tyranny Thus we observe that amongst men true and false religion are confounded and each changed into other and we marvell at the cause why men doe not stedfastly continue in the truth revealed by God But the word of God pronounceth that men are set on by Devils to fall away from God and the nature of man being blinde curious and inconstant loveth to play with divers opinions Against these great mischieves God armeth and confirmeth his Church and delivereth a sure and certaine doctrine which is contained in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles and in the Creed Wherefore it is necessary to consider what those lawes or rites be and whence they had their beginning The first rule therefore is this It is lawfull for no creature neither for Angels nor for men neither for Kings nor for * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession Bishops to make laws or ordaine ceremonies disagreeing from the word of God Horribly sinned the King of Babylon although he excelled in wisedome and valour when he commanded his Image to be worshipped and all men doe sinne that obey such Proclamations or lawes even as Eve sinned when she departed from the commandement of God for the lying perswasion of the Devill But generally the rule is to be observed which is set downe Act. 5. We ought rather to obey God then men Such are the Edicts which command to call upon dead men or to imbrace false doctrine or to use ungodly worship Touching all these that Rule of the first Commandement is to be holden 1 Cor. 10. Flie from Idols Such is also the law of the single life of Priests which many can not observe without sinne And albeit we know what opinion politique and expert men doe hold of the change of lawes yet God hath so commanded obedience that still he would have us fast tied unto himselfe and to agree with his wisedome and righteousnesse From whence do arise those unchangeable and perpetuall rules Exod. 20. Thou shalt have no strange gods Also Act. 5. We ought rather to obey God then men Also Gal 1. If any man teach you any other Gospel let him be accursed The second rule For as much as it is usuall to adde superstition to those works which otherwise in their owne nature were indifferent as to eate or not to eate flesh it is necessarie to reprove such superstitions and errours as are in this sort added and in the practice of our libertie examples of this doctrine may modestly be shewed And that errour is not among the least which the folly of many teachers and for the most part of the people bringeth in in that they teach and thinke that fasting and such like works deserve forgivenesse of sinnes both of the guiltinesse and of the paine as both Thomas doth write of satisfactions and many also doe say the same This Pharisaicall imagination easily intangleth the mindes of men and darkeneth the light of the doctrine of the benefits proper to Christ and of free forgivenesse of sinnes and of faith For when as men think that they merit remission of sinnes by these their Ceremonies they take away the honour due unto Christ and give it unto these ceremonies and are somewhat puffed up with vaine confidence Yet afterward when they be in true sorrow they fall headlong into many doubts which turne to their destruction And of it selfe it is a great sinne not to know the benefits of God For this cause Paul so earnestly contendeth for the abolishing of circumcision and other ceremonies of the law of Moses for feare lest the true acknowledgement of the Mediatour might be cleane put out if men should thinke that they deserved remission of sinnes and were made righteous by this observation of the law and ceremonies of Moses as the Pharisees did avouch And oftentimes Paul admonisheth to beware that the light of the Gospel be not darkened by new ceremonies of mans invention This second errour is not so evident but yet very dangerous After that some men see that this Pharisaicall errour cannot be defended they come to this Although say they these ceremonies deserve not remission of sinnes yet are these traditions defended because they are good workes and services of God as in the law of Moses the abstinence of the Nazarites although it deserved not the remission of sinnes yet it pleased God and was a service acceptable unto God With this colour certaine of late have learned to paint traditions which yet strive not about these indifferent matters but go about to establish other foule errors and the opinion of the power of Bishops But it is necessary for the godly here to beware of deceitfull doctrine There is a great error even in this colourable reason neither is that example well alledged out of Moses The workes ordained and commanded by God do farre differ from workes not commanded nor ordained by God but onely devised by mans invention The workes ordained in the law of God were services of God although they deserved forgivenesse of sinnes But wil worship devised by men neither have beene nor are any service of God God doth not allow this boldnesse of men which notwithstanding hath alwaies beene usuall to devise new worship that is such as is immediately intended to honour God withall Therefore the Word of God crieth out Matth. 15. In vaine doe they worship me after the ordinances of men And every where in the Apostles and in Paul this boldnesse is reproved But the true service of God are those works that he hath commanded which are done in the acknowledgement and confidence of the Mediatour to the end that God may be obeyed and that we may professe him to be the true God whom we so worship So also Ezec. 20 he calleth us back to the commandement of God saying Walke not after the ordinances of
some who for the kingdome of heaven doe abstaine from marriage And holy Paul saith He that giveth not his virgin to be married doth the better For which cause it is taught that all they who of their owne accord doe take and chuse unto themselves this kinde of life ought carefully to have regard hereunto that in such a life they may with a singular and earnest endevour exercise godlinesse and be holy as Paul commandeth as well in body as in spirit and give more light then others by the honesty of their actions by the labours of such trades as beseem a Christian profession by doing all that they can for the benefit of the Church and by yeelding their service to the sick and to other needy members This gift and purpose of such which doe thus in this matter consecrate themselves to God and such an exercise of their godlinesse is commended of our men and they doe faithfully perswade men hereunto but they doe perswade as we said and not compell the which thing Paul also doth who writeth thus Concerning Virgins I have no commandement of the Lord but I deliver 1 Cor 7. my iudgement which have received this mercy of the Lord that I may be faithfull I thinke it good for a man to be such a one and he concludeth after this sort He is more happy in my iudgement if he remaine such a one that is unmarried then if he marry and I thinke that I have the spirit of God In like sort in comparison of others there be bountifull and peculiar promises and singular rewards offered unto those that keep themselves single to wit that their worthy works shall be recompensed with a great reward and Matâ—h 17 that no man shall in vain for sake any thing as house father brother so also his wife c. as the Apostles did for the Lords cause Furthermore it is taught that they which have received this gift of God and being throughly proved and tried in this behalfe doe of their own accord serve the Lord and the Church they are taught I say together with other gifts to make great account of this gift and to keep it diligently lest that by any evill lusts or by any allurements of occasions they doe loose it Yet notwithstanding if any good faithfull and diligent man chance to be assaulted with such a tentation as to feare in himselfe the heat and wicked fact of lust then there is no snare laid for such a one neither is there any danger of entrapping his conscience but he that is in this case let him be put over * Looke the 4. Observat to take counsell of the Elders and governours of the Church who have the spirit of God that all may be done in the Church in order decently with honesty of the example and with the using of all due consideration Then verily if upon these things thus done he doth lawfully change his kinde of life he doth not sinne seeing that he obeyeth the counsell of the holy Ghost and the holy Church ought not for this cause to contemne him nor to make any thing the lesse account of his ministerie Notwithstanding if for this cause he should be contemned which the Church cannot do without sinne it were certainly better for him by this means to preserve his soule although he should be one of the common sort of Christians onely then by persisting in his ministerie with sinne to loose and condemne it But although it seemeth to come neerer to the example of the Primitive Church that worthy and honest married men may be chosen to take the charge of souls in the Church then to give them leave to change their kinde of life who before being unmarried did labour diligently in the ministery of the Lord yet notwithstanding our men doe not ground the worthinesse holinesse and vertue of the Ecclesiastical ministery no more then they do of Christian salvation upon either of these kinds ro wit neither upon the state of single life nor of wedlocke neither is there any other thing sought or looked for as it is before declared more then that onely profit and opportunitie which falleth into a single life and is commended of the holy Ghost After these things they doe thus consequently teach touching wedlocke that such a condition of life though it have many difficulties punishments and curses joyned with it where with after the fall of man both mankinde and this order is oppressed yet that it is in this wise holy and acceptable unto God because that God himselfe did in the beginning ordaine it and afterward Christ our Lord did consecrate it and doth daily consecrate it in those that are his and that in such sort that their children also be holy and that moreover God hath offered unto it peculiarly singular promises and blessings which are contained in the Scriptures Thence therefore must all true Christians know that whosoever doe chuse this kinde of life so as it becometh them and with an upright purpose doe both give themselves thereunto and be conversant therein they doe not onely not sinne but they doe and accomplish that which God would have them to doe and that they leade such a kinde of life as God doth peculiarly call some unto and that they doe serve the selfe same Lord whom the unmarried men doe serve The FRENCH Confession doth condemne Monasticall vowes and the forbidding of Marriage Artic. 24. which we have inserted in the 16. Section  Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE say that Matrimonie is holy and honourable in all sorts and states of persons as in the Patriarchs in the Prophets in the Apostles in the holy Martyrs in the Ministers of the Church and in Bishops and that it is an honest and lawfull thing as Chrysostome saith for a man living in Matrimonie to take upon In Tit. 1. Hom. 11. Theo. ad Tit. 10. Euseb lib. 10. cap. 5. him therewith the dignitie of a Bishop And as Sozomenus saith of Spiridon and as Nazianzene saith of his owne Father we say that a good and dâ—ligent Bishop doth serve in the Ministery never the worse for that â—e is married but rather the better and with more ablenesse to do good Further we say that the same law which is by constraint taketh away this liberty from men and compelleth them against their wils to live single is the doctrine of devils as Paul saith and that ever since the time of this law a wonderfull uncleannesse of life and manners in Gods Ministers and sundry horrible enormities have followed as the Bishop of Augusta as Faber as Abbas Panormitanus as Latomus as the Tripartite Worke which is annexed to the second Tome of the Councels and some other Champions of the Popes band yea and as the matter it selfe and all Histories doe confesse For it was rightly said by Pius the second Bishop of Rome that he saw many causes why wives should be taken away from Priests but that
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
of God doe not offend What can be said against these things Let a man amplifie the bond of a vow as much as he will yet can he never bring to passe that the vow shall take away Gods Commandement The Canons teach That in every vow the right of the superiour is excepted much lesse therefore can these vowes which are contrary to Gods Commandement be of force If so be that the bond of vowes had no cause why it might be changed then should not the Roman Bishops have dispensed there with For indeed it is not lawfull for man to disanull that bond which doth simply belong to the law of God But the Roman Bishops have judged very wisely that in this bond there must an equitie be used therefore they are often read to have dispensed with vowes The historie of the King of Arragon being called back out of a Monasterie is well known and there be many examples of our time Secondly why do our adversaries exaggerate the bond or the effect of the vow when as in the meane time they speake not a word of the very nature of a vow which ought to be in a thing possible which ought to be voluntarie and taken up of a mans owne accord and with advice or deliberation But it is not unknown how perpetuall chastitie is in the power of a man And how many amongst them is there that doth vow of his own accord and with advice Wenches and young maides before they know how to judge are perswaded yea sometimes also compelled to vow wherefore it is not meet to dispute so rigorously of the bond seeing that all men confesse that it is against the nature of a vow which is not done of a mans own accord or unadvisedly The Canons for the most part doe disanull vowes which are made before one be fifteene yeeres of age because that before one come to that age he seemeth not to have so much iudgement as to determine of a perpetuall life Another Canon permitting more to the weaknesse of men doth adde some yeeres moe for it forbiddeth a vow to be made before one be 18. yeeres of age But whether of these shall we follow the greatest part hath this excuse why they forsake Monasteries because that for the most part they wowed before they came to this age Last of all although the breaking of a vow may be reprehended yet it followeth not that the marriages of such persons are to be dissolved For Augustine in his 27. quest 1. cap of Marriages doth deny that they ought to be dissolved and his authoritie is not lightly to be esteemed although others afterward have thought otherwise And although the commandement of God touching wedlock doth free most men from vows yet our men doe also bring another reason concerning vows that they be frustrate because that all the worship of God instituted of men without the commandement of God and chosen to merit remission of sinnes and justification is wicked as Christ saith They do in vain worship me with the commandements of men And Paul doth every where teach that righteousnesse is not to be sought out of our observations and those worships which are devised by men but that it cometh by faith to those that beleeve that they have God pacified and reconciled to them for Christ not for any of their merits But it is evident that the Monks did teach that these made or counterfeited religions do deserve remission of sins and iustification and that they do satisfie for sins What else is this then to detract from the glory of Christ and to obscure and deny the righteousnesse of faith wherefore it followeth that these vowes thus used were wicked worships and therefore they be of no value For a wicked vow and that which is made against the commandement of God is of no force neither ought a vow to be a bond of iniquitie as the Canon saith Paul saith Ye are made voyd of Christ which seeke to be iustified by the law ye are fallen from grace that is they which do think that by their own works they do merit remission of sinnes and that they do please God for their own fulfilling of the law and do not perceive that for Christ his sake they do freely receive by faith the remission of their sinnes through the mercy of God and that they do please God through Christ they do loose Christ because they doe transferre the confidence which is due to Christ and to the promise of God unto works Also they oppose to the wrath of God not Christ the propitiatour but their owne works therefore they doe transferre the honour which is due unto Christ unto our works Now it is manifest that the Monks doe teach this that by their observations they do deserve remission of sinnes because they finde God mercifull unto them for these observations Wherefore they teach men to trust to their owne works not to the propitiation of Christ This is a wicked confidence and is contrary to the Gospel and in the judgement of God it shall be found to be vaine For our workes cannot be opposed to the wrath and judgement of God the wrath of God is then onely appeased when as we do by faith lay hold upon the free mercy promised for Christs sake Therefore they lose Christ which place their confidence not in Christ but in their own works Moreover the Monks have taught that their kinde of life is a state of perfection because they did observe not onely the commandements but also the counsels This error is chiefly contrary to the Gospel because they have feigned that they do so satisfie the commandements as that they can also do somewhat more and hereupon arose that horrible errour which they have feigned that they had merits of supererogation These they have applied for others that they might be satisfections for other mens sins If any man will odiously exaggerate these things how many things might he rehearse whereof the Monks themselves are now ashamed It is no light offence in the Church to propound unto thâ— people a certain worship devised by men without the commandement of God and to teach that such a worship doth justifie men because that the righteousnesse of faith in Christ which ought especially to be taught in the Church is obscured when as those marvellous religions of Angels feigning of poverty and humilitie and of single life are cast before mens eyes Moreover the commandements of God the true worship of God are obscured when men hear that Monks alone are in that state of perfection because that Christian perfection is this to feare God sincerely and again to conceive great faith and to trust assuredly that God is pacified toward us for Christ his sake to aske and certainly to look for help from God in all our affaires according to our calling and outwardly to do good works diligently and to tend upon our vocation In these things doth true perfection and the true
Saint Paul whereby every Christian man doth assure himselfe that all righteousnesse and salvation is to be sought for onely in Christ Iesus our Lord and is also assured that he must at all times use all the things of this life as to the profit of our neighbours so to the glory of God and that all which he hath is to be arbitrated and moderated by the holy Ghost who is the giver of true adoption and true libertie and that he ought freely to permit them to be appointed and bestowed both to the reliefe of his neighbours and also to the advancement of the glory of God Seeing that we retaine this libertie we shew our selves to be the servants of Christ when we betray it to men addicting our selves to their inventions we doe like runnagates forsake Christ and flie to men The which thing we doe so much the more wickedly because that Christ hath freed us by his blood not by a vile or common price and hath redeemed us to himselfe from the deadly slavery of Satan And this is the cause why Saint Paul writing to the Galathians did so much detest it that they had addicted themselves to the ceremonies of the law though they were commanded of God whereas notwithstanding as we declared before that might be farre better excused then to submit themselves to the yoke of those ceremonies which men have feigned of their own brain For he did write and that truely that they which admit the yoke of those ceremonies despise the grace of God and count the death of Christ as a thing of nothing and thereupon he saith That he is afraid lest that he had bestowed his labour among them in vain and he exhorteth them That they would stand stedfast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and not to be intangled againe with the yoke of bondage Now it is evident that Monkerie is nothing else then bondage of traditions devised by men and indeed of such as Paul hath by name condemned in the places which we alledged For undoubtedly they which professe Monkerie doe addict themselves to those inventions of men for hope of merits And hereupon it is that they make it so hainous an offence to forsake those inventions and to imbrace the libertie of Christ Therefore seeing 1 Cor. 6. that as well our body as our spirit belong unto God and that in a double respect to wit of our condition and Redemption it can not be lawfull for Christians to make themselves slaves to this Monasticall servitude much lesse then for prophane servants to change their masters Moreover it cannot be denied but that by such like bondage and vowes to live after the commandement of men a certaine necessitie as it alwaies useth to be of transgressing the law of God is brought in For the law of God doth require that a Christian man should as much as lyeth in him Matth. 15. imploy his service to the benefit of the Magistrate his parents kinred and others and of all those whom the Lord hath made his neighbours and brought to him to be delivered in what place time or manner soever their necessitie shall require it Then let him imbrace that kinde of living whereby he may chiefely provide for the affaires of his neighbours neither let him chuse a single life but let him know that to renounce marriage and to make himselfe an Eunuch for the kingdome of heaven that is to further godlinesse and the glory of God it is a peculiar and a speciall gift of God For that Edict which Paul did publish standeth firme and stedfast neither can any vowes of men make it frustrate For the avoyding of whoredome let every man he excepteth none have his owne wife and every woman her owne husband For all men doe not receive that word of taking upon them a single life for the kingdome of heaven as Christ himselfe doth witnesse then whom no man did more certainly know more faithfully teach either of what force mans nature is or what is acceptable to his Father Now it is certaine that by these Monasticall vowes they which doe make them are bound to a certaine kinde of men so that they thinke it not lawfull to shew themselves obedient and dutifull any longer either to the Magistrate or to their parents or to any men onely the chiefe governour of the Monasterie excepted nor to releeve them with their substance and least of all to marry a wife though they be greatly burned and therefore they doe necessarily fall into all kindes of dishonesties of life Seeing therefore that it is evident that these Monasticall vows doe make a man which is freed from the service of Christ to be in danger not so much of the bondage of men as of Sathan and that they do bring in a certaine necessitie of transgressing the law of God according to the nature of all such traditions as are devised by men and that therefore they be manifestly contrary to the commandements of God we doe not without cause beleeve that they are to be made frustrate seeing that not onely the written law but also the law of nature doth command to disanull a promise if being kept it be a hinderance to good manners not onely to religion Therefore we could not withstand any which would change a Monasticall life which is undoubtedly a bondage to Sathan for a Christian life as also we could not withstand others of the Ecclesiasticall order who marrying wives have imbraced a kinde of life whereof their neighbours might looke for more profit and greater honestie of life then of that kinde wherein they lived before To conclude neither did we take upon us to drive them from the right of wedlocke who among us have persevered in the ministery of the word of God whatsoever chastitie they had vowed for the causes before specified seeing that Saint Paul the chiefe maintainer of true chastitie doth admit even a Bishop to be a married man For we have lawfully preferred this one law of God before all laws of men For the avoiding of whoredome let every man have his owne wife Which law truly for that it hath been rejected so long time all kindes of lust even those which are not to be named be it spoken with reverence to your sacred Majestie O noble Cesar have more then horribly overthrowne this Ecclesiasticall order so that at this day amongst men there be none more abhominable then they which beare the name of Priests THE NINETEENTH SECTION OF THE CIVILL MAGISTRATE The latter Confession of HELVETIA Of Magistracie CHAP. 30. THE Magistracie of what sort soever it be is ordained of God himselfe for the peace and quietnesse of mankinde and so that he ought to have the chiefest place in the world If he be an adversarie to the Church he may hinder and disturbe it very much but if he be a friend and a member of the Church he is a most profitable and excellent member thereof which
that he will vouchsafe to rule preserve purge and increase his Church which he hath purchased and redeemed by the blood of his Sonne Amen The faithfull and subiects to the Emperours Maiestie Iohn Duke of Saxonie Elector George Marques of Brandembrough Ernest Duke of Luneborough Philip the Lantgrave of the Hesses Iohn Frederick Duke of Saxonie Francis Duke of Luneborough Wolfgang Prince of Anhalt The Senate and Magistrates of Nurnborough The Senate of Reutling Out of the Confession of SAXONY Artic. 23. Of the civill Magistrate BY the benefit of God this part also of doctrine of the authoritie of the Magistrate that beareth the sword and of the authoritie of Laws and Iudgements and of the whole civill state is godlily set forth and by great travell and many writings the manifold and great furies of the Anabaptists and other fantasticall men are refuted We teach therefore that in the whole doctrine of God delivered by the Apostles and Prophets and degrees of the civill state are avouched and that Magistrates Laws order in judgements and the lawfull societie of mankinde are not by chance sprung up among men And although there be many horrible confusions which grow from the Devill and the madnesse of men yet the lawfull government and societie of men is ordained of God and whatsoever order is yet left by the exceeding goodnesse of God it is preserved for the Church sake as it is said Rom. 13. and Psal 126. Except the Lord keepe the Citie in vaine he watcheth that keepeth it c. Therefore in themselves they are things good to beare the authoritie of a Magistrate to be a Iudge to be a Minister to execute judgements to make lawfull warres and to be a souldier in lawfull warres c. And a Christian man may use these things as he useth meat drinke medicines buying and selling Neither doth he sinne that is a Magistrate and dischargeth his vocation that exerciseth judgement that goeth to warre that punisheth lawfully those that are condemned c. And subiects owe unto the civill Magistrate obedience as Paul saith Romanes 13. Not onely because of wrath that is for feare of corporall punishment wherewith the rebellious are rewarded by the Magistrate but also for conscience sake that is rebellion is a sinne that offendeth God and withdraweth the conscience from God This heavenly doctrin we propound unto the Churches which establisheth lawfull authoritie and the whole civill state and we shew the difference of the Gospell and the civill government God would have all men to be ruled and kept in order by civill government even those that are not regenerate in this government the wisdome justice and goodnesse of God toward mankinde is most clearely to be seene His wisdome is declared by order which is in the discerning of vertues and vices and in the societie of mankinde under lawfull government and in contracts guided and disposed by marvellous wisdome Then the justice of God appeareth in civill government in that he will have open sinnes to be punished by the Magistrates and when they that are in authoritie doe not take punishment on offenders God himselfe miraculously draweth them unto punishment and proportionably doth lay upon grievous sins grievous punishment in this life as it is said Matth. 26. Whosoever taketh the sword shall perish with the sword and Heb. 3. Whoremongers and adulterers God will iudge In these punishments God will have to be seene the differences of vertues and vices and will have us learne that God is wise just true and chaste The goodnesse of God also toward mankinde is seene in that he preserveth the societie of men after this order And for that cause doth he maintaine it that from thence his Church may be gathered and he will have Common-wealthes to be places for the entertainment of his Church And the civill government is one thing which keepeth in order all men even those that are not regenerate and forgivenesse of sins and righteousnesse in the heart which is the beginning of life and of eternall salvation which by the voice of the Gospell is effected in the hearts of them that beleeve is another thing Both these benefits God hath bestowed upon mankinde and will have us to understand the difference of civill justice and light in our hearts Neither doth the Gospell condemne or overthrow Common-wealths or families And although it belong not to those that teach in the Church to give particular laws of politique government yet the word of God doth generally teach this of the power of the Magistrate First God would that the Magistrate without all doubt should sound forth the voice of the morall law among men touching discipline according to the ten commandements or the law naturall that is he would have by the voice of the Magistrate first soveraigne and immutable laws to be propounded forbidding the worship of Idols blasphemies perjuries unjust murders wandring lusts breach of of wedlock theft and fraud in bargains contracts and judgements The second dutie Let the Magistrate be an observer of these divine and immutable lawes which are witnesses of God and chiefe rules of manners by punishing all those that transgresse the same For the voyce of the law without punishment and execution is little availeable to bridle and restraine men Therefore it is said by Saint Paul Rom. 13. The Magistrate is a terrour to him that doth evill and giveth honour to them that doe well And well hath it beene said of old The Magistrate is a keeper of the Law that is of the first and second Table as concerning discipline and good order The third dutie of the civill Magistrate is to adde unto the law naturall some other lawes defining the circumstances of the naturall law and to keep and maintaine the same by punishing the transgressours but at no hand to suffer or defend lawes contrary to the law of God or nature as it is written Isa 10. Woe be to them that make wicked lawes For kingdomes are the ordinance of God wherein the wisedome and justice of God that is just lawes ought to rule even as the wise King and one that feared God Jehosaphat said 2 Chron. 19. Ye exercise not the iudgement of men but of God who is with you in iudgement Let the feare of God be with you and doe all things diligently For although many in kingdomes doe despise the glory of God yet notwithstanding this ought to be their especiall care to heare and imbrace the true doctrine of the Sonne of God and to cherish the Churches as the second Psalme speaketh And now ye Kings understand and be learned ye that iudge the earth And Psal 23. Ye Princes open your gates that is open your kingdomes to the Gospel and give entertainement to the Sonne of God And Isa 49. and Kings and Queenes shall be thy nurces that is let common wealths be nurces of the Church let them give entertainement to the Church and to godly studies Let Kings and Princes
Obser 1. pag. 155. even of goodnesse are in no case to be so highly esteemed as those which are commanded of God Vnderstand this of those works which yet are not will-worship and devises of mans brain For such are wholly to be rejected as is also said of such a little after that are not of faith but contrary to faith Vpon the same By taking heed that they fall not into mortall sinne Looke the 2. Obser 2 pag. 157. observation upon the Saxonie Confession in the 4. Section Vpon the same First for this cause that is for divers causes whereof this is one Obser 3. pag. 157. Lest that the grace of faith which we have already c. Vpon the Confession of Auspurge THe Gospell bewrayeth our sinne These words seeme thus to be Obser 1. pag. 163. understood that the Gospell should bewray all kinde of sinne yet not properly and by it selfe For the proper difference betweene the law and the Gospell is to be held fast to wit that the Gospell doth properly reprove the sinne of infidelitie and by an accident all other sins also but the law doth properly reprove all sins whatsoever are committed against it Vpon the same And deserveth reward Touching the word of meriting or deserving Obser 2 pag. 169. which this Confession useth oft in this Section Looke before in the 8. Sect. the 7. observation upon this same Confession and looke the 1. observation upon the Confession of Wirtemberge in this Section And againe after in the 16. Section the 1. observation on this Confession Vpon the same Living in mortall sinne Looke before in the 4. Sect. the 2. observation Obser 3. pag. 167. upon the Confession of Saxonie Nor the righteousnesse of works Looke before in the 4. Section Obser 4. pag. 167. the 1. observation upon the Confession of Saxonie Vpon the same And like as the preaching of repentance in generall so the promise Obser 5. pag. 169. of grace Generall that is offered to all sorts of men indefinitely as well to one as to another without difference of countrey sexe place time or age But we cannot conceive how repentance and the promise of grace can be said to be preached universally to every nation much lesse to all men particularly for as much as experience doth plainly prove that to be untrue Vpon the same Here needeth no disputation of predestination Even as we doe Obser 6. pag. 169. abhorre curious disputations that is such as passe the bounds of Gods word touching predestination of which sort we take these words to be meant as most dangerous matters for grievous fals so we affirme that whatsoever the holy Ghost doth teach touching this point in the holy Scriptures is warily and wisely to be propounded and beleeved in the Church as well as other parts of Christian Religion which thing the Doctors of the Church both old and new did and among the rest Master Luther himselfe in his booke de servo arbitrio and else-where Vpon the same That they be necessary We take them to be necessary because Observ 7. page 173. they doe necessarily follow the true faith whereby we are justified not that they concurre unto the working of our justification in Christ as either principall or secundarie causes for that faith it selfe as it is an inherent qualitie doth not justifie but onely in as much as it doth apprehend and lay hold on Christ our righteousnesse Vpon the same Albeit that men by their owne strength be able to doe outward Observ 8. page 175. honest deeds c. Looke in the 4. Sect. the 3. observation upon this Confession Vpon the same Moreover nature by it selfe is weake Without Christ and without Observ 9. page 175. regeneration the nature of man can doe nothing but sin For God by his grace doth create the habilitie of thinking willing and doing well not helping the old man in that he wanteth but by little and little abolishing it According to that saying When we were dead in sins c. Ephes 2. But touching the weaknesse of our nature looke that which was said in the 1. observation upon the Confession of Bohemia Section 4. Vpon the Confession of Saxonie BEcause that God left this libertie in man after this fall Here also Obser 1. pag. 181. looke in the 4. Sect. the 1. observ upon the Confession of Bohemia and the 3. upon the Confession of Auspurge Vpon the same Therefore although men by the naturall strength Looke here Obser 2. pag. 190. againe the 1. observation upon the Confession of Bohemia in the 4. Section and also the 9. observation upon the Confession of Auspurge in this same Section Vpon the Confession of Wirtemberge VVE teach that good works are necessarily to be done and doe Obser 1. pag. 198. deserve c. That is obtaine and that as it is well added by and by after by the free mercy and goodnesse of God Touching which point looke the 7. observ upon the Confession of Auspurge in the 8. Sect. the 2. observ upon the same Confession in this Sect. Also touching the necessitie of good works looke the 7. observ upon the same Confession in this selfe same Section IN THE TENTH SECTION Vpon the latter Confession of Helvetia ANd no marvell if it erre How and in what respect the visible Obser 1. pag. 206. Church considered universally is said to erre it is afterward declared more fully in this same Confession Vpon the Confession of Bohemia THe Heathenish life This saying the brethren in Bohemia did Obser 1. pag. 213. themselves expound thus unto us in their letters to wit that they speake here of the notes of the visible Church which are all joyntly to be considered that looke where both the errours of Idolaters and heretikes and impietie of life doe openly overflow there it cannot safely be affirmed that the visible Church of Christ is to be seene or is at all And yet notwithstanding there is no doubt to be made but some secret true members of Christ and such as it may be are onely knowne to God be there hid and therefore that there is a Church even in Poperie as it were overwhelmed and drowned whence God will fetch out his elect and gather them to the visible Churches that are restored and reformed whereas Popery never was nor is the true Church Vpon the same But he that looseth In what sense we thinke that a true faith Observ 2. page 214. may be lost we have declared before in the fourth Section in the first observation of the Confession of Saxonie and elsewhere Vpon the same By Ecclesiasticall punishment which is commonly called c. We Observ 3. page 215. take this to be so meant as that notwithstanding every Church hath her libertie left unto her what way to exercise such discipline as is before said in the first observation upon this same confession in the 8. Section As for this