THE CONFESSION of FAITH OF The Reformed CHURCHES in the NETHERLANDS WITH The FORMES which they use In The administration of the Sacraments The Exercise of Ecclesiasticall discipline The confirmation of Ecclesiasticall Officers Ministers Elders and Deacons The Celebration of Marriage before the Church Translated out of Dutch into English AMSTERDAM Printed by the Widow of STEVEN SWART 1689. THE CONFESSION of FAITH Revised in the Nationall Synod last held at Dordrecht in the year of our Lord 1618. and 1619. The I Article WE all do believe with the heart and confess with the mouth that there is one onely and single Spiritual Being which we call God everlasting incomprehensible invisible unchangeable infinite almighty perfectly wise just good and a super-abounding fountain of all good II. We know him by two means First by the Creation and maitaning and governing of the whole World seing it is before our eyes as a fair book in which all the Creatures both great and small are as characters showing unto us the invisible things of God viz. his eternal power and Godhead as St. Paul saith Rom. 1.20 All which things are sufficient to convince Mankind and to leave them without excuse Secondly he makes him self known unto us more plainly and fully by his Holy and Divine Word to wit as much as we stand in need of in this life to his Glory and the Salvation of his people III. We confess that this Word of God was not sent nor produced by the will of man but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost as St. Peter tells us God afterwards by a special care which he takes for us and our Salvation commanded his Servants the Prophets and Apostles to write down his manifested Word And he himself wrote with his own finger the two Tables of the Law. Therefore we call such Writings Holy and Divine Scriptures IV. We comprehend the Holy Scriptures in the two Volumnes of the Old and New Testament which are Canonical Books without all contradiction These are summed up in the Church of God after this manner The Books of the Old Testament are the five Books of Moses viz. Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronome the Book of Joshua Judges Ruth two Books of Samuel and two Books of the Kings two Books of the Chronicles the first Book of Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job the Psalms of David the three Books of Solomon viz. the Proverbs Ecclesiastes and the Song the four great Prophets viz. Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel and Daniel and the other twelf lesser Prophets viz. Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah 〈◊〉 Micah Nahum Habbakuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Those of the New Testament are the four Evangelists viz. Mathew Mark Luke John the Acts of the Apostles the fourteen Epistles of the Apostle Paul viz. to the Romans two to the Corinthians to the Galatians to the Ephesians to the Philippians to the Colossians two to the Thessalonians two to Timothie to Titus to Philemon to the Hebrews the seven Epistles of the other Apostles viz. the Epistle of James the two Epistles of Peter the three Epistles of John the Epistle of Jude and the Revelation of the Apostle John. V. These Books onely we receive as holy and canonical to the regulating grounding and confirming of our Faith believing without any doubt all which is contained in them not so much because the Church doth receive and take them for such but more especially because the holy Ghost bears witness in our hearts that they are from God seeing they carry the evidence of it along with them for the very blind are able to perceive the fulfilling of those matters that are fore told in the same VI. We distinguish those holy Books from the Apocryphal viz. the third and fourth Book of Ezdras the Books of Tobie and Judith the Books of Wisdom Jesus Syrach Baruch the Appendix to the book of Esther the prayer of the three men in the fire the History of Susanne that of the Image of Bell and the Dragon the prayer of Manasse the Books of the Macchabees All which the Church may read and take instruction out of them in as much as they do agree with the Canonical Books But they have not such a power and efficacy as to confirm by any of their Testimonies any point of the Faith or Christian Religion much less to detract of the authority of those other Holy Books VII We believe that these Holy Scriptures doe fully contain the will of God and that every thing which a man ought to believe unto Salvation is sufficiently taught in the same For because the whole manner of service which God requires of us is writ down in them at large it is unlawfull for any one thô an Apostle to teach otherwise then we are taught by the Holy Scriptures nay though it was an Angel from heaven as St Paul saith For seeing it is forbidden to add unto or take away any thing from the word of God it doth evidently appear that the Doctrine of it is very perfect and compleat in all respects Neither ought we to compare the writings of any men thô never so holy unto those divine Scriptures nor the customs with the truth of God for the truth is above all nor the great multitude nor Antiquity nor Succession of times or Persones nor Councels or Decrees For all men are naturally Lyars and more vain then Vanity it self Therefore we reject with our very heart every thing which doth not agree with this infallible Rule as the Apostles have taught us saying Try the Spirits whether they are of God. And If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house VIII According to this truth and this Word of God we believe in one onely God who is one single Being which are three persons in deed and in truth and from everlasting distinguished according to their incommunicable Attributes viz. the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost The Father is the cause the original and the beginning of all things both visible and invisible the Son is the Word the Wisdom and the Image of the Father the Holy Ghost is the eternal strength and power proceeding from the Father and the Son. Nevertheless God is not by this distinction divided into three since the Holy Scriptures doe teach us That the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost each of them hath his substance distinguished by their Attributes but thus that these three persons are but one onely God Hence it is plain that the Father is not the Son and that the Son is not the Father and that neither the Holy Ghost is the Father nor the Son. Howbeit these persons thus distinguished are not divided nor mixed together For the Father has not taken upon him the Flesh neither hath the Holy Ghost done it but onely the Son the Father hath never been without his Son or without his Holy Ghost for they are all three coeternall and coessential
he hath given the Magistrates the sword in their hands for a punishment of the wicked and a protection of the godly And their office is not onely to take heed unto and to watch over politick assaires but also to maintain the holy Ecclesiastical service for the hindring and exstirpating of all Idolatry and false worship for the throwing down of the Kingdom of Antichrist and the exalting that of Jesus Christ and to cause the Gospel to be preached everywhere that so God may be honoured and served of every one as he has commanded in his Word Moreover every one of what quality condition or State he is is bound to submitt him self to the Magistrates to pay taxes to give them all honour and due respect and to obey them in all things that are not contrary to the Word of God praying for them in their prayers that the Lord may guide them in all their wayes and that wee may live quietly and peaceably in all God liness and honesty And therefore wee reject the Anabaptists and other seditious people and in generall al those that do reject Magistrates and the higher powers and would subsert Justice introducing a communion of goods and confounding the decency which God hath instituted among men XXXVII Lastly wee believe according to the Word of God that when the time ordained of the Lord thô unknown to all Creatures shall be accomplished and the number of the elect compleated our Lord Jesus Christ will come down from heaven corporally and visibly as he is ascended with great Glory and Majesty for to declare him self a Judge both of the living and the dead appointing this ould world to bee burnt with fire and slames for its purification and then shall all men personally appear before this great Judge both Men Women and Children that ever have been from the beginning of the World unto the end being summoned by the voice of the Archangel and the sound of the divine Trumpet For all the dead shall be raised out of the grave and the Soules shall be joined and united with their own bodies in which formerly they have lived And as for those who then shall live they shall not dye as the others but be changed in a moment and from corruptible become incorruptible Then the Books of the Conscience will be opened and the dead shall be judged according to their deeds done in this World whether they be good or evil Nay men shall give an account of every idle word which they have spoken which hath bene accounted by the World but sport and pastime and then the hidden things and the Hypocrisy of men will be made manifest and discovered before every one And therefore the very remembrance of this Judgment is terrible and dreadfull to the evildoers and the wicked but very desirable and comfortable to the godly and Elect seing then their full deliverance shall bee accomplished and they shall there receive the fruits of their labour and troubles which they have undergone their innocency will appear to all and they shall see the terrible vengeance which God will execute against the wicked who have most cruelly persecuted oppressed and vexed them in this world They will be convicted by the testimony of their own consciences and shall be immortall but in such a manner that it shall be for to be tormented in the everlasting fire which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels On the contrary the Faithfull and Elected shall be crowned with glory and honour The Son of God will confess their names before God his Father and his chosen Angels all teares shall be wiped away from their eyes Their cause which now is condemned by many Judges and Magistrates as heretical and ungodly will beeknown to be the cause of the Son of God. And for a gracious reward the Lord will cause them to enjoy such a glory as the heart of men never should be able to imagine Therefore wee expect that great day with a great longing that so wee may fully enjoy the promises of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. FORME For the administration of the Sacrament of Baptisme to Infants THE Doctrine of Baptisme consisteth of these three points First That wee with our Children are conceived and borne in sinne and are therefore children of wrath insomuch that wee cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven except wee bee borne againe This is signified unto us by sprinkling the childe with water whereby the uncleannesse of our soules is set forth unto us and wee are admonished to loath our selves and to be humbled before God and to seeke our cleansing and salvation out of our selves Secondly Baptisme doth signifie and seale unto us the washing away of our sinnes through Jesus Christ therefore are wee baptized in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost God the Father doth witnesse and seale unto us that hee hath entred into an everlasting Covenant of grace with us that hee hath adopted us to bee his children and heyrs and will provide for us all manner of good and keepe from us all evill or turne it into good When wee are baptized in the name of the Son the Lord Jesus Christ doth seale unto us that he washeth us in his blood from all our sinnes incorporating us into the fellowship of his death and resurrection that wee are freed from our sinnes and accounted just before God. In like manner when wee are baptized in the name of the Holy Ghost the holy Spirit of God doth assure us by this Sacrament that hee will dwell with us and sanctifie us to bee members of Christ applying unto us what wee have in Christ namely the washing away of our sinnes the daily reneuwing of our soules till wee bee presented at last among the rest of the Elect without spot to partake of everlasting life Thirdly Whereas in all Covenants there are contained two parts therefore are wee by God through Baptisme admonished of and obliged unto new obedience namely that wee cleave to this One God Father Son and Holy Ghost that wee trust in him and love him with all our heart with all our soules and all our minde that wee forsake the world crucifie our ould nature and walke in a new and holy life And if through weakenesse somtimes wee fall into sinne wee must not despaire of Gods mercy nor continue in sinne considering that Baptisme is a signe and seale of our everlasting Covenant with God. And although our children understand not these things yet may they not therefore bee excluded from Baptisme for as they are without their knowledge partakers of the condemnation through Adam so are they againe received to mercy in Christ as God speakes to Abraham the Father of all the Faithful and consequently to us and our children Genes 17. saying I will establish my Covenant betweene mee and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to bee thy God to thy seed after thee This also
heartily sorry for the same worke in us a greater measure of sorrow that wee fearing thy judgements which thou executest against stubborne and impenitent sinners may labour so much the more to please thee Graunt that wee may keepe our selves from all pollutions and defilements of the world and of all those who are cut off from the communion of the Church that wee may not make our selves partakers of their sinnes and that those who are cut off may bee brought to shame for their sinnes And seeing thou takest no pleasure in the death of sinners but that they returne and live and settest alwayes open the bosome of thy Church to receive penitent sinners bee pleased to kindle in us a right zeale that both by our admonitions and examples wee may labour to reduce againe this excommunicated person and all such who through infidelity and wickednesse of life are going astray blesse our admonitions that wee may have cause to rejoyce over him for whose sake wee are now in heavinesse that thy holy name may bee glorified through the Lord Jesus Christ who hath taught us to pray Our Father c. FORME For the receiving and admitting againe of excommunicated persons BEloved in the Lord it is knowne unto you that sometimes past our fellow member N. hath beene Excommunicated and cut off from the Church of Christ Now wee can not conceale from you how that hee through the forenamed remedy as also through good admonishions and your prayers is come so farre that hee is ashamed of his sinnes and desireth to bee received againe into the fellowship of the Church Therefore wee being bound to receive such with joy and yet to keepe also good orders therefore wee give you heere to understand that wee are resolved to loose againe the forenamed excommunicated person from the bond of excommunication at the next time when by the grace of God wee shall celebrate the Supper of the Lord and to receive him againe into fellowship with the Church except there bee some who meane while shall shew any lawfull cause wherefore this ought not to bee done which you are to signify to us betime In the meane time every one of you is to praise the Lord for his mercy manifested to this poor sinner and to intreat him to perfect his worke in him to his everlasting salvation If no impediment bee brought the Minister is to proceed to the receiving of the excommunicated person againe after this following manner Beloved in the Lord wee have the last time acquainted you with the repentance of our fellowe member N. that he with your consent may bee received againe into the Church of Christ seeing therefore no body hath brought any thing whereby his admission againe should bee differred therefore wee intend at this time to proceed to the same The Lord Jesus Christ having confirmed the sentence of the Church in the excommunication of an impenitent sinner declareth thereupon presently that whatsoever the Minister shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven whereby hee gives to understand that when any body is cut off from the Church that thereby hee is not bereaved of all hope of salvation but that hee can bee loosed againe from the bond of his condemnation Therefore seeing God doth declare in his Word that hee hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner but that hee bee converted and live the Church in like maner hath hope of the conversion of the excommunicated sinner and keepes her bosome open to receive againe the penitent therefore doth the Apostle exhort 1 Cor. 5. that the Corinthian whom hee had declared should have beene cut off from the Church bee received comforted againe seeing that after hee had beene reprooved by many hee was come to the knowledge of his sinne least hee bee swallowed up by overmuch heavinesse 2 Cor. 2. Secondly Christ in the forenamed place doth teach that the sentence of absolution which is pronounced to such a penitent sinner according to the Word of God is accounted stedfast and firme with the Lord therefore ought no body who doth uprightly repent make any question but that hee is received of God as Christ sayth Joh. 2. Whose sinnes yee remit to those they are remitted To come therfore to the businesse in hand I afke you N. whether you declare heere before God and his Church from your heart that you are truely sorry for your sinnes and obstinacy for which you have most justly beene cut off from the Church and whether you doe unfeignedly beleeve that God hath forgiven and doth forgive your sinnes for Christ his sake and therefore are desirous to bee received againe into the Church to carry your selfe from henceforth in all piety according to the Word of God Answer Yea. Heereupon shall the Minister say further Wee in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ being met heere declare you N. to bee loosed from the bonds of Excommunication and pronounce you to stand againe in the fellowship of the Church the holy Sacraments and all other spirituall blessings and benesits which God hath promised and makes good to his Church in which the eternall God preserve you through his onely begotten Sonne Jesus Christ Amen Rest therefore assured beloved Brother that the Lord hath received you againe in mercy bee carefull to take heed of the subtile temptations of Sathan and the wickednesse of the world that you fall not againe into sinne Love the Lord Jesus Christ for many sinnes are forgiven you And yee beloved Christians receive this Brother with hearthy affection rejoyce that hee who was dead is made alive againe who was lost is found againe rejoyce with the Angels in Heaven over this sinner who repenteth holde him no longer as one who is a stranger but a fellow Citizen of the Saints and of the houshoulde of God. And whereas we can have no good thing from our selves letus blesse the Lord for this his mercy and further call upon his name GRacious God and Father wee blesse thee through Jesus Christ that thou hast given to this our fellow brother repentance to life and us cause to rejoyce in his conversion wee pray thee assure him more and more of the forgivenesse of his sinnes that hee may receive fulnesse of joy and greater willingnesse to serve thee And whereas hee hath offended many hy his sinne graunt that hee may edify many by his conversion and that hee may walke in thy wayes stedfastly to the end and let us learne by his example that there is mercy with thee that thou mayest bee feared and esteeming him our fellow brother and coheyre of eternall life may serve thee togetherwith a child ike seare and obedience all the dayes of our life through our Lord Jesus Christ in whose name wee conclude our Prayers saying Our Father c. FORME For the Confirmation of the Ministers of the Word After Sermon and Prayers ended the Minister shall say thus to the people BEloved Brethren It is knowen to you
how that wee three severall times have propounded unto you the name of our fellow Brother N. heere present to see if there was any body who had any thing against him eyther in doctrine or life whereby hee might bee hindred from being confirmed in the Ministery of the Word seeing now that no body hath shewed any lawfull exception against his person therefore are we now in the name of the Lord to proceed to his Confirmation For which cause you N. and all yee who are present are to hearken to ashort declaration touching the institution and worke of the Pastour or Minister of the Word Where in the first place you are to observe That God our Heavenly Father having purposed to call and assemble out of sinfull mankinde a Church to everlasting life useth heere unto out of his singular grace the ministry of men therefore saith Paul That Christ hath given some to bee Apostles some to bee Prophets some Evangelists some Pastours and Doctors for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of his service namely the edification of the body of Christ Out of which wee see that the Apostle saith that among others the Pastors Office is an institution of Christ Now what belongs to his holy Office wee can easily see out of the very name given unto it for as the charge of a common Shepheard is to feed the flocke committed unto his charge to leade rule and protect the same so is it with the spiritual Pastours which are set over the Church of God which God esteemes as sheepe of his Pasture The pastures wherewith these Sheepe are to bee fed is nothing else but the preaching of the Word of God with the service of Prayer and administration of the Sacraments the same Word of God is also the staffe wherewith the flocke is lead and ruled consequently the office of the Pastours and Ministers of the worde of God consists heere in First That they faithfully propound the Word of God contained in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and apply the same both in generall and particular to the edification of the hearers instructing admonishing comforting and reprooving according to every ones necessity preaching conversion to God and reconciliation with him through faith in Christ as also refuting with the worde of God all errours and heresies which are repugnant to sound Doctrine All this is plainly discovered unto us in holy Scripture For the Apostle Paul saith That these labour in the Word and elswhere hee saith That this ought to bee done according to the rule of Faith and that a Pastor must hold fast that faithful and sincere word which is according to Doctrine and divide it aright also hee that prophecyeth that is who teacheth Gods word speaketh to edification admonition and consideration In another place hee doth put himselfe as a patterne to Pastors declaring that hee openly and in houses hath taught and testified the conversion to God and Faith in Jesus Christ But wee reade in an especiall manner a true description of the Office and Ministery of the Gospell 2. Cor. 5. wherein the Apostle speakes after this manner All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himselfe through Jesus Christ and hath given to us namely to the Apostles and Pastours the ministery of reconciliation to wit That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath commited to us the word of reconciliation Now then wee are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christs stead to bee reconciled to God. Touching refutation of unsound doctrine saith the Apostle to Titus Chap. 1. vers 6. That a Minister must holde fast the faithful word of God that hee may bee able by sound doctrine to convince the gainsayers Secondly The office of the Pastour is publiquely to invocate the name of God in the behalfe of the whole assembly For what the Apostles saith We will give our selves to prayer and the Ministery of the Word the same is common to these Pastors with the Apostles to which end the Apostle Paul thus exhorteth Timothy Wherefore I exhort that Supplications Prayers intercessions and giving of Thankes bee made for all men for Kings and for all in Authority Thirdly Their order is to administer the holy Sacraments which the Lord hath ordained and instituted as a seale of his grace as appeareth out of the Commandement which Christ hath given to his Apostles and in them to all the Pastours Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost In like manner I received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you The Lord Jesus in the night c. Fourthly The office of the Minister of the Word is to keepe the Church in good discipline and to rule them after that manner which the Lord hath ordained For Christ having spoken of Christian reproofe saith thus to his Apostles What you shall binde on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and Paul will have Ministers to bee able to governe their owne houses well because otherwise they should not bee able to governe well the Church of God. For this cause also the Pastors are called Housholders of God and Bishops That is Overseers and Watchmen for they have the inspection of the House of God wherein they converse to the end that all things may bee done decently and in order and that they open and shut with the Keyes committed unto them the Kingdome of Heaven according to the charge given unto them of God. Out of these things it doth appeare what an honourable worke the Pastorall office is seeing that such great things are done by the same yea how necessary it is to men for the salvation of their soules which is the reason also why God would have this office allwayes to remaine For thus speakes Christ to his Apostles when hee sends them abroad to exercise this function Loe I am with you to the end of the world Where wee see that his will and pleasure is that this holy office should bee kept and maintained alwayes upon earth unto the end of the world for those persons to whom hee spake can not live to the end of the world and therefore Paul exhorteth Timothy that hee would commend that which hee heard of him to faithful men who are able to teach also others and to this end also hee ordained Titus to bee a Pastor and commanded him that hee should ordaine Bishops and Elders in every place For as much therefore as wee to the maintaining of this office in the Church of God are now to ordaine a new Minister of the Word and having sufficiently spoken of the charge thereof Therefore you N. are to answer to that which shall bee propounded unto you that so it may appeare to every one that you are minded thus to receive this charge First I aske you whether you feele in your heart that you are