generall title of one or more reformed Churches for priuate writings are not alwaies so well considered of as they should And many of those writings also there are which most of vs neuer once saw or reade in all our liues And therefore we doe not acknowledge our selues indebted to render a reckoning for them Euen as wee also doe not thinke that the aduerse part will take vpon them to make answere for euery thing that is priuately penned by one or other on their sides of the learned euen the learnedest not exempted which might be esteemed to be done either hastily or vndeliberately And therefore it is that we do euen in the beginning of this writing say and testifie both for our needs sake and also for the common benefit that wee in no respect haue any such dangerous and detestable beleefe as peace-hating people ascribe vnto vs. CHAP. II. What our faith is in very truth NOw if any man shall further demand what then is our faith indeed the which we willingly acknowledge then is this our answere as followeth Wee beleeue that there is one onely true God Of God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ with the Sonne and holy Ghost and that accordingly there are three distinct persons in that one godly Essence the Father the Son and the holy Ghost We beleeue further that the same one God is euerlasting and Almighty and can doe whatsoeuer he will Also that hee is infinite and accordingly is present in all places at one time and seeth heareth and knoweth all things Also that hee is iust and punisheth no man without desert Also that he is mercifull and hath no delight in the death of sinners but that they should repent themselues and liue We beleeue further that the same one true God created heauen and earth and all that therein is of nothing Of the Creation We beleeue further that God sustaineth and ruleth all things which hee created and that hee hath them so in his hand Of the s◠knowledge of God that no creature can stirre or moue it selfe without his will and therefore nothing can come to passe without his permission whether it be good or euill Also all that God doth at present or permitteth to come to passe hee foreknew it from euerlasting and with well bethought councell had determined that hee euen so would doe it or permit it Also that hee did not determine to permit any wicked thing to come to passe but that which hee could and would turne to a good end We beleeue further that in the beginning God created all the Angels and men holy and good and especially man in his likenesse Of the fall of Angels and men and of originall sinne and to blessed immortality But they to wit the Angels and the two first of mankinde did shortly after their creation fall from God their Creator and haue by such their fall brought not onely vpon themselues the wrath of God but also such a pollution of their natures that now they can no more either will or accomplish any thing that is good Which pollution fell on the lost Angels altogether at one tim But mankinde inherits such defilement together with the guiltines both of the first and second death by propagation one from another From whence it is that the same corruptiō of mankind is called original sin We beleeue further though such a fearefull fall both of Angels and men Of the cause of mans fall could not haue come to passe without Gods permission and that hee appoints nothing without good consideration yet is not the fault of this fall in any manner to bee ascribed to him considering that he so created the Angels and men that they had free will to turne to good as well as to bad We beleeue further that it becomes not poore creatures to dispute with God wherefore he created the Angels and men so that they could fall Also wherefore he hindred not such a fall whereas he could well haue done it He is the Lord and his wil is euer iust and good though wee alwaies vnderstand it not The Apostle Paul saith Rom. 11.32 Gal. 3.22 that God hath shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe or vnder sin that hee might haue mercy on all that is that no man may be saued but meerely by the mercy of God Also Rom. 9.22.23 What and if God would to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction and that he might declare the riches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glory By this ought wee in all reason to let it so remaine Wee beleeue further that the fallen Angels and and men could not free themselues from the Almighty gouernance of But that they on the one side as well as on the other are in the hand of God and their wickednesse cannot otherwise break out then as God hath permitted it And this our faith is our greatest comfort on earth For and if the wicked Angels men had the bridle in their own powers where should we be able to abide for thē Wee beleeue further that though God permit many sinnes in the fallen Angels and men and that hee vseth oftentimes their sinfull actions to accomplish his holy workes as hee did the abominable deeds of Absalom to the punishment of Dauid and the treason of Iudas to the freedome of mankinde also though he often punish sinne by sin and blind and harden those commonly at last who with seeing eyes will yet be blind as formerly he did Pharaoh yet neuerthelesse he of himselfe hath no pleasure in sinne much lesse doth hee prouoke or driue any man thereunto but that the precedent working cause of all sinne which goeth before is onely and alone the free and vnforced will of wicked Angels and men We beleeue further that God hath adiudged the fallen Angels to euerlasting fire without any grace or mercy to terrifie vs thereby that we make not a iest of the anger of God against sinne Wee beleeue further that God had indeed iust cause and power also to push downe the fallen men into euerlasting hellish fire without any grace or mercy But hee hath not done it but hath offered grace again to man And that so he might shew thē mercy without breach of his iustice hee ordained his onely begotten Sonne to be our surety and Mediator and to take the punishment vpon him which we deserued and so deliuer vs from euerlasting wel deserued death by his innocent death To accomplish the said councell and wil of God the heauenly father the Sonne of God our Lord and redeemer Iesus Christ became man in the last times of the world conceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary and like vnto vs in all things sinne excepted And when hee had liued as a man thirtie yeeres he began to teach and preach the mercifull pleasure of
or I haue done it It is very hotly cast in our teeth that one of ours should haue written that God doth somthing prouoke a man holily to sinne But with as great diligence is that left out that without doubt stands by it or wee mistake the matter that God doth so no otherwise then when he will punish sinne with sin which vndoubtedly is a holy worke as the contentius are forced to confesse where they say So is blinding ascribed to God the Lord as a punishment of sinnes formerly committed which in it selfe is a good worke of godly iustice Heilb Synops fol. 50. And what cause haue they to complaine much against vs the holy Ghost himselfe vseth the like speech where hee saith in the lately mentioned example of Dauid And the wrath of the Lord was againe kindled against Israel and he moued Dauid against them in that hee said goe number Israel 2. Sam. 24.1 But yet they are hard sayings might some man say and they seeme in truth to import as much as if God were thereby made the causer of sin and had a delight in sin For how is it possible that he should not bee the causer of sinne and haue a delight and pleasure in sinne when that hee hath not onely determined the same that it should be accomplished but also hath himselfe a hand in the worke and moueth mankind thereunto Answere Blind mad and peremptory reason thinkes so indeed But whosoeuer submitteth himselfe to the word of God with an humble hart he shall wel know learn to vnderstand that therfore God is no causer of sinne or hath delight and pleasure in sinne though indeed he haue ordained that this or that sinfull worke of his creature should come to passe and the worke must be done yea hee ascribeth it to himselfe The which the better to be vnderstood by the Godfearing Reader we will impart this information in short according to our powers for his assistance The Almighty God as he once created al things euen so gouerneth hee all things continually by his prouidence Therefore the prouidence of God is nothing else then the almighty gouernment of God ouer all creatures good and bad and containeth two parts in it The first part is that hee maintaineth the being and power of all creatures so far and in what manner it pleaseth him without which maintenance no creature can be sustained a minute of one houre or is able to rule or moue himselfe in â—he least measure as Paul saith Hee giueth to all life and breath and all things Also In him wee liue and moue and haue our being Act. 17.25.28 The second part is that he hath the motions of all creatures in his hands and turneth them which way he wil according to the worke which he will accomplish by them as Dauid saith They continue all by thine ordinances Psal 119.91 and the examples manifest that sometimes fire sometimes water somtimes good somtimes bad Angels sometimes godly somtimes wicked men sometimes frogs sometimes lice c. must serue to accomplish his councels And there is nothing exempt from such a disposing of God euen also that which seemeth to be already performed as it is written The lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposition thereof is of the Lord. Prou 16.33 No not yet the very hearts and thoughts of men as it is written The Lord looketh downe from heauen and beholdeth all the children of men From the habitation of his dwelling he beholdeth all them that dwel on the earth He fashioneth their hearts euery one Psal 33.13.14.15 Also The heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord he turneth it whither soeuer it pleaseth him Prou. 21.1 It is true God hath indued the Angels and men with that kind nature that they can moue themselues by their owne free will and either intend this or that Euen indeed as they doe But for all that hee holdeth the raines of their free will in his hand in such a manner that either hee can let them proceed when it goeth after his will or he can pull it backe or moue it to this or the other side euen as sometimes a man draweth on a beast to a snare which hee letteth either passe freely before him or pulleth backe or can turne hither or thither Which comparison God himselfe vseth where hee saith to the King of Assiria I will put my hooke in thy nostrels and my bridle in thy lips and will bring thee backe againe the same way thou camest Esa 37.29 So both Angels and men remaine all of them together vnder the power and gouerment of God and cannot forecast much lesse bring to passe either little or great without the will of God Yet for all that there is a great difference in that which they intend to doe For sometimes they doe that which God hath commanded them to doe sometimes they do the cleane contrary out of their free will When they now do that which God hath giuen them commission for then doe they right therein and God is well pleased therewith furthereth it and rewardeth it at the last But when they doe what hee hath forbidden them then doe they badly therein And though hee suffer them sometimes to goe on in such their doings yet hath hee no pleasure in their disobedience but hateth the same disobedience earnestly and punisheth them at last But hee therefore suffereth them to proceed in such their wicked actions that he may vse the same to good and also knoweth how to turne them so in their wicked course by the bridle of his prouidence that they cannot assault any where in their wickednesse but where he will For which there is a notable example of Shemei hee was of himselfe the enemy of Dauid and God vseth him to this end that he should poure out his enmity vpon Dauid euen at the same time when God would correct and humble Dauid by him Which Dauid confessed truly where hee saith Suffer him to curse for the Lord hath bidden him curse Dauid Who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so 2. Sam. 16.10 God did not bid him by any outward command but hee bid him by a secret and vnsearchable manner whereby he moued the wicked band-dog that hee should euen fall vpon Dauid and bite him Euen as hee by his secret and vnsearchable order commanded the rauens that they should feed Elias 1. King 17.4 And the Whale-fish that hee should cast out Ionas vpon the dry land Ionas 2.10 According to these so it is true that God doth not that which is euill but permitteth or suffereth it to be done Therefore in all equitie there can bee no guilt of sinne laid vpon him But the guilt onely of sin is the free wicked will of the sinfull creatures But for all that the permission or sufferance of God must so be right vnderstood namely not thus that God doth onely barely looke on what is done by the creatures like vnto one who
were there no sinne so small but it would condemne vs. For the iustice of God can endure no sinne Therefore there is no greater comfort vpon the earth then baptisme The comfort which we haue of Baptisme through which wee enter into the sentence of grace and mercy which iudgeth not sinne but expels it with many exercises The true vnderstanding and vse of Baptisme c. In respect whereof no man hath cause to bee terrified though he feeles euill lusts and desires and not to dispaire though he should euen fall but should call his baptisme to mind and refresh himselfe hartily with the same that God hath bound himselfe therein to mortifie his sins and not reckon them to damnation if hee doe not consent thereunto or remaine therein c. 3. Faith Also heere is now the third part of the Sacrament to bee handled that is faith that is that a man doth constantly beleeue how that this Sacrament doth not only betoken the death and resurrection at the youngest day by which a man is made anew How that is to be vnderstood that the worke of Baptisme doth presently begin in Baptisme to liue euerlastingly without sinne but that it also doth certainly begin and worke the same and vniteth vs vnto God that wee will euen vnto death mortifie sinne and striue against the same and hee on the contrary side will hold vs excused and deale gratiously with vs and not iudge vs according to rigour for that we are not without sinne in this life vntill we be purified by death How a man is pure So now thou vnderstandest how a man is innocent pure and without sin in baptisme and yet remaineth full of many euill lusts so that hee cannot otherwise be called pure then for that he hath made entrance thereinto and for that the same purity hath a signe and couenant that he ought to be more pure For which cause God will not attribute his remaining vncleanenesse vnto him and so hee is more pure by Gods gratious account of him then if that he should be pure in his owne nature c. For which cause a man must be very bold and free in holding himselfe to baptisme and beare himselfe against all sinne and terrour of conscience and most humbly say I know very well that I haue no cleane thing in mee but I am yet christened through which God who cannot lie hath bound himselfe not to impute my sinnes vnto mee but to crucifie and to destroy them So we doe now vnderstand that our innocency of baptisme is so called wholly and solly in respect of the Diuine mercy which begun it and taketh pitie on sinne esteeming vs as if we were without sinne c. Also sinne must still be for in truth wicked motions are to be esteemed sinne but this difference is to bee made that Gods grace will not yet reckon them for sinne if that wee encounter them with many endeauours workes and sufferings and at the last crucifie them by death Whosoeuer doth not so to those will hee not remit them because they doe not keepe touch with him in baptisme and their couenant but hinder the begun worke of God in baptisme c. And doe not know that they had power giuen them for their whole liues euen vnto the time of death yea and to the youngest day as was said before Also is there any man fallen into sinne then let him most strongly remember his baptisme how God did there ioyne in contract with him to pardon all his sinnes if hee will but resist them to the time of his death Vpon the same truth and couenant of God a man must cheerefully repose himselfe and then doth baptisme proceed in his worke and strength againe and then is the heart againe quieted and refreshed Not in respect of his worke or satisfaction but in Gods mercy which is promised him in baptisme for euer to remaine And a man must be so steadfast in faith that though all creatures and all sinnes should conspire against him yet he would not be remoued in respect that whosoeuer yeelds himselfe to be beaten from that hold he maketh God a liar in his contract in the Sacrament of baptisme c. So then we see that baptisme howsoeuer it be hindred in his worke by sinne Res Sacramenti Baptism yet the forgiuenesse and crucifying of sinne is onely made voide through vnbeleefe of the same And faith recals againe the same hinderance of his operation so that it doth wholly consist in faith And that I may speake it plainely then is it one thing to pardon sinne and an other to put off and renounce sinne Faith layeth hold on the forgiuenesse of sinnes though they be not wholly expulsed but to expulse sinne is by an endeauour against sinne and dying at the last sin sinkes to the bottome Both of these workes appertaine to Baptisme So writes the Apostle to the Hebrewes that they who were baptized and their sinnes pardoned they should cast away sinne which pressed downe For whilest I do beleeue that God will not attribute my sinnes vnto mee then remaines Baptisme in force and my sinnes are pardoned though a great part thereof remaine After that followes the final disposition thereof through sufferings and death This is the article which we confesse I beleeue in the holy Ghost the forgiuenesse of sinnes c. There consists Baptisme most especially in which this forgiuenesse is performed through Gods contract with vs c. Also for which cause must we keepe a good watch lest a deceiueable security doe not intrude it selfe whereby wee are moued to say with our selues doe so great and gracious things consist in Baptisme that God will not ascribe our sinnes vnto vs and so soone as wee returne from sinning then is all in good case by vertue of Baptisme then will I so long as I liue liue as I list and afterwards or at the day of my death I will take my Baptisme to heart and put God in mind of his couenant and so fulfill the worke of my Baptisme Yea assuredly there consists so much in Baptisme that when thou returnest againe from sinne and callest vpon thy couenant in Baptisme then are thy sinnes pardoned vnto thee But looke well to it when thou shalt sinne so peruersly and wilfully vpon grace that iudgement doe not take hold on thee and come vpon thee before thy returne come and though thou then wouldest beleeue in Baptisme or trust therein that through Gods perm ssion thy tentation bee so great that there will bee no place for faith For if so be that they doe scarcely remaine who doe not sinne or indeed doe fall by meere frailty where shall the outragious appeare who haue tempted and mocked the grace of God Therfore let vs walke with feare and trembling that wee may maintaine the riches of his Diuine Maiesty with a steadfast faith and giue praise vnto his mercy cheerefully for euer and euer Amen Behold