the same place in the marginall note upon the word Saints Neverthelesse we confesse that they serve in Gods presence and that they reigne with Christ everlastingly because they acknowledged Christ and both in deed and word confessed him to be their Saviour redemption and righteousnesse without any addition of mans merit For this cause doe we praise and commend them as those who have obteined grace at Gods hand and are now made heires of the everlasting kingdome Yet doe we ascribe all this to the glory of God and of Christ We plainly protest that we condemne and renounce all strange Artic. 11. and erroneous doctrines which the spirits of errours bring forth c. And ss 2. Of the selfe same article We condemne that doctrine which saith that we may in no case sweare although Gods glory and the love of our neighbour require it And in the marginall note upon the word Sweare It is lawfull to use an oath in due time For God hath commanded this in the old Testament and Christ hath not forbidden it in the new yea Christ and the Apostles did sweare Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA or the WALDENSES Of the unitie of the divine Essence and of the three Persons CHAP. 3. OVt of this fountaine of holy Scripture and Christian instruction according to the true and sound understanding and meaning of the holy Ghost our men teach by faith to acknowledge and with the mouth to confesse that the holy Trinitie to wit God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are three distinct Persons but in essence one onely true alone eternall almightie and incomprehensible God of one equall indivisible divine essence Of whom through whom and in whom are all things Rom. 11. Exod. 20. who loveth and rewardeth righteousnesse and vertue but hateth and punisheth all iniquitie and sinne According to this faith men are taught to acknowledge the wonderfull workes of God and those properties which are peculiar to each person of the holy Trinitie and of the Divine Vnitie and to acknowledge the soveraigne and infinite power wisedome and goodnesse of the one onely God out of which also ariseth and proceedeth the saving knowledge as well of the Essence as of the will of God One kind of workes or properties of the three persons of the Godhead by which they are discerned one from the other are the inward eternall and hypostaticall proprieties which alwaies remaine immutable and are onely apprehended by the eyes of faith and are these That the father as the fountaine and wel-spring of the Godhead from all eternitie begetteth the Sonne equall to himselfe and that himselfe remaineth not begotten neither yet is he the person of the Sonne seeing he is a person begetting not begotten The Sonne is begotten of the eternall Father from all eternitie true God of God and as he is a person he is not the Father but the Sonne begotten of the essence or nature of the Father and consubstantiall with him which Sonne in the fulnesse of time which he had before appointed for this purpose himselfe alone as he is the Sonne tooke unto him our nature of the blessed Virgin Mary and united it into one person with the godhead whereof we shall speake afterward But the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne and so he is neither the Father nor the Sonne but a person distinct from them eternall and the substantiall love of the Father and of the Sonne surpassing all admiration these three persons are one true God as is aforesaid The other kind of workes in these persons and in the unitie of the godhead issueth as it were into open sight out of the divine essence and the persons thereof in which being distinct they have manifested themselves and these are three The first is the wonderfull worke of Creation which the Creeds doe attribute to the Father The second is the worke of Redemption which is proper to Christ The third is the worke of Sanctification which is ascribed to the holy Ghost for which cause he in the Apostles Creed is peculiarly called holy And yet all these are the proper workes of one true God and that of him alone and none other to wit the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost This true and absolute faith and difficult knowledge of God as well concerning his nature as his will is comprehended and contained in the aforenamed Catholike and Apostolicall Creede and in the decree of the Nicene Councell agreeing therewith and in many other sound decrees and also in Athanasius his confession All which we judge and professe to be true But it hath everlasting and sure grounds on which it relyeth and most weightie reasons by which it is out of the holy Scripture convinced to be true as by that manifestation wherein the whole Trinitie shewed it selfe when Christ the Lord was baptized in Iordane by the commandment Matt. 3. Matt. 28. of Christ because in the name of the persons of the same holy Trinitie all people must be baptized and instructed in the faith Also by Christs words when he saith the holy Ghost the Comforter whom the Father will send in my name shall teach you all these Iohn 14. things and before these words he saith I will pray the Father and he will give you another Comforter who shall be with you for ever even the spirit of truth Besides we teach that this onely true God one in essence and in divine nature and three in persons is above all to be honoured with high worship as chiefe Lord and King who ruleth and reigneth alwaies and for ever and especially after this sort that we looke unto him above all and put all our confidence in him alone and offering unto him all subjection obedience feare all faith love and generally the service of the whole inward and outward divine worship doe indeed sacrifice and performe it under paine of loosing everlasting salvation as it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve and againe Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Deut. 6. Matt. 22. Mar. 12. Luk. 10. with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy minde and to be short with all thy might as well of the inward as outward powers to whom bee glory from this time forth for evermore Amen Of holy men and their worship CHAP. 17. AS touching holy men it is taught first that no man from the beginning of the world unto this time either was is or can be henceforth unto the end sanctified by his workes or holy actions according to the saying of Moses the faithfull servant of the Lord when he cried out unto the Lord O Lord in thy sight no man Exod. 34. Iob. 15. is innocent that is perfectly holy And in the book of Iob it is written What is man that he should be undefiled and he that is borne of a woman that he should appeare iust to wit before God Behold
one onely God who is one onely and simple essence spirituall eternall invisible immutable infinite incomprehensible unspeakable almightie most wise good just and mercifull The holy Scripture teacheth us that in that one and simple divine essence there be three persons subsisting the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost The Father to wit the first cause in order and the beginning of all things the Sonne his wisdome and everlasting word the holy Ghost his vertue power and efficacie the Sonne begotten of the Father from everlasting the holy Ghost from everlasting proceeding from the Father and the Sonne which three persons are not confounded but distinct and yet not divided but coessentiall coeternall and coequall And to conclude in this mysterie we allow of that which those foure ancient Councels have decreed and we detest all sects condemned by those holy ancient Doctors Athanasius Hylarie Cyrill Ambrose and such as are condemned by others agreeably to Gods word Hitherto also belongeth the 2. Art This one God hath revealed himselfe unto men to be such a one first by the creation preservation and government of his works then much more clearely in his word c. Seeke the rest in the 3. division We beleeve that we by this one meanes obtain libertie of praying Artic. 19. to God with a sure confidence and that it will come to passe that he will shew himselfe a Father unto us For we have no entrance to the Father but by this Mediatour We beleeve because Iesus Christ is the onely Advocate given Artic. 24. unto us who also commandeth us to come boldly unto the Father in his name that it is not lawfull for us to make our prayers in any other form but in that which God hath set us down in his word and that whatsoever men have forged of the intercession of Saints departed is nothing but the deceits and sleights of Satan that he might withdraw men from the right manner of praying We also reject all other meanes whatsoever men have devised to exempt themselves from the wrath of God So much as is given unto them so much is derogated from the sacrifice and death of Christ Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE beleeve that there is one certaine nature and divine Artic. 1. power which we call God and that the same is divided into three equall persons into the Father into the Sonne and into the holy Ghost and that they all be of one power of one majestie of one eternitie of one Godhead and one substance And although these three persons be so divided that neither the Father is the Sonne nor the Sonne is the holy Ghost or the Father yet neverthelesse we beleeve that there is but one very God And that the same one God hath created heaven and earth and all things contained under heaven We beleeve that Iesus Christ the onely Sonne of the eternall Artic 2. Father c. The rest of this article you shall finde in the 6. section whereunto those things doe properly pertaine which are contained in this second article of the Person and Office of Christ We beleeve that the holy Ghost who is the third person in the Artic 3. Trinitie is very God not made not created not begotten but proceeding both from the Father and the Sonne by a certain mean unknowne unto man and unspeakable and that it is his very propertie to mollifie and soften the hardnes of mans heart when he is once received into the hearts of men either by the wholesome preaching of the Gospel or by any other way that he doth give other men light and guide them unto the knowledge of God to all way of truth to newnesse of life and to everlasting hope of salvation Neither have we any other Mediatour and Intercessour by Artic 3. whom we may have accesse to God the Father then Iesus Christ in whose onely name all things are obtained at his Fathers hand But it is a shamefull part and full of infidelitie that we see every where used in the Churches of our adversaries not onely in that they will have innumerable sorts of Mediatours and that utterly without the authoritie of Gods word so that as Ieremie saith the the Saints be now as many in number or rather above the number of the Cities And poore men cannot tell to which Saint it were best to turne them first and though there be so many as they cannot be told yet every of them hath his peculiar dutie and office assigned unto him by these folkes what to give and what to bring to passe But besides this also in that they doe not onely wickedly but also shamefully call upon the Blessed Virgin Christs Mother to have her remember that she is the Mother And to Command her Sonne and to use a Mothers authoritie over him Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve in heart and confesse with the mouth that Arâ—â—â— â— there is one onely and simple spirituall essence which we call God eternall incomprehensible invisible immutable infinite who is wholly wise and a most plentifull well-spring of all good things We know God by two meanes first by the creation and preservation Artic. 2. and government of the whole world For it is unto our eyes as a most excellent booke wherein all creatures from the least to the greatest as it were certaine characters and letters are written By which the invisible things of God may bee seene and known unto us Namely his everlasting power and Godhead as Paul the Apostle speaketh Rom. 1. â—0 which knowledge sufficeth to convince all men and make them without excuse But much more clearely and plainly he afterward revealed himselfe unto us in his holy and heavenly word so far forth as it is expedient for his owne glory and the salvation of his in this life According to this truth and word of God we beleeve in one onely God who is one essence truely distinguished into three persons from everlasting by meane of the incommunicable properties to wit in the Father in the Sonne and in the holy Ghost For the Father is the cause fountaine and beginning of all things visible and invisible the Sonne is the Word wisedome and Image of the Father the holy Ghost is the might and power which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne Yet so that this distinction doth not make God as it were divided into three parts seeing the Scripture teacheth that the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost have a distinct person or subsisting in their properties yet so that these three persons be one onely God Therefore it is certaine that neither the Father is the Sonne nor the Sonne the Father nor the holy Ghost either the Father or the Sonne Neverthelesse these persons thus distinguished are neither divided nor confounded nor mingled For neither the Father nor the holy Ghost have taken unto them mans nature but the Sonne alone The Father was never without his Sonne nor
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
that the Lord God for sin doth permit and bring all kinds of afflictions miseries and vexations of minde in this life upon all men such as are heate cold hunger thirst care and anguish sore labours calamitie adversitie dolefull times sword fire diseases griefs and at the last also that intollerable and bitter death whereby nature is overthrowne as it is written Thou shalt die the death Again Cursed is the earth for thy sake Gen. 2. Gen. 3. in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the daies of thy life thornes also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee And yet it is taught that men must and ought to bear all these punishments patiently seeing that they owe unto God and have deserved a farre more cruell punishment Yet they must not be so perswaded as though they deserved any thing by suffering this punishment or should receive from God any grace or reward in recompense for the merit of these punishments seeing that Paul speaking of a much more worthy crosse and sufferings which the true beleevers take upon them for Christs sake saith that they be not comparable to the glory which shall be shewed unto us And these punishments are layed upon us and are patiently to be borne that we may acknowledge the greatnesse of our sin and how grievous a thing it is and there withall our own weaknesse needs and miserie and that by experience we may know how wicked foule and bitter a thing it is even above all that we are able to conceive for a man to forsake the Lord his God as saith the Prophet And moreover that they which being plunged in these miseries and oppressed with these burthens may again be stirred up to repentance and to seeke for favour and help from God which is a Father full of mercie and compassion Howbeit this is also expressely added that the labours and torments which holy men doe suffer for the name of Christ that is in the cause of eternall salvation for the holy truth of Christ are an acceptable and pleasant sacrifice to God and have great and large promises especially in the life to come the which thing also did even so fall out with Christ our Head of whom the Epistle to the Hebrews speaketh thus that for the ioy that was set before him he endured the crosse who also by himself consecrated and hallowed the crosse to them even to this end that those sufferings which we indure for Christ his names sake might be pleasant and acceptable unto God Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that man being created pure and upright and Artic. 9. conformable to the image of God through his own fault fell from that grace which he had received and thereby did so estrange himselfe from God the fountaine of all righteousnesse and of all good things that his nature is become altogether defiled and being blind in spirit and corrupt in heart hath utterly lost all that integritie For although he can somewhat discerne betweene good and evill yet we affirme that whatsoever light he hath it straightwayes becommeth darknesse when the question is of secking God so that by his understanding and reason he can never come to God Also although he be endued with will whereby he is mooved to this or that yet insomuch as that is altogether captivated under sin it hath no libertie at all to desire good but such as it hath received by grace and of the gift of God We beleeve Artic. 10. that all the off-spring of Adam is infected with this contagion which we call Originall sin that is a staine spreading it self by propagation and nor by imitation onely as the Pelagians thought all whose errors we doe detest Neither doe we thinke it necessary to search how this sin may be derived from one unto another For it is sufficient that those things which God gave unto Adam were not given to him alone but also to all his posteritie and therefore we in his person being deprived of all those good gifts are fallen into all this miserie and curse We beleeve that this staine is indeed sinne because that it maketh Artic. 11. all and every man not so much as those little ones excepted which as yet lie hid in their Mothers wombe guiltie of eternall death before God We also affirme that this staine even after baptisme is in nature sinne as concerning the fault howbeit they which are the children of God shall not therefore be condemned because that God of his gracious free goodnesse and mercy doth not impute it to them Moreover we say that this frowardnesse of nature doth alwaies bring forth some fruits of malice and rebellion in such sort that even they which are most holy although they resist it yet are they defiled with many infirmities and offences so long as they live in this world Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE say also that every person is borne in sinne and leadeth Artic. 18. his life in sinne that no body is able truly to say His heart is cleane That the most righteous person is but an unprofitable servant That the Law of God is perfect and requireth of us perfect and full Obedience That we are able by no meanes to fulfil that Law in this worldly life that there is no mortal creature which can be justified by his own deserts in Gods sight Ou of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve that God of the slime of the earth created man Artic. 14. Gen. 1. 26. Ephes 4. 24. after his Image that is to say good just and holy who had power by his owne free will to frame and conforme his will unto the will of God But when he was advanced to honour he knew not neither did he well understand his excellent state but wittingly and willingly did make himselfe subject to sinne and so Gen. 3. 17. consequently unto eternall death and malediction whilest that giving eare to the words and subtilties of the devill he did transgresse that commandment of life which he had received of the Lord and so did withdraw and alienate himselfe from God his true life his nature being altogether defiled and corrupted by sin Rom. 5. 12. whereby it came to passe that he made himselfe subject both to corporall and to spirituall death Wherefore being made wicked and perverse and also corrupt in all his wayes and endeavours he lost those excellent gifts wherewith the Lord had adorned him so that there were but a few little sparkes and small steps of those gracesleft in him the which notwithstanding are sufficient to leave men without excuse because that what light soever we Acts 14. 16. Rom. 1. 20 21 Joh. 1. 5. have is turned into palpable darkenesse even as the Scripture it selfe teacheth saying The light shined in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not For there Iohn doth manifestly call men darkenesse Therefore * Look the 1. observ upon this Confession Joh. 3. 27. whatsoever
life and make us fellow heires with himselfe He taking flesh of the most pure Virgin Mary the holy Ghost working together flesh I say being sacred by the union of the Godhead and like unto ours in all things sin onely excepted because it behooved our sacrifice to be unspotted gave the same flesh to death for the purgation of all sin The same Christ as he is to us a full and perfect hope and trust of our immortalitie so he placed his flesh being raised up from death into heaven at the right hand of his Almightie Father This Conquerour having triumphed over death sin and all the infernall devils sitting as our Captaine Head and chiefe high Priest doth defend and plead our cause continually till he doe reforme us to that Image after which we were created and bring us to the fruition of life everlasting we looke for him to come in the end of the world a true and upright Iudge and to give sentence upon all flesh being first raised up to that judgement and to advance the godly above the skie and to condemn the wicked both in soule and body to eternall destruction Who as he is the onely Mediatour Intercessor Sacrifice and also our high Priest Lord and King so we doe acknowledge and with the whole heart beleeve that he alone is our attonement redemption sanctification expiation wisdome protection and deliverance simply herein rejecting all meane of our life and salvation beside this Christ alone The laetter part of this Article we placed also in the second section which entreateth of the onely Mediatour Out of the Confession of BASILL Of Christ being true God and true man VVE beleeve and confesse constantly that Christ in the time hereunto appointed according to the promise of God was given to us of the Father and that so the eternall word of God was made flesh that is that this Son of God being united to our nature in one person was made our brother that we through him might be made partakers of the inheritance of God We beleeve that this Iesus Christ was conceived of the holy Ghost borne of the pure and undefiled Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate crucified and dead for our sins and so by the one oblation of himselfe he did satisfie God our heavenly Father for us and reconcile us to him and so by his death he did triumph and overcame the world death and hell Moreover according to the flesh he was buried descended into hell and the third day he rose againe from the dead These things being sufficiently approoved he in his soule and body ascended into heaven and sitteth there at the right hand that is in the glory of God the Father Almightie from thence he shall come to judge the quicke and the dead Moreover he sent to his disciples according to his promise the holy Ghost in whom we beleeve even as we doe beleeve in the Father and in the Sonne We beleeve that the last judgement shall be wherein our flesh shall rise againe and every man according as he hath done in this life shall receive of Christ Rom. 2. 2 Cor. 5. Joa 5. the Iudge to wit eternall life if he hath shewed forth the fruits of faith which are the works of righteousnesse by a true faith and unfeined love and eternall fire if he hath committed good or evill without faith or love Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA CHAP. 4. Towards the middle NEither hath any man of all things whatsoever any thing at all whereby he may deliver set free or redeeme himselfe from his sins and condemnation without Christ by whom alone John 15. they which truly beleeve are freed from sinne from the tyrannie and prison of the devill from the wrath of God and from death and everlasting torments And a little after towards the end of the said fourth Chapter Together with this point and after it considering that both the matter it selfe and order of teaching so requireth the Ministers of the Church teach us after our fall to acknowledge the promise of God the true word of grace and the holy Gospell brought to us from the privy counsell of the holy Trinitie concerning our Lord Christ and our whole salvation purchased by him Of these promises there be three principall wherein all the rest are contained The first was made in Paradise in these words I will put enmitie betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed Gen. 3. and her seed He shall breake thine head and thou shalt bruise his heele The second was made to Abraham which afterwards Iacob also and Moses did renew The third to David which the Prophets recited and expounded In these promises are described and painted forth those most excellent and principall works of 2 King 7. 23. Christ our Lord which are the very ground-worke whereon our salvation standeth by which he is our Mediatour and Saviour Psal 131. 89 namely his conception in the wombe of the Virgin Mary and his birth of her also for he was made the seed of the woman also Isa 9. 11. his afflictions his rising againe from death his sitting at the right hand of God where he hath obtained the dignitie of a Priest and King of which thing the whole life of David was a certaine type for which cause the Lord calleth himselfe another David Eph. 3. 4. and a Shepherd And this was the Gospell of those holy men before the Law was given and since And Chapter the 6. a little from the beginning For this is very certaine that after the fall of Adam no man was able to set himselfe at libertie out of the bondage of sin death and condemnation or come to be truly reconciled unto God but onely by that one Mediatour betweene God and man Christ Iesus through a lively faith in him who alone by his death and blood-shedding tooke from us that image of sinne and death and put upon us by faith the image of righteousnesse and life For he made unto us of God wisdome righteousnesse sanctification 1 Cor. 2. and redemption But first men are taught that these things are to be beleeved concerning Christ namely that he is eternall and of the nature of his heavenly Father the onely begotten Son begotten from everlasting and so together with the Father and the holy Ghost John 1. Heb. 1. Coloss 1. one true and indivisible God the eternall not created word the brightnesse and the Image or ingraven forme of the person of his Father by whom all things as well those things which may be seene as those which can not be seene and those things which are in heaven and those which are in the earth were made and created Moreover that he is also a true and naturall man our brother in very deed who hath a soule and a body that is true and perfect humane nature which by the power of the holy Ghost he tooke without all sin of Mary a pure Virgin
come into condemnation but by making a way through Joan. 5. it they shall passe from death into life The Epistle to the Hebrews to stirre us up to use such exhortations saith Exhort your selves among your selves exhort ye one Heb. 4. another daily so long as it is said to day Let no man among you be hardned by the deceit of sin For we enter into the rest which have beleeved that is which have obeyed the voice of God while we had time given us On the other side we must also hold this most assuredly that if any man being polluted with sins and filthy deeds manifestly contrary to vertue doe in dying depart out of this world without true repentance and faith that his soule shall certainly goe into hell as did the soule of that rich man who wanted faith in the bottomlesse pit whereof there is no drop of grace and that in the day of judgement that most terrible voice of the Son of God sounding in his eares shall be heard wherein he shall say Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire which is prepared Matth. 29. Joh. 5. for the Devill and his Angels for they which have done evill shall come forth to the resurrection of judgement Therefore in teaching they doe continually urge this that no man deferre repentance and turning unto God till he come to be old or till he lyeth sicke in his bed and in the meane time doe boldly practise his wantonnesse in sinnes and in the desires of the flesh and the world because it is written Doe not say The aboundant mercie of the Lord will purgo my sins for mercie and wrath do basten with him and his indignation shall lye upon the sinners Make no tarrying to turn unto the Lord put not off from day to day For suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord breaâ—e forth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroyed and thou shalt perish in time of vengeance But that especially is a most dangerous thing if any man after he hath received the gift of the grace of God and that in the testimonie of a good conscience doth of set purpose and wantonly sinne and contemne and make no account of all those exhortations and allurements proceeding out of a loving heart and that to this end that he may in time think on that which is for his health and repent and moreover doth persist in a bold and blind perswasion of the mercie of God and trusting thereto doth sinne and doth confidently abuse it and goeth forward in that sort without repentance even unto the last pinch and then beginneth being forced thereunto by the terrours of death and the feare of infernall punishments so late to convert himselfe and to call for the mercie of the Lord as when the severe and intollerable anger of the Lord waxeth hot and punishments rush and breake forth as doth the great violence of floods which cannot be resisted Therefore of such a man which thing we speake with sorrow it is hard to beleeve that he can truly repent and therefore it is to be doubted lest that be fulfilled in him which the Lord doth threaten by the Prophet Micheas That instead of grace he shall feele the wrath of God and that it will come to passe that the wrath of God shall slay him For in a fearefull speech doth he say thus Then shall they cry unto the Lord but Mich. 3. he will not heare them but he will hide his face from them at that time because they have continually lived wickedly Yea the Lord himselfe saith Although they cry in mine eares with a loude Ezech. 8. Ier. 7. and 11. Isa 65. and 66. voyce yet will I not heare them seeing they would not heare my voyce when as all the day long I spread out my hands unto them and gave them large time and space for grace For the which cause the holy Ghost cryeth out and saith To day if ye will heare his Psal 95. Heb. 3. voyce harden not your hearts as in the grieving in the day of that tentation in the wildernesse Therefore according to all these things our men doe diligently and out of the grounds of the Scripture exhort that every man doe in time use and follow this faithfull counsell and necessary doctrine that so he may turne away the feare of this most heavie danger yea that he doe not betray the health of his own soule For undoubtedly this horrible danger is greatly to be feared lest whatsoever he be that doth rashly or stubbornly condemne or neglect this time of grace so lovingly granted of the Lord he doe receive and that worthily that reward of eternall punishment which is due thereunto even as Saint Ambrose also amongst many other things which he handleth diversly to this Lib 3. de poenit qui Augustini esse putatur purpose doth thus write and in these words If any man at the very point of death shall repent and be absolved fo this could not be denied unto him and so departing out of this life dieth I dare not say that he departeth hence in good case I doe not affirme it neither dare I affirme or promise it to any man because I would deceive no man seeing I have no certaintie of him Doe I therefore say that he shall be damned neither doe I say that he shall be delivered For what other thing I should say I know not Let him be commended to God Wilt thou then O brother be freed from doubting repent whiles thou art in health If thou wilt repent when thou canst not sin thy sins have left thee and not thou thy sins Yet that no man may despaire they teach this also that if any man in the last houre of his life shew our signs of true repentance which thing doth fall out very seldome for that is certainly true which is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews And this will we also doe so that God Heb. 6. give us leave to doe it that such a one is not to be deprived of instruction comfort absolution or remission of sins For the time of grace doth last so long as this life doth last wherefore so long as we live here it is meet that we should thinke of that Propheticall and Apostolicall sentence To day seeing ye have heard his Heb 3. voyce harden not your hearts Now herein doe our men labour and endeavour themselves most earnestly that all men may obey this loving commandement and counsell and that they speedily repent before the Sunne be darkened after a strange manner and the hils be overwhelmed with darknesse and that laying sinne aside they would turne themselves to God by flying unto him in true confidence and with a constant invocation from the bottome of the heart and that they doe their faithfull indeavour that they be not repelled from the glory of eternall life but that they may live with Christ and his Church in this life
no their iudgements and defile not your selves with their Idols I am Iehovah your God walke ye in my commandements and keepe my iudgements and doe them Likewise Christ saith Teach them those things which I have Matth 18. commanded you Therefore the ten commandements and love which by faith worketh righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left hand as well toward God as toward our neighbour is a certaine summe a most streight square and a most artificiall shaping or description of all good works Now an example of this square is the most holy life of Christ whereof he himselfe saith Learne of me because I am meeke and humble in heart And Matth. 11. what other thing would he teach by uttering those eight sentences of happinesse then to shew what manner of life the true Matth. 5. children of God ought to lead and what be the works which God hath commanded Therefore according to these things they teach with all care and diligence touching the difference which is to be knowne and kept betwixt those works which are devised and taught of men those which are commanded of God Those works which are commanded of God ought not to be intermitted for humane traditions For Christ doth grievously reprehend this in them that doe otherwise and in the Pharisees saying Why doe you transgresse Matth. 15. the commandements of God for your traditions And againe In vaine doe they worship me seeing they doe only teach the commandements of men * Looke the first observat upon this confession Mark 7. Isa 29. Isa 1. 6â— But such works as are taught of men what shew soever they have even of goodnesse are in no case to be so highly esteemed as those which are commanded of God Yea to say somewhat more if they be not of faith but contrary to faith they are of no value at all but are an abomination and filthinesse before the face of God Now all good works are devided first generally into those which pertaine to all true Christians according to the unitie of faith and Catholike salvation Secondly they are devided particularly into those which are proper to the order age and place of every man as the holy Ghost doth severally teach Elders Masters the common sort Parents children the married the unmarried and every one what be their proper bonds and works Moreover in this point men are diligently taught to know how and wherein good works doe please God Truely they please God no otherwise then in the onely name of our Lord Iesus Christ in whose name they ought to be done to the glory of God according to the doctrine of Paul the Apostle who speaketh thus Whatsoever you doe in words and in deeds doe all in the Coliss 3. 1 Cor. 10. Joh. 15. name of our Lord Iesus And the Lord himselfe saith Without me ye can doe nothing that is nothing that may please God and be for your salvation Now to doe good works in the name of Christ is to doe them in a lively faith in him whereby we are justified and in love which is poured forth into our hearts by the holy Ghost in such sort that God loveth us and we againe love him and our neighbour For the holy Ghost doth sanctifie moove and kindle the hearts of them which are justified to doe these holy actions as the Lord saith He shall be in you And the Apostle The Joh. 14. 1 Joh. 2. anoynting of God teacheth you These two Faith and Love are the fountaine and square of all vertues and good works according to the testimony of the Apostle The end of the commandement is 1 Tim. 1. Hâ—b 11. 1 Cor. 13. love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith not feigned And againe Without faith it is not possible to please God Also without love nothing doth profit a man In the next place they teach why and to what purpose or end such good works as pertaine to Christian godlinesse ought to be done to wit not in this respect that men by these works should obtaine justification or salvation and remission of sins for Christ saith When you have done all those things which were commanded Luk. 1â— you say we are unprofitable servants Also Paul saith Not for the Tit. 3. works of righteousnesse which we have done but through his mercie hath he saved us wherewith all those words of David agree when he prayeth Lord enter not into iudgement with thy servant Psal 143. because that in thy sight shall no flesh living be iustified But Christians are to exercise themselves in good works for these causes following First that by this meane they may proove and declare their faith and by these works be known to be true Christians that is the lively members and followers of Christ whereof our Lord saith Every tree is known by his own fruits Indeed good works Luk. 6. are assured arguments and signs and testimonies and exercises of a lively faith even of that faith which lyeth hid in the heart and to be short of the true fruit thereof and such as is acceptable to God Paul faith Christ liveth in me for in that I now live in the flesh Gal. 2. I live by faith in the Sonne of God And truely it cannot be otherwise but that as sinne doth bring forth death so faith and justification which ariseth thereout doth bring forth life inwardly in the spirit and outwardly in the works of charitie Secondly we must therefore doe good works that Christians might confirme and build up their Election and Vocation in themselves and preserve it * Looke the â— observation upon this confession 2 Pet. 1. by taking heed that they fall not in mortall sinnes even as Saint Peter teacheth among other things writing thus Wherefore brethren endeavour rather to make your Election and Vocation sure or to confirme it And how this may be done he doth briefely declare a little before Therefore giving all diligence thereunto ioyne vertue with your faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse love For if these things be among you and abound in you they will make you that you neither shall be idle nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ In which place Saint Peter doth evidently shew that we must endeavour to exercise our selves in good works * Looke the 3 Observat first for this cause lest that the grace of faith and a good conscience which we have be either lost or defiled but that it may rather be preserved For Sap. 1. Matth. 12. Luk. 1â— the holy Ghost doth flie from Idolaters and departeth from prophane men and the evill and unpure spirit doth returne into an emptie and idle house Also whosoever doth either loose or defile a good conscience what commendable thing or what worke
holy Ghost doe quicken our hearts when as by faith they are raised up in this comfort as Paul saith Galat. 3. That ye might receive the promise of the spirit through faith Therefore we doe not speake of an idle faith and the unskilfull are deceived whiles they thinke that remission of sinnes doth happen to such as are idle without a certain motion of the minde without wrastling and without a feeling comfort of in true griefes in that age which now is able to understand the voice of doctrine according to that saying Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God And because that in repentance we propound comfort unto the conscience * Looke the 6. observation upon the August confess we doe not here adde questions of predestination or of election but we lead all Readers to the word of God and exhort them to learne the will of God out of his word as the eternall Father by expresse voice commanded Heare him Let them not looke for other revelations Hitherto also pertaineth the fifth Article Of new obedience THE whole benefit of the Son of God is to be considered for he will so take away sinne and death and deliver us from the kingdome of the Devill that sinne being altogether abolished and death vanquished he may restore unto us eternall life wherein God may communicate unto us his wisdome righteousnesse and joy and wherein God may be all in all This great benefit he doth begin in this miserable lumpe of ours in this life as it is written 2 Cor. 5. If so be we shall be found cloathed and not naked Also Matth. 10. They that shall continue to the end shall be saved Therefore when we receive remission of sins and are reconciled and sealed by the holy Ghost it is a horrible madnesse to waste these good gifts as these wasters are described in the parable of the house that was made cleane and in the second Epistle of Peter Chap. 2. it is said If they after they have escaped from the filthinesse of the world are yet tangled againe therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning Now these good gifts are wasted or powred out if a man doe not hold the foundation that is the Articles of Faith and either willingly or being deceived imbraceth wicked opinions or Idols also if a man doe fall grievously against his conscience These rules are oftentimes repeated as Galat. 5. They which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God Therefore it is necessarie to have a care to avoide such falls If this manifest necessitie the great punishment to wit the losse of eternall life being set before their eyes doe not moove some to doe good works they shew themselves to be of the number of those of whom it is said 1 Joh. 3. He that committeth sin is of the Devill Also If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is not his And there be many causes of this necessitie First a debt that is an immutable order that the creatures should obey God Therefore Paul saith Rom. 8. Ye are debters Also lest the holy Ghost and faith be shaken of let there be a care to avoyd present punishments because it is most certaine that many falles even of the Elect are fearefully punished in this life as the Church speaketh in Micheas chap. 7. I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I have sinned against him And the Histories of all times doe containe fearefull examples of punishments as David Salomon Manasses Josias Nabuchodonozor and innumerable others were grievously punished Wherein this is most to be lamented that in the very punishments many sinnes are heaped up as in the sedition raised up against David and in the renting of the kingdome for the sinne of Salomon And touching the necessitie of doing good works the Lord saith Matth. 5. Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and of the Pharisees ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven The necessitie which is manifold being thus considered there questions insue thereupon what works are to be done How they may be done In what sort they doe please God What rewards they have what is the difference of sins * Looke the first observat upon this confession in the fourth Section what sins doe shake of the holy Ghost and what not What works are to be done IT is the will of God that Faith and works be governed by his word Therefore we must keepe the rule touching good works both internall and externall contained in the commandements of God which doe pertaine to us as it is said Ezech. 23. Walke ye in my commandements And these internall and externall works doe then become the worship of God when they be done in faith and are referred to this end that God by this obedience may be glorified Now we have shewed before that even the unregenerate may performe this externall obedience or discipline as Cicero liveth honestly and for his pains in government deserveth well of all mankinde but his minde is full of doubts touching the Providence of God neither doth he know nor speake unto the true God in invocation neither doth he know the promises and he alwaies doubteth whether he be heard especially when he is in misery and then is he angry with God and thinketh that he is unjustly punished seeing he was a honest Citizen and profitable for the Common-wealth Such darknesse in the minde is great sinne such as reason not being illuminated by God is is not able to judge of Therefore inward obedience true knowledge of God the feare of God sorrowes in repentance trust to obtaine mercie promised for the Sonne of God invocation hope love joy in God and other vertues must be begun also in the regenerate and they must be referred to a proper end to wit that God may be obeyed These kindes of true worship cannot be given unto God without the light of the Gospel and without faith which our adversaries who will seeme to be jolly preachers of good workes do neither understand nor require seeing they omit the doctrine of faith which is a confidence to obtaine mercy resting in the Sonne of God which is an especiall worke and the chiefe worship of God Of workes not commanded of God we shall speake hereafter and we must hold fast that rule Matth. 15. In vaine doe they worship me with the commandements of men And in the Church in falleth out oftentimes that ceremonies devised by men are more carefully kept then the commandements of God yea the authoritie of Pharisaicall and unjust traditions is preferred before the the commandement of God as in many ages for the unjust and wicked commandement of single life the commandement of God concerning true chastitie was horribly violated Therefore we must consider of the difference of the law whereof we will speake againe hereafter How good workes may be done GReat is the infirmitie of man
iudge and let him shew what thing it is that his death doth profit This saith he is my blood And a little after Together with him let the Apostle iudge because that Christ himself also speaketh in the Apostle he crieth out and saith touching God the Father He which spared not his owne Sonne c. Wherethe Church hath so farre authority to judge of doctrine that notwithstanding she must keep her selfe within the bonds of the holy Scripture which is the voice of her husband from which voice it is not lawfull for any man no not for Angell to departe Out of the Confession of SVEVELAND Of the Church FVrthermore we will shew what is taught among us both Artie 15. touching the Christian Church and also touching the holy Sacraments and touching the Church this is it that we teach The Church or congregation of Christ which as yet is in this world as a stranger from God is the fellowship and company of those which addict themselves to Christ and do altogether trust and rest in his protection among whom notwithstanding many shall be mingled even to the end of the world who although they professe the Christian faith yet they have it not in deed This hath our Lord taught sufficiently Matth. 13. by the parable both of the cockle and of the Net cast into the sea in the which the bad fishes are caught with the good Also Matth. 22 by the parable of the King inviting all men to the marriage of his Sonne and afterward casting him out being bound hand and foot into utter darknnes which had not a wedding garment Now these places of Scripture wherein the congregation of Christ is commended to be the Spouse of Christ for the which he hath given himselfe Eph. 5. The house of God the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3. Also The holy hill of Sion the City of the living God the heavenly Ierusalem and congregation of the first borne which are written in heaven I say all these places of Scripture do properly pertaine to them who for their sincere faith are truely and in the sight of God reckoned among the children of God For seeing that in these alone the Lord doth fully reigne these onely if we will speake properly are called the Church of Christ and the communion of Saints in which sence also the name of the Church is expounded in the common Articles of faith those false Christians being excluded which are mingled amongst them Furthermore the holy Ghost himselfe doth governe this Church or congregation and remaineth with it as Christ doth even to the end of the world and doth sanctifie it that at the length he may present it unto himselfe without spot or wrinckle as it is said Ephes 5. Also this is that Church which all men are commanded to heare and he that will not heare her is to be counted as an Heathen and Publicane And although that to wit faith it selfe cannot be seene wherby this Congregation hath obtained to be called the Church and company of Christ yet the fruits of that faith may be seene and knowne and of them a certaine Christian conjecture be taken These fruits be chiefly a bold profession of Faith a true love offering it selfe to do humble service to all men a contempt of all things Seeing therefore that these be the proper fruites wheresoever the holy Gospell and the Sacraments be exercised thereupon it may easily be known where and who be the Christian Church so much as is necessary for us to preserve among us the Christian communion and that in the same we may be instructed admonished and help one another according to the commandement of Christ Furthermore seeing this congregation is the very kingdome of God wherein all things ought to be appointed in best order she hath all kind of offices and ministers for she is the body of Christ himselfe compacted of many members whereof every one have their proper worke Therefore whosoever do faithfully discharge such functoins and do earnestly labour in the word and doctrine they do represent the Church and may do all things in the name thereof so that whosoever shall either despise them or refuse to heare them he may worthily be said to despise the Church it selfe Now with what spirit or with what spirituall authoritie we do beleeve that they are furnished we have declared before out of most firme foundations of the Scripture where we shewed what we thought of the spirituall or Ecclesiasticall offices and dignitie For they cannot by any means represent the Church of Christ or doe any thing in the name thereof which are not Christs and therefore propound no Christian things but whatsoever is contrary to the doctrine of Christ For although it may be that even the wicked may teach some good thing and may also prophesie in the name of Christ after their example to whom the Lord himselfe doth witnesse that he will once in time to come say That he never knew them Yet it cannot be that they can discharge the dutie of the Church of Christ and are to be heard in his stead which doe not propound the voice of their husband Christ although otherwise they should thinke aright of faith and be counted amongst the members of the Church as it doth oftentimes fall out when as the very children of God are wrapped in errours and doe also publish the same For the Church of Christ is wholly addicted to Christ himselfe Therefore that cannot be counted a doctrine precept or commandement of the true Church except it be the same with the doctrine precept and commandement of Christ himselfe And whosoever propoundeth any other thing in her name although he were an Angel from heaven he is not to be heard as also the Church in those things doth represent nothing lesse then the Church of Christ THE ELEVENTH SECTION OF THE MINISTERS OF THE CHVRCH and of their Calling and Office The latter Confession of HELVETIA Of the Ministers of the Church their Institution and Offices CHAP. 18. GOD hath alwaies used his Ministers for the gathering or erecting up of a Church to himselfe and for the governing and preservation of the same and still he doth and alwaies will use them so long as the Church remaineth on the earth Therefore the first beginning institution and office of the Ministers is a most ancient ordinance of God himselfe not a new devise appointed by men True it is that God can by his power without any meanes take unto himselfe a Church amongst men but he had rather deale with men by the ministerie of men Therefore Ministers are to be considered not as Ministers by themselves alone but as the Ministers of God even such as by whose meanes God doth work the salvation of mankinde For which cause we give counsell to beware that we doe not so attribute the things that appertaine to our conversion and instruction unto the secret vertue of the holy Ghost that we make frustrate
first that which is set downe in the 19. Chap. of this Confession in these words FOr this cause it is thought to be good and well standing with wisedome so farre undoubtedly as may be done by conscience that Priests to the end that they may so much the more diligently exercise themselves in the study of the holy Scriptures and may the more readily and profitably serve the Church of God be free and exempted from all affaires and burdens of civill conversation seeing that it behoveth them to fight valiantly for the faith of the Gospel of God and if it may be to be also free from wedlocke to this end that they may be the more ready and free to doe that which is for the increase and furtherance of the salvation of the people and that many harmefull impediments may be turned from them which doe concurre with that kinde of life and do oftentimes withhold and hinder the due workes of the ministery For which causes our ministers thinke that they are more ready prest and more fit for the Ecclesiasticall Ministerie which are unmarried yet they meane such unmarried persons as have this peculiar gift given to them of God that they may remaine such and so give themselves wholly to the Ministery This things is so observed among us as is meet yet it is neither taken for a sinne neither doth any man disdaine at it if Priests upon just and lawfull causes be married For holy Paul teacheth how such ought to be chosen to this function 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. yea the holy Ghost himselfe doth permit that Bishops and Elders should have their lawfull and honest wives and he doth in no case give them libertie contrary to order and the discipline of God to entertaine concubines or otherwise so to live as that they may thereby give offence to others And concerning marriage it is thus written It is better to marry then to sinne so many waies and to burne with so great dishonestie for which sinnes not onely the Priest but also every Christian without respect of persons both ought and shall worthily by excommunication be cast out of the Church Also CHAP. 19. Of single life and of Wedlocke COncerning the condition of single life virginitie and widowhead our Preachers do teach that every man hath free libertie either to chuse it to himself or to refuse it for by way of a law nothing is commanded of God to men touching these things neither is this thing appointed of God neither is it on the other side forbidden for which cause no man ought to be enforced thereunto against his will nor be driven from it And as concerning the Church and certaine men and chiefly the Ministers of the Church our men have taught from the beginning and do now teach first that the gift of chastitie by the peculiar goodnesse of God and of the holy Ghost both in times past was given and at this day also is given to some for the singular use and profit of the Church as Christ his speech doth evidently witnesse Every Matth. 19. man saith he doth not receive these words that is that a man should keep himself single without a wife but they to whom it is 1 Cor. 7. given And holy Paul also doth both place and celebrate this amongst peculiar gifts and whereunto some are peculiarly called And moreover the examples of certaine in the Propheticall and Apostolicall writings and of Iohn Baptist and of many Ministers and * Looke the 2. Observat women ministers of the Church doe witnesse this thing In the second place they teach that this gift is not of flesh and blood for the Lord by distinguishing doth remove and separate from hence that unablenesse which is in this kinde but of the spirit which is jealous who from his heart hath a care and pleasure in the glory of God and in his own and his neighbours salvation and also in the Ministery of the Church and for this cause he doth of his owne accord abstaine from wedlocke Therefore the Lord saith Those which have made themselves Eunuches for the kingdome Matth. 19. of heaven that is who be such as might be married yet they do omit and abstaine from it because of the affection of the inward heart and their love toward God and his word and for the pleasure and joy which they receive thereof and through this gift of the spirit whose vertue and power doth overcome the motions of nature they doe preserve the purenesse as well * Looke the 3. Observation of the spirit as of the body howbeit this thing is not in them without labour and difficultie even as it is a thing of no small labour and difficultie for all Christian men to forsake and to want the use of other pleasant things and also such as are profitable for this life as friends riches and money Thirdly that single life is to be chosen and taken with a true intent and a godly meaning that is not to this end or with this purpose that a man would by this means merit or get unto himselfe or to another remission of sins and eternall life and so consequently salvation it self For there is no continencie or chastitie nor any humane action or other vertue which can merit the onely innocencie and death of the onely begotten Son of God our Lord Iesus Christ doth performe and perfit this thing Neither must the thing be received with this meaning as to thinke that some dignitie is added to the holy ministerie of the Church by reason of this gift or that the works of those that be unmarried in this ministery are to be preferred in merit and dignitie before the works of married men but as the Lord saith that it may be received for the kingdome of heaven that is in such sort as he which for the gift spoken of before is fit to leade a single life As therefore by these things he may with lesse hinderance and more easily and readily with great leasure and more commodiously imploy his labour to the salvation of the Church and holy assemblies even so he may be a more convenient Minister then others of the same salvation which Christ hath purchased for him and whereof that he may be partaker by faith it is given him freely of grace and wherein he doth keep and uphold himselfe seeing that it is certian that by the state of marriage many lets many cares and many things whereby necessarie quietnesse is disturbed are cast in our way And this is it which Paul saith I 1 Cor. 7. would that you should be without such cares He that is unmarried is carefull for those things which pertain to the Lord how he may please the Lord. Also I thinke that this is good for the present necessitie Also to that which is seemely to performe diligence by serving the Lord without distraction And before we rehearsed the voyce of the Lord who saith that there be
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
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
Interpretatio taken onely from herselfe that her selfe may be the interpreter of her selfe the rule of charitie and faith being her guide Which kinde of interpretation so far forth as the holy Fathers Artic 3. Patres have followed we doe not onely receive them as interpreters of the Scripture but reverence them as the beloved instruments of God But as for the traditions of men although never Artic. 4. Tradit humanae so glorious and received how many soever of them doe withdraw or hinder us as of things unprofitable and hurtfull so we answer with that saying of the Lord They worship me in vaine teaching the doctrine of men The drift of the Canonicall Scripture is this that God wisheth well to mankind and by Christ the Lord his Sonne hath declared this good will which is received by faith alone and faith must be effectuall through love that it may be shewed forth by an innocent life Out of the Confession of BASILL Of things commanded and not commanded Artic. 10. VVE confesse that as no man can command those things which Christ hath not commanded so likewise no man can forbid those things which he hath not forbidden And in the margent For it is written heare him Also section the third in the same place And much lesse can any man license those things which God hath forbidden c And in the marg God said I am Iehova your God Levit. 18. and by Moses Deut. 10. for Iehovah your God is God of gods a great God and terrible Who therefore among his creatures can grant those things which he hath forbidden In like sort section 4. And againe no man can forbid those things which God hath granted c. The other things which are contained in this article because they belong to other sections they are inserted every one in their places Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA or the WALDENSES Of the holy Scriptures CHAP. I. FIrst of all the Ministers of our Churches teach with one consent concerning the holy Scripture of the new and old Testament which is commonly called the Bible and is lawfully received and allowed of the Fathers which are of best and soundest judgement that it is true certaine and worthy to be beleeved whereunto no other humane writings whatsoever or of what sort soever they be may be compared but that as mans writings they must give place to the holy Scripture First because it is inspired and taught of the holy Ghost and uttered by the mouth of holy men written by them and confirmed by heavenly and divine testimonies which spirit also himselfe openeth and discloseth the meaning how it ought to be understood and the truth of this Scripture in the Church in what manner seemeth him best especially by raising up and giving faithfull Ministers who are his chosen instruments Of which spirit David speaketh when he saith The spirit of the Lord spake by me his word was in my tongue 2 Sam. 22. 2 Pet. 1. and Peter For prophecie came not in old time by will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost and 2 Tim. 3. Rom. 15. Ioh. 5. Paul The whole Scripture given by inspiration of God is profitable c. besides the Lord himselfe saith Search the Scriptures And againe Ye are deceived not knowing the Scriptures Mat 22. Luk. 24. neither doe ye understand the power of God And he opened the minds of his Disciples that they might understand the Scriptures Secondly because it is a true and sure testimony and a clear proofe of Gods favorable good will which he hath revealed Heb. 11. concerning himselfe without which revelation of Scripture there is no wholesome knowledge nor faith nor accesse to God For in this such things as are necessarie to doctrine to discipline and government of the holy Church for all and singular persons in the ordinary ministerie of salvation whence also springeth true faith in this I say are all such things fully absolutely and so far forth as is requisite as in a most excellent and most exquisite worke of the Holy Ghost comprehended and included then which no Angel from heaven can bring any thing more certaine and if he should bring any other thing he ought not to be beleeved And this perswasion and beliefe concerning holy Scripture namely that it is taught and inspired of God is the beginning and ground of our Christian profession which taketh beginning from the Word outwardly preached as from an ordinary meane ordained of God for this purpose Wherefore every one ought very highly to esteeme of the divine writings of the holy Prophets and Apostles resolutely to beleeve them and religiously to yeeld unto them in all things diligently to reade them to gather wholesome doctrine out of them and according to them ought every man to frame and order himselfe but especially they who after an holy manner are set over the Church of God For which causes in our Churches and meetings this holy Scripture is rehearsed to the hearers in the common and mother tongue which all understand and especially according to the ancient custome of the Church those portions of the Gospels in Scripture which are wont to be read on solemne holy dayes out of the Evangelists and Apostles writings and are usually called Gospels and Epistles out of which profitable and wholesome doctrines and exhortations and sermons are made to the people as at all times occasion and need requireth We likewise teach that the writings of holy Doctors especially of those that are ancient are also to be esteemed for true and profitable whereof there may be some use to instruct the people yet onely in those things wherein they agree with the holy Scripture or are not contrarie thereunto and so farre forth as they give testimonie to the excellencie thereof to the information and example of the Apostolike Church and swerve not from the consent judgement and decâ—ees of the ancient Church wherein she hath continued unspotted in the truth after what sort they themselves also have charged men to judge and thinke of their writings and have given warning that heed should be taken lest that they being but men too much should be ascribed to them Of which thing S. Augustine speaketh in this manner In preoem in 3. de sanct Trinit Be not thou a servant to my writings as it were to the Canonical Scriptures but in the Canonical Scriptures such things as thou didst not beleeve when thou hast there found them immediately beleeve But in my writings that which thou knowest not for acertaine truth unlesse thou perceive it to be certaine hold it not resolutely And elsewhere he saith Give not as great credit to mine or Ambrose his words as to the Canonical Scriptures This is the â—ight rule to discerne writings by which so greatly 〈◊〉 the Papists that they have cited it in their decretal distinct 9. Chap. Notimets verbis c. Out of the
FRENCH Confession THis one God hath revealed himselfe to be such a one unto men first in the creation preservation and governing of his workes secondly farre more plainly in his word which Artic. 2. word in the beginning he revealed to the fathers by certaine visions and oracles and then caused it to be written in these bookes which we call holy Scripture All this holy Scripture is contained in the Canonicall books Artic 3. of the old and New Testament The Catalogue whereof is this The five bookes of Moses namely Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomie Iosua Judges Ruth two bookes of Samuell two bookes of the Kings two bookes of Chronicles or Paralipomenon one book of Esdras Nehemiah Ester Iob the Psalmes Solomons Proverbs Ecclesiastes the Song of Songs Esay Ieremie with the Lamentations Ezechiel Daniel the 12. small Prophets namely Ose Ioel Amos Abdiah Ionah Michea Nahum Abacuc Sophon Haggaie Zacharie Malachie the holy Gospel of Iesus Christ according to Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn the Acts of the Apostles Pauls Epistles namely one to the Romanes two to the Corinthians one to the Galathians one to the Ephesians one to the Philippians one to the Collossians two to the Thessalonians two to Timothie one to Titus one to Philemon the Epistle to the Hebrews the Epistle of Iames two Epistles of Peter three Epistles of Iohn one Epistle of Iude Iohns Revelation We acknowledge these bookes to be Canonicall that is we Arâ—ic 4. account them as the rule square of our faith and that not only for the common consent of the Church but also much more for the testimonie and inward perswasion of the Holy Ghost by whose inspiration we are taught to discerne them from other Ecclesiasticall bookes which howsoever they may bee profitable yet are they not such that any one article of faith may be builded upon them We beleeve that the word contained in these books came Artic. 5. from one God of whom alone and not of men the authority thereof dependeth And seeing this is the summe of all truth conteining whatsoever is required for the worship of God and our saâ—vation we hold it not lawfull for men no not for the Angels themselves to adde or detract any thing from that word or to alter any whit at all in the same And hereupon it followeth that it is not lawfull to oppose either antiquitie custome multitude mans wisedome and judgement edicts or any deerees or Councels or visions or miracles unto this holy Scripture but rather that all things ought to be examined and tried by the rule and square thereof Wherefore we doe for this cause also allow those three Creeds namely the Apostles the Nicen and Athanasius his Creed because they be agreeable to the written Word of God Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE receive and embrace all the Canonicall Scriptures Artic. 10. both of the Old and New Testament giving thankes to our God who hath raised up unto us that light which we might ever have before our eyes lest either by the subtiltie of man or by the snares of the devill we should be carried away to errors and lies Also we professe that these be the heavenly voyces whereby God hath opened unto us his will and that onely in them mans heart can have setled rest that in them be abundantly and fully comprehended all things whatsoever be needfull for our helpe as Origen Augustine Chrysostome and Cyrillus have taught That they be the very might and strength to attain to salvation that they be the foundations of the Prophets and Apostles Whereupon is built the Church of God that they be the very sure and infallible rule whereby may be tried whether the Church doe swerve or erre and whereunto all Ecclesiasticall doctrine ought to be called to account and that against these Scriptures neither law nor ordinance nor any custome ought to be heard no though Paul himselfe or an Angel from heaven should come and teach the contrary Out of the Confession of BELGIA HE hath revealed himselfe much more plainly in his holy Aâ—tic 2. Sub fiâ—em Word so farre forth as it is expedient for his owne glory and the salvation of his in this life We confesse that this Word of God was not brought or delivered Artic 3. by any will of man but that holy men of God inspired by Gods holy Spirit spake it as S. Peter witnesseth but afterward God himself for that exceeding teÌ„der carefulnes which he hath of his and of their salvation gave in Commission to his servants the Apostles and Prophets that they should put those oracles in writing and he himselfe also wrote the two Tables of the Law with his own finger which is the cause why we call such writings sacred and divine Scripture And we comprehend the holy Scripture in those two books of the Old and New Testament which are called the canonicall Artic. 4. bookes about which there was never any adoe And of them this is the number and also the order received of the Church of God The five bookes of Moses the book of Iosua of the Iudges of Ruth two books of Samuel two of the Kings two of the Chronicles which are called Paraâ—ipomena the first of Esdras Nehemiah Ester Iob also Davids Psalmes three books of Solomon namely the Proverbs Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs the foure great Prophets Esay Ieremie Ezekiell and Daniel and further more also the 12. small Prophets moreover the Canonicall bookes of the New Testament are the foure Evangelists namely Saint Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn the Acts of the Apostles the 14. Epistles of Saint Paul and seven of the other Apostles the Revelation of Saint Iohn the Apostle These books alone doe we Artic. 5. receive as sacred and canonical whereupon our faith may rest be confirmed and established therfore without any doubt we beleeve also those things which are contained in them and that not so much because the Church receiveth and alloweth them for Canonicall as for that the holy Ghost beareth witnes to our consciences that they came from God and most of all for that they also testifie and justifie by themselves this their owne sacred authoritie and sanctitie seeing that even the blinde may clearely behold and as it were feele the fulfilling and accomplishment of all things which were foretold in these writings We furthermore make a difference betweene the holy Artic. 6. bookes and those which they call Apocriphall for so much as the Apocriphall may be read in the Church and it is lawfull also so farre to gather instructions out of them as they agree with the Canonicall bookes but their authoritie and certaintie is not such as that any doctrine touching faith or Christian Religion may safely be built upon their testimonie so farre off is it that they can disanull or impaire the authoritie of the other We beleeve also that this holy Scripture doth most perfectly Artiâ— 7. containe
among his Saints none is immutable and the heavens are not cleane in his sight how much more abominable and unprofitable man who drinketh in iniquitie as water And the holy Scripture plainly witnesseth throughout all the bookes thereof that all men Ephes 2. Psal 14. even from their birth are by nature sinners and that there neither is nor hath beene any one who of himselfe and by himselfe was righteous and holy but all have gone aside from God and are become Rom. 3. unprofitable and of no account at all And whereas some are made holy and acceptable unto God that is purchased unto them without any worthinesse or merit of theirs by him who alone is holy God himselfe of the meere grace and unspeakable riches of his goodnesse hath ordained and brought them to that estate that they be blessed and called redeemed by Christ cleansed and consecrated by his blood annointed of the holy Ghost made righteous and holy by faith in Christ and adorned with commendable vertues and good deeds or workes which beseeme a Christian profession Of whom many having finished their life and course in such workes have now received and doe enjoy by grace eternall felicitie in heaven where God crowneth those that be his Some of them also God hath indued wiht a certain peculiar grace of his and with divine gifts unto the ministerie and to the publike and common good of the Church such as were the Patriarches Prophets and other holy fathers also Apostles Evangelists Bishops and many Doctors and Pastors and also other famous men and of rare excellencie and very well furnished with the spirit whose memory monuments of their labours and the good things which they did are extant and continue even untill this day in the holy Scriptures and in the Church But especially it is both beleeved and by open confession made knowne as touching the holy Virgin Mary that she was a daughter of the blood royall of the house and family of David that deare servant and friend of God and that she was chosen and blessed of God the Father consecrated by the holy Ghost visited and sanctified above other of her sexe and also replenished with wonderfull grace and power of God to this end that she might become the true mother of our Lord Iesus Christ the Son of God of whom he vouchsafed to take our nature and that she was at all times before her birth in the same and after it a true chaste and pure Virgine and that by her best beloved Sonne the Sonne also of the living God through the price of his death and the effusion of his most holy blood she was dearely redeemed and sanctified as also made one of the deare partakers of Christ by the holy Ghost through faith being adorned with excellent gifts noble vertues and fruits of good workes renowned as happie before all others and made most assuredly a joynt heire of everlasting life And a little after Furthermore it is taught in the Church that no man ought so to reverence holy men as we are to worship God much lesse their Images or to reverence them with that worship and affection of minde which onely are due to God alone And to be short by no meanes to honour them with divine worship or to give it unto them For God saith by the Prophet Esay I am the Lord thy God this is my name I will not give mine honour to another nor my glory to Images Againe a Esa 42. 48. little after But even as that thing is gain-said that the honour due to God should be given to Saints so it is by no meanes to be suffered that the honour of the Lambe Christ our Lord and things belonging to him and due to him alone and appertaining to the proper and true Priesthood of his nature should be transferred to them that is lest of them and those torments which they suffered we should make redeemers or merits in this life or else advocates intercessours and Mediatours in heaven or that we should invocate them and not them onely but not so much as the holy Angels seeing they are not God For there is one onely 1 Tim. 2. Hebr. 9. 1 Tim. 2. 1 Joâ— 2. Redeemer who being once delivered to death sacrificed himselfe both in his body and in his blood there is also one onely Advocate the most mercifull Lord of us all And they are not onely to be reputed and taken for Saints who are gone before us and are fallen a sleepe in the Lord and dwell now in joyes but also they who as there have alwaies beene some upon earth so doe likewise live now on the earth such are all true and godly Christians in what place or countrey soever here or there and among what people soever they lead their life who by being baptized in the name of the Lord may be sanctified and being indued with true faith in the Sonne of God and set on fire are mutually enflamed with affection of divine charitie and love who also acknowledging the justification of Christ doe use both it and absolution from their sinnes and the communion of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and diligently apply themselves to all holy exercises of pietie beseeming a Christian profession as also the Apostles call such beleevers in Christ which as yet like strangers are conversant here on earth according to the state of mortall men Saints As for example Ye are 1 Pet 2. 2 Cor. 1â— Heb. 1â— a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people Againe all the Saints greete you In like manner Salute all those that have the oversight of you and all the Saints that is all faithfull Christians For this cause it is taught that we ought with intire love and favour of the heart to embrace all Christians before all other people and when need is from the same affection of love to afford unto them our sevice and to helpe them further that we ought to maintaine the societie of holy friendship with those that love and follow the truth of Christ with all good affection to conceive well of them to have them in honour for Christs sake to give unto Rom 12 Gal 6. 1 Cor 12. them due reverence from the affection of Christian love and to studie in procuring all good by our dutie and service to pleaâ—ure them and finally to desire their prayers for us And that Christians going astray and intangled with sinnes are lovingly and gently to be brought to amendment that compassion is to be had on them that they are with a quiet minde in love so as becometh to be borne withall that prayer is to be made unto God for them that he would bring them againe into the way of salvation to the end that the holy Gospel may be spread farther abroad and Christs glory may be made knowne and enlarged among all men Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve and acknowledge
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
which is the saving power of God no man shall Rom 1. wittingly attaine unto faith and salvation according to that saying of Paul Therefore faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word Rom. 10. of God And againe How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Therefore herein our Preachers endevour themselves most earnestly that in our Ecclesiasticall meetings they may propound unto the people the sincere word of God without all mixture or inventions of men For which cause also they doe by an ancient custome recite in the mother and vulgar tongue which may be understood of all not onely those Chapters which are appointed to be read out of the Gospel at certaine times but also all other parts of holy Scripture and do exhort the people with an earnest desire to heare the word of God and to frequent those Ecclesiasticall meetings that by the diligent teaching of the Gospel and by often repeating it in their Sermons they may first teach the people repentance and faith and then the use and administration of the Sacraments and by this meanes prepare them to the right receiving of the Sacraments and afterwards also both whilest the Sacraments be administred and after they be administred they doe conveniently instruct them in all those things which the Lord commanded and chiefly in those things which do appertaine to the leading of an honest life and such a one as beseemeth a Christian profession as Christ saith Teach them to keep Matth 28. all things which I have commanded you In this place also is taught very diligently and as the matter requireth touching the difference which is to be observed betwixt the word or doctrine and worke of the law and betwixt the word and force of the holy Gospel The word or ministerie of the law and of the old Testament is the word of death feare and of the letter also the word of wrath and the word of malediction but the word of the New Testament that is of the holy Gospel is the ministerie of saith and the spirit of clearenesse or glory through our Lord Iesus Christ the word of grace of the new covenant the word of comfort and the messenger of peace Of them both the Apostle writeth thus The letter killeth but the spirit quickneth And Christ saith The words which I speake are spirit and life Also there is mention made of the use of the morall law in the fourth Chapter of this Confession beginning with these words This doctrine of the true knowledge of sinne c as is to be seene before 2 Cor. 3. Iohn 6. in the fourth Section whereunto all that Chapter appertaineth Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that all the figures of the law are taken away by the coming of Christ howbeit we are assured that the truth and substance of them doth abide in him in whom they are all fulfilled Yet we must use the doctrine of the law and the Prophets both to frame our life aright and also that we may so much the more be confirmed in the promises of the Gospel Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve that all the ceremonies figures and shadowes of the law have ceased at the coming of Christ so that now even the use of them ought to be taken away and abolished among Christians Yet in the meane time the truth and substance of them doth remaine to us in Christ in whom they are all fulfilled And therefore we doe still use the testimonies of the Law and the Prophets to confirme our selves in the doctrine of the Gospel and to leade an honest life unto Gods glory according to his will THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGE doth by the way mention the doctrine of the Gospel and of the end thereof in the fourth and fifth Articles which we have placed in the ninth Section wherein iustification and remission of sinnes by faith in Christ is handled Out of the Confession of SAXONY ANd that the benefits of this Mediatour might be knowne unto mankinde and applied unto us there was a promise given straight in the beginning after the fall of our first parents and afterwards often times repeated and by voyce of the Prophets declared but most cleerely was it recited by the very Son and after wards by the Apostles And there was a ministery instituted to teach and to spread abroad that promise also there was a Church made and often renued by the same very voyce touching the Sonne of God our attonement By this Ministery the Sonne of God alwaies was is and shall be effectuall in the beleevers as it is said Rom. 1. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that beleeveth And he doth renue this ministerie when he saith As my Father sent me so doe I send you also Goe and preach repentance and remission of sinnes in my name He will that sinne should be reproved in all mankinde as he saith The spirit shall reprove the world of sinne because they beleeve not in me And Rom. 1. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men God will have his wrath to be acknowledged against all sinne and chiefly against the contempt of the Sonne as he saith in the Psalme Kisse the Sonne lest he be angrie and so ye perish from the way c. He will have us truely to be put in great feare by the knowledge of our darkenesse of our horrible wickednesse and our stubbornnesse And truely God himselfe doth amaze our hearts with the sense of his anger as Ezekiah saith Like a Lion he brake all my bones And to this judgement he doth not onely use the voyce of the ministery of the Law and of the Gospel but also all calamities be as it were the voyce of the law admonishing us of the wrath of God and calling us to repentance Now when the minde is terrified by this voyce that reproveth sinnes then let it heare the peculiar promise of the Gospel touching the Sonne of God and let him be assured that his sinnes are freely remitted for the Sonne of God his sake our Lord Iesus Christ who is our attonement and that of mercy not for any contrition or love of ours Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of the Law CHAP. 6. VVE acknowledge that the Law of God whereof the Tenne Commandements are an abridgement doth command the best the most just and most perfect workes and that man is not onely bound to obey the morall precepts of the Law but also if he should doe the workes of the Tenne Commandements in such perfection and integritie as the Law requireth that he should indeed be counted just before God for his workes and should obtaine eternall salvation by his merits But whereas some men doe thinke that man can come to that state in this life as to be able by his workes not onely to fulfill the tenne Commandements but also to do more and greater works then are
are found thus in another Edition FOr the obtaining of this faith the ministery of teaching the Gospel Artic. 5. and ministring of the sacraments was ordained For by the word and Sacraments as by certain instruments the holy Ghost is given who worketh faith where and when it pleaseth God in those that heare the Gospel faith I say to beleeve that God not for our own merits but for Christ doth justifie such as beleeve that they are received into favour for Christs sake They condemne the Anabaptists and others who are of opinion that the holy Ghost is given unto men without the outward word through their preparations and workes Also they teach that when we are reconciled by faith the righteousnesse Artic. 6. of good workes which God hath commanded must follow of necessitie even as Christ hath also commanded If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements But for so much as the infirmitie of mans nature is so great that no man can satisfie the law it is needfull that men should be taught not onely that they must obey the law but also how their obedience pleaseth God lest that their consciences sink down into despaire when they see that they doe not satisfie the law This obedience therefore pleaseth God not because it satisfieth the law but because the person that performeth it is reconciled by Christ through faith and beleeveth that the reliques of sinne which remaineth in him be pardoned Wherefore we must alwaies hold that we doe obtaine remission of sinnes and that a man is pronounced just freely for Christ through faith And afterward that this obedience towards the law doth also please God and is accounted a kinde of justice and * Looke the 2. observation upon this confession deserveth rewards For the conscience cannot oppose it owne cleannesse or workes unto the judgement of God as the Psal witnesseth Enter not into iudgement with thy servant for no man shall be instified in thy sight And John saith If we say that we have no sinne we deceive our selves If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgive our sinnes And Christ saith When ye have done all that ye can say ye we are unprofitable servants After that the person is reconciled and become just by faith that is acceptable to God his obedience pleaseth God and is accounted for a kind of justice as Joh. saith Every one that abideth in him sinneth not and 2 Cor. 1. Our reioycing is this the witnesse of our conscience This obedience must strive against evill desires and daily by spirituall exercises become more pure alwaies watching and carefull to doe nothing against conscience according to that saying The summe of the law is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfained But they which obey their wicked lusts and doe against their owne consciences * Looke the 3. 4 Obser living in mortall sinne doe neither retaine or hold the righteousnesse of faith * nor the righteousnesse of good works according to the saying of Paul they which doe such things shall not inioy the kingdome of God These things are thus set down in another Edition ALso they teach that this faith must bring forth good fruits and that it is behoovefull to doe the good works commanded of God because God requireth them and not upon any hope to merit justification by them For remission of sins and justification is apprehended by faith as Christ himselfe witnesseth When you have done all these things say we are unprofitable servants the same also doe the ancient Writers of the Church teach for Ambrose saith This is ordained of God that he that beleeveth in Christ shall be saved without worke by faith alone freely receiving remission of sins Hitherto also appertaineth the 20. Article THat our adversaries doe accuse us to neglect the doctrine of good works it is a manifest slander for the books of our Divines are extant wherein they doe godly and profitably teach touching good works what works in every calling doe please God And whereas in most Churches there hath been of a long time no word of the most speciall works namely of the exercises of faith and of the praise of such works as pertaine to Civill government but for the most part they spent all their Sermons in setting forth praises of humane traditions and in commending holy dayes fastings the state of Monks Fraternities Pilgrimages the worship of Saints Rosiers and other unprofitable services now by the goodnes of God the Church is reclaimed unto the true profitable worship which God doth require approove The Prophets do bewail this calamity of the Church in very vehement Sermons that the true worship of God being forgotten mens ceremonies and a wicked confidence in ceremonies should have place the chiefe in the Church From this error they revoke the Church unto the true service of God and unto good works in deed What can be more forceably spoken then that Sermon in the 49 Psalme The God of Gods the Lord hath spoken and called the earth Here God doth preach unto all mankinde condemning their vaine trust in ceremonies and propoundeth another worship giving them to understand that he is highly displeased with them that in tho Church doe so preach ceremonies that they overturne the true worship of God Many such like Sermons are to be found in the Prophets as Esay Cap. 58. and Zachar. 7. Michah Cap. 6. and Hosea cryeth I will have mercie and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God rather then burnt offerings And it is not unknown that many godly and learned men have heretofore greatly wished that the doctrine touching the comfort of consciences and the difference of works had been more sound For both these parts of doctrine ought alwaies to be in the Church namely the Gospel of faith for to instruct and comfort the consciences and also the doctrine that declareth which are good works indeed and which is the true worship of God As for our adversaries seeing that they doe corrupt the doctrine of faith they cannot affoord any sound comfort to the consciences for they will have men to stand in doubt of the remission of their sins and yet afterwards they bid men seeke remission of sin by their own works they devise Monkeries and other such works and then they abolish the true worship of God for prayer and other spirituall exercises are laid aside when mens mindes are not established in a sure trust in Christ Moreover their works of the second table cannot please God except faith goe with them For this obedience that is but begun and is unperfect doth please God for Christ sake alone Thirdly they debase the works commanded of God and preferre mans traditions farre before them These they set out with most goodly titles calling them the perfection of the Gospel but in the meane time they speake so coldly of the dutie of a mans calling of magistracie of marriage
he must needs be condemned If God should as it were deale by the rule propounded in the law whom should he deliver for he sindeth all men to be sinners So saith Paul All have sinned and stand in need of the glory of God What is this to stand in neede of Gods glory That he should deliver thee and not thou thy selfe For thou canst not deliver thy selfe Thou hast neede of a Saviour Why dost thou vaunt thy selfe what maketh thee to presume of the law and of righteousnesse Seest thou not that which doth sight within thee dost thou not beare one that striveth and confesseth his weakenesse and desireth aide in the battell O miserable man that I am c. Now it may easily be perceived how needfull this doctrine is for the Church that men may know that they doe not satisfie the law of God and yet may have true comfort knowing how their imperfect obedience doth please God This doctrine hath beene horribly darkned and suppressed heretofore by certaine fond perswasions wherein unlearned men have imagined against the authoritie of the Scripture that they can fulfill the law of God and that they are just through the fulfilling of the law c. And that Monks are perfect and doe performe more notable and worthy workes then the law doth require In the meane while there is not a word how the Mediatour Christ is to be apprehended by faith but they willed man to doubt or else to trust in his owne workes But as touching this obedience we doe teach * Looke the third observat upon this confession that they which commit mortall sinnes are not just because God requireth this obedience that we should resist sinfull lusts They then which strive not against them but obey them contrary to the commandement of God and do things against their consciences they are unrighteous and doe neither retaine the holy spirit nor faith that is confidence and trust of Gods mercy For confidence which seeketh remission of sinnes cannot so much as be in such as are delighted with their sinnes and remaine without repentance Fifthly this point is needfull also to be taught by what means men may doe good workes We shewed a little before how our workes doe please God In this place we adde how they may be done * Looke the 8. Observation Albeit that men by their owne strength be able to doe out ward honest deedes in some sort and must also performe this civill obedience yet so long as men are voide of Faith they are in the power of the devill who driveth them to shamefull sinnes occupieth their mindes with wicked and blasphemous opinions for that is the kingdome and tyrannie of the Devill * Looke the 9. Observat Moreover nature by it selfe is weake and cannot without Gods helpe strengthen it self to the performance of any spirituall works And for that cause are men taught that in the Gospel the holy Spirit is promised who shall aide and governe the mindes of them who doe repent and beleeve the Gospel Wherefore in so great infirmitie of nature in the middest of these assaults of Satan and in all dangers faith must be exercised in calling upon God even throughout our whole life that we may continue alwaies in the faith and in our obedience towards God Therefore Zacharie saith I will poure forth the spirit of grace and of prayer upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem He calleth him the spirit of grace because the holy spirit doth confirme and comfort troubled mindes and beareth record that God is pleased with us He calleth him the spirit of prayer to the end wee should daily exercise our faith in prayer that by these exercises our faith might be confirmed and a new life grow up and increase in us There is no doubt but true vertues are the gifts of God such as are faith cleerenesse of judgement in discerning of points of religion courage of minde such as is requisite in them which teach and professe the Gospel true care and paines in governing of Churches true humilitie not to hunt after preferment not to be puft up with popular praise nor cast downe with their disliking and ill will true charitie c. These Princely vertues Paul calleth Gods gifts Romans 12 Having divers gifts according to the grace that is given us And of these he saith to the Corinthians These things worketh one and the same spirit distributing to every one according c. Vnto these gifts we must joyne our exercise which may both preserve the same and deserve an increase of them according to the saying To him that hath shall be given And it is notably said of Augustine Love deserveth an increase of love to wit when it is put in use For good workes have rewards as in this life so also after this life in the everlasting life Now because that the Church in this life is subject to the crosse and to the death of the body therefore many rewards are deferred untill the life to come which though it be undoubtedly bestowed through mercy for Christs sake on those which are justified by the faith of Christ yet there is also a rewarding of good workes according to that saying Your reward is great it heaven By this it is evident that the doctrine of good workes is through the goodnesse of God purely and truely taught in our Churches How full of obscuritie and confusion the doctrine of good workes was in former times all godly mindes know full well There was none that put men in minde of the difference of mans traditions and the law of God none that taught how good workes did please God in this so great infirmitie of ours To be briefe there was not one word of faith which is most needfull unto remission of sinnes But now that these maters be opened and unfolded godly consciences lay hold of comfort and of certaine hope of salvation and doe understand which is the true worship and service of God and know how it pleaseth God and how it doth merit at his hands This article is thus set downe in another Edition OVr Divines are falsly accused to forbid good workes For their writings extant upon the tenne Commandements and others of the like argument doe beare witnesse that they have to good purpose taught concerning every kinde of life and duties what trades of life and what workes in every Calling doe please God Of which things Preachers in former times taught little or nothing onely they did urge certain childish and needlesse works As keeping of holy dayes set fasts fraternities pilgrimages worshipping of Saints Friaries Monkeries and such trash whereof our adversaries having had warning they doe now forget them and doe not preach so concerning these unprofitable workes as they were went to doe Besides they beginne now to make mention of Faith which they were wont to passe over with silence But yet they cease not to obscure and darken this
cover our great and unspeakable miseries Thus for the Mediatours sake both the person is received and also our works doe please God that in either of them our faith may shine Therefore Peter saith 1 Pet. 2. Offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Iesus Christ This comfort is set forth Rom. 8. Now there is no condemnation to them which doe walke in Christ Iesus And Rom. 3. Ye are not under the law but under grace In that place this question is asked whether our obedience doe please God seeing it doth not satisfie the law Paul answereth that it doth please God Because we are not under the law that is condemned by the law but we are under grace reconciled or received into favour Rom. 8. Who shall condemâ—e Christ hath died for us and is risen againe and sitteth at the right hand of God and maketh request for us that is holy men doe please God for the Son his sake who also offered his obedience for us and maketh request for us We must oppose these sayings to doubting lest faith and invocation be extinguished for doubting doth weaken our invocation Seeing therefore that we know both that new obedience as necessary and that helpe is certainly given us and that this obedience doth please God although it be unperfect and needie let us acknowledge the infinite mercie of God and give thanks for it and have a great care how to governe our actions because we know that we are both helped and that this obedience is acceptable to God for the Sons sake And let this necessitie be alwaies in our eyes that if the benefits of God to wit Iustification and Regeneration be shaken of we loose eternall life according to that saying We shall be cloathed if so be that we be not found naked And Rom. 8. If any have not the Spirit of Christ he is not his And alwaies in Iustification let there be also a beginning of newnesse of life The theefe hanging on the crosse hath good works and those both internall and externall it grieveth him that he had sinned and he confesseth that he is justly punished then by faith he doth acknowledge the Saviour and desireth salvation of him and therefore he heareth expresse absolution and the preaching of eternall life and the promise and resteth in this voice of the Messias and submitteth himselfe to God and doth not beare the punishment impatiently but is eased by acknowledging the Messias and by the hope of eternall life and giveth thanks to God Moreover to give an evident token of his confession he found fault with the other which cursed Christ These things are done by him because this very Messias being partner with him in his punishment in a word doth teach his minde and by the same comfort the Word is effectuall in him and through him the eternall Father doth poure the holy Ghost into the heart of this hearer that he may kindle in him joy love invocation hope of eternall life and other vertues Of Rewards PAul saith Rom. 6. Eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord and they that are reconciled or justified Are heires annexed with the Sonne of God and that for his sake not for their own merits Faith receiving remission of sins and justification and the hope of eternall life doe relie upon the Son of God the Mediatour as it is said Joh. 6. This is the will of the Father that every one that beleeveth in him should have eternall life And Rom. 5. Being iustified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have accesse through faith unto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce under the hope of eternall life He joyneth faith and hope together and affirmeth that either of them doth relie upon the Mediatour And it is manifest that hope ought not to relie on our works because it is said Psal 142. No man living shall be iustified in thy sight But as they which repent are accounted just by faith for the onely Sonne of God his sake and for him and through him are quickned so for him and not for our merits is eternall life given unto us as the thiefe on the crosse heareth this promise To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luk 23. Neither must we dreame that the Sonne of God did merit or give unto us a preparation onely to eternall life but let that most comfortable saying of Hosea be alwaies in our sight O death I will be thy death O hell I will be thy destruction For by the Son of God and through him we are delivered from eternall death and translated into life eternall as he saith I give unto them eternall life And 1 Joh. 5. He that hath the Son hath life And let hope be sure and firme as Peter saith 1 Pet. 1. Hope perfectly that is looke for eternall life not with doubtfull opinion in an assured hope to wit for the Mediatours sake And Augustine saith well in his booke of Meditations The certaintie of our whole confidence consisteth in the blood of Christ Let us hold both these points assuredly that he which repenteth doth freely by faith receive remission of sins and justification for the Sonne of God his sake and that he is an heire of eternall life as Paul saith Rom. 8 As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God And if they be children they are also the heires of God Yet notwithstanding this also is true * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession in the 4. Sect. that they which doe shake of the holy Ghost falling from faith or sinning grievously against their conscience and doe not returne unto God by repentance are not heires as it is said Galat. 5. They which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God And 1 Tim. 2. Fight a good fight having faith and a good conscience which some have put away and as concerning faith have made shipwracke And Matth. 25. I was hungry and ye gave me not to eate And These shall goe into everlasting punishment but the righteous shall goe into life eternall Now although life eternall is given to the regenerate for the Sonne of God yet withall it is also a reward of good works as it is said Your reward is plentifull in heaven as a patrimonie is the reward of the labours of a sonne although it be given to the sonne for another cause Moreoever God hath added unto good workes certaine promises of his and therefore even for the good works of holy men God doth give spirituall and corporall gifts even in this life and that diversly as it seemeth good to his unspeakable wisdome 1 Tim. 4. Godlinesse hath the promises of the life present and of that that is to come Mark 10. They shall receive a hundred fold in this life but with tribulation and after this life eternall life Matth. 10. Whosoever shall give unto one of
except a * Looke the 2. Observation upon this confess Priest be ordained in the Church to the ministerie of teaching he cannot rightly take unto him neither the name of a Priest nor the name of a Bishop Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Of the Office dignitie and power of Ecclesiasticall Persons TOuching the ministery and dignitie of the Ecclesiasticall Order Artic. 13. we doe thus teach First that there is no power in the Church but that which tendeth to edifying 2 Cor. 10. Secondly that we must not thinke otherwise of any man in this state then Paul would have men to esteeme either of himselfe or of Peter and Apollo and others As of the servants of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God in whom this is chiefly required that they be faithfull For these be they which have the keies of the kingdome of God and the power to binde and loose and to remit or retaine sinnes yet that power is so limited that they be neverthelesse the ministers of Christ to whom alone the right and authoritie to open heaven and forgive sinnes doth properly pertaine For neither he which planteth nor he that watereth is any thing but God that giveth the increase 1 Cor. 3. Neither is any man of himselfe fit to thinke any of those things as of himselfe but if any man be found fit thereunto he hath it all of God Who giveth to whom it pleaseth him to be the ministers and preachers of the New Testament to wit so farre forth as he giveth them a mind faithfully to preach the meaning and understanding of the Gospel and useth them hereunto that men may be brought by a true faith to his new covenant of grace Furthermore these be they which doe minister unto us the dead letter that is such a doctrine of truth as pearceth no further then to humane reason but the spirit which quickneth and doth so pearce into our spirit and soule that it doth throughly perswade our heart of the truth These are the true fellow-labourers of the Lord 1 Cor. 3. opeaing indeed heaven and forgiving sinnes to those to whom they declare the doctrine of faith by meanes of the grace and spirit of God Whereupon Christ sending out his Apostles to exercise this dutie he breathed upon them saying Take ye the holy Ghost And furthermore he addeth whose sins ye remit c. Hereof it is manifest that the true and fit Ministers of the Church such as be Bishops Seniors annointed and consecrated can doe nothing but in respect of this that they be sent of God For how shall they preach saith Paul except they be sent That is except they receive of God both a minde and power to preach the holy Gospel aright and with fruite and to feed the flocke of Christ And also except they receive the holy Ghost who may worke together with them and perswade mens hearts Other vertues where with these men must be endued are rehearsed 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Therefore they which are in this sort sent annointed consecrated and qualified they have an earnest care for the flocke of Christ and doe labour faithfully in the word and doctrine that they may feede the people more fruitfully and these are acknowledged and accounted of our preachers for such Bishops as the Scripture every where speaketh of and every Christian ought to obey their commandements But they which give themselves to other things they place themselves in other mens seats and doe worthily take unto themselves other names Yet notwithstanding the life of any man is not so much to be blamed as that therefore a Christian should refuse to heare him if peradventure he teach something out of the chaire of Moses or Christ that is either out of the Law of God or out of the holy Gospel that may serve for edification They which bring a divers or a strange voice whatsoever they be they are in no account or estimation with the sheepe of Christ Iohn 10. * Looke before the third Observation upon the August confession Also after sect 17. 3. observat upon the same confession of August Yet they which have a secular power and soveraigntie they have it of God himselfe howsoever they be called therefore he should resist the ordinance of God whosoever should oppose himselfe to that temporall government These things doe our Preachers teach touching the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall persons so that they have great injurie offered to them in that they are blamed as though they sought to bring the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall Prelats to nothing whereas they never forbad them that worldly government and authority which they have But they have often wished that they would come neerer to the Ecclesiasticall commandements and that either they themselves would instruct and faithfully feed the consciences of Christians out of the holy Gospel or that at the least-wise they would admit others hereunto and ordain such as were more fit for this purpose This is it I say that our Preachers have oftentimes requested of the Prelates themselves so farre they have beene from opposing themselves at any time to their spirituall authoritie But whereas we could not either beare any longer the doctrine of certaine Preachers but being driven thereunto by necessitie we have placed others in their roome or else have retained those also which have renounced that Ecclesiasticall superioritie We did it not for any others cause but for that these did plainely and faithfully declare the voyce of our Lord Iesus Christ the other did mingle therewith all mans inventions For so often as the question is concerning the holy Gospel and the doctrine of truth Christians must wholly turne themselves to the Bishop of their soules the Lord Iesus Christ and not admit the voyce of any stranger by any meanes wherein notwithstanding neither we nor they doe offer violence to any man for Paul saith All things are yours whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come even all are yours and ye Christs and Christ Gods Therefore seeing that Peter and Paul are ours and we are not theirs but Christs and that after the same manner that Christ himselfe is his Fathers to wit that in all things which we are or may be we might live to him alone Furthermore seeing to this end we have power to use all things yea even men themselves of what sort soever they be as though they were our owne and are not to suffer that any man or any thing should hinder us therein no Ecclesiasticall person may justly complaine of us or object to us that we are not sufficient by obedient to them or that we doe derogate any thing from their authoritie seeing that the thing it selfe doth witnesse that we have attempted and done all those things according to the will of God which we have attempted against the will of Ecclesiasticall persons These therefore be those things
signe is bread and wine taken from things commonly used for meate and drinke The thing signified is the body of Christ which was given and his bloud which was shed for us and the communion of the body and bloud of the Lord wherefore the water bread and wine considered in their owne nature and out of this holy use and institution of the Lord they are onely that which they are called and which they were said then to be But let the word of God be once added to them together with invocation upon his holy name and the renewing of their first institution and sanctification and then these signes are consecrated and declared to be sanctified by Christ For Christs first institution and consecration of the Sacraments standeth yet in force in the Church of God in such sort that they which celebrate the sacraments no otherwise then the Lord himselfe from the beginning hath appointed have still even to this day the use and benefit of that first and most excellent consecration And for this cause in the administration of the Sacraments the very words of Christ are repeated And forasmuch as we learne out of the word of God that these signes were appointed unto an other end and use then commonly they are used unto therefore we teach that they now in this their holy use doe take upon them the names of things signified and are not still called bare water bread or wine but water is called regeneration and washing of the new birth and the bread and wine the body and bloud of the Lord or the pledges and Sacraments of his body and bloud not that the signes are turned into the things signified or cease to be that which in their owne nature they are for then they could not be Sacraments which should consist onely of the thing signified and have no signes but therefore doe the signes beare the names of the things because they be mysticall tokens of holy things and because that the signes and the things signified are sacramentally joyned together joyned together I say or united by a mysticall signification and by the purpose and will of him who first instituted them For the water bread and wine are not common but holy signes And he that instituted water in Baptisme did not institute it with that minde and purpose that the faithfull should onely be dipped in the water of baptisme and he which in the Supper commanded the bread to be eaten and the wine to be drunke did not meane that the faithfull should onely receive bread and wine without any further mystery as they eate bread at home in their owne houses but that they should spiritually be partakers of the things signified and by faith be truely purged from their sinne and be partakers of Christ also And therefore we cannot allow of them which attribute the consecration of the Sacraments to I know not what syllables to the rehearfall of certaine words pronounced by him that is consecrated and that hath an intent of consecrating or to some other accidentall things which are not left unto us either by the word of by the example of Christ or his Apostles We doe also mislike the doctrine of those that speake no other wise of the Sacraments then of common signes not sanctified nor effectuall We condemne them also who because of the invisible things doe despist the visible signes and thinke them superfluous because they doe alreadie enjoy the things themselves such were the Messalians as it is recorded We doe disallow their doctrine also who teach that grace and the things signified are to be so tied and included in the signes that whosoever doe outwardly receive the signes must needs inwardly participate the grace and the things signified what manner of men soever they be Notwithstanding as we esteeme not the goodnesse of the Sacraments by the worthinesse or unworthinesse of the Ministers so likewise we doe not weigh them by the condition of the receivers For we know that the goodnesse of the Sacraments doth depend upon the faithfulnesse or truth and the meere goodnesse of God For even as Gods word remaineth the true word of God wherein not onely bare words are uttered when it is preached but there withall the things signified by the words are offered of God although the wicked and unbeleevers heare and understand the words yet they enjoy not the things signified because they receive them not by a true faith Even so the Sacraments consisting of the word the signes and the things signified continue true and perfect Sacraments not onely because they be holy things but also for that God also offereth the things signified howsoever the unbeleevers receive not the things which are offered This cernmeth to passe not by any fault in God the author and offerer of them but by the fault of men who doe receive them without faith and unlawfully whose unbeliefe cannot make Rom. 3. the truth of God of none effect Now forasmuch as in the beginning where we shewed what the Sacraments were we did also by the way set downe to what end they were ordained it shall not be necessary to trouble our selves with repeating any thing which hath beene already handled Next therefore in order it remaineth to speake severally of the Sacraments of the new Testament Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA Of the force and efficacie of the Sacraments THe signes which in the Church of Christ be called Sacraments Artic. 20. are two Baptisme and the Lords Supper These being tokens of secret things doe not consist of bare signes but of signes and things also For in Baptisme water is the signe and * the thing it selfe is regeneration and to be taken by adoption to be the people of God In the Lords Supper bread and wine be the signes * Looke the 1. 2. Obser upon this confession but the thing is the communication of the body of Christ salvation purchased for us and the remission of sinnes These things are received by faith as the signes be received with the corporall mouth and the whole fruit of the Sacraments is in the thing it selfe Whereupon we affirme that Sacraments are not onely tokens of humane societie but also pledges of the grace of God by which the Ministers doe worke together with the Lord to that end which he doth promise offer and bring to passe yet so as we said before of the ministerie of the word that all the saving power is to be ascribed to the Lord alone Out of the declaration of the same Confession Of holy signes SAcraments are visible paterns instituted of God of the grace good will and promises of God towards us sure testimonies and holy remembrances the which under earthly signes doe represent unto us and set before our eyes heavenly gifts and doe withdraw the minde from earthly to heavenly things moreover they be tokens of Christian brotherhood and fellowship Therefore a Sacrament is not onely a signe but it is
made of two things to wit of a visible or earthly sign and of the thing signified which is heavenly the which two although they make but one Sacrament yet it is one thing which is received with the body another thing which the faithfull minde being taught by the spirit of God doth receive For the signes and the things signified by the signes doe cleave together onely by a certaine mysticall meane or as others speake by a Sacramentall union neither be they so made one that one in nature is made the other or that one is contained in the other For either of them the which thing also holy Gelasius did acknowledge doth keepe it owne proprietie Therefore the outward signes are not the selfe same thing substantially and naturally which they doe signifie neither doe they give it of themselves and by their owne power no more then the minister doth but the Lord useth the minister and the signes and the word to this end that of his meere grace when and so much as pleaseth him he may represent declare * Looke the 1. obsâ—rvat upon this confession visibly shew and set before our eyes his heavenly gifts and all this according to his promise Now as it doth derogate nothing from the ministerie of the word when it is said that the out ward preaching of the word doth profit nothing except the inward husband man doe give the increase for Paul saith He that planteth and he that watereth is nothing but God that giveth the increase so he doth not make the Sacraments of no effect which saith that not they but God himselfe doth purge us that is which doth attribute the force of the Sacrament to the Creator For Peter said Baptisme doth save us but he addeth Not whereby the filth of the flesh is washed away but in that a good conscience maketh request unto God For as in other creatures as in the Sunne the Moone the Starres fire precious stones hearbes and such like things which God doth use as instruments toward us we ought not to put any confidence nor admire them as the causes of any benefit so our trust ought not to rest in outward signes nor the glory of God be transferred unto them as they be outward signes howbeit the Lord doth use their helpe toward us and they be holy ordinances but by them our trust must lift up it selfe to him beeing both the authour of the Sacraments and the Creator of all things And seeing that the Sacraments are the institution and worke of the Lord himselfe the faithfull doe receive them not as certaine superfluous inventions of men as at the hand of men but as his heavenly gifts and that at the hand of the Lord. For as touching the word of the Gospel which he preached the Apostle writeth thus When ye received of us the word whereby ye learned God ye did not receive it as the word of men but as it was indeed as the word of God who also worketh in you that beleeve The like reason is there of the Sacraments Therefore as a little before we testified that we doe and alwaies did receive these sentences and speeches of Scripture touching the ministery of the word * Looke the 2. observat upon this confession the Minister doth convert remit sins open the eies and hearts of men give faith and the spirit so being well understood we doe acknowledge also these speeches touching the Sacraments the Minister through Baptisme doth regenerate and wash away sinnes he doth distribute and give the body and blood of the Lord For Ananias said to Paul Arise and be baptised wash away thy sinnes by calling on the name of Iesus Also Iesus tooke bread gave it to his Disciples and said this is my body Also it is manifest that the ancient Fathers did use such kinde of speeches because that by this meanes they would propound and commend more royally the gifts of God Moreover seeing that the institution and work of the word and of the Sacraments proceedeth not from men but from God we doe here reject the errour of the Donatists and of the Anabaptists who esteemed the holy gifts of God according to the worthinesse or unworthinesse of the Minister Now in that heavenly gifts are represented unto us by earthly things it cometh so to passe by a certaine singular goodnesse of God who by this meane would helpe our weakenesse For the weakenesse of mans wit doth understand all things the better if they be resembled by visible things Therefore the Lord would by Sacraments set before the eies of mortall men his heavenly gifts and his promises as it were a lively picture in a certaine table that is those things which are perceived by the minde he delivered to us in sensible things Whereupon we doe gather that the Sacraments doe appertaine to them which are in the Church For prophane men doe scoffe at our Sacraments insomuch as they esteeme them according to the externall things onely But they which have faith understand the mysteries of the Sacraments and they which receive them in a true and lively faith receive them with fruit if they be received without faith they doe hurt not that the good gifts of God doe hurt of themselves but because that they being not received aright doe hurt through our default Furthermore the Sacraments are badges of the people of God For by these we are gathered together into a holy companie and we professe our faith For it pleased the Lord by this meane to gather his people to himselfe and as it were to marke them with this signe whereby also he might put every one in minde of his dutie Now of this kinde there be two Sacraments in the Church of Christ Baptisme which is called the font of regeneration and the Supper of the Lord which is called the body and blood of the Lord or the communion of the body and blood of the Lord. And now we will speake severally of them for hitherto we have discoursed of the Sacraments in generall as before God we doe beleeve and wherein we hope that Luther will not thinke any thing wanting Out of the Confession of BASIL THE same Sacraments are used in the Church to wit Baptisme Artic. 5. at our entrance into the Church and the Supper of the Lord in due time when we are come to riper yeers * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confession to testifie our faith and brotherly charitie as in Baptisme was promised Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA Of Sacraments in generall CHAP. 11. AS touching the Sacraments we teach that they be externall earthly as they which consist of the elements and visible signes consecrated by the word of God and by his owne mouth appointed hereunto to signifie and witnesse to us that self same spirituall and invisible grace and truth whereof they have the name and which they are also sacramentally These Sacraments no man either did or can institute but the Lord
and God himselfe Christ Iesus into whose hands the Father hath delivered Joh. 13. all things And he hath instituted and appointed them for great and saving causes and such as are necessary for this Church and all those that beleeve to wit that like as by the preaching of the word so by the administration of the visible Sacraments and the mysteries thereof faith might be helped and furthered and that there might be an assured testimonie and confirmation of the favourable and well pleased will of God towards us and that they might give witnesse to that truth which is signified by them and should reach it out as doth the word to be apprehended by faith and that the mindes of the faithfull in the receiving of them should by faith receive the grace and truth whereof they be witnesses and applying it unto themselves should make it their own and confirme themselves therein and on the other side by giving themselves to God should consecrate and as it were by an oath religiously binde themselves to serve him alone and as it were be joyned together among themselves by the joyning and knitting as of one spirit so also of one body to wit of the Church Eph. 4. of the fellowship of Saints and of love And according to these things the Sacraments as in times past Circumcision was may be called the holy covenants of God Gen. 15. with his Church and of the Church with God the Ministers of faith and love by which the joyning and union of God and Christ our Lord with these beleeving people and theirs againe with Christ is made and persited and that among themselves in one spirituall body of the Church by which also even as by the word Christ and his spirit do cause in the faithfull that is in those that use them worthily a precious participation of his excellent merit neither doth he suffer them to be onely bare and naked ministers and ceremonies but those things that they signifie and witnesse outwardly that doth he worke inwardly to salvation profitably and effectually that is he cleanseth nourisheth satisfieth looseth payeth remitteth and confirmeth They therefore which contemn these Sacraments and through stubbornnesse will not suffer them to be of any force with themselves and making small account of them doe esteeme them as trifles or do otherwise abuse them contrary to the institution will or commandement of Christ all these do grievously sinne against the author thereof who hath instituted them and make a very great hazard of their salvation But if some man would willingly use these Sacraments according to the institution of Christ and yet cannot have leave * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession either intirely or without deceit so to doe as he would as if peradventure one that is taken be kept in prison or if one should be hindred by sleknesse or should live in strange countries among the enemies of the truth such a man in such a case if he doe wholly and truely beleeve the holy Gospel may by that faith be saved although he have not the use of the Sacraments wherefore Augustine upon Iohn cap. 16. hath this worthy saying Beleeve and thou hast eaten seeing that the Sacraments are not necessary to salvation but only by the addition of a certaine condition Also we teach this that the Sacraments of themselves or by their owne vertue for the workes sake or for the onely outward action that is for the bare participation receiving and use thereof cannot give grace nor a justifying or quickning faith to any which before was not inwardly quickned by the holy Ghost and hath no good motion within himselfe I say the Sacraments cannot give to any such either grace or justifying and quickning faith and therefore they cannot justifie any man nor inwardly quicken or regenerate any mans spirit for faith must goe before whereby the holy Ghost doth inwardly quicken and lighten man and stirre up or cause good motions in the heart Without this faith there is neither any justification nor salvation neither doe the Sacraments of or by themselves helpe any whit hereunto as in the holy Scripture manifest examples of this matter are found in many places especially in Judas who received the Sacrament of the Lord Christ himselfe did also execute the function Iohn 13. of a Preacher and yet he ceased not to remaine a devill an hypocrite and the lost sonne neither was he made better by the Sacrament or by the use thereof neither did this profit him any Act. 5. thing to salvation Also in Ananias and his wife who had been baptized of Apostles and had also without doubt received the Lords Supper and yet not withstanding they did continue in their wickednesse injustice and lies against the holy Ghost the Sacraments did neither take away their wickednesse nor give them the saving or justifying faith which maketh the heart the better by repenting and giveth it to God an upright obedient heart and doth appease the conscience Therefore the Sacraments did not give this conscience and this faith unto them as Circumcision and the Sacrifices of the Old Testament did not give a lively and justifying faith without the which faith those things availed nothing to eternall salvation or justification And so doth Saint Paul speake of all those things in his Epistle to the Romanes and bringeth in the example of Abraham and doth witnesse Rom. 4. that he had faith and righteousnesse which is availeable with God before that he was circumcised In like sort he writeth of the people of Israel that they also were baptized and they all did eate one and the same spirituall meate and did all drinke one and the same spirituall drinke but with many of them God was not pleased And therefore even in the abundance of all these things they were thought unworthy to be received and they were rejected of God For if a dead man or one that is unworthy doe come to the Sacraments certainly they doe not give him life and worthinesse but he that is such a one doth load himselfe with a farre greater burthen of fault and sinne seeing that he is unworthy the which thing the Apostle doth expresly declare in the doctrine touching the Supper of the Lord where he saith Whosoever 1 Cor. 10. doth eate of this bread or drinke of this cup of the Lord unworthily he is guiltie of the body and bloud of the Lord Also He doth eate and drinke iudgement to himselfe Lastly this also must be knowne that the veritie of the Sacraments doth never faile them so that they should become not effectuall at any time but in the institution of Christ * Looke the 2. observation upon this confession they doe alwaies exercise their vertue and efficacie in witnessing sealing confirming unto the worthy receivers present grace salvation but unto the unworthy their fault and condemnation whether they be administred by a good and honest Priest or
and doth not teach that faith which beleeveth that grace is freely given us for Christs sake is necessarie in the use of the Sacraments but imagineth that men are just for the very use of the Sacraments even by the worke done and that without any good affection of him that useth it This Article we finde thus in another Edition COncerning the use of the Sacraments they teach that they were ordained not so much to be markes and badges of profession amongst men as that they should be signes or testimonies of the will of God towards us set forth unto us to stirre up and confirme faith in such as use them Whereupon they condemne those that teach that the Sacraments do justifie by the worke done and doe not teach that faith to beleeve remission of sinnes is requisite in the use of Sacraments Out of the Confession of SAXONIE Of the Sacraments THe Church also is discerned from other Gentiles by certaine Artic. 12. rites and ceremonies instituted of God and usually called Sacraments as are Baptisme and the Lords Supper which notwithstanding are not onely signes of a profession but much more as the ancient Fathers said signes of grace that is they be ceremonies added to the promise of the Gospel touching grace that is touching the free remission of sinnes and touching reconciliation and the whole benefit of our redemption the which are so instituted that every man may use them because they be pledges and testimonies which declare that the benefits promised in the Gospel doe appertaine to every one For the voice of the Gospel is generall this use doth beare witnesse that this voyce doth appertaine to every one which useth the Sacraments Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of the Sacraments THe word Sacrament as also the word Mysterie which interpreters Artic. 9. doe expound Sacrament is very large But because some have thought it good to restraine it to the number of seven Sacraments we will briefly runne over every one that we may shew what we finde wanting in the doctrine that some have broached and what may seeme to be repugnant to the meaning of that Church which is indeed Catholique or Orthodoxe Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Of the Sacraments SEeing that the Church of Christ doth live here in the flesh Artic. 16. howbeit not according to the flesh it pleased the Lord also to teach admonish and exhort it by the outward word And that this might be done the more commodiously he would also have his to make much of an externall societie among themselves For which cause he gave unto them holy signes among which these are the chiefest Baptisme and the Lords Supper the which we doe not onely thinke therefore to have had the name of Sacraments among the Fathers because they are visible signes of invisible grace as Saint Augustine doth define them but also for that purpose because that by them we doe consecrate our selves unto Christ and doe binde our selves as it were by the oath or Sacrament of faith THE THIRTEENTH SECTION OF THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISME The latter Confession of HELVETIA Of holy Baptisme CHAP. 20. BAptisme was instituted and consecrated by God and the first that baptized was John who dipped Christ in the water in Jorden From him it came to the Apostles who also did baptize with water The Lord in plaine words commanded them To Matth. 28. preach the Gospel and to baptize in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And Peter also when divers demanded of him what they ought to doe said to them in the Acts Act. 8. Let every one of you be baptized in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and you shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost Whereupon Baptisme is called of some a signe of initiation of Gods people as that whereby the elected of God are consecrated unto God There is but one Baptisme in the Church of God for it is sufficient to be once baptized or consecrated unto God For baptisme once received doth continue all a mans life and is a perpetuall fealing of our adoption unto us For to be baptized in the name of Christ is to be enrolled entered and received into the covenant and family and so into the inheritance of the sonnes of God yea and in this life to be called after the name of God that is to say to be called the sonne of God to be purged also from the flchinesse of sinnes and to be indued with the manifold grace of God for to leade a new and innocent life Baptisme therefore doth call to minde and keepe in remembrance the great benefit of God performed to mankinde for we are all borne in the pollution of sinne and are the sonnes of wrath But God who is rich in mercy doth freely purge us from our sinnes by the bloud of his Sonne and in him doth adopt us to be his sonnes and by an holy covenant doth joyne us to himselfe and doth inrich us with divers gifts that we might live a new life All these things are sealed up unto us in Baptisme For inwardly we are regenerated purified and renewed of God through the holy Spirit and outwardly we receive the sealing of most notable gifts by the water by which also those great benefits are represented and as it were set before our eyes to be looked upon And therefore are we baptized that is washed and sprinckled with visible water For the water maketh cleane that which is filthy refresheth things that faile and faint and cooleth the bodies And the grace of God dealeth in like manner with the soule and that invisibly and spiritually Moreover by the Sacrament of Baptisme God doth separate us from all other Religions of people and doth consecrate us a peculiar people to himselfe We therefore by being baptized doe confesse our faith and are bound to give unto God obedience mortification of the flesh and newnesse of life yea and we are billed souldiers for the holy warfare of Christ that all our life long wee should fight against the world Satan and our owne flesh Moreover we are baptized into one body of the Church that we might well agree with all the members of the Church in the same religion and mutuall duties We beleeve that * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession that of all other is the most perfect manner of baptisme where in Christ was baptised and which the rest of the Apostles did use in baptisme Those things therefore which by mans device were added afterwards and used in the Church * 2. Observation we thinke them nothing necessary to the perfection of Baptisme Of which kind is exorcisme and the use of lights oyle salt spattle and such other things as namely that baptisme is twise every yeer consecrated with divers ceremonies For we beleeve that the baptisme of the Church which is but one was sanctified in Gods first institution of it
and is consecrated by the word and is now of full force by and for the first blessing of God upon it Wee teach that Baptisme should not be ministred in the Church by women or midwives For Paul secludeth women from Ecclesiasticall callings but Baptisme belongeth to Ecclesiasticall offices We condemne the Anabaptists who deny that young infants borne of faithfull parents are to be baptized For according to the doctrine of the Gospel theirs is the kingdome of God And they are written in the covenant of God And why then should not the signe of the covenant be given to them Why should they not be consecrated by holy baptisme who are Gods peculiar people and in the Church of God We condemne also the Anabaptists in the rest of their opinions which they peculiarly doe hold against the word of God We therefore are not Anabaptists neither doe we agree with them in any point that is theirs Out of the former Confession of HELVETEA Of Baptisme BAptisme according to the institution of the Lord is the font Artis 21. of Regeneration the which the Lord doth give to his chosen in a visible signe by the ministery of the Church in such sort as we have declared before In which holy font we doe therefore dippe our infants because that it is not lawfull for us to reject them from the company of the people of God which are borne of us who are the people of God so long as they be not pointed out by the voyce of God especially seeing that we ought godly to presume of their election Out of the Declaration of the same Confession sent unto Luther Of Baptisme BAptisme is a Sacrament wherein the Lord by a visible signe doth testifie his grace unto us whereby he doth regenerate us and cleanse us from our sinnes and also receive us to be his people that we may live to Christ die to the old Adam and be partakers of the good things of Christ For we all are borne sinners whereupon we have need of regeneration and the purging of our sinnes which cometh to passe by the free mercy of God whereby also we are received into the covenant that being buried into his death we may rise againe in newnesse of life the which thing is taught more at large in the Apostls writings But the goodnesse of God doth in deed give unto us these heavenly gifts and also useth a signe hereunto that it may declare these things unto us and by pouring them into our senses might allure us to more excellent things that so the whole glory might be proper to God and yet the holy institution of the signe might not be made frustrate For it is most truly said Baptisme doth save us but it is added of Peter Not that which washeth away the filth of the body And the Baptist saith I indeed doe baptise you with water but he that is Christ shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Whereunto the holy Councel of Nice having respect did say Our Baptisme is to be considered not with sensible eyes but with the eyes of the minde Also Baptisme is a badge for it serveth to our confession For this we do plainly confesse in the Church that we together with our children and all our family doe professe the Christian religion that the members of that body whereof Christ is the Head to whom we have given our names are received of him into the number of those souldiers who by the good guiding of Christ do through all their life exercise a warfare against the world Satan and the flesh Hitherto also appertaineth the 5. Art ss 2. of the confession of Basill which before was placed in the 12. Sect. Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA Of holy Baptisme CHAP. 12. TOuching holy Baptisme it is taught that men must beleeve and professe that this is a Sacrament or wholesome ministerie of the New Testament instituted of Christ the Lord concerning which the faithfull Ministers have in charge that by the administration hereof they benefit the holy Church This Sacrament consisteth of an outward washing that is done with water with calling on the name of the holy Trinity that of the element and word may arise and be joyntly withall made a Sacrament August he in Ioan. cap. 13. and that washing is used both to signifie and to witnesse a spirituall washing and inward cleansing of the holy Ghost from the disease of hereditarie sinne and from other sinnes the guilt of which is here forgiven and taken away and to the attaining of a new manner of birth or regeneration whereupon it is called the Sacrament of the new birth that is of regeneration or a washing with water in the word of life For we beleeve that whatsoever Act. 2. and 22. by Baptisme as by a Sacrament added to the word of the Gospel is in the outward ceremonie signified and witnessed all that doth the Lord God work and performe inwardly that is that he washeth Iohn 3. Tit. 3. Ephes 5. Galat. 3. Rom. 6. 1 Pet. 3. away sinne begetteth a man againe and bestoweth salvation upon him and through the washing of water cleanseth by the word the societie of his Church cloatheth and apparelleth it with his Son burieth and taketh away sin and giveth testimonie to and sealeth the peace of a good conscience For Baptisme is not a washing away of the outward filth of the flesh but the stipulation or promise that a good conscience maketh unto God For the bestowing of these excellent fruits was holy Baptisme given and granted to the Church which the faithfull shepheards of soules ought to administer and which the faithfull people of Christ touching the receiving thereof ought to use lawfully but once only yet in deed and truth throughout their whole life And although Baptisme in the Primitive Church was for the most part ministred to such as were well grown and of discretion after a confession of faith made by them according to Christs commandement yet this is taught that young children also who are reckoned in the number of Gods people in like sort are by this ministerie to be benefited toward the attaining of salvation that they likewise may be consecrated and dedicated to Christ according to this commandement when he saith Suffer ye the Matth. 16. little ones to come to me and forbid them not because unto such belongeth the kingdome of God Therefore according to the word of the Lord and many other testimonies and other promises made to this beloved age of children especially when as also there is extant an example of that ancient ministerie ordained of God to Gen. 17. wit Circumcision which by reason of the covenant belonged not onely to those of discretion but therewithall also to young children For these causes doe our Ministers without any doubt and boldly baptize children in the name of the holy Trinitie applying unto them a signe of most effectual vertue and a most sure witnesbearing
is therefore very requisite that purposing to come to the Supper of the Lord we doe trie our selves according to the commandement of the Apostle first with what faith we are indued whether we beleeve that Christ is come to save sinners and to call them to repentance and whether each man beleeve that he is in the number of them that being delivered by Christ are saved and whether he have purposed to change his wicked life to live holily and persevere through Gods assistance in true religion and in concord with his brethren and to give worthy thanks to God for his delivery c. We thinke that rite manner or forme of the Supper to be the most simple and excellent which commeth neerest to the first institution of the Lord and to the Apostles doctrine Which doth consist in declaring the word of God in godly prayers the action it selfe that the Lord used and the repeating of it the eating of the Lords body and drinking of his blood the wholesome remembrance of the Lords death and faithfull giving of thanks and in an holy fellowship in the union of the body of the Church We therefore disallow them which have taken from the faithfull one part of the Sacrament to wit the Lords cup. For these doe very grievously offend against the institution of the Lord who saith drinke you all of this which he did not so plainly say of the bread What manner of Masse it was that the Fathers used whether it were tollerable or intollerable we doe not now dispute But this we say freely that the Masse which is now used throughout the Romish Church for many and most just causes is quite abolished out of our Churches which particularly we will not now recite for brevities sake Truly we could not like of it because that of a most wholesome action they have made a vaine spectacle also because it is made a meritorious matter and is said for money likewise because that in it the Priest is said to make the very body of the Lord and to offer the same really even for the remission of the sins of the quicke and the dead Adde this also that they doe it for the honour worship and reverence of the Saints in heaven c. Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA Of the Lords Supper VVE say that the Supper is a mysticall thing wherein the Artic. 22. Lord doth indeed offer unto those that are his his body and blood that is himself to this end that he may more and more live in them and they in him not that the body and blood of the Lord are either naturally united to bread and wine or be locally here inclosed or be placed here by any carnall presence but that bread and wine by the institution of the Lord are signes whereby the true communication of his body and blood is exhibited of the Lord himselfe by the ministerie of the Church not to be meate for the belly which doth perish but to be nourishment unto eternall life We doe therefore use this holy meat oftentimes because that being admonished hereby we doe with the eyes of faith behold the death and blood of Christ crucified and meditating upon our salvation not without a taste of heavenly life and a true sense of life eternall we are refreshed with this spirituall lively inward food with an unspeakable sweetnes and we do rejoyce with a joy that cannot be expressed in words for that life which we have found and we do wholly with all our strength powre out thankesgiving for so wonderfull a benefit of Christ bestowed upon us Therefore we are most unworthily charged of some who thinke that we doe attribute very little to these holy signs For these things * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confession be holy to be reverenced as those which were instituted and received of our high Priest Christ exhibiting unto us after their manner as we have said the things signified giving witnes of the things done representing very difficult things us and by a certain wonderfull Analogie of things signified bringing light to those most evident mysteries Moreover they minister aide and helpe even to faith it selfe and to conclude they doo serve in stead of an oath to binde him that is entered into the profession of Christianitie Thus holily doo we thinke of the sacred signes But we doo alwaies attribute the force and vertue of quickning and sanctifying to him who is life it selfe to whom be praise for ever Amen Out of the declaration of the same confession Of the holy Supper of the Lord. THE Supper of the Lord is a Sacrament to wit the holy institution of the Lord whereby he doth renue and witnesse unto us his bountifulnesse to wit the communion of his body and blood and that by a visible signe For by bread and wine he doth declare unto us what he giveth namely himselfe to be the nourishment of our life for he by his body and blood doth feed us to life eternall Therefore the very gift of God that is the body and blood of the Lord to wit the body of the Lord delivered unto death for us and his blood shed for the remission of sinnes is the chiefest part of this Sacrament For the body and blood of Christ is thus made or prepared to be the lively meat of our soules The Son of God doth die in the flesh for us that he might quicken us he poureth out his blood that he might cleanse us from our sins To conclude he raiseth up his body from the dead that our bodies may receive hope and strength to rise againe Thus therefore doth the Lord offer himselfe to be eaten and possessed of us and not a certaine false imagination of a man or an idle picture in his stead For beside him there is nothing in heaven or in earth that may feed and satiate our soules Now we doe indeed eate the bodie and we doe indeed drinke the blood of our Lord but not so rawly as the Papists have hitherto taught to wit the bread being changed into naturall flesh substantially that is corporally or carnally or the body being included in the bread but spiritually that is after a spirituall manner and with a faithfull minde The Lord is eaten indeed and with fruit by faith that now he may live whole in his and his in him Moreover these holy gifts of God which are not given of any other then of the Lord himselfe according to the institution of the Lord are represented unto us by visible signes to wit bread and wine and offered to our senses not that we should rest in them but that our weaknesse may be helped and we may lift up our hearts unto the Lord knowing that here we must thinke upon greater things to wit not of eating bread or drinking wine but of receiving the Lord himselfe with all his gifts by a faithfull minde Therefore when the guests see the bread on the board
with mad gasings and foolish gaudies in the selfe same matter wherein the death of Christ ought diligently to be beaten into our hearts and wherein also the mysteries of our Redemption ought with all holinesse and reverence to be executed Besides where they say and sometime do perswade fooles that they are able by their Masses to distribute and apply unto mens commoditie all the merits of Christs death yea although many times the parties thinke nothing of the matter and understand full little what is done this is a mockerie a heathenish phansie and a very toie For it is our faith that applieth the death and crosse of Christ to our benefit and not the act of the Massing Priest Faith had in the Sacraments saith Augustine doth justifie and not the Sacraments And Origen saith Christ Ad Rom. cap 3. lib. 3. is the Priest the Propitiation and Sacrifice which propitiation cometh to every one by meane of faith And so by this reckoning we say that the sacraments of Christ without faith do not once profit those that be alive a great deale lesse doe they profit those that be dead Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve and confesse that Iesus Christ our Lord Artic. 35. and Saviour hath instituted the holy Sacrament of his Supper that in it he might nourish and sustaine those whom he hath regenerated and engrafted into his family which is the Church But those which are regenerate have in them a double life the one carnall and temporall which they brought with them from their first nativitie the which is common unto all the other spirituall and heavenly bestowed upon them in their second nativitie which is wrought in them by the word of the Gospel in the union of the body of Christ the which is peculiar to the elect alone And as God hath appointed earthly and materiall bread fit and convenient for the preservation of this carnall life which even as the life it selfe is common unto all so for the conservation of that spirituall and heavenly life which is proper to the faithfull God hath sent lively bread which came downe from heaven even Iesus Christ who nourisheth and sustaineth the spirituall life of the faithfull if he be eaten that is applied and received by faith through the Spirit But to the intent that Christ might figurate and represent unto us this spirituall and heavenly bread he hath ordained visible and earthly bread and wine for the Sacrament of his body and blood whereby he testifieth that as truly as we doe receive and hold in our hands this signe eating the same with our mouthes whereby afterwards this our life is sustained so truly we doe by faith which is in stead of our soule hand and mouth receive the very body and true bloud of Christ our onely Saviour in our selves unto the conservation and cherishing of a spirituall life within us And it is most certaine that Christ not without good cause doth so carefully commend unto us this his Sacrament as one that doth indeed work that within us whatsoever he representeth unto us by these his holy signes although the manner it selfe beeing far above the reach of our capacitie cannot be comprehended of any because that all * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confession the operations of the holy Ghost are hidden and incomprehensible Neither shall we erre in saying that * Looke the 2. observation upon this confession that which is eaten is the very naturall body of Christ and that which is drunke is the very blood of Christ yet the instrument or meanes whereby we doe eate and drinke them is not a corporall mouth but even our soule and spirit and that by faith Christ therefore sitteth alwaies at the right hand of his Father in heaven and yet for all that doth not any thing the lesse communicate himselfe unto us by faith Furthermore this Supper is the spirituall table wherein Christ doth offer himselfe to us with all his benefits to be participated of us and bringeth to passe that in it we are partakers as well of himself as of the merit of his death and passion For he himselfe * Looke the 3. observat upon this confession by the eating of his flesh doth nourish strengthen and comfort our miserable afflicted and comfortlesse soule and in like manner by the drinking of his blood doth refresh and sustaine the same Moreover * Looke the 4. Observat although the signes be coupled with the things signified yet both of them are not received of all For an evill man verily receiveth the Sacrament unto his owne condemnation but the thing or truth of the Sacrament he receiveth not As for example Judas and Simon Magus doth of them did receive the Sacramentall signe but as for Christ himselfe signified thereby they received him not For Christ is communicated to the faithfull only Last of all we with great humilitie and reverence doe communicate the holy Sacrament in that assembly of Gods people celebrating the memoriall of our Saviour Christs death with thankesgiving and making there a publike confession of Christian faith and religion No man therefore ought to present himselfe at this holy Supper which hath not first examined himselfe lest that eating this bread and drinking of this cup he doe not eate and drinke his owne damnation Moreover by the use of this Sacrament a most ardent love is kindled within us both towards God himselfe and also towards our neighbour Therefore here we doe worthily reject as a meere prophanation all the toies and damnable devises of men which they have presumed to adde and mingle with the Sacraments affirming that all the godly are content with that onely order and rite which Christ and his Apostles have delivered unto us and that they ought to speake of these mysteries after the same manner as the Apostles have spoken before Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE The second Article out of the Edition of Wirtemberge Anno. 1531. TOuching the Supper of the Lord they teach that the body and blood of Christ are there present * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession indeed and are distributed to those that eate of the Lords Supper and they condemne those that teach otherwise The same tenth Article in the Edition newly corrected Anno. 1540. is thus set down TOuching the Supper of the Lord they teach that together with the bread and the wine the body and blood of Christ are truly exhibited to them that eate of the Lords Supper Hitherto also pertaineth the first Article of the abuses which are changed in the outward rites and ceremonies This Article is of the Masse OVr Churches are wrongfully accused to have abolished the Masse For the * Looke the 2. Observat Masse is retained still among us and celebrated with great reverence Yea and almost all the ceremonies that are in use saving that with the songs in Latine we mingle certaine Psalmes in Dutch here
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.
Christ till he come And whereas many doe commonly celebrate the Masses without all regard of godlinesse onely for this cause that they may nourish their bodies our Preachers have shewed that that is so execrable a thing before God that if the Masse of it selfe should nothing at all hinder godlinesse yet worthily and by the commandement of God it were to be abolished the which thing is evident even out of Esay onely For our God is a Spirit and truth and therefore he cannot Isa 2. abide to be worshipped but in Spirit and truth And how grievous a thing this unreasonable selling of the Sacraments is unto the Lord our Preachers would have men thereby to conjecture that Christ did so sharply and altogether against his accustomed manner taking unto himselfe an externall kinde of revengement cast out of the temple those that bought and sold whereas they might seeme to exercise merchandize onely in this respect that they might further those sacrifices which were offered according to the law Therefore seeing that the rite of the Masse which was wont to be celebrated is so many waies contrarie to the Scripture of God as also it is in every respect divers from that which the holy Fathers used it hath beene very vehemently condemned amongst us out of the pulpit and by the word of God it is made so detestable that many of their owne accord have altogether forsaken it and else where by the authoritie of the Magistrate it is abrogated The which thing we have not taken upon us for any other cause then for that throughout the whole Scripture the Spirit of God doth detest nothing so much neither command it so earnestly to be taken away as a feigned and false worship of himselfe Now no man that hath any sparke of religion in him can be ignorant what an inevitable necessitie is laid upon him that feareth God when as he is perswaded that God doth require a thing at his hands For any man may easily foresee how many would take it at our hands that we should change any thing about the holy rite of the Masse neither were there any which would not rather have chosen in this point not onely not to have offended your sacred Majestie but even any Prince of the lowest degree But when as herewithall they did not doubt but by that common rite of the Masse God was most grievously provoked and that his glory for the which we ought to spend our lives was darkened they could not but take it away lest that they also by wincking at it should make themselves partakers with them in diminishing the glory of God Truely if God is to be loved and worshipped above all godly men must beare nothing lesse then that which he doth hate and detest And that this one cause did constraine us to change certaine things in these points we take him to witnesse from whom no secret is hid THE FIFTEENTH SECTION OF ECCLESIASTICALL MEETINGS The latter Confession of HELVETIA Of holy and Ecclesiasticall meetings CHAP. 22. ALthough it be lawfull for all men privately at home to reade the holy Scriptures and by instruction to edifie one another in the true Religion yet that the word of God may be lawfully preached to the people and prayers and supplications publikely made and that the Sacraments may be lawfully ministred that that collection be made for the poore and to defray all necessarie charges of the Church or to supply the wants it is very needfull there should be holy meetings and Ecclesiasticall assemblies For it is manifest that in the Apostolike and Primitive Church there were such assemblies frequented of godly men So many then as doe despise them and separate themselves from them they are contemners of true Religion and are to be compelled by the Pastours and godly Magistrates to surcease stubbornly to separate and absent themselves from sacred assemblies Now Ecclesiasticall assemblies must not be hidden and secret but publique and common except persecution by the enemies of Christ and the Church will not suffer them to be publique For we know what manner assemblies the Primitive Church had heretofore in secret corners being under the tyrannie of Roman Emperours Let those places where the faithfull meet together be decent and in all respects fit for Gods Church Therefore let houses be chosen for that purpose or Churches that are large and faire so that they be purged from all such things as doe not beseeme the Church And let all things be ordered as is most meete for comelinesse necessitie and godly decencie that nothing be wanting which is requisite for rites and orders and the necessarie uses of the Church And as we beleeve that God doth not dwel in temples made with hands so we know that by reason of the word of God and holy exercises therein celebrated places dedicated to God and his worship are not prophane but holy and that therefore such as are conversant in them ought to behave themselves reverently and modestly as they which are in a sacred place in the presence of God and his holy Angels All excesse of apparell therefore is to be abandoned from Churches and places where Christians meet in prayer together with all pride and whatsoever else doth not beseeme Christian humilitie decencie and modestie For the true ornament of Churches doth not consist in Ivorie gold and precious stones but in the sobrietie godlinesse and vertues of those which are in the Church Let all things be done comely and orderly in the Church to conclude Let all things be done to edifying Therefore let all strange tongues keepe silence in the holy assemblies and let all things be uttered in the vulgar tongue which is understood of all men in the company Of prayer singing and Canonicall houres CHAP. 23. TRue it is that a man may lawfully pray privately in any tongue that he doth understand but publique prayers ought in the holy assemblies to be made in the vulgar tongue or such a language as is known to all Let all the prayers of the faithfull be powred forth to God alone through the mediation of Christ only out of a true faith and pure love As for invocation of Saints or using them as intercessors to intreat for us the Priesthood of our Lord Christ and true religion will not permit us Prayer must be made for Magistracie for Kings and all that are placed in authoritie for Ministers of the Church and for all necessities of Churches in any calamity specially in the calamity of the Church prayer must be made both privatly and publikely without ceasing Moreover we must pray willingly and not by constraint nor for any reward neither must we superstitiously tie prayer to any place as though it were not lawfull to pray but in the Church There is no necessity that publike prayers should be in forme and time the same or alike in all Churches Let all Churches use their libertie Socrates in his history saith In any countrey or
salvation This Catechisme which doth contain in it the full and Catholike doctrine of Christianisme the knowledge of most weightie things spoken of before our Preachers do use in stead of a sure rule method and table of all those things which they teach and of all their sermons writings and this they do faithfully care for and bestow all their labour therein that this whole ordinary doctrine of the principles of true faith and Christian godlinesse and the doctrine of the foundation may be imprinted in the bottome of the hearts of Christians and throughly ingrafted in the mindes and life of the hearers and that after this manner First that all may know that they are bound to yeeld an inward and outward obedience to the law and therfore they must endevour to performe and fulfill the commandements of God both in their heart seeing that the law is spirituall and in their deeds by loving God above all things and their neighbour as themselves Secondly they must well learne and beare in minde and be able readily to rehearse and to beleeve from the heart to keepe and to professe with the mouth the chiefe points of the Catholike Christian and Apostolike Creed and to testifie a Christian pictie by actions or manners and a life which may beseeme it Therefore they do also in their sermons by expounding it lay open the true and sound meaning and every mysterie which is necessarie to eternall salvation and is comprehended in the articles of faith and in every part thereof and confirme it by testimonies taken out of the holy Scriptures and by these holy Scriptures they do either more largely or briefly declare expound and lay open the meaning and the mysteries And in all these things they doe so behave themselves that concerning the order which the Apostles brought in and propounded they labour to instruct not onely those which be of riper yeers who being come to lawfull age are able presently to understand but also to teach little children that they being exercised even from their childhood in the chiefe points of the covenant of God may be taught to understand the true worship of God For this cause there be both peculiar Ecclesiasticall assemblies with children which doe serve for the exercise of catechizing and also the parents and those that are requested of the parents and used for witnesses who are called godfathers and godmothers at Baptisme are put in minde of the dutie and faith which they owe that they also may faithfully instruct their beloved children traine them up in the discipline of the Lord and from the bottome of their hearts Ephes 6. Col. 3. pray unto God for these and all other the children of the faithfull of Christ But chiefly they which are newly instructed before they be lawfully admitted to the Supper of the Lord are diligently taught the Christian Catechisme and the principles of true religion and by this meanes they are furthered towards the obtaining of saving repentance vertue and the efficacie of faith Afterward all the rest are also instructed that all together being lightned with the knowledge of God and of the Saints every man may walk with all honesty and godlinesse in his place and in that order whereunto he is called of God and may by this means sanctifie the name of God and adorne the true doctrine Thirdly in the Catechisme these things are taught to invocate one true God in a sure confidence in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ to pray and that not for themselves onely and their private affaires but also for the whole Christian Church in all countries for the Ministers of the Church and also for the civill Magistrate who is ordained of God and chiefly for the Emperours and your Princely Majestie for his most noble children and whole posteritie for his counsellors and all those that be subject to his government praying that it would please our gracious God to grant and to give unto your Princely and his Royall Majestie a long life heaped with all good things and a happy government and also a benigne gentle and fatherly minde and affection of heart toward all those that behave themselves uprightly are well affected doe humbly obey doe shew themselves faithfull and loving subjects and those that doe in truth worship God the Father and his Sonne Iesus Christ And to be briefe we teach that prayers may be made faithfully for all men for 1 Tim. 2. our friends and enemies as the doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ and his Apostles doth command us and as examples doe shew that the very first and holy Church did For which cause we are also instant with the people that they would diligently and in great numbers frequent the holy assemblies and there be stirred up out of this word of God to make earnest and reverent prayers Now whatsoever is contrarie to this Catholique and Christian kinde of Catechizing all that we doe forsake and reject and it is strongly confuted by sure reasons and such as do leane unto the foundations of the holy Scripture so farre forth as God doth give us grace hereunto and the people is admonished to take heed of such Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve because Iesus Christ is onely Advocate given Artic. 24. unto us who also commandeth us to come boldly unto the Father in his name that it is not lawfull for us to make our prayers in any other forme but in that which God hath set us downe in his word and that whatsoever men have forged of the intercession of Saints departed is nothing but the deceits and slights of Satan that he might withdraw men from the right manner of praying These things were also set down in the 2. Section but for an other purpose and the other part of this Article is to be found in the 16. Section Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE make our prayers in that tongue which all our people Artic. 16. as meet is may understand to the end they may as Saint Paul counselleth us take common commoditie by common prayer even as all the holy Fathers and Catholique Bishops both in the old and new Testament did use to pray themselves and taught the people to pray too lest as Saint Augustine saith Like Parets and Owles we should seeme to speake that we understand not Out of the Confession of SAXONIE Article 14. which is intituled of the Supper GOd will have the ministerie of the Gospel to be publique he will not have the voice of the Gospel to be shut up in corners onely but he will have it to be heard he will have him selfe to be knowne and invocated of all mankinde Therefore hee would that there should be publique and wel ordered meetings and in these he will have the voice of the Gospel to found there he will be invocated and praised Also he will that these meetings should be witnesses of the confession and severing of the Church of God from
towards the end Of comforting and visiting the sicke SEeing that men doe never lye open to more grievous temptations then when they are exercised with infirmities or else are sicke and brought low with diseases it behooveth the Pastours of the Churches to be never more vigilant and carefull for the safetie of the flocke then in such diseases and infirmities Therefore let them visit the sicke betimes and let them be quickly sent for of the sicke if the matter shall so require Let them comfort and confirme them in the true faith Finally let them strengthen them against the dangerous suggestions of Satan In like manner let them pray with the sicke person at home in his house and if need be let them make prayers for the sicke in the publike meeting And let them be carefull that they may have a more happie passage out of this life As for popish visiting with the extreame unction we have said before that we doe not like of it because it hath many absurd things in it and such as be not approved by the Canonicall Scriptures Of the buriall of the faithfull and of the care which is to be had for such as are dead of purgatorie and the appearing of spirits THe Scripture willeth that the bodies of the faithfull as being temples of the holy Ghost which we truly beleeve shall rise againe at the last Day should be honestly without any superstition committed to the earth and besides that we should make honourable mention of them which have godlily died in the Lord and performe all duties of love to such as they leave behind them as their widows and fatherlesse children Other care to be taken for the dead we teach none Therefore we doe greatly mislike the Cynikes who neglected the bodies of the dead or did very carelesly and disdainfully cast them into the earth never spake so much as a good word of the dead nor any whit regarded those whom they left behinde them Again we condemne those which are too much and preposterously officious toward the dead who like Ethnikes doe greatly lament and bewaile their dead we doe not discommend that moderate mourning which the Apostle doth allow 1 Thess 4. but judge it an unnaturall thing to be touched with no sorrow and do sacrifice for the dead and mumble certaine prayers not without their penny for their paines thinking by these their duties to deliver these their friends from torments wherein they being wrapped by death they suppose they may be rid out of them againe by such lamentable songs For we beleeve that the faithfull after the bodily death doe goe directly unto Christ and therefore doe not stand in need of the helpe or prayers for the dead or any other such dutie of them which are alive In like manner we beleeve that the unbeleevers be cast headlong directly into hell from whence there is no returne opened to the wicked by any duties of those which live But as concerning that which some teach concerning the fire of Purgatory it is flat contrary to the Christian faith I beleeve the remission of sins and life everlasting and to the absolute purgation of sins made by Christ and to these sayings of Christ our Lord Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and Iohn 5. beleeveth in him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come unto condemnation but hath passed from death unto life Againe He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is Ioh. 13. cleane every whit and ye are cleane Now that which is recorded of the spirits or soules of the dead sometime appearing to them that are alive and craving certaine duties of them whereby they may be set free we count those apparitions among the delusions crafts and deceits of the devill who as he can transforme himselfe into an Angel of light so he laboureth tooth and naile either to overthrow the true faith or else to call it into doubt The Lord in the Old Testament forbad to enquire Deut. 18. the truth of the dead and to have any thing to doe with spirits And to the glutton being bound in torments as the truth of the Gospell doth declare is denied any returne to his brethren The Lord by his word pronouncing and saying They have Moses Luk. 16. and the Prophets let them heare them if they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they beleeve if one shall arise from the dead Out of the Confession of BASIL THe Church of Christ doth herein labour all that she can to Artic 5. keepe the bonds of peace and love in unitie Therefore she doth by no meanes communicate with sects and the rules of orders devised to make a difference of dayes meats apparell and ceremonies No man can prohibit that which Christ himselfe hath not prohibited Art 10 ss 1. 2. For this cause we know that auricular confession holy dayes dedicated to Saints and such like things had their beginning of men and were not commanded of God as on the other side we know that the marriage of Ministers was not forbidden And againe No man can forbid those things which God hath Art 10. ss 4. c. permitted therefore we thinke that it is not by any means forbidden to receive meats with thanksgiving Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA Hitherto pertaine first those things which are to be found in the 15. Chap. about the middest concerning the keeping of holy dayes and fasts IN like sort many of the ancient ceremonies and such as were brought in by custome so neere as may be are retained among us even at this day * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession of this sort be certain daies appointed for feasts and holy daies the mattens that is morning Sermons evening assemblies the Lords dayes which be holy dayes and speciall feasts dayes added thereunto which are consecrated to the celebrating of the works of Christ as to his Nativitie his Passion Resurrection c. * Looke the 1. observation and such as be dedicated to the remembrance of holy men as of the Virgin Mary of the Apostles and of other Saints and chiefly of those Saints of whom there is mention in the holy Scriptures and all these things be done of us that the word of God may be taught that God may be worshipped and served and that he may be glorified among us That which followeth and is to be referred to this place is taken out of the 17. Chap. IN like sort also our Ministers as it is meet for Christian men to doe to the glory and praise of God doe celebrate holy dayes consecrated to the Virgin and the remembrance of her * Looke the 2. observation upon this confession and the whole 2. Sect. wherein is intreated of the lawfull honour of Saints do make and sing godly and Christian songs of her and with pleasure both diligently and that they may confirme
he saw many Plat. in vita â—ii 2. moe and more weightie causes why they ought to be restored to them againe Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE Art 5. Of Abuses Of the marriage of Priests VVHereas the Doctrine of Christ maketh honourable mention of marriage and willeth men to use the same not onely for procreation sake but also to bridle and avoyd lusts now a dayes the marriages of Priests are not onely by the Popes law but also by a new and unwonted crueltie forbidden and such as be made and contracted are dissolved and broken Which is so much the more unseemely for that these things are done in the Church which as she ought most of all to abhorre and detest filthinesse so should she with great care defend wedlocke for the avoiding of many grievous enormities Besides seeing that in all heathenish Common-wealthes that were but meanely well ordered marriage was in great account for very waightie causes what is there lesse seemely in the Church then either to breake in sunder the most holy knot of wedlocke or to punish marriage with punishments of death as though it were a most hainous offence Whence is it that this crueltie hath spread it selfe into the Church in which mutuall love should flourish most of all Moreover the matter it self doth testifie how much beastlinesse and how many villanies this popish law of single life doth bring forth no voice of man is able to shew how many vices have issued forth of this fountaine into the Church For to say nothing of Epicures who blush at nothing how many good and godly men have had ill successe in striving with their naturall weaknesse and at the last have fallen into horrible despaire Now whereto tendeth this new crueltie but that those innumerable villanies might be confirmed in the Churches and that wicked men might sinne more freely This matter needeth no disputation at all For this new law defended by our Adversaries which forbiddeth Priests to marry and dissolveth those that are contracted is flat contrary to the law of nature to the law of God to the Gospell to the constitutions of ancient Synods and to the examples of the ancient Church Onely in this calling we need the godlinesse and equitie of the most excellent Emperour whom we beseech for his godlinesse and duties sake that he would seeke some remedie for the Church by abolishing this tyrannicall law For as all unjust crueltie doth displease God so that most of all which is exercised against godly and learned Priests which deserve well of the Church And in this case we have not onely the word of God threatning most grievous plagues against them which exercise crueltie on the Priests but also there are examples to be seene in all ages which doe plainly testifie that such threatnings are not in vaine For to let passe infinite other examples the Tribe of Beniamin was almost quite destroyed for abusing the Priests wife that came thither as a stranger For when as the dead body of the woman which died after she had been so abused was cut in pieces and sent to all the Princes of Israel all the people judged that such outrage ought most severely to be revenged And when they could not get the authors of this shamefull fact to be delivered unto them for to be punished the whole Tribe of Beniamin receiving a great overthrow was punished for it Now in these dayes the Priests are vexed with sundry injuries they are when no other crime is objected unto them but marriage racked with most horrible torments and so put to death their miserable wives and little children being throwne out of house and home wander up and downe as banished persons without any certaine place of abode or house to dwell in Paul calleth The forbidding of marriage the doctrine of Devils which to be true not onely these filthy vices which the single life hath brought into the Church but also the crueltie which by reason of this law is exercised upon Priests and their wives and children doe testifie plainly For the Devill is a murtherer and he is chiefly delighted with the miseries of the godly But the devisers of such counsell shall one day have their just reward from God We judge that such crueltie is not worthy for Christians to use nor profitable to the Church of God Whereas they object the authoritie of the Popes law why doe they not alledge the authoritie of the Canons against those shamefull examples of uncleane single life and those villanies that were worthy of most severe punishment The authoritie of the Popes decree which is contrary to the law of nature and the commandement of God should be of no waight Men are so made by nature that they should be fruitfull Whereupon the Lawyers say That the coniunction of man woman is by the law of nature And the same the first book of Moses teacheth in the first and second Chapters Againe when Saint Paul saith To avoide fornication let every man have his wife it is certaine that he biddeth all which are not apt for a single life to joyne in marriage And Christ doth admonish that all are not fit for a single life when he saith All men doe not receive this thing Moreover neither mens laws nor any vows are of force which are against the commandement of God And the event it selfe doth testifie that nature cannot be changed by mans law For we see what vile filthinesse this single life doth bring forth and if there be any honest men which endeavour to keepe themselves chaste they perceive right well how great a burden how great danger there is in this thing and they doe especially be waile this slavery of their order Certaine men went about in the Nicene Synod to make a law to forbid Priests the use of their wives This law was resused by the holy Synod and the Latine Churches in the old time was not so severe in this point for they did put from the ministery onely such as when they had taken upon them any Ecclesiasticall function did afterwards marry wives yet they did not forbid marriage But this is a new law of the Pope unknowne to the ancient Churches and Synods which doth wholly forbid marriages and breaketh of such as are contracted But it is evident that either part of this decree is flat contrary to the Gospell They alledge against us the authoritie of the Church and of Synodes which the Popes themselves that were Authors of this decree did impudently contemne and godly Priests did evidently withstand this new law For the Ecclesiasticall Histories doe testifie that it was never layed upon the Churches without great contentions and resistance The Bishop of Tarracon writeth to Syricius the Pope That the Priests of Spaine could not be brought to admit that law which forbad them the use of their wives What a stirre doth Syricius keepe there How sharply doth he write For these are the words of Syricius which are
ought rather to obey God then men Whereof also is to be Causa 11. â—â—â—est 3. Cap. St Domiâ—â—â— seene the judgement of the old fathers and of the Canon law where they thus write and these are the words of St. Ierome If the Lord or Magistrate command those things that are not contrary to the holy Scriptures let the servant be subiect to the Lord but if he command any thing contrary let him rather obey the Lord of his spirit then of his body And a little after If it be good which the Emperour commandeth doe the will of him that commandeth if it be evill answer we ought rather to obey God then men The Conclusion ANd hitherto have been informed and shewed unto your Majestie in this writing the reasons and causes of our faith and doctrine and Christian religion such doctrine as the Ministers of our Churches all and singular every one according to the gift of God granted unto him doe with one consent of judgement hold talke of and preach and doe constantly maintaine and fight for the same not with the power of this world but by holy Scriptures against those that impugne it or by teaching do spread abroad contrary errours thereunto Neither yet without that modestie that becometh the profession of Christians doe they stubbornly rather then rigorously persist in this doctrine or have at any time heretofore persisted but if any thing be found herein not well taken by them and that by certaine grounds out of the word of God which ought to be the rule of judgement unto all men peaceably and with a meeke spirit as it ought to be done be shewed unto them they are ready and forward and thereunto as alwayes heretofore so now they offer themselves that after due consideration and true knowledge of the truth had they will most gladly and thankfully receive that doctrine which shall have better foundations and willingly reforme whatsoever shall have need to be amended Wherefore most excellent King and gracious Lord may it please your Majestie to examine this our confession and after diligent and due consideration had to way and consider whether any man worthily and for just cause may reject and condemne this doctrine as not agreeable to the holy Scripture nor Christian Verily we are of opinion that if any man presume to despise or condemne this doctrine he must of necessitie also condemne the holy Scripture from whence it was taken and the ancient and true Christian Doctors with whom it agreeth and also the holy Church it selfe which from the beginning and that constantly so hath and doth teach And hereby your Majestie may graciously perceive and determine whether the complaints and accusations of our Adversaries and such as favour not us and our Teachers be just or no. Wherefore most humbly we pray that your sacred Majestie will give no place or credit to our Adversaries in those matters which divers wayes without any ground they charge us withall when as without all humanitie they accuse us our Ministers and Preachers as if we had another religion and taught another doctrine then that which at this present we offer unto your Majestie or that we presume stubbornly to take in hand or do attempt any other thing against God and your Majestie and contrary to the institutions of this Common-wealth and to the publique law of the kingdome of Bohemia And your Majestie may well call to your remembrance that we have every way and at all times behaved our selves obediently and peaceably and in all things which may turne or belong to the preservation of your Majesties person and to the publique good and commoditie of the whole Realme in all such things I say we have indeauoured not to be behinde others and hereafter also we offer our selves most ready to performe the same according to our allegiance and dutie Neither doe we thinke it onely a point of vertue and to appertaine unto honesty alone and the good estate of the Common-wealth to yeeld our selves subject and faithfull to your Majestie for peace concord and the rewards of this life but much rather we acknowledge that it pleaseth God and that so is his will that every one for conscience sake should be obedient to the Magistrate and should reverence love honour and highly esteeme him even as our Teachers also doe deale both with us and with the people to performe this and oftentimes by teaching out of the word doe inforce it upon us both Here we commend our selves unto your Majestie as to the fatherly and liberall tuition care and protection of our most gracious Lord and doe most humbly beseech of your Majestie that unto these things which on the behalfe of Christian religion we have tendred unto your Majestie we may receive a courteous answer and such as God may be pleased withall The Almightie and everlasting God graciously preserve your Majestie in continuall health to the profit benefit and increase of his holy Christian Church Amen Proverb 20. Mercie and truth preserve the King for his throne is established with mercie Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that God would have the world to be governed Artic. 39. by laws and by civill government that there may be certaine bridles whereby the immoderate desires of the world may be restrained and that therefore he appointed kingdomes Common-wealths and other kindes of principalitie whether they come by inheritance or otherwise And not that alone but also whatsoever pertaineth to the state of righteousnesse as they call it whereof he desireth to be acknowledged the author Therefore he hath also delivered the sword into the hands of the Magistrates to wit that offences may be repressed not onely those which are committed against the second table but also against the first Therefore because of the Author of this order we must not onely suffer them to rule whom he hath set over us but also give unto them all honour and reverence as unto his Embassadours and Ministers assigned of him to execute a lawfull and holy function Also Art 40. THerefore we affirme that we must obey the Laws and Statutes that tribute must be paid and that we must patiently endure the other burdens to conclude that we must willingly suffer the yoke of subjection although the Magistrates be infidels so that the soveraigne government of God doe remaine whole or entire and nothing diminished Therefore we detest all those which doe reject all kinde of dominion and bring in a communitie and confusion of goods and who to conclude doe goe about to overthrow all order of law Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve that the most gracious and mightie God did Artic. 36. appoint Kings Princes and Magistrates because of the corruption and depravation of mankinde and that it is his will that this world should be governed by laws and by a certaine civill government to punish the faults of men and that all things may be done in good order among
latter Confession of Helvetia But the thing is the communication of the body c. that is the body and blood of Christ communicated to us spiritually by faith to the remission of sinnes and to eternall life Vpon the declaration of the said former Confession of Helvetia Visible shew that is shew by setting forth visible signes Observat 1. pag 276 Observat 2. pag. 277. Vpon the same The Minister doth convert To wit as the instrumentall outward cause which the holy Spirit useth to work those things inwardly which are preached to us outwardly Vpon the Confession of Basil TO testifie our faith Hereunto adde also the other ends and Observat 1. pag 278 effect which are more fully set forth in other Confessions Vpon the Confession of Bohemia EIther entirely Entire that is lawfull libertie such as doth agree Observat 1. pag. 279 with Christ his institution Vpon the same They doe alwaies exercise their vertue This must warily be understood Observa 2. pag. 281. For properly the Sacraments doe witnesse seale or confirme no other thing but grace and salvation The condemnation of such as use them unworthily doth not flow from any vertue or power of the Sacraments which doth availe onely to salvation but onely from the fault of the unworthy themselves whereby it cometh to passe and that by an accident that whilest they receive the signes alone and that unworthily they deprive themselves of the Sacraments and yet for all that they cease not on Gods behalfe to be perfect Sacraments whether they be given to the worthy or to the unworthy touching which point look after in the 14. Section the 1. and 2. Observations upon the Confession of Auspurge IN THE THIRTEENTH SECTION Vpon the latter Confession of Helvetia THat is the most perfect forme of Baptisme c. Vnderstand by Obser 1 pag. 287. forme the externall ceremonie whether it be of dipping or of sprinkling Vpon the same We thinke them nothing necessarie c. Yea we have utterly Obser 2. pag. 288. rejected some of them as meere superstitious some as being manifestly brought by the negligence of Bishops from the Baptisme of those which be of age unto the baptisme of infants and some to be short as altogether unprofitable as it is clearely expounded in the Confession of Wirtemberge Vpon the Confession of Bohemia BY the laying on of hands c. This whole ceremonie is profitably Obser 1. pag. 293. kept in the Churches of Bohemia not as a point of doctrine but as a part of Ecclesiasticall Discipline without any prejudice to the libertie of other Churches seeing that it is no where commanded in the writings of the Apostles neither doth this Confession therefore approve Papistical confirmation which they do falsly call a Sacrament But that which is added that they which are thus baptized are received into the covenant of Baptisme it is well expounded a little after to wit so farre forth as that grace which they received in Baptisme is by this meane made manifest to the Church and to them that are baptized Vpon the Confession of Auspurge THat it is necessary to salvation c. Vnderstand this by those Obser 1. pag. 294. things which afterward were declared in the agreement made at Wirtemberge 1536. the 29. of May where these words be read Master Luther and his fellowes doe agree upon this that by the power of Christ even those which are not Baptized may be saved But it is necessary that these should not contemne Baptisme And hence it is that they will have infants to be batized of necessitie c. Vpon the same And hold that infants are saved c. Looke the former Observation Obser 2. pag. 94. We also condemne the Catabaptists who doe either forbid the baptisme of Infants or else teach that it is by no means necessary Vpon the Confession of Saxonie ANd that the holy Ghost is given in Baptisme c. That is that Obser 1. pag. 296. it is in deed offered indifferently to all but is received onely by faith and not given to wit through faith for the works sake And that it is so received as that neither faith nor the efficacie of faith are necessarily to be referred to that very moment wherin any one is baptized Moreover in the very forme of the administration of baptisme we use in our Churches to declare that baptisme is not onely a pledge of our Renuing but also and that chiefly of the remission of sinnes Vpon the same That Baptisme is necessarie c. Look the 1. Observation upon Obser 2 pag. 296. the Confession of Auspurge Vpon the same And to those onely c. And a little after Because that then Obser 3. pag. â—96 they be grafted into the Church How we understand this grafting Look before in the former Confession of Helvetia Art 21. IN THE FOVRTEENTH SECTION Vpon the latter Confession of Helvetia NOt as they be corporally eaten The Adverb so farre as understand Obser 1. pag. 304. to be used casually for because as if he had said not that they be eaten corporally c. But in this place and other places elsewhere afterward so understand these Adverbs corporally and spiritually that by them not the thing signified which is received but the manner of receiving it is declared namely to be not corporall but spirituall that is not of the externall mouth but of the faithfull minde Vpon the former Confession of Helvetia THese things be holy and to be reverenced c. By holy understand Obser 1 pag. 307. those things which are appointed to a most holy use not those wherein consisteth any inherent holinesse In like manner by reverent understand those things which are to be received with outward comelinesse and in that order which might testifie an internall reverence namely when our mindes are lifted up unto God not that any worship ought to be yeelded to the signes themselves or that those rites which are either in their owne nature superstitious or else may easily be turned into superstition ought to be used in the holy service of the Lord. Vpon the Confession of Bohemia THat which of themselves they doe signifie c. That is to say of the true bread and wine and also of the very body that Obser 1. pag. 3â—3 was given for us and of the very bloud that was shed for us As for that attribution wherein the bread is said to bee the body and wine to be the blood even in this Confession it is evidently set downe that it ought to be interpreted by a sacramentall metonymie Vpon the same And the truth thereof By the word truth in this place understand Obser â— pag. 313. not the fruit of the Sacraments which is received of the faithfull onely neither yet the very body and blood of Christ seeing that they also can not be received but by faith to salvation but the bread and the wine the which
of the Auspurge Confession though not after the same manner and in the same words and for the full declaration thereof looke in the Admonition lately set forth by our brethren the Neustadians in the 5. Chapter out of the which our agreement in this point of doctrine rightly declared doth appeare Vpon the same Art 1. Of the abuses For the Masse is retained still amongst us c. The Princes and Obser 2 pag. 322. Divines in the assembly at Newburdge testified in the yeer 1561. as is manifest by the decrees of that assembly that they by the word Masse do understand the administration of the Supper and do from the bottome of their hearts detest the Romish Masse And although we do abhorre all contentions about words and do acknowledge that the word Masse is not newly sprung up in the Latine Church yet seeing that the Originall of this tearme namely because almes were sent from the faithfull in their usuall meetings at their love feasts is long since abolished and seeing that this word hath these many yeeres broken out into great abomination and so great that none so grosse or execrable was ever heard of we do not without cause together with the thing abolish the name it selfe out of our Churches As for the holy liturgie there we think that it is most rightly celebrated where it is most simply and most neerly unto the first institution observed And seeing it is manifest that the ceremonies in the Romane Liturgie are partly in themselves unprofitable partly tending rather to an ambitious shew pompe then to edification partly ridiculous and partly either in themselves superstitious or else ready to be turned into superstition Therefore the most of them or in a manner all we have in every place utterly swept away Yet so as that the Church hath her liberty left in things indifferent as it is meet and shall be declared in the 17. Sect. As for the speaking or singing of any thing in the publique Liturgie in such a tongue as is unknown to the common people unlesse there be an interpreter the Apostle doth plainly forbid it 1 Cor. 14. Vpon the same A Ceremonie in the new covenant without faith doth merit nothing Obser 3. pag. 326. c. No nor yet in the Old testament yea neither any ceremonie nor faith it selfe doth merit any thing but whereas the externall work being performed with faith according to Gods commandement is acceptable unto him all that we teach out of Gods word to be of grace and not of debt Whereof looke the 8. Section and the 7. Observation the 9. Sect. and the 2. Obser unto the same Confession of Auspurge Vpon the same The Pastours of the Churches do consecrate c. By the name of Obser 4. pag. 327. consecration we understand no other thing then the use of Christs ordination by whose blessing and power the elements are sanctified unto us whereof dependeth the whole force and dignitie of the Sacraments Vpon the same Every holy day and other daies also if any be desirous to use the Obser 5. pag. 327. Sacrament c. Of holy dayes is spoken afterwards in the 16. Section But in our Churches certaine dayes by publique warning are appointed wherein if any refuse to receive the Supper they answer for it in the Consistorie Vpon the same about the end of the second Article of abuses And because that the parting c. This verily is one cause why Obser 6. pag. 334. the carrying about of the Sacrament is condemned yet neither the onely cause nor the chiefest Vpon the Confession of Saxonie ANd that he is in thee c. This we admit touching the spirituall Observ 1. page 336. efficacie not concerning the very essence of the flesh the which is now in heaven and no where else as hath been before shewed in the 1. Obser upon the Confession of Auspurge Vpon the same Neither are any admitted to the communion c. This we allow Obser 2 pag. 336. as being understood of Catechizing or instruction As for private absolution how far we think it to be required it hath been shewed of us heretofore namely in the 8. Sect. and 1. Observat both upon this and also upon the Confession of Bohemia Vpon the same Obser 3. pag. page 336. That Christ is truly and substantially present c. Looke the 1. and 2. Observat upon the Confession of Auspurge Vpon the same That Christ witnesseth that he is in them and doth make them Obser 4 pag. 337. his members c. Both these also we doe imbrace as is contained in the word of God namely so that this whole dwelling be by his power and efficacie and that the flesh of Christ be communicated unto us yet after a spirituall and mysticall manner as hath been declared of us before both in the Confession of Bohemia and of Auspurge Vpon the same And lessons appointed c. How farre we doe allow this distribution Obser 5. pag. 337. of the holy Scripture look the 1. Observat upon the Confession of Bohemia the 1. Section Vpon the Confession of Wirtemberge That the true body of Christ c. Look before in the 1. Observation Obser 1. pag. 342. upon the Confession of Auspurge Vpon the same Of the body of Christ being onely absent c. We doe beleeve Obser 2 pag. 342. out of the word of God and by the perpetuall and evident agreement of the whole ancient and true Church that the body of Christ hath alwaies been is and shall be circumscribed and locall Wherefore as when he lived upon the earth he was no where else so now also being above in heaven he is there and no where else in his substance as Vigilius plainly affirmeth against Eutiches Yet for all that we doe not affirme that the very body of Christ is onely or simply absent or that the bread and wine are only simple naked signes or bare Pictures or nothing else but certaine tokens of Christian profession For in this sense is there one onely action of the holy Supper that yet not withstanding it should be partly corporall and celebrated upon the earth in which respect we doubt not to say that Christs body is as farre distant from us as heaven is from the earth partly heavenly the minde and faith lifting up the heart unto God in the which respect we acknowledge that the body of the Lord is present in the Supper to our minde and faith But that they be bare and naked signes how can we possibly affirme which so often and so evidently have beaten upon this that the things signified are no lesse certainly given unto the minde then the signes themselves unto the body Vpon the same Or else change them into the body and blood c. We see not Obser 3. pag. 342. how God may be said to be able to doe that which is manifestly repugnant to his own will concerning the
our God to have created Gen. 1. 2. man to wit our first father Adam to his own image and similitude to whom he gave wisdome Lordship justice free-will and cleare knowledge of himselfe so that in the whole nature of man there could be noted no imperfection From which honour and perfection man and woman did both fall the woman Gen. 2. being deceived by the serpent and man obeying the voice of the woman both conspiring against the Soveraigne Majestie of God who in expresse words had before threatned death if they presumed to eate of the forbidden tree Of Originall sinne BY which transgression commonly called Originall sinne was the Image of God utterly defaced in man and he and his posteritie Eph. 3. Rom. 5. Iohn 3. Rom 5. 8. of nature became enemies to God slaves to Satan and servants to sin Insomuch that death everlasting hath had and shall have power and dominion over all that have not been are not or shall not be regenerate from above which regeneration is wrought by the power of the holy Ghost working in the hearts of the Elect of God an assured faith in the promise of God revealed to us in his word by which faith we apprehend Christ Iesus with the graces and benefits promised in him Of the revelation of the promise FOr this we constantly beleeve that God after the fearefull and and horrible defection of man from his obedience did seeke Adam againe call upon him rebuke his sinne convict him of the Gen. 3. Gen. 12. 15. Isa 7. 8. same and in the end made unto him a most joyfull promise to wit that the seed of the woman should breake down the serpents head that is he should destroy the works of the Devill which promise as it was repeated and made more cleare from time to time so was it imbraced with joy and most constantly received of all those faithfull from Adam to Noe from Noe to Abraham from Abraham to David and so forth to the incarnation of Christ Iesus all we meane the faithfull Fathers under the law did see the joyfull dayes of Christ Iesus and did rejoyce The continuance increase and preservation of the Church VVE most constantly beleeve that God preserved instructed Ezâ—c 16. Gâ—n 12. 13. Exod. 1. 2. Exod. 20. multiplyed honoured decored and from death called to life his Church in all ages from Adam till the comming of Christ in the flesh For Abraham he called from his Fathers countrey him he instructed his seed he multiplied the same he marvellously preserved and more marvellously delivered from the bondage and tyrannie of Pharaoh to them he gave his laws constitutions and ceremonies them he possessed in the land of Canaan to them after Iudges and after Saul he gave David to be Josu 1. 25. 2 Reg. 17. King to whom he made promise that of the fruit of his loynes should one sit for ever upon his regall seat To this same people from time to time he sent Prophets to reduce them to the right way of their God from the which oftentimes they declined by Idolatry And albeit that for the stubborn contempt of justice he 2 Reg. 24. 25. Deut. 28. Ier. 39. Esdr 1. Agge 1. 2. Zach. 3. was compelled to give them into the hands of their enemies as before was threatned by the mouth of Moses in so much that the holy Citie was destroyed the temple burnt with fire and the whole land left desolate the space of 70. yeeres yet of mercie did he reduce them againe to Ierusalem where the Citie and Temple were reedified and they against all temptations and assaults of Satan did abide till the Messias came according to the promise Of the incarnation of Christ Iesus VVHen the fulnesse of time came God sent his sonne his Galat. 4. Luk. 1. 2. eternall wisdome the substance of his own glory into this world who tooke the nature of manhood of the substance of a woman to wit of a Virgin and that by operation of the holy Ghost And so was borne the just seed of David the angel of the great counsell of God the very Messias promised whom we acknowledge and confesse Emmanuel very God and very man two perfect natures united and joyned in one person By which our confession we condemne that damnable and pestilent heresies of Arrius Marcion Eutiches Nestorius and such others as either did denie the eternitie of his Godhead either the veritie of his humane nature either confound them either yet divide them Why it behoveth the Mediatour to be very God and very man VVE acknowledge and confesse that this most wondrous conjunction betwixt the Godhead and the manhood in Christ Iesus did proceed from the eternall and immutable decree of God whence also our salvation springeth and dependeth Election FOr that same eternall God and Father who of meere grace elected us in Christ Iesus his Sonne before the foundation of the world was laid appointed him to be our head our brother Ephes 1. Heb. 2. our Pastour and great Bishop of our soules But because that the enmitie betwixt the justice of God and our sinnes was such that no flesh by it selfe could or might have attained unto God it Iohn 20. behoved that the Sonne of God should descend unto us and take himselfe a body of our body flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones and so become the perfect Mediatour betwixt God and man giving power to so many as beleeve in him to be the sonnes of God as himselfe doth witnesse I passe up to my Father and Iohn 1. Iohn 20. unto your God By which most holy fraternitie whatsoever we have lost in Adam is restored to us againe And for this cause are we not afraid to call God our Father not so much because hee hath created us which we have common with the reprobate as for that that he hath given to us his onely Sonne to be our brother and given unto us grace to acknowledge and embrace him for our Mediatour as before is said It behoved farther the Messias Isa 53. and Redeemer to be very God and very man because he was to beare the punishment due for our transgressions and to present himselfe in the presence of his Fathers judgement as in our person to suffer for our transgression and inobedience by death to overcome him that was authour of death But because the onely Godhead could not suffer death neither yet could the only manhood overcome the same he joyned both together in one person that the imbecillitie of the one should suffer and be subject to death which we had deserved and the infinite and invincible power of the other to wit of the Godhead should triumph and purchase to us life libertie and perpetuall victory and so we confesse and most undoubtedly beleeve Christs Death Passion and Buriall THat our Lord Iesus offered himselfe a voluntary sacrifice unto Heb. 10. Esa 53. his Father for us that he
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
pleasure he doth manifestly and malapertly against our Lord who instituted this Sacrament and committeth a thing cleane contrary to his holy Testament and last will which was declared in his owne words and that expressely Also this Sacrament ought to be received and administred without adoration and without that worship which is due to God alone yet with a due kinde of religion and reverence and chiefly with that which is the chiefest of all namely with faith and examination of himself which in this action is most acceptable to Christ our Lord and most profitable for men which also St. Paul taught the first Church and exhorted it hereunto saying 1 Cor. 11. Let every man trie or examine himselfe and so let him eate of that bread and drinke of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily doth eate and drinke his owne iudgement or condemnation because he discerneth not the Lords body And in another place Prove your selves whether ye are in the faith examine your selves 2 Cor. 13. know ye not your owne selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Now I pray unto God that ye doe no evill If so be that any man approach to this table without such a tryall and not making himselfe worthy who hath not first examined himselfe what manner of faith he hath with what purpose he came to this Sacrament or how he had prepared himselfe hereunto I say such a man should greatly prophane and reproach this Sacrament yea the whole institution hereof appointed by Christ For which cause the Ministers of our Churches doe admit none to this Sacrament neither give it unto any but to such as are noted to come unto it seriously and doe so much as in them lyeth prepare themselves hereunto after such a manner as becometh Christian godlinesse Now when the Congregation doth come together to celebrate the use of the Lords Supper and be partakers thereof then according to the example of the Primitive Church our Ministers doe teach in their holy Sermons concerning Christ and concerning the grace which through him and in him is given to sinners and especially concerning his death the sheading of his blood and the redemption and salvation purchased thereby After that the whole Church doth joyne together in faithfull prayers unto God to obtaine this that they may indeed use this Sacrament worthily * Looke the 3. Observat Moreover in the next place absolution from sinnes is lawfully administred the words of the institution are rehearsed and the people by exhortation is stirred up to a reverent consideration of this mysterie and to a cheereful and serious contemplation of the benefits of God the Sacrament is reverently with all godlinesse distributed and the people of the faithfull * Looke the 4. Observat most commonly falling downe on their knees doe receive this Sacrament with thankesgiving with gladnesse with singing of hymnes or holy songs and they shew forth the death of the Lord and admonish themselves of all his benefits to the confirmation of their faith in a true communion with Christ and his bodie And all this we doe according to the meaning of those things which are commanded in the holy Scripture especially according to the saying of Christ Doe this in remembrance Luc. 22. 1 Cor. 11. of me and Paul saith So often as ye shall eat of this bread and drinke of this cup ye shall shew forth the death of the Lord till he come Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE affirme that the holy Supper of the Lord to wit the Artic. 36. other Sacrament is a witnesse to us of our uniting with our Lord Iesus Christ because that he is not onely once dead and raised up againe from the dead for us but also he doth indeed feed us and nourish us with his flesh and bloud that we being made one with him may have our life common with him For although he be now in heaven and shall remaine there till he come to judge the world yet we beleeve that by the secret and incomprehensible vertue of his Spirit he doth nourish * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession and quicken us with the substance of his body and blood being apprehended by faith But we say that this is done spiritually not that we may counterfeit an imagination or thought instead of the efficacie and truth but rather because this mysterie of our union with Christ is so high a thing that it surmounteth all our senses yea and the whole order of nature to conclude because that it being divine and heavenly cannot be perceived nor apprehended but by faith We beleeve as was said before that as well in the Supper as Artic. 37. in Baptisme God doth in deed that is truly and effectually give whatsoever he doth there sacramentally represent and therefore with the signes we joyne the true profession and fruition of that thing which is there offered unto us Therefore we affirme that they which doe bring pure faith as it were a certaine vessell unto the holy Supper of the Lord doe indeed receive that which there the signes doe witnesse namely that the body and bloud of Iesus Christ are no lesse the meate and drinke of the soule then bread and wine are the meate of the body Also out of the 38. Art a little after the beginning And also that that bread and wine which is given us in the Supper is indeed made unto us spirituall nourishment in as much as they doe offer unto our eies to behold that the flesh of Christ is our meate and that his bloud is our drinke Therefore we reject all those phantasticall heads which doe refuse these fignes and tokens seeing that Christ our Lord hath said This is my body and This cup is my bloud Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE say that Eucharistia that is to say the Supper of the Artic. 12. Lord is a Sacrament that is an evident Representation of the body and blood of Christ wherein is set as it were before our eyes the death of Christ and his Resurrection and whatsoever he did whilest he was in his mortall body to the end we may give him thankes for his death and for our deliverance and that by the often receiving of this Sacrament we may daily renue the remembrance thereof to the intent we being fed with the body and blood of Christ may be brought into the hope of the Resurrection and of everlasting life and may most assuredly beleeve that as our bodies be fed with bread and wine so our soules be fed with the body and blood of Christ To this Chrysost ad Eph. sâ—rm 3. cap. 1. Banquet we thinke the people of God ought to be earnestly bidden that they may all communicate among themselves and openly declare and testifie both the godly society which is among them and also the hope which they have in Christ Jesus For this cause if there had been
any which would be but a looker De consecr Dist 1. cap. omnes on and abstaine from the holy Communion him did the old Fathers and Bishops of Rome in the Primitive Church before private Masse came up excommunicate as a wicked person and as a Pagane Neither was there any Christian at that time which did communicate alone whiles other looked on For so did Calixtus Distinct 2. cap. seculares in times past decree That after the Consecration was finished all should communicate except they had rather stand without the Church doores For thus saith he did the Apostles appoint De conscer Dist 2 cap. Peract and the same the holy Church of Rome keepeth still Moreover when the people cometh to the holy Communion the Sacrament ought to be given them in both kindes for so both Christ hath commanded and the Apostles in every place have ordained and all the ancient Fathers and Catholique Bishops have followed the same And who so doth contrary to this he as Gelasius saith committeth Sacrilege And therefore we say that our adversaries De cons dist 2. cap. comperimus at this day who having violently thrust out and quite forbidden the holy Communion doe without the word of God without the authoritie of any ancient Councel without any Catholique Father without any example of the Primitive Church yea and without reason also defend and maintaine their Private Masses and the mangling of the Sacraments and doe this not onely against the plaine expresse commandement of Christ but also against all antiquitie doe wickedly therein and are very Churchrobbers We affirme that the bread and wine are the holy and heavenly mysteries of the body and blood of Christ and that by them Christ himselfe being the true bread of eternall life is so presently given unto us as that by faith we verily receive his body and blood Yet say we not this so as though we thought that the nature and substance of the bread and wine is clearely changed and goeth to nothing as many have dreamed in these latter times and yet could never agree among themselves upon their owne dreames For that was not Christs meaning that the wheaten bread should lay apart his owne nature and receive a certain new Divinitie but that he might rather change us and to use Theophilacts words might transforme us into his body For what In Ioa cap. 6. can be said more plainly then that which Ambrose saith Bread and Wine remaine still the same they were before and yet are changed De sacra lib. 4. cap. 4. into another thing Or that which Gelasius saith The substance of the bread or the nature of the wine ceaseth not to be Or that which Theodoretus saith After the consecration the mysticall In Dialogis 1. 2. signes doe not cast off their owne proper nature for they remain still in their former substance forme or kinde Or that which Augustine In serm ad Infantes De cons dist 2. cap Qui ma' dâ—casti In Matth 15. saith That which ye see is the Bread and Cup and so our eies doe tell us but that which your faith requireth to be taught is this The bread is the body of Christ and the cup is his blood Or that which Origen saith The bread which is sanctified by the word of God as touching the materiall substance thereof goeth into the belly and is cast out into the privie Or that which Christ himselfe said not only after the blessing of the cup but also after he had ministred the communion I will drink no more of this fruit of the Vine It is well known that the fruit of the Vine is wine and not blood Luc. 22. And in speaking thus we mean not to abase the Lords Supper or to teach that it is but a cold ceremonie onely and nothing to be wrought therein as many falsly slander us we teach For we affirme that Christ doth truely and presently give himselfe wholly in his sacraments In Baptisme that we may put him on and in his Supper that we may eate him by Faith and Spirit and may have everlasting life by his Crosse and blood And we say not this is done slightly or coldly but effectually and truly For although we doe not touch the body of Christ with teeth and mouth yet we hold him fast and eate him by faith by understanding and by Spirit And it is no vaine faith that comprehendeth Christ neither is it received with cold devotion that is received with understanding Faith and the Spirit For Christ himselfe altogether is so offered and given us in these mysteries that we may certainly know we be flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones and that Christ continueth in us and we in him And therefore in celebrating these mysteries the people are to good purpose exhorted before they come to receive the holy communion to lift up their hearts and to direct their minds to heaven De coâ—s dist 1. cap. Quaedo wards because he is there by whom we must be fed and live Cyrillus saith when we come to receive these mysteries all grosse Imaginations must quite be banished The Councel of Nice as it is alledged by some in Greeke plainly forbiddeth us to bee basely affectioned or bent toward the Bread and Wine which are set before us And as Chrysostome very aptly writeth we say That the bodie of Christ is the dead carkasse and we our selves must be the Eagles meaning thereby that we must flie on high if we will come to the body of Christ For this Table as Chrysostome saith is a Table of Eagles and not of Jaies Cyprian also This bread saith he is the food of the soule and not the meat of the De caena Domins belly And Saint Augustine saith How shall I hold him being absent How shall I reach my hand up to heaven to lay hold upon him sitting there He answereth Reach thither thy faith and then In Ioan. tract 50. thou hast laid hold on him Neither can we away in our Churches with these shews and sales and markets of Masses nor with the carrying about and worshipping of the bread nor with such other Idolatrous and Blasphemous fondnesse which none of them can prove that Christ or his Apostles ever ordained or left unto us And we justly blame the Bishops of Rome who without the word of God without the authoritie of the holy Fathers without any example of antiquitie after a new guise doe not onely set before the people the sacramentall bread to be worshipped as God but doe also carry the same about upon an ambling Palfraie whither soever themselves journey in such sort as in old times the Persians fire and the Reliques of the Goddesse Isis were solemnly carried about in Procession and have brought the Sacraments of Christ to be used now as a Stage Play and a solemne sight to the end that mens eyes should be fedde with nothing else but