Citizens of the heauenlie Ierusalem haue the fruition of the moste inestimable benefites to wit of one God one Lord Iesus one faith and of one Baptisme out of the which Church there is neither life nor eternall felicitie And therfore we vtterlie abhor the blasphemie of those that affirme that men which liue according to equitie and iustice shall be saued what religion so euer they haue professed For as without Christ Iesus there is neither life nor saluation so shal there none be participant thereof but such as the father hath giuen vnto his Sonne Christ Iesus and those in time to come vnto him auow his doctrine and beleeue in him we apprehend the children with the faithful parents This Church is inuisible knowne onelie to God who alone knoweth whome he hath chosen and comprehendeth as well as said is the elect that be departed commonlie called the Church triumphant as those that yet liue and fight against sinne and Satan and shall liue hereafter The immortalitie of the soules THe elect departed are in peace and rest from their labours not that they sleepe and come to a certaine obliuion as some phantastikes doe affirme but that they are deliuered from all feare and torment and all temptation to which we and al Gods elect are subiect in this life and therfore doe beare the name of the Church militant as contrariwise the reprobate and vnfaithful departed haue anguish torment and paine that can not be expressed So that neither are the one nor the other in such sleepe that they feele not their torment as the parable of Christ Iesus in the 16. of Luke his wordes to the theefe and these wordes of the soules crying vnder the Altar O Lorde thou art righteous and iâst how long shalt thou not reuenge our blood vpon these that dwell in the earth doe testifie Of the notes by the which the true Church is discerned from the false and who shall be iudge of the doctrine BEcause that Satan from the beginning hath laboured to decke his pestilent sinagogue with the title of the Church of God and hath inflamed the heartes of cruell murtherers to persecute trouble molest the true Church and members thereof as Caine did Abell Ismaell Isaak Esau Iacob and the wholl priesthoode of the Iewes Christ Iesus himselfe and his Apostles after him It is a thing most requisite that the true Church be discerned from the filthie sinagogues by cleare perfit notes lest we being deceiued receiue and imbrace to our condemnation the one for the other The notes signes and assured tokens whereby the immaculate spouse of Christ Iesus is knowne from the horrible harlot the Church malignant we affirme are neither antiquitie title vsurped lineall descent place appointed nor multitude of men approouing an errour for Caine in age and title was preferred to Abell and Seth Ierusalem had prerogatiue aboue al places of the earth where also were the priests lineallie descended from Aaron and greater number followed the Scribes Pharisies and Priestes then vnfainedlie beleeued and approoued Christ Iesus and his doctrine yet as we suppose no man of sound iudgement will graunt that any of the forenamed were the Church of God The notes therefore of the true Church of God we beleeue confesse and auow to be first the true preaching of the worde of God in the which God hath reuealed himselfe vnto vs as the writings of the Prophets and Apostles doe declare Secondlie the right administration of the Sacramentes of Christ Iesus which must be annexed vnto the worde and promise of God to seale confirme the same in our hearts Lastlie Ecclesiasticall discipline vprightlie ministred as Gods word prescribeth wherby vice is repressed and vertue nourished Whersoeuer then these former notes are seene and of anie time continue be the number neââr so fewe aboue two or three there without all doubt is the true Church of Christ who according to his promise is in the midst of them Not in the vniuersall of which we haue before spoken but particular such as was in Corinthus Gallacia Ephesus and other places in which the ministery was planted by Paull and were of himselfe named the Churches of God and such Churches we the inhabitants of the Realme of Scotlande professours of Christ Iesus professe our selues âo haue in our Cities townes and places reformed For the doctrine taught in our Churches is contained in the written worde of God to wit in the bookes of the olde and new Testaments in those bookes we meane which of the auncient haue beene reputed Canonicall In the which we affirme that all thinges necessarie to be beleeued for the saluation of mankinde are sufficientlie expressed The interpretation whereof we confesse neither appertaineth to priuate nor publike person neither yet to anie church for any preheminence or prerogatiue personal or locall which one hath aboue another but appertaineth to the Spirit of God by the which also the scripture was written When controuetsie theÌ happeneth for the right vnderstanding of any place or sentence of scripture or for the reformation of anie abuse within the Church of God we ought noâ so much to looke what men before vs haue saide or done as vnto that which the holie ghost vniformlie speaketh within the bodie of the scriptures and vnto that which Christ Iesus himselfe did and commaunded to be done For this is one thing vniuersally graunted that the spirit of god which is the spirit of vnitie is in nothing contrarie to himselfe Iâ then the interpretation determination or sentence of anie Doctor Church or Councell repugne to the plaine worde of God written in anie other place of the scripture it is a thing moste certaine that there is not the true vnderstanding and meaning of the holie ghost although that councels Realmes and nations haue approoued and receiued the same For we dare not receiue nor admitâte anie interpretation which repugneth to anie principall point of our faith or to anie other plaine texte of scripture or yet vnto the rule of charitie The authoritie of the Scriptures AS we beleeue and confesse the scriptures of God sufficientlie to instruct and make the man of God perfect so doe we affirme and auowe the authoritie of the same to be of God and neither to depende on men nor Angels We affirme therefore that such as alledge the scripture to haue no other authoritie but that which it hath receiued from the Church are blasphemous against God and iniurious to the true Church which alwaies heareth and obeyeth the voice of her owne spouse and Pastour but taketh not vpon her to be maistresse ouer the same Of the generall Councells of their power authoritie and causes of their conuention AS we doe not rashlie damne that which godlie men assembled together in generall Councel lawfully gathered haue proponed vnto vs so without iust examination doe we not receiue whatsoeuer is obtruded vnto men vnder the name of
indiuisible diuine essence Of whoââ thorough whome and in whome are all things who loueth and rewardeth righteousnes 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 oâ the holie Trinitie and of the diuine vnitie and to acknowledge the soueraigne and infinite power wisedome and goodnes of the one onelie God out of which also ariseth proceedeth the sauing knowledge as wel of the essence as of the wil of god One kinde of works 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 onelie apprehended by the eies of faith and are these That the father as the fountaine welspring of the godheade from al eternity begetteth the son equal to himselfe and that himselfe remaineth not begotten neither yet is he the person of the sonne seeing he is a person begitting not begotten The soâne is begotten of the eternall father from all eterâitie ââue god of god and as he is a person he is not the father but the sonne begotten of the essence oâ nature of the father and consubstantiall with him which sonne in the fulnes of time which he had before appointed for this purpose himselfe alone as he is the sonne tooke vnto him our nature of the blessed Virgine Marie vnited it into one person with the godheade whereof we shall speak afterward But the holie Ghost proceedeth from the father and the sonne so he is neither the father nor the sonne but a person distinct from them eternal and the substantiall loue of the father and of the sonne surpassing all admiration these three persons are one true God as is a foresaid The other kinde of works in these persons in the vnitie of the godhead isâueth as it were into opeÌ sight out of the diuine esseÌce the persoÌs therof in which being distinct they haue manifested themselues these are three The first is the wonderfull worke of creation which the Creedes doe attribute to the father The second is the work of redemption which is proper to Christ The third is the worke of sanctification which is ascribed to the holie Ghost for which cause he in the Apostles Creede is peculiarlie called holie And yet all these are the proper workes of one true God that of him alone none other to wit the father the sonne and the holie Ghost This true and absolute faith and difficulte knowledge of God as well concerning ââs nature as his will is comprehended and conâeyned in the aforenamed Catholike and Apostolike Creede and in the decree of the Nicene Councell agreeing therewith and in manie other sound decrees and also in Athanasius his confession All which we iudge and professe to be true But it hath euerlasting sure groundes on which it relââth and moste waightie reasons by which it is out of the holy scripture conuinced to be true as by that manifestation wherein the whol Trinitie shewed it selfe when Christ the Lord was baptized in lordane by the commaundement of Christ because in the name of the persons of the same holie Trinitie al people must be baptized and instructed in the faith Also by Christes words when he saith the holy ghost the comforter whome the father will sende in my name shall teach you all these thinges and before these wordes he saith I wâl pray the father and he will giue you an other comforter who shall be with you for euer euen the spirit of trueth Besides we teach that this onelie true God one in essence and in diuine nature and three in persons is aboue all to be honoured with high worship as chiefe Lord and King who ruleth and raigneth alwaies and for euer and especiallie after this sorte that we looke vnto him aboue al and put all our confidence in him alone and offering vnto him all subiection obedience feare âl faith loue and generallie the seruice of the wholl inward and outward diuine worship do indeed sacrifice and performe it vnder paine of loosing euerlasting saluation as it is written Thou shalt worship the lord thy god him onely shalâ thou serue and againe thou shalt loue the lord thy god with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy minde to be short with aâ thy might as well of the inward as outward powers to whom be glorie from this time forth for euermore Amen Of holy men and their worshippe Chap. 17. AS touching holie men it is taught first that no maâ from the beginning of the world vnto this time either was is or can be henceforth vnto the end sanctified by his workes or holie actions according to the saying of Moses the faithfull seruant of the Lord when he cried out vnto the Lord O Lord in thy sight no man is innocent that is perfectlie holie And in the book of Iob it is written what is man that he should be vndefiled and he that is borne of a woman that âe should appeare iust to wit before God Beholde among his Saints none is immutable and the heauens are not cleane in his sight how much more abhominable and vnprofitable man who drinketh in iniquitie as water And the holie scripture plainelie witnesseth throughout all the bookes thereof that all men euen from their buth are by nature sinners and that there neither is nor hath bene anie one who of himselfe and by himselfe was righteous and holie but all haue gone aside free God and are become vnprofitable and of no account at all And whereas some are made holie and acceptable vnto God that is purchased vnto them without anie worthines or merit of theirs by him who alone is holie God himselfe of the meere grace and vnspeakeable riches of his goodnes hath ordained and brought them to that state that they be blessed and called redeemed by Christ clensed and consecrated by his blood annointed of the holie Ghost made righteous and holie by faith in Christ and adorned with commendable vertues and good deedes or workes which beseeme a Christian profession Of whome manic hauing finished their life and course in such workes haue now receiued and doe enioy by grace eternall felicitie in heauen where God crowneth those that be his Some of them also God hath indued with a certaine peculiar grace of his and with diuine giftes vnto the ministerie and to the publike and common good of the Church such as were the Patriarches Prophets and other holie fathers also Apostles Euangelists Bishops and manie Doctors and Pastors and also other famous men and of rare excellencie and verie well furnished with the spirite whose memorie monuments of their labours and the good thinges which they did are extant and continue euen vntill this daie in the holie scriptures and in the Church
to heare them he may worthely be saide to despise the Church it selfe Now with what spirit or with what spirituall authority we doe beleeue that they are furnished we haue declared before out of most firme foundations of the Scripture where we shewed what we thought of the spirituall or Ecclesiasticall offices dignitie For they cannot by anie meanes represent the Church of Christ or doe anie thing in the name thereof which are not Christes and therefore propound no Christian thinges but whatsoeuer is contrarie to the doctrine of Christ For although it maie be that euen the wicked maie teach some good thing and maie also prophesie in the name of Christ after their example to whom the Lord himselfe doth witnes that he will once in time to come say That he neuer knew them Yet it cannot be that they can discharge the duetie 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 âright of faith and be counted amongst the members of the Church as it doth often times falout when as the verie Children of God are wrapped in errours and doe also publish the same For the Church of Christ is whollie addicted to Christ himselfe Therefore that cannot be counted a doctrine precept or commaundement of the true Church except it be the same with the doctrine precept and commaundement of Christ himselfe And whosoeuer propoundeth anie other thing in her name although he were an Angell from heauen he is not to be heard as also the Church in those thinges doth represent nothing lesse theâ 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. 1â GOD hath alwaies vsed his ministers for the gathering or erecting vp of a Church to himselfe and for the gouerning and preseruation of the same and still he doth and alwaies will vse them so long as the Church remaineth on the earth Therefore the first beginning institution office of the ministers is a moste auncient ordinance of God himselfe not a new deuise appointed by men True it is that God can by his power without anie meanes take vnto 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 themselues alone but as the ministers of God euen such as by whose meanes god doth work the saluatioÌ of mankinde For which cause we giue couÌsel to beware that we do not so attribute the things that pertaine to our conuersion instruction vnto the secret vertue of the holy ghost that we make frustrate the ecclesiasticall ministery For it behoueth vs alwaies to haue in minde the words of the Apostle How shall they beleue in him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher Therefore faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God And that also which the Lord saieth in the Gospell Verelie verilie I saie vnto you he that receiueth those that I shall sende receiueth me and he that receiueth me receiueth him that sent me Likewise that a man of Macedonia appeared in a vision to Paull being then in Asia said vnto him Come vnto Macedonia and helpe vs. And in another place the same Apostle saith We together are Gods labourers and ye are his husbandry and his building Yet on the other side we must take heede that we do not attribute too much to the ministers and ministerie herein remembring also the wordes of our Lord in the Gospell No man commeth to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him And the wordes of the Apostle Who then is Paull and who is Apollo but the ministers by whome you beleeued and as the Lorde gaue vnto euerie one Therefore neither is he that planteth anie thing nor he that watereth but God that giueth the increase Therefore let vs beleeue that God doth teach vs by his worde outwardlie by his ministers and doth inwardlie mooue and perswade the heartes of his Elect vnto beliefe by his holie spirit and that therefore we ought to render all the glorie of this wholl benefite vnto God But we haue spoken of this matter in the 1. Chapter of this our declaration God hath vsed for his ministers euen from the beginning of the world the best and moste excellent men in the world for howsoeuer diuers of them were âut simple for worldly wisdom or Philosophy yet sure in true diuinitie they were moste excellent namelie the Patriarkes to whome he spake verie often by his Angells For the Patriarks were the Prophets or teachers of their age whome god for this purpose would haue to liue manie yeares that they might be as it were Fathers and lights of the world After them followed Mâseâ together with the Prophettes that were most famous throughout the wholl world Besides after all these ouâ heauenlie Father sent his onelie begotten sonne the moste absolute and perfect teacher of the world in whome is hidden the wisedome of God and from him deriued vnto vs by that moste holie perfect and moste pure doctrine of all other For he chose vnto himselfe Disciples whome he made Apostles And they going out into the wholl worlde gathered together Churches in all places by the preaching of the Gospell And after they ordained pastors and doctors in all Churches by the commaundement of Christ who by such as succeeded them hath taught and gouerned the Church vnto this day Therfore God gaue vnto his auncient people the Patriarks together with Moses the Prophets so also to his people vnder the new couenant he hath sent his onelie begotten Sonne and with him the Apostles and teachers of his Church Furthermore the ministers of the new couenant are termed by diuers names for they are called Apostles Prophets Euangelists Bishops Elders Pastors doctors The Apostles remained in no certaine place but gathered together diuers Churches throughout the wholl world which Churches when they were once established there ceased to be any more Apostles in their places were particular parsons appointed in euerie Church The Propheâtes in olde time did foresee and foretel things to come besides did interpret the scriptures and such are found some amongst vs at this day They were called Euangelists which were the penners of the historie of the Gospell and were also preachers of the Gospell of Christ as the Apostle Paull giueth in charge vnto Timothie To fulfill the worke of an Euangelist Bishops were the ouerseers the watchmen of the Church which did distribute foode and other necessities of the Church The Elders were the auncients as it were the senators and Fathers of the Church gouerning it with the wholesome counsell The Pastors did both keepe the Lords
flocke and also prouide things necessarie for it The Doctors doe instruct and teach the true faith and godlines Therefore the Church ministers that now are maie be called Bishops Elders Pastors and Doctors But in processe of times there where manie moe names of Ministers brought into the Church For some were created Patriarkes others Archbishoppes others suffragans other Metrapolitanes Archpriests Deacons Subdeacons Acolâthes Exorcists Queristers Porters I know not what a rable besides Cardinalls Prouosts and Priors Abbots greater and lesser gouerners higher and lower But touching all these we paâââ not a rush what they haue beene in time paste or what they are now It is sufficient for vs that forasmuch as concerneth Ministers we haue the doctrine of the Apostles We therefore knowing certeinelie that Monkes and the orders or sortes of them are neither instituted of Christ noâ ofhis Apostles we teach that they are so farre from being profitable that they are pernicious and hurtfull vnto the Church of God For although in former times they were somewhat tollerable when they liued solytarilie getting their liuings with their owne handes were burdensome to none but did in all places obey their Pastors euen as laie men yet what kind of men they be now al the world seeth perceiueth They pretend I know not what vowes but they lead a life altogether disagreeing from their vowes so that the verie best of them may iustlie be numbred among those of whome the Apostle speaketh We heare saie that there be some among you which walke inordinatelie and worke not at all but are busie bodies c. Therefore we haue no such in our Churches and besides we teach that they should not be suffered to rout in the Churches of Christ Furthermore no man ought to vsurpe the honour of the Ecclesiastical ministerie that is to say greedily to pluck it to him by bribes or anie euill shiftes or of his own accord But let the ministers of the Church be called and chosen by a lawfull and ecclesiasticall election and vocation that is to saie let them be chosen religiouslie of the Church or of those which are appointed thereunto by the Church and that in due order without anie tumult seditions or contention But we must haue an eie to this that not euerie one that wil be elected but such men as are fitte haue sufficient learning especiallie in the Scriptures and godlie eloquence and wise simplicitie to conclude such men as be of good reporte for a moderation and honestie of life according to that Apostlike rule which Saint Paull giueth in the 1. to Timothie 3. cap. and 1. to Titus And those which are chosen let them be ordained of the Elders with publike praier and laying on of handes We do here therfore condemne all those which runne of their owne accord beeing neither chosen sent nor ordained We do also vtterly disalow vnfit ministers such as are not furnished with giftes requisite for a Pastor In the meane time we are not ignorant that the innocent simplicitie of certaine Pastours in the primitiue Church did sometimes more profit the Church then the manifolde exquisite and nice learning of other some that were ouer loftie and high minded And for this cause we also at this daie do not reiect the honest simplicitie of certaine men which yet is not destitute of all knowledge and learning The Apostles of Christ doe terme al those which beleeue in Christ Priests but not in regarde of their ministerie but because that all the faithfull being made Kings and Priests by Christ maie offer vp spirituall sacrifices vnto God The ministerie then and priesthood are thinges farre different one from the other For priesthood as we saide euen now is common to all christians so is not the ministerie And we haue not taken awaie the ministerie from the Church because wee haue thrust the popish priesthood out of the Church of Christ For surelie in the new couenant of Christ there is no longer anie such priesthood as was in the auncient Church of the Iewes which had an externall annointing holie garments and verie manie ceremonies which were figures and tipes of Christ who by his comming fulfilled and abolished them And he him-selfe remaineth the onelie priest for euer and we doe not communicate the name of Priest to anie of the ministers lest we should detract anie thing from Christ For the Lorde himselfe hath not appointed in the Church anie Priests of the new Testament who hauing receiued authoritie from the Suffragane maie offer vp the hoste euerie daie that is the verie flesh and the verie bloode of our sauiour for the quicke and the dead but ministers which maie teach administer the sacraments Paull declaring plainelie and shortlie what wee are to thinke of the ministers of the new Testament or of the Church of Christ and what we must attribute vnto them Let a man saith he thus account of vs as of the ministers of Christ and dispensers of the mysteries of God So that the Apostle his minde is that we shoulde esteeme of ministers as of ministers Now the Apostle calleth them as it were vnderrowers which shoulde onelie haue an eie vnto their master and chiefe gouernour and be as men that liue not to themselues nor according to their owne will but vnto others to wit their Masters at whose commaundement and beck they ought to be For the minister of the Church is commaunded whollie and in all parts of his duetie not to please himselfe but to execute that onelie which he hath receiued in commaundement from his Lorde And in this same place it is expresselie declared who is our Master euen Christ to whome the ministers are in subiection in all the functions of their ministerie And to the ende that he might the more fullie declare their ministerie he addeth further that the ministers of the Church are stewards and dispensers of the mysteries of God Now the mysteries of God Paull in manie places and especiallie in the 3. to the Ephes doth call the gospell of Christ And the Sacraments of Christ are also called mysteries of the auncient writers Therefore for this purpose are the ministers called namelie to preach the gospell of Christ vnto the faithfull and to administer the Sacraments We reade also in another place in the gospell of the faithfull and wise seruant that his Lorde set him ouer his familie to giue foode vnto it in due season Againe in an other place of the gospell a man goeth into a straunge countrie and leauing his house giueth vnto his seruants authoritie therein committeth to them his substance and appointeth euerie man his worke This is now a fitte place to speake somewhat also of the power and office of the ministers of the Church And concerning their power some haue entreated and disputed ouer busilie and would bring al things euen the verie greatest vnder their iurisdiction and that against the commaundement of God who
sauing 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 Sainctes euerie man maie walke with all honestie and godlines in his place and in that order whereunto he is called of God and maâe by this meanes sanctifie the name of God and adorne the true doctrine Thirdlie in the catechisme these thinges are taught to inuocate one true God in a sure confidence in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ to praie and that not for themselues onelie and their priuate affaires but also for the whole Christian Church in all countries for the ministers of the Church and also for the ciuill Magistrate whoe is ordained of God and chiefelie for the Emperours and your Princely Maiestie for his moste noble children and wholl posteritie for his counsellers and all those that be subiect to his gouernment praying that it would please our gratious God to graunt and to giue vnto your Princelie and his Royall Maiestie a long life heaped with al good things and a happie gouernement and also a bening gentle and fatherlie minde affection of the heart toward al those that behaue themselues vprightlie are well affected do humblie obaie doe shew themselues faithfull and louing subiectes and those that doe in trueth worshippe God the Father and his sonne Iesus Christ And to be briefe we teach that prayers maie be made faithfullie for all men for our friends and enimies as the Doctrine of our Lorde Iesus Christ and his Apostles doth commaund vs and as examples doe shew that the verie first and holie Church did For which cause we are also instant with the people that they would diligentlie and in great numbers frequent the holie assemblies and there be stirred vp out of this worde of God to make earnest and reuerent praiers Now whatsoeuer is contrarie to this Catholike and Christian kinde of catechizing all that we doe forsake and reiect it is stronglie confuted by sure reasons and such as do leane vnto the foundations of the holy Scripture so farre forth as God doth giue vs grace hereunto and the people is admonished to take heed of such OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION VVE beleeue because Iesus Christ is the onelie Aduocate giuen vnto vs whoe also commaundeth vs to come boldlie vnto the Father in his name that it is not lawfull for vs to make our praiers in anie other forme but in that which God hath set vs downe in his worde and that whatsoeuer men haue forged of the intercession of Saints departed is nothing but the deceites and sleightes of Satan that he might withdrawe men from the right manner of praying These thinges were also set downe in the 2. Section but for an other purpose and the other parte of this Article is to be founde in the 16. Section OVT OF THE ENGLISH CONFESSION VVE make our praiers in that tongue which all our people as meete is maie vnderstand to the ende they may as S. Paull counselleth vs take common commoditie by common praier euen as all the holie Fathers and Catholike Bishoppes both in the olde and new Testament did vse to praie them selues and taught the people to pray too lest as Saint Augustine saieth Like Parotes and Oules we should seeme to speake that we vnderstand not OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SAXONY Article 14. which is intituled of the Supper GOd will haue the ministerie of his Gospell to be publique he will not haue the voice of the Gospell to be shut vp in corners onely but he will haue it to be heard he will haue himselfe to be knowen and inuocated of all mankind Therfore he would that there should be publique and well ordered meetings and in these he will haue the voice of the Gospell to sound there he will be inuocated and praised Also he will that these meetings should be witnesses of the confession and seuering of the Church of God from the sects opinions of other nations Iohn assembled his flocke at Ephesus and taught the Gospell and by the vse of the Sacraments the wholl companie did declare that they imbraced this doctrine and did inuocate this God whoe deliuered the Gospell and that they were seperated from the worshippers of Diana Iupiter and other Idoles For God will be seen and haue his Church heard in the worlde and haue it distinguished by many publike signes from other nations So no doubt the first Fathers Adam Seth Enoch Noe Sem Abraham had their meetinges and afterward the ciuill gouernment of Israel had manie rites that their separation from the Gentles might be more euident Also God gaue a peculiar promise to his congregation Math. 18. Wheresoeuer two or three be gathered together in my name I will be in the middest of them Also What soeuer they agreeing together shall desire it shall be done to them And in the 149. Psalme His praise is in the Church of the Saintes And the promises wherein God doth affirme that he will preserue his Church are so much the sweeter because we knowe that he doeth preserue and restore the publike ministerie in wel ordered meetinges as also in the verie wordes of the Supper this promise is included where he commaundeth that The death of the Lorde should be shewed forth and this Supper distributed till he come c. Hitherto also pertaineth the last parte of the 12. artilce of this confession where these thinges are founde touching the reuenues of Monasteries IN manie places the Churches want Pastours or else Pastours want liuing These men ought chiefelie to be relieued out of the reuenues of rich Monasteries then the studies of those which be poore must thereby be furthered and in some places Schooles maie be erected especiallie seing that it is necessary that the church should discharge the expences of manie poore that they might learne that so out of that number Pastours and ministers may be chosen to teach the Churches Also hospitals are thence to be relieued wherein it is necessarie that the poore which haue beene sicke along time should be nourished A great parte of the reuenues in these countries is by the goodnes of god transferred to such vses which are indeede godlie to wit to nourish Pastors the poore and Schollers to erect Schooles and to relieue hospitales that wich remaineth is bestowed in euerie Monasterie vpon the guiding ordering of thinges partaining to their houses and to think that this is not verie sumptuous it is but foolishnes As for the richer Abbotes in these daies vpon what vses they lauish out the reuenues the examples of manie doe declare whome we could name who doe both hate learning Religion and vertue and doe waste thâse almes rauenouslie and either set no Pastours ouer their Churches or if they haue anie they suffer them to statue OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Hitherto pertaineth first the 11. Article Of this confession WE thinke that it is
the Church but yet with this caution that mens consciences be not burdened so as they should account them as things necessarie to saluation and thinke they did sinne when they break anie one of them without offence of others as no man would saie that a woman doth offend if she come abroade with his head vncouered without the offence of anie Of this sort is the obseruation of the Lords day of Easter of Pentecost and such like holie daies and rites For they that thinke that the obseruation of the Lords daie was appointed by the authoritie of the Church in stead of the Sabboth as necessarie they are greatlie deceiued The scripture requireth that the obseruation of it should now be free for it teacheth that the Mosaicall ceremonies are not needful after âhe gospel is reuealed And yet because it was requisite to appoint a certeine daie that the people might know when to come together it seemeth that the Church did for that purpose appoint the Lords daie which daie for this cause also semed to haue better liked the Church that in it men might haue an example of Christian liberty and might know that the obseruation neither of the Sabboth nor of any other daie was of necessitie There are extant certeine monstrous disputations touching the chaunging of the law and the ceremoies of the new law and of the change of the change of the Sabboth which did al spring vp of a false persuasion that there should be a worship in the Church like to the Leuiticall worship and that Christ gaue the charge of deuising new ceremonies which should be necessarie to saluation to the Apostles and Bishops These errors crept into the Church when as the doctrine of faith was not plainly inough taught Some dispute that the obseruation of the Lords daie is not in deed of the law of God but as it were of the lawe of God and touching holie daies they prescribe how farre it is lawfull to worke in them What else are such disputations but snares for mens consciences OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SAXONY Of Anointing MOre ouer that which now is called Extreame anointing was in times past a kinde ofhealing as it is euident out of the Epist of Saint Ieames cap. 5. Now it is become a shew full of superstition They saie that sinnes be forgiuen through these anointinges and they adde there-unto inuocation of the dead which also must of necessitie be disliked Therefore these ceremonies are not kept in ouâ Churches neither in times past did the Church thinke thaâ they were necessarie But for the sicke we doe make godlie praiers publiquelie and priuatlie as also the Lorde hath promised that he will asswage euen corporall griefes in theâ that aske it of him according to that saying Psalme 49 Call vpon me in the daye of trouble and I will deliuer thee Also we vse burialles hauing there at a decent assemblie godlie admonitions and songes c. The first part of this .19 Article which is of confirmation was placed in the thirteenth Section Hitherto also pertaineth the beginning of the 20. Article so farre as it speaketh of a certaine time appointed for the seruice of God NAtural reason doth know that there is an order and the vnderstainding of order is an euident testimony of god neither is it possible that men should liue without any order as we see that in familes there must be distinct times of labour rest meate and sleepe and euerie nature as it is best so doeth it chiefelie loue order throughout the whole life Also Paull commaundeth That all things in the Church be done decently and in order Therefore there hath beene at al times euen from the beginning of mankinde a certaine order of publique meetinges there hath beene also a certaine distinction of times and certaine other ceremonies and that without doubt full of grauitie and elegancie among those excellent lightes of mankinde when as in the same garden or cottage there satte together Sem Abraham Isaac and their families and when as that Sermon which Sem made concerning the true God the Sonne of God the distinction of the Church and other nations being heard afterwarde they together vsed inuocation That which followeth because it treateth of indifferent Traditiditions in generall is placed in the next Section OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of Fasting WE think that Fasting is profitable not to this end that either by the merit of it worke it might purge sinnes before God or applie the merit of Christ to him that doth Fast but that by sobrietie it maie bridle the flesh lest that man being hindered by surfeting and dronkennes he be the lesse able to obeie the calling of God and discharge his duetie negligentlie But we shall haue a fitte place hereafter to speake of Fasting Also Article 28. Of fasting FAsting hath it praise and vse But now we do not speake either of necessarie fasting when as a man must needs fast for want of meat or of an allegoricall fasting which is to abstaine from all vices but we are to speake of two vsuall kindes of fasting whereof the one is a perpetuall faste and this is a sobrietie which is alwaies to be kept in meate and drink throughout the wholl course of a mans life for it is neuer lawfull for vs to rauine and to follow surfeting and dronkennes There is another fast which is for a daie when as sometimes we abstaine from meate the wholl daie such as was vsed in the olde Testament Leuit. 16. Also the examples of Iosaphat of the Niniuites and others doe witnes the same thing This kinde of fasting was also vsed after the publishing of the Gospell as appeereth Act. 13. and 14. But afterward there folowed a great difference in Churches touching the obseruation of such a kinde of fasting and as this difference brought no discommoditie to the Church so it testified that the vse of this fasting was free And there is a worthie saying among the auncient fathers touching this varietie The difference saie they of fastings doeth not break of the agreement of faith Now although some men doe thinke that Christ by his example did consecrate the fast of Lent yet it is manifest that Christ did not commaunde this fast neither can the constitution of our nature abide it that we should imitate the example of Christ his fasting who did abstaine full 40. dates and 40. nightes from all meate and drinke Also Eusebius doth declare and that not obscurelie That the vse of this Lenten fast was very free in the Church Moreouer Chrysostome in Gen. cap. 2. Hom. 11. saith If thou canst not fast yet thou maist abstaine from sinnes and this is not the least thing nor much differing from fasting but fit to ouerthrow euen the fury of the Deuill Neither was there anie choise of meates appointed because the Apostle had saide To the cleane all thinges are cleane But in the obseruation of such fastes we must chiefely marke the
it was a sinne to eate swines flesh c. so in the new testament they place sinne in meates in daies in apparell and such like things and they holde opinion that the righteousnes of the new testament can not stand without these From hence are those burdens that certeine meates defile the conscience that it is a mortall sinne to omit the canonicall houres that fastinges merit remission of sinnes because they be necessary to the righteousnes of the new testament that a sinne in a case reserued can not be pardoned but by the authority of him that reserued it wheras the Canons speake onelie of reseruing of canonicall punishments and not of the reseruing of the fault Whence then haue the Bishops power and authoritie of imposing these traditions vpon the Churches for the burdening of mens consciences For there are diuers cleare testimonies which inhibit the making of such traditions either for to deserue remission of sinnes or as thinges necessarie to the righteousnes of the the new testament or to saluation Paull to the Coloss 2. Let no man iudge you in meat drinke or a peece of a holie daie in the new moone or in the Sabboth Againe If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye liued in the world are ye burdened with traditions as Touch not tast not handle not which all do perish with the vsing and are the preceptes and doctrines of men which haue a shew of wisedome And to Titus he doth plainlie forbid traditions For he saith Not listning to Iewish fables to the precepts of men that abhorre the truth And Christ Mat 15. saith of them which vrge traditions Let them alone they be blinde leaders of the blinde he condemneth such worships Euerie plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shall be rooted vp If Bishops haue authoritie to burden the Churches with innumerable traditions and to snare mens consciences why doth the scripture so oft forbid to make to listen to traditions why doth it cal them the deuils traditions hath the holy ghost warned vs of them to no purpose It remaineth then that seeing constitutions ordeined as necessarie or with opinion of meriting remission of sinnes by them are flat repugnant to the gospell because that it is not lawfull for any Bishops to appoint or vrge anie such worship For it is verie requisite that the doctrine of Christian liberty should be manteined in the Church because that the bondage of the law is not necessarie vnto iustification as it is written to the Gal. Come not ye vnder the yoke of bondage againe It is necessarie that the chiefest point of all the gospel should be holden fast that we do freelie obteine remission of sinnes iustification by faith in Christ not by anie obseruations nor by any worship deuised by man For though they seeke to qualifie traditions yet the equitie of them can neuer be seene nor perceiued so long as the opinion of necessitie remaineth which must needes remaine wher the righteousnes of faith Christian liberty are not known The Apostles commaunded them to absteine from blood who obserueth that now a daies and yet they do not sinne that obserue it not for the Apostles them selues would not burden mens consciences with such a seruitude but they forbad it for a time for offence sake For in that decree the perpetuall intent and minde of the gospell is to be considered âcarselie anie canons are precisely kept and manie grow out of vse dailie yea euen among them that doe most busilie defend traditions Neither can there be sufficient care had of mens consciences except this equitie be kept that men should know that such rites are not to be obserued with anie opinion of necessitie and that mens consciences are not hurt though traditions grow out of vse The Bishops might easilie reteine lawfull obedience if they would not haue men to obserue such traditions as can not be kept with a good conscience But now they commaunde single life and they admitte none except they will sweare not to teach the pure doctrine of the Gospell The Churches do not desire of the Bishops that they would repaire peace and concord with the losse of their honour which yet good Pastors ought to do onelie they desire that they would remit vniust burdens which are both new and receiued contrarie to the custome of the Catholike Church It maie well be that some constitutions had some probable causes when they began which yet will not agree to latter times It is euident that some were receiued through error Wherefore it were for the chiefe Bishops gentlenes to mitigate them now for such a change would not ouerthrow the vnitie of the Church For manie humane traditions haue bene changed in time as the Canons themselues declare But if it can not be obteined that those obseruations may not be released which can not be kept without sin then must we folow the Apostles rule which willeth to obey God rather then men Peter forbiddeth Bishops to be Lords to be imperious ouer the Churches Our meaning is not to haue rule taken from the Bishops But this one thing is requested at their hands that they would suffer the gospel to be purely taught that they would release a few obseruations which can not be obserued without sinne But if they will remit none let them looke how they will giue account to God for this that by their wilfulnes they giue occasion of schisme Also in the same 7. Art touching Abuses this exposition is found thus in another edition NOw come I to the question in hand touching the laws of bishops concerning which first this most certaine rule is to be holden That it is not laufull for anie to make lawes repugnant to the commaundement of God That sentence of Saint Paull is well knowne If an Angell from heauen teach anie other Gospell let him be accursed Vpon this foundation which is sure and immooueable the rest maie easilie be reared Now there be three orders of the decrees of Bishops Some doe constreine a man to sinne as the law of single life the lawes of priuate Masâes wherein is made an oblation and application for the quick and the dead And the opinion of transsubstantiation breedeth a wicked adoration Also the commaundement of praying to the dead It is an easy matter to giue sentence of these lawes For seeing they doe manifestlie oppugne the commaundement of God the Apostles rule is We ought rather to obeie God then men The second order is of those rites which concerne thinges in their owne nature indifferent such as are the lawes touching the difference of meates and daies and such like thinges But when false opinions are ioyned vnto these thinges they are âo more indifferent Now our aduersaries doe some more some lesse tie vnto them absurde and false opinions for the which both those laws rites are to be cast of lest anie
the same reasons by the which mariage is wholie condemned and not in one kinde of men onelie For that saying is alledged out of Leuiticus Be ye holie because I am holie and that of Paull Not in chamberings and wantonnes And againe They which are in the flesh cannot please God But seeing that these sayings of the Scripture doe perteine to all men certainelie they might driue all godlie men from mariage if they were fitlie applied to forbid marriage vnto Priestes But we hope that all good men doe thinke more honestlie of marriage and that they do not dislike of that in the ministers thereof which they did approoue in the Church it selfe especiallie seeing that there be manifest examples of the Church when as yet it was but fresh and more pure wherein it was lawfull both for the Apostles which was the highest degree in the Church and also for Bishops to haue their wiues And we thinke that this thing is so to be vnderstood that it was not onelie lawful for the ministers of the Church to be married before they were ordained ministers but also to marrie after theirordination For which opinion there be very euident argumentes Neither ought the vowe of chastitie to be any hinderance herin because that such a vow beingtaken vpon a man by humane superstition without the authoritie of the word of god and against faith is not acknowledged of God and wedlocke also hath it chastitie that he which before had vowed chastitie and marrieth a wife in the Lord doth indeed fullfill the vowe of chastitie Seeing therefore that the worde of God is euident touching th e honestie of wedlocke the examples of the Apostles and Bishoppes of the primitiue Church be euident the weakenes of mans nature is euident daungers of single life be euident and seeing that the offences which vnchaste Priestes doe giue are euident we doe verily hope that it will come to passe that they which haue the gouernment of the Church will not goe forward seuerelie to maintaine and defend this constitution touching the marirage of Priestes but fauourablie to interpret it For so it shal come to passe that there may be both fewer and lesse offences in the Church and that manie good mens consciences maie be relieued Also we hope that it will come to passe that all good Bishoppes and princes will permit them whoe by a lawfull diuorce are separated from their adulterous wiues or husbandes to vse that libertie of marrying againe in the Lord which the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ hath graunted to them Math. 5. and 16. Hitherto also pertaineth the 26. Article Of Monasticall vowes THere is no doubt but that godlie iust and lawfull vowes are to be kept and paied that wicked vowes are to be disanulled But it is not without cause made a matter of controuersie in what kinde of vowes monasticall vowes touching virginitie or single life pouertie and obedience are to be placed For it is euident that single life is not commaunded by the word of God also it is euident that although the estate of single persons be in publique daungers quiet and more fit and commodious to execute the publike Ministeries of the Church then is theirs which vse it not yet we must not thinke that this kinde of life is of it selfe before the tribunall seat of God more excellent and more holy then is marriage For as in Christ there is neither Iew nor Grecian neither seruant nor free man as Paull saieth so in Christ there is neither married nor vnmarried And as In Christ Iesus circumcision auaileth nothing but the keeping of the commaundementes of God and a new creature so also doth single life auaile nothing and wedlocke auaileth nothing but to be renued in Christ Iesus and to obeie the calling of Christ In the Councell held at Gangrum there was this Canon If any of those who for the Lordes sake doe keepe virginitie is lifted vp against those that be married let him be accursed And another Canon saieth If any man for continencie as it is thought doeth weare a cloake as beleeuing that hereby he hath righteousnes and doth despise others who with reuerence doe weare other common and vsual kindes of garmentes let him be accursed And Augustine De bono coniugali Cap. 21. dareth not preferre the virginitie of the Baptist before the wedlocke of Abraham Therefore he that doth vowe virginitie or single life doth either vowe it as a singular worshippe of God And then because cause the state of single life is not commaunded by the word of God this vowe perteineth to the commaundementes of men whereof Christ saieth In vaine doe they worshippe r ãâã teaching for doctrines the preceptes of men Or else he worketh it as a merit of remission of sinnes and of life eternall and then it is euidently a wicked vowe whereunto no man is bounde It is to no better purpose to vowe pouertie For either thou art poore by condition or estate and possessest no earthly substance And then this crosse which God hath laid vpon thee thou must beare it patientlie which moreouer if thou do vowe thou doest nothing else then if in thy sickenes thou shouldest vowe that thou woulded alwaies be sicke or that in thy infamie thou shouldest alwaies vowe to be infamous which kinde of vowe is rather a madnes then godlines Or else thou doest possesse substance and vowest that forsaking thy substance thou wilt alwaies leade a poore life and get thy liuing by begging and obteine by the merit of this vow eternal life and then this vow is first of all repugnant to the loue of thy neighbour which requireth that by thy begging thou be not troublesome to anie further then necessity compelleth secondly it is contrary to faith in Christ because that he alone is the merit of eternall life Therefore it is euident that this kinde of vowe is vnlawfull wicked But so to forsake thy substance as to giue it to a common vse is not to follow after pouertie but to prouide a more certeine and bountifull liuing for thy selfe the which what manner of worship it is before God it cannot be vnknowne And as for obedience it is either referred to God and then it is not an arbitrarie vowe but of due necessitie of which obedience it is saide Obedience is better then sacrifice Or else it is referred to man and then of their owne accord they are to performe those dueties which the subiect oweth to the Magistrate children to the Parentes seruantes to their Lords and schollers to their schoolemasters These thinges doth God looke for at mens handes whether they be vowed or not vowed but yet with this condition that we doe alwaies rather obeie God then men But to vowe obedience vnto man without a speciall calling of god that by the workes of such obedience a man maie not onelie performe a singular worship vnto God but also purge his sinnes before god it is altogether superfluous because that Christ
the iudgeing of controuersies not any iudges whatsoeuer do take vnto them selues the name of the Church but that as the matter and importance of the cause doth require iudges lawfullie chosen whether more or fewer whether in an ordinarie assemblie of a particular Church or in a more generall meeting ordinarie or extraordinarie prouinciall or generall be appointed to iudge of the matter Secondlie that there be free obedience and free giuing of voices Thirdlie that all controuersies be determined out of the word of God alone yet so as the fathers iudgements be not condemned but laid to the onelie rule of Gods word according as they themselues would haue vs to do Now the Church is said to iudge of doctrine not that it is aboue the truth of the doctrine or that the doctrine is therfore true because the Church hath so iudged but in as much as the Church beeing taught and confirmed out of the word by the holie Ghost doth acknowledge and hold fast the true doctrine and teach men to holde it fast and condemneth and reiecteth and teacheth to reiect all other strange doctrines IN THE 11. SECTION Vpon the latter confession of Heluetia ANd such are found among vs c. To wit interpreters of the Scriptures that were indued with a speciall gift of the spirit thereunto For as touching the visions of Prophets and those extraordinarie motions and inspirations of the holie spirit this gift as also the gift of tongues and of healings being fitted for the confirmation of the church when it was beginning is now long since ceased after that the wholl Counsell of God touching our saluation was plainlie reuealed howbeit God yet can when he will raise it vp againe Vpon the same And were also Preachers of the Gospell Such as the Apostles did ioyne vnto themselues as helpers and sent them now to this place now to that and these also are no more in vse since the Churches were setled in good order Of which sort diuers are mentioned in the Acts and in the Epistles of the Apostles Vpon the same Bishops were the ouerseers and watchmen of the Church which did distribute c. Taking this name for those which in a more strict signification are called Deacons and are distinguished from them which attend vpon the preaching of the word Vpon the same Prouide thinges necessarie for it To wit spirituall things by teaching reproouing correcting instructing both all in generall and man by man particularlie yet tied to their speciall flocks and charges Vpon the same Now the power giuen to all the ministers To wit of the word that is the Pastours and Doctours whose diuerse functions are afterward more fullie set forth Vpon the former Confession of Heluetia BY the voice of God As namelie if at any time the lawfull ordinarie vocation being quite abolished as it hath fallen out vnder the Papacie God by his spirit hath extraordinarilie raised vp certein men Which thing when it appeareth by their fruits then the liking and approbation of the Church reformed being added thereunto they are confirmed in their calling For otherwise while the lawfull order of calling standeth in the Church no man may enter into the ministerie but by that dore Vpon the same By the laying on of hands of the Priest By Priest take that they meane him that is appointed out of the Colledge and companie of the Pastours for to set him that is lawfullie chosen as it were into the possession of his ministerie in the fight and presence of the wholl Church Now as touching the very rite of this ordination euerie Church hath it owne libertie so that both alike superstition and occasion of superstition be auoided Vpon the Confession of Bohemia BY laying on of handes Looke before the 2. obseruation vpon the former Confession of Heluetia and looke after in the 14. chap. of this same Confess and the 1. obser vpon this Confess in the 13. Sect. Vpon the same Hereof speaketh the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrues Yet not properlie for he disputeth of the Leuiticall Priesthood which was abrogated by Christ and not of the ministerie vnder Christ Vpon the same Are a long time c. Let the reader thus take these words not as though this same order were prescribed vnto all and singular Churches or were obserued of all seing we neither haue any commmaundement touching that matter neither can it euery where be performed But that this is verie carefullie to be looked vnto that none but he that is furnished with learning and an approoued integritie and vprightnes be aduanced to anie Ecclesiasticall functions Vpon the same And Sodomiticall life That is of an vncleane life giuen to riot and excesse as Ezech. cap. 16. ver 49. chargeth the inhabitants of Sodome Vpon the same Especiallie those c. Once againe this is to be taken as that wee must know that this law of working with their owne handes is not prescribed to the Churches Vpon the same Such as are to lay on handes Touching this riâe looke before in the 2. obseru vpon the former Confession of Heluetia Vpon the same To each seuerall Ecclesiasticall societies That is to Presbyteries or consistories which stand of Pastours and Elders and vnto whome properlie the dispensing and ordering of the Keies and Ecclesiasticall Censures doe belong As afterwarde is taught in the fift obseruation vpon the Confess of Auspurge Vpon the same That euery Christian so often as he needeth these Keyes c. ought to require them This is to be interpreted by those things which we spake of priuate absolution in the eight Section in the 1. obseruation vpon this Confession and the first vpon the Confession of Saxonie Vpon the same That the priestes ought not Whom they meane by the name of Priests it hath bin alreadie shewed before in the 2. obser vpon the former Confession of Heluetia shall straight after be repeated in the 3. obseruation vpon the English Confession in which signification it is henceforward to be taken in all the Confessions Vpon the English Confession ANd is Lucifer It is growne to a custome to call Satan Lucifer the Prince of Deuills vpon a place of Esaie misunderstood of some of the aunciet Fathers Vpon the same By open excommunication There is also a certaine kinde of excommunication which is not publique or open and is vsed onlie for a triall of repentance Againe this is so to be taken that as we haue oft before admonished all and singular Churches may keepe their holie libertie both in orâaining and putting in practise this manner of discipline So that there be good heed taken that the flock be not infected with a contagion of obstinacie and that the sacred mysteries be not cast to dogges and swine Vpon the same Vnto the vnbeleeuing a sauour of death This must be vnderstoode to be the accidentall and not the proper end of
iustice Secondlie in the generall iudgement there shal be giuen to euerie man and woman resurrection of the flesh For the sea shal giue her dead the earth those that therein be inclosed yea the eternall god shall stretch out his hand on the dust and the dead shall arise vncorruptible and that in the substance of the same flesh that euerie mân now beareth to receiue according to their workes glorie or punishment For such as now delight in vaâitie crueltie filthines superstition or idolatrie shall be adiudged to the fire vnquencheable in which they shall be tormented for euer as well in their owne bodies as in their âoâles which now they giue to serue the deuill inall abhomination But such as continue in well doing to the ende bâldlie professing the Lord Iesus we constantlie beleene that they shall receiue glorie honour and immortalitie to raigne for euer in life euerlasting with Christ Iesus to whose glorified body all his elect shall be made like when he shalll appeare againe in iudgement and shall render vp the kingdome to God his Father who then shal be and euer shal remaine all in all things God blessed for euer to whome with the Sonne and with the holie Ghost be all honour and glorie now and euer So be it THE KINGS MAIESTIES CHARGE TO ALL COMMISSIONERS AND MINISTERS within his Realme SEeing that we and our houshold haue subscribed and giuen this publike confession of our faith to the good example of our Subiectes we commaund and charge all Commissioners Ministers to craue the same confession of their parishioners and proceede against the refusers according to our lawes and order of the Church deliuerine their names and lawfull processe tothe Ministers of our house with al haste and diligence vnder the paine of 40. pound to be taken from their stipend that we with the aduise of our counsell âaie take order with such proud contemners of God and ourlawes Subscribed with our hand At Holââudhous 1581. the 2. daie of March the 14 yeare of our reigne TO THE READER I am to desire the Godlie and Christian Reader for whose sake onelie this worke was taken in hand as to accept friendlie and brotherlie of these laboures and to beare with some light faults which might easily escape in the translating so to pardon me a great ouersight committed especiallie and onelie in the obseruations wherein is was verie requisite to haue vsed greater diligence This ouârsight is of two sârâes one in certain obseru set downe in the margent but yeâ in latine the other in such as should haue bin placed in the margent and are cleane left out These things because they be of some great weight and moment I thought it good to admonish thee thereof and to desire thee before thou readest the booke either to place euerie obseruation in it proper page or in reading âo haue recourse to this place lest otherwise thou maist think hardly of some parts of doctrine or other matter set downe in this Booke THE LATINE OBSERVATIONS are thus to be translated In the 12. page against the 24 line read the obseruation in the margent thus Looke the 1. obseru vpon this Confession both in this and also in the second Section Pag. 13. 1. Looke the 1. obseruat vpon this Confession Pag. 19 2. Looke the 1. obseru vpon this Confess Pag. 44. 21. Of the wasting of the gifts of the holie Ghost looke the 1. obseru vpon this Confess Sect. 4. Pag. 45. 25. Looke the first obseru vpon the Confession of Saxonie THE OBSERVATIONS WHICH are cleane left out in the margent are thus to be placed in their seuerall pages Pag. 7. against the 28. line read in the margent Looke the first obseruation vp in this Confess Pag. 20. 2. Looke the second obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 23. 11. Looke the first obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 26. 1. Looke the first obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 27. 31. Looke the second obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 27. 38. Looke the third obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 37. 16. Looke the first obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 43. 33. Looke the first obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 44. 21. Looke the second obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 94. 23. Looke the first obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 103. 23. Looke the first obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 223. 32. Looke the first obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 223. 33. Looke the second obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 232. 2. Looke the second obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 223. 29. Looke the third obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 336. 27. Looke the fift obseruation vpon this Confess Pag. 523. 28. Looke the first obseruation vpon this Confess In the 105. page put out in the margent looke the 2. obseru c. Now vnto the King euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto God only wise be honour and glorie for euer and euer Amen THE CHIEFE POINTS OF CONFESSIONS BELONGING TO THIS FIRST SECTION OF the holy Scripture THE LATTER CONFESSION OF Heluetia touching the holie Scripture being the true word of God CHAP. 1. WE beleeue and confesse the Canonicall scriptures of the holie Prophets and Apostles of both Testaments to be the verie true worde of God and to haue sufficient authoritie of them selues not of men For God him selfe spake to the Fathers Prophets Apostles and speaketh yet vnto vs by the holie scriptures And in this holie scripture the vniuersall Church of Christ hath all things fully expounded whatsoeuer belong both to a sauing faith and also to the framing of a life acceptable to God in which respect it is expresselie commaunded of God that nothing be either put to or taken from the same Wee iudge therefore that from these scriptures is to be taken true wisdome and godlines the reformation and gouernment of Churches also the instruction in all duties of pietie and to be short the confirmation of opinions and the confutation of error with all exhortations according to that of the Apostle â scripture inspired of God is profitable for doctrine for reproofe â Againe These thinges I write vnto thee saith the Apostle â Timothie 1. Chap. 3 that thou maist know how it behooueth ãâã to be conversant in the house of God c. Againe the selfe saâ Apostle to the Thessalonians When saith he yee receiued the word of vs ââreceiued noâ the worde of men but as it was indeeâ the word of God c. For the Lord himselfe hath said in the gospell It is not ye that speake but the spirit of my father speeketh in you therefore he that heareth you heareth me and ãâã that despiseth you despiseth me Wherefore when this worâ of God is now preached in the Church by preachers laâfâlliâ called we beleeue that the verie word of God is preâched and receiued of the faithfull and that neither anieâther worde of God is to be fayned or to be expected froâ heauen and that now the worde it selfe which
is preached is to be regarded not the minister that preacheth who although he be euill and a sinner neuerthelesse the ãâã of God abideth true and good Neither doe we thinke thââ therefore the outward preaching is to be thought as frâiâlesse because the instruction in true religion dependeth ãâã the inward illumination of the spirit because it is writteâ No man shall teach his neighbour For all men shall know me And he that watreth or he that planteth is nothing but God who ãâã the increase For albeit no man can come to Christ vnlesse heâ drawne by the heauenlie Father and be inwardlie lightned ãâã the holie Ghost yet we know vndoubtedlie that it is ãâã will of God that his worde should be preached euen ouâ wardlie God could indeede by his holie spirite or by thâ ministerie of an Angell without the ministerie of Saint ãâã haue tought Cornelius in the Actes but neuerthelesse ãâã referreth him to Peter of whome the Angel speaking saiââ âe shall tell thee what thou must doe For he that illuminateâ inâaâdlââ by giuing men the holie Ghost the selfe same bâ waie of commaundement said vnto his disciples goe ye iââ the whoââ world and preach the gospell to euerie creature And ãâã Paââ preached the word outwardlie to Lydia a purple sellâ among the Philippians but the Lord inwardlie opened thâ womans heart And the same Paul vpon an elegant gââdation fitlie placed in the 10. to the Romanes at last inferreth therefore faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Wee knowe in the meane time that God can illuminate whome and when he will euen without the externall ministerie which is a thing appertaining to his power but we speake of the vsuall waie of instructing men deliuered vnto vs of God both by commaundement and examples We therefore detest all the heresies of Artemon the Manichees Valentinians of Cerdon and the Marcioniââs who denied that the scriptures proceeded from the holie Ghost or else receiued not or polished and corrupted some of them And yet we doe not denie that certaine bookes of the olde Testament were of the auncient authors called Apochryâhall and of others Ecclesiasticall to witte such as they would haue to be read in the Churches but not alledged to auouch or confirme the authoritie of faith by them As also Austine in his 18. Booke De âiuit Dei C. 38. maketh mention that in the bookes of the Kinges the names and bookes of certaine Prophets are reckoned but he addeth that they are not in the Canon and that those bookes which we haue suffice vnto godlines OF INTERPRETING THE HOLIE SCRIPTVRES and of Fathers Councels and Traditions CHAP. 2. THe Apostle Peter hath said that the holy scriptures are not of anie priuat interpretation therefore we doe not alowe all expositions whereupon we doe not acknowledge that which they call the meaning of the Church of home for the true and naturall interpretation of the scriptures which forsooth the defenders of the Romane Church doe striue to force all men simplie to receiue but we acknowledge that interpretation of Scriptures for authenticall and proper which being taken from the scriptures themselues that is from the phrase of that tongue in which they were written they being also waied according to the circumstances and expounded according to the proportion of places either like or vnlike or of moe and plainer accordeth with the rule of faith and charitie and maketh notably for Gods glorie and mans saluation Wherefore we do not contemnâ the holie treatises of the Fathers agreeing with the scriâtures from whome notwithstanding we doe modestlie dâ sent as they are deprehended to set downe thinges meereâ straunge or altogether contrarie to the same Neither doâ thinke that we doe them anie wrong in this matter seeinâ that they all with one consent will not haue their writingâ matched with the canonicall scriptures but bid vs allowâ them so farre forth as they either agree with them or disagree and bid vs take those things that agree and leaue those that disagree and according to this order we do accountâ the decrees or Canons of councells Wherefore we suffer not oââ selues in controuersies about Religion or matters of faithâ be pressed with the bare testimonies of fathers or decrees oâ Councells much lesse with receiued customes or else with ãâã of men being of one iudgement or with prescription of long tiââ Therefore in controuersies of religion or matters of faith we cannot admââ anie other iudge then God himselfe pronouncing by the holie scriptures what is true what is falââ what is to be followed or what to be auoided So we do ãâã rest but in the iudgements of spiritual men drawen from the word of God Certainely Ieremie the other Prophets ãâã vehemenâlie condemne the assemblies of Priests gathereâ against the law of God diligentlie forewarned vs that â should not heare the fathers or tread in their path who wââ king in their owne inuentions swarued from the law of goâ We doe likewise reiect humane traditions which althouâ they be set out with goodlie titles as though they were dâuine and Apostolical by the liuelie voice of the Apostles deliuered to the Church as it were by the hands of Apostolicall men by meane of Bishops succeeding in their roomeâ yet being compared with the scriptures disagre from theâ and by that their disagreement bewraie them selues in ãâã wise to be Apostolicall For as the Apostles did not disagree among themselues in doctrine so the Apostles schâlers did not set forth thinges contrarie to the Apostleâ Nay it were blasphemous to auouch that the Apostles ãâã liuely voice deliuered thinges contrarie to their writingâ Paull affirmeth expresselie that he taught the same thingeâ in all Churches And againe We saith he write no other thiââ vnto you then which ye read or also acknowledge Also in another place he witnesseth that he and his disciples to wit Apostolicall men walked in the same waie and ioyntlie by the same spirit did al thingâ The Iewes also in time past had their traditions of Elders but these traditions were seuerelie confuted by the Lord shewing that the keeping of them hindereth Gods lawe and that God is in vaine worshipped with such OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION of Heluetia THe Canonical scripture being the word of God and deliuered by the holie Ghost and published to the world by the Prophets and Apostles being of all other the most perfect ancient philosophie doth alone perfectlie conteine all pietie and good ordering of life The interpretation herof is to be taken onely from herselfe that herselfe maie be the interpreter of her selfe the rule of charitie and faith being her guide Which kinde of interpretation so far forth as the holie Fathers haue followed we doe not onelie receiue them as interpreters of the scripture but reuerence them as the beloued instruments of God But as for the traditions of men although neuer
so glorious and receiued how many soeuer of them doe withdrawe or hinder vs as of thinges vnprofitable and hurtfull so we answere 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 mankinde and by Christ the Lord his sonne hath declared this good will which is receiued by faith alone and faith must be effectuall through loue that it may be shewed forth by an innocent life OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASILL Of things commaunded and not commaunded Art 10. WE confesse that as no man can commaund those things which Christ hath not commaunded 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 3. 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 Iehoua your god Leuit. 18. by Moses Deut. 10. for Iehoua your god is God of Gods a great god terrible Who therefore among his creatures can graââ those things which he hath forbidden In like sorte Section 4. And againe no man can forbid those things which God hath graunted c. The other things which are conteined in this article because they belong to other sections they are inserted euerie one in their places OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA Oâ THE WALDENSES Of the holie scriptures CHAP. I. FIrst of all the ministers of our Churches teach with one consent concerning the holy scripture of the neâ and olde Testament which is commonlie called the Bible and is lawfullie receiued and allowed of the fathers which are of best and soundest iudgement that it is true certaine and worthie to be beleeued whereunto no other humane writings whatsoeuer or of what sort soeuer they be may be compared but that as mans writings they must giue place to the holie scripture First because it is inspired anâ taught of the holie Ghost and vttered by the mouth of holie men written by them and confirmed by heauenlie and diuine restimonies which spirit also himselfe openeth discloseth the meaning how it ought to be vnderstood and the trueth of this scripture in the Church in what manner seemeth him best especiallie by raising vp and giuing faithful ministers who are his chosen instruments Of which spirâ Dauid speaketh when he saieth The spirit of the Lord spake by me and his word was in my tongue and Peter For prophecie ãâã not molde time by the will of man but holie men of God spakes they were mooued by the holie Ghost and Paull The wholl scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable c. besides the Lord himselfe saith Search the scriptures And againe Ye are deceiued not knowing the scriptures neither doe ye vnderstand the power of God And He opened the mindes of his Disciples that they might vnderstand the scriptures Secondlie because it is a true and sure testimonie and a cleare proofe of Gods fauourable good will which he hath reueiled concerning himselfe without which reuelation of scripture there is no wholesome knowledge nor faith nor accesse to God For in this such thinges as are necessarie to doctrine to discipline gouernement of the holie Church for all and singular persons in the ordinarie ministerie of saluation whence also springeth true faith in this I say are all such things fullie absolutelie and so farre forth as ãâã requisite as in a moste excellent and moste exquisite worke of the holie Ghost comprehended and included then which no Angell from heauen can bring any thing more certaine and if he should bring any other thing he ought not to be beleeued And this perswasion and beliefe concerning holie scripture namely that it is taught and inspired of God is the beginning and ground of our Christian profession which taketh beginning from the worde outwardlie preached as from an ordinarie meane ordeââed of god for this purpose Wherefore euerie one ought verie highly to esâeââe of the diuine writings of the holie Prophets and Apostles resolutelie to beleeue them and religiouslie to yeaâd vnto them in all things diligentlie to reade them to gather wholsome doctrine our of them and according to them ought euerie man to frame and order himselfe but especiallie they who after an holie manner are set ouer 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 vnderstand and especiallie according to the auncient custome of the Church those portions of the Gospells in scripture which are wont to be read on solemne holie daies out of the Euangelistes and Apostles writings are vsually called Gospells Epistles out of which profitable and whollsome doctrines and exhortations and sermons are made to the people as at all times occasion and neede requiteth We likewise teach that the writings of holie Doctors especiallie of those that are auncient are also to be esteemed for true and profitable wherof there may be some vse to instruct the people yet onelie in those thinges wheerin they agree with the holie scripture or are not contrarie thereunto and so farre forth as they giue testimonie to the excellencie thereof to the information and example of the Apostolike Church and swarue not from the consent iudgement and decrees of the auncient Church wherein shee hath continued vnspotted in the trueth after what sort they themselues also haue charged men to iudge and thinke of their writings and haue giuen warning that heede should be taken lest that they beeing but men too much should be ascribed to them Of which thing S. Augustine speaketh in this manner Be not thou a seruant to my writings as it were to the Canonical scriptures but in the Canonical scriptures such things as thou didât not beleue when thou hast there found them immediately beleue But in my writings that which thou knowest not for a certaine trueth vnlesse thou perceiue it to be certaine hold it not resolutelie And else where he saith Giue not as great credit to mine or Ambrose his words as to the Canonicall scriptures This is the right rule to discerne writings by which so greatlie liked the Papists that they haue cited it in their decretal distinct 9. Chap. Noli meis verbis c. OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION THis one god hath reuealed himselfe to be such a one vnto men first in the creation preseruation gouerning of his works secondly faâre more plainely in his word which word in the beginning he reuealed to the fathers by certaine visions and oracles and then caused it to be written in these bookes which we cal Holie scripture All this holie scripture is conteined in the Canonicall bookes of the olde and new Testament The Catalogue whereof is this The fiue bookes of Moses namelie Genesis Exodus Leuiticus Numbers
Deuteronomine Iosue Iudges Ruth two bookes of Samuell two bookes of the Kings two bookes of Chronicles or Paralipomenon one booke of Esdras Nehemiah Ester Iob the Psalmes Salomons Prouerbes Ecclesiastes The Song of songes Esaie Ieremie with the Lamentations Ezechiell Daniell the 12. small Prophets namelie Ose Ioell Amos Abdiah Ionah Micheah Nahum Abacuâ Sophonie Haggaie Zacharie Malachie the holy Gospel of Iesu Christ according to Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn the Acts of the Apostles Paulls Epistles namelie one to the Romans 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 Iâde Iohns Reuelation We acknowledge these bookes to be Canonicall that is we account them as the rule and square of our faith and that not onelie for the common consent of the Church but also much more for the testimonie and inward perswasion of the holie ghost by whose inspiration we are taught to discearne them from other Ecclesiasticall bookes which howsoeuer they may be profitable yet are they not such that any one article of faith may be builded vpon them We beleeeue that the worde conteined in these bookes came from one god of whome alone and not of men the authoritie thereof dependeth And seeing this is the summe of al trueth conteining whatsoeuer is required for the worship of God and our saluation we holde it not lawfull for men no not for the Angles themselues to adde or detract any thing from that word or to alter any whitte aâ al in the same And hereupon it followeth that it is not lawfull to oppose either antiquitie custome multitude mans wisedome and iudgement edicts or any decrees or Councells or visions or miracles vnto this holie scripture but rather that al things ought to be examined and tried by the rule and square thereof Wherefore we doe for this cause also allow those three Creedes namelie the Apostles the Nicen and Athanasius his Creede because they be agreeable to the written word of God OVT OF THE ENGLISH CONFESSION WE receiue and embrace all the Canonicall scriptures both of the olde and new testament giuing thanks to our God who hath raised vp vnto vs that light which we might euer haue before our eies lest either by the subteltie of man or by the snares of the deuil we should be caried awaie to errors and lies Also we professe that these be the heauenlie voices whereby God hath opened vnto vs his will and that onelie in them mannes heart can haue setled rest that in them be aboundantlie and fullie comprehended al things whatsoeuer be needful for our helpe as Origen Augustine Chrysostome and Cyrillus haue taught That they be the verie might and strength to attaine to saluation that they be the fundations of the Prophets and Apostles VVhereupon is built the Church of God that they be the verie sure and infallible rule whereby may be tried whether the Churh doe swarue or erre and whereunto all Ecclesiasticall doctrine ought to be called to account and that against these scripturs neither law nor ordinance nor anie custome ought to be heard no though Paull him selfe or an angel from heauen should come teach the contrary OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BELGIA HE hath reuealed himselfe much more plainly in his holy worde so farre forth as it is expedient for his owne glorie and the saluation of his in this life We confesse that this worde of God was not brought or deliuered by any will of man but that holy men of God inspired by Gods spirit spake it as S. Peter witnesseth but afterward God himselfe for that exceeding tender carefullnes which he hath of his of their saluation gaue in commission to his seruants the Apostles Prophets that they should put those his oracles in writing and he himselfe also wrote the two tables of the law with his owne finger which is the cause whie we call such writinges sacred diuine scripture And we comprehend the holy scripture in those two books of the olde and new Testament which are called the canonicall bookes about which there was neuer anie ado And of them this is the number and also the order receiued of the Church of God The fiue bookes of Moses the booke of Iosua of the Iudges of Ruth two books of Samuell two of the Kinges two of the Chronicles which are called Paralipomena the first of Esdras Nehemias Ester lob also Dauides Psalmes three bookes of Salomon namely the Prouerbes Ecclesiastes and the song of songs the foure great Prophets Esay Ieremie Ezechiell and Daniell and furthermore also the 12 small Prophets moreouer the Canonical bookes of the new testament are the foure Euangelistes namelie Saint Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn the Actes of the Apostles the 14. Epistles of Saint Paull and seuen of the othet Apostles the Reuelation of S. Iohn the Apostle These bookes alone doe we receiue as sacred and canonicall whereupon our faith maie rest be confirmed and established therefore without any doubt we beleeue also those thinges which are conteined in them and that not so much because the Church receiueth alloweth them for Canonical as for that the holy ghost beareth witnes to our consciences that they came from god most of all for that they also testifie iustifie by them selues this their owne sacred authority sanctity seing that euen the blinde may cleerely beholde as it were feele the âulfilling and accomplishment of all things which were foretolde in these writinges We furthermore make a difference betweene the holie bookes and those which they cal Apocriphall for so much as the Apocriphall maie be read in the Church and it is lawfull also so faâre to gather instructions out of them as they agree with the Canonicall bookes but their authority and certaintie is not such as that anie doctrine touching faith or Christian Religion maie safelie be built upon their testimonie so farre of is it that they can disanull or impaire the authoritie of the other We beleeue also that this holie scripture doth most perfectlie conteine all the will of God and that in it all things are aboundantlie taught whatsoeuer is necessarie to be beleeued of man to attaine saluation Therefore seeing the wholl manner of worshipping God with God requireth at the handes of the faithfull is there most exquisitelie and at large set downeâ it is lawfull for no man although he haue the authoritie of an Apostle no noâ for anie Angell sent from heauen as Saint Paul speaketh to teach otherwise then we haue long since beene taught in the holie scriptures For seeing it is forbidden that anie one should adde or detract any thing from the word of God thereby it is âuident enough that this holie doctrine is
perfect and absolute in all pointes and parcells thereof and therefore no other writings of men although neuer so holie no custome no multitude no antiquitie nor prescription of times nor personall succession nor anie councells and to conclude no decrees or ordinances of men are to be marched or compared with these deuine scriptures and bare trueth of God for so much as Gods trueth excelleth al things For all men of their owne nature are lyers and lighter then vanitie it selfe therefore we do vtterlie refuse whatsoeuer things agree not with this moste certaine rule as we haue beene taught by the Apostles when they saie Trie the spirites whether they be of God And If anie come vnto you and bring not this doctrine receiue him not to house c. OVT OF THE SAXONS CONFESSION Of Doctrine Seeing it is most vndoubtedlie true that God out of mankinde doth gather together vnto him selfe a Church vnto eternal life for by his sonne thorugh preaching of that doctrine which is written in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles we plainlie auoutch before God and the wholl Church in heauen and in earth that we do with a true faith embrace all the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and that in that verie naturall meaning which is set downe in the Creedes of the Apostles of Nice and of Athanasius And these selfe same Creedes and the naturall meaning of them we haue alwaies constantlie embraced without corruption and will by Gods helpe alwaies embrace and in this faith do we call vpon the true God who sending his sonne and geuing cleare testimonies hath reuealed himselfe in his Church ioyning our praier with all Saints in heauen and in earth and our declarations vpon the Creedes are abroade conteining the wholl bodie and ground of doctrine which shew that this our protestation is most true We do also verie resolutelie condemne all brainsick fantasies which are against the Creedes as are the monstrous opinions of heathen men of the Iewes of the Mahometistes of Marcion the Manichees of Samosatenus Seruetus Arrius and those that denie the person of the holie Ghost and other opinions condemned by the true iudgements of the Church OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of the holie scipture CHAP. 30. THe holie scripture we call those Canonicall bookes of the olde and new testament of whose authoritie there was neuer doubt made in the Church This scripture we beleeue and confesse to be the oracle of the holie Ghost so confirmed by heauenlie testimonies that If an Angell from heauen preach anie other thing let him be accursed Wherefore we detest all doctrine worship and religion contrarie to this scripture But whereas some men thinke that all doctrine necessarie to be knowne of vs to true and euerlasting saluation is not conteined in this scripture and that the right of expounding this scripture lyeth so in the power of chiefe Bishops that what they according to their owne wil giue out is to be embraced for the meaning of the holie Ghost it is more easelie said then prooued The wholl scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be perfect being thoroughlie prepared to euery good worke and Iohn 15. I haue called you friendes for all things that I haue heard of my father haue I made knowne to you and those things which the Apostles receiued of Christ those haâe they by their preaching published in the wholl world and by their writings deliuered them to posterity It is a plaine case therfore that all things which are needefull to be knowen to saluation are conteined in the Prophets Apostles writings He hath reueiled his owne word in due season by preaching which is all committed to me this is the preaching For the Gospell conâeinedth things both things present and things to come as honour pietie and faith yea and all things he haâh ioynâlâe comprised in this one word preaching Againe Without authoritie of the scriptures babling hath no credit For seeing the Lord Iesus did many things al are not written as the same holie Euangelist himselfe witnesseth that the Lord Christ both said and did many things which are not written But those things were selected to be written which seemed to suffice for the saluation of those that beleeue For whereas they saie that the right of expounding the scripture lieth in the power of chiefe Bishoppes it is euident that the gift of expounding the scripture is not of mans wisedome but of the holie ghost To euerie man saith Paull is giuen the manifestation of the spirite to profit withall for to one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedome c. But the holie ghost is altogether at libertie and is not tyed to a certaine sort of men but giueth giftes to men according to his owne good pleasure Oh that all the people had power to prophecie and that the Lord would put his spirit vpon them Debora a woman the wife of Lapidoth is raised vp to be a prophetesse Againe I am no Prophet nor Proprophets sonne but I am a heardman and a gatherer of wilde figges And yet Amos receiued the holie ghost and was made a-Prophet All these things worketh one and the same spirit distributing to euerie man as he will Manie examples also do witnes that chiefe Bishops haue beene often and verie foulie deceiued wheresore the gift of expounding the scripture is not so tied to the Popes that whosoeuer shall be Pope must needs rightly expound the scripture but the true meaning of the scripture is to be sought in the scripture it selfe and among those that being raised vp by the spirit of God expound scripture by scripture OF COVNCELLS CHAP. 34. WE confesse that Councells ought to haue their iudgements in the Church concerning the holy doctrine of Religion and that the authoritie of lawfull councells is great but the authoritie of Gods worde must needes be the greatest For although the Church haue a sure promise of Christs continuall presense and be gouerned by the holie Ghost yet not euerie assemblie of men maie be taken for the true Church and albert neuer so manie see me often times to come together in the name of Christ yet few are chosen and all haue not faith And as it is wont to fall out in ciuill meetinges so doth it also in meetings of the Church that for the moste part the greater side ouercommeth the better Hether to may be added that the holy Ghost doeth not make men in this life not subiect to sinne but leaueth in them manie and sundrie infirmities Examples also witne that not onelie the Popes but also Councels haue bene deceiued Wherefore seing that the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is confirmed of god the sentence of no one maÌ nor of anie assembly of men is to be receiued simplie without trial for the oracle
he saith Whatsoeuer ye shall aske in my name that is acknowledging and naming oâ calling vpon me as the redeemer high Priest and intercessor this high Priest alone goeth into the holiest place that is into the secret counsell of the deitie and seeth the minde of the eternal father and maketh request for vs and searching our hearts presenteth our sorrowes sighes and praiers vnto him It is plaine that this doctrine of the Mediatour was obscured and corrupted when men went to the mother Virgine as more mercifull and others sought other Mediators And it is plaine that there is no example to be seene in the Prophets or Apostles where prayer is made vnto men heare me Abraham or heare me O God for Abrahams sake but prayer is made vnto God who hath reuealed himselfe to wit to the eternall father to the sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ and to the holie Ghost that he would receiue heare and saue vs for the sonnes sake It is also expresselie made to the sonne as 2. Thess 2. Our Lord Iesus Christ himselfe and God and our father who hath loued vs strengthen you c. and Gen. 48. Iacob nameth God and the sonne the Mediator when he saith God before whome my fathers walked and the Angell that deliuered me out of all troubles that is the promised Sauiour blesse these children Therefore we vse these formes of inuocation I call vpon the O Almightie God eternall father of our Lord Iesus Christ maker of heauen earth together with thy sonne our Lord Iesus Christ and thy holie spirite O wise true good righteous moste free chaste and mercifull God haue mercie vpon me and for Iesus Christes sake thy sonne crucified for vs and raised vp againe heare and sanctifie me with thy holie spirit I call vpon the O Iesus Christ the sonne of God crucified for vs and raised vp againe haue mercie on me pray for me vnto the euerlasting father and sanctifie me with thy holie spirite In these forme we know what we praie vnto And seing there are testimonies of Gods word to be seene which shewe that this praying pleaseth God and is heard such praying maie be made in faith These thinges are not to be found in that inuocation which is made vnto men Some gather testimonies out of Augustine and others to shewe that the Saintes in heauen haue care of humane affaires This may more plainlie be shewed by Moses and Elias talking with Christ And there is no doubt but that such as are in happines praie for the Church but yet it followeth not thereupon that they are to be praied vnto And albeit we teach that men are not to be praied vnto yet we propound the histories of those that are in blessed state vnto the people Because it is necessary that the history of the Church be by some meanes knowne vnto all by what testimonies the Church is called together founded and how it is preserued and what kinde of doctrine hath benâ published by the fathers Prophets Apostles and Martyrs In these histories we commaund all to giue thankes vnto God for that he hath reuealed himselfe that he hath gathered togither his Church by his son that he hath deliuered his doctrine vnto vs and hath sent teachers and hath shewed in them the witnesses of him selfe we commaund al to consider of their doctrine to strengthè their faith by those testimonies which God hath shewed in them That they likewise consider the examples of iudgement and punishments that the feare of God may be stirred vp in them we commaund them to follow their faith patience and other vertues that they learne that in God is no respect of persons and desire to haue themselues also receiued heard gouerned saued and helped as God receiued Dauid Manasses Magdalene the theefe on the Crosse We also teach how these examples are to be followed of euerie maâ in his vocation because error in imitation and preposterous zeale is oft times the cause of great euills We also commend the diligence of the Saintes themselues who tooke heede of wasting Gods giftes in vaine And to conclude they that are moste fooles maie gather great stored doctrine out of these histories which doctrine is profitable to be published to the people so that superstition be âeâ aside OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WITTEMBERGâ CHAP. 1. WE beleeue and confesse that there is one onelâ God true eternall and infinite almightie maââ of all thinges visible and inuisible and that in this one ãâã eternall godhead there are three properties or persons of them selues subsisting the Father the sonne and thâ holie Ghost As the Prophetical and Apostolicall scriptures teach and the Creedes of the Apostles of Nice and of Athanasius declare Of the sonne of God CHAP. 2. VVE beleeue and confesse that the sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ was begotten of his father from euerlasting true and euerlasting God consubstantiall with his Father c. Looke the rest in the 6. diuision Of the holie Ghost CHAP. 3. VVE beleeue and confesse that the holie Ghost proceedeth from God the Father from euerlasting that he is true and eternal God of the same essence maiestie glorie with the Father and the sonne as the holie Fathers by authoritie of the holie scripture wel declared in the Councel of Constantinople against Macedonius Of Inuocation of Saints CHAP. 23. THere is no doubt but the memorie of those Saintes who when they were in this bodelie life furthered the Church either by doctrine or writings or by miracles or by examples and haue either witnessed the trueth of the gospell by Martyrdome or by a quiet kinde of death fallen on sleep in Christ ought to be sacred with al the Godlie and they are to be commended to the Church that by their doctrine and examples we maie be strengthned in true faith and inflamed to follow true godlines We confesse also that the Saintes in heauen doe after their certaine manner pray for vs before God as the Angels also are carefull for vs and all the creatures doe after a certaine heauenlie manner groane for our saluation and trauell togither with vs as Paull speaketh But as the worship of inuocation of creatures is not to be instituted vpon their gronings so vpon the praier of Saints in heauen we may not alow the inuocation of saints For touching the inuocating of them there is no commaundement nor example in the holy scriptures For seeing al hope of our saluation is to be put not in the saints but in our Lord god alone through his sonne our Lord Iesus Christ it is cleere that not the Saints but God alone is to be praied vnto How shall they call one him saith Paul in whome they beleeue no t but we must not beleeue in the saints how then shal we pr ay vnto them And seeing it must needes be that he who iâ praied vnto be a searcher of the heart the Saints ought not to be praied vnto because they
aduersaries haue sowed corruptions in the Chuch And first of the article I beleeue the remission of sinnes HEere manie and great corruptions are deuised of our aduersaries I beleeue nay saie they I doubt also Then I wil beleeue when I shall haue merites enow Also they do not say I beleeue certainely that remission is giuen freely for the Sonne of God not for anie merites of ours or anie worthines of ours Also They doe not rightlie shew what sinne is and feigne that man is able to satisfie the law of god and that by the fullfilling of the lawe he becommeth iust before God in this life Therefore first as touching sinne and the cause thereof we do faithfullie 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 holie Ghost proceeding from the Father and the sonne of infinit wisedome power and goodnes true iust bountiful chaste moste free as he describeth him selfe in his lawe and seeing he hath therfore made the Angells men that being froÌ al eternity he might impart vnto them his light wisedome goodnes and that they should be the temples of God wherein god might dwell that God might be all in all as Paull speaketh he therefore created them at the beginning good and iust that is agreeing with the minde and will of God and pleasing him He also gaue them a cleare knowledge of God and of his wil that they might vnderstand that they were made of God that they might be obedient as it is written in the sift Psalme Thou art not a God that loueth wickednes But the deuilles and men abused the libertie of their will swarued from God and by this disobedience they were made subiect to the wrath of God and lost that vprightnes wherein they were created Therefore freewill in the Deuill and in men was the cause of that fal not the wil of god who neither willeth sinne nor alloweth it nor furdereth it as it is written When the Deuill speaketh a lie he speaketh of his owne and he is the Father of lying And 1. Ioh. 3. He that committeh sinne is of the deuill because the deuill sinneth from the beginning Now sinne is that whatsoeuer is contrarie to the iustice of God which is an order in the minde of god which he did ãâ¦ã by his owne voicein the lawe and in the gospell whether it be originall disobedience or actuall for the which the person is both guiltie and condemned with euerlasting punishment except he obtaine remission in this life for the Sonne the Mediatours sake We doe also condemne the madnes of Marcion the Manichees such like which are repugnant in this wholl question to the true consent of the Church of God Of Origenall sinne Artic. 2. AS touching originall sinne we doe plainelie affirme that we doe retaine the consent of the true Church of God deliuered vnto vs from the first Fathers Prophets Apostles the Apostles schollers euen vnto Augustine after his time we doe expresselie condemne Pelagius all those who haue scattered in the Church like doting follies to those of the Pelagians And we saie that all men since the fall of our first parents which are borne by the coupling together of male and female doe together with their birth bring with them Originall sinne as Paul saith Rom. 5. By one man sinne entred into the world and by sinne death And Ephes 2. We were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Neither doe we dislike that vsuall definition if it be well vnderstoode Originall sinne is a want of Originall iustice which ought to be in vs Because that Originall iustice was not onelie an acceptation of mankinde before God but in the verie nature of man a light in the minde whereby he might assuredlie beleeue the worde of God and a conuersion of the will vnto God and an obedience of the heart agreeing with the iudgement of the lawe of God which was graffed in the minde and as we saide before man was the temple of God That Originall iustice doth comprehend all these things it maie be vnderstood by this saying Man was created after the Image and likenes of God which Paul doth thus interpret Ephes 4. Put ye on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holines where vndoutedlie by true holines he vnderstandeth all those vertues which shine in our nature and are giuen by God not ascited by arte or gotten by instruction as now those shadowes of vertues such as they are in men be ascited because that then God dwelling in man did gouerne him And when we consider what Originall ãâ¦ã signify then the priuation opposite therunto is lesse obscure Therefore Originall sinne is both for the fall of our first parents and for the corruption which followed that fall euen in our birth to be subiect to the wrath of God and to be worthie of eternall damnation except we obteine remission for the Mediatours sake And this corruption is to want now the light or the presence of God which should haue shined in vs and it is an estranging of our will from God and the stubbernnes of the heart resisting the lawe of the minde as Paull speaketh and that man is not the Temple of God but a miserable Masse without God and without iustice These wants and this wholl corruption we saie to be sinne not onelie a punishment of sinne and a thing indifferent as manie of the Sententiaries doe saie That these euills are onelie a punishment and a thing indifferent but not sinne And they doe extenuate this Originall euill and then they feigne that men maie satisfie the lawe of God and by their owne fulfilling of the law become iust The Church must auoide ambiguities Therefore we doe expresselie name these euills Corruption which is often named of the auncient writers Euill concupiscence But we distinguish those desires which were created in our nature from that confusion of order which hapned after our fall as it is saide Iere. 17. The heart of man is wicked And Paull saith The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie against God This euill Concupiscence we say to be sinne and we affirme that this wholl doctrine of sinne as it is propounded and taught in our Churches is the perpetuall consent of the true Church of God Of free will Art 4. NOwe let vs make manifest also the doctrine of free will Men truelie instructed in the Church haue allwaies distinguished betweene discipline and the newnes of the spirit which is the beginning of life eternall and they haue taught that in man there is such freedome of will to gouerne the outward motions of the members that thereby euen the vnregenerate maie after a sotte performe that outward discipline which is an externall obedience according to the law But man by his naturall strength is not able to free himselfe from sinne
the sacraments the which is prooued by that sentence of the moste excellent Apostle Saint Paul For Christ sent me not to Baptize that is not chieflie to do this but to preach the Gospell For onelie through the pure Gospell and the preaching thereof is faith sowed inwardlie in the heart by the holie Ghost and from thence also must we conceiue and seeke the true meaning of God and Christ touching all thinges necessarie to saluation and also touching the sacramentes them-selues Amongst those who by reason of their age are able to vse their vnderstanding it is of necessitie that the preaching of the Gospell go before the receiuing of the sacramentes Wherof we maie see an euident proofe in those three thowsand which were conuerted by Peter also in Cornelius in the Chamberlaine we maie see that according to the example of Phillippe the question is thus to be made Doest thou beleeue with all thy heart Then it maie be that thou who hast true faith grafted in thy heart maiest receiue profit by the participation of the sacraments For without the hearing of the word of God which is the sauing power of God no man shall wittinglie attaine vnto faith and saluation according to that saying of Paull Therfore faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God And againe How shall they beleeue in him of whome they haue not heard Therefore herein our preachers endeuour them selues moste earnestlie that in our Ecclesiastical meetings they maie propound vnto the people the sincere word of God without all mixture or inuentious of men For which cause also they do by an auncient custome recite in the mother and vulgare tongue which maie be vnderstood of all not onelie those Chapters which are appointed to be read out of the gospell at certaine times but also all other partes of holie scripture and do exhort the people with an earnest desire to heare the word oâ God and to frequent those Ecclesiasticall meetings that by the diligent teaching of the Gospell and by often repeating it in their sermons they maie first teach the people repentance and faith and then the vse and administration of the sacraments and by this meanes prepare them to the right receiuing of the sacraments afterwardes also boââ whilest the sacraments be administred and after they be administred they doe conuenientlie instruct them in all those thinges which the Lord commaunded and chieflie in those things which doe appertaine to the leading of an honest life and such a one as beseemeth a Christian profession as Christ saith Teach them to keepe all things which I ãâã commaunded you In this place also it is taught verie diligentlie and as the matter requireth touching the difference which is to be obserued betwixt the worde or doctrine and worke of the lawe and betwixt the worde and force of the holie Gospell The worde or ministerie of the lawe and of the olde Testament is the worde of death feare and of the letter also the worde of wrath and the worde of malediction but the worde of the new Testament that is of the holie Gospell is the ministerie of faith and the spirit of cleerenes or glorie through our Lord Iesus Christ the worde of grace of the new couenant the worde 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 wordes which I speake ãâã spirit and life Also there is mention made of the vse of the ãâã law in the fourth Chapter of this confession beginning with these wordes This doctrine of the true knowledge of sinne c. ãâã is to be seene before in the fourth Section whereunto all that Chapter apperteineth OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION WE beleeue that all the figures of the law are takes awaie by the comming of Chist howbeit we are assured that the truth and substance of them doth abide iâ him in whome they are all fulfilled Yet we must vse 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 Gospell OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BELGIA WE beleeue that all the ceremonies figures and shadows of the law haue ceased at the comming of Christ so that now euen the vse of them ought to be taken away abolished among Christians Yet in the mean time the truth substance of them doth remaine to vs in Christ in whome they are all fulfilled And therfore we doe still vse the testimonies of the law the Prophets to confirme our selues in the doctrine of the gospell and to lead an honest life vnto Gods glorie according to his will THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGE doth by the way mention the doctrine of the Gospell of the end thereof in the 4. and 5. Articles which we haue placed in the ninth Section wherein iustification and remission of sinnes by faith in Christ is handled OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SAXONY ANd that the benefittes of this Mediatour might be knowen vnto mankinde and applied vnto vs there was a promise giuen straight in the beginning after the fal of our first parents and afterwardes often times repeated and by voice of the Prophets declared but moste cleerely was it recited by the verie Sonne and afterwardes by the Apostles And there was a ministery instituted to teach and to spread abroade that promise also there was a Church made and often renued by the same very voice touching the Sonne of God our attonement By this mynisterie the Sonne of God alwaies was is and shall be effectuall in the beleeuers as it is saide Rom. 1. The Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to euerie one that beleeueth And he doth renue this ministerie when he saith As my Father sent me so doe I send you also Go preach repentance remission of sinnes in my name He wil that sin should be reprooued in all mankind as he saith The spirit shall reprooue the world of sinne because they beleeue not in âee And Rom. 1. The wrath of God is reueiled from heauen against all vngodlines and vnrighteousnes of men God will haue his wrath to be acknowledged against all sinne and chieflie 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 waie c. He wil haue vs truelie to be put in great feare by the knowledge of our darkenes of our horrible wickednes and our stubbernes And truelie God himselfe doth amazâ our heartes with the sense of his anger as Ezechiah saitâ Like a Lyon he brake all my bones And to this iudgement ãâã doth not onelie vse the voice of the ministerie of the lawâ and of the Gospell but also all calamities be as it were the voice of the lawe admonishing vs of the wrath of God ãâã calling vs to repentance Now when the minde is
terrified by this voice that reprooueth sinnes then let it heare thâ peculiar promise of the gospel touching the Sonne of God and let him be assured that his sinnes are freelie remitted fââ the Sonne of God hissake our Lord Iesus Christ who is our attonement and that of mercie not for any ãâã or loue of ours OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of the lawe CHAP. 6. WE acknowledge that the lâw of God whereof the 10. commaundementes are an abrigedment doth commaund the best the most iust and moste perfect workes and that man is not onelie bounde to obeie the morall precepts of the lawe but also if he should doe the workes of the 10. commaundements in such perfection and integritie as the lawe requireth that he should indeed be counted iust before God for his workes and should obtaine eternall saluation by his merites But whereas some men doe thinke that man can come to that state in this life as to be able by his works not onelie to fullfil the 10. commaundements but also to doe more and greater workes then are commaunded in the lawe which they call works of supererogation it is contrarie to the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles and it is repugnant to the iudgement of the true Catholike Church For the lawe was not giuen to this end to signifie that man might perfectlie fullfill the commaundements thereof in this life but to shew to man his imperfection to testifie of the vnrighteousnes of man and of the wrath of God against all men to stirre them vp to seke remission of their sinnes righteousnes and saluation by faith in the only Sonne of God our Lorde Iesus Christ Rom. 3. By the lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne And Rom. 7. The law is spirituall but I am carnall solde vnder sinne And Rom. 8. The wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God For it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indeede can be And Galat. 3. Curssed is euerie man that continueth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the lawe to doe them Augustine saith This first commaundement of iustice wherein we are commaunded to loue the Lorde with all our heart with all our soule and with all our minde whereupon followeth that other commaundement of louing our neighboure we shall fullfill in that life where we shall see him face to face But therfore it is euen now also commaunded vnto vs that we might be admonished what it behoueth vs to require by faith whether to send our hope before hand and by forgetting those thinges which are behinde what fore thinges we should stretch our selues vnto And hereby so far as I can iudge he hath profited much in this life in that righteousnes which is to be perfited who by profiting doth knowe how far he is from the perfection sf righteousnes And againe Charitie is a vertue whereby that is loued which is to be beloued This is in some greater in others lesser and in some none at all But the moste absolute loue which now cannot be increased so long as a man liueth here is not to be founde in anie man For so long as it may be increased that which is lesse then it ought to be commeth of our corruption by reason of which corruption there is not a iust man in the earth that doth good and sinneth not by reason of which corruption no flesh liuing shall be iustified in the sight of God for which corruptions sake If we saie that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs for the which also though we profit neuer so much yet it is necessary for vs to saie Forgiue vs our debtes although all our wordes deedes and thoughtes are alreadie forgiuen vs in baptisme And againe All the commaundements of God are counted as done when as whatsoeuer is not done is notwithstanding pardoned And Ierome saith This is onelie perfection vnto men if they know that they are vnperfect This is the true wisedome of man to know that he is imperfect and that I maie so speake the perfection of all iust men in the flesh is imperfect Of the Gospell of Christ CHAP. 8. ALthough manie preceptes of the law of God be conteined in the writings of the Euangelistes and Apostles and Christ himselfe doth teach that we must not rendââ euill for euill nor looke vpon a woman wantonlie and such like yet we must not think that the Gospel of Christ is a new law whereby as the fathers in times past were saued vnder the olde testament by the olde law so now men vnder the new testament should be saued by a new law For except a man take the name of the law generallie for doctrine as the Prophets now and then do vse the name of the law certainlie the Gospell of Christ is not properlie a law as Paull doth commonlie vse the name of the law but it is a good and ioyfull message touching the sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ that he onelie is the purger of our sinnes the appeaser of the wrath of God and our redeemer and sauiour Neither are the commaundements of the law which are conteined in the Apostles writings any new law but they are an interpretation of the olde law according to the iudgement of the holie Ghost which also were to be seene before and that not obscurelie in the writinges of the Prophets But they are repeated in the preaching of the gospell of Christ that the seueritie of the law of God and the corruption of our nature beeing declared we might be stirred vp to seeke and embrace Christ reuealed in his Gospell and that we maie know after what rule we are to frame our life through faith in Christ Wherefore if we will speake properlie of the law of God and Gospell of Christ as of Christ we are not to make a new lawgiuer seeing that he neither hath made a new law nor instituted a new politiâe kingdome in this earth so must we not make a new law of the Gospell which by more harde and seuere commaundements doth bring eternall saluation to the doers thereof But we thinke it to be most certaine that the naturall or morall law of the olde and new Testament is one and the same and that neither the men which liued vnder the olde Testament nor those which liue vnder the new Testament doe obteine eternal saluation for the merit of the workes of the law but onelie for the merit of our Lord Iesus Christ through faith Christ out of Isaiah doth recite his office for the which he was sent into the earth The spirit of the Lorde saith he is vpon me because he hath annointed me he hath sent me to preach the Gospell to the poore c. Here Christ teacheth that his proper office is not to make a new lawe which should terrifie and kill miserable sinners but to preach the Gospell which might comfort and quicken sinners Gal. 4. When the
fulnes of time was come God sent his Sonne made of a woman and made vnder the law that he might redeeme them which were vnder the law and that we by adoption might receiue the right of sonnes And Acts. 15 it is saide Why tempt ye God to laie an yoke vpon the Disciples neckes which neither our fathers nor wee were able to beare but we beleeue through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ to be saued euen as they c. And Augustine saith That people which receiued the old Testament was helde vnder certaine shadowes and figures of thinges before the comming of the Lorde according to the wonderfull and moste orderlie diuision of times Yet therein was so great preaching and foretelling of the new Testament that in the Euangelicall and Apostolike discipline though it be painfull and diuine no commaundements or promises can be found which are wanting euen in those olde bookes THE EIGHT SECTION OF REPENTANCE AND THE CONVERSION OF MAN THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA CHAP. 14. THe gospel hath the doctrine of repentance ioyned with it for so saide the Lord in the Gospell In my name must repentance and remission of sinnes be preached among all nation Byrepentance we vnderstand the change of the minde in a sinfull man stirred vp by the preaching of the Gospell and by the holy spirit receiued by a true faith by which a sinneful man doth eftsonnes acknowledge his naturall corruption and aââ his sinnes seeing them conuinced by the word of God iâ hartely greeued for them and doth not onelie bewaile and freelie confesse them before God with shame but also doth loath and abhorre them with indignation thinketh seriouslie of present amendment and of a continuall care of innocencie and vertues wherein to exercise himselfe holilie all the rest of his life And surely this is true repentance namely an vnfeined turning vnto god and to all goodnes and a serious returne from the Deuill and from all euill Now we doe expresselie saie that this repentance is the meere gift of god and not the worke of our owne strength For the Apostle doth will the faithful Minister diligentlie to Instruct those which withstande the trueth if that at any time the Lord will giue them repentance that they may acknowledge the trueth Also the sinnefull woman in the gospell which washed Christs feete with her teares and Peter which bitterlie wept and bewailed his deniall of his Master doe manifestlie shew what minde the penitent man should haue to witte verie earnestlie lamenting his sins committed Moreouer the Prodigal sonne and the Publican in the Gospell that is compared with the Pharisie doe set forth vnto vs a most fit paterne of confessing our sinnes to God The Prodigall sonne saide Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee I am not worthie to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruants The Publican also not daring to lift vp his eies to heauen but knocking his brest he cryed God be mercifull vnto me a sinner And we dout not but the Lord receiued them to mercie For Iohn the Apostle saith If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to purge vs from all iniquitie If we saie wee haue not sinned we make him a lier and his word is not in vs. We beleeue that this sincere confession which is made to God alone either priuatelie betweene God and the sinner or openlie in the Church where that generall confession of sinnes is rehearsed is sufficient and that it is not necessarie for the obteining of remission of sinnes that any man should confesse his sinnes vnto the priest whispering them into his eares that the priest laying his hands on his head he might receiue absolution because that we finde no commaundement nor example thereof in the holie scripture Dauid protesteth saieth I made my fault knowne to thee and my vnrighteousnes did I not hide from thee I said I will confesse my wickednes to the Lord against my selfe and thou hast forgiuen the hainousnes ofmy sinne Yea and the Lord teaching vs to pray and also to confesse our sinnes saide So shall you praie Our father which art in heauen forgiue vs our debtes euen as we forgiue our debters It is requisite therefore that we should confesse our sinnes vnto god and be reconciled with our neighbour if we haue offended him And the Apostle Iames speaking generallie of confession saith Confes ech of you your sinnes one to another If so be that any man beeing ouerwhelmed with the burthen of his sinnes and troublesome temptations wil priuatelie aske counsell instruction or comfort either of a minister of the Church or of any other brother that is learned in the law of God we doe not mislike it Like as also we doe fullie alow that generall and publike confession which is wont to be rehearsed in the Church and in holie meetings whereof we spake before beeing as it is agreeable with the scripture As concerning the keies of the kingdome of heauen which the Lord committed to his Apostles they prate manie straunge thinges and of these keies they make swordes speares scepters and crownes and full power ouer mightie kingdoms yea ouer mens soules and bodies But we iudging vprightlie according to the word of God do saie that al ministers trulie called haue and exercise the keies or the vse of them when as they preach the Gospell that is to say when they doe teach exhorte reprooue and keepe in order the people committed to their charge For so doe they open the kingdome of God to the obedient and shut it against the disobedient These keies did the Lorde promise to the Apostles in the 16. Chapter of Mathew and deliue them in Iohn 20. Chapter Marke 16. Luke the 24. when as he sent forth his disciples and commaunded them To preach the Gospell in all the world to forgiue sinnes The Apostle in the Epistle to the Cor. saith That the Lorde gaue to his ministerâ the ministerie of reconciliation And what this was he straighwaie maketh plaine and saieth The worde or doctrine of reconciliation And yet more plainelie expounding his words he he addeth that the ministers of Christ Do as it were go an imbassage in Christs name as if God himselfe should by his ministers exhort the people to be reconciled to god to weet by faithful obedience They vse the keies therfore when as they perswade to faith and repentance Thus do they reconcile men to God thus they forgiue sins thus do they open the kingdome of heauen and bring in the beleeuers much differing herein from those of whome the Lorde spake in the Gospell Wât be vnto you lawyers for ye haue taken awaie the keie of knowledge You haue not entred in your selues and those that would haue entered ye forbad Rightlie therefore and effectuallie do ministers absolue when as they preach the Gospell of Christ and thereby
his time Ceremonies were appointed for this cause that they should be admonitions of the Mediatour of the Doctrine of Faith of free remission for the Mediatours sake But they feigned that sinnes were forgiuen for those rites and sacrifices and by this superstition they heaped vp sacrifices and forgot the Mediatour and were without true comfort and without true inuocation The same thing hapned also after the Apostles time the light of the gospell being lost wherein is propounded free remission for the Mediatours sake and that to be receiued by Faith They sought remission by Monasticall exercises by single life by diuers obseruations by the offering in the Masse by the intercession of dead men and manie monstrous superstitions were deuised as the histories of the wholl Church which succeeded the Apostles doe declare Against these errours the infinite mercie of God hath oftentimes restored the voice of the Gospell And as among the people of Israell he did often raise vp Prophets which should purge the doctrine diligentlie so in the Church after the Apostles time when the writings of Origen and Pelagius and the superstition of the people had corrupted the puritie of the gospell yet notwithstanding as in a mist the light of the gospell was againe kindled by Augustine and him followed Prosper Maximus and others who reprooued the false opinions touching this Article Afterward when the Monkes were sprong vp and that opinion which faigneth men to merit by their workes was a fresh spread abroad yet there were some of a better iudgement although they added stable to the foundation as Hugo Bernard Gilbert William of Paris Tauler Ambrose Wesell and others in other places And now by the voice of Luther the doctrine of the gospell is more cleered and more euidentlie restored and the Lambe shewed vnto vs as the Baptist saith Beholde the lambe of God that takâââ awaie the sinnes of the world He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath eternall life he that beleeueth not the wrath of God abideth on him This same voice of the Gospell our Churches doe puâlâââ and that without corruption and we doe discerne that discipline or righteousnes which a man not regenerat maie performe from the righteousnes of faith and that newnes whereof the gospell doth preach We saie that all men are to be restrained by discipline that is by that righteousnes which euen the vnregenerate ought and after a sorte maie performe which is an obedience in externall actions according to all the commaundements of God apperterning to all men Because that God left this libertie in man after his fall that the outward members might after a sorre obeie reason and the will in stirring vp or omitting outward motions as Achilles maie draw his sword or put it vp into the sheath Scipio maie restraine his members so that he meddle not with another mans wife as in their place these thinges are trulie and copiouslie declared Now it is moste certaine that this discipline is commaunded of God and that the breaking thereof is punished with present and eternall punishments euen in those which are not conuerted vnto god according to those sainges The law was made for the vniust He that taketh the sword shall perish with the sword Also Forniâatours and adulterers the Lorde will iudge Also Woe vnto thee which spoilest because thou shalt be spoiled And although all men ought to gouerne their manners by this discipline and God doth seuerelie commaund that all kingdomes should defend this discipline and he by horrible punishmentes doth declare his wrath against this outward contumacie yet this externall discipline euen where it is most honest is not a fulfilling of the law neither doth it deserue remission of sinnes neither is it that righteousnes wherby we are accepted before God nor that light shining in the nature or men as righteousnes shined in vs in our creation or as new righteousnes shall shine in vs in the life eternall But all this discipline is an externall gouernment such as it is like vnto the leafe of a figge tree wherewith our first parentes after their fall did couer their nakednes neither doth it anie more take awaie sinne and the corruption of nature and death then those figge leaues did Hence it is that Paul doth so often crie out that sinne is not taken awaie by the law Rom. 3. By the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified in his sight And Rom. 8. When it was impossible to the law to iustifie c. And Gal. 2. If righteousnes doth come by the law then Christ died in vaine And Tit. 3. Not by the workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to his mercie he hath saued vs. And it is a reproch vnto the Sinne of God to imagine that anie our workes are merittes or the price of remission of sinnes and that they are propitions for sinnes Therefore we do openlie condemne those Pharisaical Pelagian doting dreames which faâgne that that discipline is a fullfill ng of the law of god also that it doth deserue remission either of congreitie or of conââgnity or that it is a righteousnes whereby men are made acceptable to God And after a few pages in the same Article Seeing that the minde is raised vp by this faith it is certaine that remission of sinnes reconciliation and imputing of righteousnes is giuen for the ment of Christ alone and that Christ is effectuall in vs and doth by his holie spirit quicken the beleeuers and deliuer vs from eternall death and withall make vs heires of eternall life So saith Paul Rom. 3. We conclude that man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Also we are iustified freelie by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whome God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood And Act. 10. To him giue all the Prophets wiânes that all that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes Now the wordes are knowne and manifâst Faith doth signifie not onelie the knowledge of the historie for that is also in the Deuilles of whome it is said The deuilles do beleue and tremble but it doth signifie to embrace al the Articles of Faith and among those this article I do beleâe the remission of sinnes neither do I beleue that it is onelie giuen to others but to me also This faith is also a confidence resting in the Mediatour according to that Beeing instified by faith we haue peace So that Paull speaketh of faith which consenting to all the articles of the Creede doth beholde and imbrace the promise for it ioyneth together faith and the promise Rom. 4. Therefore it is by faith that the premise might be sure In expounding the word Iustified it is vsuallie said To is iustified doth signifie of vnrighteous to be made righteous which beeing rightlie vnderstood doth agree also to our purpose Of vnrighteous to be made righteous that is acquitted from the guilt for the sonne of
God his sake that is laying holde by faith vpon Christ himselfe who ãâã our righteousnes as Ieremie Paul do saie because that by his merit we haue remission and God doth impute his righteousnes to vs and for him doth account vs iust and by giuing his holie spirit doth quicken and regenerate vs as it is saide Ioh. 5. This is life in his Sonne He that hath the Sonne hath eternall life he that hath not the Sonne of God hath not life And. Rom. 3. That he may be iust and a iustifier And although newnes is withall begunne which shall be perfect in the life eternal wherunto we are redeemed yet neither for the new qualities nor for any workes is any man in this life made iust that is acceptable to God and heire of eternall life but onelie for the Mediatours sake who suffered rose againe reigneth and praieth for vs shadowing and quickning vs. For although vertues are here begunne yet be they still imperfect the reliques of sinne do sticke in vs. Therefore we must holde this comfort that the person is accepted for the Sonne of God his sake his righteousnes beeing imputed to vs as it is said Rom. 4. Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes Also Blessed are they whose inicâities be forgiuen and whose sinnes be couered Therefore this saying must be vnderstood correlatiuelie We are iustified by faith that is we are iustified by confidence in the Sonne of God not for our quality but because he is the reconciler in whom the heart doth rest in confidence of the promised mercie for his sake Which confidence he doth raise vp in vs by his holie Spirit as Paull saith Ye haue receiued the Spirit of the aââption of the sonnes by whom we crie Abba Father Here also we must speake of the exclusiue member Paull doth often repeat the word Freely by which it is moste certaine that the condition of our merites is excluded Therefore it is saide in our Churches We are iustified by Faith alone which we so vnderstand and declare Freely for the onelie Mediatours sake not for our contrition or other our merites we haue our sinnes forgiuen vs and are reconciled to God For although contrition and many other vertues are together with Faith or with this confidence kindled in vs yet these vertues are not the cause or the merit of the Remission of sinnes neither doth the person please God in regarde of them according to that saying No man liâing shall be iustified in thy sight but the person hath remission and doth certenlie please God by reason of the Mediatour who must be apprehended by faith as it is saide Eph. 3. Bâ whome we haue boldnes and entrance with confidence by Faith in him This wholl doctrine is more manifest in the true conuersion and dailie inuocation of the godlie When we are in great feare by the knowledge of the wrath of God this one comfort is fârme and sure to flie to the Sonne of God who saith Come vnto me all ye that labour and are loaden and I will refresh you Also As I liue I will not the death of a sinner but that he returne and liue Also Grace aboundeth more then sinne In these griefes if man be taught to doubt of the remission of sinnes sorrow will haue the vpper hand and then follow moste greeuous murmurings against God and desperation and eternall death but if man be taught that doubting is to be ouercome by faith then shall he vnderstand that by the worde Faith is not onelie signified the knowledge of the storie he shall know that confidence doth relie vpon the onelie Mediatour and he shall perceiue what is meant by these wordes Freely for the Mediatour sake remission is receiued by faith alone and so the person is made acceptable This wrastling hath at all times instructed some For though Origen manie other âritââs ãâã sententiaries haue brought forth an impuâe kinde of doctrine yet in Augustine and certaine others we âeede diuers sentences which shew that they also receiued comfort out of th se true fountains Who although they dâe ãâã speake vnproperlie of thinges vnlike because they were ãâ¦ã negligent in speaking yet we maie ãâ¦ã what was their perpetuall iudgement if we will iudge ãâã Augustine ââon the Psal 31. saith Who be happieâ not they ân whome god shall not sinde sinnes for those he findeth in all men For all men haue sinned and are destitute of the glorie of God Therefore if sinnes be found in ãâã men it is euident that none are happie but those whose sinnes it forgiuen This therefore the Apostle did thus commend Abraâaâ beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes Here certainlie Augustine by faith doth vnderstand confidence which receiueth remission of sinnes and that which is said in Genesis and in Paull he doth altogether vnsterstand it as we expound it And in his booke De spiritu litera he saith By the law we feare God and by faith we flie to his mercie Bernard in his Sermon De ãâã saith First of all it is necessarie to beleeue that thou canst not haue remission of sinnes but by the mercie of God But aâââ thereunto that thou maist also beleeue this that through him thy sinnes be forgiuen thee This is the witnes which the holie Ghost doth âiâe in our heart saying Tây sinnes be forgiuen thee For so doth the Apostle thinke that a man is iustified freelie by faith In this sentence the iudgement of our Churches is plainlie and properlie alledged and like testimonies are to be sound in this author Basill also in his sermon of Humilitie doth most properly set forth our iudgement in these wordes He that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lorde saying that Christ is maie vnto vâ of God wisedome and righteousnes and sanctification and ãâã aâ it is written He that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lorde For this is perââct and sound reioycing in God when as a man is not puffed vp by reason of his owne righteousnes but doth acknowledge that he doth stand in neede of the true righteousnes and that he is iustified by faith alone in Christ Seeing therefore that by this which hoth bin spoken it is manifest what the worde Faith doth signifie in this proposition We are iustified by Faith herereupon we maie vnderstand that the Monkes and others doe daungerouslie erâe which doe commaund those that are turned to God to doubt whether they doe please God This common errour of doubting is euidentlie refuted by these wordes Being iustified by Faith we haue peace with God Also Therefore is righteousnes of faith that the promise might be sure For so long as mens hearts are tormented with doubting they flie from God they doe not rest in God nor call vpon him and the promise becommeth vnto them but a vaine sound because they giue not consent vnto it To conclude it is the eternall and immutable commaundement of God that we should
of a Christian man and to what actions he ought chiefelie to giue him selfe namelie to all those wherby euerie one for his parte maie profit his neighbours and that first in things pertaining to life eternall that they also maie begin to know worship and feare god and then in thinges pertaining to this life that they maie want nothing which is necessarie to the sustenance of the bodie For as the wholl lawe of god which is a moste absolute commaundement of all righteousnes is breiflie contained in this one word Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe so in the performance of this loue it is necessarie that all righteousnes should be comprised and perfited Whereupon it followeth that nothing at all is to be reckoned among the duties of a Christian man which is not of force and effect to profit our neighbour and euerie worke is so much the more belonging to the dutie of Christian man by how much his neighbour maie the more be profited thereby Therefore next after Ecclesiasticall functions among the chiefe duties of a Christian man we place the gouernment of the Common we ale obedience to Magistrates for these be referred to the common profit that care which is taken for our wife children familie and the honour which is due to parents because that without these the life of man cannot consist and lastlie the profession of good artes and of al honest discipline because that except these be had in estimation we shall be destitute of the greatest good thinges which are proper to mankinde Yet in these and all other duties pertaining to mans life no man must rashlie take anie thing to him selfe but with a right conscience consider whereunto God doth call him To conclude let euerie man account that his duty and that so much the more excellent a duety the more that he shall profit other men thereby THE TENTH SECTION OF THE HOHOLIE CATHOLIKE CHVRCH THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of the Catholike Church of God and of the heade of the Church CHAP. 17. FOrasmuch as God from the beginning would haue men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth therefore it is necessarie that alwaies from the beginning at this daie and to the ende of the worlde there should be a Church that is a companie of the faithfull called and gathered out of the world a communion I saie of all Saints that is of them who doe truelie know and rightlie worship and serue the true God in Iesus Christ the Sauiour by the worde and the holie spirit and which by faith are partakers of all those good graces which are freelie offered thorough Christ These all are Cytizens of one and the same Citie liuing vnder one Lord vnder the same lawes and in the same fellowship of al good things for so the Apostle calleth them fellow Cytizens with the Saints and of the householde of God tearming the faithfull vpon the earth Saints who are sanctified by the blood of the Sonne of God Of these is that article of our Creede wholly to be vnderstoode I beleeue the Catholike Church the common ion of Saintes And seeing that there is alwaies but one God and one Mediatour between God man Iesus Christ also one shepheard of the wholl flocke one head of this bodie and to conclude one spirit one saluation one faith one Testament or couenant it followeth necessarily that there is but one Church which we therefore call Catholike because it is vniuersall spread abroade thorough al the partes and quarters of the worlde reacheth vnto all times and is not limited within the compasse either of time or place Here therefore we must condemne the Donatists who pinned vp the Church within the corners of Aphricke neither doe wee allowe of the Romane cleargy who vaunte that the Church of Rome alone in a manner is Catholike The Church is diuided by some into diuers partes or diuerse sortes not that it is rent and diuided from it selfe but rather distinguished in respect of the diuersitie of the members that be in it One parte therefore they make to be the Church militant the other the Church triumphant The militant warreth still on the earth and fighteth against the flesh the world and the prince of the world the deuill and against sinne and death The other beeing allready set at libertie is now in heauen and triumpheth ouer al those beeing ouercome and continuallie reioiceth before the Lord. Yet these two churches haue notwithstanding a communion and fellowship betweene them-selues The Church militant vpon the earth hath euer more had in it many particuler Churches which must all notwithstanding be referred to the vnitie of the Catholike Church This militant Church was otherwise ordered gouerned before the law among the Patriarkes otherwise vnder Moses by the law and otherwise of Christ by the gospell There are but two sortes of people for the most parte mentioned to witte the Israelites and the gentiles oâ they which of the Iewes and gentiles were gathered to make a Church There be also two testaments the olde and the new Yet both these sortes of people haue had and still haue one fellowship one saluation in one and the same Messiah in whome as members of one bode they are all ioyned together vnder one heade and by one faith are all partakers of one and the same spirituall meat and drink Yet here we do acknowledge a diuersitie of times and a diuersitie in the pledges and signes of Christ promised and exhibited and that now the ceremonies beeing abolished the light shineth vnto vs more cleerlie our giftes and graces are more aboundant and out libertie is more full and ample This holy Church of god is called the house of the liuing ãâã builded of liuing and spirituall stones founded vpon a rocke that can not be remooued vpon a foundation besides which none can bâ laied Whereupon it is called the pillar and foundation of the truth that doth not erre so long as it relieth vpon the rock Christ and vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles And no maruell if it do erre so often as it forsaketh him who is the alone trueth This Church is also called a virgine and the spouse of Christ and his onelie beloued For the Apostle saith I haue ioyned you vnto one husband that I might present you a chast virgine vnto Christ The Church is called a flocke of sheepe vnder one shepheard euen Christ Ezec. 34. Ioh. 10. also the bodie of Christ because the faithfull are the liuelie members of Christ hauing him for their head It is the head which hath the preheminence in the body and from whence the wholl bodie receiueth life by whose spirit it is gouerned in al thinges of whome also it receiueth increase that it may grow vp Also there is but one heade of the bodie which hath agreement with the bodie And therfore the church cannot haue any other heade beside Christ For as the
Church is a spirituall bodie so must it needs haue a spiritual heade like vnto it selfe Neither can it be gouerned by any other spirit then by the spirit of Christ Wherefore Paul saith And he is the head of his bodie the Church who is the beginning the first borne of the dead that in al things he might haue the preheminence And in another place Christ saith he is the heade of the Church and the same is the Sauiour of his bodie And againe Who is the heade of the Church which is his bodie euen the fulnes of him which filleth all in all things Againe Let vs in all things grow vp into him which is the heade that is Christ by whome all the bodie being knit together receiueth increase And therefore we do not allow of the doctrine of the Romish Prelates who would make the Pope the generall Pastour and Supreame heade of the Cuhrch of Christ militant here on earth and the verie Vicar of Christ who hath as they saie al fullnes of power and soueraigne authoritie in the Church For we holde and teach that Christ our Lorde is and remaineth fill the onelie vniuersal Pastour and highest Bishop before God his father and that in the Church he performeth all the duties of a Pastour or Bishop euen to the worldes ende and therefore standeth not in neede of any other to supplie his roome for he is said to haue a substitute which is absent But Christ is present with his Church is the head that giueth life thereunto He did straightlie forbid his Apostles their successours al superioritie or dominion in the Church They therefore that by gainesaying set themselues against so manifest a trueth and bring another kinde of gouernement into the Church who seeth not that they are to be counted in the number of them of whome the Apostles of Christ prophesied as Peter 2. Epist 2. and Paull Act. 20. â Cor. 11. 2. Thess 2. and in manie other places Now by taking awaie the Romish head we doe not bring any confusion or disorder into the Church for we teach that the gouernement of the Church which the Apostles set downe is sufficient to keepe the Church in due order which from the beginning while as yet it wanted such a Romish heade as is now pretended to keepe it in order was not disordered or full of confusion That Romish head doth mainteine in deede that tyrannie and corruption in the Church which was brought into the Church But in the meane time he hindreth resisteth and with all the might he can make cutteth of the right and lawfull reformation of the Church They obiect against vs that there haue beene great strifes and dissentions in our Churches since they did seuer themselues from the Church of Rome and that therefore they can not be true Churches As though there were neuer in the Church of Rome neuer anie sectes anie contentions and quarrells and that in matters of religion maintained not so much in the schooles as in the holie chaires euen in the audience of the people We knowe that the Apostle said God is not the author of dissention but of peace And Seeing there is amongst you emulation and contention are you not carnall Yet maie we not denie but that God was in that Church planted by the Apostle and that that Apostolike Church was a true Church howsoeuer there were strifes and dissentions in it The Apostle Paull reprehended Peter an Apostle and Barnabas fell at variance with Paull great contention arose in the Church of Antioch betweene then that preached one the same Christ as Luke recordeth in the Actes of the Apostles And there haue at all times bin great contentions in the Church and the moste excellent Doctors of the Church haue about no small matters differed in opinions yet so as in the meane time the Church ceased not to be the Church for all these contentions For thus it pleaseth God to vse the dissentions that arise in the Church to the glorie of his name the setting forth of the truth to the end that such as are approoued might be manifest Now as we acknowledge no other head of the Church then Christ so we do not acknowledge euerie Church to be the true Church which vaunteth her selfe so to be but we teach that to be the true Church indeed in which the markes and tokens of the true Church are to be found First and chiefely the lawfull or sincere preaching of the word of god as it iâ left vnto vs in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles which do all seeme to lead vs vnto Christ who in the gospel hath said My sheep heare my voice I know them they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life A straunger they doe not heare but flie from him because they know not his voice And they that are such in the Church of God haue all but one faith and one spirit and therefore they worship but one God and him alone they serue in spirit and in truth louing him with all their heartes with all their strength praying vnto him alone through Iesus Christ the onelie Mediatour and intercessor and they seeke not life or Iustice but onlie in Christ and by faith in him because they do acknowledge Christ the onelie head and foundation ofhis Church and being surelie founded on him doe dailie repaire themselues by repentance and doe with patience beare the crosse laid vppon them and besides by vnfeined loue ioyning themselues to all the members of Christ doe thereby declare them-selues to be the disciples of Christ by continuing in the bond of peace and holie vnitie they do withall communicate in the sacraments ordeined by Christ deliuered vnto vs by his Apostles vsing them in no other manner theÌ as they receiued them from the Lord him-selfe That saying of the Apostle Paul is well knowne to all I receiued from the Lord that which I deliuered vnto you For which cause we condemne all such Churches as straungers from the true Church of Christ who are not such as we haue heard they ought to be howsoeuer in the meane time they brag of the succession of bishops of vnitie and of antiquitie Moreouer we haue in charge from the Apostles of Christ To shunne Idolatrie and to come out of Babylon and to haue no fellowship with her vnles we meane to be partakers with her of al gods plagues laid vpon her But as for communicating with the true Church of Christ we so highlie esteeme of it that we saie plainelie that none can liue before God which do not communicate with the true Church of God but separate them selues from the same For as without the Arke of Noah there was no escaping when the world perished in the flood euen so doe we beleeue that without Christ who in the Church offereth him selfe to be enioyed of the elect there can be no certaine saluation and therefore
we teach that such as would be saued must in no wise separate themselues from the true Church of Christ But yet we do not so strictlie shut vp the Church within those markes before mentioned as thereby to exclude al those out of it which either doe not communicate in the sacraments by reason that they want them or else not willinglie nor vpon contempt but being constrained by necessitie do against their willes âbstaine from them or in whome faith doth sometimes faile though not quite decaie nor altogether die or in whome some slippes and errors of infirmitie maie be found for we know that God had some friendes in the worlde that were not of the common wealth of Israell We know what befull the people of God in the captiuitie of Babylon where they wanted their sacrifices seuentie yeâes We know verie well what hapned to S. Peter who denied his Master and what is wont daylie to fall out among the faithfull and chosen of God which go astraie and are full of infirmities We know moreouer what manner of Churces the Churches at Galatia and Corinth were in the Apostles time in which the Apostle Paull condemneth diuers great and hevnous crimes yet he calleth them the holie Churches of Christ Yea and it fulleth out sometimes that God in his iust iudgement suffereth the trueth of his worde and the Catholique Faith and his owne true worship to be so obscured and defaced that the Church seemeth almost quite rased out and not so much as a face of a Church to remaine as wee see fell out in the daies oâ Eliah and at other times And yet in the meane time the Lorde hath in this world euen in this darkenes his ãâã worshippers and those not a few but euen seuen thousand and more For the Apostle crieth The foundation of the Lord standeth sure and hath this seale the Lorde knoweth who are his c Whereupon the Church of God maie be termed inuisible not that the men whereof it consisteth are inuisible but because it being hidden from our sight and knowne onelie vnto God it cannot be discerned by the iudgement of man Againe not all that are reckoned in the number of the Church are saintes and the liuelie and true members of the Church for there be manie Hypocrits which outward lie doe heare the worde of God and publiquelie receiue the Sacramentes and beare a shew to praie vnto God alone through Christ to confesse Christ to be their onelie righteousnes and doe seeme outwardlie to worshippe God and to exercise the dueties of charitie to the bretheren and for a while through patience to indure in troubles calamities And yet they are altogether destitute of the inward illumination of the spirit of God of faith and sinceritie of heart and of perseuerance or continuance to the ende And these men are for the most part at the length laid open what they be For the Apostle Iohn saieth They went out from among vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue taried with vs. Yet these men whilest they doe pertend religion they are accounted to be in the Church howsoeuer indeed they be not of the Church Euen as traitours in a commonwealth before they be detected are counted in the number of good Citizens and as the cockell and darnell and chaffe are founde amongst the wheate and as wennes and swellinges are in a perfect bodie when they are rather diseases and deformities then true members of the bodie And therefore the Church is verie well compareed to a drawnet which draweth vp fishes of all sortes and to a fielde wherein is founde both darnell and good corne We are to haue a speciall regarde that we iudge not rashlie before the time nor go about to exclude cast of and cut awaie them whom the Lord would not haue excluded nor cut of or whome without some damage to the Church we cannot separate from it Againe we must be verie vigilant lest that the godlie falling fast a sleepe the wicked grow stronger and doe some mischiefe to the Church Furthermore we teach that it is carefully to be marked wherein especiallie the trueth and vnity of the Church consisteth lest that we either rashlie breede or nourish schismes in the Church It consisteth not in outward rites and ceremonies but rather in the trueth and vnity of the Catholike faith This Catholike faith is not taught vs by the ordinancesor lawes of men but by the holie scriptures a compendious short summe wherof is the Apostles creed And therfore we reade in the auncient writers that there was manifolde diuersities of ceremonies but that was alwaies free neither did any man think that the vnity of the church was therby broken or dissolued We saie then that the true vnitie of the Church doth consist in seuerall points of doctrine in the true and vniforme preaching of the gospell in such rites as the Lord himselfe hath expresly set downe and here we vrge that saying of the Apostle verie earnestly As many of vt therefore as are perfect let vs be thus in minded If any man thinke otherwise the Lord shall reueale the same vnto him And yet in that whereunto we haue attained let vs all follow one direction and all of vs be like affected one towardes another OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of the Church THis we holde that of such liuelie stones beeing by this meane built vpon this liuelie rocke the Church and the holy gathering together of al the Saints the Spouse of Christ which beeing clensed by his blood he shal once in time to come present without blot before his Father is founded The which Church though it be manifest to the ties of God alone yet is it not onelie seene and knowen by certaine outwarde rites instituted of Christ himselfe and by the worde of God as by a publique and lawfull discipline but it is so appointed that without these marks no man can be iudged to be in this Church but by the special priuiledge of God OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASILL Of the Church WE beleeue a holie Christian Church that is a communion of Saints a gathering together of the faithfull in spirit which is holie and the Spouse of Christ wherein all they be Citizens which doe truelie confesse that Iesus is the Christ the Lambe that taketh away the sins of the worlde and doe shew forth that faith by the workes of loue And a little after This Church of Christ doth labour all that it can to keepe the bondes of peace and loue in vnitie Therefore it doth by no meanes communicate with Sectes and the rules of orders deuised for the difference of daies meates apparell and ceremonies OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA Of the holie Church and of the godlie institution and gouernement thereof and of Discipline Also of Antichrist CHAP. 8. IN the eight place it is taught touching the acknowledging of the
holie Catholike Christian Church And first of all that the foundation and head of the holy Church is Iesus Christ himselfe alone together with the wholl merit of grace and trueth to life eternall vpon whome and by whome this Church is at all times built by the holie Ghost the word of God and the sacramentes according to the meaning of that which Christ saide vnto Peter vpon this rocke to wit wherof thou hast made a true confession I will builde my Church And Saint Paull saith Other foundation can no man laie then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ. And in another place And hath appointed him ouer all thinges to be the head of the Church which is his bodie and the fullnes of him which filleth all in all thinges Out of these thinges it is taught that this is beleeued held and publikelie confessed that the holie Catholike Church beeing present at euerie time militant vpon earth is the fellowshippe of all Christians and is here and there dispersed ouer the wholl worlde and is gathered together by the holie Gospell out of all nations families tounges degrees and ages in one faith in Christ the Lord or in the holie Trinitie according to that saying of Saint Iohn who speaketh thus And I sawe a great companie which no man can number of all nations peoples and tongues standing before the throne and before the lambe This true Church although while it lieth here in the Lords floore to wit in the wide worlde and as it were in one heape confusedlie gathered together containeth in it as yet as well the pure wheat as the chaffe the Godlie children of God and the wicked children of the world the liuing and dead members of the ministers of the people yet where it is least defiled or most pure it maie be knoweÌ euen by these signes that follow namelie wheresoeuer Christ is taught in holie assemblies the doctrine of the holie Gospell is purelie and fullie preached the Sacraments are administred according to Christs institution commaundement meaning and will the faithfull people of Christ doth receiue vse them by these gathereth it selfe together in the vnitie of faith and loue and in the bonde of peace and ioyneth it selfe in one and buildeth it selfe hard together vpon Christ There therfore is the holie Church the house of God the temples of the holie Ghost liuelie members the partes of the heauenlie Ierusalem the spirituall bodie of Christ and ioynts knit together the which are ioyned and coupled ech with other by one head Christ one spirit of regeneration one worde of god the same and sincere sacramentes one faith one loue and holie communion one bonde of peace order discipline and obedience whether the number of this people be great or small as the Lorde witnesseth Where two or three are gathered together in my name in what countrie and nation and in what place soeuer this be there am I in the middest of them and contrarily where Christ and the spirit of Christ dwelleth not and the holie Gospell cannot haue anie place graunted vnto iâ c. but on the contrarie side manifest errors and ãâ¦ã life haue their full course and by getting the vpper hand do spread themselues faite there most also needes be a Church so defiled that Christ will not acknowledge iâ for his welbeloued spouse seeing that none belongeth to Christ who hath not the spirit of Christ ãâã Christian is also bound with diligent care to seeke after this and such a true part of the holie Church and after he hath founde it to ioylie and mainteine holie communion and fellowship therewith as the other parte of that point of the Church in our christian Câââde doth declare where we doe profelie that we ãâ¦ã communion of Saints and ought altogether with this fellowship or spirituall companie of Gods people to ãâ¦ã the true vnitie and concord of Christs spirit to Liue and beare good will to all the members to yâlde obedience thereunto and endeauour by all meanes possible to procure the profitte and furtherance thereof and in truth to holde agreement therewith and by no meanes thorough sââbboânnes to mooue schismes seditions and sects against the truth To which thing the Apostle exhorteth all men where he saith So walke or behaue your selues as worthie of the place or vocation whereunto ye are called with all humblenes and ââekenes with a quiet minde and long suffering forbearing one another and indeauour ye to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace There is one bodie and one spirit euen as ye are called in one hope of your vocation there is one Lord one faith one baptisme ore God and Father of all And againe Let euerie man please his neighbour in in that that is good to edification Also doe nothing through sârââe or for vaine glorie Againe Let there not be dissentions among you He therefore that in this life walketh according to these commaundements he is a true and liuelie member of the holie Church which bringeth forth the fruite of Faith and loue But he that looseth the spirit of Faith and looue in the holie fellowship must needes be a deede member Together with these thinges the ministers of our Churches teach that this is to be thought of their fellowship which is in like manner to be thought of any other Christian fellowship whether it be great or small to wit that it selfe alone is not that holie Catholike Christian Church but onely one part therof as the Apostle writeth of the Church at Corinth Ye are the bodie of Christ and members of him euerie one for his parte They teach also that there must be a platforme and certaine order of gouernment in the holie Church For without a platforme of order and outward gouernement it can not be in good case or go well with it no more then it can with anie other euen the least societie But this platforme of order consisteth chiefelie in this that they be both ordinarilie called and lawfullie ordained who execute due functions in the same beginning at the least proceeding to those that are of a meane sort so sorth euen to the chiefest The next point is that euerie one do wel discharge that place as it were his warde to which he is called vse watchfulnes suffer nothing to be sound wanting in himselfe nor at his owne pleasure do closelie conuey him selfe out of the same or go beyond the bondes thereof and meddle with other mens charges and moreouer that all among them-selues submit them-selues one to an other and al performe obedience from theleast to the greatest euerie man in his owne place whereunto he is called and do it with the affection of loue and of his owne accord not of constraint euen for Christes sake and for the care they haue of eternall saluation according as the Apostles and other holie men haue taught concerning this matter
Gospell let him be accursed And Ioh. 10. My sheepe heare my voice And Ioh. 14 If anie man loueth ãâã he heareth my word and my Father shall loue him and we will ãâã to him and will dwell with him And Ioh. 17. Sanctifie them wiââ thy word thy worde is trueth Therfore the Sadduces the Pharisies and such like Bishops and others who set forth an other doctrine differing from the Gospell and do obstinately establish idolatrie are no members of the Church of God althouugh they holde a title and dominions But it is manifest that our aduersaries teach and defend another âinde of doctrine differing from the Gospell seeing they teach that the law of God maie be fulfilled by our obedience in this life and that this obedience doth deserue remission of sinnes Also that by this obedience men are made righteous before god Also that euill concupiscence is not sinne not an euil resisting the law of God Also that they which are conuerted must doubt whether they be in state of grace and that this doubting is not sinne Also that dead men are to be praied vnto Also that difference of meates monastical vowes and other ceremonies chosen without anie commaundement of God are the seruice of God Also that the sacrifice in the masse doth deserue remission of sinnes and other thinges both for him that maketh it and also for others that are a liue or dead Also other manifold and horrible prophanations of the sacrament Also that Bishops maie appoint seruices of God and that the violating of those seruices which are appointed by them is mortall sinne Also that they maie enioyne the law of single life to anie degree of men Also that the rehearsall of all and euerie offence is necessarie to the obteining of remission of sinnes Also that canonicall satisfactions do recompence the punishments of Purgatorie Also that those Synodes wherein the Bishops alone do giue their iudgement can not erre Also they which do consecrate oyles and other things without the commaundement of God and do attribute thereunto a diuine power against sinnes and Deuills and diseases Also they which allow of praiers made to certâine Images as though there were more helpe to be had Also they which do kill honest men onelie for that they dislike these errours and do proses the trueth These things seing they be altogether heathenish and idolatrous it is manifest that the mainteiners thereof are not members of the Church but do rule and haue soueraigntie as the Pharisies and Saducies did Neuertheles there haue bene are and shall be in the Church of God such men as doe keepe the foundation although some had haue and shall haue more light and others lesse And sometime also euen the verie saints do build stubble vpon the foundation especiallie seeing that the miserie of these times doth not suffer those which haue the beginnings of faith to be instructed and to conferre with the better learned yet these are in the number of those whome the Lord commaundeth to be spared Ezech 9. who sigh and are sorie because that ârrors are established Therefore chiefelie by the voice of the Doctrine we maie and ought to iudâe which and where the true Church is which by the voice of the true doctrine and then by the lawfull vse of the Sacraments is distinguished from other natious And what is the voice of the true doctrine the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and the Creedes doe declare In these the doctrine is not doubtfull touching the foundation to wit touching the Articles of faith the eâsence and will of God the Sonne the Redeemer the lawe the promises the vse of the Sacraments and the ministery And it is manifest that it is not permitted to any creature not to Angels nor to men to change that doctrine which is deliuered of God Now what the Church is the Sonne of God sheweth saying My kingdome is not of this world Also As my Father senâ me so doe I send you By the voice of the ministers of the Gospell an eternal Church is gathered to god and by this voice God is effectuall and turneth manie to himselfe This exceeding great benefit of God we ought to acknowledge ãâã thankefullie to extoll And although the Church be a companie that maie be seene and heard yet it is to be distingui hed from politicall Empires or those that beare the sworde Bishoppes haue not authoritie by the law of God ãâã punish the disobedient neither doe they possesse the kingdomes of the worlde and yet in the Church there is an oâder according to that saying He ascended he giueth giftes ãâã men Apostles Prophets Euangelist Pastors and Teachers The Sonne of God is the high Priest annointed of the eternal Father who that the Church might not vtterlie perish haââ giuen vnto it ministers of the Gospell partlie called immediatlie by himselfe as the Prophets Apostles partlie chosen by the calling of men For he doth both allow of the choise of the Church and of his infinite goodnes he is effectuall euen when the Gospell doth sound by such as ãâã choseâ by voices or in the name of the Church Therefore we doe reteine in our Churches also the publique rite of Ordination where by the miâisierie of the Gospell is commended to those that are truâlie chââân âhose manners and doctrine we doe âiâst ãâ¦ã And touching the worthines of the ãâ¦ã teach ouâ Churches No ãâ¦ã then that which the Sonne of God sââth As my âathââ sâât me odo I send you He also declareâh what âââmaundements he giueth preach ye the Gospell and he aââirmeth that he wil be effectual by their voice as the Father sheweth himselfe to be effectuall by the Sonne Also we set before men the commaundementes of God He that âeaâeth you heareth me ãâã that despiseth you despiseth me Also Obey them that have the ouer ââght of you And yet these sayings doe not erect a kingdom without the Gospel but they commâând an obedâence which is due to the voice of the Gospell And these things pertaine to the ministeâie To teach the Gospell to administer the Sacramentes to giue absolution to them that aske it and doe not perseuere in âaâifâst offences to ordaine ministers of the Gospell beeing âiâhâlie called and examined to exercise the iudgements of the Church after a lawfull manner vpon those which are guiltie of manifest crâmes in manners of in dâcâââne and to pronounce the sentence of excommunication against them that are stubborne againe to al solue pardon them that doe repeat That these thinges maie be done ãâã there be also Consistories appointed in our ãâ¦ã We said in the ãâ¦ã the Church that there be manie in this visible ãâ¦ã who notwithstanding in outward ãâ¦ã doe in ãâã the true Doctrine We condeâââ ãâ¦ã who sâigned that their ministerie âs not ãâ¦ã Also we condemne that ãâ¦ã which ãâã that to be the visible Church wâârein âll arâ holie And we confesse that we are so ãâ¦ã visible Church
in this life as our Lord saith Mat. â2 The kingdome of God is like vnto a drawe net ãâã into ãâ¦ã wâârein ãâã are gathered both good and bad but yet they which become enemies to the true doctrine cease to be members of this visible congregation according to that saying Is anie man teach another Gospell let him be accââsed OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of the cheefe Bishop THere be those that attribute this to the Bishop of Rome that he is the heade of the Vniuersall Church that he hath power in earth not onelie to ordeine ciuill kingdomes and to gouerne all Ecclesiasticall persons and matters but also to commaund the Angels in heauen to deliuer soules out of Purgatorie and to blesse or deliuer whom it pleaseth him But we acknowledge that if the Bishop of Rome were a godly man and did teach the gospel of Christ according to the writings of the Prophets Apostles then he had a ministerie of high authoritie in this earth to wit a ministerie of remitting and reteining sinnes then which ministerie there is nothing greater or more excellent in this earth But he alone hath not this ministerie but he hath it in common with all those who by a lawful calling do preach the Gospell of Christ For the ministerie of remitting or reteining sinnes which otherwise is called the key of the kingdome of heauen is not giuen to the free power of the person of men but it is so neerelie annexed to the worde of the gospell that so many as do preach the Gospel may truly be said to remit and to reteine sins to wit to remit their sins who by faith doe receiue the Gospell to reteine theirs that doe contemne the Gospell Mar. 16. Preach the Gospell to euerie creature He that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued but he that will not beleeue shall be damned Hilarie De Trinit lib. 6. saith The father reuealed it to Peter that he should saie thou art the Sonne of God Therfore vpon this rock of Confession is the Church builded this faith is the foundation of the Church whatsoeuer this faith shall loose or binde in earth shall be loosed or bound in heauen Chrysostome saith They which beare the keies be the priests to whome the worde of teaching and interpreting the Scriptures is committed Now the keie is the worde of the knowledge of the Scriptures by which keie the trueth is opened to men Augustine De Doctâ Christ Lib. 1. Cap. 18. saith These keies did he giue to the Church that whatsoeuer it looseth in earth should be loosed in heauen to âit that whosoeuer would not beleeue that his sinnes are forgiuen hiâ in the Church they should not be forgiuen to him but whosoeuer should beleeue and being corrected doth turne from his sinnes being placed in the lappe of the Church should by the same faith and correction be healed Ambrose saith Sinnes are remitted by the worde whereof the Leuite is the interpreter or expounder Bernard in epist ad Eug. saith The true successââer of Paull will sate with Paull Not that we haue dominion ouer your saith but we are helpers âf your ioy The heires of Peter will heare Peter saying Not as though ye were Lordes ouer Gods heritage but that ye maie be ensamples to the flocke Thomas in Summa sua parte 3. in addit q. 6. art 6. saith Because the Church is founded vpon Faith and the Sacraments therefore it doth not pertaine to the ministers of the Church to make new Articles of Faith or to set a parte those which are made neither to appoint new Sacramentes or to take awaie those which are appointed but this is proper to that excellencie of power which iâ due to Christ alone who is the foundation of the Church And therfore as the Pope cannot dispense that anie one maie be saued without Baptisme so can he not dispense with anie to be saued without confession because that he bindeth by force of a Sacrament And although Thomas haue his opinions touching confession yet this which he saith It doth not pertaine to the Ministers of the Church among whome he reckoneth the Pope to make new Articles of Faith and to appoint new Sacraments is in deede an Apostolike and Catholike iudgement For no other ministerie doeth perteine to the ministers of the Church which haue their calling from Christ then that which we mentâoned before and which the Apostles of Christ themselues did execute touching the remittting and reteining of sinnes Therefore if anie thing more then this ministerie be attributed to the Bishop of Rome this is either giuen vnto him by mans ordinances or els it is feigned by the Monkes and other flatterers against the authoritie of the worde of God Of the Church WE beleeue and coâfâsse that there is one holie Catholique and Apostolique Church according to the Creede of the Apostles and the Nicene Creede 2. That this Church is so gouerned of the holie Ghost that although he suffer it to be weake in this earth yet he doth âlwaies preserue it that it doe not perish either by errours or by sinnes 3. That in this world manie naughtie men and hypocrites are mingled with this Church 4. That these naughtie men and hypocrites if by a lawfull calling they shall take vponthem the ministerie of the Church shall not of themselues anie whit hinder the trueth of the Sacraments except they peruert the ordinance of Christ and teach wicked thinges 5. That in this Church there is true remission of sinnes 6. That this Church hath authoritie to beare witnes of the holie Scripture 7. That this Church hath authoritie to iudge of all doctrines according to that Trie the spirits whether they be of God And Let the other iudge 8. That this Church hath authoritie * to interpret the scripture But where this Church is to be sought and whether her authoritie be limited within certaine boundes diuers men doe iudge diuerslie But we thinke that men are to iudge by the authoritie both of the holie Scripture and also of the auncient Fathers that the true Catholike and Apostolike Church is not tied to one certaine place or nation nor to one certaine kinde of men but that it is in that place or nation where the Gospel of Christ is sincerelie preached and his Sacraments rightlie administred according to Christ his institution Ioan. 10. I haue saide ye are Gods He called them Gods vnto whome the worde of God was giuen c. Therefore there is the people or Church of God where the worde of God is preached Iohn 15. Now you are cleane through the worde which I haue spoken to you Therefore the worde of Christ which is the Gospell doeth declare where that Church is which is cleane in the sight of God Rom. 1. The Gospell is the power of God to saluation to euerie one that beleeueth Therefore where the Gospell is which is acknowledged by faith there God hath his Church wherein he
iâ effectuall vnto eternall life Chrysostome in his commentaries vpon Matthew Cap. 24. hom 49. saith Therefore ãâã this time all Christians must goe to the Scriptures because that ãâã this time since heresie possessed those Churches there can be no âriaâ of true Christianitie neither can there be anie other refuge for Christians that would willinglie know the truth of faith but onelie the âiâine Scriptures And a little after Therefore he that will knââ which is the true Church of Christ whence maie he know it but onelie by the Scriptures Augustine Tom. 2. Epist 166. saith Iâ the Scriptures we haue learned Christ in the Scriptures we hauâ learned to know the Church these Scriptures we haue in common why doe we not in them retâine in common both Christ and the Church And againe Tom. 7. in Epist. contra Epist Petiâiani Donatistae cap. 2. 3. 4. It is a question betweene vp and the Donatistes where the Church is What then shall we does shall we seeke the Church in our owne wordes or in the wordes of his head in our Lord Iesus Christ I thinke that we ought to seeke it rather in his words who is the truth and doth best of all know his bodiâ Now that which is affirmed that the Church hath authorâtiâ to beare witnes of the holie Scripture to interprete the Scripture and to iudge of all doctrines it is not so to be vnderstoode that the Church hath absolute authoritie to determine what she listeth and also if it please hir to change the Scripture and to feigne a new doctrine and to appoint new worships of God but that the Church as the Spouse of Christ ought to know the voice of hir husband and that she hath receiued of hir husband a certaine rule to wit the Propheticall and Apostolical preaching confirmed by miracles from heauen according to the which she is bounde to interprete those places of the Scripture which seeme to be obscure and to iudge of doctrines Psal 119. Thy worde is a light vnto my feete Rom. 3. Hauing giftes that be diuers according to the grace that is giuen vnto vs whether we haue prophecy according to the proportion of Faith c. 2. Pet. 1. We haue a more surââorde of the Prophets to the which ye doe well that yee take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place c. Origen vpon Ierem. Hom. 1. It is necessarie for vs to call the holie Scriptures to witnes for our meanings and interpretations haue no creditte without these witnesses Ierome vpon Math. 23. That which is spoken without authoritie of the Scriptures is as easilie contemned as it is spoken And August De Nupt. Concup Lib. 2. Cap. 23. saith This contouersie seeketh a Iudge Therefore let Christ iudge and let him shew what thing it is that his death doth profit This saith he is my bloode And a little after Together with him let the Apostle iudge because that Christ himselfe also speaketh in the Apostle he crieth out and saith touching God the Father He which spared not his âwnâ ãâã c. Wherefore the Church hath so farre authoritie to iudge of doctrine that notwithstanding shee must keepe her selfe within the bondes of the holie Scripture which is the voice of hir husband from which voice it is not lawfull for any man no not for an Angell to departe OVT OF THE CONFSSION OF SVEVELAND Of the Church FVrthermore we will shew what is taught among vs âoth touching the Christian Church and also touching the holie Sacraments and touching the Church this is it that we teach The Church or congregation of Christ which as yet is in this worlde as a stranger from god is the fellowshippe and companie of those which addict them selues to Christ and doe altogether trust and rest in his protection among whome notwithstanding many shall be mingled euen to the end of the worlde who although they professe the Christian faith yet they haue it not in deede This hath our Lorde taught sufficientlie Math. 13. by the parable both of the cockle and also of the Net cast into the sea iâ the which the bad fishes are caught with the good Also Math. 22. by the parable of the King inuiting all men to the mariage of his Sonne and afterward casting him out beeing bound hand and foote into vtter darkenes which had not a wedding garment Now these places of Scripture wherin the congregation of Christ is commended to be the Spouse of Christ for the which he hath giuen himselfe Eph. 5. The house of God the pillar and ground of trueth 1. Tim. 3. Also The holie hill of Sion the Citie of the liuing God the heauenlie Ierusalem and the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen I saie all these places of Scripture doe properlie pertaine to them who for their sincere faith are truelie and in the sight of God reckoned among the children of God For seeing that in these alone the Lorde doth fullie reigne these onelie if we will speake properly are called the Church of Christ and the communion of Saints in which sense also the name of the Church is expounded in the common Articles of faith those false Christians beeing excluded which are mingled amongest them Furthermore the holie Ghost himselfe doth gouerne this Church or congregation remaineth with it as Christ doth euen to the ende of the world and doth sanctifie it that at the length he may present it vnto himself without spoâor wrinckle as it is saide Eph. 5. Also this is that Church which all men are commaunded to heare and he that will not heare her is to to be counted as an heathen and Publicane And although that to wit faith it selfe can not be seene whereby this Congregation hath obteined to be called the Church and companie of Christ yet the fruites of that faith maie be seene and knowne and of them a certaine Christian coniecture be taken These fruites be cheeflie a bolde profession of Faith a true loue offering it selfe to doe humble seruice to all men a contempt of all things Seeing therfore that these be the proper fruites wheresoeuer the holie Gospell and the Sacraments be exercised thereupon it maie easilie be knowne where and who be the Christian Church so much as is necessary for vs to preserue among vs the christian communion that in the same we may be instructed admonished and helpe one an other according to the commaundement of Christ Furthermore seeing this congregation is the verie kingdome of God wherein all things ought to be appointed in best order she hath all kinde of offices and ministers for âhe is the body of Christ himselfe compacted of many members whereof euerie one haue their proper worke Therefore whosoeuer doe faithfullie discharge such functions and doe earnestlie labour in the worde and doctrine they doe represent the Church and may doe all things in the name thereof so that whosoeuer shall either despise them or refuse
forbad vnto his all dominion and highlie commended humility In deed there is one kinde of power which is a meere and absolute power called the power of right According to this power all things in the wholl worlde are subiect vnto Christ who is Lorde of al euen as he himselfe witnesseth saying All power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth And againe I am the first and the last and beholde I liue for euer and I haue the keies of hell and of death Againe He hath the keie of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and ãâã man openeth This power the Lord reserueth to himselfe and doth not transferre it to anie other that he might sit idlie by and looke on his ministers while they wrought For Isaiah saieth I will put the keie of the house of Dauid vpon his shoulder And againe Whose gouernement shall be vpon his shoulders For he doth not lay the gouernement on other mens shoulders but doth still keepe and vse his owne power thereby gouerning all things Furthermore there is an other power of duetie or ministeriall power limited âut by him who hath ful and absolute power and authoritie And this is more like a ministerie then dominion For we see that some Master doth giue vnto the steward of his house authority and power ouer his house and for that cause deliuereth him his keies that he may admit or exclude such as his Master will haue admitted or excluded According to this power doth the minister by his office that which the Lord hath commaunded him to doe and the Lord doth ratifie and confirme that which he doth and will haue the deedes of his ministers to be acknowledged and esteemed as his owne deedes vnto which ende are those speaches in the Gospell I will giue vnto thee the keies of the Kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou bindest or loosest in earth shall be bound and loosed in heauen Againe Whose sinnes soeuer ye remit they shal beremitted and whose sinnes soeuer yea retaine they shal be retained But if the the minister deale not in all things as his Lorde hath commaunded him but passe the limits and bondes of faith then the Lord doth make voyd that which he doth Wherfore the Ecclesiasticall power of the ministers of the Church is that function whereby they doe indeed gouerne the Church of god but yet so as they do al things in the Church as he hath prescribed in his word which things being so done the faithfull doe esteeme them as done of the Lorde himselfe but touching the keies we haue spoken somewhat before Now the power that is giuen to the Ministers of the Church is the same alike in all in the beginning the Bishops or Elders did with a common consent labour gouerne the Church no man lifted vp himselfe aboue an other none vsurped greater power or authority ouer his fellow Bishops for they remembred the wordes of the Lord He which will be the cheifest among you let him be your seruant they kept in themselues by humilitie and did mutuallie aid one another in the gouernement and preseruation of the Church NotwithstaÌding for orders sake some one of the ministers called the assemblie together propounded vnto the assemblie the matters to be consulted of gathered together the voices or sentences of the rest and to be briefe as much as lay in him prouided that there might arise no confusion So did S. Peter as we read in the Acts who yet for all that was neither aboue the rest nor had greater authoritie then the rest Veriâ true therefore is that saying of Cyprian the Martyr in his book De simpl Cler. The same doubtles were the rest of the Apostles that Peter was hauing an equall fellowship with him both in honoââ and power but the beginning hereof proceedeth from vnity to signifie vnto vs that there is but one Church Saint Ierom vpon the epistle of Paull to Titus hath a sayingnot much vnlike this Before that by the instinct of the deuil there was partaking in religion the Churches were gouerned by the common aduise of the Priests but after that euery one thought that those whome he had baptized were his own not Christs It was decreed that one of the priests should bâ chosen set ouer the rest who should haue the care of the whol church laide vpon him and by whose meanes al schismes should be remoued Yet Ierom doeth not auouch this as an order set downe of God For straight waie after he addeth Euen as saith he the priests knew by the continuall custome of the Church that they were subiect to him that is set ouer them So the Bishops must know that they are aboue the priests rather by custome then by the prescript rule of Gods truth they should haue the gouernement of the Church in common with them Thus farre Ierome Now therefore no man can forbid by any right that we may returne to the olde appointement of God and rather receiue that then the custome deuised by men The offices of the ministers are diuers yet notwithstanding moste men doe restreine them to two in which all the rest are comprehended to the teaching of the Gospell of Christ and to the lawfull administration of the Sacraments For it is the duetie of the ministers to gather together a holie assemblie therein to expound the worde of God and also to applie the generall doctrine to the state and vse of the Church to the end that the doctrine which they teach maie profit the hearers and maie build vp the faithfull The ministers duetie I saie is to teach the vnlearned and to exhort yea and to vrge them to goe forward in the waie of the Lord who do stand stil or linger and go flowlie forwarde moreouer to comfort and to strengthen those which are fainthearted and to arme them against the manifold temptations of Sathan to rebuke offenders to bring home them that goe astraie to raise vp them that are fallen to conuince the gainsaiers to chase awaie the wolfe from the Lordes flocke to rebuke wickednes and wicked men wiselie and seuerelie not to winke at nor to passe ouer great wickednes and besides to administer the sacraments to commend the right vse of them to prepare al men by holsome doctrine to receiue them to keep together all the faithful in an holie vnity to meete with schismes To conclude to catechise the ignorant to commend the necessitie of the poore to the Church to visit instruct those that are sick or intangled with diuers temptations so to keep them in the way of life Lasty to looke diligently that there be publike praiers supplications made in time of necessity together with fasting that is an holy abstinency most carefully to look to those things which belong to the tranquillity safe tie and peace of the Church And to the ende that the minister maie performe al these thinges the
better and with more ease it is required in him that he be one that feareth God prayeth diligentlie giueth himselfe much to the reading of the Scripture and in all things and at all times iâ watchful and doth shew forth a good example vnto al men of holines of life And seeing there must needes be a discipline in the Church and that among the auncient fathers excommunication was in vse there were ecclesiasticall iudgementes amongst the people of God wherein this discipline was exercised by godly men it belongeth also to the ministers duetie for the edifying of the church to moderate this discipline according to the condition of the time and publike estate according to necessitie whereas this rule is alwaies to be holdeÌ that Al things ought to be done to edification decentlie honestlie without any oppression or tumult For the Apostle witnesseth that power was giuen to ãâã of God to edifie not to destroie And the Lord himselfe for âad the cockââ ãâã be plucked vp in the Lords field because there would be danger ãâã ââe wheate also should be plucked vp with iâ But as for the errour of the Donatists we do here vtterlie derest it who esteemed and iudged the doctrine and administration of the sacraments to be either effectuall or not effectual by the good or euil life of the Ministers For we know that the voice of Christ is to be heard though it be out of the mouthes of euill ministers forasmuch as the Lorde himselfe said Doe as they commaund you but according to their workes doe ye not We know that the Sacramentes are sanctified by their institution and also by the word of Christ and that they are effectuall to the Godlie although they be administred by vngodlie ministers Of which matter Augustine that blessed seruant of God did reason diuerslie out of the scriptures against the Donatists yet notwithstanding there ought to be a streight discipline amongst the ministers For their must be diligent enquirie in the Synodes touching the life and Doctrine of the ministers Those that offend are to be âebuked of the seniours to be brought into the way if they be not past recouerie or else to be deposed and as wolues to be driuen from the Lordes flocke by the true Pastors if they be E curable For if they once be false teachers they are in no wise to be tollerated neither doe we disalow of generall councels if that they be taken vp according to the example of the Apostles to the saluation of the Church and not to the destruction thereof The faithfull ministers also are worthie as good worke men of their reward neither doe they offend when as they receiue a stipend and all thinges that be necessarie for themselues and their familie For the Apostle sheweth that these thinges are for iust cause offered of the Church and receiued of the ministers they are likewise of right 1 Cor. 9. and 1. Tim. 5. in other places also The Anabaptists likewise are confuted by this Apostolical doctrine who condemne and raile vpon those ministers which liue vpon the ministerie OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of the ministerie of the word WE confesse that the Ministers of the Church are as Paull tearmeth them the fellow labourers of God by whome he doth dispence both the knowledge of himselfe and also remission of sinnes turne men to him selfe raise them vp comforte them and also terrifie and iudge them yet so that notwithstanding we doe ascribe all the vertue and efficacie that is in them vnto the Lord and giue a ministerie onelie to the ministers For it is certaine that this vertue efficacie is not to be tyed to any creature at all but is to be dispensed by the free fauour of God in what manner and to whome it pleaseth him For he that watereth is nothing neither he that planteth but God that giueth the increase Ecclesiasticall power NOw the authoritie of the word and feeding the flock of the lord which properlie is the power of the keys prescribing to all as well high as low what to do ought to be sacred and inuiolable and is to be committed onelie to those that are chosen and fitte to discharge it and that either by the diuine seruice of God or by the certaine and aduised suffrage of the Church or by their sentence to whome the Church hath assigned this charge The choosing of Ministers FOr this function is to be giuen to none whom the ministers and they to whome this charge is committed by the Church do not finde and iudge to be skilfull in the law of God to be of a blameles life and to beare a singuler affection to the name of Christ which seeing it is the true election of God is rightlie allowed by the consent of of the Church and by the laying on of the handes of the Priest The head and shepheard of the Church FOr Christ himselfe is the true head of his Church and he alone is the Shepheard who giueth gouernours Pastours and Doctors that by the outward administration of the keies they maie rightlie and lawfullie vse that authority Wherfore we do not acknowledge those that are Shepheardes and that head of Rome which haue the bare title and nothing els The dueties of Ministers THe chiefe duetie of this function is to preach repentance and remission of sinnes through Christe without ceasing to pray for the people to giue them-selues verie diligentlie without wearines to holie studies and to the worde of God and with the worde of God as with the sword of the spirit and by all kinde of meanes to persecute Sathan with deadlie hatred and to weaken his force to defend those citizens of Christ which are sound and to admonish reprehend and punish those that are infected and by a Godly consent of them which are chosen out of the ministers and the magistrate by discipline to shut out or by some other fitte meane to mulct those which proceed further in wickednes till such time as they do repent and may be saued For that is the returning to the Church for a diseased Citizen of Christ if hauing changed his minde and endeauour whereunto all this discipline doth tende he acknowledge confesse his errour and doth now of his owne accord require holesome discipline and by his new endeuour of godlines doth reioyce all the godlie Out of the declaration of the same confession which Luther him selfe approoued by his letters Anno 1537. WE beleeue and confesse that mankinde by the onelie mercie of God is iustified by faith through Christ and that the almightie God by the outward preaching of the gospell and the holie seales doth declare and set before our eies that saluation and happines which Christ without anie worke or merit of ours hath purchased for vs and giuen frelie vnto vs. But we are vniustly suspected of some as though we did attribute nothing to the preaching of
the outward word and to the sacraments or as though we did take that from them which the Lord himselfe doth attribute vnto them by this means should ouerthrow and abolish the ordering and guiding of those thinges wh ch perteine to the Church whereas on the contrarie side we haue a chiefe regard vnto this that we neither attribute too much nor too litle to these things For we haue learned both out of the holy scriptures also out of the Catholike doctor Austine That the soule is in miserable seruitude if any man take or worship the signes in stead of the things which they signifie And againe That it is an errour if anie man interpret them vnfruitfullie We haue learned also that the externall giftes are not to be despised because of the internall giftes knowing that Cornelius the Centurion was taught of God and that yet notwithstanding he was put ouer to to heare Peter the Apostle preach to be baptised of him Therefore that we maie walke in the high and plaine waie that is that we maie detract nothing from the word and sacraments which the scripture doth attribute vnto them and againe that we may not giue that to the creature which is proper to the Creator that the ordinance of God may not be disanulled but al glorie maie be giuen to God alone to conclude lest that by those externall things instituted of God we should too much tie the mindes of the faithfull to thinges created we so beleeue touching the ministerie of the word and the Sacramentes as wee haue professed which thing also we do thus declare by that which followeth Of the ministery of the worde of God ALthough the Lorde hath expresselie saide No man commeth to me except my Father which sent me doe drawe him Yet it was his will that the Gospell of the kingdome should be preached to all nations and that Byshops should discharge this duetie of the ministerie with great care and diligence and with speciall watchfulnes and be instant in season out of season by allmeanes to gaine manie vnto Christ For therfore when he was readie to depart hence into heauen in his bodie he saide to his disciples Goe ye into the wholl worlde and preach the Gospell to euerie creature After the which manner also Paul the Apostle saith He that descended is euen the same that ascended farre aboue all heauens that he might fill all thinges And he gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the gathering together of the Saintes for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ Now the Lorde doth vse these his Ministers to instruct his Church so as he vseth meates to nourish vs the sower to sowe seede and Phisitians to heale our bodies For excepte he himselfe do giue power and vertue whereby both the meate maie be turned into nourishment and the seede maie spring vp and also the medicine maie be made effectuall the outward worke doth nothing at all profit So except the Lord doe giue increase in the heart of the hearer the doctrine indeede in him which hath not faith is as it were a watring and planting but such as is without efficacie and vnfruitfull but being receiued by faith into good ground and being trimmed by the inward husband man the holie Ghost doth worke marueâlouslie and profitte Notwithstanding it hath so pleased the Lorde to moderate the affaires of men that although by his owne power he doth all thinges in all men yet he vouchsafeth to vse the ministers as workers together For that saying of Paull is euident For we together are Gods labourers but he addeth Ye are Gods husbandrie and Gods building to wit that we might giue vnto God al the vertue efficacie accomplishing and perfitting of the work to the ministers a seruice onelie wherevpon we doe truelie saie with Paull Who is Paull then and who is Apollos but the ministers by whome ye beleeued and as the Lorde gaue to euerie man I haue planted Apollos watered but God gaue the increase So then neither is he that planteth anie thing neither he that watereth but God that giueth the increase And in this sense we doe knowe and willinglie vse these speaches and testimonies of the holie Scripture I haue begotten you in Christ by the Gospell you are the epistle of Christ written by vs not with inke but with the Spirit of the liuing God And Whose sinnes you remitte they are remitted to them Againe Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God And againe I send thee to the Gentiles that thou maist open their eies Also the Scripture saith of Iohn Baptist He shall turne the hearts of the fathers to the children c. For when all these thinges be done that is when we are borne againe when the holie Ghost is giuen to vs when our sinnes be forgiuen vs when faith is giuen vs and our eies opened and our hearts turned one and the selfe same Spirit as the Apostle saith worketh them all who by his grace doth lighten their hearts and draw them vnto him and that after a common order and meane to wit by the instrument or meane of his worde and yet he might draw vs without all meanes and without anie instrument whether as much and whome ât pleaseth him Therefore let no man glorie in meâ but in him that giueth the increase Againe let no man despise men which are âent of the Lord of whome he pâonâunceth He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me This is our opinion touching the ministerie of the word agreeable as we hope to the Scripture and sound writers which also wee haue found often in Luthers and in his friendes bookes OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA Of those that teach in the Church and who they be that gouerne them CHAP. 9. IN the ninth place it is âaught concerning the acknowledging of the shepheards of soules oâ lawfull ministers of sacred functions in the holie Church according to the degrees and orders of diuerse cures and first that these are especiall members of the holie ecclesiasticall communion and Christ his vicegerentes that is they who supplie his place he that heareth them heareth Christ he that despiseth them despiseth Christ and his heauenlie father For to these is the ministery of the word and sacraments lawfully committed But ministers ought not of their owne accordto prease forward to that calling but ought according to the example of the Lord and the Apostles to be lawfullie appointed and ordeined thereunto and that after this manner that from among a people that is sound in religion and feareth God such men maie be chosen and called to the administration of holie functions as are strong mightie in faith fearing God and hauing giftes requisite for the ministery and be of an honest and blamelesse life And againe thaâ aboue all thinges these be
prooued and tried by examination whether they be such and so afterward praiers and ââstings being made they maie be confirmed or approoued of the elders by laying on of hands Hereof speaketh the author of the epistle to the Hebrewes Euerie high Priest is taken from among men that is to saie from among the faithful such as are a spirituall priestehood And Paull laying before Timothie his own example saith What things thou hast hâââd of me before manie witnesses the same deliuer to faithfull men which shal be able to teach others also Of such Priests or ministers of making ordeining consecrating them how the ordeining of them ought to be handled the Apostle teacheth euidentlie and plainlie in his Epistles to Timothie and Titus Therfore it is not permitted to anie among vs to execute the office of the ministerie or to administer holie functions of the Lords vnlesse according to this custome of the primitiue Church and order appointed by God he come to this function and be called and assigned thereunto which thing maie also maniefestlie appeare by the auncient Canons of the Church Saint Cyprian hath in like sorte set downe the manner of ordaining Priests According to these things the ministers of lower degree especially they which are called Deacons are a long time deteyned with our Elders and kept in exercise and this thing they doe verie seriouslie making a streight triall and examination of their faith and diligence following herein the example of the primitiue Church and also of Christ himselfe who kept his disciples with him for the space of three yeares Also the Apostles dealt so by others to the end that afterwarde godlie men and such as were illuminated with the heauenlie light might be taken and ordeined from among them to higher degrees and to the executing of greater functions and that they might haue testimonie as well from the common sorre as from their Elders that they were fitâe men and worthie of that place Together with these things it is taught that by the executing of that charge wherin they be lawfully placed they are bound to this that they take care for the soules of men committed to their charge and for their euerlasting saluation and faithfullie employ their seruice vnto them by teaching of the word of God and administring the sacraments according to Christ his meaning and ordinance that they be an example and allurement to practise all vertue make praiers for them bring them out of sinnes and errours and inquire after the will of God and search the same in the holie scriptures by diligent reading and continuall meditation as the Apostles also exhort men to these thinges Saint Peter writeth thus Feede the flocke of God which dependeth vpon you caring for it not by constraint but willinglie not for fiâthie lucre but of a readie minde In like sort Paull writeth to Timothie a Ruler and Bishop But be thou sober and watch in all thinges suffer aduersitie doe the worke of an Euangelist make thy ministerie fullie known or with all diligence Againe Be thou an example to the faithful in speach in conââsation of life in loue in the spirit in faith in purenes Till I come be instant in reading exhorting and teaching Despise not the gift of grace which is in thee which was giuen to thee by prophecie with the laying on of the hands of the companie of the Eldership These thinges exercise and giue thy selfe vnto them that all men maie see how thou prosâââst take heede to thy selfe and vnto learning and abide in these thinges For in doing this thou shalt saue both thy selfe and them that heare thee Such Ministers ought also to deliuer sound and wholsome doctrine such as they haue receiued from Christ and the Apostles out of holie scripture and being all alike minded through one Spirit to teach the same in their sermons according to the ordinance of S Paull who writeth thus Keepe the true patterne of the wholsome wordes which thou hast heard of me in faith and in loue which is in Iesus Christ And againe But abide thou in those thinges that thou hâst learned and are committed vnto thee knowing of whome thou hast learned them and that thou hast knowen the holy Scriptures of a childe which are able to make the wise vnto saluation through the faith which is Iesus Christ And elsewhere charge certaine saith he that they teach no other thing But peculiar mention is made thereof that they which haue the spirituall gouernment of Churches and doe their endeuour in them ought not themselues nor by others to vse ciuill power or constraint to force men to beleeue nor to exercise Lordlie authoritie ouer the faith and people of God according to the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles The Lord spake thus to the Apostles and in them to all faithfull and true Preachers of the Gospell Ye know that they who are rulers of the people haue domination ouerthem whose rulers they are and they that are great Lordes exercise authoritie ouer the people that are subiect to them But it shall not be so among you But if anie man among you wil be great let him be your seruant and he that wil be chiefe among you or beare rule let him be your minister Euân as the Sonne of man came not to be ãâ¦ã vnto but that he himselfe might minister to others and ââve hiâ life as a price for the redemption of manie Peter also saieth Nââ as being Lordes ouer the people or the Lordes inheritance but aâ they whoe are an ensample to the flocke And Paull Not that we are Lordes ouer your faith but because we are helpers of your ioye But the gainsaiers are with a quiet minde to be forborne and by reasons grounded on the trueth of holie scripture to be refuted and conuinced and paines must be taken that they maie suffer themselues to be bettered by wholsome doctrine as the Apostle giueth in charge touching this matter And after other thinges Besides it is taught that all the people ought to performe obedience and that with a great affection of loue toward them to such lawfull Godlie and faithfull pastors of soules and that they ought to assure and vndoubtedlie to persââde themselues verie well of them obeâe them âse their helpe in matters pertaining to saluation yeld them due honour performe all conuenient duties towardes them whereâ to they are bound by Gods worde and that according to the Doctrine of Christ who saith He that reâeiâeth you receireth me and he that heareth you heareth me And also in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Obeie them that haue the ouersight of you and submiâ your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giuâ account for them And the Apostle Elders that rule well are worthie double honour especiallie they that are occupied in the word and Doctrine Furthermore they ought tobe prouided
for that they maie haue a competent liuing and such thinges as are needfull for the mantinance of the bodie according to the Lordes ordinance whereof Paull speaketh after this sorte The Lord hath so appointed that they which preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell And to the end that the daunger of an idle secure and Sodomiticall life maie be auoided and so they maie be an example to the flocke whereof they haue charge and that by a feeling of the burdens of this common life they maie learne to vnderstand the miserie of men and may by this meanes be touched and haue compassion on the miseries of others for these causes I saie this is taught that they whose abilitie of strength is such especiallie those on âââme as yet the greatest and painfullest charge of the people is not laide should themselues with their owne handes get their liuing that they be not a burden to the Churches especiallie in the beginning of their buildinges and reparations or also intimes of long persecution or otherwise by reason of the weaker sorce and that they giue not place to vaine volâptuâus and riotous sloth as those who faithfullie follow Saint Pauls doctrine and who haue the Lords speach before their ââes saying it is a more happie thing to giue then to take And if so be that some one of these Pasâors slip into sin or errors or be somewhat negligânâ in looking to this charge hé ought by the ordinarie lawfull discipline of the Church to be brought into the ware againe and to be chastised but if he will not repente nor be healed then he ought first to be remooued from the executing of his charge and from the ministerie and afterward as an vnprofitable seruant as a member which causeth offence a dââe braunâh and vnsauotie salt to be cast out or banished from the fellowship of the Church and inioying of saluation of whome the Lord saith that this salt is henceforth good for nothing that which Paull also teacheth when he saith Those that offend meaning those that are elders reprooue or chastise before al men that the rest also mâie stand in feare But the people ought so to be haue themselues toward such teachers either grown out of kinde or entangled with errors or toward other elders also not repenting and excommunicated as the holie scripture sheweth and first Christ saith Take ye heede of false Prophers which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardlie are raâening wolues ye shall know ahem by their fruites and Paull Now I beseech you breethren marke those diligentlie which cause diuision and offences contrarie to the doctrine which ye haue learned and auoid them for they that are such serue not our Lord Iesu Christ but their owne bellies Of the keies of Christ CHAP. 14. THe fourteenth Chapter of Ecclesiastical doctrine is of the Lords keies of which he saith to Peter I will giue thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen and these keyes are the peculiar function or ministerie and administration of Christ his power and his holie spirit which power is committed to the Church of Christ and to the ministers thereof vnto the end of the world that they should not onelie by preaching publish the holie gospel although they should do this especiallie that is should shew forth that word of true comfort and the ioyfull message of peace and new tidings of that fauour which god offereth but also that to the beleuing and vnbeleeuing they should publikelie or priuatelie denounce and make knowen to wit to them his fauour to these his wrath that to al in general or to euery one in particular that they may wisely receiue some into the house of God to the communion of saintes and driue some out from thence and maie so through the performance of their ministerie holde in their hand the scepter of Christ his kingdome and vse the same to the gouernment of Christ his sheepe Therfore the condition and proper office of the keies is first to open and loose that is in Christ to appease and still the conscience of the faithfull ones and of those that turne againe by repentance to make it knowne vnto them that their sins be forgiuen to strengthen theÌ in a sure hope of saluation by this meanes to open the kingdome of heaué vnto them to giue them courage against all temptations to stirre vp stedfastnes and chearefullnes in them And all these thinges are done by the faithfull Shepheards of soules in the Lords stead not dooing this of them selues but vpon Christ his commaundement not by their owne and proper vertue but by Christes and by the efficacie of his word and sacraments as those that are stewards and dispensers of the mysteries of God and ministers onelie In the administration of which thinges they maie vse some semelie and indifferent ceremonies that is which are no waie necessarie such as are to lay on hands or to reach out the right hand or els they maie omit them On the other side the office and proper work of the keies of Christ is to shut and binde that is by the commaundement of Christ and the authoritie of this office giuen by him to the Church which is his power and scepter to denounce against all stubborne impenitent vnbeleeuing and other such like sinners Gods horrible iudgement and his intollerable wrath which no nature can abide and his seuere sentence and so by the word of Christ according to the qualitie of the offence to reprooue sinne to seuer them from the fellowship of Christ our sauiour and from the fruit and participation of the sacraments and to cast them out of the christian Church and in a worde to shut the kingdom of heauen vpon them and at the length to deliuer them to Sathan This power of his scepter and spirit hath the Lord graunted and deliuered to the holie Apostles and in them to all ministers of Churches lawfullie ordained that they might exercise it in his stead and he graunted it to them by these words As the Father hath sent me so do I send you also And by by he addeth these words Recââue ye the holie Ghost If ye forgiue anie men their sins they are forgiuen them and if ye ãâã any mans sinnes they are retained Moreouer a manifest example of vsing the power of the keies is laied out in that sinner of Corinth and others whome Saint Paull together with the Church of that place by the power and authoritie of our Lord Iesâ Christ and of his spirit threw out from thence and deliuered to Sathan and contrariwise after that God gaue him grace to repent he absolued him from his sinnes he toke him againe into the Church to the communion of saints and sacraments and so opened to him the kingdome of heauen againe By this we maie vnderstand that these keies or this diuine function of the Lordes is committed and
be accursed 2. Cor. 13. We cannot do any thing against the truth but for the truth Also This power is giuen vs to edifie and not to destroie So doe the Canons commaunde 2. quaest 7. Cap. Sacerdotes Cap. Oues And Augustine in his treatise against Petilians Epistle saith Neither must we subscribe to Catholike Bishops if they chaunce to erreââ holde opinions which he against the Scriptures If so be * that they haue any other power or iurisdiction in hearing and vnderstanding certaine cases as namâlie of Maârinâony tithes c. They holde it by mans lawe and that in such places where the ordinarie iudges failing the Princes are constreined wil they nil they to minister iustice to their subiects for mainteining of peace And a few lines after So oft as we handle this place by and by our aduersaries cry out that the Bishops authority being ouerthrowâe ther followethdisorder that the peoples behauiour cannot be ordered that the common sort was lusty vnbââdled in a word there followeth a hellish life such a one as is painted out by Euripides in this verse ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã They complaine also that when as some lawes are abrogated the common people taketh it as a patâerne how to deale with all the rest And so shaking of the boodes and reines of discipline and order they take an excessiue libârlie to themselues which bâeedeth infinite offences ââââches be tweene Princes scatrering of Churches ãâã warres and desolations To coâclude they ãâã here what an enimie to mankinde want of gouernment is and how manie nices and calamities arising out of this fountaine doe ouerslow the ãâ¦ã of man They aduile therefore for the ãâ¦ã of these so great euills to establish the authoritie of Bishoppes to ãâ¦ã the lawes that haue bene in vse before and also to beare with the inconueniences if there be anie in them in respect of the common weakenes of men and for quietnes sake to dissemble them especiallie seing there can no state or order be apppointed which is without all maner of faults Here also they bring in that old saying That an euill well couched is not to be stirred They rehearse manâe examples howe great ouerthrowes followed vpon the remoouing of lawes and the chaunge of the forme of gouernment in the Cities of Athens Sparta Rome and diuers others At Rome how oft did the dissentions of the Consulles and the Tribunes stirre vp great ciuill warres Though these senatour like declamations be verie plausible and incense the mindes of manie against vs yet they maie be confuted by moste true and substantial arguments First therefore wee desire that these our accusers woulde turne ouer the hystorie of the Church from time to time and that they woulde not thinke that those notable men the Prophets and Apostles were without common sense and reason and so hard harted that they cared not for the peace and quiet of their countrie or so barbarous and cruell that they made no great accompt of the discipline lawes and good order of the kingdome For those moste wise vertuous and graue men Esaie Ionas Ieremie Iohn Baptist Christ Peter Iames and Paull Did both know what a great good ciuill concorde is and loued their countrie and countriemen and also were greatlie greeued to beholde the discords and renting a sunder of those notable common wealthes How often did Christ weepe when he spake of the discordes and Tuââlâes of his nation and the sacking of the citie Albeit therefore the Prophets and Apostles did verie wel know and greatlie like of those ciuill duties Yet were they constrained by the commaundement of God to waâre against the deuils kingdome to preach heauenlie doctrine to collect a Church vnto God and to imploye their seruice to the eternall saluation of a great number of men These are the first lawes that euer were giuen and are to be preferred before all other Thââ shaâ haue no other Gods Thou shall not take the name of God in vaine And this concerning the sonne This is my beloued sonne heare him These lawes must needes be obeyed The true doctrine of God and his true worship must needes be embraced and receiued and all errors that âend to the dishonour of God must be abhorred and forsaken though all the worlde should breake and fall downe No humane thing must be preferred before Gods commaundement not out life nor friends not the concorde and agreement of neighbours and countriemen Moses a verie wise man and no doubt a politicke man laieth vpon the tribe of Leui the charge of teaching and knowing what great conflicts and daungers teachers shal meete withal he forewarneth them of that which he tooke to be moste difficult of all other And chargeth them that the defence of true doctrine be moste deare vnto them for so he saith Deut. 33. These shall keepe thy wârde and shall forget their parentes children and brethren And hereof we haue experience that it is no small burden that is laide vpon the teachers of the worde Our men are cruellie dealt with in manie places We are sore oppressed and the discord in our countrie bringeth no small gââefe vnto vs. But as was saide before the commaundement of God concerning the imbracing of the true doctrine of God and renouncing of errours must be preferred before these great inconueniences We are not ignorant what wife men haue written of chaunging and altering lawes We remember well the saying of Plato that as the manners of doting parents so the customes fashions of our countrie though none of the wisest are to be borne with all But these precepts haue their bounds and limits within which they must bâ resârained Bondage without ãâã may be borne but idolatry is not to be borne with nor the light of the Gospell to be extinquished Againe whie doe our aduersaries deâlame of such a moderation vnto vs when as they in the meane while murder the Cytizens and members of Christ They might easilie establish peace and mainteine the author of good order if they world abolish superstition and vniust lawes But now they contend not for the safty of the Church but for their owne profiâtes and pleasures They would not haue the Idolatrie of the Masse nor praying to the deade spoken against because they caÌnot abide that their gaine should decrease They forbid wandring lusts because the vnmâried state is best for the keeping of their goodes These things are in all menseies Therfore let them lâauâ of their Senator like inuectiues wherein to vse the olde Poets wordes vnder a faire colour they seeke to establish shaâeles factes Hereto I adâoine also the other parte of our defence both true and vnfeigned We doe not shake of gouernment to bring in disorder We reach that the ministerie of the gospell is moste highlie to be reuerenced and obeyed in those things which according to the gospel do properlie belong to the ministerie thereof And he is a wicked and an accursed wretch that doth
not with reuerence entertaine as moâte beautifull the feete of such is bring tidinges of peace And as for the ciuill power which beâreth the sworde it hath beene highlie commended and approoued in our writinges Wherefore it is a vile slaunder that they obiect against vs that we be enemies of gouernment Hitherto also belongeth the ss in the end of this 7. Article THey alledge against vs also other sayings which commaund obedience Obeie those that are set ouer you How ãâã must we answer that obedience is most necessarie in such things as belong properly to this ministery ordained of god For these sayinges doe not allot vnto Bishops a kingdome without the Gospell Christ gaue them certaine commaundements and those he will haue vs obeie Againe he forbad that anie new found worship should be set vp in the Church and such he will not haue vs yeald vnto There are certaine bonds and limites prefixed within which both the Pastours authoritie our obedience must conteine it selfe But these limits doe those Bishops moste malapertlie remooue who proudlie challenge to themselues a triple power whereby they establish most pernicious errours to wit a princelie and supreame power of interpreting the Scriptures Secondlie a power of erecting new worship and seruice of god Thirdlie a soueraigne power of making lawes And thus they transforme the Church into an humane gouernment They imagine forsooth that as the Prince or highest Iudge in a Realme is to interpret the law and as the Prince hath power to make new lawes so the Bishopes must haue a power in the Church not vnlike that And they cannot abidâ that the Church should be gouerned by the dumbe writings as they call them of the Prophets and Apostles which because somtime they scarse make the matters plaine inough which they do set downe the ambiguity bredeth dissentions discords Here therfore there must needs be saie they a definitiue voice of some soueraigne or high Iudge to interpret that which is ambiguous and doubtfullie written And except all be tied to stand to their interpretation there will be no end of strife and controuersies Againe vnlesse they maie according as times and occasions require make laws what a disorder would there follow These things are set out with bigge wordes and they carrie a shew of probabilitie in them because they are an imitation of the ciuill gouernement And surelie such conceites as these haue in all ages from the beginning of the worlde hurte the Church greatly and still will hurt it The godlie are therefore to be admonished that they be not ouertaken with these subtilties and sleights God will haue his Church gouerned by his word which Christ and his Apostles haue Ieste vnto the Church and he wil haue this his voice to sound in the Church by the mouthes of his ministers And though it doe conteine a wisdome that is farre from reasons teach yet the word of the Prophets and Apostles is sure and not doubtfull Therefore Peter saith Ye doe well in attending to the worde of the Prophets as to alight in the darkenes Besides the Church hath the gift of interpretation that is the vnderstanding of the heauenlie doctrine but that is not tied to the name or degree of Bishops and therefore it is no power of interpreting like to the power of a Prince or highest Iudge But those that are learned in the word of God borne againe by his spirit in what place soeuer they be they assent vnto the worde of God and vnderstand the same some more some lesse Men must therfore iudge wiselie of those huge Bulwarks of the peoples power Touching laws to be made by the Bishops Petersaith in a word Why doe yea tempt God laying a yoke on them c. OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of Order IT is euident by the holie Scriptures that al they which are in deed Christians are consecrated in baptisme by Christ the sonne of God to be spiritual priests and that they ought alwaies to offer vp to God spiritual sacrifices Neither is it vnknowne that Christ in his Church hath instituted ministers who should preach his Gospell and administer the sacramentes Neither is it to be permitted to euerie one although he be a spirituall Priest to vsurpe a publike ministerie in the Church without a lawfull calling For Paull saith Let all thinges be done honestlie and decentlie among you And againe Laie handes sodenly on no man Wherefore we doe not account it an vnprofitable thing to prooue as it were by certaine steppes the faith of them that are to be admitted to the publike ministerie of the Gospell And it seemeth not a litle to further concordand vnitie to keep a due order among the Ministers of the Church But the holie Scripture doth not teach vs that Christ hath instituted in his Church such Priestes as should be Mediatours betweene God and men and pacifie the wrath of God towards men by their sacrifices and apple the merit of Christ to the quicke and the dead without the preaching of the Gospell and administration of the Sacramentes For if we will speake of the great and true Mediatoure There is but one Mediatour betweene God and men Iesus Christ the Sonne of God If we will speake of the Mediatour of praying euery godly man is made a Mediatour ech for other through Iesus because that their duetie doth require that they should commend one anothers health to God in their praiers the which dutie also then euery one doth performe when they saie the Lordes prater in faith If we speake of the sacrifices which do purge our sinnes and appease the wrath of God then is there one onelie sacrifice which doth purge vs and reconcile God vnto vs to wit the sacrifice of our Lord Iesus Christ which was once made on the Crosse And as Christ doth die no more death hath no more Dominios ouer him so this sacrifice of his shall neuer be made againe but by his one oblation as it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrewes He hath made perfect for euer those that be sanctifie If we speake of the remembrance of this one sacrifice and of the applieng of the merit thereof then the publike ministers of the Church which doe teach the Gospell publikelie and administer the Sacramentes according to the institution of Christ doe not onelie make a true and right remembrance of this purging sacrifice but doe also applie by their dispensation the merit of this sacrifice to all those that doe receiue the Gospell and the Sacramentes by faith Therefore we cannot see what vse there is of those kinde of men in the Church which are ordained for this purpose that they maie haue authoritie to sacrifice for the quicke and the dead Paull when as in his Epistles to the Corinthians and Ephesians he rehearseth those offices and ministeries which are necessarie to the edifying preseruingof the Church he reckoneth Prophettes Apostles Euangelists Pastours Doctours and such like but
in this rehearsall he maketh no mention at all of priuat Priestes of which sorte the world is now full neither is it like that he world haue omitted this kinde of Priestes if either Christ had appointed it or if it had beene profitable and necessarie for the Church And Paull writeth that a Bishope ought to be apâe to teach And Ierome teacheth that A Priest and a Bishoppe are all one Therefore it is euident that excepta Priest be ordeined in the Church to the ministerie of teaching he can not rightly take vnto him neither the name or a Prieste nor the name of a Bishoppe OVT OF THE CONFSSION OF SVEVRLAND Of the Office dignitie and power of Ecclesiasticall Persons TOuching the ministery and dignitie of the Ecclesiasticalorder we do thus ãâ¦ã that there is no power in the Church but that which tendeth to edifying â Cor. 10. Secondlie that we must nor thinke otherwise or any man in this state then Paull would haue men to esteeme either of him selfe or of Peter and Apollo and others As of the seruantes of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God in ââome this is chiefelie required that they be faithfull For these be they which haue the keies of the kingdome of God and the power to binde and loose ãâã âo remit or retaine sinnes yet that power is so limited that they be neuerthelesse the ministers of Christ to whome alone the right and authoritie to open heauen and forgiue sinnes doth properlie pertaine For neither he which planteth nor he that watereth is anie thing but God that giueth the increase 1. Cor 3. Neither is anie man of himselfe fitte to thinke anie of those thinges as of himselfe but if anie man be found fitte thereunto he hath it all of God VVho giueth to whome it pleaseth him to be the ministers and preachers of the new Testament to wit so farre forth as he giueth them a minde faithfullie to preach the meaning and vnderstanding of the Gospell vseth them hereunto that men maie be brought by a true faith to his new couenant of grace Furthermore these be they which doe minister vnto vs the dead letter that is such a doctrine of trueth as pearceth no farther then to humane reason but the spirit which quickneth and doth so pearee into our spirit and soule that it doth throughlie perswade our heart of the trueth These are the true fellow labourers of the Lord 1. Cor. 3. opening in deed heauen and forgiuing sinnes ãâã those to whome they declare the doctrine of faith ãâã meanes of the grace and spirit of God Whereupon Christ sending out his Apostles to exercise this duetie he breathed vpon them saying Take yee the holie Ghost And further more he addeth whose sinnes 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 Paull except they be sent That is except they receiue of God both a minde and power to preach the holie Gospell aright and with fruit and to feede the flocke of Christ And also except they receiue the holie Ghost whoe maie worke together with them and perswade mens hearts Other vertues wherwith these men must be endued are rehearsed 1. Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Therfore they which are in this sort sent anointed consecrated and qualified they haue an earnest care for the flocke of Christ and doe labour faithfullie in the worde and doctrine that they maie feed the people more fruitfullie and these are acknowledged and accounted of our preachers for such Bishops as the Scripture euerie where speaketh of and euery Christian ought to obey their commaundements But they which giue them selfes to other things they place them selfes in other mens seats and do worthelie take vnto them selues other names Yet notwithstanding the life of any man is not so much to be blamed as that therfore a Christian should refuse to heare him if peraduenture he teach somthing out of the chaire of Moses or Christ that is either out of the law of God or out of the holie gospell that maie serue for edification They which bring a diuers or a staunge voice whatsoeuer they be they are in no account or estimation with the sheepe of Christ Ioh. 10. Yet they which haue a seculare power and soueraigntie they haue it of God him selfe howsoeuer they be called therefore he should resist the ordinance of God whosoeuer should oppose him-selfe to that temporall gouernment These things doe our Preachers teach touching the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall persons so that they haue great iniurie offered to them in that they are blamed as though they sought to bring the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall prelats to nothing whereas they neuer forbad them that worldlie gouernement and authoritie which they haue But they haue often wished that they would come nearer to the Ecclesiasticall commaundements and that either they them selues would instruct and faithfullie feede the consciences of Christians out of the holie Gospell or that at the least wise they would admit others hereunto and ordeine such as were more fitte for this purpose This is it I saie that out Preachers haue oftentimes requested of the Prelates them selues so faire haue they beene from opposing themselues at anie time to their spirituall authoritie But wheras we could not either beare anie longer the doctrine of certaine Preachers but beeing driuen thereunto by necessitie we haue placed others in their roome or els haue reteined those also which haue renounced that Ecclesiasticall superioritie We did it not for anie other cause but for that these did plainlie and faithfullie declare the voice of our Lord Iesus christ the other did mingle therwith all mans inuentions For so often as the question is concerning the holie Gospell and the doctrine of trueth Christians must whollie turne them selues to the Bishop of their soules the Lord Iesus Christ and not admit the voice of anie straunger by any meanes wherein notwithstanding neither we nor they do offer violence to anie man for Paull saith All thinges are yours whether it be Paull or Apollos ãâã Cephas or the worlde or life or death whether they be thinges present or thinges to come euen all are yours and ye Christes and Christ Gods Therefore seeing that Peter and Paull are ours and we are not theirs but Christes and that after the same manner that Christ himselfe is his Fathers to witte that in all thinges which we are or maie be we might liue to him alone Furthermore seing to this ende we haue power to vse all thinges yea euen men themselues of what sorte soeuer they be as though they were our owne and are not to suffer that anie man or anie thing should hinder vs therein no Ecclesiasticall persons maie iustlie complaine of vs or obiect to vs that we are not sufficientlie obedient to them or
that without any good affection of him that vseth it This article we finde thus in another Edition COncerning the vse of the Sacramentes they teach that they were ordained not so much to be marâes and badges of profession amongst men as that they should be signes or testimonies of the will of God towards vs set forth vnto vs to stirre vp and confirme faith in such as vse them Whereupon they condemne those that teach that the sacraments do iustifie by the work done and doe not teach that faith to beleeue remission of sinnes is requisite in the vse of sacraments OVT OF THE CONFSSION OF SAXONIE Of the sacraments THe Church also is discerned from other Gentiles by by certaine rites or ceremonies instituted of God vsuallie called Sacraments as are Baptisme and the Lords Supper which notwithstanding are not onelie signes of a profession but much more as the auncient Fathers saide signes of grace that is they be ceremonies added to the promise of the Gospell touching grace that is touching the free remission of sinnes and touching reconciliation and the wholl benefit of our redemption the which are so instituted that euerie man maie vse them because they be pledges testimonies which declare that the benefits promised in the Gospell doe appertaine to euerie one For the voice of the Gospell is generall this vse doth be are witnes that this voice doth appertaine to euerie one which vseth the Sacraments OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of the Sacramentes THe worde Sacrament as also the worde Mysterie which interpreters do expounde Sacrament is very large But because some haue thought it good to restraine it to the number of seauen Sacraments we wil briefly runne ouer euerie one that we may shew what we finde wanting in the doctrine that some haue broched and what maie seeme to be repugnant to the meaning of that Church which is in deede Catholike or orthodoxe OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SVEVELAND Of the Sacraments SEeing that the Church of Christ doth liue here in the flesh howbeit not according to the flesh it pleased the Lord also to teach admonish and exhort it by the outwarde worde And that this might be done the more commodiouslie he would also haue his to make much of an externall societie among them selues For which cause he gaue vnto them holie signes among which these are the chiefest Baptisme and the Lords Supper the which we doe not onelie think therfore to haue had the name of Sacraments among the Fathers because they are visible signes of inuisible grace as Saint Augustine doth define them but also for that purpose because that by them we doe consecrate our selues vnto Christ and doe binde our selues as it were by the othe or Sacrament of faith THE THIRTEENTH SECTION OF THE SACRAMENT OF Holie Baptisme THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of holie baptisme CHAP. 20. BAptisme was instituted and consecrated by God and the first that baptized was Iohn who dipped Christ in the water in Iorden From him it came to the Apostles whoe also did baptize with water The Lord in plaine words commaunded them To preach the Gospel and to baptize in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And Peter also when diuers demaunded of him what they ought to doe said to them in the Acts Let euerie one of you be baptized in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and you shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost Whereupon Baptisme is called of some a signe of inâtiation of Gods people as that whereby the elected of God are consecrated vnto God There is but one Baptisme in the Church of God for it is sufficient to be once baptized or consecrated vnto God For baptisme once receiued doth continue all a mans life and is a perpetuall sealing of our adoption vnto vs. For to be baptized in the name of Christ is to be enrolled entered and receiued into the couenant and familie and so into the inheritance of the sonnes of God yea in this life to be called after the name of God that is to saie to be called the Sonne of god to be purged also from the filthines of sins to be indued with the manifolde grace of God for to lead 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 al borne in the pollution of sinne and are the Sonnes of wrath But God who is rich in mercie doth freelie purge vs from our sinnes by the blood of his Sonne and in him doth adopte vs to be his sonnes and by an holie couenant doth ioyne vs to himselfe and doth inrich vs with diuers giftes that we might liue a new life All these thinges are sealed vp vnto vs in Baptisme For inwardlie we are regenerated purified and renued of God through the holie Spirit and outwardlie we receiue the sealing of moste notable gifts by the water by which also those great benefites are represented and as it were set before our eyes to be looked vpon And therefore are we baptized that is washed and sprinckled with visible water For the water maketh cleane that which is filthie refresheth things that faile and faint and cooleth the bodies And the grate of God dealeth in like manner with the soule and that inuisible and spirituallie Moreouer by the Sacrament of Baptisme God doth seperate vs from all other religions and people and doth consecrate vs a peculiar people to himselfe We therefore by being baptized doe confesse our faith and are bound to giue vnto God obedience mortification of the flesh and newnes of life yea and we are billed souldiers for the holie warfare of Christ that all our life long we shoulde fight against the worlde Sathan and our owne flesh Moreouer we are baptized into one bodie of the Church that we might well agree with all the members of the Church in the same religion and mutuall duties We beleue that that of al other is the most perfect manner of baptisme wherin Christ was baptized and which the rest of the Apostles did vse in baptisme Those things therfore which by mans deuise were added afterwards vsed in the Church we thinke them nothing necessary to the perfection of Baprisme Of which kinde is exorcisme and the vse of lightes oyle salte spattle and such other things as namelie that baptisme is twise euerie yere consecrated with diuerse ceremonies For we beleeue that the baptisme of the Church which is but one was sanctifed 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 vpon it We teach that baptisme should not be ministred in the Church by women or midwiues For Paul secludeth women from Ecclesiasticall callings but Baptisme belongeth to Ecclesiasticall offices We condemne the Anabaptists who denie that young infants borne of
for them which was a sacrament of Christ to come Furthermore that which circumcision did performe to the people of the Iewes the same doth Baptisme performe to the children of the faithfull For the which cause Paull calleth Baptisme The circumcision of Christ OVC OF THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGE COncerning baptisme they teach that it is necessarie to saluation as a ceremonie ordeined of Christ Also that by baptisme the grace of God is offered And that young infantes are to be baptized and that they being by baptisme commended vnto God are receiued into Gods fauour and are made the sonnes of God as Christ witnesseth speaking of litle children in the Church Mat. 18. It is not the will of your heauenlie father that anie of these litle ones should perisâ They condemne the Anabaptistes which allow not the baptisme of infantes and holde that infantes are saued though they die without baptisme be not within the Church of God This in another edition is set downe in this sort TOuching baptisme they teach that it is necessary to saluation and that by baptisme the grace of God is offered That children are to be baptized and such as by baptisme be presented to God are receiued into his fauour They condemne the Anabaptistes that allow not of childrens Baptisme and holde that Children are saued without baptisme OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SAXONY BAptisme is an entire action to wit a dipping and the pronouncing of these wordes I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghost We doe often expound the summe of the doctrine of the Gospell comprehended in these wordes I baptise thee that is I doe witnes that by this dippin thy sinnes be washed awaie and that thou art now receiued of the true God who is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath redeemed thee by his Sonne Iesus Christ and doth sanctifie thee by his holie Spirit I baptise thee into the name that is inuocating of this true god whome thou shalt acknowledge and inuocate and distinguish from all other feigned gods and shalt assure thy selfe that those benefits are giuen to thee which he promised in the gospell that thou art a member of the Church of God which is redeemed by the Sonne and sanctified by the holie Ghost Let them remember this meaning of this couenant who by reason of their age are capable of doctrine and being confirmed by this testimonie let them beleeue that their sinnes be forgiuen them and that they are in deede members of the Church of God and let them in a true faith inuocate the true God as Abraham considedering of circumcision did beholde the promise of the seed to come vnderstand that he was a member of the Church of God and that the cursse was taken awaie from him also by that seede of whome it was said in the promise Gen. 12. In thy seed shall all nations be blessed So also doth Peter teach 1. Pet. 3. That Baptisme is a stipulation or promise that a good conscience maketh vnto God by the resurection of Iesus Christ which is at the right hand of God He doth namelie call it a stipulation whereby God doth make a couenant with thee and receiueth thee unto fauour the woundes of thy conscience being healed and thou in like sorte doest make a couenant with God to inuocate this true God and to beleeue that thou art saued by the Sonne of God who is raised vp from death and now doth raigne So this Sonne of God sitting at the right hand of the eternall Father is effectuall in thee as also Paull saith to the Gal. You that are baptized haue put on Christ And that the holie Ghost is giuen in Baptisme Paull affirmeth it in his Epistle to Titus saying By the washing of the new birth and the renuing of the holie Ghost And in Iohn it is said Except a man be borne againe of water and of the spirit he can not enter into the kingdome of heauen Therefore we teach that Baptisme is necessarie and we do once onelie baptize euerie one as euerie one was but once onelie Circumcised but we do often make mention of the most profitable doctrine touching the signification thereof and the mutuall couenant We do also baptise infants because it is most certeine that the promise of grace doth perteine also of infants and to those onely which are ingrafted into the Church because that of these it is said Suffer little ones to come vnto me because that to such apperteineth the kingdom of heauen And Origen writeth vpon the sixth to the Romanes That the Church receiued the custome of baptizing infants from the Apostles Neither do we thinke that this custome is onelie an idle ceremonie but that the infants are then in deede receiued and sanctified of God because that then they are grafted into the Church and the promise perteineth to such And of this matter there be manie thinges written and published in our Churches whereby the Anabaptistes are refuted Also out of the 19. Art Of Confirmation IT is well knowne that the manner of consecrating oile was magicall and execrable and therefore these annointings wherein there is vse of oile are not to be tollerated and in old time they vsed these ceremonies otherwise then now they be vsed In the ceremonie of confirmation there was a triall of doctrine wherin euery one did rehearse the forme of doctrine and did openlie professe that they did mislike the madnes of the Heathen and of Heretikes and that they would be and remaine members of the true Church and neuer forsake that true opinion which they did then professe This custome was profitable to instruct men and to keep them in the true knowledge of god And in out Churches the like thinges be done in Catechizing the younger sorte and in priuate confession wherein the Pastoures do examine the doctrine of the people But as touching the ceremonie of confirmation which the Bishoppes doe now reteine what else is it but a vaine shadowe OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of Baptisme CHAP. 10. WE acknowledge that Baptisme is to be ministred as well to infants as to those that are growne to full age and that it is to be vsed in the Church euen to the end of this worlde in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghost according to Christ his institution Also we beleeue and confesse that Baptisme is that sea into the bottome whereof as the Prophet saith God doth casâ all our sinnes and forgiue them for Christ his Sonnes sake thorough faith But whereas some affirme that sinne remaining in man after baptisme is not indeed sinne of it owne nature we think it to be a more pernitious errour then the common sort of men doth iudge it to be For although wee doe not doubt but that sinne which remaineth after baptisme is forgiuen to the faithfull for Christ and by
the free mercie of God is not imputed anie longer before the tribunall seate of God yet if a man weigh and consider the nature thereof it is in deede in it selfe sinne by reason wherof as Augustine saide before No man liuing is iustified in the fight of God and there is not a iust man in the earth which doth good and sinneth not Rom. 7. I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the lawe of sin which is in my members Here Paull speaketh of sin which remaineth after baptisme he affirmeth that it doth rebell against the law of his minde that is against the affection of the holy Ghost Now that which rebelleth against the holy Ghost vndoubtedly it is necessary that it be very sin indeede For this is the nature of sinne that it striue against the holie Ghost And Galat. 5. it is said The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrarie one to the other so that ye cannot doe the same thinges that ye would Here againe Paull speaketh of sinne remaining after baptisme and doth manifestlie attribute to it the nature of sinne to wit to lust against the Spirit to be contrarie to the Spirit and to hinder that righteousnes maie not be perfect in man Therefore sinne remaining after baptisme of it nature is indeed sinne although it be not imputed to him that beleeueth but is forgiuen for Christ And therefore Augustine in his booke De Nupt. Concup ad Valer. Lib. 1. Cap. 25. saith It is answered that the concupiscence of the flesh is forgiuen in Baptisme not that there should be no concupiscence but that it shoulde not be imputed to sinne For although the guilt be alreadie discharged yet the sinne remaineth till all our infirmitie be healed c. And againe De Baptis paruâlorum de Cons Dist 4. Cap. Per Baptismum Through Baptisme it is brought to passe that the flesh of sinne be made voide yet it is not so made voide that ingendered concupiscence should not remaine in the flesh but that it should not hurte Moreouer wee teach that he which is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghost is sprinckled with a spirituall anointing that is is made a member of Christ through faith and endued with the holie Ghost that the eares of his minde maie be opened and the eies of his heart lightened to receiue and vnderstand heauenlie things And it is euident that the vse of outwarde annointing was lawfull in that gouernement which Moses instituted and that outward annointing was vsed also in the Church after that the Gospell was published But it is also euident that in the law of Moses there was a time for shadowes but now Christ being reuealed it is the time of truth and the vse of externall annointing pertaineth to the rudiments of the world Concerning the abrogating of these rudiments Paul saith Col. 2. If ye be deâd with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye ãâã in the worlde are ye burdened with traditions And Dyoniâiââ whome they call Areopagita and whom they thinke to haue written out the ceremonies which the Apostles deliuered to the Church doth insinuate that an outward anointing was vsed in the Church but with all he doth insinuate and that not obscurelie that this ceremonie was taken partlie from the heathnish annointings which wrestlers did vse partlie out of the law of Moses But by what authoritie or with what profitte we maie take examples of the Heathen how to worship God and to administer his Sacraments that saying of Moses Deut 12 doth witnes Take heede that thou do not imitate the heathen and enquire after their ceremonies saying As these nations worshipped their Gods so will I doe likewise Ye shall not doe so vnto the Lorde your God And that saying of Christ Mat. 15. In vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrine the precepts of men And it is not to be doubted that the ceremonies of Moses whereof one parte is the vse of externall anointing doe pertaine to the rudiments of this world to whose decrees Paull said before that we are not tied and whereof he saith in another place Seeing thââ ye know God yea rather are knowne of God how turne ye againe vnto impotent and beggerlie rudiments whereunto as from the beginning ye will be in bondage againe Furthermore how can it truelie be affirmed as Fabianus writeth that the making or ceremonie of the outward anointing should be taught of the Apostles seeing that the Acts of Councells doe witnes that this Ceremonie was instituted of Syluester And the Ecclesiasticall hystorie doth shâwe that the Apostles had no purpose to make lawes concerning holie daies but to teach men true godlines and an vpright conuersation how muchlesse did they purpose to institute externall annointings in the Church and to bring in shadowes where the sunne doth shine most clearely There were added vnto Baptisme certaine other ceremonies also of salte durte apparell but because these are not thought necessarie no not of themselues amongest whome they are vsed and are in some sort an idle imitation of those ceremonies which Christ sometime vsed in doing miracles there is no cause why we should take anie care for them whilest we are conuersant in so manie necessarie thinges Of confirmation CHAP. 11. WE doe not doubt but that the Apostles in the beginning when the Gospell was reuealed and confirmed in the daie of Pentecost did by the laying one of hands giue vnto the beleeuers in Christ that wounderfull gift of the holie Ghost to wit that they might speake with tongues But of a personall and temporall fact of the Apostles a generall and temporall sacrament can not be ordained in the Church without the speciall commaundement of God And it is a horrible thing to be heard that the Sacrament of confirmation such as the Bishoppes Suffragans vse to giue vnto Children should excell in dignitie the Sacrament of Baptisme For thus some of them are not ashamed to write of the sacrament of Confirmation As one thing saie they is done of the greater that is of the chiefe Bishoppes which cannot be done of the lesser so is it to be worshipped and embraced with greater reuerence For to the Apostles it was commaunded of God that by the laying on of handes they should giue to those that beleeue in Christ the giftes of the holie Ghost Now we must not vnderstand this properlie of those priuat giftes of the holie Ghost which are necessarie to euerie one vnto saluation for those the faithfull receiue by the preaching of the Gospell and by baptisme but we must vnderstand it of the publique giftes of the holie Ghost to wit speaking with diuers tounges and other giftes which then were necessarie for the publique confirmation of the Gospell touching Christ Therefore after that the authority of the Gospell
as yet fresh and present For the remembrance of the death of Christ which we make in the Supper is farre more noble and holie then theirs whoe in some prophane banquet are mindfull of their companion when they drinke the wine that he gaue them For among these he that is absent worketh nothing but in this holie supper of the faithfull the Lorde is present and doth worke effectuallie by the spirit in the heartes of them as he whoe according to his promises is in the middest of them By these things it is most euident that in the holie supper we doe not take awaie our Lorde Christ from his Church nor denie that his bodie and bloode is there receiued to be our nourishment vnto life eternal but we together with our predecessours and the chiefe Prelates of our Religion did and as yet to this daie doe denie that the verie bodie of Christ is eaten carnallie or that it is present euerie where corporallie and after a naturall manner For we doe openlie confes according to the Scriptures and with al the holy Fathers that Iesus Christ our Lord left this world went to his Father and that he now sitteth at the right hande of his Father in heauenlie glorie from whence he shall neuer descend or be drawne downe into this earthlie and transitorie world For the true presence of Christ in the supper is heauenlie not earthlie or carnall Also we denie that the bread is turned into the bodie of Christ miraculously so that the bread should become the verybody of Christ naturallie and substantially yet after a spiritual manner To conclude we denie that the bodie of Christ is vnited with the signes by anie other then a mysticall meane whereof we haue spoken sufficientlie in the generall consideration of a sacrament Seeing therefore we haue expresselie saide and written with the holie Fathers Tertullian Hierome Ambrose and Augustine that the bread is a figure token and signe of the bodie of Christ and also that by bread and wine the bodie and blood of the Lord are signified This is it which we would make manifest to wit that the bread is not the verie bodie of the Lord but a token or a sacrament of his bodie And yet we doe not therefore speake these thinges as though we did simplie denie all kinde of the presence of Christ in the supper for that kinde of presence which now we haue confessed doth remaine true without anie preiudice to these kinde of speaches Morouer the word This in this sentence This is my bodie doth not onelie shew bread vnto our corpârall eies but therewith also it sheweth the verie bodie ãâã Christ vnto the eies of our minde Also we confesse that this vse of the supper is so holy aââ profitable that whosoeuer shall worthelie that is with â true faith eate of this bread and drinke of this cuppe of thâ Lorde he doth receiue heauenlie giftes from the Lord ãâã Whosoeuer shall eate of this breade and drinke of this cuppe ââworthelie that is without faith by which alone we are made partakers of the Lord and of saluation He doth ãâã and drinke iudgement vnto himselfe as Paull wrote to the Corinthians Wherefore we doe often put this diligentlie iâto the heades of our people that they take heede that none of them abuse the Lordes table but that euerie one examine himselfe and then eate of that breade and drinke of thââ cuppe Also the Lords Supper is a badge vnto vs for as one lofe and one wine are made of manie graines and grapes so we being the wholl multitude of the faithfull are gathered together to be one bread and one bodie By this we testifie in an outward profession that we are redeemed by the bloode of Christ and made the members of Christ to whome we giue thankes in whome we are confederates and doe promise to performe mutuall dueties one toward another OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASILL Of the Supper of the Lorde WE confesse that the Lord Iesus did institute his holie Supper that his holie passion might be remembred with thankesgiuing his death declared and Christian charitie and vnitie with true faith testified And as iâ Baptisme wherin the washing away of our sins is offered by the Minister of the Church and yet is wrought onelie by the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost true water remaineth so also in the Supper of the Lord wherein together with the breade and wine of the Lord the true bodie and the true blood of Christ is offered by the Minister of the Church breade and wine remaineth Moreouer we doe firmelie beleeue that Christ himselfe is the meate of faithfull soules vnto life eternall and that our soules by faith in Christ crucified are fedde and moistned with the flesh and bloode of Christ so that we being members of his bodie as of our onelie head doe liue in him and he in vs wherein at the last daie through him and in him we shall rise againe to eternall ioye and blessednes And in the marginall note vpon these wordes Our soules For it is a spirituall meate and therefore it is receiued of a faithfull soule that is the soules are made full strong mightie peaceable quiet merie and liuelie to all thinges as the bodie is by the corporall meate Also vpon those wordes The members of the heade And so man is made a spirituall member of the bodie of Christ And in the margent vpon these wordes To be present to wit Sacramentallie and by a rememberance of faith which lifteth vp a mans minde to heauen and doth not pull downe Christ according to his humanitie from the right hande of God Now we doe not include into the bread and drinke of the Lord the natural true and substantial body of Christ which was borne of the pure Virgine Mary suffered for vs ascended into heauen Therefore we doe neither worship Christ in the signes of bread and wine which we doe commonlie call the Sacraments of the bodie and bloode of Christ but in heauen at the right hand of god the Father from whence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade OVT OF THE CONFSSION OF BOHEMIA Of the holie Supper of the Lord. CHAP. 13. IN the thirteenth place we teach touching the Supper of the Lord instituted in the new Testament that we must beleeue with the heart and professe with the mouth that it is a Sacrament instituted of Christ our Lord in his last Supper and that in expresse forme of wordes that is that concerning breade and wine he hath pronounced thaâ they be his bodie and his bloode and that they were deliuered to his Apostles and so in like sort to the whol vniuersall Church for a monument of his death and that all men should lawfullie vse the participation thereof euen to the ende of the worlde Of this Sacrament the Euangelists doe write and especiallie Saint Paull whose wordes euen tâ this daie are thus read in the
yea the wholl institution hereof appointed by Christ For which cause the Ministers of our Churches doe admitte none to this Sacrament neither giue it vnto anie but to such as are noted to come vnto it seriouslie and doe so much as in them lyeth prepare them-selues hereunto after such a manner as becommeth Christian godlines Now when the congregation doth come together to celebrate the vse of the Lordes Supper and be partakers therof then according to the example of the primitiue Church our ministers doe teach in their holie Sermons concerning Christ and concerning the grace which through him and in him is giuen to sinners and especiallie concerning his death the shedding of his blood and the redemption and saluation purchased thereby After that the wholl Church doth ioyne together in faithfull prayers vnto God to obtaine this that they may indeed vse this Sacrament worthelie Moreouer in the next place absolution from sinnes is lawfullie administred the wordes of the institution are rehearsed and the people by exhortation is stirred vp to a reuerent consideration of this mysterie and to a cheerefull and serious contemplation of the benefits of God the sacrament is reuerentlie with al godlines distributed and the people of the faithfull most commonlie falling downe on their knees doe receiue this sacrament with thanksgiuing with gladnes with singing of hymnes or holie songes and they shew forth the death of the Lord and admonish themselues of all his benefits to the confirmation of their faith in a true communion with Christ and his bodie And all this we do according to the meaning of those things which are commaunded in the holie Scripture especiallie according to the saying of Christ Do this in remembrance 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 OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION WE affirme that the holie Supper of the Lorde to wit the other Sacrament is a witnes to vs of ãâã vniting with our Lorde Iesus Christ because that he is not onelie once deade and raised vp againe from the deade for vs but also he doth in deede feede vs and nourish ãâã with his flesh and bloode that we beeing made one wiââ him maie haue our life common with him For although he be now in heauen and shall remaine there till ãâã come to iudge the worlde yet we beleeue that by the secret and incomprehensible vertue of his Spirit he doââ nourish and quicken vs with the substance of his bodie and blood being apprehended by faith But we saie that this is done spirituallie not that we maie counterfeit an imagination or thought in steade of the efficacie and truth but rather because this mysterie of our vnion with Christ is so high a thing that it surmounteth all our senses yea and the wholl order of nature to conclude because that it being diuine and heauenlie cannot be perceiued nor apprehended but by faith We beleeue as was saide before that as well in the Supper as in Baptisme God doth in deed that is truelie and effectuallie giue whatsoeuer he doth there sacramentallie represent and therefore with the signes we ioyne the true profession and fruition of that thing which is there offered vnto vs Therefore we affirme that they which do bring pure faith as it were a certaine vessell vnto the holie supper of the Lord doe indeed receiue that which there the signes doe witnes namelie that the bodie and blood of Iesus Christ are no lesse the meate and drinke of the soule then bread and wine are the meate of the bodie Also out of the 38. Art a litle after the beginning And also that that bread and wine which is giuen vs in the supper is indeed made vnto vs spirituall nourishment in as much as they doe offer vnto our eies to beholde that the flesh of Christ is oââ meat and that his bloode is our drinke Therefore we reiect all those fantasticall heades which doe refuse these signes and tokens seeing that Christ our Lorde hath saide This is my bodie and This cuppe is my blood OVT OF THE ENGLISH CONFESSION WE saie that Eucharistia that is to saie the Supper of the Lord is a Sacrament that is an euident Representation of the bodie and blood of Christ wherein is set as it were before our eies the death of Christ and his Resurrection and whatsoeuer he did whilest he was in his Mortall Bodie to the ende we maie giue him thankes for his death and for our deliuerance and that by the often receiuing of this Sacrament we maie dailie renew the remembrance thereof to the intent we being fedde with the bodie and blood of Christ maie be brought into the hope of the Resurrection and of euerlasting life and maie moste assuredlie beleeue that as our bodies be fedde with bread and wine so our soules be fedde with the bodie and blood of Christ To this Banquet we thinke the people of God ought to be earnestlie bidden that they maie all communicate among themselues and openlie declare and testifie both the godlie societie which is among them and also the hope which they haue in Christ Iesu For this cause if there had beene anie which would be but a looker on and abstaine from the holie Communion him did the olde Fathers and Bishops of Rome in the primitiue Church before priuate Masse came vp excommunicate as a wicked person and as a Pagane Neither was there anie ãâã at that time which did communicate alone whiles other looked on For so did Calixtus in times past decree That after the consecration was finished all should communicate except ãâã had rather stande without the Church doores For thââ saith âe did the Apostles appoint and the same the holie Church of Rome kâepââh still Moreouer when the people ãâã to âhe holie Communion the Sacrament ought to be giuen them in both kindes for so both Christ hath commaunded and the Apostles in euerie place haue ordeined and all the auncient Fathers and Catholique Byshops haue followed the same And who so doth contrarie to this he as Gelasius saith committeth Sacrilege And therefore we saie that our aduersaries at this daie who hauing violentlie thrust out and quite forbidden the holie Communion doe without the worde of God without the authoritie of anie auncient Councell without anie Catholique Father without any example of the primitiue Church yea and without reason also defend and maintaine their priuate Masses and the mangling of the Sacraments and doe this not onelie against the plaine expresse commaundement of Christ but also against all antiquitie doe wickedlie therein and are verie Churchrobbers We affirme that the bread and wine are the holie and heauenlie mysteries of the bodie and blood of Christ and that by them Christ himselfe being the true bread of eternall life is so presentlie giuen vnto vs as that by
part agree with the writinges of the Apostles and with the custome of the auncient Church euen almoste to Gregories time which thing being so the custome of our Churches is to be approoued not to be disalowed but our Aduersaries misliking our custome doe defend manie errours some more foule and grosse others coloured with new deceites Manie heretofore haue written that in the masse there is an oblation made for the quick and the dead and that it doth deserue remission of sinnes both for him that maketh it and for others euen for the workes sake And thus were most of them persuaded and as yet are like vnto the Pharisies and the heathen For after the same manner the Pharisies and the Heathen did dreame that they for the workes sake did deserue for them selues and for others remission of sinnes peace and manie other good thinges Or although those which were not so blinde did speake more modestlie and saide that they did deserue but not without the good intention of the sacrificer yet they imagined that those sacrifices were merits a raunsome By reason of this opinion there were a multitude of sacrifices and the craftie meanes of gaine were increased Such is the marchandise of Masses and the prophanation of the Lordes Supper almost throughout the wholl world But God will haue corrupt kindes of worship to be reprooued and abolished Therefore we ãâã âimplie and in deede propound the voice of God which doth condemne those errors and with all our heart we affirme before God and the wholl Church in heauen and in earth that there was one onelie sacrifice propitiatorie or whereby the wrath of the eternall Father against mankinde is pacified to wit the wholl obedience of the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ who was crucified and raised vp againe This is that onelie Lambe which taketh awaie the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1. Of thââ onelie sacrifice mention is made Heb. 10. By one onely sacrifice he made perfect for euer those that are sanctified And this sacrifice is applied to euerie one by their owne faith when they heare the Gospell and vse the sacraments as Paull saith Rom. 3. Whome God hath set forth to be are conciliation through faith in his blood And Habac. 2. The iust shall liue by his faith And 1. Pet. 1. Being sanctified in the spirit vnto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ Other sacraments in the old Testament were typicall wherof we shal speake more at large in their place they did not deserue anie remission of sinnes and all the righteousnes of holie men at all times were are and shall be sacrifices of praise which do not deserue remission either for them that did offer them or for others but they are seruices which euerie one ought to performe and are acceptable to God for the Mediatours and our high priest the Sonne of God his sake as it is said Heb. 13. By him we offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God That this is an vnchangeable and eternal truth it is most manifest And whereas certaine fragments which they call the Canons of the masse are alledged against this so cleare light of the trueth it is also manifest that the Greeke and Latine Canons are verie vnlike the one to the other and that the Greeke Canons do disagree among themselues in a most waightie matter and it appeareth that in the Latine Canon manie iagges peeces were by litle litle patched together of ignorant authors The auncient Church doth vse the names of Sacrifice and oblation but therby it vnderstandeth the whole action prayers a taking of it a remembrance faith a confession and thanksegiuing This wholl inward and outward action in euerie one that is turned to God and in the wholl Church is indeede a sacrifice of praise or thankesgiuing and a reasonable seruice And when the Lord saith Ioh. 4. The true worshippers shall worship the lord in spirit and in trueth he affirmeth that in the new testament outward sacrifices are not commaunded which of necessitie should be made although there were no motions of the holie ghost in the heart as in the law it was necessarie that the ceremonie of the Passe ouer should be kept But touching the supper of the Lord it is said 1. Cor. 11 Let euerie man examine him-selfe c. So the supper of thâ Lord doth profit him that vseth it when as he 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 wordes of the institution of the Supper wherein it is said Take ye eat ye c. Doe ye this in remembrance of me What doth this apperteine to the dead or to those that be absent and yet in a great part of Europe manie masses are said for the dead also a great number not knowing what they do do read Masses for a reward But seing that all these things are manifestlie wicked to wit to offer as they speake to the end that they maie deserue for the quick and the dead or for a man to do he knoweth not what they do horriblie sinne that retaine and defend these mischieuous deeds And seeing that this ceremony is not to be taken for a sacrameÌt without the vse wherunto it was ordeined what manner of Idolworship is there vsed let godlie and learned men consider Also it is a manifest prophanation to carie about parte of the Supper of the Lord and to worship it where a parte is vtterlie transferred to an vse cleane contrarie to the first Institution whereas the text saith Take eat and this shew is but a thing deuised of late To conclude what be the manners of manie Priestes and Monks in all Europe which haue no regard of this saying 1. Cor. 11 Let euerie man examine him-selfe Also Whosoeuer taketh it vnworthelie shall be guiltie of the bodie and bloode of the Lord. Euerie man of him-selfe doth know these things Now although the chiefe Bishopes and hypocrites who seeke delusions to establish these euills doe scoffe at these complaintes yet it is most certaine that God is greeuouslie offended with these wicked deeds as he was angrie with the people of Israell for their prophanations of the sacrifices And we do see euident examples of wrath to wit the ruines of so many kingdomes the spoile and waste that the Turkes doe make in the worlde the confusions of opinions and many moste lamentable dissipations of Churches But O Sonne of God Lorde Iesus Christ which wast crucified and raised vp againe for vs thou which art the high priest of the Church with true sighes we beseech the that for thine and thy eternall Fathers glorie thou wouldest take awaie Idolls errours and abominations and as thou thy selfe didst praie Sanctifie vs with thy trueth and kindle the light of thy Gospell and true inuocation in the heartes of many and bowe our heartes to true obedience that
also your eies doe witnes vnto you but that which your faith desireth to learne is this the bread is the bodie of Christ the cup is his blood Now as touching the vse of the Eucharist first although we do not not denie but that whol Christ is distributed as well in the breade as in the wine of the Eucharist yet we teach that the vse of either part ought to be common to the wholl Church For it is euident that Christ beeing nothing at all terrified by any dangers which afterward humane superstition inuented or by other deuises gaue vnto his Church both partes to be vsed Also it is euident that the auncient Church did vse both partes for many yeares And certaine writers doe clearelie witnes that they which doe receiue bread alone doe not receiue the wholl Sacrament Sacramentallie for so they speake that it is not possible to dââide one and the selfe same mystery without great sacriledge Wherfore we thinke that the vse of both partes is in deede Catholike Apostolike that it is not lawful for any man at his pleasure to change this institution of Christ and a ceremony of such continuance in the auncient and true Church and to take awaie from the laitie as they call them one part of the Eucharist And it is to be marueiled at that they who professe themselues to defend the ceremonies of the auncient church should so farre swarue from the auncient church in this point Moreouer seeing that the worde Sacrifice iâ verie large and doth generally signifie a holie worship we doe willinglie graunt that the true and lawfull vse of the Eucharist maie in this sense be called a Sacrifice howbeit the Eucharist according to the institution of Christ is so celebrated that therein the death of Christ is shewed forth and the sacrament of the bodie and bloode of Christ is distributed to the Church and so it is truely called an appliing of the meritte of the passion of Christ to wit to them which receiue the Sacrament Neither doe we condemne godlie lessons and praiers which vse to goe before and to follow consecration as they call it and the dispensation of the Eucharist yet in the meane time it is not lawfull for vs to dissemble or to alow of those errours which haue bene added to this holie ãâã rather by the ignorance of priuate men then by ânie lawfull consent of the true Catholike Church One ãâ¦ã this that of the worship which ought to be common ãâ¦ã Church there is made a priuate action of one Priest ãâ¦ã doeth alone to himselfe mumble vp the wordes of ãâ¦ã Supper so also he alone doeth receiue the bread ãâ¦ã For Christ did institute the Eucharist not that iâ ãâ¦ã priuate action of one man but that it should be a ãâ¦ã of the Church Therefore to the right action of the Eucharist two thinges at the lest are requisite to wit the minister of the Eucharist whoe blesseth he to whom the Sacrament of the Eucharist is dispensed For when Christ did institute this Sacrament he did not eat thereof alone but he did dispense it to his Church which then was present with him saying Take ye eate ye c. And Drinke ye all of this c. This institution of Christ the auncient and true Catholique Church did so seuerelie obserue that it excommunicated them which being present whilest this holy Sacrament was administred would not communicate with others Anaclââus in his first Epistle saith After that consecration is finished let aââ communicate except they had rather standâ without the Church doores And he addeth For so both the Apostles appointed and the holy Church of Rome keepeth is still Also the Antiochian Councell cap. 2. saieth All those which come into the Church of God and heare the holy Scriptures but doe not communicate with the people in praier and can not abide to receiue the Sacrament of the Lord according to a certaine proper discipline these men must be cast out of the Church Dionysius in his booke De Eccles Hierarc saieth The Bishoppe when he hath praised the diuine giftes then he maketh the holie and moste excellent mysteries and those thinges which before he had praised being couered and hid vnder reuerent signes he bringeth into sight and reuerentlie shâwing forth the diuine giftes both he himselfe doth turne to the holy participation thereof and doth exhort the others to participate them to conclude when the holie communion is receiued and deliuered to all he rendering thankes doth make an end of these mysteries Therefore we thinke it necessarie to the retayning of the institution of Christ in the celebration of the Eucharist and that we maie follow the example of the auncient and true Catholique Church that the priuate Masses of the Priestes maie be abrogated and that the publique communion of the Lords Supper maie be restored Another errour is this that the Eucharist is such a sacrifice as ought to be offered daielie in the Church for the purging of the sinnes of the quicke and the dead and for the obtaining of other benefites both corporall and spiritual This error is euidently contrary to the Gospel of Christ which witnesseth That Christ by one oblation once onelie made hath made perfect for euer those that be sanctified And because that Christ by his passion and death hath purchased remission of sinnes for vs which also is declared vnto vs by the Gospell in the new Testament therefore it is not lawfull to sacrifice anie more for sinne for the Epistle to the Hebrews saith Where there is remission of sinnes there is no further oblation for sinne For whereas Christ saieth Doe this in remembrance of me he doth not commaund to offer his bodie and and bloode in the Supper vnto God but to the Church that the Church by eating the bodie and drinking the bloode of Christ and by shewing forth the benefit of his death may be admonished of that oblation of the bodie and bloode of Christ which was made once onelie on the Crosse for the purging of our sinnes For so Paull doeth interpret this saying of Christ saying So often as ye shall eate he doth not saie offer this breade and drinke this cuppe shew ye forth the death of the Lord till he come And truelie we confesse that the auncient Ecclesiasticall writers did call the Eucharist a sacrifice an oblation but they expounde themselues that by the name of Sacrifice they meane a remembrance a shewing forth or a preaching of that Sacrifice which Christ did once offer vpon the Crosse as also they call the memoriall of the Passeouer and of Pentecost the Paâseouer and Pentecost it selfe The third error is this that manie do thinke that the oblation as they cal it of the Eucharist is not of it selfe a propitiation for sinnes but that it doth apply the propitiation and merit of Christ to the quick and the dead But we haue alreadie shewed that the Eucharist properlie is
doctrine or hath a tongue or hath reuelation or hath interpretation let all things be done vnto edifying Hierom vpon the Epist to the Eph. Cap. 5. saith Singing and making melody to the Lord in your heartes Let yong men heare these things let them heare whose office it is to sing in the Church that we must sing to God not with the voice but with the heart and that the throate and the iawes are not to be greased with some sweete liquore as they vse to doe that play in Tragedies c. Now that which was spoken touching the vse of a tongue that is commonlie knowne it must be vnderstoode nor onlie of the singing of Psalmes but also of all the partes of Ecclesiasticall ministerie For as Sermons and praiers are to be made in a well knowne tongue to the Church so also must the Sacramentes be dispensed in a speach that is knowne For although it be lawfull at some time to vse a strange tongue by reason of the learned yet the consent of the Catholique Church doth require this that the necessarie ministeries of the Church be executed in our countrie speache 1. Cor. 14. I had rather in the Church to speake fiue words with my vnderstanding that I mayalso instruct others then ten thousand wordes in a strange tongue Innocentius the third De offi Iud. Ord. C. Quoniam saith Because that in many partes within one Citie and Diocesse there be people of diuers languages mingled together hauing vnder one faith diuers rites and customes we doe ââreictlie commaund that the Bishops of such Cities or Diocesses doe prouide fit men who according to the diuersitie of ceremonies and language may execute among them the diuine dueties and minister the Ecclesiasticall Sacraments instructing them both by the worde and by their example Therefore they are to be said to doe godly and Catholiquelie who doe so appoint the dispensation of the Sacraments the singing of Psalmes and the reading of holy Scripture that the Church may vnderstand that which is said read or sung and the spirit may receiue fruit therby to comfort the minde to confirme the faith and to stirre vp loue OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SVEVELAND Of the singing and praiers of Ecclesiasticall men CHAP. 21. ANd for that cause to wit that men should not wincke at that offending of God which might be committed vnder a colour of his seruice then which nothing can offend him more greeuouslie our Ministers haue condemned the most of those things which were vsed in the singings and praiers of Ecclesiasticall men For it is too too manifest that these haue degenerated from the first appointment vse of the Fathers For no man which vnderstandeth the writings of the auncient Fathers is ignorant of this that it was a custome among them wisely to rehearse also to expound a few Psalmes with some Chapter of the scripture whereas now adaies many Psalmes are chaunted for the most parte without vnderstanding and of the reading of the Scripture there be onelie the beginnings of Chapters left vnto vs and innumerable things are taken vp one after an other which serue rather for superstition then for godlines Therefore our ministers did first of all detest this that many things which were contrarie to the Scriptures are mingled with holie praiers and songs as that those things are attributed to Saints which are proper to Christ alone namelie to free vs from sinne and other discommodities and not so much to obteine as to giue vs the fauour of God and all kinde of good things Secondlie because they are increased so infinitely that they cannot be sung or rehearsed with an attentiue minde Now it is nothing but a mocking of God whatsoeuer we doe in his seruice without vnderstanding Lastlie because that these things also were made meritorious works to be sold for no smal price that we may say nothing hereof that against the expresse commanndement of the holy ghost al things are there said and sung in that tongue which not onely the people doth not vnderstand but many times also not they themselues which do liue of those kinds of singing and praiers THE SIXTEENTH SECTION OF HOLIE DAIES FASTES AND THE CHOISE OF MEATES AND OF THE VISITATION OF THE SICKE AND THE CARE THAT is to be had for the dead THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of Holiedaies Fastes and choise of meates CHAP. 24. ALthough religion be not tied vnto time yet can it not be planted and exercised without a due diuiding allotting out of time vnto it Euery Church therfore doth choose vnto it selfe a certaine time for publique praiers and for preaching of the Gospell and for the celebration of the Sacramentes and it is not lawfull for euerie one to ouerthrowe this apointment of the Church at his owne pleasure For except some due time leasure were alotted to the outward exercise of religion out of doubt men would be quite drawne from it by their own affaires In regard hereof we see that in the auncient Churches there were not onelie certaine set howers in the weeke appointed for meetinges but that also euen the Lordes daie euer since the Apostles time was consecrated to the religious exercises and vnto a holie rest which also is now verie well obserued of our Churches for the worshippe of God and increase of charitie Yet herein we giue no place vnto the Iewish obseruation of the daie or to anie superstitions For we doe not account one day to be holier then an other nor thinke that resting of it selfe is liked of God Besides we do celebrate and keepe the Lords daie and not the Saboth and that with a free obseruation Moreouer if the Churches doe religiouslie celebrate the memorie of the Lordes natiuitie curcumcision passion and resurrection and of his ascension into heauen and sending the holie ghost vpon his disciples according to christian libertie we doe verie well allow of it But as for festiual daies ordeined to men or the saintes departed we cannot alow of them For indeede such feastes must be referred to the first table of the lawe and be long peculiarlie vnto God To conclude these festiuall daies which are appointed to saints and abrogated of vs haue in them many grosse things vnprofitable and not to be tolerated In the meanetime we confesse that the remembrance of saintes in due time and place may be to good vse and profit commended vnto the people in sermons and the holie examples of holie men set before their eies to be imitated of all Now the more sharpelie that the Church of Christ doeth accuse surfeting drunkennes al kinde of Iustes andintemperancie so much the more earnestlie it doth commend vnto vs Christian fasting For fasting is nothing els but an abstaining and temperancie of the godlie and a watching and chastising of our flesh taken vp for the present necessitie whereby we are humbled before God and withdrawe from the flesh those thinges whereby it is cherished to the eâde it
deserue remission of sinnes and iustification Thirdlie traditions brought great daunger to mens consciences because it was not possible to keepe them all and yet men thought the obseruation of them to be necessarie duties Gerson writeth that manie fell into despaire and some murthered themselues because they perceiued that they could not keepe the traditions and all this while they neuer heard the comforte of the righteousnes of faith or of grace We see the Summistes and diuines gather together the traditions and seeke qualifications of them to vnburden mens consciences and yet all will not serue but som times they bring more snares vpon the conscience The schooles and pulpits haue bene so busied in gathering together the traditions that they had not leisure once to touch the scripture and to seeke out a more profitable doctrine of faith of the crosse of hope of the dignitie of ciuill affaires of the comfort of consciences in perilous assaultes Wherfore Gerson and some other diuines haue made grieuous complaints that they were hindered by braules about traditions that they could not be occupied in some better kinde of doctrine And Saint Augustine forbiddeth that mens consciences should be burdened with such kinde of obseruations doth verie wiselie warne Ianuarius to know that they are tobe obserued indifferentlie for so he speaketh Wherefore our ministers must not be thought to haue touched this matter vnaduisedlie for hatred of the Bishops as some do falselie surmise There was great need to admonish the Churches of those errours which did arise from mistaking of traditions for the Gospell driueth men to vrge the doctrine of grace and of the righteousnes of faith in the Church which yet can neuer be vnderstord if men suppose that they can merit remission of sinnes and iustification by obseruations of their owne choice Thus therefore they haue taught vs that we can neuer merit remission of sinnes and iustification by the obseruation of mans traditions and therefore that we must not thinke that such obseruations are necessarie dueties Hereunto they adde testimonies out of the scriptures Christ excuseth his disciples Math. 15. which kept not the receiued tradition which yet seemed to be about a matter not vnlawfull but indifferent and to haue some affinitie with the washings of the lawe and saith They worshippe me in vaine with the precepts of men Christ therefore requireth no vnprofitable worship and a litle after he addeth All that entreth in at the mouth deâileth not the man Aagine Rom. 14. The kingdome of God is not meat and drinke Col. 2. Let no man iudge you in meate or drinke in a Sabboth or in an holie daie Againe If ye be dead with Christe from the rudiments of the world why as though yee liued in the world are ye burdened with âraditions Touch not tast not handle not Act. 15. Peter saith why tempt ye God laying a yoke vpon the neâks of the disciples which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare but by the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ we hope to be saued as did also they Here Peter forbiddeth to burthen the consciences with manie rites whether they be of Moses or of anie others appointing and 1. Tim. 4. he calleth the forbidding of meates a doctrine of deuills because that it is flat against the gospel to appoint or do such workes to the end that by them we maie merit remission of sinnes or iustification or because that there could be no Christianitie without them Here our aduersaries obiect against vs that our ministers hinder al good discipline and mortification of the flesh as Iouinian did But the contrarie maie be seene by our mens writings For they haue alwais taught touching the crosse that Christians must suffer afflictions This is the true earnest and vnfeigned mortification to be exercised with diuerse afflictions and to be crucified with Christ Moreouer they teach that euerie Christian must so by bodilie discipline or bodely exercises and labour exercise and keepe vnder himselfe that fulnes and slouth do not prick him vp to sinne nor that he maie by such exercises merit such remission of the fault or of eternall death and this corporall discipline must alwaies be plied not onelie in a few and those sette daies according to the commaundement of Christ Take heede that your bodies be not oppressed with surfeting Againe This kinde of deuill is not cast out but by fasting and praier And Paul saith I chastââe my bodie and bring it vnder subiection Where he plainlie sheweth that he did therefore chastice his bodie not that by disscipline he might merit remission of sinnes but that his body might be apt and fit for spirituall things to do his dutie according to his calling Therfore we do not condemne fasts themselues but the traditions which prescribe certeine daies and certeine meates with daunger to the consciences as though such workes as these were necessary duties Yet many of the traditions are obserued among vs which tend vnto this end that things may be done orderlie in the Church as namelie the order of lessons in the Masse and the chiefest holie daies But in the meane time men are admonished that such a seruice doth not iustifie before god and that there is no sinne to be put in such thinges if they be left vndone so it be without offence This libertie in humane rites ceremonies was not vnknowne to the fathers For in the East Church they kept Easter at another time then they did in Rome and when as they of the Church of Rome accused the East Church of schisme for this diuersity they were admonished by others that such fashions should not be alike euerie where And Ireneus saith the dissagreement about fasting doth not breake of the agrement of faith Besides Pope Gregorie in the 12. distinction insinuateth that such diuersitie doth not hurt the vnitie of the Church and in the Tripartite historie lib. 9. many examples of different rites are gathered together and these words are there rehearsed The minde of the Apostles was not to giue precepts of holie daies but to preach godlines and a good conuersation What is then to be thought of the Lords day and of such like rites vsed in Churches Hereunto they answer that it is lawful for the Bishops or Pastors to appoint ordinances wherby things may be done in order in the Church not that by them we should merit remission of sinnes or satisfie for sinnes or that mens consciences should be bound to esteme them as necessarie seruices and thinke that they sinne when they violate any one of them though it be without the offence of others So Paull ordeined that weomen should couer their heads in the congregation that the Interpreters of scripture should be heard in course or order in the Church Such like ordinances it behooueth the Churches to kepe for charitie and quietnes sake so farre forth that one offend not another that all thinges maie be done in order and without tumult in
ende The auncient fathers did sometimes fast whole daies together that they might giue themselues to publique praier and by this discipline might admonish their Church and especially the youth of daungers that were past or present or hanging ouer their heades and might stirre them vp to repentance wherby the wrath of God might be asswaged This is the godlie and profitable ende of these fastinges Others doe faste That by the merit of this worke they maie purge their sinnes before God or as some doe speake Applie vnto themselues the merit of Christ by their fasting But this end is vtterlie to be condemned For first the onelie death of Christ is the purging of our sinnes Secondlie fasting was not ordeined for this vse that it should be a worke whereby the merit of Christ maie be applied to vs. For fasting is either ioyned with true repentance and then the merit of Christ is applied to him that repenteth by faith which is the chiefe parte of repentance before a man doth beginne or ende his fasting or else fasting is without repentance and then it is abhominable in the sight of God so farre is it from applying the merit of Christ to him that fasteth Isa 58. Is it such a fast that I haue chosen that a man should afflict his soule for a daie and to bowe downe his head as a bulrush Augustine Epist 86. ad Casulanum saith I reuoluing that in my minde which is written in the Euangelicall and Apostolique Scriptures and in that wholl instrument which they call the new Testament doe see that fasting is commaunded But on what daies we ought not to fast and on what daies we ought to fast I doe not see it defined either by the commaundement of the Lorde or of the Apostles And by this I thinke that rather a releasing then a binding to fasting is the more fit and apt not to obtaine righteousnes wherein the beutie of the Kings daughter doth consist inwardly which is obtained by Faith but yet to signifie a perpetuall rest And Chrysostome Tom. 4. de Ieiun Quadrag Hom. 73. saieth If we come dailie hither and fast the wholl Lent and doe not chaunge our life to the better it will be an occasion of our greater condemnation By these testimonies it is euident that it is neither Apostolique nor Catholique to thinke that fasting is a worke whereby either sinnes are purged before God or the merit of Christ is applied Hitherto also pertaineth the 29. Article Of the consecrating of water salte wine and other thinges VVE confesse that the forbidding of water whereby the Leuitical vncleanes was purged was ordained of god in the old testament Also we acknowledge that miracle wherby the Prophet Elizeus did heale the barren waters of âericho by casting in of salte And we embrace that which Paull writing to Timothie saieth Euerie creature of God is good and nothing is to be reiected which is receiued with thankesgiuing for it is sanctified by the worde of God and by praieâ But where as in the new Testament water is consecrated which they call holie water by the sprinkling whereof veniall sinnes are taken awaie and Deuills are driuen awaie and whereas salte also is consecrated to make thinges wholsome which otherwise be hurtfull it seemeth neither to be Apostolique nor Catholique For we are not commaunded by the worde of God to imitate the Leuitical sprinkling or Elizeus his miracle but it was vsed by mans arbitrement pleasure therfore it pertaineth to this saying of Christ In vaine do they worship me teaching for doctrines the preceptes of men And it is euident that the sprinkling of the bloode of Christ which is made by the worde of the Gospell by Baptisme and the Lordes Supper and receiued by faith doth purge vs from our sinnes That therefore which is proper to the blood of Christ which by the ordinance of god was shed for our sins ought not to be attributed towater consecrated by the appointment of man And as touching that Elizeus did heale the barren waters by salte there is a miracle set before our eies that thereby we may confirme that credit which we ought to giue to the preaching of the Prophet but it is not set before vs to be imitated without a special calling of God because the miracles of the Saints vse not to be generall but personall And as touching that which Paull saith that creatures are sanctified by the worde of God and by praier he meaneth not that creatures as for example salt flesh egges hearbes are to be coniured that Sathan by the vse of them may be driuen awaie but that all creatures are by the worde of God euerie one appointed to their outward vse which then serue for our good when we vse them well by faith and praying vnto God So God created salt to season meat and to preserue flesh from putrifying he created water to serue for drinke or washing or watering and not to driue away the Deuill In deede in Baptisme he ordeined water to wash awaie sinnes but this is not the generall ende why water was created but a speciall ordinance appointed by a speciall worde of God For as touching the generall creation and sanctification of God there is no worde of God that doth witnes that the creatures which we before haue rehearsed by coniurings are made profitable hereunto that they may take awaie sinnes and chase away the deuils Now that which is brought in without the worde of God to another vse then God hath ordeined it vnto it cannot be done in faith but it becommeth an abuse doth rather bring destruction then saluation Rom. 14 Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne And Cyprian Epist 2. Lib. 2. saith If Christ alone is to be heard we are not to consider what any other before vs hath thought good to be done but what Christ who is before all hath done for we ought not to follow the custome of men but the trueth of God c. Hitherto also perteineth Chap. 22. of the same confession Of extreame vnction WE confesse that the Apostles anointed the sicke with oile and that the sicke recouered their bodelie health Also we confesse that the Epistle which beareth the name of Iames doth commaund that the Elders of tâe Church be called vnto the sicke that they may anoint them with oile praie for them that they may obteine health But thâse things were then practized profitably when as yet the Minister of the Church were indued with the gift of healing the sâcke corporallie and wonderfully But after that this gift ceased the Gospell beeing confirmed in the Church the thing it selfe doth witnes that this ceremonie of Anointing is now idlely vnfruitfully vsed For they which now are anointed vse not by this anointing to recouer their bodelie health yea this anointing is not vsed but on them of whose bodelie health men doe despaire Neither is there any word of God which doth promise the Gospell of Christ
Paull could not be withhâld but in so fit a place he would plainelie haue declared this state of soules and would haue prescribed a meane vnto the Church whereby miserable soules might be deliuered from their torment But the true and Catholike Church in deed hath plainelie shewed that shee hath no certaintie at all concerning this third kinde of the state of soules in another world Chrysostome in his second sermon of Lazarus saieth If thou hast violently taken anie thing from anie man restore it and saie as doth Zacheus If I haue taken from anie man by forged cauillation I restore fourefoulde If thou art become an enimie to anie man be reconciled before thou come to iudgement Discharge all thinges here that without greefe thou maist beholde that tribunall seat Whilest we be here we haue manie excellent hopes But so soone as we depart thither it is not then in our power to repent nor to wash awaie our sinnes And againe He that in this present life shall not wash awaie his sinnes shall not finde any comforte afterward Augustine although he place certaine men in the middest betiwxt them that be verie good and those that be verie euill to the one sorte whereof he seemeth to assigne the place of Purgatorie yet in other places he doubteth of that matter and doth not define anie certaintie Therefore we must so thinke of this opinion of Augustine as he requireth that is we must receiue that which is confirmed either by the authority of the Scripture or by probable reason But it is euident that those places of the Scripture which are commonlie cited to establish Purgatorie are wrested from the naturall to a straunge sense and are farre otherwise expounded euen of the aâncient writers themselues And those reasons which Augustine bringeth for his opinion do seme to leane to this foundation That we obtaine remission of our sinnes and life not onelie for Christ his sake through faith but also for the merites of our workes But how this agreeth with the true Apostolike doctrine we haue before declared Wherefore we thinke that this speculation of Purgatorie fire is to be left to it owne authors and that we must chiefely doe this as Paull exhorteth vs that we maie confirme our selues one another with speaches touching the assured faith of our resurrection and saluation in Christ Iesus for whose sake God doth so fauour the faithfull that in the middest of death he preserueth them and giueth them true peace OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SVEVELAND Of praiers and fastinges CHAP. 7. VVE haue among vs praiers and Religious fastes which are moste holie workes and such as doe verie much beseeme Christians whereunto our Preaehers do most diligentlie exhorte their hearers For true fasting is as it were a renouncing of this present life which is alwaies subiect to euill lustes and desires and a meditation of the life to come which is free from all perturbation And praier is a lifting vp of the minde vnto God and such a familiar speach with him as no other thing can so greatlie set a man on fire with heauenlie affections more mightelie make the minde comformable to the will of God And though these exercies be neuer so holie and necessarie for Christians yet seeing that a mans neighbour is not so much benefited by them as man is prepared that he maie with fruit and profit haue regarde of his neighbour they are not to be preferred before holie doctrine godlie exhortations and admonitions and also other dueties whereby our neighbour doth presentlie receiue some profit Whereupon we reade of our Sauiour that in the night time he gaue him selfe to praier and in the daie time to doctrine and to heale the sicke For as loue is greater then faith and hope so to beleeue those thinges which come neerest vnto loue to wit such as bring assured profit vnto men are to be perferred before all other holie functions whereupon S. Chrysostome writeth that Among the wholl companie of vertues fasting hath the last place Of the Commaunding of Fastes CHAP. 8. BVt because that no mindes but these that be ardent and peculiarlie stirred vp by the heauenlie inspiration can either praie or faste aright and with profit we beleeue that it is farre better after the example of the Apostles and the former more sincere Church by holie exhortations to inuite men hereunto then to wring them out by preceptes such especiallie as doe binde men vnder paine of deadlie sinne the which thing the Priestes that were of late toke vpon them to doe when as then the order of Priestes had not a litle degenerated But we had rather leaue the placetime and manner both of praying and also of fasting to the arbitrement of the holie Ghost then to prescribe them by certaine lawes especiallie such as maie not be broken without some sacrifice of amends Yet for their sakes that be the younger and more imperfect sorte our Preachers doe not dislike that there should be an appointed time and meanes both for prayer and also for fasting that as it were by these holie introductions to exercises they might be prepared hereunto so that it be done without bynding of the conscience We were induced thus to thinke not so much for that all compulsion being against a mans will is repugnant to the nature of these actions but rather because that neither Christ himselfe nor anie of his Apostles haue in any place made mentioÌ of such kinde of precepts this doth Chrysostome also witnes saying Thou seest that an vpright life doth helpe more then all other thinges Now I tearme an vpright life not the labour of Fasting nor the bed of haire or ashes but if thou doest despise monie no otherwise then it becommeth thee if thou burne with charitie if thou nourish the hungrie with thy bread if thou ouercome thy anger if thou dost not desire vaine glorie if thou be not possessed with enuie for these be the thinges that he teacheth for he doth not saie that he will haue his fast to be followed howbeit he might haue proponed those 40. daies vnto vs but he saith Learne of me because I am meeke and lowlie in heart Yea rather on the contrarie side saith he eate all that is set before you Moreouer we doe not read that anie solemne or set faste was enioyned to the auncient Church but that faste of one daie For those fastes which as the scripture doth witnes were ordeyned of Prophets and of Kinges it is certaine that they were no set fastes but enioyned onelie for their time to wit when as euident calamities either hanging ouer their heads or presentlie pinching them did so require it Seeing therfore that the Scripture as S. Paull doth affirme doth instruct a man to euerie good worke and yet is ignorant of these fastes which are extorted by precepts we doe not see how it could be lawful for the successours of the Apostles to ouercharge the Church with so
at anie time perfourmed yet for all this wee must confesse that we are vnprofitable seruantes Therefore what meritte can wee dreame of THE SEVENTEENTH SECTION OF CEREMONIES AND RITES WHICH ARE INDIFFERENT in generall THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of Rites Ceremonies and indifferent things CHAP. 27. VNto the ancient people in olde time were giuen certaine ceremonies as a kinde of schooling or pedagogie to those which were kept vnder the law as vnder a Schole master or Tutor but Christ the deliuerer being once come and the law taken awaie we which beleeue are no more vnder the law the ceremonies are vanished worne out of vse And the Apostles were so far from reteining them in the Church of Christ or reparing them that they witnessed plainelie that they would not laie any burden vpon the Church Wherefore we should seeme to bring in and set vp Iudaisme againe if so be we should multiplie Ceremonies or Rites in the church according to the manner of the old church Therefore we are not of their iudgement who would haue the Church of Christ kept in with many and diuerse Rites as it were with a certaine schooling or pedagogie For if the Apostles would not thrust vpon the Christian people the ceremonies and rites which were appointed by God who is there I praie you that is well in his wiâtes that will thrust vpon it the inuentions deuised by man The greater that the heape of ceremonies is in the Church so much the more is taken not onelie from Christian libertie but also from Christ and from faith in him whilest the people seeke those things in ceremonies which they should seeke in the onelie Sonne of God Iesus Christ through faith Wherefore a few moderate simple rites that are not contrarie to the word of God do suffice the godly And that there is found diuersitie of rites in the Churches lât no man saie therefore that the Churches doe not agree Socrates saith That it were not possible to set downe in writing all the ceremonies of the Churches which are thoroughout Cities and Countries No Religion doeth keep euerie where the same ceremonies although they admitte and receiue one and the selfe same doctrine touching them for euen they which haue one and the selfe same faith doe disagree among them selues about ceremonies Thus much faith Socrates we at this daie hauing diuerse rites in the celebration of the Lordes Supper and in certeine other things in our Churches yet we doe not disagree in doctrine and faith neither is the vnitie and societie of our Churches rent a sunder For the Churches haue alwaies vsed their libertie in such rites as beeing things indifferent which we also doe at this daie But yet notwithstanding we admonish men to take heede that they count not among things indifferent such as indeed are not indifferent as some vse to count the Masse the vse of Images in the Church for things indifferent That is indifferent saith Ierome to Augustine which is neither good nor euill so that whether you doe it or doe it not you are neuer the more iust or vniust thereby Therefore when things indifferent are wrested to the confession of faith they cease to be free as Paull doth shew that it is lawfull for a man to eate flesh if no man doe admonish him that it was offered to Idolls for then it is vnlawfull because he that eateth it doeth seeme to approoue Idolatry by eating of it OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of things indifferent THose things which be called are properlie things indifferent although a godlie man may in al places at all times vse them freelie yet he must onely vse all things according to knowledge and in charitie to wit to the glorie of God and to the edifying of the Church and his neighboures OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASIL IN this Section also may the tenth Article of this confession be placed which we haue partlie referred to the first Section where mention is made of humane Traditions partlie to other Sections as occasion serued OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA Of accessories or things indifferent to wit of Ecclesiasticall traditions constitutions rites and ceremonies and of Christian libertie CHAP. 15. TOuching this accessorie kinde humane traditions constitutions and ceremonies brought in by a good custome men are taught that these be things inferior in degree and lesse necessarie then are the gifts of the ordinarie Ministerie yea that they be instituted and appointed in regard of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and to serue thereunto and yet that they are with an vniforme consent to be reteined in the Ecclesiasticall assemblies of Christian people at the common seruice of God according to the doctrine of the holy Apostles Let al things be done in your meeting to wit in the Church decently in order Also God is not the author of Confusion but of peace But they must alwaies be kept with this caueat within these boundes that they be not taken for foundations whereupon saluation must stey it selfe or for a worship which is appointed of God without any difference that they doe not rather or more straigthly binde the consciences of men then the commaundements of God doe and that they be not lifted vp or preferred before them but that they be taken for an ornament decency honest shew and laudable discipline and so that they doe not violate the Christian libertie of the Spirit of God and of faith nor disturb charitie and on the other side that no man by pretending a shew of Christian libertie doe withdraw himselfe from such constitutions as be godly serue to a good vse Now by the name of Christian libertie is chiefly vnderstood that libertie wherby through Christ we are freed from sinne and the curse and the yoke of the law secondlie the receiuing of the Spirit of a readie will or of the voluntarie Spirit of the Sonnes of God whereby they doe earnestlie and with pleasure and of their owne accord exercise the works of faith toward God and charitie towards their neighbour and by the law of charitie the minde is stirred vp to performe these things rather of loue then of debt or any compulsion Also whereby we are made free from all bond of conscience to any humane traditions that a man may not be tied in such sorte or rather more strictlie vnto these then to the commaundements of God And lastlie that no man may fuffer his conscience to be seared thereby as with an hot iron Therefore according to these things al those humane traditions and ceremonies which do obscure or take awaie the glorie honour worship and grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and doe withdraw the people from true and sincere faith and in a worde in respect whereof the commaundements of God are broken neglected and lightlie regarded the word of God is not exercised or handled according to it owne sinceritie and trueth they are not onelie not
to be obserued but to be auoided For Christ our Lord doth sharpely reprooue those Pharisies and Masters of the Iewes by the name of such rites and traditions and for that they doe obserue such when he saith Verie well hath Esay prophecied of you hypocrites as it is written This people honoureth me with their lippes but their heart is farre away from me But they worship me in vaine seeing that they teach such doctrine as is deliuered and brought in by men For ye laie the commaundements of God aparte and obserue the traditions of men And holy Paull doth admonish vs to take heede of such toies deuised by men when he saith Beware lâst there be any that spoile you through philosophie and vaine deceit through the traditions of men according to the rudimentes of the world and not after Christ Whereof also there be Canons extant in the Canon lawe and the wordes be these We praise custome yet that onely which is knowne to vse nothing contrarie to the Catholique faith Wherfore those rites onely and those good ceremonies are to be obserued which among the people of God doe builde vp one onelie and that a true faith and a sincere worshippe of God concord charitie and true and Christian or religious peace Therefore whether they haue their beginning and be brought in of Bishops or of Ecclesiasticall Councells or of anie other authors whatsoeuer the simpler sorte are not to care for it neither to be mooued or disquieted but to vse them to good because they are good and to obserue this onelie rule therein as alwaies to put their greatest confidence in those things onelie which are of God settle their onelie and chiefe refuge in those things and with all diligence take heede that they be not withdrawne by such ceremonies from those things which are the chiefest of all and whereon religion is founded and so by consequent from the thinges themselues For those diuine and holsome things are to be preferred in euery respect before all other things of all men and the conscience ought to be bounde to them alone For the Lorde himselfe did pronounce a Woe against those Elders of the Iewes who preferred their owne traditions before the commaundements of God and those which were the lesser before things of greater weight You leaue saith he the weightiest matters of the lawe as iudgement and mercie and fidelitie These ought ye to haue done and not to haue lefâe the other And although our Preachers doe not keepe all rites alike with other Churches the which thing neither can be neither is necessarie to be done that in all places where there be Christian assemblies one and the same ceremonies should be vsed yet they doe not withstande or oppose themselues to anie good and godlie constitution neither are they so minded as that for the ceremonies sake they would raise vp anie dissensions although they should thinke that some of them were not verie necessarie so that they be not founde to be contrarie to God and to his worship and glorie and be such as do not diminish true faith in Iesus Christ which alone doth purchase righteousnes Howbeit in this place and in this point it must not be passed ouer with silence to wit that we ought by no meanes to burden the people with many superfluous and grieuous traditions such as the Mosaical traditions were vnder the law For the Apostles forbad that this should be done as also holie Peter said vnto certeine concerning this matter Why do ye tempt God in laying a yoke vpon the neckes of the disciples Also Be ye not saith Paul intangled with the yoke of bondage For which cause also Christ did vehementlie inueigh against the Scribes saying Woe also be to you Scribes for ye laie burdens vpon mens shoulders which can scarse be borne Also men are taught to acknowledge this that humane traditions do not containe a perpetual and immutable law but as they are for iust causes instituted of men so also they maie vpon iust and weightie causes and if the matter so require be broken abrogated and changed without anie sinne according to the example of the Apostles who did transgresse the traditions of the Elders when as they did eate bread with vnwashed handes and did not obserue the same fastes with others add yet they were not by this meanes guiltie of any sinne also according to the example of the first and holie Church vpon which the Apostles and the wholl councel laied this commaundement by the holie ghost that they should absteine from the eating of those thinges which were sacrificed to Idolls and of blood and of that which is strangled Notwithstanding after that the causes and occasions for the which this decree was made in processe of time did vanish awaie euen this Apostolicall constitution did grow out of vse Neither in these things ought we to care for the offence of the wicked who are offended with this thing as the Lord saith Let them alone they be blinde and guides of the blinde And on the other side we must take diligent heede hereunto that no offence be giuen to litle ones by a rash froward and wicked vsing of Christian libertie for this also the Lord saith Woe be to that man by whome offence commeth Now if so be that there be anie vnlikenes in traditions and externall ceremonies and if anie diuersitie which is not hurtfull be found in Ecclesiasticall assemblies certeinlie no man ought to be so ignorant in these thinges as for this cause to be offended therewith or to take offence at others and in this respect to reproch or hurt others or to be an author of sectes and also of factions seeing that there was neuer in all places one and the same forme of an Ecclesiasticall constitution in this point neither is at this day the same The which thing also is mentioned in the bookes of the Canon law in these wordes The holie Church of Rome doth know that constitutions and customes beeing diuers according to time place do nothing at all hinderthe saluation of the faithfull if the Canonicall authoritie be not against them Rather it becommeth euerie sound Christian to be content in his conscience to rest in that if he see Christians to haue the one spirit of Christ and with agreeing mindes to holde and follow his true meaning and one and the same doctrine in al these things and chiefe pointes of faith For he that hath not this Spirit of Christ he is not Christes as the Apostle doth witnes although he vse all and euerie kinde of ceremonies or constitutions Therefore whosoeuer be Christes this is their duetie as in all other such like thinges that as members of one bodie they do suffer and beare one with an other in charitie without the which no thing can profit anie whit according to the meaning of the Apostolike doctrine OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION WE
beleeue that it is expedient that they which be chosen to be gouernours in anie Church do wiselie looke vnto it among them selues by what meanes the wholl bodie maie conuenientlie be ruled yet so that they do neuer swarue from that which our Lord Iesus Christ hath instituted Yet this doth not hinder but that euerie place maie haue their peculiar constitutions as it shall seeme conuenient for them But we exclude all humane deuises and all those lawes which are brought in to binde mens consciences vnder pretence of the word of God and we do onelie like of those which serue for the nourishing of concord and to keepe euerie one in due obedience wherein we think that we are to follow that which our Lord Iesus Christ appointed touching excommunication which we do allow of and together with it additions thinke to be necessarie OVT OF THE ENGLISH CONFESSION AS touching the multitude of vaine and superfluous Ceremonies we know that Saint Augustine did greeuouslie complaine of them in his owne time and therefore haue we cut of a great number of them because we know that mens consciences were encombred about them and the Churches of God ouerladen with them Neuerthelesse we keepe still and esteeme not onely those Ceremonies which we are sure were deliuered to vs from the Apostles but some others too besides which we thought might be suffered without hurt to the Church of God for that we had a desire that all thinges in the holy congregation might as Saint Paull commaundeth be done with comelines and in good order But as for all those thinges which we saw were either verie susuperstitious or vtterlie vnprofitable or noisome or mockeries or contrarie to the holie scriptures or else vnseemelie for sober discreet people wherof there be infinite numbers now a daies where the Roman Religion is vsed these I saie we haue vtterlie refused without all manner exception because we would not haue the right worshiping of God to be anie longer defiled with such follies OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BEGIA IN the meane time we beleeue that it is in deede profitable that the Elders which doe gouerne in Churches should appoint some order among them-selues so that they do diligently take heed that in no case they do swarue or decline from those things which Christ himselfe our onelie master hath once appointed Therefore we do reiect all humane inuentions and all those lawes which were brought in to be a worship of God that mens consciences should anie waie thereby be snared or bound and we receiue those onelie which are fit either to cherish or manteine concord or to keepe vs in the obedience of God And hereunto excommunication is chiefelie necessarie being vsed according to the commaundement of the word of god and other additions of Ecclesiasticall discipline annexed thereunto OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGE Art 15. COncerning Ecclesiasticall rites which are ordeined by mans authoritie they teach that such rits are to be obserued as maie be kept without sinne do tend to quietnes and good order in the Church as namelie set holidaies and certein godlie psalmes and other such like rits But yet touching this sort of rites they teach that mens consciences are not to be burdened with superstitious opinions of them that is it must not be thought that these humane ordinances are righteousnes before God or do deserue remission of sinnes or are dueties necessarie vnto the righteousnes reuealed in the gospel But this is to be thought of them that they are indifferent thinges which without the case of offence may be omitted But such as breake them with offence are faultie as those which doe rashlie disturbe the peace of the Churches Such traditions therefore as cannot be obserued without sinne are reiected of vs as the tradition of single life We reiect also that impious opinion of traditions and vowes wherein they feign that worships inuented by mans authority do merit remission of sinnes are satisfactions for sinne c. Of which like false opinions touching vowes and fastings not a few haue beene spread abroade in the Church by vnlearned men This Article is thus to be found in another edition COncerning Ecclesiasticall rites they teach that those rites are to be obserued which maie be kept without anie sinne and are auaileable for quietnes and good order in the Church such as are set holiedaies feastes and such like Againe out of the 7. Article touching abuses of the same confession These wordes that follow perteine to this place and the rest vno the eleuenth section Of the authoritie of the ministers BEsides these things there is a controuersie whether Bishops or Pastors haue power to ordeine ceremonies in the Church to make lawes of meates and holie daies and degrees or orders of ministers They that ascribe this power to the Bishops alledge this testimonie for it I haue yet manie thinges to saie vnto you but you cannot beare them away now But when that spirit of trueth shall come he shall teach you all trueth They aledge also the examples of the Apostles which commaunded the Christians to absteine from blood and that which was strangled They alledge the change of the Sabboth into the Lords daie contrarie as it seemeth to the morall law they haue no examples so oft in their mouthes as they change of the Sabboth They will needes haue the Churches power authoritie to be very great because it hath dispensed with a precept of the moral law But of this questioÌ our men do thus teach that the Bishops haue no power to ordeine anie thing contrarie to the Gospel as was shewed before The same also do the Canons teach distinct 9. Moreouer it is against the scriprure to ordeine or require the obseruation of anie traditions to the ende that we might merit remission of sinnes and satisfie for sinnes by them For the glorie of Christes merit receiueth a blow when as we seeke by such obseruations to merit remission of sinnes and iustification And it is verie apparant that through this persuasion traditions grew into an infinite number in the Church In the meane while the doctrine of faith and of the righteousnes of faith was quite smoothered for euer and anone there were new holiedaies made new fastes appointed new ceremonies new worshippes for Saints ordeined because that the authors of such geare supposed by these works to merit remission of sinnes and iustification After the same manner heretofore did the penitential Canons increase wherof we still see some footings in satisfactions Againe manie writers imagine that in the new testament there should be a worship like to the Leuitical worship the appointing whereof god committed to the Apostles and Bishops wherein they seeme to be deceiued by the example of the law of Moses as if the righteousnes of the new testament were the outward obseruing of certeine rites as the iustice of the law was Like as therefore in the lawe
sinnes yet it pleased god and was a seruice acceptable vnto God With this colour certaine of late haue learned to paint traditions which yet striue not about these indifferent matters but go about to establish other foul errours and the opinion of the power of Bishops But it is necessarie for the godlie here to beware of deceitfull doctrine There is a great errour euen in this colourable reason neither is that example well alledged out of Moses The workes ordeined and commaunded by God doe farre differ from workes not commaunded nor ordeined by God but onely deuised by mans inuention The works ordeined in the law of god were seruices of god although they deserued forgiuenes of sins But wilworships deuised by men neither haue bin nor are any seruice of god God doth not alow this boldnes of men which notwithstanding hath alwaies been vsuall to deuise new worship that is such as is immediatlie intended to honour God withall Therefore the worde of God crieth out Math. 15. In vaine do they worship me after the ordinances of men And euerie where in the Apostles and in Paull this boldnes is reprooued But the true seruice of God are those workes that he hath commaunded which are done in the acknowledgement and confidence of the Mediatour to the end that God maie be obeyed and that we maie professe him to be the true God whome we so worship So also Ezec. 20. he calleth vs back to the commaundement of God saying Walke not after the ordinances of your fathers but walke in my commaundements And often are such warnings repeated And Psal 118. Thy word is a lanterne vnto my feete And Num. 15. Let them not follow their owne imaginations The third errour is this Hypocrites do imagine that such workes are a kinde of perfection as Monkes doe preferre their vowes ful of vanitie before the ciuill and householders life whereas God by his wonderfull prouidence hath so ioyned mankinde together in fellowshippe and in these trauels and daungers would haue our faith praier and confession or liberallity one toward an other or patience and other vertues to be tried The fourth errour is the opinion of necessitie as some doe write That the fasting of Lent is necessarie and other things are arbitrarie Neither is it onelie a tormentâof conscience to iudge that he is no Christian nor member of the Church of God that eateth flesh on the Satursdaie or obserueth not the faste of Lent but it is also an errour that darkneth great matters as the doctrine of the righteousnes of the Gospell and of the Church what manner of Church it is and how the members of the Church are to be discerned not by meate and drinke but by faith praier and other vertues And against the opinion of necessitie it is expressely said Col. 2. Let no man iudge you in meat or drinke And Galat. 5. Stand in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made you free and be not againe intangled with the yoke of bondage And that opinion of necessitie hath alwaies breade great discord as in time past there was great contention about Easter daie about leuen and now also many such like contentions haue risen The fift errour To the former opinions this errour also is added that the Bishops take to themselues authoritie to ordaine new kindes of worshipe to binde consciences as Gregory hath ordeined That maried men translated to the order of priesthoode should forsake the companie of their wiues and the constitution of confession commaundeth to reckon vp sins and decrees haue beene made of differences of meates and fasting and such like Of such traditions there are also late books setforth full of labyrinths wherin it is written that the transgressions of such ceremonies are mortall sinnes yea though they be committed without giuing offence to others Gerson sought for some mitigations but the true comfort is the voice of the Gospel which would haue the vnderstanding of this liberty to be made known and mainteined in the Church namely by remoouing those errours whereof hath beene spoken But ceremonies inuented by man such as are seemelie deuised for order may be obserued without any opinion of merit worship or necessitie as hath beene aforesaid out of the Col. 2. Let no man iudge you in meat or drinke And Peter saith Act. 15. Why doe ye tempt God laying vpon the neckes of the disciples a yoke which neither your fathers nor we were able to beare The third rule Those errours beeing remooued whereof the Church must needes be admonished afterward we both obserue certeine ceremonies which are comelie and made for good order and also teach that they ought to be obserued euen as men can not liue without order And Paull saieth 1. Cor. 14. Let all things be done decentlie and in order And there is a saying of Athanasius Ceremonies are profitable but with knowledge of the trueth and in measure It is plaine that this last word is opprossed to superstition which then also dailie increased ceremonies and darkened the trueth and burdened consciences and the Churches But we thanke God the euerlasting Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who for his Sonne and by him gathereth an eternall Church for that euen from the first beginning of mankinde he hath preserued the publique ministerie of the Gospell and honest assemblies who himselfe also hath set a part certeine times for the same and we pray him that henceforth he will saue and gouerne his Church And we diligentlie teach that al men ought to help to mainteine the publike ministerie auoid offences dissentions that scatter the Church as in it proper place more at large is declared OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of Ecclesiasticall ceremonies WE acknowledge that by Christ the Sonne of God two ceremonies were ordained in the Church Baptisme and the Lords Supper which are also to be obserued according to the institution of Christ We confesse also that the Apostles did appoint certaine ordinances in the Church That all things be done decentlie and in order as Paull speaketh such as they be that are set downe 1. Cor. 14. and 1. Timoth. 2. The Apostles also in ordaining Ministers of the Church vsed laying on of hands which beeing reteined out of the custome of the olde law and not beeing commaunded to the Church may be freely obserued They ordeined also in the Acts of the Apostles That the gentils should beware of eating of that which was strangled and of bloode not that this obseruation should be for euer among the Gentiles but for a time and so long to continue till this eating were no more offensiue We confesse this also that it is lawfull for the Bishops with the consent of their Church to appoint holie daies lessons and Sermons for edifying and for instruction in the true faith in Christ But it is not lawfull for them to thrust vpon the Church the ceremonies of the olde law for the holie seruice wherewithall God alone is worshipped Neither
married men but as the Lord saith that it maie be receiued for the kingdome of heauen that is in such sort as he which for the gift spoken of before is fit to lead a single life As therefore by these things he may with lesse hindrance and more easily and readilie with great leasure and more commodiouslie imploy his labour to the saluation of the Church and holy assemblies euen so he may be a more conuenient minister then others of the same saluation which Christ hath purchased for him and whereof that he may be partaker by faith it is giuen him freelie of grace and wherein he doth keepe and vpholde him selfe seeing that it is certeine that by the state of marriage many lets manie cares and manie thinges whereby necessary quietnes is disturbed are cast in our way And this is it which Paul saith I would that you should be without such cares He that is vnmarried is careful for those things which pertein to the Lord how he may please the Lord. Also I think that this is good for the present necessitie Also to that which is seemlie to performe diligence by seruing the Lord without distraction And before we rehearsed the voice of the Lord who saith that there be some who for the kingdome of heauen do abstaine from marriage And holy Paull saith He that giueth not his virgine to be married doth the better For which cause it is taught that all they who of their owne accord do take and chuse vnto themselues this kinde of life ought carefully to haue regard hereunto that in such a life they may with a singular earnest endeauour exercise godlines and be holie as Paull commaundeth as well in body as in spirit and giue more light then others by the honestie of their actions by the laboures of such trades as beseeme a Christian profession by doing all that they can for the benefit of the Church and by yeelding their seruice to the sicke and to other needy members This gift and purpose of such which do thus in this matter consecrate themselues to God and such an exercise of their godlines is commended of our men and they do faithfully persuade men hereunto but they do persuade as we said and not compell the which thing Paull also doth who writeth thus Concerning Virgines I haue no commaundement of the âârd but I deliuer my iudgement which haue receiued this mercie of the Lord that I maie be faithfull I thinke it good for a man to be such a one and he concludeth after this sort He is more happie in my iudgement if he remaine such a one that is vnmarried then if he marrie and I thinke that I haue the spirit of God In like sorte in comparison of others there be bountifull and peculiar promises and singular rewardes offered vnto those that keepe themselues single to wit that their worthie workes shall be recompensed with a great reward and that no man shall in vaine for sake anie 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 haue receiued this gift of God and being throughly prooued and tried in this behalfe do of their own accord serue the Lord and the Church they are taught I saie together with other giftes to make great account of this gift and to keepe it diligentlie lest that by anie euill lustes or by anie allurements of occasions they do loose it Yet notwithstanding if anie good faithful and diligent man chaunce to be assaulted with such a tentation as to feare in himselfe the heat and wicked fact of luste then there is no snare laid for such a one neither is there anie daunger of entrapping his conscience but he that is in this case let him be put ouer to take counsell of the Elders and gouernours of the Church who haue the spirit of God that all may be done in the Church in order decentlie with honestie of the example and with the vsing of all due consideration Then verilie if vpon these thinges thus done he doth lawfullie chaunge his kinde of life he doth not sinne seeing that he obeyeth the counsell of the holie Ghost and the holie Church ought not for this cause to contemne him nor to make anie thing the lesse account of his ministerie Notwithstanding if for this cause he should be contemned which the Church can not do without sinne it were certeinly better for him by this meanes to preserue 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 Primitiue Church that worthie and honest maried men may be chosen to take the charge of soules in the Church theÌ to giue them leaue to change their kinde of life who before being vnmaried did labour diligently in the ministery of the Lord yet notwithstanding our men do not ground the worthines holines and vertue of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie no more then they doe of Christian saluation vpon either of these kindes to wit neither vpon 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 onelie profit and opportunitie which falleth into a single life and is commended of the holie Ghost After these thinges they doe thus consequentlie teach touching wedlocke that such a condition of life though it haue many difficulties punishments and curses ioyned with it wherewith after the fall of man both mankinde and this order is opressed yet that it is in this wise holie and acceptable vnto God because that God himselfe did in the beginning ordaine it and afterward Christ our Lord did confeciate it and doth daily consecrate it in those that are his and that in such sort that their children also be holie and that moreouer God hath offered vnto it peculiarlie singular promises and blessings which are conteined in the Scriptures Thence therefore must al true Christians know that whosoeuer doe chuse this kinde of life so as it becommeth them and with an vpright purpose doe both giue them selues thereunto and be conuersant therein they doe not onelie not sinne but they doe and accomplish that which God would haue them to doe and that they lead such a kinde of life as God doth peculiarlie call some vnto and that they doe serue the selfe same Lord whome the vnmaried men doe serue THE FRENCH CONFESSION doth condemne Monasticall vowes and the forbidding of Mariage Artic. 24. which we haue inserted in the 16. Sect. OVT OF THE ENGLISH CONFESSION VVE saie that Matrimonie is holie and honorable in all sortes 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
Prophetes and Apostles and whereunto the vniuersall Church of Christ doth agree and consent and whereto the best learned writers of the Church do giue testimonie in manie places And we offer our selues to make a more large and ample explication of these thinges when neede shall require Now we beseech God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ that he will vouchsafe to rule preserue purge and increase his Church which he hath purchased and redeemed by the bloode of his sonne Amen The faithfull subiects to the Emperours Maiestie Iohn Duke of Saxonie Elector George Marques of Brandembrough Ernest Duke of Luneborough Philip the Lantgraue of the Hesses Iohn Frederick Duke of Saxonie Frances Duke of Luneborough VVolfgang Prince of Anhalt The Senate and Magistrats of Nurnborough The Senate of Reutling OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SAXONIE Artic. 23. Of the ciuill Magistrate BY the benefit of God this part also of doctrine of the authoritie of the Magistrate that beareth the sword and of the authoritie of Lawes and Iudgements and of the wholl ciuill state is godâily set forth and by great trauell and many writings the manifold and great furies of the Anabaptists and other fantasticall men are refuted We teach therefore that in the wholl doctrine of God deliuered by the Apostles and Prophets the degrees of the ciuill state are auouched and that Magistrates Lawes order in iudgements the lawfull societie of mankinde are not by chance sprong vp among men And although there be many horrible confusions which grow from the Deuill and the madnes of men yet the lawfull gouernment and societie of men is ordained of God and whatsoeuer order is yet left by the exceeding goodnes of God it is preserued for the Church sake as it is said Rom. 13. and Psal 126. Except the Lords keâpe the Citie in vaine he watcheth that keepeth it c. Therefore in themselues they are thinges good to beare the authoritie of a Magistrate to be a Iudge to be a minister to execute iudgements to make lawfull warres and to be a soldiour in lawfull warres c. And a Christian man may vse these thinges as he vseth meate drinke medecines buying and selling Neither doth he sinne that is a Magistrate and dischargeth his vocation that exerciseth iudgement that goeth to warre that punisheth lawfullie those that are condemned c. And subiects owe vnto the ciuill Magistrate obedience as Paull saith Rom. 13. Not onelie because of wrath that is for feare of corporall punishment wherewith the rebellious are rewarded by the Magistrate but also for conscience sake that is rebellion is a sinne that offendeth God and withdraweth the conscience from God This heauenly doctrine we propound vnto the Churches which establisheth lawfull authoritie and the wholl ciuill state and we shew the difference of the Gospell and the ciuâlâ gouernment God would haue all men to be ruled and kept in order by ciuill gouernment euen those that ate not regenerate and in this gouernment the wisdome iustice and goodnes of God toward mankinde is moste clearelie to be seene His wisdome is declared by order which is in the discerning of vertues and vices and in the societie of mankinde vnder lawfull gouernment and in contracts guided and disposed by maruelous wisdome Then the iustice of God appeareth in ciuill gouernment in that he will haue open sinnes to be punished by the Magistrates and when they that are in authoritie doe not take punishment on offenders God himselfe miraculouslie draweth them vnto punishment and proportionablie doth lay vpon grieuous sinnes grieuous punishment in this life as it is said Mat. 26. Whosoeuer taketh the sword shall perish with the sword Heb. 3. Whoremongers and adulterers God will iudge In these punishments God will haue to be seene the differences of vertues and vices and will haue vs learne that God is wise iust true and chaste The goodnes of God also toward mankinde is seene in that he preserueth the societie of men after this order And for that cause doth he maintaine it that from thence his Church may be gathered he wil haue common wealthes to be places for the enterteinment of his Church And the ciuill gouernment is one thing which keepeth in order all men euen those that are not regenerate and forgiuenes of sinnes and righteousnes in the heart which is the beginning of life and of eternall saluation which by the voice of the gospell is effected in the hearts of them that beleeue is another thing Both these benefits god hath bestowed vpon mankinde and will haue vs to vnderstand the difference of ciuill iustice and light in our hearts Neither doth the gospel condemne or ouerthrow common welthes or families And although it belong not to those that teach in the Church to giue particular lawes of politique gouernment yet the worde of God doeth generallie teach this of the power of the Magistrate First God would that the Magistrate without all doubt should sound forth the voice of the morall law among men touching discipline according to the 10. commaundements or the law naturall that is he woulde haue by the voice of the Magistrate first soueraigne and immutable lawes to be propounded forbidding the worship of Idols blasphemies periuries vniust murders wandring lustes breach of wedlock theft and fraude in bargaines contracts and iudgements The second dutie Let the Magistrate be an obseruer of these diuine and immutable lawes which are witnesses of God and chief rules of manners by punishing all those that transgresse the same For the voice of the law without punishment and execution is litle auaileable to bridle and restraine men Therefore it is said by S. Paull Rom. 13. The Magistrate is a terrour to him that doth euill and giueth honour to them that doe well And well hath it beene said of olde The Magistrate is a keeper of the Law that is of the first and second Table as concerning discipline and good order The third dutie of the ciuill Magistrate is to adde vnto the law naturall some other lawes defining the citcumstances of the natural law and to keepe and maintaine the same by punishing the transgressours but at no hand to suffer or defend lawes contrarie to the law of God or nature as it is written Esai 10. Woe be to them that make wicked lawes For kingdoms are the ordinance of God wherein the wisdome and iustice of God that is iust lawes ought to rule euen as the wise King and one that feared God Iosaphat said 2. Chron. 19. Ye exercise not the iudgement of men but of God who is with you in iudgement Let the feare of God be with you and doe all things diligentlie For although manie in kingdoms doe despise the glorie of God yet notwithstanding this ought to be their especiall care to heare and imbrace the true doctrine of the Sonne of God and to cherish the Churches as the 2. Psalme speaketh And now yee Kings vnderstand and be learned ye that iudge the
earth And Psal 23. Yâe Princes open your gates that is open your kindomes to the gospell and giue entertainment to the Sonne of God and Esa 49. And Kings and Queenes shallhe thy nurces that is let common-welthes be nurces of the Church let them giue entertainment to the Church and to godlie studies Let Kinges and Princes themselues be members of the Church and rightlie vnderstand the doctrine thereof and giue no help vnto those that establish false doctrine and exercise vniust crueltie and remember this saying I will honour them that honuor me And Daniell in the 4. Chap. exhorteth the King of Babylon to acknowledge the wrath of God and to shew mercie to the bannished Church when he saieth Redeeme thy sinnes with righteousnes and with mercie toward the poore and there shall be a healing of thy transgression And since they are among the principall members of the Church let them prouide that iudgement be rightlie exercised in the Curch as Constantine Theodosius Arcadius Martian Charles the great manie godlie Kinges haue prouided that iudgement in the Church should be sincerely executed But of the difference of both states namely of the ministerie of the gospell and the ciuill magistracie there are many writinges in our Church which declare that we teach no fantasticall nor seditious opinions but doe shew the necessarie doctrine deliuered in the gospell touching both degrees profitable to godlines and common peace Thankes be to God THis is the summe of that doctrine which by the blessing of God with one consent we teach in our Churches which to be the sincere meaning of the doctrine deliuered from God in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and in the Creedes we nothing doubt and it may be vnderstood out of the auncient purer writers to be agreeable to the ancient and puâer Churches Now the matter it selfe declareth that we haue not sought to dispute about newfangled curious and subtle questions neither doe striue about authoritie or riches but onelie to vnfolde and bring to light from the great darkenes of traditions and opinions that doctrine which is necessarie to the true inuocation of God to true worship to the right knowledge of the Sonne of God and to the saluation of soules and doe in moste simple and plaine manner propound the same vnto the Churches For all wise men must needes confesse that there was much obscuritie and many errours in the doctrine of the Monkes and many snares of conscience in the Popes traditions and whether doctrine is true plaine euident profitable for consciences and for manners comparison doth declare For we auoide not the iudgements of the Godly yea rather we desire thatthe wholl true Church of God that is al the faithfull learned wheresoeuer they are may vnderstand what we say who we doubt not will be witnesses that this doctrine is the consent of the true Catholique Church of God Also we offer our selues at any time to a more full declaration in in euerie point and we thinke that this rehearsall of our doctrine now made is agreeable to the confession exhibited at Auspurge Anno. 1530. For as much therefore as the doctrine which we here recite is true and necessarie for the Church we intreat that our Churches may not be condemned as if they either imbraced errours or foolishlie or seditiouslie stirred vp strife without any weightie cause The truth and weight of the matters may deliuer vs from this vniust accusation Next after a godly manner we admonish the Councell itselfe They see that olde abuses and many great errours are as yet sticking in the Church because in al ages euen from the beginning of mankinde the deuil coÌtinueth scattering his seed of errour and since that time through the ignorance of men by superstition they are either confirmed or do shoote forth againe And now for that the vanitie of many superstitions is known the times require a reformation vnles the gouernours prouide that the trueth may be brought to light great diuision in opinions is like to follow especially because in this last age of the worlde great confusion is to be feared Therfore let the councel see to it that they condemne not a manifest truth And if in a godly sort they wil deliberate how they may prouide for the churches if a more ample declaration shal be demaunded of vs men learned of vnderstanding louing the truth fearing god must be chosen to consult together of these so weighty matters Neither let them only striue with vs in number of vices seeing it is manifest by many preiudices of what opinion the Bishop of Rome and others are that are adicted vnto him who now by the space of many yeares haue not onelie set forth against vs edicts written with bloode but also haue slaine many of our side and there be many that neither vnderstand nor looke after any truth of doctrine but being alreadie corrupted with prophane perswasions doe thinke this to be an especiall parte of politique men to defend the present state and to mainteine their owne authoritie And for this purpose they seeke fit Ministers by sophisticall iugling to âest out the truth Wherefore now we testifie that we will not reiect the truth although it be condemned by the iudgements of such men And we openlie professe that we consent not to the Councell of Trent which heretofore hath sent abroade decrees partlie false partly captious and sophisticall but doe earnestly request that both we may be heard in the same matter and that the errours before confirmed by the decrees of the Tridentine Councell may be reformed And we reuerently beseâch the most worthy Emperour Carolus Auguââus that he giue not leaue to the Aduersaries to oppresse the truth by their presumption and to strengthen their crueltie which they exercise against innocents and to stare vp greater dissention by their vniust decrees And now we commend the Church and our selues to the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ who we know by the voice of the Gospell gathereth together to himselfe an euerlasting Church and we praie him that he would gouerne vs and not suffer the light of his Gospell to be extinguished nor the assemblies of them that rightlie call vpon him to be dispersed AN ADDITION AND we request all that teach in the Churches neâre adioyning or els where that receiue the Confession exhibited at Auspurge 1530. that when they reade these things if in any point they finde any want they would louinglie admonish vs thereof for that it was not our purpose to bring vp any other kinde of doctrine but plainlie to recite the summe of the Confession of Auspurge and the common consent of these Churches and we desire that we may be fauourablie and not quarrelouslie iudged of We purpose not to stirre vp new contentions but especially we pray to the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ that was crucified for vs and rose againe that praied in his agonie that we might be one
in God that he would make vs also in the most Churches one in himselfe We whose names are subcribed hereunto who doe now teach in the Churches Vniuersities vnder mentioned do protest that in this writing which we desire to haue rightlie and not quarrelouslie vnderstood we haue recited the common doctrine published in the Churches and Vniuersities wherein we teach the Gospell and we are perswaded that this is the true sincere and incorrupt doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ agreeing with the Apostles and Prophets and with the Creedes and that it is necessarie for the Churches and we praie our Lord Iesus Christ who was crucified for vs and rose againe that he would mercifully gouerne and defend these Churches Also we offer our selues to further declaration in euerie Article This was written Anno 1551. Iulie 10. in the towne of Wirtemberge where the Pastours of the Churches neere adioyning were met together c. OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE The Conclusion which is placed in the latter end of the 35. Chap. WE haue rehearsed those things which seeme good both to be approued and also to be refuted or amended in the Ecclesiasticall doctrine and in the wholl administration of the Church And if anie thing be spoken either more brieflie or more obscurelie then so great a matter would require our Preachers do promise that they will expouud them more largelie and more cleerlie That which remaineth we beseech all the godly through Iesus Christ the sonne of God our onelie Sauiour that which thing we hope they wil do of their owne accord euerie one according to his office and calling would take vnto himselfe a true and earnest endeauour to reforme the Church It can not be denied but that hitherto for these manie yeares not onelie the discipline of the Church hath decaied and the manners thereof haue beene corrupted with great and horrible vices and they haue verie much degenerated from the honestie of our Elders but that also the doctrine of the Church hath beene depraued in suffering and bearing with corruptions which if hereafter they be either dissembled or confirmed euerie man that is but meanlie wise maie consider how great euills are like to follow in the Church of God Those execrations and cursings are well knowne whereunto the law of god doth addict the transgressours of his word And Iosias the King of Iuda was endued with an heroicall minde when he repaired the Church and although the wrath of god was by his godlie repentance and obedience mitigated after that the Booke of the law was found out and well knowne that those punishments which the Church of god at that time had deserued through the neglect of his word and their impietie might be differred till another time yet notwithstanding such was the seueritie of god against the contemners of his word and the impenitent that the King although he were verie godlie could not altogether take it awaie from them and appease it Now we thinke that in these times the wrath of god is no lesse yea much more grieuously kindled and set on fire against the assemblie of his Church by reason of so manie hainous wicked deeds and offences which euen in that people which glorieth in the name of god are more euident then that they can be denied and more cleere then that they maie be excused then in times past when as yet the Sonne of god was not made knowne to the world by his gospell And the iudgement of god shall be so much the more seuere by how much his benefits are the greater which he seemeth to haue bestowed both in the former and also at these present times vpon vnthankful men But both many other things haue need of amendment in the Church and ministerie thereof and especiallie the doctrine of repentance Iustification and the vse of the Sacraments and single life of the Ministers of the Church do require a godlie amendment If these things by the mercie of God and by the diligence and care of all good men shall be restored according to the writings of the Prophets and the Apostles and according to the true Catholique consent of the auncient and purer Church we shall not onelie giue vnto god the father of our Lord Iesus Christ a most acceptable worship but also the wholl Christian world shal be stirred vp to declare their thankfulnes and obedience in all duetifull manner that they maie We truelie do not know of anie errour in our Preachers either in doctrine or in the other administration of the Church yet we do not doubt but that they are indued with so great modestie and godlines that if they be admonished by the testimony of the heauenly doctrine by the true consent of the Catholique Church they wil in no case be wanting to the edifying of the church And as much as lieth in vs and in our gouernment we will do our indeuour that the mercy of godhelping vs none of those dueties may be pretermitted of vs whereby we hope that the true quietnes of the Church and saluation in Iesus Christ the sonne of god may be preserued OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SVEVELAND Of Seculare Magistrates CHAP. 23. IN the former points we haue declared that our Preachers doe place that obedience which is giuen vnto Magistrates among good workes of the first degree and that they teach that euerie man ought so much the more diligently to applie himselfe to the publique lawes by how much he is a more sincere Christian richer in faith In the next place they teach that to execute the office of a Magistrate it is the most sacred function which can happen vnto man from God whereupon also it is come to passe that they which are endued with publique authoritie are in the Scriptures called Gods For when as they doe iustlie and orderlie behaue themselues in their function it goeth well with the people both in doctrine and in life because that God doth vse âo to moderate our affaires that for the greater parte the safetie and destruction of the subiects doth depende vpon them which are the gouernours Wherefore none doe more worthelie execute Magistracie then they which of all others are the most Christian and Bishops and other Ecclesiastical men were promoted by most godly Emperours kings to an external gouernment in ciuil affaires Wherein though they were religious and wise yet in this one point they offended because they were not able to discharge both those functions sufficiently and it was necessarie that either they should be wanting to the Churches in ruling them by the word or to the common wealth in gouerning it by authoritie THE CONCLVSION THese be the chiefe pointes moste mightie and religiuos Emperour wherein our Preachers haue somewhat swarued from the common doctrine of preachers being forced thereunto by the onelie authoritie of the Scriptures which is worthelie to be preferred before all other traditions These things being so declared as the shortnes of
and after their examples by which they founded their Churches and according to that also that they brought old laws or decreees in to subiection the which thing ourministers among them-selues do in deed declare and practize This laudable order of gouerning the Church together with lawfull discipline that is with the seueritie of punishments appointed by God ãâ¦ã vnto it ought diligentlie to be ãâ¦ã so that the wicked and such as abide in ãâ¦ã without repentance hauing their heartes ãâ¦ã as giue not obedience to God and to his word and in the Church are authors of great offences and do not repent or become better after due faithful and ãâ¦ã that such I saie may be publiquelie punished and âe remooued from the holie fellowship by Ecclesiasticall punishment whicââ commonly is called abandoning excommunicatioÌ or our sing yet not by the helpe of the ciuil power but by vertue of the word the commaundement of Christ And that this punishment maie indifferentlie be vsed towards all no regard or respect is to be had of persons of what degree soeuer they be whether they be ciuill or Ecclesiasticall persons according to that sentence of the doctrine of Christ who saith If thy brother trespasse against thee goe reprooue him betweene him and thee alone if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother if he heare thee not take yet with thee one or two If he heare not these tell it vnto the Church and if he heare not the Church let him be vnto thee as an heathen man and a Publicane And Saint Paull together with his fellow ministers did in expresse wordes giue a commaundement hereof writing thus We commaund you brethren in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye withdraw your selues from euerie brother that walketh vnordinatelie and not after the instruction which he receiued of vs. And in an other place he saieth Put from among your selues that wicked man And yet this is not to be concealed that at all times there haue beene manie in the Church which seemed to be Christians and yet were wicked hypocrites close sinners farre from repentance that there be and shal be such hereafter euen vnto the end of the world such as are neither chastned by this discipline of Christ neither can easilie be excommunicated or altogether separated from the Church but are to be reserued committed to Christ alone the chiefe Shepheard to his coÌming as the Lord himselfe saith of these men that the Angells in the last daie shal first separate such from the righteous and cast them into the sierie fârnace where shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Here with all it is also taught that that mischieuous and wicked Antichrist shall sit in the temple of God to wit in the Church of whome the Prophets Christ our Lord and his Apostles haue foretolde vs and warned vs to take heede of him that the simple sort among the faithfull might auoid him and not suffer themselues to be seduced by him Now in Antichrist we are to acknowledge a double ouerthwartnes to witte dishonestie and deceiuing the first is an ouerthwartnes of the minde or meaning or a bringing in of false doctrine cleane contrarie to the meaning of Christ our Lord and of the holie Scripture whereof the Apostle speaketh after this sorte The time will come when they will not suffer anie longer the holie doctrine but hauing their cares ââââing shall after their owne lustes get them an heape of teachers and shall turne their eares from the trueth and shall be giuen vnto fables The other euill or offence that we are to consider in Antichrist is a corrupt and naughtie life giuing vnto others a verie ill example and is full of horrible sinnes hurtfull filthines and all kinde of vices which in the Antichristian Church are openlie practized and that freelie without any kinde of punishment whereof the Apostle saith This know also that in the last daies shall come perilous times For men shall be louers of their owne selues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents vnthankefull prophane without naturall affection such as cannot be pleased false accusers intemperate fierce not louers or desirous of that which is good traiterous headie high minded louers of pleasure more then of God hauing a slâew of godlines but haue denied the power thereof turne awaie therefore from such Of which time also Christ forespake in these words And then many shall be offended at these examples and shal betraie one another and haâe one another And many false Prophets shall arise and deceiue many And because iniquitie shal increase many waies the loue of many shal be colde But he that ãâã to the end he shal be saued These wordes are to be vnderstood of them which do continue in the doctrine of Christ enduring all aduersities wherewith they are assaied And in an other place Christ crieth out Woe to the world because of offences And Blessed is he that shall not be offended in me OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION THerefore we beleeue that it is not lawfull for anie man to withdraw himselfe from the congregations to rest in himselfe but rather that al men are to defende and to preserue the vnitie of the Church submitting themselues to the common instruction and to the yoke of Christ wheresoeuer God doth appoint that true Ecclesiastical discipline although the decrees of Magistrates doe gainesaie it from wich order whosoeuer doe separate themselues they doe resist the ordinance of God We beleeue that verie carefullie and wiselie the true Church the name wherof too manie do abuse is to be discerned Therefore we affirme out of the worde of God that the Church is a companie of the faithfull which agree together in following the word of God and in imbracing pure religion wherein also they do dailie profit growing and confirming themselues mutuallie in the feare of God as they which haue neede dailie to goe forward and to profit and who although they profit neuer so much must notwithstanding of necessitie daielie flie to the remission of sinnes Yet we doe not denie but that manie Hypocrites and reprobates are mingled with the faithfull but their guilefull dealing is not able to take awaie the name of the Church Therfore seing we beleeue this to be so we withal boldlie affirme that where the word of God is not receiued and where there is no profession of that obedience which is due thereunto nor anie vse of Sacramentes there if we will speake properlie we cannot iudge anie Church to be Therefore we condemne the Papisticall assemblies because that the pure trueth of God is banished from them and among them the sacraments of Faith are corrupted counterfeited and falsified or altogether abolished and to conclude among whome all superstitions and Idolatries are in full force And therefore we thinke that all they who ioyne them selues to such actions and communicate therwith doe separate
secet is hidde THE FIFTEENTH SECTION OF ECCLESIASTICAL MEETINGES THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of holie and Ecclesiasticall meetings CHAP. 22. ALthough it be lawfull for all men priuatelie at home to reade the holie Scriptures and by instruction to edifie one another in the true religion yet that the word of God maie be lawfullie preached to the people and prayers and supplications publiquelie made that the sacraments maie be lawfully ministred that collectioÌ may be made for the pore and to defray al necessary charges of the Church or to supply the wantes it is very needful there should be holy meetings Ecclesiastical assemblies For it is manifest that in the Apostolike primitiue Church there were such assemblies frequented of godly men So many then as do despise them and separate themselues from them they are contemners of true religion are to be compelled by the Pastours godly Magistrates to surcease stubbornelie to seperate and absent themselues from sacred assemblies Now Ecclesiasticall assemblies must not be hidden and secret but publique and common except persecution by the enimies of Christ the Church will not suffer them to be publique For we know what manner assemblies the primitiue Church had heretofore in secret corners being vnder the tyrannie of Romane Emperours Let those places where the faithfull meet together be decent and in al respects fit for gods Church Therfore let houses be chosen for that purpose or Churches that are large faire so that they be purged from al such things as doe not beseeme the Church And let all things be ordered as is moste meete for comelines necessitie and godlie decency that nothing be wanting which is requisite for rites and orders and the necessarie vses of the Church And as wee beleeue that God doth not dwell in temples made with handes so we know that by reason of the worde of god holy exercises therin celebrated places dedicated to God and his worship are not prophane but holie and that therefore such as are conuersant in them ought to behaue themselues reuerentlie and modestlie as they which are in a sacred place in the presence of God and his holie Angells All excesse of apparell therefore is to be abandoned from Churches and places where Christians meete in praier together with all pride and whatsoeuer else doth not beseeme Christian humilitie decencie modestie For the true ornament of Churches doth not consist ân Iuorie golde and precious stones but in the sobrietie godlines and vertues of those which are in the Church Let all thinges be done comelie and orderlie in the Church to conclude Let all thinges be done to edifying Therefore let all straunge tongues keepe silence in the holie assemblies and let all thinges be vttered in the vulgare tongue which is vnderstood of all men in the companie Of prayer singing and Canonicall houers CHAP. 23. TRue it is that a man maie lawfullie praie priuatelie in anie tongue that he doth vnderstand but publique praiers ought in the holie assemblies to be made in the vulgare tongue or such a language as is knowne to all Let all the prayers of the faithful be powred forth to God alone through the mediation of Christ only out of a true faith pure loue As for inuocation of Saints or vsing them as intercessors to intreat for vs the priesthod of our Lord Christ true religion wil not permitte vs. 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 anie calamitie and speciallie in the calamitie of the Church prayer must be made both priuatellie and publiquelie without ceasing Moreouer wee must praie willinglie and not by constraint nor for anie reward neither must we superstitiouslie tie prayer to anie place as though it were not lawfull to praie but in the Church There is no necessitie that publique praiers should be in foââe time the same or alike in all Churches Let all Churches vse their libertie Socrates in his hystorie saith In anie countrie or nation wheresoeuer you shall not finde two Churches which doe whollie agree in prayer The authors of this difference I thinke were those which had the gouernment of the Chââhes in all ages If so be anie doe agree it deserueth great commendation and is to be imitated of others Besides this there must be a meane and measure as in euerie other thing so also in publique prayers that they be not ouerlong and tedious let therefore the most time be giuen to teaching of the gospell in such holie assemblies and let there be diligent heede taken that the people in the assemblies be not wearied with ouerlong praiers so as when the preaching of the gospell should be heard they through wearisomnes either desire to go ãâã themselues or to haue the assemblie wholly dismissed For vnto such the sermons seeme to be ouerlong which otherwise are briefe inough Yea and the Preachers ought to keepe a meane Likewise the singing in sacred assemblies ought to be moderated where it is in vse That long which they cal Gregories song hath manie grosse thinges in it Wherefore it is vpon good cause reiected of ours and of all other reformed Churches If there be any Churches which haue faithful praier in good manner and no singing at all they are not therefore to be condemned for all Churches haue not the commoditie and opportunitie of singing And certaine it is by testimonies of antiquitie that as the custome of singing hath bene verie auncient in the East Churches so it was long or it was receiued in the West Churches In Auncient time there were Canonicall houres that is knowne prayers framed for certeine houres in the daie and chaunted therein oft repeated as the Papists manner is which maie be prooued by manie of their lessons appointed in their houres and diuers other arguments Moreouer they haue manie absurde things that I saie no more and therfore are well omitted of our Churches that haue brought in their stead matters more wholsome for the whol Church of God Hitherto also perteineth the beginning of the 25. Art Of Catechizing THe Lord inioyned his ancient people to take great care and diligence in instructing the youth well euen from their infancie and moreouer commaunded expressely in his Law that they should teach them and declare the mysterie of the Sacraments vnto them Now for as much as it is euident by the writings of the Euangelists and Apostles that God had no lesse care of the youth of his new people seeing he saith Suffer litle Children to come vnto me for of such is the kingdome of heauen Therefore the Pastours do verie wiselie which doe diligentlie and betimes Catechise their youth laying the first groundes of faith and faithfullie teaching the principles of our religion by expounding the ten commaundements the Apostles Creed the Lordes praier and the doctrine of the sacramentes with other like principles and chiefe heads
of our religion And here let the Church performe her faithfullnes and diligence in bringing the Children to be catechized as beeing desirous and glad to haue her children well instructed That which followeth in this Article is conteined in the sixteenth section Also CHAP. 28. Of the goodes of the Church and right vse of them THe Church of Christ hath riches through the bountifulnes of princes and the liberalitie of the faithful who haue giuen their goods to the Church for the Church hath need of such goods and hath had goods from auncient time for the manteinance of thinges necessarie for the Church Now the true vse of the Church goods was and now is to manteine learning in schooles and in holie assemblies with all the seruice rites and buildinges of the Church finallie to manteine teachers schollers and ministers with other necessarie things and chieftelie for the succour and reliefe of the pore But for the lawfull dispensing of these Ecclesiasticall goods let men be chosen that feare God wise men and such as are of good reporte for gouernement of their families But if the goods of the Church by iniurie of the time and the boldnes ignorance or couetousnes of some be turned to anie abuse let them be restored againe by godly wise men vnto their holy vse for they must not winke at so impious an abuse Therefore we teach that Schooles and Colledges whereinto corruption is crept in doctrine in the seruice of god and in manners must be reformed that there must order be taken godly faithfully and wiselie for the reliefe of the poore OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Holie meetings WE think that holie meetings are so to be celebrated that aboue all things the word of God be propounded to the people euerie day publiquely in a publique place and appointed for holie excercises also that the hidden thinges of the Scripture maie dayly be searched out and declared by those that are fit thereunto that the faith of the godlie maie be exercised and that we maie continuallie be instant in praier according as the necessitie of all men requireth As for other vnprofitable and innumerable circumstances of ceremonies as vessells apparell vailes torches or candelles altars golde and siluer so farre forth as they serue to peruert religion but especially Idolls which are set vp to be worshipped and giue offence and all prophane things of that sort we do remooue them far from our holie meeting Of Heretikes and Schismatiks ALso we remooue from our holie meetings all those who forsaking the propertie of the holie Church do either bring in or follow strange and wicked opinions with which euill the Catabaptistes are chiefelie infected who if they do obstinatelie refuse to obey the Church and Christian instruction are in our iudgement to be bridled by the Magistrate lest by their contagion they infect the flocke of Christ OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA Of Catechizing CHAP. 2. IN the second place they teach the Christian Catechisme that is a Catholike doctrine and an instruction made with the mouth which agreeth in Christianisme with the auncient Church and holie fathers and this doctrine or instruction is the inward or secret thing and the marrow and the keie to the wholl holie Scripture and conteineth the summe thereof It is comprehended in the 10. commaundements in the Catholike Christian and Apostolique Creed wherein be 12. Articles which are expounded and confirmed by the Nicen and Athanasius his creed and by godlie Catholike and generall Councells also in the forme of praiers to wit of that holie praier which the Lord appointed and in a summarie doctrine touching the sacraments and such dueties as we owe or be proper regarde being had to euerie mans place and order in diuers and distinct kindes of life whereunto he is called of God and there is an open confession and profession made that this Christian doctrine is that true full perfect and well pleased wil of God necessarie to euery faithful Christian vnto saluation This Catechisme which doth conteine in it the ful Catholike doctrine of Christianisme the knowledge of most weighty things spokeÌ of before our preachers do vse in stead of a sure rule method table of al those things which they teach of all their sermons writings this they do faithfully care for and bestowe all their labour therein that this wholl ordinarie doctrine of the principles of true faith and Christian godlines and the doctrine of the foundation may be imprinted in the bottome of the heartes of Christians throughlie ingrafted in the mindes and life of the hearers and that after this manner First that all maie know that they are bound to yeelde an inward and outward obedience to the law and therefore they must endeuour to performe and fulfil the commaundements of God both in their heart seeing that the law is spirituall and in their deedes by louing God aboue all things and their neighbour as themselues Secondlie they must well learne and beare in minde and be able readilie to rehearse to beleeue 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 pietie by actions or manners a life which maie beseeme it Therefore they do also in their sermons by expounding it laie open the true and sound meaning and euerie mysterie which is necessarie to true and eternall saluation and is comprehended in the Articles of faith and in euerie parte thereof and confirme it by testimonies taken out of the holie scriptures and by these holie scriptures they doe either more largelie or brieflie declare expound and laie open the meaning and the mysteries And in all these things they do so behaue them selues that concerning the order which the Apostles brought in and propounded they labour to instruct not onelie those which be of riper yeares who being come to lawfull age are able presently to vnderstand but also so to teach litle children that they being exercised euen froÌ their childood in the chiefe points of the couenant of god may be taught to vnderstand the true worship of god For this cause there be both peculiar Ecclesiasticall assemblies with children which doe serue for the exercise of catechizing and also the parents those that are requested of the parents vsed 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 beloued children train them vp in the discipline of the Lord and from the bottome of their heartes praie vnto God for these and all other the children of the faithfull of Christ But chiefelie they which are newlie instructed before they be lawfullie admitted to the Supper of the Lord are diligentlie taught the christian catechisme and the principles of true religion and by this meanes they are furthered towards the obtaining of
of the church should be pretended for all such abuses and faultes as the latter and worser age hath brought into the Church And surelie men doe flatter and deceiue themselues too much if they think that there be no faults conueied into the church by the desires of couetous men and by those Labyrinthes obscurities of the doctrine and traditions of the schoolemen For now a daies good men are not so much in daunger for their marriage sake as for their care and desire they haue to purge and bring to trial the doctrine of Christ Which care the Bishops ought wiselie to direct and further For to them especiallie is the care of setting forth the maintenance of true doctrine commended they shoulde be the ringleaders and furtherers of this moste holie and ftuitfull care and studie But it belongeth not to the Bishop alone but also to godlie Princes and especiallie to the Emperour to vnderstand the gospell purely to iudge of opinions to be warre and watchfull that no wicked opinions be receiued or rooâed and to abolish Idolatrie with all his might maine By chese and such like dueties did manie valiant and notable men deserue well at the handes of godlie men as Gedeon Ezechias Iosias and Constantine and sundrie others Wherefore you must thinke it your duety also to take heed lest such thinges as be godly and profitablie brought to light and reformed by God and learned men be smothered againe and lest that wicked abuses be established by your authoritie The Psalme saith for thy temples sake in Ierusalem the King shall offer giftes vnto thee The proper gifts that Kings are to bestow vpon the Church are to search out true doctrine to see that good teachers be set ouer the Churches to giue diligence that the controuersies of the Church may be rightlie decided Not to take awaie true and holie doctrine but to raise it vp and to set it forward and to defend it and rightlie to set it in order and to mainteine the quiet concord of the Church By these true giftes moste noble Emperour you may adorne the Church of Christ which especiallie both Christ himselfe requireth and the Churches that are rent and torne in moste horrible manner doe craue at your handes Last of all seeing that humane traditions ought to giue place to times and opportunities especiallie in the Church wherein there should be more regard had of the saluation of the godlie and of loue and publique peace then of anie humane traditions it were a great deale better to make shew of abrogating this seelie tradition of single life then to strengthen lusts to dissolue mariages to exercise crueltie against the Priests and their wiues and children to oppresse true and holie doctrine and to make hauock of the Church We doe therefore commend this matter of their mariage vnto your pietie and bountie O noble Emperour as that which hath no difficultie or doubt fulnes in it For they that be gouernours both maie and ought to abolish an vniust lawe And the lawes of single life whether they be new or olde belong onlie to humane equity in mitigating whereof the authoritie of the Church should be of great force VVee could bring verie manie examples out of the histories of all times and countries in which there might be seene horrible examples of iudgements which followed vpon vncleane lusts Among manie other causes of the general flood there is mention made of fleshlie lusts Afterward fiue cities were swallowed vp in an opening of the earth so as the lake called Asphalites was left as a perpetuall monument of that punishment when the Israelites were departed out of Egypt and diuers had defiled them selues by going in vnto Moabitish weomen the twelue Princes of the tribes were hanged vp and 24. thousand men were slaine The Canaâites after this were cleane rooted out and among the causes thereof incestuous copulations are namelie reckoned vp shortlie after followed the ouerthrow of the tribe of Beniamin for abusing the Leuites wife After this Dauid was driuen out of his kingdome for adulterie And Ieremie in diuers places crieth out that these three Idolatrie oppressions and adulteries are the causes of those great calamities which ouerwhelmed the wholl nation of the Iewes then when they were carried captiues to Babylon These thinges are written for this purpose that wee might know certainelie that God is displeased with wandring lustes of vncleannes and that vncleane and incestuous persons doe not fall into punishments by chaunce but are punished of God Therefore the destructions of heathnish Cities also doe put vs in minde of the wrath of God against these villanies Sibaris was ouerthrowne Athens Sparta and Thebes being tossed with ciuill warres receiued due punishment of their filthines And Rome when it brought forth manie Neroes and Heliogabales at length it came to ruine the Empire being rent into sundrie partes by the warres of sundrie barbarous nations There is also a long Catalogue in Aristotle of Cities wherein there happened chaunges of gouernment and seditions for vncleane lustes Besides all which punishments Paul warneth the church that there is another iudgement that followeth vpon these lustes and that is madnes or furie as it is written Rom. 1. and Ephesians 4. And it maie well be that this iudgement hath seased vpon our Ecclesiasticall gouernours whoe for the moste parte are open Epicures open defenders of Idolls that they may get welth and authoritie and scoffe at those heauenlie sayings which threaten vengeance vpon Idolaters vncleane persons and Parricides They vaunte that they doe all thinges well which they doe for their kingdomes sake and that such are good subiects and loue quietnes and peace that allow of errours and open naughtines that they maie vphold the maiestie of the Popes kingdome The wholl world can beare witnes that there is a God that doth reuenge all filthines vncleannes and oppression Wherefore though they now deride and scoffe at these speaches yet let them know that they shall one daie stick fast in those punishments whereunto the world it selfe doth call them Seeing then it is a cleare case that the law of single life is directlie against the commaundement of God we thinke that the Priestes and others doe verie well which ioyne in honest marriage as Paull saith that a Bishoppe must be chosen that is the husband of one wife We iudge also that the rulers both may and ought to abolish this law of the Pope For they are foulie deceiued that thinke either that marriage is forbidden to priests by Gods law or else that the Kinges or the Bishops may make a law to forbid them marriage And if that rulers will not helpe the Church in this behalfe yet the godlie doe well which follow the Apostles rule which saith That we must rather obey God then men To conclude seeing the defense of the Popes lawe hath many faultes ioyned with it as namelie the strengthning of wandring lusts superstitions and murdering of godlie Priests euerie
one may see that our Churches deale well in abolishing and condemning that law of the Pope And we beseech the moste renowmed Emperour that he wil not defile himself wirh defending that vncleane single life and with the blood of the Priests for it is written Blessed is he that hath pittie oâ the poore and needie the Lorde shall deliuer him in the cuill day This article we found elsewhere placed in the second place amongest those wherein the abuses that are chaunged be mentioned Of the mariage of Priests Art 2. THere was a common complaint of the examples of such priests as were not coÌtinent For which cause also Pope Pius is reported to haue said that there were certaine causes for which marriage was forbiddeÌ to priests but there were many waightier causes why it should be permitted again For so Platina writeth VVhen as therefore the Priests among vs sought to auoide these publike offences they married wiues and taught that it was lawfull for them selues to ioyne in marriage First because that Paull saith To auoid fornication let euerie man haue his wife Againe It is better to marrie then to burne Secondlie Christ saith All men doe not receiue this worde where he sheweth that all men are not fitte for a single life because that God created man for procreations sake Gen. 1. It is not in mans power without a speciall gifte and worke of God to alter his creation Therefore such as are not meet for a single life ought to ioyne in matrimonie For no lawe of man no vowe can take away the commaundement of god and his ordinance By these reasons our Priests doe prooue that they maie lawfully marrie wiues And it is wel knowne that in the auncient Churches Priests were married For Paull saith that a Bishop must be chosen which is a husband And in Germanie about 400. yeares ago the Priests were by violence compelled to liue a single life who then were so wholy beÌt against the matter that the Archbishop of Mentz being to publish the Pope of Rome his decree in that behalfe was almoste murdered in a tumult by the Priests in their anger And the matter was handled so contrarie to law that they did not onlie forbid mariages for the time to come but also such as were then contracted contrarie to all lawes diuine and humane contrary to the Canons themselues that were before made not onelie by Popes but also by moste famous Councels And seing that the world decaying mans nature by litle and litle waxeth weaker it is behoouefull to looke well to it that no more vices doe ouerspread Germanie Furthermore God ordained mariage to be a remedie for mans infirmitie The Canons themselues doe saâe that the olde rigour is now then in latter times to be released for the weaknes of men Which it were to be wished might be done in this matter also It is verie like that if mariage be forbidden any longer we shall at length want Pastours in the Church Seing then that there is a plaine commaundement of God seeing the vse of the Church is well knowne seing that the impure single life bringeth forth verie many offences adulteries and other enormities worthie to be punished by the godlie magistrate yet it is a maruell that greater crueltie should be shewed in no other thing then against the marriage of Priests God hath commaunded to honour marriage the lawes in all well ordered common welthes euen among the heathen also haue adorned marriages with verie great priuileges But now men are cruellie put to death yea and Priests also contrarie to the minde of the Canons for no other cause but onelie for marriage Paul calleth that a doctrine of Diuells which forbiddeth mariage 1. Tim. 4. which may now verie well be seene when as the forbidding of mariage is mainteined by such punishments But as no law of man can take awaie the law of God no more can anie vow whatsoeuer Therfore Cyprian giueth counsel that those women should marry which do not keep their vowed chastity His words are these in the first book the 11. Ep. If they wil not or are not able to indure it is far better they should marrie then that they should fall into the fire by their importune desire In any wise let them giue no offence to their brethren or sisters Yea and the Canons vse a kinde of equitie towards such as before their ripe yeares did vowe chastitie as hitherto the vse hath beene To this place also belongeth the 6. Art Of the vowes of Monkes WHat is taught amongest vs touching the vowes of Monkes shall be better vnderstoode if you call to minde what was the state of Monastaries and how many thinges were euerie daie committed in the Monasteries contrarie to the Cannons In Augustines time Colledges were free but afterward when discipline was corrupted euerie where vowes were laid vpon them that as it were by a new deuised prison the discipline might be restored againe Ouer and besides vowes by litle and litle many other obseruations were added And these bands and snares were cast vpon many before they came to ripe yeares contrarie to the Canons Many through errour fell into this kinde of life vnawares who though they wanted no yeares yet they wanted discretion to iudge of their strength and abilitie They which were once got within these snares were constrained to abide in them though by the benefit of the Canon some might be set at libertie And that fell out rather in the Nonneries then in the Colleges of Monks because the weaker sexe was more to be spared This rigour seuerity misliked many good men hertofore when they saw young maides and young men thrust vp into Monasteries there to get their liuing and saw what an vnhappie successe this counsell had what offences it bred and what snares it laide vpon mens consciences They were grieued that the authoritie of the Canons was wholly neglected and contemned in a thing most dangerous To all these euills there was added such a perswasion of vowes which as it is well knowen did in former times mislike the Monks themselues if any of them were somewhat stouter then the rest They taught forsooth that vows were equal to B aptisme touching single life they taught that it merited remission of sinnes iustification before God yea farther that the Monkes life did not onelie merit righteousnes before God but more then that because it obserued not onelie the commaundements but also the Counsells in the Gospell And thus they taught that the Monkes profession was better then Baptisme that the Monkes life did merit more then the life of Magistrates of Pastours and such like which in the obedience of Gods commaundement followed their calling without any such religion of mans making None of these things can be denied they are to be seene in their writings What fell out afterwarde in the Monasteries In olde time there were Schooles for the studie of Diuinitie and other artes which were profitable