were there no sinne so small but it would condemne vs. For the iustice of God can endure no sinne Therefore there is no greater comfort vpon the earth then baptisme The comfort which we haue of Baptisme through which wee enter into the sentence of grace and mercy which iudgeth not sinne but expels it with many exercises The true vnderstanding and vse of Baptisme c. In respect whereof no man hath cause to bee terrified though he feeles euill lusts and desires and not to dispaire though he should euen fall but should call his baptisme to mind and refresh himselfe hartily with the same that God hath bound himselfe therein to mortifie his sins and not reckon them to damnation if hee doe not consent thereunto or remaine therein c. 3. Faith Also heere is now the third part of the Sacrament to bee handled that is faith that is that a man doth constantly beleeue how that this Sacrament doth not only betoken the death and resurrection at the youngest day by which a man is made anew How that is to be vnderstood that the worke of Baptisme doth presently begin in Baptisme to liue euerlastingly without sinne but that it also doth certainly begin and worke the same and vniteth vs vnto God that wee will euen vnto death mortifie sinne and striue against the same and hee on the contrary side will hold vs excused and deale gratiously with vs and not iudge vs according to rigour for that we are not without sinne in this life vntill we be purified by death How a man is pure So now thou vnderstandest how a man is innocent pure and without sin in baptisme and yet remaineth full of many euill lusts so that hee cannot otherwise be called pure then for that he hath made entrance thereinto and for that the same purity hath a signe and couenant that he ought to be more pure For which cause God will not attribute his remaining vncleanenesse vnto him and so hee is more pure by Gods gratious account of him then if that he should be pure in his owne nature c. For which cause a man must be very bold and free in holding himselfe to baptisme and beare himselfe against all sinne and terrour of conscience and most humbly say I know very well that I haue no cleane thing in mee but I am yet christened through which God who cannot lie hath bound himselfe not to impute my sinnes vnto mee but to crucifie and to destroy them So we doe now vnderstand that our innocency of baptisme is so called wholly and solly in respect of the Diuine mercy which begun it and taketh pitie on sinne esteeming vs as if we were without sinne c. Also sinne must still be for in truth wicked motions are to be esteemed sinne but this difference is to bee made that Gods grace will not yet reckon them for sinne if that wee encounter them with many endeauours workes and sufferings and at the last crucifie them by death Whosoeuer doth not so to those will hee not remit them because they doe not keepe touch with him in baptisme and their couenant but hinder the begun worke of God in baptisme c. And doe not know that they had power giuen them for their whole liues euen vnto the time of death yea and to the youngest day as was said before Also is there any man fallen into sinne then let him most strongly remember his baptisme how God did there ioyne in contract with him to pardon all his sinnes if hee will but resist them to the time of his death Vpon the same truth and couenant of God a man must cheerefully repose himselfe and then doth baptisme proceed in his worke and strength againe and then is the heart againe quieted and refreshed Not in respect of his worke or satisfaction but in Gods mercy which is promised him in baptisme for euer to remaine And a man must be so steadfast in faith that though all creatures and all sinnes should conspire against him yet he would not be remoued in respect that whosoeuer yeelds himselfe to be beaten from that hold he maketh God a liar in his contract in the Sacrament of baptisme c. So then we see that baptisme howsoeuer it be hindred in his worke by sinne Res Sacramenti Baptism yet the forgiuenesse and crucifying of sinne is onely made voide through vnbeleefe of the same And faith recals againe the same hinderance of his operation so that it doth wholly consist in faith And that I may speake it plainely then is it one thing to pardon sinne and an other to put off and renounce sinne Faith layeth hold on the forgiuenesse of sinnes though they be not wholly expulsed but to expulse sinne is by an endeauour against sinne and dying at the last sin sinkes to the bottome Both of these workes appertaine to Baptisme So writes the Apostle to the Hebrewes that they who were baptized and their sinnes pardoned they should cast away sinne which pressed downe For whilest I do beleeue that God will not attribute my sinnes vnto mee then remaines Baptisme in force and my sinnes are pardoned though a great part thereof remaine After that followes the final disposition thereof through sufferings and death This is the article which we confesse I beleeue in the holy Ghost the forgiuenesse of sinnes c. There consists Baptisme most especially in which this forgiuenesse is performed through Gods contract with vs c. Also for which cause must we keepe a good watch lest a deceiueable security doe not intrude it selfe whereby wee are moued to say with our selues doe so great and gracious things consist in Baptisme that God will not ascribe our sinnes vnto vs and so soone as wee returne from sinning then is all in good case by vertue of Baptisme then will I so long as I liue liue as I list and afterwards or at the day of my death I will take my Baptisme to heart and put God in mind of his couenant and so fulfill the worke of my Baptisme Yea assuredly there consists so much in Baptisme that when thou returnest againe from sinne and callest vpon thy couenant in Baptisme then are thy sinnes pardoned vnto thee But looke well to it when thou shalt sinne so peruersly and wilfully vpon grace that iudgement doe not take hold on thee and come vpon thee before thy returne come and though thou then wouldest beleeue in Baptisme or trust therein that through Gods perm ssion thy tentation bee so great that there will bee no place for faith For if so be that they doe scarcely remaine who doe not sinne or indeed doe fall by meere frailty where shall the outragious appeare who haue tempted and mocked the grace of God Therfore let vs walke with feare and trembling that wee may maintaine the riches of his Diuine Maiesty with a steadfast faith and giue praise vnto his mercy cheerefully for euer and euer Amen Behold
generall title of one or more reformed Churches for priuate writings are not alwaies so well considered of as they should And many of those writings also there are which most of vs neuer once saw or reade in all our liues And therefore we doe not acknowledge our selues indebted to render a reckoning for them Euen as wee also doe not thinke that the aduerse part will take vpon them to make answere for euery thing that is priuately penned by one or other on their sides of the learned euen the learnedest not exempted which might be esteemed to be done either hastily or vndeliberately And therefore it is that we do euen in the beginning of this writing say and testifie both for our needs sake and also for the common benefit that wee in no respect haue any such dangerous and detestable beleefe as peace-hating people ascribe vnto vs. CHAP. II. What our faith is in very truth NOw if any man shall further demand what then is our faith indeed the which we willingly acknowledge then is this our answere as followeth Wee beleeue that there is one onely true God Of God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ with the Sonne and holy Ghost and that accordingly there are three distinct persons in that one godly Essence the Father the Son and the holy Ghost We beleeue further that the same one God is euerlasting and Almighty and can doe whatsoeuer he will Also that hee is infinite and accordingly is present in all places at one time and seeth heareth and knoweth all things Also that hee is iust and punisheth no man without desert Also that he is mercifull and hath no delight in the death of sinners but that they should repent themselues and liue We beleeue further that the same one true God created heauen and earth and all that therein is of nothing Of the Creation We beleeue further that God sustaineth and ruleth all things which hee created and that hee hath them so in his hand Of the s◠knowledge of God that no creature can stirre or moue it selfe without his will and therefore nothing can come to passe without his permission whether it be good or euill Also all that God doth at present or permitteth to come to passe hee foreknew it from euerlasting and with well bethought councell had determined that hee euen so would doe it or permit it Also that hee did not determine to permit any wicked thing to come to passe but that which hee could and would turne to a good end We beleeue further that in the beginning God created all the Angels and men holy and good and especially man in his likenesse Of the fall of Angels and men and of originall sinne and to blessed immortality But they to wit the Angels and the two first of mankinde did shortly after their creation fall from God their Creator and haue by such their fall brought not onely vpon themselues the wrath of God but also such a pollution of their natures that now they can no more either will or accomplish any thing that is good Which pollution fell on the lost Angels altogether at one tim But mankinde inherits such defilement together with the guiltines both of the first and second death by propagation one from another From whence it is that the same corruptiō of mankind is called original sin We beleeue further though such a fearefull fall both of Angels and men Of the cause of mans fall could not haue come to passe without Gods permission and that hee appoints nothing without good consideration yet is not the fault of this fall in any manner to bee ascribed to him considering that he so created the Angels and men that they had free will to turne to good as well as to bad We beleeue further that it becomes not poore creatures to dispute with God wherefore he created the Angels and men so that they could fall Also wherefore he hindred not such a fall whereas he could well haue done it He is the Lord and his wil is euer iust and good though wee alwaies vnderstand it not The Apostle Paul saith Rom. 11.32 Gal. 3.22 that God hath shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe or vnder sin that hee might haue mercy on all that is that no man may be saued but meerely by the mercy of God Also Rom. 9.22.23 What and if God would to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction and that he might declare the riches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glory By this ought wee in all reason to let it so remaine Wee beleeue further that the fallen Angels and and men could not free themselues from the Almighty gouernance of But that they on the one side as well as on the other are in the hand of God and their wickednesse cannot otherwise break out then as God hath permitted it And this our faith is our greatest comfort on earth For and if the wicked Angels men had the bridle in their own powers where should we be able to abide for thē Wee beleeue further that though God permit many sinnes in the fallen Angels and men and that hee vseth oftentimes their sinfull actions to accomplish his holy workes as hee did the abominable deeds of Absalom to the punishment of Dauid and the treason of Iudas to the freedome of mankinde also though he often punish sinne by sin and blind and harden those commonly at last who with seeing eyes will yet be blind as formerly he did Pharaoh yet neuerthelesse he of himselfe hath no pleasure in sinne much lesse doth hee prouoke or driue any man thereunto but that the precedent working cause of all sinne which goeth before is onely and alone the free and vnforced will of wicked Angels and men We beleeue further that God hath adiudged the fallen Angels to euerlasting fire without any grace or mercy to terrifie vs thereby that we make not a iest of the anger of God against sinne Wee beleeue further that God had indeed iust cause and power also to push downe the fallen men into euerlasting hellish fire without any grace or mercy But hee hath not done it but hath offered grace again to man And that so he might shew thē mercy without breach of his iustice hee ordained his onely begotten Sonne to be our surety and Mediator and to take the punishment vpon him which we deserued and so deliuer vs from euerlasting wel deserued death by his innocent death To accomplish the said councell and wil of God the heauenly father the Sonne of God our Lord and redeemer Iesus Christ became man in the last times of the world conceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary and like vnto vs in all things sinne excepted And when hee had liued as a man thirtie yeeres he began to teach and preach the mercifull pleasure of
that in the same point also we differ not so much as many people imagine WHich whilest wee doe and seauer as befitteth that which he taught with wel considered counsell from those vnconsiderate speeches which sometimes fell from him in the heate of contention then appeares it plainely that he both beleeued and taught of all and euery necessary point euen as we beleeue and teach that one point of the holy Supper excepted And yet differ we not in the same point so much from each other as many men take it For it so being that in all Sacraments two things are to be considered first the tokens and then the betokened riches whereon out of all doubt more dependeth many thousand times then on the outward tokens then are wee agreeable in all things with Doctor Luther in the betokened treasures of the holy Supper For euen as Doctor Luther taught that the betokened treasures in the holy Supper or the same to which the holy Supper pointeth which maketh a man right and blessed before God is not the bodily but the spirituall eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ a In the Sermon vpon Sacraments â—ay â—rinted in quarto 1523 in the 55.56.57 deafe Alsâ— in the Church Postil prâ— at Strasburg 1529. in the 2. part 102. Also in another Sermon of the Sacrament in the Church Postil pr. at Wittenberge anno 1540. in the first part 129. euen so teach wee also Also euen as Doctor Luther teacheth That the bodily eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ is nothing else then to beleeue that Christ hath giuen his body to death for vs and his blood to bee spilt for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes b In the former places Also in the expounding the Epistle on Septuagessimae Sunday pr. in Wittenberge Post 275. B. Euen so teach we also Also euen as Doctor Luther teacheth That all they who doe eate and and drinke spiritually the naturall body and blood of Christ that is that doe beleeue that Christ gaue himselfe to death for them are by such a faith one bread and one spirituall body with Christ and themselues and therefore they can in Christ lay hold on all things and on the contrary they are again indebted to aduenture all in the behalfe of Christ and his members c Jn the former places also in Tom. 3. Ion. 235.206.207 Euen so teach we also Onely heere lies the difference what the outward tokens bee by which bodily eatings from which the vngodly are not exempted the spirituall feeding vpon the body and blood of Christ which belongeth to the children of God is betokened confirmed and sealed We say the same outward tok ns are bread and wine Doctor Luther vnderstands they are not onely bread and wine but also the body of Christ in bread and the blood of Christ in wine And so the difference betwixt our doctrine in the Supper and Doctor Luther lieth not in the ground of saluation but onely in the tokens which should shew vs to the ground of saluation It may please the reader rightly to consider Doctor Luther contendeth very hoâ—ly for the bodily presence and mouthly feeding vpon the body and blood of Christ in the holy supper But for all that he doth not estimate the sâ—m bodily presence and mouthly feeding for to be the true treasure and kernell of the holy Supper but onely to be the tokens or for a part of the tokens whereby the true treasure and kernell of the holâ— Supper namely the spirituall and alone blisse-making feeding of the body and blood of Christ which only is performed by faith is betokened and sealed vnto vs. As is to bee collected by these his words where he saith Christ hath not instituted the two kinds namely bread and wine barely and nakedly but his true naturall flesh in bread hath he giuen and his true naturall blood in the wine that so he might giue a perfect compleat Sacrament Tom. 1. Ien. 205. Also it is not enough to seed vpon the body and blood of Christ outwardly as it is not enough that a man paint oates before a horse to seede him withall Hee must haue true oates a In the Church Post il de Anno 1529. part 2. fo 102. B. Also the flesh is not profitable The words that I speake are spirit and life saith Christ With which words he will shew that the fleshly eating of the flesh is not pr fitable But to beleeue that Gods Sonne is flesh and came from heauen and shead his blood for mee that that is profit and life Therefore to eate the flesh of the Sonne of God and to drinke his blood is nothing else then that I doe beleeue that his flesh is giuen for mee and his blood is spilâ— for me and that hee hath ouercome for mee death diuell hell and all mishaps Out of which faith floweth a powerfull confidence in him and a stout and bold spirit against all mischance so that hereafter I haue no cause to feare whether it bee â—inne death diuell or Hell whilest I am assured that my Lord hath cast them vnder my feet and ouercome them for me That is caused by the spirituall eating and not by the bodily The spirituall and inward eating in the heart doth it not the outward which is effected in the Sacrament b Euen in the same place Behold Reader those our Doctor Luthers owne very words whereby hee manifestly teacheth and witnesseth that the bodily eating and drinking of the body of Christ which he vnderstands to bee acted in the holy Supper not to bee the right blisse-making eating drinking of the children of God but onely that it is a token which the wicked can as well receiue as the godly as he saith in other places Iudas receiues it euen as well as Peter Therefore the difference betwixt vs and Doctor Luther consists not in the foundation of saluation in cause of the holy Sacrament for whether Iudas receiued it as well as Peter that cannot be the foundation of saluation Else were our foundation very barely grounded But the difference consists onely in the tokens which shew vs onely to the foundation of saluation and shall giue vs assurance in our hearts Whilest we now agree in the true ground of saluation that is that the spirituall and alone blisse-making eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ which is acted by faith as we God bee thanked therein agree in all things together is it not then most lamentable that wee should separate our selues so shamefully one from another about the tokens which the wicked can receiue as well as the godly CHAP. V. Wherefore we cannot agree in all things with Doctor Luther in the point of the holy Supper YEa wherefore doe you it then might some man say Wherefore doe you not giue Doctor Luther and his followers right and so were the contention ceased Answere That is not the way to exclude discord
with lawes but ought to be free Tom. 5. Ien. fol. 15. B. And the Popish Canons confesse themselues that the priuate Confession is not the command of the old or new Testament but is imposed by the Church Dist 5. de poenit The fifth fault they find is 5. The Communion to the sicke for that we carry not the holy Communion to the sicke into their houses But heerein also doe wee nothing against the word of God For the word of God saith the Supper shall be a Communion Also it should bee holden when they come together and one ought to tarrie for another 1. Cor. 11.18.33 And therefore do we thinke that it is not conformable to the word of God when it is administred to one alone And therefore also doe wee admonish our Communicants that they participate in the Supper when they are in health and may receiue it with the publike congregation The which they also do and are very well satisfied with such an order Excepting when at any time one is a bedrid man and hath such an infirmity vpon him which will not suffer him to come to the publike Communion In that case if any man desire that the Supper might bee communicated with him together in the house It is readily accomplished yet with this caution that the sicke person doe neuer communicate alone but that the whole company as a little congregation or house Church doe communicate with him This doe we hold to be agreeable to the order of Christ and yet prescribe we nothing to others therein The sixth fault they finde is 6. Of the Exorcisme for that we doe not vse the Exorcisme that is coniuring of the diuell in Baptisme Which yet concerneth not vs alone but also many other euen of their owne Lutheran Churches who leaue out the Exorcisme in Baptisme euen as well as wee as the orders of their Churches manifest And Doctor Hunnius chiefe Professor of Wittenberge a little before his death did write very large theses de abrogando Exorcismo which were afterwards printed at Erphord and from thence came to our hands wherein he alleageth many causes wherefore the Exorcisme should also be abrogated in the rest of the Lutherian Churches wholly where yet it was in vse As namely and for the first whilest Christ was not the author thereof but it is a very meere inuention of man For the second whilest the words I coniure thee thou vncleane spirit c. let them bee turned and trimmed the best that may bee yet for all that they beare shew of no other construction then as if the children of Christians were bodily possessed of the diuell For the third whilest the gift of dispossession together with other miracles are ceased wee know not now any more of any coniurers of the diuell then of the popish Exorcists and Witches For the fourth whilest not onely the common man but also many learned make it a thing of necessity as if without it Baptisme were not compleat Which is manifest by this for that they striue so vehemently therefore and deale so euilly when the remouall is required For the fifth whilest it is a taking of the name of God in vaine when as it is said I coniure thee thou vncleane spirit in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost c. Whereas there is no vncleane spirit therein and also there is no warrant from God for any such coniuration For the sixth whilest it is a cause of much contention in the Churches of God the peace and quietnesse whereof ought not to be hindred vnnecessarily For the seuenth whilest it were comely to hold in these things also a conformity with the rest of the Protestant Churches Wherin it is alwaies most reasonable for those Churches to yeeld who yet haue the Exorcisme For the other who haue abrogated it cannot with good conscience establish it againe For the eighth for that therby they should come nearer to the integritie of the Apostolicall Churches which they vsed in Baptisme For the ninth for that long since the Protestant Estates in a publike Edict the title whereof is A notable demonstration of the causes wherefore the Princes Electors and Dukes with other States of the Auspurgs Confession could not appeare at the intended Councell of Trent which Pope Pius the fourth had published there to be held c. in the 217. page of the first printing or 204. of the second had declared thus their minds herein and said The holy Scripture witnesseth that Christ hath commanded to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and hath neither commanded Crisme nor Exorcisme to bee vsed Matth. 28. Whilest then both those things are not the ordinances of Christ but the inuentions of man therefore they lie vnder the saying of Christ In vaine they worship me teaching for doctrines mens precepts Matth. 15. These are neare abouts the causes which Doctor Hunnius alleaged wherefore the Exorcisme ought to be disanulled in all Protestant Churches Which motiues are worthy of deepe consideration And at the very least they do demonstrat thus much That it is not a Caluinish heresie whereas many have abrogated the Exorcisme For thē must the Wirtenbergers the Hessens and the Pfaltzgraue of Newburges Churches be also Caluinish it so being that in the orders of their Churches there is no exorcisme to be found 7. Of womens Baptizing of children or baptizing in need The seuenth fault they finde in our Ceremonies is for that wee doe not approue of Baptising by a woman whereas yet the case of necessity is alleaged against vs. But wee doe not know of any such necessity Mat. 28.19 Ioh. 20.21 c. 1. Cor. 4.1 1. Cor. 14.33 which should enforce vs to flie from the institution of Christ who did not giue ouer the commission and charge of the ministery of the word and of administring the holy Sacraments to women but only vnto men as is very well known But it is alleaged that if it so fall out that a Preacher cannot be had so suddenly that then the child is shortened of saluation But where stands that written that the saluation is so knit vnto Baptisme in such a sort that all those that depart vnbaptized must therefore be damned and perish The saying of Christ is alleaged Except that a man bee borne of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God Ioh. 3.5 But first of all this saying did not speake of the earthly water in Baptisme as if without the same no man could bee regenerated and saued For then the theefe who suffered with Christ on the Crosse must haue also been damned To whom yet Christ said to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise But this sentence speaketh of the heauenly water of the holy Ghost Which water God poureth out vpon vs when wee doe beleeue in Christ As it is written in Ezek. 36. and in