the Ecclesiasticall ministerie For it behoveth us alwaies to have in minde the words of the Apostle How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and Rom. 10. 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 saith in the Gospel Verely verely I say unto you he that receiveth Iohn 3. those that I shall send receiveth me and he that receiveth mee receiveth him that sent me Likewise that a man of Macedonia appeared in a vision to Paul being then in Asia and said unto him Act. 16. Come unto Macedonia and helpe us And in another place the same Apostle saith We together are Gods labourers and ye are his 1 Cor. 3. husbandrie and his building Yet on the other side we must take heed that we doe not attribute too much to the ministers and ministerie herein remembring also the words of our Lord in the Gospel No man cometh to me except the Father which hath sent me Iohn 6. draw him And the words of the Apostle Who then is Paul and who 1 Cor. 3. is Apollo but the ministers by whom ye beleeved and as the Lord gave unto every one Therefore neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giveth the increase Therefore let us beleeve that God doth teach us by his word outwardly by his ministers and doth inwardly move and perswade the hearts of his Elect unto beliefe by his holy spirit and that therefore we ought to render all the glory of this whole benefit unto God But we have spoken of this matter in the 1 Chapter of this our declaration God hath used for his ministers even from the beginning of the world the best and most excellent men in the world for howsoever divers of them were but simple for worldly wisdome or Philosophy yet sure in true divinitie they were most excellent namely the Patriarks to whom he spake very often by his Angels For the Patriarks were the Prophets or teachers of their age whom God for this purpose would have to live many yeers that they might be as it were Fathers and lights of the world After them followed Moses together with the Prophets that were most famous throughout the whole world Besides after all these our heavenly Father hath sent his onely begotten Sonne the most absolute and perfect teacher of the world in whom is hidden the wisedome of God and from him derived unto us by that most holy perfect and most pure doctrine of all other For he chose unto himselfe Disciples whom he made Apostles And they going out into the whole world gathered together Churches in all places by the preaching of the Gospel And after they ordained pastors and Doctors in all Churches by the commandement of Christ who by such as succeeded them hath taught and governed the Church unto this day Therefore God gave unto his ancient people the Patriarkes together with Moses and the Prophets so also to his people under the new covenant he hath sent his onely begotten Sonne and with him the Apostles and teachers of his Church Furthermore the Ministers of the new covenant are tearmed by divers names for they are called Apostles Prophets Evangelists Bishops Elders Pastors and Doctors The Apostles remained 1 Cor. 12. Ephes 4. in no certaine place but gathered together divers Churches throughout the whole world which Churches when they were once established there ceased to be any more Apostles and in their places were particular parsons appointed in every Church The Prophets in old time did foresee and foretell things to come and besides did interpret the Scriptures * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession and such are found some amongst us at this day They were called Evangelists which were the penners of the history of the Gospel and were also * Looke the 2. Observation preachers of the Gospel of Christ as the Apostle Paul giveth in charge unto Timothy To fulfill the work of an Evangelist * Looke the 3. Observat Bishops were the overseers and the watchmen of the Church which did distribute food and other necessities of the Church The Elders were the ancients and as it were the Senators and Fathers of the Church governing it with the wholesome counsell The Pastors did both keepe the Lords flock and also * Looke the 4. Observat provide things necessary for it The Doctors doe instruct and teach the true faith and godlinesse Therefore the Church Ministers that now are may be called Bishops Elders Pastors and Doctors But in processe of times there were many moe names of Ministers brought into the Church For some were created Patriarks others Archbishops others Suffragans other Metropolitanes Archpriests Deacons Subdeacons Acoluthes Exorcists Queristers Porters and I know not what a a rable besides Cardinals Provosts and Priors Abbots greater and lesser governours higher and lower But touching all these we passe not a rush what they have beene in time past or what they are now It is not sufficient for us that forasmuch as concerneth Ministers we have the doctrine of the Apostles We therfore knowing certainly that Monks and the orders or sorts of them are neither instituted of Christ nor of his Apostles we teach that they are so farre from being profitable that they are pernicious and hurtfull unto the Church of God For although in former times they were somewhat tolerable when they lived solitarily getting their livings with their owne hands were burdensome to none but did in all places obey their Pastours even as laie men yet what kinde of men they be now all the world seeth and perceiveth They pretend I know not what vowes but they leade a life altogether disagreeing from their vowes so that the very best of them may justly be numbred among those of whom the Apostle speaketh We heare say that 2 Thess 3. there be some among you which walke inordinately and worke not at all but are busie bodies c. Therefore we have no such in our Churches and and besides we teach that they should not be suffered to rout in the Churches of Christ Furthermore no man ought to usurpe the honour of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie that is to say greedily to plucke it to him by bribes or any evill shifts or of his owne accord But let the ministers of the Church be called and chosen by a lawfull and Ecclesiasticall election and vocation that is to say let them be chosen religiously of the Church or of those which are appointed thereunto by the Church and that in due order without any tumult seditions or contention But we must have an eye to this that not every one that will be elected but such men as are fit and have sufficient learning especially in the Scriptures and godly eloquence and wise simplicitie to conclude such men as be of good report for a moderation and
yet so as they doe all things in the Church as he hath prescribed in his word which thing being so done the faithfull doe esteeme them as done of the Lord himselfe but touching the keies we have spoken somewhat before Now the * Looke the 5. observation upon this confession power that is given to the Ministers of the Church is the same and alike in all and in the beginning the Bishops or Elders did with a common consent and labour governe the Church no man lifted up himselfe above another none usurped greater power or authoritie over his fellow Bishops for they remembred the words of the Lord He which will be the chiefest among Luc. 20. you let him be your servant they kept in themselves by humility and did mutually aide one another in the governement and preservation of the Church Notwithstanding for orders sake some one of the ministers called the assembly together propounded unto the assembly the matters to be consulted of gathered together the voyces or sentences of the rest and to be briefe as much as lay in him provided that there might arise no confusion So did Saint Peter as we read in the Acts who yet for all that was neither above the rest nor had greater authority then the rest Very true therefore is that saying of Cyprian the Martyr in his booke De simpl Cler. The same doubtlesse were the rest of the Apostles that Peter was having an equall fellowship with him both in honour and power but the beginning hereof proceedeth from unitie to signifie unto us that there is but one Church Saint Jerome upon the Epistle of Paul to Titus hath a saying not much unlike this Before that by the instinct of the Devill there was partaking in religion the Churches were governed by the common advice of the Priests but after that every one thought that those whom he had baptised were his owne and not Christs It was decreed that one of the Priests should be chosen and set over the rest who should have the care of the whole Church laid upon him and by whose meanes all schismes should be removed Yet Jerome doth not avouch this as an order set downe of God For straight way after he addeth Even as saith he the Priests knew by the continuall custome of the Church that they were subiect to him that is set over them So the Bishop must know that they are above the priests rather by custome then by the prescript rule of Gods truth and they should have the government of the Church in common with them Thus farre Jerome Now therefore no man can forbid by any right that we may returne to the old appointment of God and rather receive that then the custome devised by men The offices of the ministers are divers yet notwithstanding most men doe restraine them to two in which all the rest are comprehended to the teaching of the Gospel of Christ and to the lawfull administration of the Sacraments For it is the dutie of the Ministers to gather together a holy assembly therein to expound the Word of God and also to apply the generall doctrine to the state and use of the Church to the end that the doctrine which they teach may profit the hearers and may build up the faithfull The Ministers dutie I say is to teach the unlearned and to exhort yea and to urge them to goe forward in the way of the Lord who doe stand still or linger and goe slowly forward moreover to comfort and to strengthen those which are faint-hearted and to arme them against the manifold temptations of Satan to rebuke offenders to bring them home that goe astray to raise them up that are fallen to convince the gainsaiers to chase away the wolfe from the Lords flocke to rebuke wickednesse and wicked men wisely and severely not to winke at nor to passe over great wickednesse and besides to administer the Sacraments and to commend the right use of them and to prepare all men by wholesome doctrine to receive them to keepe together all the faithfull in an holy unitie and to meete with schismes To conclude to catechise the ignorant to commend the necessitie of the poore to the Church to visit and instruct those that are sicke or intangled with divers temptations and so to keepe them in the way of life Lastly to looke diligently that there be publike prayers and supplications made in time of necessitie together with fasting that is an holy abstinencie and most carefully to looke to those things which belongeth to tranquillity safety and peace of the Church And to the end that the Minister may performe all these things the better and with more ease it is required in him that he be one that feareth God pray diligently giveth himselfe much to the reading of the Scripture and in all things and at all times is watchfull and doth shew forth a good example unto all men of holinesse of life And seeing there must needs be a discipline in the Church and that among the ancient fathers excommunication was in use and there were Ecclesiasticall judgements amongst the people of God wherein this discipline was exercised by godly men it belongeth also to the Ministers dutie for the edifying of the Church to moderate this discipline according to the condition of the time and publike estate and according to necessitie whereas this rule is alwaies to be holden that All things ought to be done to edification decently honestly without any oppression or tumult For the Apostle witnesseth that power was given to him of God to edifie and not to destroy 2 Cor. 10. And the Lord himselfe forbad the cockle to be plucked up in the Lords field because there would be danger lest the wheate also should be plucked up with it But as for the errour of the Donatists we doe here utterly detest it who esteemed and judged the doctrine and administration of the Sacraments to be either effectuall or not effectuall by the good or evill life of the Ministers For we know that the voyce of Christ is to be heard though it be out of the mouthes of evill Ministers forasmuch as the Lord himselfe said Doe as they Matth. 22. command you but according to their workes doe ye not We know that the Sacraments are sanctified by their institution and also by the word of Christ and that they are effectuall to the Godly although they be administred by ungodly Ministers Of which matter Augustine that blessed servant of God did reason diversly out of the Scriptures against the Donatists yet notwithstanding there ought to be a streight discipline amongst the Ministers For there must be diligent enquirie in the Synods touching the life and Doctrine of the Ministers Those that offend are to be rebuked of the Seniours and to be brought into the way if they be not past recovery or else to be deposed and as wolves to be driven from the Lords flocke by the true Pastors if
THE CONFESSIONS OF THE FAITH Of all the CHRISTIAN AND Reformed Churches VVhich purely profess the holy doctrine of the Gospel in all the Kingdoms Nations and Provinces of EUROPE with the order of time when they were written and an exact Table of the principal Articles of Faith which in every Confession is debated Wherein the obscure and difficult places are explained and those things which may in shew seem to contradict each other are plainly and modestly reconciled and such points as yet hang in suspence are sincerely pointed at Freely submitted to all Reformed Churches as a means to knit and unite all the Churches of Christ in one bond of love for the avoiding of Heresies Discords and Schismes in these dangerous times 1 Pet. 3. 15. But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alwayes to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear LONDON Printed for Austin Rice and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Three Hearts in St Pauls Church-yard near the West end 1656. A PREFACE IN THE NAME OF THE Churches of France and Belgia which professe the reformation of the Gospell AMbrose in a certaine place saith notably There ought to be no strife but conference among the servants of Christ. For seeing the dulnesse of mans understanding especially in heavenly matters is such that we cannot oft-times perceive matters otherwise very plain it can by no means be denied but that by mutuall conference and friendly and brotherly debating of the matter we come to very great light And that especially seemeth profitable and needfull that some should be set on edge by others that those things which the Lord hath particularly bestowed upon severall members of the Church may redound to the common benefit of the whole body and that all sinister affection set a part Christ who is the Fathers wisdome and the onely Master and Teacher of the Church may be heard and as he is the Prince of peace may so by his spirit joyne together our minds that if it be possible we may all thinke one and the same thing in the Lord. But to strive braule and fiercely and frowardly to contend as fensers doe is so farre from becoming men that are taught of God as that it is not seemely for modest or civill persons And if so be that in all yea even in the very least affairs of mans life that rule of modestie is to be kept what I pray you is to be done when we are in hand with God and Gods matters Surely holy things are holily and devoutly to be handled in the feare of God and love of our neighbour Who if he goe out of the way is by the spirit of meeknesse to be called backe again but if he take the right way he is more and more to be instructed therein to the end it may appeare that we are not driven by any motion of man but that in all things our mindes are ruled and governed by God Yet alas such is the spot and staine of our times that the evill custome of writing whatsoever and even of railing hath seised upon the wits and mindes not of meane men onely but even of those whom it most of all behooved to doe the cleane contrary The rable of Iesuits and such other like fellows whose very reward is the earnest of bondage and cursed speaking how shamelesly and outragiously they are carried against us and the truth and with what bitternesse they cast out against us such things as they have been taught in the schoole of shamelesnesse it may be sufficiently perceived of any man For they when they feele themselves pressed with most strong reasons and overcome with expresse places of Scripture they run to cavils and slanders as to the onely refuge of their errours They say we have revolted from the Catholique Church that we might follow the divers imaginations of men they cry aloud that we are heretiques schismatiques and sectaries and they oft-times in mockage call us Confessionists and moreover they lay in our dish that we neither agree with our selves nor with others who detest the Bishop of Rome but there are as many Religions among us as there are Confessions of Faith And that they may seeme to procure credit to themselves and to give a checke to the Germane Churches especially they bring forth both certaine other writings and especially that Forme of Agreement of late published in Germanie in which there are certaine things to be seene farre differing from those ancient Confessions of Faith which the Churches of the Gospell have even since the beginning given out But let them so thinke that the fault of heresie is not to be laid upon those whose faith altogether relieth on most sure grounds of Scripture that they are no schismatiques who intirely cleave to Gods Church such an one as the Prophets and Apostles doe describe unto us nor to be accounted sectaries who embrace the truth of God which is one and alwaies like itselfe What do they meane I pray you by the name of Confessionists so often repeated For if every man be commanded to make confession of his Faith so often as Gods glory and the edifying of the Church shall require what a wonderfull or strange thing ought it to seeme if Cities if Provinces if whole kingdomes have made profession of their Faith when they were falsely charged by the Popish sort that they had gone from the doctrine of the true beleeving Church but they wil say there ought to be one confession of faith and no moe as though forsooth a confession of faith were to be valued rather by the words then by the thing it selfe What therefore will they say to our Ancestours who when they had the Apostles Creed yet for all that set out the Nicene Chalcedonian and many moe such like Creeds Those Creeds say you were generall Yea surely but so generall that a great part of the world in those elder times followed the frantique heresies of the Arrians whom the godly forefathers by setting forth those Creeds desired to bring home into the Church again The truth saith Hilarie was by the advise and opinions of Bishops many waies sought and a reason of that which was meant was rendered by severall confessions of faith set down in writing And a little after It ought to seeme no marvell right well-beloved brethren that mens faiths began to be declared so thick the outrage of heretiques layeth this necessitie upon us Thus much said Hilarie What that Athanasius Augustine and many other ancients set forth their Creeds also that the puritie of Christian faith might more and more shine forth Therefore if Kingdoms Cities and and whole Provinces have privately made confession of their faith this was the cause thereof for that hitherto the state of times hath not suffered that a generall Councell of all those who professe the reformed Religion might be
much peevishnesse through which some do straight way upon very small occasion call their brethren heretikes schismatikes ungodly Mahometans let these speeches be thrown out against Atheists Epicures Libertines Arians Anabaptists such like mischevous persons which desire to have the Lords field utterly destroyed but let us every day grow in faith love and let us teach the flocks committed to our charge to fear God to hate vices and follow after vertues to denie the world and themselves obeying the commandement of our Lord and teacher Iesus Christ who biddeth us not to braule but to love each other Whose example in governing the Church if we will follow we shall raise up those that are afflicted take up those that are falne cōfort the feeble waken the drowsie and not negligently denounce Gods wrath against sinnes and shall draw out the sword of the same word which is no blunt one against hypocrites wolves dogs swine goates and to conclude against all wicked ones which in our Churches mingle themselves with the true sheepe and which cause the word of God to be evill spoken of It were a farre better thing surely then that which some do busying the sharpnesse of their wit in making of certaine trifles that forsooth the knowledge of such subtilties may shake out of our mindes all conscience It was justly said that the strength of the Gospel was weakened through the thorny subtilties of schoole-questions and we through our wayward disputations what else doe we then cause that the authoritie thereof be not strengthned but rather weakned and doe even stagger among the wicked We reade it excellently written in Livie a very grave writer that not onely grudges but also warres have an end and that oftentimes deadly foes become faithfull confederates yea and sometimes Citizens and that by the same speeches of the people of Rome very bitter or cruell enmities have beene taken up betweene men of great account And that which these few words wrought with the heathen shall not godlinesse toward God obtaine at the hands of Christians of Divines and of Pastours of Churches yea of the travell of reading and diligently examining and conferring of this booke shall not be irkesome if upright and sincere judgement if not prejudicate opinions but the love of one truth shall beare sway in all mens hearts it will shortly obtaine it That old contention about the celebrating of Easter very hotly tossed to and fro for two hundred yeeres or there about betweene the Greeks and the Latines was long since by us thought worthy of laughter but we must take good heed lest in a matter not altogether unlike we seeme to be wiser then both if so be that we desire to have the Church whole and not to leave it rent unto the posteritie and would have our selves be counted not foolish among men and not stubborne in the sight of God There hath scarce been any age which hath in such sort seene all Churches following altogether one thing in all points so as there hath not alwaies been some difference either in doctrine or in ceremonies or in manners and yet were not Christian Churches through the world therefore cut asunder unlesse peradventure then when the Bishop of Rome brake off all agreement and tyrannically injoyned to other Churches not what ought to be done but what himselfe would have observed but the Apostle did not so Barnabas indeed departed from Paul and Paul withstood Peter and surely for no trifle and yet the one became not more enemie or strange to the other but the selfe same spirit which had coupled them from the beginning never suffered them to be dis-joyned from them-selves It is the fashion of Romists to command to enforce to presse to throw out oursings and thunder excommunications upon the heads of those that whisper never so little against them but let us according to the doctrine of the holy Ghost suffer and gently admonish each other that is keeping the ground-work of faith let us build love upon it and let us joyntly repaire the wals of Sion lying in their ruines It remaineth that through the same Lord Christ we beseech our reverent brethren in the Lord whose Confessions published we set forth that they take this our paines in good part and suffer us to leane as it were to a certaine stay to the common consent of the reformed Churches against the accusations and reproches of the common adversaries of the truth But it had been to be wished that we might at once have set out all the Confessions of all the reformed Churches but because we had them not all therefore we set out them onely that were come to our hands to which the rest also so farre as we suppose may easily be drawne And we also could have wished that the thing might have beene made common to all the reformed Churches But when as the state of our Churches seemed to force the matter and that they could not abide any longer delay the right well beloved brethren will pardon us with whom by reason of the time we could not impart both the Harmonie it selfe and the Observations as also the intent of this whole Edition Whereas moreover we have put to moe confessions of one and the same Nation as of Auspurge and Saxonie as also the former and latter of Helvetia that was not done without cause for besides that one expoundeth another we thought it good also hereby to ridde them from all suspicion of inconstancie and wavering in opinion which the adversaries are wont to catch at by such repetitions of Confessions Yet why we would not adde some Confessions of the brethren of Bohemia often repeated we will straight way shew a cause and we hope that our reason will easily be liked of them And we have set downe every where two yea in some places three Editions of Auspurge for this respect lest in this diversitie we might seeme to have picked out that which rather favoured our side and to have utterly misliked the other Wherein notwithstanding we have not every where followed the order of times in which every of them came to light but the coppie which we had in our hands printed at Wirtemberge 1572. with a double Edition And we have therefore thought it meet to passe over the Apologies adjoyned to the Confessions as of Auspurge Bohemia Sueveland and England as well that the worke might not grow to be exceeding bigge as also that we might not seeme rather to increase disputations and controversies then to make an Harmonie of doctrine And as for our Observations our minde was to meet with the cavils of sophisters who we know well enough will take hold on the least matters that they may thereby set us on worke Wherefore lest they should charge us to set out a discord rather then a concord of Confessions we have added in the end very short Observations in which we lay open those things which might seeme some what obscurely spoken and
or vaine unmooveable rotten and dead pictures of all men whatsoever of which the Prophet spake truly They have eyes and see not c. Psal 115. Therefore we approove the judgement of Lactantius an ancient writer who saith Vndoubtedly there is no religion wheresoever there is a picture And we affirme that the blessed Bishop Epiphanius did well who finding on the Church doores a vaile that had painted in it the picture as it might be of Christ or of some other Saint he cut and tooke it away For that contrary to the authoritie of the Scriptures he had seene the picture of a man to hang in the Church of Christ and therefore he charged that from thence forth nosuch vailes which were contrary to our religion should be hanged up in the Church of Christ but that rather such scruple should be taken away which was unworthy the Church of Christ and all faithfull people Moreover we approove this sentence of S. Augustine Cap. 55. de ver a relig Let not the worship of mesn works be a religion unto us For the workmen themselves that make such things are better whom yet we ought not to worship Of the adoring worshipping and invocating of God through the onely Mediatour Jesus Christ CHAP. V. VVE teach men to adore and worship the true God alone this honour we impart to none according to the commandement of the Lord thou shalt adore the Lord thy God and Matth. 4. him alone shalt thou worship or him onely shalt thou serve Surely all the Prophets inveighed earnestly against the people of Israel whensoever they did adore and worship strange gods and not the one onely true God But we teach that God is to be adored and worshipped as himselfe hath taught us to worship him to weete in spirit and truth not with any superstition but with sinceritie Iohn 5. Isa 66. Ier. 7. Acts 17. according to his word lest at any time he also say unto us who hath required these things at your hands For Paul also saith God is not worshiped with mans hands as though he needed any thing c. We in all dangers and casualties of our life call on him alone and that by the mediation of the onely Mediatour and our intercessour Iesus Christ For it is expresly commanded us Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50. Moreover the Lord hath made a most large promise saying whatsoever ye shall aske of my Father he shall give it you And againe Iohn 16. Matth. 11. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavie laden and I will refresh you And seeing it is written How shall they call upon him in Rom. 10. whom they have not beleeved and we doe beleeve in God alone therefore we call upon him onely and that through Christ For there is one God saith the Apostle and one Mediatour betweene 1 Tim. 2. 1 Iohn 2. God and men Christ Iesus Againe If any man sinne we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous c. Therefore we doe neither adore worship nor pray unto the Saints in heaven or to other Gods neither doe we acknowledge them for our intercessours or Mediatours before the Father in heaven For God and the Mediatour Christ doe suffice us neither doe we impart unto others the honour due to God alone and to his Sonne because he hath plainly said I will not give my glory to another and Isa 42. Acts 4. because Peter hath said There is no other name given unto men whereby they must be saved but the name of Christ In which doubtlesse they that rest by faith doe not seeke any thing without Christ Yet for all that we doe neither despise the Saints nor thinke basely of them For we acknowledge them to be the lively members of Christ the friends of God who have gloriously overcome the flesh and the world We therefore love them as brethren and honour them also yet not with any worship but with an honourable opinion of them and to conclude with their just praises We also doe imitate them For we desire with most earnest affections and prayers to be followers of their faith and vertues to be partakers also with them of everlasting salvation to dwell together with them everlastingly with God and to rejoyce with them in Christ And in this point we approve that saying of Saint Augustine in his booke De verarelig Let not the worship of men departed be any religion unto us For if they have lived holily they are not so to be esteemed as that they seeke such honours but they will have us to worship him by whose illumination they reioyce that we are fellow servants as touching the reward They are therefore to be honoured for imitation not to be worshipped for religions sake c. And we much lesse beleeve that the reliques of Saints are to be adored or worshipped Those ancient holy men seemed sufficiently to have honoured their dead if they had honestly committed their bodies to the earth after that the soule was gone up into heaven and they thought that the most noble reliques of their ancestours were their vertues doctrine and faith which as they commended with the praise of the dead so they did endevour to expresse the same so long as they lived upon earth Those ancient men did not sweare by the name of the onely Iehova as it is commanded by the Law of God Therefore as we are forbidden To sweare by the name of strange Gods so we doe not sweare by Deut. 10. Exod. 23. Saints although we be requested thereunto We therefore in all these things doe reject that doctrine which giveth too much unto the Saints in heaven Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA VVE thus thinke of God that he is one in substance three in Artic. 6. persons and almightie Who as he hath by the word that is his Sonne made all things of nothing so by his spirit and providence he doth justly truely and most wisely governe preserve and cherish all things Who as he is the onely Mediatour intercessour and sacrifice Artic. 11. also our high Priest Lord and King so we acknowledge and with the whole heart beleeve that he alone is our attonement redemption satisfaction expiation wisedome protection and deliverance simply rejecting herein all meanes of life and salvation besides this Christ alone Out of the Confession of BASILL VVE beleeve in God the Father in God the Sonne in God Artic. 1. the holy Ghost the holy divine Trinitie three Persons and one eternall Almightie God in essence and substance and not three Gods And in the marginall note is added This is proved Artic. 10. by many places of the whole Scripture of the old and new Testament Therefore we mislike the worship and invocation of dead men the worshipping of Saints and setting up of Images with such like things And in
among his Saints none is immutable and the heavens are not cleane in his sight how much more abominable and unprofitable man who drinketh in iniquitie as water And the holy Scripture plainly witnesseth throughout all the bookes thereof that all men Ephes 2. Psal 14. even from their birth are by nature sinners and that there neither is nor hath beene any one who of himselfe and by himselfe was righteous and holy but all have gone aside from God and are become Rom. 3. unprofitable and of no account at all And whereas some are made holy and acceptable unto God that is purchased unto them without any worthinesse or merit of theirs by him who alone is holy God himselfe of the meere grace and unspeakable riches of his goodnesse hath ordained and brought them to that estate that they be blessed and called redeemed by Christ cleansed and consecrated by his blood annointed of the holy Ghost made righteous and holy by faith in Christ and adorned with commendable vertues and good deeds or workes which beseeme a Christian profession Of whom many having finished their life and course in such workes have now received and doe enjoy by grace eternall felicitie in heaven where God crowneth those that be his Some of them also God hath indued wiht a certain peculiar grace of his and with divine gifts unto the ministerie and to the publike and common good of the Church such as were the Patriarches Prophets and other holy fathers also Apostles Evangelists Bishops and many Doctors and Pastors and also other famous men and of rare excellencie and very well furnished with the spirit whose memory monuments of their labours and the good things which they did are extant and continue even untill this day in the holy Scriptures and in the Church But especially it is both beleeved and by open confession made knowne as touching the holy Virgin Mary that she was a daughter of the blood royall of the house and family of David that deare servant and friend of God and that she was chosen and blessed of God the Father consecrated by the holy Ghost visited and sanctified above other of her sexe and also replenished with wonderfull grace and power of God to this end that she might become the true mother of our Lord Iesus Christ the Son of God of whom he vouchsafed to take our nature and that she was at all times before her birth in the same and after it a true chaste and pure Virgine and that by her best beloved Sonne the Sonne also of the living God through the price of his death and the effusion of his most holy blood she was dearely redeemed and sanctified as also made one of the deare partakers of Christ by the holy Ghost through faith being adorned with excellent gifts noble vertues and fruits of good workes renowned as happie before all others and made most assuredly a joynt heire of everlasting life And a little after Furthermore it is taught in the Church that no man ought so to reverence holy men as we are to worship God much lesse their Images or to reverence them with that worship and affection of minde which onely are due to God alone And to be short by no meanes to honour them with divine worship or to give it unto them For God saith by the Prophet Esay I am the Lord thy God this is my name I will not give mine honour to another nor my glory to Images Againe a Esa 42. 48. little after But even as that thing is gain-said that the honour due to God should be given to Saints so it is by no meanes to be suffered that the honour of the Lambe Christ our Lord and things belonging to him and due to him alone and appertaining to the proper and true Priesthood of his nature should be transferred to them that is lest of them and those torments which they suffered we should make redeemers or merits in this life or else advocates intercessours and Mediatours in heaven or that we should invocate them and not them onely but not so much as the holy Angels seeing they are not God For there is one onely 1 Tim. 2. Hebr. 9. 1 Tim. 2. 1 Joâ— 2. Redeemer who being once delivered to death sacrificed himselfe both in his body and in his blood there is also one onely Advocate the most mercifull Lord of us all And they are not onely to be reputed and taken for Saints who are gone before us and are fallen a sleepe in the Lord and dwell now in joyes but also they who as there have alwaies beene some upon earth so doe likewise live now on the earth such are all true and godly Christians in what place or countrey soever here or there and among what people soever they lead their life who by being baptized in the name of the Lord may be sanctified and being indued with true faith in the Sonne of God and set on fire are mutually enflamed with affection of divine charitie and love who also acknowledging the justification of Christ doe use both it and absolution from their sinnes and the communion of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and diligently apply themselves to all holy exercises of pietie beseeming a Christian profession as also the Apostles call such beleevers in Christ which as yet like strangers are conversant here on earth according to the state of mortall men Saints As for example Ye are 1 Pet 2. 2 Cor. 1â— Heb. 1â— a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people Againe all the Saints greete you In like manner Salute all those that have the oversight of you and all the Saints that is all faithfull Christians For this cause it is taught that we ought with intire love and favour of the heart to embrace all Christians before all other people and when need is from the same affection of love to afford unto them our sevice and to helpe them further that we ought to maintaine the societie of holy friendship with those that love and follow the truth of Christ with all good affection to conceive well of them to have them in honour for Christs sake to give unto Rom 12 Gal 6. 1 Cor 12. them due reverence from the affection of Christian love and to studie in procuring all good by our dutie and service to pleaâ—ure them and finally to desire their prayers for us And that Christians going astray and intangled with sinnes are lovingly and gently to be brought to amendment that compassion is to be had on them that they are with a quiet minde in love so as becometh to be borne withall that prayer is to be made unto God for them that he would bring them againe into the way of salvation to the end that the holy Gospel may be spread farther abroad and Christs glory may be made knowne and enlarged among all men Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve and acknowledge
And even as they declined from those things which had perversly crept into the doctrine of Christ so they were more and more confirmed in those things which are altogether agreeable thereunto Of which sort are the Articles which the Christian Church hath hitherto steadfastly beleeved touching the holy Trinitie to wit that God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are one essence and three persons and admit no other division or difference then the distinction of persons Of Invocating and worshipping of Saints Artic. 11. MOreover that abuse also was reproved and confuted by which some thinke they can so by fastings and prayers winne and binde unto themselves both the blessed Virgin Mary that bare God and other Saints that they hope by their intercession and merits they may be delivered from all adversities as well of soule as of body and be enriched with all kinde of good things For our Preachers have taught by the commandement of Christ the Saviour that that heavenly Father alone is by the same Christ in the holy spirit to be prayed unto as he who hath promised that he will never deny us any of those things which we by a true faith aske of him through his Sonne And seeing the Scripture it selfe setteth before us one onely Mediatour between God and men to wit the man Iesus Christ 1 Tim. 2. who both loveth us more entirely and can by authoritie doe more with the Father then any other they rightly thinke that this onely intercessour and advocate ought to suffice us Yet they doe therewithall teach that the most holy mother of God and Virgin Mary and other beloved Saints are with great diligence to be honoured But that that thing cannot otherwise be done then if we studie to be conversant in those things to which they especially gave themselves namely to innocencie and sanctification and of which they set before us so worthy examples For sith they with all their heart and soule and with all their strength doe love God we can in nothing please them better then if we also with them love God from the heart and by all meanes possible to make our selves conformable to him so farre off are they from ascribing their owne salvation to their merits how therefore should they presume to help any other with their merits Nay rather every one of them while they lived here said with Paul the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Sonne of God who loved me and gave himselfe for me For I despise not the grace of God Seeing therefore they themselves attribute whatsoever they either be or have to the goodnesse of God and to the redemption of the Lord Iesus Christ we can please them no way better then if we also wholly rest in the same things alone which very thing Saint Augustine also teacheth toward the end of his Booke De vera religione Of Images CHAP. 22. AS touching Images our Preachers reproved this especially out of the holy Scriptures that adoring and invocating of of them is so openly granted to the simple people against the expresse commandement of God Secondly that so great cost is bestowed for their worship and ornament by which rather the hungry thirsty naked fatherlesse sick and those that are in bonds for Christ ought to have been relieved Lastly because the most part are so perswaded that with such worship and cost bestowed upon Images both which things God abhorreth they deserve much at Gods hands and that they obtaine speciall helpe by this means Contrariwise the same men doe teach that the ancient writers so long as Christian faith remained some what pure understood the Scriptures which forbid worshipping and praying to Images in this sense that they thought it an abominable thing to admit any Images either graven or painted in the Church although they were not otherwise ignorant what our liberty is as in all externall things so likewise in Images For they nothing doubted but that it was flat contrary both to the commandements of Scripture and also to the holy religion Which may especially be proved even by those things which blessed Epiphanius in times past Bishop of Salaminium in Cyprus writeth of himselfe in an Epistle to John Bishop of Ierusalem which also Saint Ierome turned out of Greeke into Latine because he thought it both Christian and profitable to be read and these are Epiphanius own words When we went together to the holy place which is called Bethel that there I might make a collection with thee after the custome of the Church and was come to the village which is called Anablotha and passing by saw there a Lamp burning and had asked what place it was and had learned that it was a Church and was gone in to pray I found there a vaile hanging at the entrie of the same Church stained and painted and having the Image as it might be of Christ or some Saint for I doe not well remember whose picture it was when therefore I had seene this in Christs Church contrary to the commandement of the â—cripture that there hung a mans picture I cut it and moreover I counselled the keepers of that place that they should winde and burie some poore body in it And a little after when he had brought an excuse for his delay in sending another vaile that he had promised he addeth And now I have sent that I could finde and I pray thâ—e bid the Elders of the same place take the vaile that we have sent of the bearer and bid that henceforth such vailes as bee contrary to our religion be not hanged up in the Church of Christ Loe this godly Bishop writeth that it is against the holy Scriptures and Christian Religion to have even Christs owne picture in the Church and that in so plaine words that it may appeare to them that as well the Bishop of Ierusalem himselfe and Ierome as all other men of that age throughout the same and that that faith and custome of detesting Images hath beene alwaies of old in the Church of Christ and brought in by the Apostles themselves Whereas some say further that Images be profitable for the instruction of the Lay people it appeareth first of all that almost all Images were set up for pompe and superstition rather then for any other use Secondly neither is that reason very sound For although the Lord would instruct and bring to the knowledge of his goodnesse the Iewes farre more dull then becometh Christians to be by divers outward ceremonies and pedagogies yet he was so farre from thinking that the use of Images was fit and convenient for that purpose that he did even by name forbid it unto them For whosoever is not instructed and stirred up to the worship of God by the word of God and by so excellent workes of his which he layeth before us both in heaven and earth and which are continually before our eyes and at hand and which to conclude
by the infinite goodnesse and wisdome of the Godhead is appointed a Mediatour and Redeemer I know that the commandement of God is immutable so that every one may determine in these griefes that he is assuredly received into favour for Christ his sake This is the proper voice of the Gospel this Decree is brought by the Son out of the bosome of the eternall Father and is sealed up by his blood and resurrection Not to assent to this Will and Decree is to contemne the Son of God and concerning this sinne John saith cap. 3. He that beleeveth not the Sonne the wrath of God abideth on him But he that beleeveth that his sins be forgiven for this Mediatours sake he doth now certainly receive remission of his sins for Christ his sake which is effectuall in him and quickneth and sanctifieth him by his holy Spirit and being now reconciled he is undoubtedly accounted just for the Mediatours sake and is heire of eternall life Either to omit or to corrupt or to dislike this necessary comfort touching conversion is as much as manifestly to extinguish the gospel As touching this faith absolution ought both to admonish us and also to confirme it as David was confirmed when he heard this absolution 2 Reg. 12. The Lord hath taken away thy sinne So know thou that the voyce of the Gospel doth declare remission unto thee also the which remission is namely propounded to thee in absolution Doe not thou feigne that the Gospel doth nothing at all pertaine to thee but know that it was therefore published that by this meanes men imbracing the Gospel might be saved and that it is the eternall and immutable commandement of God that thou shouldest beleeve it He that doth not by this faith imbrace the Gospel but is stil doubting he doth in vaine heare the absolution When as by this comfort the hearts are quickned and are now made the dwelling places of God Then is it necessary that they should now begin a new obedience as is said before But to returne to wicked deeds is to shake off God and again to lose that righteousnesse and life as Iohn saith 1 Ioh. 3. He that doth righteousnesse is righteous he that committeth sinne is of the devill But we have before rehearsed the summe of the dectrine of new obedience Of Satisfaction Artic. 17. NOw what a confusion there is in their doctrine of Satisfactions which they tearme workes not due injoyned by the Church it were long to rehearse and few before these times have understood it but we doubt not but that this whole part also is truely and cleerely expounded in our Churches It was a custome among our first fathers that they which defled themselves with murther Idols or filthy lustes should be barred their company and chiefly from their sacrifices This custome both the Synagogue retained and other nations also which were not altogether savage in Asia and in Greece In the meane time they which were defiled wandred up and downe being branded with the markes of their guiltinesse as Orestes Adrastus and many others This custome in the beginning did the Church also keepe Those that were defiled it severed from the mutuall society afterward it did not suddenly receive those again that did repent that it might be knowne that they did unfainedly aske pardon and for examples it might profit others but for certaine daies absolution was deferred that they might be seene to aske pardon publikely So was that incestuous Corinthian debarred and afterward received againe not without deliberation 1 Cor. 5. This whole custome was appointed * Looke the 4. observation for examples sake and is politicall nothing at all pertaining to the remission of sins But afterward through superstition it so increased that fasts and forbearing the company of man or wife were injoyned for many yeeres When these burthens had increased too much the Bishops did release them againe and this release of such rites was called Indulgence The Monks not considering the history of these things feigned that eternall punishment might be recompensed by the punishments of Purgatorie or other punishments of this life and they added that Satisfactions were injoyned of the Church that those punishments might be mitigated and that satisfactions should be workes not due by the law of God We reject these Monkish fables which even they themselves doe not understand and we retaine most sure rules to wit That eternall punishments are remitted together with the fault for the Sonne his sake not for any our satisfactions according to that which is written in Hosea Chap. 13. O death I will be thy death O hell I will be thy destruction Also Rom. 5. Being iustified by faith we have peace Secondly we say that these not due workes whereof these men speake are not any worship of God or satisfactions but that they doe pertaine to this saying Matth. 15. They doe in vaine worship me with the commandements of men And * Looke the fifth observat upon this confession certainly the power of the keies hath no commandement to injoyne such punishments Also we feare that this applying of indulgences by which the Pope doth apply the merits of Saints unto others is but counterfeit and that the indulgences in times past were nothing else but a releasing of the Canons which did nothing appertaine to those satisfactions whereof the Monks do speake Now it is another thing to speake of satisfaction which is due as of the restoring of theft of that which hath beene gotten by usury of another mans wife or his good name This restitution is a worke that is due pertaining to new obedience as Paul saith Ephes 4. Let him that hath stolne steale no more He that withholdeth another mans wise hath neither contrition faith nor new obedience Neither are the commandements of God touching due satisfaction which we say ought to be made to be mingled with those trifling songs of Popish satisfactions Also this we confesse that in this life many horrible punishments are spread over the Church over Empires and over families for certaine sinnes of many men yea even of the Elect as the sedition that was raised up against David did not lightly afflict that whole civill regiment and many holy families Therefore we distinguish betwixt eternall punishment and the punishment of this life and we say that eternall punishment is remitted onely for the Sonne of God his sake when we are justified and quickned by faith And albeit that even temporall punishments * Locke the 6. Observat are chiefly mittigated for the Sonne of God his sake who is the harbour for the Church because this weake nature cannot sustaine the greatnesse of the wrath of God as Daniel prayeth Chap. 9. For the Lords sake heare thou us and have an eye unto our helpe c. Yet we teach this also that even for the very conversions sake our punishments are mittigated because that in the Saints the legall promises being added to their
or absolution faith may be either conceived or confirmed For that we may truely repent we thinke that there is nothing more sure and certaine then that of necessitie we should have faith to this end that as the Gospel of Christ doth declare it so we may assuredly beleeve that our sinnes are freely pardoned and forgiven for our Lord Iesus Christ his sake We are not ignorant if we looke unto our workes that we are not onely to doubt but also to dispaire of our salvation because that our workes seeme they never so good cannot stand upright before the severe tribunall seate of God Neither are we ignorant that some doubt of the mercy and favour of God doth alwaies cleave to our flesh so long as we live in the body But seeing that God doth promise unto us his free mercy for Christ his Sonnes sake and doth require of us that we doe obediently beleeve the Gospel of his Sonne he there with also doth require that we mortifie the doubting of the flesh and have a most assured affiance in his mercy that we doe not accuse his promise to be so full of deceit as we are of doubting And that we may conceive sure confidence therein he placed our salvation not in the merits of our righteousnesse which is unperfect but onely in the merits of his Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ whose righteousnesse as it is most perfect so it is most firme and constant in the judgement of God Mar. 1. Repent and beleeve the Gospel He commandeth us to beleeve the Gospel which declareth unto us the certaine favour of God toward us for Christ his sake therefore he will not have us to doubt of his favour towards us but that we may conceive sure confidence thereof Iohn 6. This is the worke of God that ye beleeve in him whom the Father hath sent If God require of us that we beleeve in his Sonne certainely he would not have us to doubt but that we put our sure confidence in him Jam. 1. If any of you want wisedome let him aske of him which giveth it namely of God who giveth I say to all men without exception and upbraideth not and it shall be given him but let him aske with confidence nothing doubting Hilarie saith The kingdome of heaven In Mat. cap. 5. which the Prophets foreshewed Iohn preached and our Lord professed to consist in himselfe he will have us to hope for without any doubting of a wavering will Otherwise iustification through faith is none In Manueli cap. 23. at all if faith it selfe be doubtfull And Augustine saith He that doth despaire of the pardon of his sinnse doth deny that God is morcifull he that doth distrust of the mercy of God doth great iniurie unto God and as much as in him lyeth he denieth that God hath love truth and power in which things all our hope doth consist Sixtus Sixtus Pontifex Tom. 1. Epist Sixti Pont sicis saith He which is doubtfull in faith is an infidell Wherefore we thinke that they who counsell us to doubt of the favour of God towards us doe not onely dissent from the true judgement of the Catholike Church but also provide very ill for the salvation of the Church Of Satisfaction CHAP. 15. AS touching satisfaction we beleeve and confesse that the alone passion and death of the onely begotten Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ is a satisfaction for our sinnes and that this satisfaction of Christ is offered and applied to us by the ministery of the Gospel and is received of us by faith We also confesse that after the satisfaction of Christ is applied and by faith received we ought necessarily to doe those good workes which God hath commanded not that by them we might purge our sinnes before God but that we might bring forth good fruits of repentance and testifie our thankefulnesse For as touching prayer fasting giving of almes and such like workes we thinke that they are diligently to be performed yet that they have a farre other use then that they should by their merits either satisfie God for our sinnes or apply unto us the merite of Christ Out of the Confession of SVEVELAND Of Confession CHAP. 20. SEeing that true confession of sinnes and such as hath it beginning from godlinesse can be performed of no man whom his repentance and true sorrow of minde doth not force thereunto it cannot be wrested out by any precept Wherefore neither Christ himselfe nor the Apostles would command it Therefore for this cause our Preachers doe exhort men to confesse their sins and there withall they shew what fruit ariseth hereof that a man should secretly seeke for comfort counsell doctrine instruction and at the hands of a man that is a Christian and wise yet by commandement they urge no man but doe rather affirme that such commandements doe hinder godlinesse For that constitution of confessing sinnes unto a Priest hath driven infinite soules unto desperation and is subject to so many corruptions that of late it ought to have beene abrogated and without doubt had beene abrogated if the governours of Churches of late time had burned with so great a zeale to remove away stumbling blocks as in times past Nestorius the Bishop of Constantinople did burne who did utterly abolish secret confession in his Church because that a certaine noble woman going often to Church under pretence of doing the workes of repentance was deprehended to have to doe with a Deacon Infinit such undoubted sinnes were committed every where Moreover the Pontificall lawes doe require that the hearer and judge of confession should be so holy learned wise mercifull that a man can hardly finde out especially among those that are commonly appointed to heare confessions to whom he might confesse himselfe And now the Schoolemen doe thinke that it is better to confesse sinnes to a laie man then to that Priest by whom we may not looke to be edified in godlinesse This is the summe That confession bringeth more hurt then profit which sound repentance and true sorrow of the minde for sinnes committed doth not wring out Therefore seeing this is the gift of God alone that we may repent of our sinnes and be truely sorrowfull for that wee have sinned nothing that may turne to salvation can be done in this matter by commandements as hath hitherto beene too too manifest even by experience THE NINTH SECTION OF IVSTIFICATION BY FAITH AND OF GOOD Workes and their Rewards The latter Confession of HELVETIA Of the true Justification of the faithfull CHAP. 15. TO justifie in the Apostles disputation touching justification doth signifie to remit sinnes to absolve from the fault and the punishment thereof to receive into favour to pronounce a man just For the Apostle faith to the Romans God is he that iustifieth Rom. 8. who is he that can condemne Where to justifie and to condemne are opposed And in the Acts of the Apostles the Apostle saith Through Christ is preached unto
the earth and fighteth against the flesh the world and the prince of the world the devill and against sinne and death The other being already set at libertie is now in heaven and triumpheth over all those being overcome and continually rejoyceth before the Lord. Yet these two Churches have notwithstanding a communion and fellowship betweene themselves The Church militant upon the earth hath evermore had in it many particular Churches which must all notwithstanding be referred to the unitie of the Catholike Church This militant Church was otherwise ordered and governed before the law among the Patriarkes otherwise under Moses by the Law and otherwise of Christ by the Gospel There are but two sorts of people for the most part mentioned to wit the Israelites and the Gentiles or they which of the Iewes and Gentiles were gathered to make a Church There be also two Testaments the Old and the New Yet both these sorts of people have had and still have one fellowship one salvation in one and the same Messiah in whom as members of one body they are all joyned together under one head and by one faith are all partakers of one and the same spirituall meate and drinke Yet here we doe acknowledge a diversitie of times and a diversitie in the pledges and signes of Christ promised and exhibited and that now the ceremonies being abolished the light shineth unto us more cleerely our gifts and graces are more aboundant and our libertie is more full and ample This holy Church of God is called the house of the living God builded of living and spirituall stones founded upon a rocke that cannot be removed upon a foundation besides which none can be laid Whereupon it is called the pillar and foundation of the truth that 2 Tim. 3. doth not erre so long as it relyeth upon the rock Christ and upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles And no marvell * Looke the first observat upon this confession if it doe erre so often as it forsaketh him who is the alone truth This Church is also called a virgin and the spouse of Christ and his onely beloved For the Apostle saith I have ioyned you unto one husband that I might present you a chaste virgin unto Christ The Church is called a flocke of sheepe under one shepheard even Christ Ezek. 34. and Iohn 10. also the body of Christ because the faithfull are the lively members of Christ having him for their head It is the head which hath the preheminence in the body and from whence the whole body receiveth life by whose spirit it is governed in all things of whom also it receiveth increase that it may grow up Also there is but one head of the body which hath agreement with the body and therefore the Church cannot have any other head beside Christ For as the Church is a spirituall body so must it needs have a spiritua I head like unto it selfe Neither can it be governed by any other spirit then by the spirit of Christ Wherefore Paul saith And he is the head of his body the Coloss 1. Church who is the beginning the first borne of the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence And in another place Christ saith he is the head of the Church and the same is the Saviour of Ephes 5. his body And againe Who is the head of the Church which is his Ephes 1. body even the fulnesse of him which filleth all in all things Againe Let us in all things grow up into him which is the head that is Ephes 4. Christ by whom all the body being knit together receiveth increase And therefore we doe not allow of the doctrine of the Romish Prelates who would make the Pope the generall Pastour and Supreame head of the Church of Christ miâ—itant here on earth and the very Vicar of Christ who hath as they say all fulnesse of power and soveraigne authoritie in the Church For we hold and teach that Christ our Lord is and remaineth still the onely universall Pastour and highest Bishop before God his Father and that in the Church he performeth all the duties of a Pastour or Bishop even to the worlds end and therefore standeth not in need of any other to supply his roome for he is said to have a substitute which is absent But Christ is present with his Church and is the head that giveth life thereunto He did straightly forbid his Apostles and their successours all superioritie or dominion in the Church They therefore that by gaine-saying set themselves against so manifest a truth and bring another kinde of government into the Church who seeth not that they are to be counted in the number of them of whom the Apostles of Christ prophesied as Peter 2 Epist 2. and Paul Act. 20. 2 Cor. 11. 2 Thess 2. and in many other places Now by taking away the Romish head we doe not bring any confusion or disorder into the Church for we teach that the government of the Church which the Apostles set downe is sufficient to keep the Church in due order which from the beginning while as yet it wanted such a Romish head as is now pretended to keepe it in order was not disordered or full of confusion That Romish head doth maintaine indeed that tyranny and corruption in the Church which was brought into the Church But in the meane time he hindreth resisteth and with all the might hee can make cutteth off the right and lawfull reformation of the Church They object against us that there have beene great strifes and dissentions in our Churches since they did sever themselves from the Church of Rome and that therefore they cannot be true Churches As though there were never in the Church of Rome any sects any contentions and quarrels and that in matters of religion maintained not so much in the Schooles as in the holy chaires even in the audience of the people We know that the Apostle said God is not the authour of dissention but of peace 1 Cor. 11. And Seeing there is amongst you emulation and contention are you not carnall Yet may we not deny but that God was in that Church planted by the Apostle and that that Apostolike Church was a true church howsoever there were strifes and dissentions in it The Apostle Paul reprehended Peter an Apostle and Barnabas Gal. 2. Acts 15. fell at variance with Paul great contention arose in the Church of Antioch betweene them that preached one and the same Christ as Luke recordeth in the Acts of the Apostles And there have at all times beene great contentions in the Church and and the most excellent Doctors of the Church have 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 use the dissentions that arise in the church to the glory of his name the
is preserved and doth discerne it from other nations and knoweth which is it what manner of one it is and where to be found Therefore that all godly men might be the better confirmed against these doubts This Article is set before them in the Creed I beleeve the holy Catholike Church By this profession we affirme that all mankinde is not rejected of God but that there is and shall remaine a certaine true Church that the promises of God are sure and that the Sonne of God doth as yet reigne receive and save those that call upon him And being raised up by this comfort we doe give God thanks and invocate him we do desire receive and look for eternall good things at his hand By reason of this admonition and comfort the Article in the Creed is rehearsed seeing that the selfe same doctrine touching the preserving of the Church is very often repeated in sundry Sermons in the booke of God as Isa 59. This is my covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed saith the Lord from henceforth even for ever And Christ saith I am with you for ever even to the end of the world Also this is a sweet comfort that the heires of eternaâ—l life are not to be found else where then in the company of those that are called according to that saying Whom he hath chosen them he hath also called Let not therefore mens mindes goe astray beholding this ragged body of the Church and peradventure dreaming that in other places some which do not know the Gospell are notwithstanding holy and the dwelling house of God as Fabius Scipio Aristides and such like But turne thou thy eyes hither Know for a certaintie that in this companie of those which are called some be chosen and joâ—ne thy selfe to this companie by Confession and Invocation as David saith Psal 26. One thing have I desired of the Lord and that I doe still require that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life to behold the will of the Lord and to visit his temple We doe not therefore speake of the Church as if we should speake of Plato his Idaea but we speake of such a Church as may be seene and heard according to that saying Their souâ—d is gone forth into all the earth The eternall Father will have his Sonne to be heard among all mankinde as he saith Hâ—are him And Psalme 2. I have set my King upon the holy hill of Sion I will declare the Decree The Lord said to me thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee Be wise now therefore ye Kings We say therefore that the visible Church in this life is a companie of those which doe embrace the Gospell of Christ and use the Sacraments aright wherein God by the ministery of the Gospell is effectuall and doth renue many to life eternall And yet in this company there be many which are not holy but do agree together concerning the true doctrine as in the time of Mary these were the Church to wit Zacharie Simeon Joseph Elizabeth Mary Anne the teachers and many other who agreed with them in the pure doctrine and did not heare the Sadduces and the Pharisees but Zachary Simeon Anne Mary and such like c. For when the companie is very small yet God doth reserve some remnants whose voice and confession is heard and he doth oftentimes renue the ministery according to that saying Except the Lord had left a seed unto us we had been like to Sodome c. Therefore this description taken out of the manifest testimonies of the Scriptures doth declare which is the Church what it is and where it is We may not doubt that the Church is tied to the Gospell as Paul saith If any man teach another Gospell let him be accursed And Joh. 10. My sheepe heare my voice And Joh. 14. If any man loveth me he heareth my word and my Father shall love him and we will come to him and will dwell with him And Joh. 17. Sanctifie them with thy word thy word is truth Therefore the Sadduces the Pharisees and such like Bishops and others who set forth an other doctrine differing from the Gospell and doe obstinately establish idolatry are no members of the Church of God although they hold a title and dominions But it is manifest that our adversaries teach and defend another kinde of doctrine differing from the Gospell seeing they teach that the Law of God may be fulfilled by our obedience in this life and that this obedience doth deserve remission of sinnes Also that by this obedience men are made righteous before God Also that evill concupiscence is not sin nor an evill resisting of the law of God Also that they which are converted must doubt whether they be in state of grace and that this doubting is not sinne Also that dead men are to be prayed unto Also that difference of meats monasticall vowes and other ceremonies chosen without any commandement of God are the service of God Also that the sacrifice in the masse doth deserve the remission of sinnes and other things both for him that maketh it and also for others that are alive or dead Also other manifold and horrible prophanations of the Sacraments Also that Bishops may appoint services of God and that the violating of those services which are appointed by them is mortall sinne Also that they may enjoyne the law of single life to any degree of men Also that the rehearsall of all and every offence is necessarie to the obtaining of remission of sinnes Also that Canonicall satisfactions doe recompence the punishments of Purgatorie Also that those Synods wherein the Bishops alone doe give their judgement cannot erre Also they which doe consecrate oyles and other things without the commandement of God and doe attribute thereunto a divine power against sins and Devils and diseases Also they which allow of prayers made to certaine Images as though there were more helpe to be had Also they which doe kill honest men onely for that they dislike these errours and doe professe the truth These things seeing they be altogether heathenish and idolatrous it is manifest that the maintainers thereof are not members of the Church but doe rule and have soveraigntie as the Pharisees and Saduces did Neverthelesse there have beene are and shall be in the Church of God such men as doe keepe the foundation although some had have and shall have more light and others lesse And somtimes also even the very Saints doe build stubble upon the foundation especially seeing that the miserie of these times doth not suffer those which have the beginnings of faith to be instructed and to conferre with the better learned Yet these are in the number of those whom the Lord commandeth to be spared Ezech. 9. who
sigh and are sorry because that errours are established Therefore chiefly by the voyce of the Doctrine we may and ought to judge which and where the true Church is which by the voyce of the true doctrine and then by the lawfull use of the Sacraments is distinguished from other nations And what is the voice of the true doctrine the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and the Creeds doe declare In these the doctrine is not doubtfull touching the foundation to wit touching the Articles of faith the essence and will of God the Sonne the Redeemer the Law the Promises the use 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 delivered of God Now what the Church is the Sonne of God sheweth saying My kingdome is not of this world Also As my Father sent me so doe I send you By the voice of the Ministers of the Gospell an eternall Church is gathered to God and by this voice God is effectuall and turneth many to himselfe This exceeding great benefit of God we ought to acknowledge and thankfully to extoll And although the Church be a companie that may be seene and heard yet it is to be distinguished from Politicall Empires or those that beare the sword Bishops have not authoritie by the Law of God to punish the disobedient neither doe they possesse the kingdomes of the world and yet in the Church there is an order according to that saying He ascended he giveth gifts to Men Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers The Sonne of God is the high Priest anoynted of the eternall Father who that the Church might not utterly perish hath given unto it Ministers of the Gospell partly called immediatly by himselfe as the Prophets and Apostles partly chosen by the calling of men For he doth both allow of the choise of the Church and of his infinite goodnesse he is effectuall even when the Gospell doth sound by such as are chosen by voices or in the name of the Church Therefore we doe retaine in our Churches also the publique rite of Ordination whereby the ministerie of the Gospell is commended to those that are truely chosen whose manners and doctrine we doe first throughly examine And touching the worthinesse of the ministery we doe faithfully teach our Churches No greater thing can be spoken then that which the Sonne of God saith As my Father sent me so doe I send you He also declareth what commandements he giveth Preach ye the Gospell and he affirmeth that he will be effectuall by their voice as the Father sheweth himselfe to be effectuall by the Son Also we set before men the commandements of God He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Also Obey them that have the oversight of you And yet these sayings doe not erect a kingdome without the Gospel but they command an obedience which is due to the voice of the Gospel And these things pertaine to the ministery To teach the Gospell to administer the Sacraments to give Absolution to them that aske it and doe not persevere in manifest offences to ordaine Ministers of the Gospell being rightly called and examined to exercise the judgements of the Church after a lawfull manner upon those * Looke the 1. Observat upon this confession which are guiltie of manifest crimes in manners or in doctrine and to pronounce the sentence of excommunication against them that are stubborne and againe to absolve and pardon them that do repent That these things may be done orderly there be also Consistories appointed in our Churches We said in the description of the Church that there be many in this visible Church which be not holy who notwithstanding in outward profession doe imbrace the true Doctrine We condemne the Donatists who feigned that their ministerie is not effectuall which are not holy Also we condemne that Anabaptisticall filth which feigned that to be the visible Church wherein all are holy And we confesse that we are so to thinke of the visible Church in this life as our Lord saith Matth. 12. The kingdome of God is like unto a draw net cast into the sea wherein fishes 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 this saying If any man teach another Gospell let him be accursed Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of the chiefe Bishop THere be those that attribute this to the Bishop of Rome that he is the head of the Vniversall Church and that he hath power in earth not onely to ordaine civill kingdomes and to governe all Ecclesiasticall persons and matters but also to command the Angels in heaven to deliver souls out of Purgatorie and to blesse or deliver 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 and Apostles then he had a ministery of high authoritie in this earth to wit a ministery of remitting and retaining 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 lawfull calling doe preach the Gospell of Christ For the ministerie of remitting or retaining sins which otherwise is called the Key of the kingdome of heaven is not given to the free power of the person of men but it is so neerely annexed to the word of the Gospell that so many as doe preach the Gospell may truly be said to remit and to retaine sins to wit to remit their sins who by faith do receive the Gospell to retaine theirs that doe contemne the Gospell Mar. 16. Preach the Gospell to every creature He that shall beleeve and be baptized shall be saved but he that will not beleeve shall be damned Hilarie De Trinit lib. 6. saith The Father revealed it to Peter that he should say thou art the Sonne of God Therefore upon this rocke of Confession is the Church builded this faith is the foundation of the Church whatsoever this faith shall loose or binde in earth shall be loosed or bound in heaven Chrysostome saith They which beare the keyes be the Priests to whom the word of teaching and interpreting the Scriptures is committed Now the key is the word of the knowledge of the Scriptures by which key the truth is opened to men Augustine De Doctr. Christ Lib. 1. Cap. 18. saith These keyes did he give to the Church that whatsoever it looseth in earth should be loosed in heaven to wit that whosoever would not beleeve that his sinnes are forgiven him in the Church they should not be forgiven to him but whosoever should beleeve and being corrected doth turne from his sins being placed in the lap of the Church should
by the same faith and correction be healed Ambrose saith Sinnes are remitted by the word whereof the Levite is the Interpreter or Expounder Bernard in Epist ad Eug. saith The true successour of Paul will say with Paul Not that we have dominion over your faith but we are helpers of your ioy The heires of Peter will heare Peter saying Not as though ye were Lords over Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke Thomas in Summa sua parte 3. in addit q. 6. art 6. saith Because the Church is founded upon Faith and the Sacraments therefore it doth not pertaine to the Ministers of the Church to make new Articles of Faith or to set apart those which are made neither to appoint new Sacraments or to take away those which are appointed but this is proper to that excellencie of power which is due to Christ alone who is the foundation of the Church And therefore as the Pope cannot dispense that any one may be saved without Baptisme so cannot he not dispense with any to be saved without confession because that he bindeth by force of a Sacrament And although Thomas have his opinions touching confession yet this which he saith It doth not pertaine to the Ministers of the Church among whom he reckoneth the Pope to make new Articles of Faith and to appoint new Sacraments is indeed an Apostolike and Catholike judgement For no other ministerie doth pertaine to the Ministers of the Church which have their calling from Christ then that which we mentioned before and which the Apostles of Christ themselves did execute touching the remitting and retaining of sins Therefore if any thing more then this ministerie be attributed to the Bishop of Rome this is either given unto him by mans ordinances or else it is feigned by the Monks and other flatterers against the authoritie of the word of God Of the Church VVE beleeve and confesse that there is one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church according to the Creed of the Artic. 32. Apostles and the Nicene Creed 2. That this Church is so governed of the holy Ghost that although he suffer it to be weake in this earth yet he doth alwayes preserve it that it doe not perish either by errours or by sins 3. That in this world many naughtie men and hypocrites are mingled with this Church 4. That these naughtie men and hypocrites if by a lawfull calling they shall take upon them the ministerie of the Church shall not of themselves any whit hinder the truth of the Sacraments except they pervert the ordinance of Christ and teach wicked things 5. That in this Church there is true remission of sins 6. That this Church * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confess hath authoritie to beare witnesse of the holy Scripture 7. That this Church hath authoritie * to judge of all doctrines according to that Try the spirits whether they be of God And Let the other iudge 8. That this Church hath authoritie * Looke the 2. observation to interpret the Scripture But where this Church is to be sought and whether her authoritie be limited within certaine bounds divers men doe judge diversly But we thinke that men are to judge by the authoritie both of the holy Scripture and also of the ancient 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 Gospell of Christ is sincerely preached and his Sacraments rightly administred according to Christ his institution Ioh. 10. I have said ye are Gods He called them Gods unto whom the word of God was given c. Therefore there is the people or Church of God where the word of God is preached Joh. 15. Now you are cleane through the word which I have spoken to you Therefore the word of Christ which is the Gospell doth declare where that Church is which is cleane in the sight of God Romanes 1. The Gospell is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth Therefore where the Gospell is which is acknowledged by faith there God hath his Church wherein he is effectuall unto eternall life Chrysostome in his Commentaries upon Matthew Cap. 24 Hom. 49. saith Therefore at this time all Christians must goe to the Scriptures because that at this time since heresie possessed those Churches there can be no triall of true Christianitie neither can there be any other refuge for Christians that would willingly know the truth of faith but onely the Divine Scriptures And a little after Therefore he that will know which is the true Church of Christ whence may he know it but onely by the Scriptures Augustine Tom. 2. Epist 166. saith In the Scriptures we have learned Christ in the Scriptures we have learned to know the Church these Scriptures we have in common why doe we not in them retaine in common both Christ and the Church And againe Tom. 7. in Epist contra Epist Petiliani Donatistae cap. 2. 3. 4. It is a question betweene us and the Donatists where the Church is What then shall we doe shall we seeke the Church in our own words or in the words of her 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 body Now that which is affirmed that the Church hath authoritie to beare witnesse of the holy Scripture to interpret the Scripture and to judge of all doctrines it is not so to be understood that the Church hath absolute authoritie to determine what she listeth and also if it please her 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 her husband and that she hath received of her husband a certain rule to wit the Propheticall and Apostolicall preaching confirmed by miracles from heaven according to the which she is bound to interpret those places of the Scripture which seeme to be obscure and to judge of doctrines Psal 119. Thy word is a light unto my feete Rom. 3. Having gifts that be divers according to the grace that is given unto us whether we have prophecy according to the proportion of Faith c. 2 Pet. 1. We have a more sure word of the Prophets to the which ye do well that ye take heede as unto a light that shineth in a darke place c. Origen upon lerem Hom. 1. It is necessary for us to call the holy Scriptures to witnes for our meanings and interpretations have no credit without these witnesses Ierome upon Matth. 23. That which is spoken without authority of the Scriptures is as easily contemned as it is spoken And August De Nupt. Concup Lib. 2. Cap. 23. saith This controversie seeketh a Iudge Therefore let Christ
in his time of need receiveth me and contrarily He that despiseth you despiseth me This is also taught and handled * Looke the 9. Observation that the Priests ought not to use these keyes of the Lord otherwise then according to the meaning and will of Christ which is declared expressely in his word and according to the sure flat and expresse determinations of his judgement and that they doe not any manner of way according to mens opinions much lesse after their own minde or lust abuse these keyes for so it would come to passe that the keyes should swarve from their office And this is to be taken heed of that it be not by this meanes fulfilled in the misusing of them which the Lord hath said by the Prophet For you saith be is this Malac. 2. commandement O ye Priests if you will not heare it nor consider it in your hearts to give glory to my name saith the Lord of Hrasts I will send a curse upon you and will curse your blessings as I have cursed them already because you regard not in your hearts the feare of the Lord. Out of the FRENCH Confession SEeing that we are not made partakers of Christ but by the Artic. 25. Gospell we beleeve that that good order which by the authoritie of the Gospell is confirmed ought to be kept sacred and inviolablâ— and that therefore Pastours are necessarily required in the Church upon whose shoulders the burden of teaching the word and administring of the Sacraments doth lie whom also we ought to honour and reverently to heare if so be that they being lawfully called doe discharge their dutie not as though God did stand in need of such stayes and inferiour helps but therefore rather because that so it seemeth good to him to governe us as it were by using this bridle Therefore we detest all those fanaticall spirits who as much as in them lyeth desire that both this sacred ministerie or preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments were utterly abolished We beleeve that this true Church ought to be governed by that Artic. 29. regiment or discipline which our Lord Iesus Christ hath established to wit so that there be in it Pastours Elders and Deacons that the puritie of Doctrine may be retained vices repressed the poore and others that be in miserie according to their necessitie may be provided for and that there may be holy meetings for the edifying both of small and great We beleeve that all true Pastours in what place soever they be Artic 30. placed have the same and equall authoritie among themselves given unto them under Iesus Christ the onely head and the chiefe and alone universall Bishop and that therefore it is not lawfull for any Church to challenge unto it selfe Dominion or Soveraigntie over any other Church We beleeve that it is not lawfull for any man upon his owne Artic. 31. authoritie to take upon him the government of the Church but that every one ought to be admitted thereunto by a lawfull election so neere as may be and so long as the Lord giveth leave And this exception we doe expressely adde because that sometime as it fell our also in our daies the state of the Church being disturbed it was necessary that some should be raised up of the Lord extraordinarily which should repaire the ruines of the decayed Church Neverthelesse howsoever it be we beleeve that this rule is alwaies to be followed that all Pastours and Elders should have a testimonie of their calling Out of the ENGLISH Confession FVrthermore we beleeve that there be divers degrees of Ministers in the Church whereof some be Deacons some Artic. 5. Priests some Bishops to whom is committed the office to instruct the people and the whole charge and setting forth of Religion Yet notwithstanding we say that there neither is nor can be any one man which may have the whole superioritie in this universall state for that Christ is ever present to assist his Church and needeth not any man to supply his roome as his onely heire to all his substance and that there can be no one mortall creature which is able to comprehend or conceive in his minde the Vniversall Church that is to wit all the parts of the world much lesse able rightly and duely to put them in order and to governe them For all the Apostles as Cyprian saith were of like power among themselves and the rest were the same that Peter was And that it was said indifferently to them all Feedye indifferently to them all Goe into the whole world Indifferently to them all Teach ye the Gospell And as Hierome saith All Bishops wheresoever they be be they at Rome be they at Eugubium be they at Constantinople be they at Rhegium be all of like preeminence and of like Priesthood And as Cyprian saith There is but one Bishopricke and a peece thereof is perfitly and wholly holden of every particular Bishop And according to the judgement of the Nicene Councell we say that the Bishop of Rome hath no more jurisdiction over the Church of God then the rest of the Patriarks either of Alexandria or of Antioch have And as for the Bishop of Rome who now calleth all matters before himselfe alone except he doe his dutie as he ought to do except he minister the Sacrament except he instruct the people except he warne them and teach them we say that he ought not of right once to be called a Bishop or so much as an Elder For a Bishop as saith Austine is a name of labour and not of honour that the man that seeketh to have preeminence and not to profit may understand himselfe to be no Bishop And that neither the Pope nor any other worldly creature can no more be head of the whole Church or a Bishop over all then he can be the Bridegroome the light the salvation and life of the Church For these priviledges and names belong onely to Christ and be properly and onely fit for him alone And that no Bishop of Rome did ever suffer himselfe to be called by such a proud name and title before Phocas the Emperours time who as we know by killing his owne Soveraigne Mauritius the Emperour did by a trayterous villany aspire to the Empire Which was about the sixth hundred and thirteenth yeere after Christ was borne Also the Councell of Carthage did circumspectly provide that no Bishop should be called either the highest Bishop or chiefe Priest And therefore sithence the Bishop of Rome will now adaies so be called and challengeth unto himselfe an authoritie that is none of his besides that he doth plainly contrary to the ancient Councels and contrary to the old Fathers We beleeve that he doth give to himselfe as it is written by his own companion Gregory A presumptuous a prophane a sacrilegious and an antichristian name that he is also the King of pride that he is * Looke the 1.
in the word of God This especially every one ought to take diligent heed of that he doe not by unlawfull means thrust himselfe into those offices For every one must waite untill he be called of God himselfe that he may have a certaine testimonie of his vocation and may know that it is from the Lord. Yet in what place of the world soever the Ministers of the word of God doe keep they have all of them the same and equall power and authoritie being all of them equally the Ministers of Christ the onely universall Bishop and head of the Church Moreover lest that this holy ordinance of God be despised and brought into contempt it is the dutie of all men to have a very honourable and reverent opinion of all the Ministers of the Word and Seniours of the Church even for that works sake wherein they doe labour also to be at peace and unitie with them and as much as possibly may be to abstaine from all manner of quarrellings and contentions one with another Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE COncerning Ecclesiasticall Orders they teach that no man Artic. 14. should publiquely in the Church teach or Minister the Sacraments except he be rightly called according as Saint Paul giveth commandement to Titus To ordaine Elders in every Citie Out of the Articles concerning abuses Of the power Ecclesiasticall THere have been great controversies touching the power and Artic. 7. authoritie of Bishops in which many have incommodiously mingled together the Ecclesiasticall power and the power of the sword And out of this confusion there hath sprung very great wars and tumults while that the Popes bearing themselves bold upon the power of the keyes have not only appointed new kindes of worship and service of God and burdened mens consciences by reserving of cases and by violent excommunications but also have laboured to transferre worldly kingdomes from one to another and to spoile Emperours of their power and authoritie These faults did godly and learned men long since reprehend in the Church and for that cause our Divines were faine for the comfort of mens consciences to shew the difference betweene the Ecclesiasticall and civill powers And they have taught that either of them because of Gods commandement is dutifully to be reverenced and honoured as the chiefest blessings of God upon earth Now their judgement is this that the power of the keyes or the power of the Bishops by the rule of the Gospel is a power or commandement from God of preaching the Gospel of remitting or retaining sins and of administring the Sacraments For Christ doth send his Apostles with this charge As the Father hath sent me so send I you Receive ye the holy Ghost whose sins ye forgive they are forgiven them and whose sins ye retaine they are retained Mar. 16. Go and preach the Gospel to every creature c. This power is put in execution onely by teaching or preaching the Gospel and administring the Sacraments either to many joyntly or to severall persons according to their calling For they be not corporall things but eternall that are granted unto us as an eternall righteousnesse the holy Ghost life everlasting These things cannot be gotten but by the ministerie of the Word and Sacraments As Paul saith The Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth Seeing then that the power Ecclesiasticall concerneth things eternall and is put in use onely by the ministery of the word it hindreth not the politicall government * Looke the 1. observation no more then doth the * skill of musicke or singing For the civill government is occupied about other matters then is the Gospel * Looke the 2. observation the Magistrate is to defend not the mindes but the bodies and bodily things against manifest injuries he restraineth men by the sword and corporall punishment that he may uphold peace and a civill justice Wherefore the Ecclesiasticall and civill powers are not to be confounded The Ecclesiasticall power hath a peculiar commandement to preach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments Let it not by force enter into another charge let it not turne worldly kingdomes from the right owners Let it not abrogate the Magistrates laws let it not withdraw from them lawfull obedience let it not hinder judgements touching any civill ordinances and statutes or contracts let it not prescribe lawes to the magistrate touching the forme of a common-wealth as Christ saith My kingdome is not of this world Againe Who made me a iudge over you And Paul to the Philip. 3. Our conversation is in heaven 2 Cor. 10. The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty in God to throw downe the imaginations c. Thus doe our Divines discerne and distinguish the duties of each power one from the other and doe warne all men to honour both powers and to acknowledge both to be the good gift and blessing of God * Looke the 3. observation upon this confession If so be that the Bishops have any power of the sword they have it not as Bishops by the commandement of the Gospell but by mans law given unto them of Kings and Emperours for the civill government of their goods Yet this is a kind of function and charge diverse from the ministery of the Gospell Therefore when as the question is touching the jurisdiction of Bishops rule and dominion must be distinguished from Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction Againe by the Gospell or as they tearme it by Gods law Bishops as they be Bishops that is such as have the administration of the word and Sacraments committed to them have no jurisdiction at all but onely to forgive sinne also to know what is true doctrine and to reject such doctrine as will not stand with the Gospell and * Looke the 4. Observation to debarre from the communion of the Church such as are notoriously wicked not by humane force and violence but by the word of God And * herein of necessity the Churches ought by the law of God to perform obedience unto them according to the saying of Christ he that heareth you heareth me But when as they teach or determine any thing contrary to the Gospell then have the Churches a commandement of God which forbiddeth obedience to them Matt. 7. Beware of false Prophets Gal. 1. If an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel let him be accursed 2 Cor. 13. We cannot doe any thing against the truth but for the truth Also This power is given us to edifie and not to destroy So doe the Canons command 2. quaest 7. Cap. Sacerdotes Cap. Oves And Augustine in his Treatise against Petilians Epistle saith Neither must we subscribe to Catholike Bishops if they chance to erre or hold opinion which be against the Scriptures If so be * Looke the 6 Observat that they have any other power or jurisdiction in hearing and understanding certaiâ—â— cases as namely of Matrimony and
obedience is most necessary in such things as belong properly to this ministery ordained of God For these sayings do not allot unto Bishops a kingdome without the Gospell Christ gave them certaine commandements and those he will have us obey Againe he forbad that any new found worship should be set up in the Church and such he will not have us yeeld unto There are certaine bonds and limits prefixed within which both the Pastours authority and our obedience must containe it selfe But these limites do those Bishops most malapertly remove who proudly challenge to themselves a triple power whereby they establish most pernicious errours to wit a Princely and supream power of interpreting the Scriptures Secondly a power of erecting new worship and service of God Thirdly a soveraigne power of making new lawes And thus they trans forme the Church into an humane government 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 Bishops must have a power in the Church not unlike that And they cannot abide that the Church should be governed by the dumbe writings as they call them of the Prophets and Apostles which because sometime they scarse make the matter plaine enough which they do set down the ambiguity breedeth dissentions and discords Here therefore there must needs be say they a definitive voice of some soveraigne or high Iudge to interpret that which is ambiguous and doubtfully written And except all be tied to stand to their interpretation there will be no end of strife and controversies Againe unlesse they may according as times and occasions require make lawes what a disorder would there follow These things are set out with bigge words and they carry a shew of probability in them because they are in imitation of the civill government And surely such conceits as these have in all ages from the beginning of the world hurt the Church greatly and still will hurt it The godly are therefore to be admonished that they be not overtaken with these subtilties sleights God will have his Church governed by his word which Christ and his Apostles have left unto the Church and he will have this his voice to sound in the Church by the mouthes of his ministers And though it do containe a wisdome that is farre from reasons reach yet the word of the Prophets and Apostles is sure and not doubtfull Therefore Peter saith Ye do well in attending to the word of the Prophets as to a light in the darknes Besides the Church hath the gift of interpretation that is the understanding of the heavenly doctrine but that is not tyed 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 and born again by his spiritin what place soever they be they assent unto the word of God and understand the same some more some lesse Men must therefore judge wisely of those huge Bulwarkes of the peoples power Touching lawes to be made by the Bishops Peter saith in a word Why doe ye tempt God laying a yoke on them c. Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of Order IT is evident by the holy Scriptures that all they which are indeed Artic. 20. Christians are consecrated in baptisme by Christ the Son of God to be spirituall priests and that they ought alwaies to offer up to God spirituall sacrifices Neither is it unknowne that Christ in his Church hath instituted ministers who should preach his Gospel and administer the Sacraments Neither is it to be permitted to every one although he be a spirituall priest to usurpe a publike ministerie in the Church without a lawfull calling For Paul saith Let all things be done honestly and decently among you And againe Lay hands suddenly on no man Wherefore we doe not account it an unprofitable thing to prove as it were by certaine steps the faith of them that are to be admitted to the publike ministerie of the Gospel And it seemeth not a little to further concord and unitie to keepe a due order among the Ministers of the Church But the holy Scripture doth not teach us that Christ hath instituted in his Church such priests as should be Mediatours betweene God and men and pacifie the wrath of God towards men by their sacrifices and apply the merit of Christ to the quick and the dead without the preaching of the Gospel and administration of the Sacraments For if we will speake of the great and true Mediatour There is but one Mediatour betweene God and men Jesus Christ the Sonne of God * Looke the 2. Observat upon this confession If we will speake of the Mediatour of praying every godly man is made a Mediatour each for other through Iesus because that their dutie doth require that they should commend one anothers health to God in their prayers the which dutie also then every one doth performe when they say the Lords prayer in faith If we speake of the sacrifices which doe purge our sinnes and appease the wrath of God then is there one onely sacrifice which doth purge us and reconcile God unto us to wit the sacrifice of our Lord Iesus Christ which was once made on the Crosse And as Christ doth die no moe death hath no more Dominion over him so this sacrifice of his shall never be made againe but by his one oblation as it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews He hath made perfect for ever those that be sanctified If we speake of the remembrance of this one sacrifice and of the applying of the merit thereof then the publike ministers of the Church which doe teach the Gospel publikely and administer the Sacraments according to the institution of Christ doe not onely make a true and right remembrance of this purging sacrifice but doe also apply by their dispensation the merit of this sacrifice to all those that doe receive the Gospel and the Sacraments by faith Therefore we cannot see what use there is of those kinde of men in the Church which are ordained for this purpose that they may have authoritie to sacrifice for the quicke and the dead Paul when as in his Epistles to the Corinthians and Ephesians he rehearseth those offices and ministeries which are necessary to the edifying and preserving of the Church he reckoneth Prophets Apostles Evangelists Pastors Doctors and such like but in this rehearsall he maketh no mention at all of private Priests of which sort the world is now full neither is it like that he would have omitted this kinde of Priests if either Christ had appointed it or if it had been profitable and necessary for the Church And Paul writeth that a Bishop ought to be apt to teach And Jerome teacheth that A Priest and a Bishop are all one Therefore it is evident that
except a * Looke the 2. Observation upon this confess Priest be ordained in the Church to the ministerie of teaching he cannot rightly take unto him neither the name of a Priest nor the name of a Bishop Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Of the Office dignitie and power of Ecclesiasticall Persons TOuching the ministery and dignitie of the Ecclesiasticall Order Artic. 13. we doe thus teach First that there is no power in the Church but that which tendeth to edifying 2 Cor. 10. Secondly that we must not thinke otherwise of any man in this state then Paul would have men to esteeme either of himselfe or of Peter and Apollo and others As of the servants of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God in whom this is chiefly required that they be faithfull For these be they which have the keies of the kingdome of God and the power to binde and loose and to remit or retaine sinnes yet that power is so limited that they be neverthelesse the ministers of Christ to whom alone the right and authoritie to open heaven and forgive sinnes doth properly pertaine For neither he which planteth nor he that watereth is any thing but God that giveth the increase 1 Cor. 3. Neither is any man of himselfe fit to thinke any of those things as of himselfe but if any man be found fit thereunto he hath it all of God Who giveth to whom it pleaseth him to be the ministers and preachers of the New Testament to wit so farre forth as he giveth them a mind faithfully to preach the meaning and understanding of the Gospel and useth them hereunto that men may be brought by a true faith to his new covenant of grace Furthermore these be they which doe minister unto us the dead letter that is such a doctrine of truth as pearceth no further then to humane reason but the spirit which quickneth and doth so pearce into our spirit and soule that it doth throughly perswade our heart of the truth These are the true fellow-labourers of the Lord 1 Cor. 3. opeaing indeed heaven and forgiving sinnes to those to whom they declare the doctrine of faith by meanes of the grace and spirit of God Whereupon Christ sending out his Apostles to exercise this dutie he breathed upon them saying Take ye the holy Ghost And furthermore he addeth whose sins ye remit c. Hereof it is manifest that the true and fit Ministers of the Church such as be Bishops Seniors annointed and consecrated can doe nothing but in respect of this that they be sent of God For how shall they preach saith Paul except they be sent That is except they receive of God both a minde and power to preach the holy Gospel aright and with fruite and to feed the flocke of Christ And also except they receive the holy Ghost who may worke together with them and perswade mens hearts Other vertues where with these men must be endued are rehearsed 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Therefore they which are in this sort sent annointed consecrated and qualified they have an earnest care for the flocke of Christ and doe labour faithfully in the word and doctrine that they may feede the people more fruitfully and these are acknowledged and accounted of our preachers for such Bishops as the Scripture every where speaketh of and every Christian ought to obey their commandements But they which give themselves to other things they place themselves in other mens seats and doe worthily take unto themselves other names Yet notwithstanding the life of any man is not so much to be blamed as that therefore a Christian should refuse to heare him if peradventure he teach something out of the chaire of Moses or Christ that is either out of the Law of God or out of the holy Gospel that may serve for edification They which bring a divers or a strange voice whatsoever they be they are in no account or estimation with the sheepe of Christ Iohn 10. * Looke before the third Observation upon the August confession Also after sect 17. 3. observat upon the same confession of August Yet they which have a secular power and soveraigntie they have it of God himselfe howsoever they be called therefore he should resist the ordinance of God whosoever should oppose himselfe to that temporall government These things doe our Preachers teach touching the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall persons so that they have great injurie offered to them in that they are blamed as though they sought to bring the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall Prelats to nothing whereas they never forbad them that worldly government and authority which they have But they have often wished that they would come neerer to the Ecclesiasticall commandements and that either they themselves would instruct and faithfully feed the consciences of Christians out of the holy Gospel or that at the least-wise they would admit others hereunto and ordain such as were more fit for this purpose This is it I say that our Preachers have oftentimes requested of the Prelates themselves so farre they have beene from opposing themselves at any time to their spirituall authoritie But whereas we could not either beare any longer the doctrine of certaine Preachers but being driven thereunto by necessitie we have placed others in their roome or else have retained those also which have renounced that Ecclesiasticall superioritie We did it not for any others cause but for that these did plainely and faithfully declare the voyce of our Lord Iesus Christ the other did mingle therewith all mans inventions For so often as the question is concerning the holy Gospel and the doctrine of truth Christians must wholly turne themselves to the Bishop of their soules the Lord Iesus Christ and not admit the voyce of any stranger by any meanes wherein notwithstanding neither we nor they doe offer violence to any man for Paul saith All things are yours whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come even all are yours and ye Christs and Christ Gods Therefore seeing that Peter and Paul are ours and we are not theirs but Christs and that after the same manner that Christ himselfe is his Fathers to wit that in all things which we are or may be we might live to him alone Furthermore seeing to this end we have power to use all things yea even men themselves of what sort soever they be as though they were our owne and are not to suffer that any man or any thing should hinder us therein no Ecclesiasticall person may justly complaine of us or object to us that we are not sufficient by obedient to them or that we doe derogate any thing from their authoritie seeing that the thing it selfe doth witnesse that we have attempted and done all those things according to the will of God which we have attempted against the will of Ecclesiasticall persons These therefore be those things
any which would be but a looker De consecr Dist 1. cap. omnes on and abstaine from the holy Communion him did the old Fathers and Bishops of Rome in the Primitive Church before private Masse came up excommunicate as a wicked person and as a Pagane Neither was there any Christian at that time which did communicate alone whiles other looked on For so did Calixtus Distinct 2. cap. seculares in times past decree That after the Consecration was finished all should communicate except they had rather stand without the Church doores For thus saith he did the Apostles appoint De conscer Dist 2 cap. Peract and the same the holy Church of Rome keepeth still Moreover when the people cometh to the holy Communion the Sacrament ought to be given them in both kindes for so both Christ hath commanded and the Apostles in every place have ordained and all the ancient Fathers and Catholique Bishops have followed the same And who so doth contrary to this he as Gelasius saith committeth Sacrilege And therefore we say that our adversaries De cons dist 2. cap. comperimus at this day who having violently thrust out and quite forbidden the holy Communion doe without the word of God without the authoritie of any ancient Councel without any Catholique Father without any example of the Primitive Church yea and without reason also defend and maintaine their Private Masses and the mangling of the Sacraments and doe this not onely against the plaine expresse commandement of Christ but also against all antiquitie doe wickedly therein and are very Churchrobbers We affirme that the bread and wine are the holy and heavenly mysteries of the body and blood of Christ and that by them Christ himselfe being the true bread of eternall life is so presently given unto us as that by faith we verily receive his body and blood Yet say we not this so as though we thought that the nature and substance of the bread and wine is clearely changed and goeth to nothing as many have dreamed in these latter times and yet could never agree among themselves upon their owne dreames For that was not Christs meaning that the wheaten bread should lay apart his owne nature and receive a certain new Divinitie but that he might rather change us and to use Theophilacts words might transforme us into his body For what In Ioa cap. 6. can be said more plainly then that which Ambrose saith Bread and Wine remaine still the same they were before and yet are changed De sacra lib. 4. cap. 4. into another thing Or that which Gelasius saith The substance of the bread or the nature of the wine ceaseth not to be Or that which Theodoretus saith After the consecration the mysticall In Dialogis 1. 2. signes doe not cast off their owne proper nature for they remain still in their former substance forme or kinde Or that which Augustine In serm ad Infantes De cons dist 2. cap Qui ma' dâ—casti In Matth 15. saith That which ye see is the Bread and Cup and so our eies doe tell us but that which your faith requireth to be taught is this The bread is the body of Christ and the cup is his blood Or that which Origen saith The bread which is sanctified by the word of God as touching the materiall substance thereof goeth into the belly and is cast out into the privie Or that which Christ himselfe said not only after the blessing of the cup but also after he had ministred the communion I will drink no more of this fruit of the Vine It is well known that the fruit of the Vine is wine and not blood Luc. 22. And in speaking thus we mean not to abase the Lords Supper or to teach that it is but a cold ceremonie onely and nothing to be wrought therein as many falsly slander us we teach For we affirme that Christ doth truely and presently give himselfe wholly in his sacraments In Baptisme that we may put him on and in his Supper that we may eate him by Faith and Spirit and may have everlasting life by his Crosse and blood And we say not this is done slightly or coldly but effectually and truly For although we doe not touch the body of Christ with teeth and mouth yet we hold him fast and eate him by faith by understanding and by Spirit And it is no vaine faith that comprehendeth Christ neither is it received with cold devotion that is received with understanding Faith and the Spirit For Christ himselfe altogether is so offered and given us in these mysteries that we may certainly know we be flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones and that Christ continueth in us and we in him And therefore in celebrating these mysteries the people are to good purpose exhorted before they come to receive the holy communion to lift up their hearts and to direct their minds to heaven De coâ—s dist 1. cap. Quaedo wards because he is there by whom we must be fed and live Cyrillus saith when we come to receive these mysteries all grosse Imaginations must quite be banished The Councel of Nice as it is alledged by some in Greeke plainly forbiddeth us to bee basely affectioned or bent toward the Bread and Wine which are set before us And as Chrysostome very aptly writeth we say That the bodie of Christ is the dead carkasse and we our selves must be the Eagles meaning thereby that we must flie on high if we will come to the body of Christ For this Table as Chrysostome saith is a Table of Eagles and not of Jaies Cyprian also This bread saith he is the food of the soule and not the meat of the De caena Domins belly And Saint Augustine saith How shall I hold him being absent How shall I reach my hand up to heaven to lay hold upon him sitting there He answereth Reach thither thy faith and then In Ioan. tract 50. thou hast laid hold on him Neither can we away in our Churches with these shews and sales and markets of Masses nor with the carrying about and worshipping of the bread nor with such other Idolatrous and Blasphemous fondnesse which none of them can prove that Christ or his Apostles ever ordained or left unto us And we justly blame the Bishops of Rome who without the word of God without the authoritie of the holy Fathers without any example of antiquitie after a new guise doe not onely set before the people the sacramentall bread to be worshipped as God but doe also carry the same about upon an ambling Palfraie whither soever themselves journey in such sort as in old times the Persians fire and the Reliques of the Goddesse Isis were solemnly carried about in Procession and have brought the Sacraments of Christ to be used now as a Stage Play and a solemne sight to the end that mens eyes should be fedde with nothing else but
and there which be added for the peoples instruction For therefore we have need of ceremonies that they may teach the unlearned and that the preaching of Gods word may stirre up some unto the true feare trust and invocation of God This is not onely commanded by Saint Paul to use a tongue that the people understand but mans law hath also appointed it We use the people to receive the Sacrament together if so be any be found fit thereunto And that is a thing that doth increase the reverence and due estimation of the publique ceremonies For none are admitted except they be first proved and tried Besides we use to put men in minde of the worthinesse and use of a Sacrament what great comfort it offereth unto them which repent to the end that men may learne to feare God and beleeve in him and to use prayer and supplication unto him looking for all good things at his hands This is the true worship of Christians These services of feare faith prayer hope c. God doth like of When therefore these services are performed and exercised in the use of Ceremonies then doth the using of the Sacraments please God So that when as the people is used to the ceremonie and advertised of the true use thereof the Masses are said with us after meet and godly manner And thus all things are ordered in the Church with greater gravitie and reverence then in times past It is not unknown that these many ages past there hath been common open complaintmade by good men of the abuse and prophaning of Masses For it is easie to be seene how farre this abuse hath spread it selfe in all temples and Churches what kinde of men they are that say the Masses flat contrary to the prescript of the Canons Also how shamefully they are turned to a matter of cursed lucre For many there be that say Masses without repentance onely for the bellies sake These things are too open and manifest to be kept any longer in hugger mugger Surely it seemeth that never any religious thing since the world began was so commonly turned into gain as the Masse But Saint Paul doth fearfully threaten them which deale otherwise with these Sacraments then is beseeming the dignitie of them where he saith He that eateth this bread and drinketh this cup unworthily is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. And in the Ten Commandements it is written He that abuseth Gods holy name shall not escape unpunished As therefore the world hath of thereto fore been justly punished for I dolatrie doubtlesse this shamelesse profaning of Masses will be fearefully revenged with grievous plagues And it may well be that the Church in these latter times is punished with blindnesse discord and wars and many other plagues chiefly for this one cause And yet these open and grosse abuses have the Bishops who cannot be ignorant of them not onely borne with all but also smoothly laughed at them And now all too late they begin to complaine forsooth of the calamitie of the Church when as no other thing hath been the occasion of the broiles of these times but the abuses themselves which were now become too open and evident that modest men could no longer bear them I would to God that the Bishops had as by their office they might have long before this bridled and restrained the covetousnesse or impudencie whether of Monks or of some others who changing the manner of the old Church have made the Masse a monie matter But it shall not be amisse now to shew whence these abuses did spring at the first There is an opinion spread abroad in the Church that the Supper of the Lord is a worke which being once done by the Priest deserveth remission of sins both of the fault and of the punishment not onely for him that doth it but also for thers and that because of the worke done although it be done without any good intent of the doer Likewife that if it be applied in the behalfe of the dead it is satisfactorie that is it deserveth remission of the paines of purgatorie And in this meaning they take the word Sacrifice when they call the Masse a sacrifice namely a worke that being done in the behalfe of some others doth merit for them both remission of the fault and of the punishments and that because of the very work done even without any good intent of him that useth it Thus they meane that the Priest in the Masse doth offer a sacrifice for the quick and the dead And after this perswasion was once received they taught men to seeke forgivenesse of sinnes and all good things yea and that the dead were freed from punishments by the benefit of the Masse And it made no matter what kinde of men they were that said the Masses for they taught that they were very available for others without any good motion of the user Afterward a question arose whether one Masse said for many was as available as severall Masses for severall persons And this disputation did augment the number of Masses and the gaine that came in by them out of measure But wee dispute not now of the gaine we onely accuse the impietie of them For our Divines doe prove plainly that this opinion of the meriting and applying of the Masse is both false and impious This is the state of this controversie between us and them And it is no hard matter for the godly to judge of this point if a man will but weigh the arguments that follow First we have proved before that men doe obtaine remission of sinnes freely by faith that is by sure trust to obtaine mercy for Christs sake It is then impossible for a man to obtaine remission of sinnes for another mans worke and that without any good motion that is without his owne faith This reason doth very evidently overthrow that monstrous and impious opinion touching the merit and application of the Masse Secondly Christs passion was an oblation and satisfaction not onely for originall sinne but also for all other sinnes as it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews We are sanctified by the oblation of Christ once offered Againe By one oblation he hath made perfect for ever those that are sanctified To conclude a good part of the Epistle to the Heb. is spent in confirming this point that the onely sacrifice of Christ did merit remission of sinnes or reconciliation for others Therefore saith he The Leviticall sacrifices were oft times offered in one manner because they could not take away sinnes But Christ by his sacrifice hath at once satisfied for the sinnes of all men This honour of Christs sacrifice must not be transferred from him to the worke of a Priest For he saith expresly that by one oblation the Saints are made perfect Besides it is a wicked thing to place that trust in the worke of a Priest which should onely leane and stay it selfe upon the oblation and
intercession of Christ the high Priest Thirdly Christ in the institution of the Lords Supper doth not command the Priests to offer for others either quicke or dead upon what ground then or authoritie was this worship ordained in the Church as an offering for sins without any commandement of God But that is yet more grosse and far from all reason that the Masse should be applied to deliver the soules of such as are dead For the Masse was ordained for a remembrance that is that such as received the Supper of the Lord should stirre up and confirme their faith and comfort their distressed consciences with the remembrance of Christs benefits Neither is the Masse a satisfaction for the punishment but it was instituted for the remission of the fault to wit not that it should bee a satisfaction for the fault but that it might be a Sacrament by the use whereof we might be put in minde of the benefit of Christ and the forgivenesse of the fault Seeing therefore that the applying of the Supper of the Lord for the deliverance of the dead is received without warrant of Scripture yea quite contrarie to Scripture it is to be condemned as a new and ungodly worship or service Fourthly a * Looke the 3. observat upon this confession Ceremonie in the new covenant without faith meriteth nothing neither for him that useth it nor for others For it is a dead work according to the saying of Christ The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth The same doth the 11. Chap. to the Heb. throughout prove By faith Abel offered a better offering unto God Also without faith it is impossible to please God Therefore the Masse doth not merit remission of the fault or of the punishment even for the workes sake performed This reason doth evidently overthrow the merit as they call it which ariseth of the very worke that is done Fifthly the applying of the benefit of Christ is by a mans own faith as Paul witnesseth Rom. 3. Whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood and this applying is made freely And therefore it is not made by another mans work nor for another mans worke For when we use the Sacrament this application is made by our own work and by our own faith and not by another mans work For surely if we could have no remission but by applying of of Masses it should be very uncertain and our faith and trust should be transferred from Christ unto the work of a Priest so is it come to passe as all men see Now faith placed in the work of a man is wholly condemned These arguments with sundry other do witnes for us that the opinion of the merit and applying of the Masse for the quick and the dead was for good causes misliked and reproved Now if we would stand to consider how far this error is spread in the Church how the number of Masses increased and how through this sacrifice forgivenes both of the fault and of the punishment is promised to the quick and the dead it will appear that the Church is disfigured with shameful blots by this prophanation There never fel out a waightier cause in the Church O noble Emperour or more worthy for good learned men to debate of it is the duty of all the godly with most fervent prayers to crave at Gods hand that the Church might be delivered from these foule enormities All Kings and Bishops must with all their might endevour that this whole matter may be rightly laid forth and the Church purged Sixtly the institution of a Sacrament is contrary to that abuse For there is not a word set downe of any oblation for the sinnes of the quick and the dead but a commandement to receive the body and bloud of Christ and to doe it in the remembrance of the benefit of Christ This remembrance doth signifie not a bare representing of the history as it were in a shew as they dreame that are the Patrons of merit by reason of the work wrought but it signifieth by faith to remember the promise and benefit to comfort the conscience and to render thanks for so great a blessing For the principall cause of the institution was that our faith might then be stirred up and exercised when we doe receive this pledge of Gods grace Besides the institution ordaineth that there should be a communication that is that the Ministers of the Church should give unto others the body and blood of the Lord. And this order was observed in the Primitive Church Saint Paul is witnesse to the Corinths when as he commandeth That one should stay for another that there might be a common partaking of the Sacrament Now that the abuses of the private Masse be discovered for as much as they all for the most part were used for the application for the sinnes of other men and doe not agree with the institution of Christ therefore they are left off in our Churches And there is one common Masse appointed according to the institution of Christ wherein the Pastors of the Churches * Looke the 4. Observat upon this confession do consecrate themselves and give unto others the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and this kind of Masse is used every * Looke the 5. observation upon this confession holy day and other daies also if any be desirous to use the Sacrament Yet none are admitted to the communion except they be first tried and examined We adjoyne moreover godly Sermons according as Christ commanded that there should be Sermons when this Ceremonie is used And in such Sermons men are both taught diligently in other Articles and Precepts of the Gospel and also put in minde for what use the Sacrament was instituted to wit not that this Ceremonie could merit for them remission of sinnes by the worke done but that the Sacrament is a testimony and a pledge whereby Christ witnesseth unto us that he performeth his promises And in our Sermons as men are taught diligently concerning other articles and precepts of the Gospel so are they also put in minde for what use the Sacraments were instituted to wit not that the ceremonie should merit remission of sins by the bare work wrought but that the Sacrament should be a testimonie and a pledge whereby Christ doth testifie that he performeth his promise and that his promises pertaine unto us that Christ giveth us his body to testifie that he is effectuall in us as in his members and his blood for a witnesse unto us that we are washed with his blood The Sacrament therefore doth profit them that do repent and seeke comfort therein and being confirmed by that testimonie doe beleeve that remission of sinnes is given them indeed and are thankfull unto Christ for so great a benefit And so the application of the benefit of Christ is not by an other mans worke but by every mans owne
faith and his own use of the Sacrament For when we in our owne persons use the Sacrament Christs institution of it doth belong unto us This kinde of use of the Sacrament is holy and to be taught in the Churches which doth give light unto the doctrine of faith and of the spirituall exercises and true worship and bringeth unto the consciences of the godly very great comfort and strength of faith Before these dayes the Church hath been farre otherwise taught touching the use of the Sacrament there was no word of any thing but that this worke was to be done But no man spake any thing of faith or the comfort of consciences And mens consciences were racked with over great care and paines of confessing themselves This they tooke to be the puritie which the Gospel requireth whereas the Gospel doth require true feare true faith and trust comforteth us by the use of this Sacrament that they which doe truly repent may assuredly beleeve that God is become mercifull unto them by Christ though that our nature be fraile and uncleane and though that this our imperfect obedience be farre from the perfection of the Law By all this that hath beene said it is cleare that the Masse that is in use amongst us doth agree with the institution of Christ and the manner of the Primitive Church And besides it doth notably lay open the true use of the Sacrament Such a common worke was there in the Church of old time as Chrysostome doth witnesse who saith that the Priest did stand at the Altar and call some unto the communion and put backe others And by the decrees of the Nicen Synode it is â—vident that some one did celebrate the Liturgie as the Grecians call it and did minister the body and blood of the Lord to all the rest For these are the words of the Decree Let the Deacons in their order after the Priests receive the holy communion of a Bishop or of a Priest Here he doth expressely say that the Priests did receive the Sacrament of some one that ministred it And before Gregories time there is no mention of any private Masse But as oft as the old Writers speak of a Masse it is evident that they speake of a Masse that was common Seeing therefore that the rite and manner of the Masse used with us hath authoritie out of Scripture example from the old Church and that we have onely rejected certaine intollerable abuses we hope that the use of our Churches cannot be misliked As for other indifferent rites and ceremonies they are for the most part observed according to the usuall manner But the number of Masses is not alike Neither was it the use in the old times in the Churches whereunto was greatest resort to have Masse every day as the Tripartite historie lib. 9. cap. 38. doth witnesse Againe saith he in Alexandria every fourth and sixth day of the weeke the Scriptures are read and the Doctors doe interpret them and all other things are done also except onely the solemne mannerof oblation or offering This Article we finde elsewhere placed in the third place among those wherein the abuses that be changed are reckoned up in this manner Of the Masse Art 3. OVr Church is wrongfully accused to have abolished the Masse For * Look the 2. Observation the Masse is retained still among us and celebrated with great reverence Yea and almost all the ceremonies that are in use saving that with the songs in Latine we mingle certaine Psalmes in Dutch here and there which be added for the peoples instruction For therefore we have need of ceremonies that they may teach the unlearned and that the Preaching of Gods word may stirre up some unto the true feare trust and invocation of God This is not only commanded by Saint Paul to use a tongue that the people understand but mans law hath also appointed it We use the people to receive the Sacrament together if so be any be found fit thereunto And that is a thing that doth increase the reverence and due estimation of the publike ceremonies For none are admitted except they be first proved and tried Besides we use to put men in minde of the worthinesse and use of a Sacrament how great comfort it bringeth to fearefull consciences that they may learne to beleeve God and to looke for and crave all good things at his hands This worship doth please God such an use of the Sacrament doth nourish pietie towards God Therefore it seemeth not that Masses be more religiously celebrated among our adversaries then with us But it is evident that of long time this hath been the publike and most grievous complaint of all good men that Masses are filthily prophaned being used for gaine And it is not unknown how farre this abuse hath spread it selfe in all Churches of what manner of men Masses are used onely for a reward or for wages and how many doe use them against the prohibition of the Canons And Paul doth grievously threaten those which handle the Lords Supper unworthily saying He that shall eate this bread or drinke the cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guiltie of the body and blood of the Lord. Therefore when we admonished the Priests of this sinne private Masses were laid aside among us seeing that for the most part there were no private Masses but onely for lucres sake Neither were the Bishops ignorant of these abuses who if they had amended them in time there had now been lesse dissension Heretofore by their dissembling they suffered much corruption to creepe into the Church now they begin though it be late to complaine of the calamities of the Church seeing that this hurly burly was raised up by no other meane then by those abuses which were so evident that they could no longer be tolerated There were many dissentions concerning the Masse and as touching the Sacrament And peradventure the world is punished for so long a prophaning of Masses which they who both could and ought to have amended it have so many yeeres tolerated in their Churches For in the ten commandements it is written He that abuseth the name of the Lord shall not escape unpunished And from the beginning of the world there neither was nor is any divine thing which might seeme so to be imployed to gaine as is the Masse There was added an opinion which did increase private Masses infinitely to wit that Christ by his passion did satisfie for Originall sin and appointed Masse wherein an oblation should be made for daily sins both mortall and veniall Hereupon a common opinion was received that Masse is a work that taketh away the sins of the quicke and the dead and that for the doing of the worke Here men began to dispute whether one Masse said for many were of as great force as particular Masses said for particular men This disputation hath brought forth an infinite multitude of Masses Concerning these opinions our preachers have
admonished us that they doe disagree from the holy Scriptures and hurt the glory of the passion of Christ For the passion of Christ was an oblation and satisfaction not onely for Originall sinne but also for all other sinnes as it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews We are sanctified by the oblation of Iesus Christ once made Also By one oblation he hath made perfit for ever those that are sanctified Also the Scripture teacheth that we are justified before God through faith in Christ when we beleeve that our sins are forgiven for Christ his sake Now if the Masse doe take away the sins of the quicke and the dead even for the works sake that is done then justification cometh by the work of Masses and not by faith which the Scripture can not away withall But Christ commandeth us to do it in remembrance of himselfe therefore the Masse is instituted that faith in them which use the Sacrament may remember what benefits it receiveth by Christ and that it may raise up and comfort a fearefull conscience For this is to remember Christ to wit to remember his benefits and to feele and perceive that they be in deed exhibited unto us Neither is it sufficient to call to minde the historie because that the Iewes also and the wicked can doe that Therefore the Masse must be used to this end that there the Sacrament may be reached unto them that have need of comfort as Ambrose saith Because I doe alwaies sinne therefore I ought alwaies to receive a medicine And seeing that the Masse is such a communion of the Sacrament we doe observe one common Masse every Holiday and on other daies if any will use the Sacrament when it is offered to them which desired it Neither is this custome newly brought into the Church For the ancient Fathers before Gregories time make no mention of any private Masse of the common Masse they speake much Chrysostome saith That the Priest did daily stand at the Altar and call some unto the Communion and put backe others And by the ancient Canons it is evident that some one did celebrate the Masse of whom other Priests and Deacons did receive the body of the Lord. For so the words of the Nicen Canon do sound Let the Deacons in their order after the Priests receive the holy communion of a Bishop or of a Priest And Paul concerning the communion commandeth that one tarry for another that so there may be a common participation Seeing therefore that among us the Masse hath the example of the Church out of the Scripture and the Fathers we hope that it cannot be disliked especially for that our publike ceremonies are kept of us for the most part alike unto the usuall ceremonies onely the number of Masses is not alike the which by reason of very great and manifest abuses it were certainly farre better to be moderated For in times past also in the Churches whereunto was greatest resort it was not the use to have Masse said every day as the Tripartite historie lib. 9. cap. 38. doth witnesse Againe saith he in Alexandria every fourth and sixth day of the weeke the Scriptures are read and the Doctors doe interpret them and all other things are done also except onely the solemne manner of oblation or offering Of both kindes of the Sacrament ANd because that we doe celebrate the common Masse that Artic. 2. the people may understand that they also are sanctified through the blood of Christ and learne the true use of this ceremonie either part of the Sacrament in the Supper of the Lord is given to the Laitie because the Sacrament was instituted not onely for a part of the Church namely for Priests but also for the rest of the Church And therefore the people doth use the Sacrament as Christ appointed it And certainly Christ saith Matth. 26. Drinke ye all of this where he saith manifestly concerning the cup that all should drinke And that no man might cavill that it doth only appertaine to the Priests the ordinance of Paul to the Corinthians doth witnesse that the whole Church did in common use either part This custome remained a long time even in the latter Churches neither is it certaine when or by what author it was changed Cyprian in certaine places doth witnesse that the blood was given to the people for thus he writeth to Cornelius the Pope How doe we teach or provoke them to shed their blood in the confession of his name if we denie the blood of Christ to them which are in this warfare or how shall we make them fit for the cup of Martyrdome if we doe not first admit them by the right of communidation to drinke in the Church the cup of the Lord And Hierome saith The Priests doe minister the Eucharist and devide the blood of the Lord to the people In the Decrees there is a Canon of Pope Gelasius which forbiddeth the Sacrament to be devided these be the words We doe understand that certaine men having received the portion of the holy body onely doe abstaine from the Cup of the holy blood who because that I know not by what superstition they are taught to be tied hereunto either let them unfeignedly receive the whole Sacraments or let them be put backe from the whole Sacraments because that one and the selfe same mystery cannot be devided without great sacriledge In the Tripartite History it is written in the reprehension of Theodosius the Emperour whom Ambrose would not admit to the communion without repentance because that at Thessalonia he had too grievously revenged the death of a few Souldiers which were slaine in an uproare and had murthered seven thousand Citizens here saith Ambrose How caust thou with these hands receive the holy body of the Lord with what rashnesse canst thou take into thy mouth the Cup of that holy blood c. Therefore it is evident that it was the custome of the ancient Church to give either part of the Sacrament to the people onely a new start up custome doth take away one part from the people Here we will not dispute what men are to thinke concerning a received custome contrary to the authoritie of the Apostolike Scripture contrary to the Canons and contrary to the example of the Primitive Church For all godly men doe understand that touching Christian doctrine consciences are to aske counsell at the word of the Lord and that no custome is to be allowed which is contrary to the word of God And although in the Latine Church custome hath changed the ancient manner yet it doth not disallow or forbid it neither in deed ought humane authoritie to forbid the ordinance of Christ and the most received custome of the ancient Church Therefore we have not thought it good to forbid the use of the whole Sacrament and in that ceremonie which ought to be the covenant of mutuall love in the Church we would not contrary to charitie be hard to other
merit of Christ applied but that it is a worke and fruit of charitie toward our neighbour by which worke we doe testifie our faith and obedience which we owe unto God Now where faith is there Christ alone is acknowledged to be the purger of sinnes Therefore seeing that almes doth testifie after their manner that Christ doth dwell in the godly it doth also testifie that they have remission of sinnes For except almes be a worke of charitie which may beare witnesse to faith in Christ it is so farre from signifying that man hath remission of sins through Christ that it doth even stinke in the sight of God If I shall distribute saith Paul all my substance that it may be meat for the poore and shall not have love it profiteth me nothing Therefore we teach that good works must be done necessarily that God is to be invocated and that almes is to be given that we may testifie our faith and love and obey the calling of God But in true repentance we teach that we obtaine remission of sins onely for the Son of God our Lord Iesus Christ his sake through faith according to that which Peter saith To him doe all the Prophets beare witnesse that through his name every one that beleeveth in him doth receive remission of sins Of Canonicall houres CHAP. 27. AVgustine writeth in a certaine place that Ambrose the Bishop of Millane did ordaine that the assemblies of the Church should sing Psalmes whereby they might mutually comfort themselves whilest they looked for adversitie and stirre up themselves to beare the crosse lest the people saith he should pine away with the yrkesomnesse of mourning This singing because it was used in a tongue commonly known it had both a godly use and deserved great praise And by the Canonicall decree it appeareth that those houres which they call Canonicall were an appointment of certaine times wherein the whole holy Scripture should be publikely over-run every yeere as in the schooles there be certaine hours appointed for interpreting of authors Such a distribution of houres was peradventure not unprofitable for that time and in it selfe it is not a thing to be condemned But to appoint a speciall kinde of priests to chaunt but those Canonicall hours and to sing them in a strange tongue which commonly is not known to the Church or is not our countrey tongue and that in some place in the night and in the day time without any intermission new singers very often taking one anothers course and to make hereof a worship not to this end that by patience and the comfort of the Scripture we might have hope as Paul saith but that by the merit of this worke a man might mitigate the wrath of God and purge the sinnes of men before God this is it that is contrary to the meaning of that Church which is indeed Catholique 1 Cor. 14. When ye come together according as every one of you hath a Psalme or hath doctrine or hath a tongue or hath revelation or hath interpretation let all things be done unto edifying Hierome upon the Epist to the Ephes Chap. 5. saith Singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts Let young 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 threat and the iawes are not to be greased with some sweet liquor as they use to doe that play in Tragedies c. Now that which was spoken touching the use of a tongue that is commonly knowne it must be understood not only of the singing of Psalmes but also of all the parts of Ecclesiasticall ministerie For as Sermons and prayers are to be made in a well knowne tongue to the Church so also must the Sacraments be dispensed in a speech that is knowne For although it be lawfull at some time to use a strange tongue by reason of the learned yet the consent of the Catholike Church doth require this that the necessarie ministeries of the Church be executed in our countrey speech 1 Cor. 14. I had rather in the Church to speake five words with my understanding that I may also instruct others then ten thousand words in a strange tongue Innocentius the third De offi Iud. Ord. C. Quoniam saith Because that in many parts within one Citie and Diocesse there be people of divers languages mingled together having under one faith divers rites and customes we doe straitly command that the Bishops of such Cities or Diocesses doe provide fit men who according to the diversitie of ceremonies and language may execute among them the divine duties and minister the Ecclesiasticall Sacraments instructing them both by the word and by their example Therefore they are to be said to doe godly and Catholikely who doe so appoint the dispensation of the Sacraments the singing of Psalmes and the reading of holy Scripture that the Church may understand that which is said read or sung and the spirit may receive fruit thereby to comfort the minde and to confirme the faith and to stirre up love Out of the Confession of SVEVELAND Of the singing and prayers of Ecclesiasticall men CHAP. 21. ANd for that cause to wit that men should not winke at that offending of God which might be committed under a colour of his service then which nothing can offend him more grievously our Ministers have condemned the most of those things which were used in the singings and prayers of Ecclesiasticall men For it is too too manifest that these have degenerated from the first appointment and use of the Fathers For no man which understandeth the writings of the ancient 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 part without understanding and of the reading of the Scripture there be onely the beginnings of Chapters left unto us and innumerable things are taken up one after another which serve rather for superstition then for godlinesse Therefore our Ministers did first of all detest this that many things which were contrary to the Scriptures are mingled with holy prayers and songs as that those things are attributed to Saints which are proper to Christ alone namely to free us from sinne and other discommodities and not so much to obtaine as to give us the favour of God and all kinde of good things Secondly because they are increased so infinitely that they cannot be sung or rehearsed with an attentive minde Now it is nothing but a mocking of God whatsoever we doe in his service without understanding Lastly because that these things also were made meritorious works and to be sold for no small price that we may say nothing hereof that against the expresse commandement of the holy Ghost all things are there said and sung in that tongue which not
is she appointeth at what times and where the Church shall come together For this civill end it is lawfull to make traditions But men that are not acquainted with the doctrine of Christ are not content with this end but they joyne superstitious opinions unto traditions and by superstition multiply traditions out of measure Of this there hath been complaint made in the Church not onely by late Writers as Gerson and others but also Saint Augustine Wherefore it is needfull to admonish the people what to thinke of the traditions which are brought into the Church by mans authoritie For it is not without cause that Christ and Paul doe so often speake of traditions and admonish the Church to judge wisely of traditions There was a common opinion not of the common sort alone but also of the Teachers in the Church that the difference of meats and such like works which the Ecclâ—siasticall traditions doe command are services of God which deserve remission of sinnes Also that such kindes of worship are Christian righteousnesse and as necessary as the Leviticall ceremonies in the Old Testament ever were and that they cannot be omitted without sinne no not then when they might be omitted without danger of giving offence These perswasions have brought forth many discommodities First the doctrine of the Gospell is hereby obscured which teacheth that sins are forgiven freely by Christ This benefit of Christ is transferred unto the worke of man And by reason of this opinion traditions were especially encreased because that these works were supposed to deserve remission of sins to be satisfactions and to be Christian righteousnesse Moreover for this cause especially doth Saint Paul so often and so earnestly give us warning to beware of traditions lest that Christs benefit should be transferred to traditions lest the glory of Christ should be obscured lest that true and found comfort should be withheld from mens consciences and in a word lest that faith that is trust of the mercie of Christ should be quite smothered These dangers Saint Paul would have avoided For it is greatly needfull that the pure doctrin of the benefit of Christ of the righteousnesse of faith and of the comfort of consciences should be continued in the Church Secondly these traditions have obscured the Commandements of God for this kinde of schooling was thought to be spirituall and the righteousnesse of a Christian man Yea the traditions of men were set aloft above the commandements of God All Christianitie was placed in the observation of certaine festivall dayes rites fasts and forme of apparell These beggerly rudiments carried goodly titles namely that they were the spirituall life and the perfection of a Christian In the meane while the commandements of God touching every calling were of small estimation that the Father brought up his children that the Mother bare them that the Prince governed the Common-wealth these works were little set by They were not taken to be any service of God The mindes of many stood in a continuall mamering whether marriage magistracie and such like functions of a civill life did please God or no. And this doubtfulnesse did trouble many very much Many forsaking their callings leaving the Common-wealth did shut up themselves in Monasteries that they might seeke that kinde of life which they thought did more please God yea which they supposed to merit remission of sins Thirdly the opinion of necessitie did much vexe and disquiet the consciences Traditions were thought necessary And yet no man though never so diligent did ever observe them all especially for that the number of them was infinite Gerson writeth That many fell into desperation some murthered themselves because they perceived well that they could not observe the traditions And all this while they never heard one comfortable word of grace and of the righteousnesse of faith We see that the Summists and Divines gather together the All this matter of the ceremonies and traditions in generall doth properly belong to the 17. Section next following but for as much as here is intreated of daies meats fasts it was requisite that it should be brought in this Section because the generals cannot well be severed from particulars traditions and seeke out qualifications of them for the unburdening of mens consciences but even they cannot satisfie themselves nor winde themselves out and sometimes also their very interpretations themselves doe snare mens consciences The Schooles also and Pulpits were so busied in numbring up the traditions that they had no leasure to handle the Scripture or to search out more profitable doctrine of faith of the Crosse of Hope of the excellencie of civill affairs or of the comfort of mens consciences in sore tentations Wherefore many good men have oft complained that they were hindered by these contentions about traditions that they could not be occupied in some better kinde of doctrine When as therefore such superstitious opinions did cleave fast unto the traditions it was necessary to admonish the Churches what they were to judge of traditions to free godly mindes from errour to cure wounded consciences and to set out the benefit of Christ We doe not goe about to weaken the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall power we detract nothing from the * Looke the 3 4 Observ upon this confession in the 11. Sect. dignitie of Bishops we doe not disturbe the good order of the Church Traditions rightly taken are better liked but we reprove those Iewish opinions onely Thus therefore we teach touching ceremonies brought into the Church by mans authoritie First touching traditions which are opposed to the commandement of God or cannot be kept without sinne the Apostles rule is to be followed We must obey God rather then men Of this sort is the tradition of single life Secondly touching other ceremonies which are in their owne nature things indifferent as Fasts Festivall daies difference of apparell and the like we must know that such observations doe neither merit remission of sinnes neither yet are they the righteousnesse or perfection of a Christian but that they are things indifferent which where is no danger of giving offence may well be omitted This judgement of ours hath these evident and cleere testimonies in the Gospel to the end that it may admonish the Church that the Gospel be not oppressed and obscured by superstitious opinions Rom. 14. The kingdome of God is not meat and drinke but righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Here Paul teacheth plainly that a Christians righteousnesse is the spirituall motions of the heart and not the outward observation of meates and daies c. Coloss 2. Let no man iudge you in meat drinke or a part of a holyday He forbiddeth that their consciences should be judged that is that their consciences should be condemned in the use of such things but will have them counted altogether indifferent things and such as pertaine not to the righteousnesse of the Gospel Then there followeth a long and a
that his minde may be stirred up and made more apt for heavenly affections It is not to bee thought that these exercises are a worship of God that deserve remission of sinnes or that they be satisfactions c. And this discipline must be continuall neither can certain dayes be set and appointed equally for all Of this discipline Christ speaketh Beware that your bodies be not oppressed with surfetâ—ing Againe This kinde of Devils doth not goe out but by fasting and prayer And Paul saith I chastise my body and bring it in bondage Wherefore we do not mislike fastings but superstitious opinions which be snares for mens consciences that are put in traditions Moreover these exercises when as they are referred unto that end that we may have our bodies fit for spirituall things and to doe our duties according to a mans calling c. they are good in the godly and * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confession meritorious workes as the example of Daniel doth testifie For they be works which God requireth to this end that they may subdue the flesh This former Article we found placed elsewhere in the fifth place among those wherein the abuses that are changed are reckoned up Of the difference of meats Artic. 5. This Treatise of ceremonies repeated generally doth properly pertaine unto the Section next following and unto this Section the next must be added because here is speciall mention of fastings and holy daies as we mentioned in the former Article IT hath beene a common opinion not of the common sort alone but also of such as are teachers in the Churches that the differences of meates and such like humane traditions are works available to merit remission both of the fault and of the punishment And that the world thus thought it is apparant by this that daily new ceremonies new orders new holy dayes new fasts were appointed and the teachers in the Churches did exact these workse at the peoples hands as a service necessary to deserve justification by and they did greatly terrifie their consciences if ought were omitted * Of this perswasion of traditions many discommodities have followed in the Church For first the doctrine of grace is obscured by it also the righteousnesse of faith which is the most especiall point of the Gospel and which it behoveth most of all to be extant and to have the preheminence in the Church that the merit of Christ may be well known and faith which beleeveth that sinnes are remitted through Christ and not for any works of ours may be exalted farre above works For which cause also Saint Paul laboureth much in this point he removeth the law and humane traditions that he may shew that the righteousnesse of Christ is a farre other thing then such workes as these be namely a faith which beleeveth that sins are freely remitted through Christ But this doctrine of S. Paul is almost wholly smothered by traditions which have bred an opinion that by making difference in meats and such like services a man must merit remission of sinnes and justification In their doctrine of repentance there was no mention of faith onely these satisfactory works were spoken of Repentance seemed to stand wholly in these Secondly these traditions obscured the Commandements of God that they could not be knowne because that traditions were preferred farre above the Commandements of God All Christianitie was thought to be an observation of certaine holy dayes rites fasts and attire These observations carried a goodly title and name that they were the spirituall life and the perfect life In the meane season Gods Commandements touching every mans calling were of small estimation That the father brought up his children that the mother bare them that the Prince governed the common wealth these were reputed worldly affaires and unperfect and farre inferiour to those glistering observations and orders And these errors did greatly torment good mindes which were grieved that they were handfasted to an unperfect kinde of life in marriage in Magistracie and in other civill functions They had the Monks and such like men in admiration and falsely imagined that their orders did more deserve remission of sinnes and justification Thirdly traditions brought great danger to mens consciences because it was impossible to keep them all and yet men thought the observation of them to be necessarie duties Gerson writeth that many fell into despaire and some murdered themselves because they perceived that they could not keepe the traditions and all this while they never heard the comfort of the righteousnesse of faith or of grace We see the Summists and Divines gather together the traditions and seeke qualifications of them to unburden mens consciences and yet all will not serve but sometimes they bring more snares upon the conscience The Schooles and Pulpits have beene so busied in gathering together the traditions that they had not leasure once to touch the Scripture and to seeke out a more profitable doctrine of faith of the Crosse of hope of the dignitie of civill affaires of the comfort of consciences in perilous assaults Wherefore Gerson and some other Divines have made grievous 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 observations and doth very wisely warne Januarius to know that they are to be observed indifferently for he so speaketh Wherefore our Ministers must not be thought to have touched this matter unadvisedly for hatred of the Bishops as some doe falsely surmise There was great need to admonish the Churches of those errors which did arise from mistaking of traditions for the Gospel driveth men to urge the doctrine of grace and the of righteousnes of faith in the Church which yet can never be understood if men suppose that they can merit remission of sinnes and iustification by observation of their owne choice Thus therefore they have taught us that we can never merit remission of sinnes and justification by the observation of mans traditions and therefore that we must not thinke that such observations are necessarie duties Hereunto they adde testimonies out of the Scriptures Christ excuseth his disciples Matth. 15. which kept not the received tradition which yet seemed to be about a matter not unlawfull but indifferent and to have some affinitie with the washings of the law and saith They worship me in vaine with the precepts of men Christ therefore requireth no unprofitable worship and a little after he addeth All that entereth in at the mouth defileth not the man Againe Rom. 14. The kingdome of God is not meat and drinke Col. 2. Let no man iudge you in meat or drinke in a Sabbath or in an holy day Againe If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye lived in the world are ye burdened with traditions Touch not taste not handle not
Act. 15. Peter saith Why tempt ye God laying a yoke upon the necks of the disciples which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare but by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we hope to be saved as did also they Here Peter forbiddeth to burden the consciences with many rites whether they be of Moses or of any others appointing and 1 Tim. 4. he calleth the forbidding of meats a doctrine of devils because that it is flat against the Gospel to appoint or doe such workes to the end that by them we may merit remission of sinnes or justification or because that there could be no Christianitie without them Here our adversaries object against us that our Ministers hinder all good discipline and mortification of the flesh as lovinian did But the contrary may be seene by our mens writings For they have alwaies taught touching the Crosse that Christians must suffer afflictions This is the true earnest and unfeigned mortification to be exercised with divers afflictions and to be crucified with Christ Moreover they teach that every Christian must so by bodily discipline or bodily exercises and labour exercise and keepe under himselfe that fulnesse and sloth do not prick him up to sinne not that he may by such exercises merit such remission of the fault or of eternall death and this corporall discipline must alwaies be plied not onely to a few and those set dayes according to the commandement of Christ Take heed that your bodies be not oppressed with surfetting Againe This kinde of devill is not cast out but by fasting and prayer And Paul saith I chastise my body and bring it under subiection Where he plainly sheweth that he did therefore chastise his body not that by discipline hee might merit remission of sinnes but that his body might be apt and fit for spirituall things and to do his duty according to his calling Therefore we doe not condemne fasts themselves but the traditions which prescribe certaine daies and certaine meates with danger to the consciences as though such workes as these were necessary duties Yet many of the traditions are observed among us which tend unto this end that things may be done orderly in the Church as namely the * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession order of lessons in the Masse and the chiefest holy dayes But in the meane time men are admonished that such a service doth not justifie before God and that there is no sinne to be put in such things if they be left undone so it be without offence This libertie in humane rites and ceremonies was not unknowne 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 diversitie they were admonished by others that such fashions should not be alike every where And Ireneus saith The disagreement about facting doth not breake off the agreement of faith Besides Pope Gregorie in the 12. distinction insinuateth that such diversitie doth not hurt the unitie of the Church and in the Tripartite history lib. 9. many examples of different rites are gathered together and these words are there rehearsed The minde of the Apostles was not to give precepts of holy daies but to preach godlinesse and a good conversation What is then to be thought of the Lords day and of such like rites used in Churches Hereunto they answer that it is lawfull for the Bishops or Pastors to appoint ordinances whereby things may be done in order in the Church not that by them we should merit remission of sins or satisfie for sins or that mens consciences should be bound to esteeme them as necessarie services and think that they sinne when they violate any one of them though it be without the offence of others So Paul ordained that women should cover their heads in the congregation that the Interpreters of Scripture should be heard in course or order in the church Such like ordinances it behoveth the Churches to keepe for charitie and quietnesse sake so farre forth that one offend not another that all things may be done in order and without tumult in the Church but yet with this caution that mens consciences be not burdened so as they should account them as things necessarie to salvation and think they did sin when they brake any one of them without offence of others as no man would say that a woman doth offend if she come abroad with her head uncovered without the offence of any Of this sort is the observation of the Lords day of Easter of Pentecost and such like holy dayes and rites For they that think that the observation of the Lords day was appointed by the authoritie of the Church instead of the Sabbath as necessarie they are greatly deceived The Scripture requireth that the observation of it should be now free for it teacheth that the Mosaicall ceremonies are not needfull after the Gospel is revealed And yet because it was requisite to oppoint a certain day that the people might know when to come together it seemeth that the Church did for that purpose appoint the Lords day which day for this cause also seemed to have better liked the Church that in it men might have an example of Christian libertie and might know that the observation neither of the Sabbath nor of any other day was of necessitie There are extant certaine monstrous disputations touching the changing of the law and the ceremonies of the new law and of the change of the Sabbath which did all spring up of a false perswasion that there should be a worship in the Church like to the Leviticall worship and that Christ gave the charge of devising new ceremonies which should be necessary to salvation to the Apostles and Bishops These errours crept into the Church when as the doctrine of faith was not plainely enough taught Some dispute that the observation of the Lords day is not indeed of the law of God but as it were of the law of God and touching holy days they prescribe how far it is lawful to work in them What else are such disputations but snares for mens consciences Out of the Confession of SAXONIE Of Anointing MOreover that which now is called Extreame anointing was in times past a kinde of healing as it is evident out of Art 19. ss 2. the Epistle of Saint James cap. 5. Now is it become a shew full of superstition They say that sinnes be forgiven through these anointings and they adde thereunto invocation of the dead which also must of necessitie be disliked Therefore these ceremonies are not kept in our Churches neither in times past did the Church think that they were necessary But for the sicke we doe make godly prayers publiquely and privately as also the Lord hath promised that he will asswage even corporall griefes in them that aske it of him according to that saying Psalme 49.
to be any longer defiled with such foilies Out of the Confession of BELGIA IN the meane time we beleeve that it is in deed profitable that Artic. 32. the Elders which doe governe in Churches should appoint some order among themselves so that they doe diligently take heed that in no case they do swarve or decline from those things which Christ himselfe our onely Master hath once appointed Therefore we doe reject all humane inventions and all those laws which were brought in to be a worship of God that mens consciences should any way thereby be snared or bound and we receive those onely which are fit either to cherish or maintaine concord or to keepe us in the obedience of God And hereunto * Looke the 1. observation upon this confâ—ssion excommunication is chiefly necessary being used according to the commandement of the word of God and other additions of Ecclesiasticall discipline annexed thereunto Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE Artic. 15. COncerning Ecclesiasticall rites which are ordained by mans authority they teach that such rites are to be observed as may be kept without sin and do tend to quietnesse and good order in the Church as namely set holidaies certain godly Psalmes and other such like rites 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 righteousnesse before God or do deserve remission of sins or are duties necessary unto the righteousnesse revealed in the Gospel But this is to be thought of them that they are indifferent things which without the case of offence may be omitted But such as breake them with offence are faultie as those which do rashly disturbe the peace of the Churches Such traditions therefore as cannot be observed without sinne are rejected of us as the tradition of single life We reject also that impious opinion of traditions and vowes wherein they feigne that worships invented by mans authoritie doe merit remission of sins and are satisfactions for sin c. Of which like false opinions touching vowes and fastings not a few have been spread abroad in the Church by unlearned men This Article is thus to be found in another Edition COncerning Ecclesiasticall rites they teach that those rites are to be observed which may be kept without any sinne and are availeable for quietnesse and good order in the Church such as as are set holydaies feasts and such like Againe out of the 7. Article touching abuses of the same confession These words that follow pertaine to this place and the rest unto the eleventh Section Of the authoritie of the Ministers BEsides these things there is a controversie whether Bishops Here also be many things which might very fitly have been referred to the former Sect. by reason of speciall examples of meats and holy dayes here rehearsed but seeing that the title or this page is generall it could not here be pretermitted or Pastours have power to ordaine ceremonies in the Church and to make laws of meats and holidaies and degrees or orders of Ministers They that ascribe this power to the Bishops alledge this testimonie for it I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot beare them away now But when that spirit of truth shall come he shall teach you all truth They alledge also the examples of the Apostles which commanded the Christians to abstaine from blood and that which was strangled They alledge the change of the Sabbath into the Lords day contrary as it seemeth to the morall law and they have no examples so oft in their mouthes as the change of the Sabbath They will needs have the Churches power and authoritie to be very great because it hath dispensed with a precept of the morall law But of this question our men doe thus teach that the Bishops have no power to ordaine any thing contrary to the Gospell as was shewed before The same also doe the Canons teach distinct 9. Moreover it is against the Scripture to ordaine or require the observation of any traditions to the end that we might merit remission of sinnes and satisfie for sinnes by them For the glorie of Christs merit receiveth a blow when as we seeke by such observations to merit remission of sinnes and justification And it is very apparant that through this perswasion traditions grew into an infinite number in the Church In the meane while the doctrine of faith and of the righteousnesse of faith was quite smoothered for ever and anone there were new holidaies made new fasts appointed new ceremonies new worships for Saints ordained because that the authors of such geare supposed by these works to merit remission of sinnes and justification After the same manner heretofore did the penitentiall Canons increase whereof we still see some footings in satisfactions Againe many writers imagine that in the New Testament there should be a worship like to the Leviticall worship the appointing whereof God committed to the Apostles and Bishops wherein they seeme to be deceived by the example of the law of Moses as if the righteousnesse of the New Testament were the outward observing of certain rites as the justice of the law was Like as therefore in the law 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 hold oppinion that the righteousnesse of the New Testament can not stand without these From hence are those burdens that certaine meats defile the conscience that it is a mortall sinne to omit the canonicall houres that fastings merit remission of sinnes because they be necessary to the righteousnesse of the New Testament that a sin in a case reserved cannot be pardoned but by the authoritie of him that reserved it whereas the Canons speake onely of reserving of Canonicall punishments and not of the reserving of the fault Whence then have the Bishops power and authoritie of imposing these traditions upon the Churches for the burdening of mens consciences For there are divers cleare testimonies which inhibit the making of such traditions either for to deserve remission of sinnes or as things necessarie to the righteousnesse of the New Testament or to salvation Paul to the Coloss 2. Let no man iudge you in meat drinke or a peece of a holy day in the new moone or in the Sabbath Againe If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye lived in the world are ye burdâ—ned with traditions as Touch not taste not handle not which all doe perish with the using and are the precepts and doctrines of men which have a shew of wisedome And to Titus he doth plainly forbid traditions For he saith Not listning to Jewish fables and to the precepts of men that abhorre the truth And Christ Matth. 15. saith of them which urge traditions Let
them alone they be blinde leaders of the blinde And he condemneth such worships Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up If Bishops have authoritie to burden the Churches with innumerable traditions and to snare mens consciences why doth the Scripture so oft forbid to make and to listen to traditions why doth it call them the Devils traditions hath the holy Ghost warned us of them to no purpose It remaineth then that seeing constitutions ordained as necessarie or with opinion of meriting remission of sinnes by them are flat repugnant to the Gospel because that it is not lawfull for any Bishops to appoint or urge any such worship For it is very requisite that the doctrine of Christian libertie should be maintained in the Church because that the bondage of the law is not necessary unto justification as it is written to the Gal. Come not ye under the yoke of bondage again It is necessary that the chiefest point of all the Gospel should be holden fast that we doe freely obtain remission of sins and justification by faith in Christ and not by any observations nor by any worship devised by man For though they seek to qualifie traditions yet the equitie of them can never be seen nor perceived so long as the opinion of necessitie remaineth which must needs remain where the righteousnesse of faith and Christian libertie are not known The Apostles commanded them to abstaine from bloud who observeth that now a dayes and yet they doe not sinne that observe it not for the Apostles themselves would not burden mens consciences with such a servitude but they forbad it for a time for offence sake For in that decree the perpetuall intent and minde of the Gospel is to be considered scarcely any canons are precisely kept and many grow out of use daily yea even among them that doe most busily 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 observed with any opinion of necessitie and that mens consciences are not hurt though traditions grow out of use The Bishops might * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession easily retaine lawfull obedience if they would not have men to observe such traditions as cannot be kept with a good conscience But now they command single life and they admit none except they will sweare not to teach the pure doctrine of the Gospel The Churches doe not desire of the Bishops that they would repaire peace and concord with the losse of their honour which yet good Pastors ought to doe onely they desire that they would remit unjust burdens which are both new and received contrary to the custome of the Catholike Church It may well be that some constitutions had some probable causes when they began which yet will not agree to latter times It is evident that some were received through errour Wherefore it were for the * Looke the 2. Observat chiefe Bishops gentlenesse to mitigate them now for such a change would not overthrow the unitie of the Church For many humane traditions have been changed in time as the Canons themselves declare But if it cannot be obtained that those observations may not be released which cannot be kept without sin then must we follow the Apostles rule which willeth to obey God rather then men Peter forbiddeth Bishops to be Lords and to be imperious over the Churches Our meaning is not to have * Looke the 3. observation rule taken from the Bishops But this one thing is requested at their hands that they would suffer the Gospel to be purely taught and that they would release a few observations which cannot be observed without sin But if they will remit none let them look how they will give account to God for this that by their wilfulnesse they give occasion of schisme Also in the same 7. Article 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 lawfull for any to make lawes repugnant to the commandement of God That sentence of Saint Paul is well known If an Angel from heaven teach any other Gospel let him be accursed Vpon this foundation which is sure and immoveable the rest may easily be reared Now there be three orders of the decrees of Bishops Some doe constraine a man to sinne as the law of single life the laws of private Masses wherein is made an oblation and application for the quick and the dead And the opinion of Transubstantiation breedeth a wicked adoration Also the commandement of praying to the dead It is an easie matter to give sentence of these lawes For seeing they doe manifestly oppugne the commandement of God the Apostles rule is We ought rather to obey God then men The second order is of those rites which concern things in their own nature indifferent such as are the lawes touching the difference of meats and daies and such like things But when false opinions are joyned unto these things they are no more indifferent Now our adversaries doe some more some lesse tie unto them absurd and false opinions for the which both those lawes and rites are to be cast off lest any corrupt worship should be established The most part doe feigne that the works of mans traditions as satisfactions and such like doe merit remission of sinnes This opinion is apparantly false for it removeth the benefit of Christ unto mans traditions And there needeth here no long confutation we will content our selves with one thundering saying of Saint Paul Ye are made void of Christ whosoever are iustified by the law Ye are fallen from Christ This saying teacheth that men doe not merit remission of sinnes by the proper workes either of Gods law or of mans traditions Others being put in minde what grosse absurditie there is in this first errour they begin to talke more modestly of traditions But yet they hold still an errour that is not to be borne withall They say That these workes though they doe not deserve remission of sins yet are they services of God that is workes the immediate end whereof is that God by them might be honoured This errour also must be stiffely withstood For Christ saith plainly They worship me in vaine with the precepts of men And Paul doth expressely condemne will worship to the Coloss And seeing that the worship of God must be done in faith it is necessary that we should have the word of God that may testifie that the worke pleaseth God For how can the conscience offer a worke unto God unlesse there be a voyce of God which may declare that God will be so worshipped or served with this honour But ungodly men understanding this Doctrine of faith have in all ages with damnable boldnesse devised worships
your fathers but walke in my commandements And often are such warnings repeated And Psal 1 18. Thy word is a lanterne to my feet And Numb 15. Let them not follow their owne imaginations The third error is this Hypocrites doe imagine that such works are a kinde of perfection as Monks doe preferre their vowes full of vanitie before the civill and housholders life whereas God by his wonderfull providence hath so joyned mankinde together in fellowship and in these travels and dangers would have our faith prayer and confession or liberalitie one toward another 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 necessary and other things are arbitrary Neither is it onely a torment of conscience to judge that he is no Christian nor member of the Church of God that eateth flesh on the Saturday or observeth not the fast of Lent but it is also an error that darkeneth great matters as the doctrine of the righteousnes of the Gospel and of the Church what manner of Church it is and how the members of the Church are to be discerned not by meat and drink but by faith prayer and other vertues And against the opinion of necessitie it is expresly said Col. 2. Let no man iudge you in meat or drinke And Gal. 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 bread great discord as in time past there was great contention about Easter day and about leven and now also many such like contentions have risen The fifth errour To the former opinions this errour also is added that the Bishops take to themselves authoritie to ordaine new kinds of worship and to binde consciences as Gregory hath ordained That married men translated to the order of priesthood should forsake the company of their wives and the constitution of confession commandeth to recken up sins and decrees have been made of differences of meats and fasting and such like Of such traditions there are also late bookes set forth full of labyrinths wherein it is written that the transgressions of such ceremonies are mortall sins yea though they be committed without giving offence to others Gerson sought for some mittigations but the true comfort is the voice of the Gospel which would have the understanding of this liberty to be made knowne and maintained in the Church namely by removing those errors whereof hath been spoken But ceremonies invented by man such as are seemely devised for order may be observed without any opinion of merit worship or necessitie as hath been aforesaid out of the Col. 2. Let no man iudge you in meat or drinke And Peter saith Act. 15. Why do ye tempt God laying upon the necks of the disciples a yoke which neither your fathers nor we were able to beare The third rule Those errors being removed whereof the Church must needs be admonished afterward we both observe certain ceremonies which are comely and made for good order and also teach that they ought to be observed even as men cannot live without order And Paul saith 1 Cor. 14. Let all things be done decently and in order And there is a saying of Athanasius Ceremonies are profitable but with knowledge of the truth and in measure It is plain that this last word is opposed to superstition which then also daily increased ceremonies and darkened the truth and burdened consciences and the Churches But we thank God the everlasting Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who for his Son and by him gathereth an eternall Church for that even from the first beginning of mankind he hath preserved the publike ministery of the Gospel and honest assemblies who himselfe also hath set apart certain times for the same and we pray him that henceforth he wil save and govern his Church And we diligently teach that all men ought to help to maintain the publike ministerie and avoid offences and dislentions that scatter the Church as in it proper place more at large is declared Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of Ecclesiasticall Ceremonies VVE acknowledge that by Christ the Sonne of God two Artic. 35. Ceremonies were ordained in the Church Baptisme and the Lords Supper which are also to be observed according to the institution of Christ We confesse also that the Apostles did appoint certaine ordinances in the Church That all things be done decently and in order as Paul speaketh such as they be that are set downe 1 Cor. 14. and 1. Tim. 2. The Apostles also in ordaining Ministers of the Church used laying on of hands which being retained out of the custome of the old Law and not being commanded to the Church may be freely observed They ordained also in the Acts of the Apostles That the Gentiles should beware of eating of that which was strangled and of blood not that this observation should be for ever among the Gentiles but for a time and so long to continue till this eating were no more offensive We confesse this also that it is lawfuâ—l for the Bishops with with the consent of their Church to appoint holy days lessons Sermons for edifying for instruction in the true faith in Christ But it is not lawfull for them to thrust upon the Church the ceremonies of the old law for the holy service wherewithall God alone is worshipped Neither is it lawfull either to restore the old ceremonies of the law or devise new to shadow forth the truth already laid open and brought to light by the Gospel as in the day light to set up candles to signifie the light of the Gospel or to carrie banners and crosses to signifie the victory of Christ through the Crosse Of which sort is all that whole furniture of massing attire which they say doth shadow out the whole passion of Christ and many other things of that kinde Much lesse is it lawfull to ordain ceremonies and holy rites by the merit whereof sin may be purged the kingdome of heaven purchased For of that former kind of ceremonies and holy rites Christ out of Esay preacheth saying In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the precepts of men And Paul saith Let no man iudge you in meat or drink or part of an holy day or of the new Moone c. Hitherto may be added the testimonies of Augustine others touching the observation of such ceremonies But touching the latter kind of ceremonies it is manifest that they are wicked rites reprochful to the death and resurrection of Christ by whose onely merit we have deliverance from sin and inheritance of eternall life by faith Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Of humane Traditions CHAP. 14. FVrthermore touching the traditions of the Fathers or such as the Bishops and Churches doe at this day ordaine this is the opinion of our men They reckon no traditions
valiant and notable men deserve well at the hands of godly men as Gedeon Ezechias Iosias and Constantine and sundry others Wherefore you must thinke it your dutie also to take heed lest such things as be godly and profitably brought to light and reformed by God and learned men be smoothered againe and lest that wicked abuses be established by your authoritie The Psalme saith for thy temples sake in Ierusalem the King shall offer gifts unto thee The proper gifts that Kings are to bestow upon the Church are to search out true doctrine and to see that good teachers be set over the Churches to give diligence that the controversies of the Church may be rightly decided Not to take away true and holy doctrine but to raise it up and to set it forward and to defend it and rightly to set it in order and to maintaine the quiet concord of the Church By these true gifts most noble Emperour you may adorne the Church of Christ which especially both Christ himself requireth and the Churches that are rent and torne in most horrible manner doe crave at your hands Last of all seeing that humane traditions ought to give place to times and opportunities especially in the Church wherein there should be more regard had of the salvation of the godly and of love and publike peace then of any humane traditions it were a great deale better to make shew of abrogating this silly tradition of single life then to strengthen lusts to dissolve marriages to exercise crueltie against the Priests and their wives and chidren to oppresse true and holy doctrine and to make havocke of the Church We do therefore commend this matter of their marriage unto your piety and bountie O noble Emperour as that which hath no difficultie or doubtfulnesse in it For they that be governours both may and ought to abolish an unjust law And the laws of single life whether they be new or old belong only to humane equitie in mitigating whereof the authoritie of the Church should be of great force We could bring very many examples out of the Histories of all times and countries in which there might be seene horrible examples of judgements which followed upon uncleane lusts Among many other causes of the generall flood there is mention made of fleshly lusts Afterward five cities were swallowed up 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 divers had defiled themselves by going in unto Moabitish women the twelve Princes of the tribes were hanged up and twentie foure thousand men were slaine The Cananites after this were cleane rooted out and among the causes thereof incestuous copulations are namely reckoned up shortly after followed the overthrow of the tribe of Beniamin for abusing the Levites wife After this David was driven out of his kingdome for adultery And Ieremie in divers places cryeth out that these three idolatry oppressions and adulteries are the causes of those great calamities which overwhelmed the whole nation of the Iews then when they were carried captives to Babylon These things are written for this purpose that we might know certainly that God is displeased with wandring lusts of uncleannesse and that uncleane and incestuous persons do not fall into punishments by chance but are punished of God Therefore the destructions of heathenish Cities also doe put us in minde of the wrath of God against these villanies Sibaris was overthrowne Athens Sparta and Thebes being tossed with civill warres received due punishment of their filthinesse And Rome when it brought forth many Neroes and Heliogabales at length it came to ruine the Empire being rent into sundry parts by the warres of sundry barbarous nations There is also a long Catalogue in Aristotle of cities wherein there happened changes of government and seditions for uncleane lusts Besides all which punishments Paul warneth the Church that there is another judgement that followeth upon these lusts and that is madnesse or fury as it is written Rom. 1. and Ephesians 4. And it may well be that this judgement hath seased upon our Ecclesiasticall governours who for the most part are open Epicures open defenders of Idols that they may get wealth and authoritie and scoffe at those heavenly sayings which threaten vengeance upon Idolaters uncleane persons and Parricides They vaunt that they doe all things well which they do for their kingdomes sake and that such are good subjects and love quietnesse and peace that allow of errours and open naughtinesse that they may uphold the Majestie of the Popes kingdome The whole world can beare witnesse that there is a God that doth revenge all filthinesse uncleannesse and oppression Wherefore though they now deride and scoffe at these speeches yet let them know that they shall one day 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 directly against the commandement of God we thinke that the Priests and others do very well which joyne in honest marriage as Paul saith that a Bishop must be chosen that is the husband of one wife We judge also that the Rulers both may and ought to abolish this law of the Pope For they are foulely deceived that think either that marriage is forbidden to Priests by Gods law or else that the Kings or Bishops may make a law to forbid them marriage And if that Rulers will not helpe the Church in this behalfe yet the godly doe well which follow the Apostles rule which saith That we must rather obey God then men To conclude seeing the defence of the Popes law hath many faults joyned with it as namely the strengthning of wandring lusts superstitions and murdering of godly Priests every one may see that our Churches deale well in abolishing and condemning that law of the Pope And we beseech the most renowned Emperour that he will not defile himselfe with defending that uncleane single life and with the blood of the Priests for it is written Blessed is he that hath pitie on the poore and needy the Lord shall deliver him in the evill day This Article we found elsewhere placed in the second place amongst those wherein the abuses that are changed be mentioned Of the marriage of Priests Art 2. THere was a common complaint of the examples of such Priests as were not continent For which cause also Pope Pius is reported to have said that there were certaine causes for which marriage was forbidden to Priests but there were many weightier causes why it should be permitted again For so Platina writeth When as therefore the Priests among us fought to avoyd these publike offences they married wives and taught that it was lawfull for themselves to joyn in marriage First because that Paul saith To avoide fornication let every man have his wife Again It is better to marry then to burn Secondly
lawfull for the ministers of the Church to be married before they were ordained ministers but also to marry after their ordination For which opinion there be very evident arguments Neither ought the vow of chastitie to be any hinderance herein because that such a vow being taken upon a man by humane superstition without the authoritie of the word of God and against faith is not acknowledged of God and wedlock also hath it chastity that he which before had vowed chastitie marrieth a wife in the Lord doth indeed fulfill the vow of chastitie Seeing therefore that the word of God is evident touching the honestie of wedlock the examples of the Apostles and Bishops of the Primitive Church be evident the weaknesse of mans nature is evident dangers of single life be evident and seeing that the offences which unchaste Priests do give are evident we do verily hope that it will come to passe that they which have the government of the Church will not go forward severely to maintaine and defend this constitution touching the marriage of Priests but favourably to interpret it For so it shall come to passe that there may be both fewer and lesse offences in the Church and that many good mens consciences may be relieved Also we hope that it will come to passe that all good Bishops and Princes will permit them who by a lawfull divorce are separated from their adulterous wives or husbands to use that libertie of marrying againe in the Lord which the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ hath granted to them Matth. 5. and 16. Hitherto also pertaineth the 26. Article Of Monasticall vowes THere is no doubt but that godly just and lawfull vowes are to be kept and payed and that wicked vowes are to be disanulled But it is not without cause made a matter of controversie in what kinde of vowes Monasticall vowes touching virginitie or single life povertie and obedience are to be placed For it is evident that single life is not commanded by the Word of God also it is evident that although the estate of single persons be in publike dangers quiet and more fit and commodious to execute the publike Ministeries of the Church then is theirs which use it not yet we must not think that this kind of life is of it selfe before the tribunal seat of God more excellent and more holy then is marriage For as in Christ there is neither Iew nor Grecian neither servant nor freeman as Paul saith so in Christ there is neither married nor unmarried And as In Christ Iesus circumcision availeth nothing but the keeping of the commandements of God and a new creature so also doth single life availe nothing and wedlock availeth nothing but to be renued in Christ Iesus and to obey the calling of Christ In the Councel held at Gangrum there was this Canon If any of those who for the Lords sake do keep virginitie is lifted up against those that be married let him be accursed And an other Canon saith If any man for continencie as it is thought doth weare a cloake as beleeving that hereby he hath righteousnesse and doth despise others who with reverence doe weare other common and usuall kindes of garments let him be accursed And Augustine De bono coniugali cap 21. dareth not preferre the virginitie of the Baptist before the wedlock of Abraham Therefore he that doth vow virginitie or single life doth either vow it as a singular worship of God And then because the state of single life is not commanded by the word of God this vow pertaineth to the commandements of men whereof Christ saith In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the precepts of men Or else he worketh it as a merit of remission of sinnes and of life eternall and then it is evidently a wicked vow whereunto no man is bound It is to no better purpose to vow povertie For either thou are poore by condition or estate and possessest no earthly substance And then this crosse which God hath laid upon thee thou must beare it patiently which moreover if thou doe vow thou doest nothing else then if in thy sicknesse thou shouldest vow that thou wouldest alwaies bee sicke or that in thy infamie thou shouldest alwaies vow to be infamous which kind of vow is rather a madnesse then godlinesse Or else thou dost possesse substance and vowest that forsaking thy substance thou wilt alwaies leade a poore life and get thy living by beging and obtaine by the merit of this vow eternall life and then this vow is first of al repugnant to the love of thy neighbour which requireth that by thy begging thou be not troublesome to any further then necessitie compelleth secondly it is contrary to faith in Christ because that he alone is the merit of eternall life Therefore it is evident that this kind of vow is unlawful and wicked But so to forsake thy substance as to give it to a common use is not to follow after poverty but to provide a more certaine and bountiful living for thy selfe the which what manner of worship it is before God it cannot be unknown And as for obedience it is either referred to God and then it is not an arbitrary vow but of due necessitie of which obedience it is said Obedience is better then sacrifice Or else it is referred to man and then of their owne accord they are to perform those duties which the subject oweth to the Magistrate children to the Parents servants to their Lords and schollers to their Schoolemasters These things doth God look for at mens hands whether they be vowed or not vowed but yet with this condition that we do alwaies rather obey God then men But to vow obedience unto man without a speciall calling of God that by the works of such obedience a man may not onely performe a singular worship unto God but also purge his sins before God it is altogether superfluous because that Christ saith They worship me in vain with the traditions of men and also wicked because the obedience of Christ alone which he performed to God his Father hath puged our sinnes and reconciled us with God By all these things it is manifest that the kinde of vowing single life povertie and obedience doth not agree with that doctrine which is indeed Catholique especially seeing that certain men are not afraid to make this kinde of vowing equall with Baptisme Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Of Monkerie CHAP. 12. ANd for the same cause that all our Iustification doth consist The former part of this 12. Chap. might more commodiously have been referred to the 17. Sect. where we intreated of true Christian libertie if those things which follow had not hindered it in faith in Iesus Christ whereupon we have libertie given to us in all externall things we have permitted the bonds of Monkerie to be released among us For we saw that this liberty of Christians was vehemently challenged in every place by
particular cursing to wit of this or that man if the word be taken for a perpetuall and an unrepealable casting out from the Church of God we leave it to God alone and therefore we would not lightly admit it in our Churches For the Church useth onely such a cursing as determineth nothing finally following Saint Paul 1 Cor. 16. 22. Vpon the same Goe and chastise him that is reprove him and admonish him of Observ 4. page 215. his dutie Vpon the confession of Saxonie THe sentence of excommunication c. Looke before in the Observ 1. page 226. 3. Observation upon the Confession of Bohemia in this same Section Vpon the Confession of Wirtemberge HAth authoritie to beare witnesse of the holy Scripture This Observ 1. pag. 228. authoritie and right you must understand in this respect that the true Church of God discerning the Canonicall bookes of the Scripture from all others teacheth and defendeth that nothing is to be added to or taken from the Canon of the old Hebrew or to the new Scripture of the Christians Vpon the same Authoritie to iudge of all doctrines and to interpret Scripture Observ 2. pag. 228. To this we yeeld with these cautions First that in the judging of controversies not any judges whatsoever doe take unto themselves the name of the Church but that as the matter and importance of the cause doth require judges lawfully chosen whether more or fewer whether in an ordinary assembly of a particular Church or in a more generall meeting ordinary or extraordinary provinciall or generall be appointed to judge of the matter Secondly that there be free obedience and free giving of voyces Thirdly that all controversies be determined out of the word of God alone yet so as the fathers judgements be not condemned but laid to the onely rule of Gods word according as they themselves would have us to doe Now the Church is said to judge of doctrine not that it is above the truth of the doctrine or that the doctrine is therefore true because the Church hath so judged but in as much as the Church being taught and confirmed out of the word by the holy Ghost doth acknowledge and hold fast the true doctrine and teach men to hold it fast and condemneth and rejecteth and teacheth to reject all other strange doctrines IN THE ELEVENTH SECTION Vpon the latter Confession of Helvetia ANd such are found among us c. To wit interpreters of the Observ 1. pag. 235. Scriptures that were indued with a speciall gift of the spirit thereunto For as touching the visions of Prophets and those extraordinary motions and inspirations of the holy 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 whole Counsell of God touching our salvation was plainly revealed howbeit God yet can when he will raise it up againe Vpon the same And were also Preachers of the Gospell Such as the Apostles Observ 2. pag. 235. did joyne unto themselves as helpers and sent them now to this place now to that and these also are no more in use since the Churches were setled in good order Of which sort divers are mentioned in the Acts and in the Epistles of the Apostles Vpon the same Bishops were the overseers and watchmen of the Church which Observ 3. page 235. did distribute c. Taking this name for those which in a more strict signification are called Deacons and are distinguished from them which attend upon the preaching of the word Vpon the same Provide things necessary for it To wit spirituall things by Observ 4. page 235. teaching reproving correcting instructing both all in generall and man by man particularly yet tied to their speciall flocks and charges Vpon the same Now the power given to all the Ministers To wit of the word Observ 5. page 235. that is the Pastours and Doctors whose divers functions are afterward more fully set forth Vpon the former Confession of Helvetia BY the voice of God As namely if at any time the lawfull ordinary Observ 1. pag. 242. vocation being quite abolished as it hath fallen out under the Papacie God by his spirit hath extraordinarily raised up certaine 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 doore Vpon the same By the laying on of hands of the Priest By Priest take that they Observ 2. page 242. meane him that is appointed out of the Colledge and companie of the Pastours for to set him that is lawfully chosen as it were into the possession of his ministerie in the sight and presence of the whole Church Now as touching the very rite of this ordination every Church hath it own libertie so that both alike superstition and occasion of superstition be avoided Vpon the Confession of Bohemia BY laying on of hands Looke before the 2. observation upon Observ 1. page 246. the former Confession of Helvetia and looke after in the 14. Chapter of this same Confession and the 1. observation upon this Confession in the 13. Section Vpon the same Hereof speaketh the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews Yet Obsâ—rv 2. page 246. not properly for he disputeth of the Leviticall Priesthood which was abrogated by Christ and not of the ministerie under Christ Vpon the same Are a long time c. Let the reader thus take these words not Observ 3. page 247. as though this same order were prescribed unto all and singular Churches or were observed of all seeing we neither have any commandement touching that matter neither can it every where be performed But that this is very carefully to be looked unto that none but he that is furnished with learning and an approved integritie and uprightnesse be advanced to any Ecclesiasticall functions Vpon the same And Sodomiticall life That is of an unclean life given to riot Observ 4. page 249. and excesse as Ezech. chap. 16. vers 49. chargeth the inhabitants of Sodome Vpon the same Especially those c. Once againe this is to be taken as that Observ 5. page 249. we must know that this law of working with their owne hands is is not prescribed to the Churches Vpon the same Such as are to lay on hands Touching this rite looke before in Observ 6. page 251. the 2. Obser upon the former Confession of Helvetia Vpon the same To each severall Ecclesiasticall societies That is to Presbyteries Observ 7. pag. 252. or Consistories which stand of Pastours and Elders and unto whom properly the dispensing and ordering of the keies and Ecclesiasticall Censures doe belong As afterward is taught in the fifth Observation
upon the Confession of Auspurge Vpon the same That every Christian so often as he needeth these keyes c. ought Observ 8. page 252. to require them This is to be interpreted by those things which we spake of private absolution in the eighth Section in the 1. Observation upon this Confession and the first upon the Confession of Saxonie Vpon the same That the Priests ought not Whom they meane by the name Observ 9. page 252. of Priests it hath beene already shewed before in the 2. Observation upon the former Confession of Helvetia and shall straight after be repeated in the 3. Observation upon 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 grown to a custome to call Satan Lucifer Observ 1. pag. 255. the prince of Devils upon a place of Esay misunderstood of some of the ancient Fathers Vpon the same By open excommunication There is also a certaine kinde of excommunication Observ 2. page 256. which is not publique or open and is used onely for a triall of repentance Againe this is so to be taken that as we have oft before admonished all and singular Churches may keep their holy libertie both in ordaining 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 dogs and swine Vpon the same Vnto the unbeleeving a savour of death This must be understood Obser 3. pag. 256. to be the accidentall and not the proper end of the Ministerie of the Gospel arising not of the Gospel it selfe but of the contempt of the Gospel But this application of the similitude of the keies for the opening of all mens consciences which this Confession doth often use seemeth to be somewhat far from the meaning of Christ Vpon the same That the Priest in deed Touching the name of Priests looke Obser 4. pag. 256. the 2. Observation upon the former confession of Helvetia Againe it must be understood that when the question is of Ecclesiasticall Censures the lawfull intelligence of the Seigniorie must goe before the Priests judging That which is said touching power or authoritie must be understood of civill power which Ecclesiasticall functions have not at all or else of the authoritie of making lawes to mens consciences which resteth wholly in Christ the onely law-giver according to whose prescript and appointment his Ministers ought to judge and determine in the Churches Vpon the same Yea and the Bishop of Rome and a little after except he goe to Obser 5. pag. 257. worke By Bishop understand not him that now sitting Pope at Rome is called of other and tearmeth himselfe universall Bishop but such a Paster as being lawfully called in the Church of Rome if there were any true Church to be found did with his fellow laborers discharge a Christian ministerie Vpon the Confession of Auspurge NO more then doth the skill of musicke namely because it hath Obser â— pag. 259. a divers scope not that there is no more affinitie or agreement between the Ecclesiasticall ministery and the civill government then between a Musician and a Magistrate when as they do both tend directly unto the selfe same onely though by means distinct and diverse one from the other and also both the Ministers in matters civill be subject to the magistrate and the magistrate in matters belonging to conscience is subject to the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and one doth leane and stay it selfe upon the other and one aide and succour the other Vpon the same The Magistrate is to defend not the minde but the bodies This Obser 1. pag. 259. also is to be understood as that notwithstanding this the Magistrate is the keeper and defender of both tables of this law Vpon the same If so be the Bishops have c. This doe we also acknowledge Obser 3. pag. 260. to be most true but we say that it was neither lawfull for the Princes to derive this power unto Bishops nor for the Bishops to take it when it was offered because the Lord hath so distinguished these two as he hath also severed them the one from the other And the Apostle doth expresly forbid Ministers to intangle themselves in the things of this life yea and the Apostles themselves did cast off even the care of the almes from themselves unto the Deacons that they might attend upon the word and prayers Vpon the same To debarre the wicked c. To wit by the judgement and Obser 4. pag. 260. verdict of the Presbyterie lawfully gathered together and not by the will and determination of any one man as was noted before in the third Observation upon the English Confession Vpon the same The Churches must performe unto them To wit to the Ministers Obser 5. pag. 260. of the word and to the Elders and not to such alone as now by the law of man carry the name of Bishops as proper and peculiar to themselves alone which is common to all Pastors equally as Hierome can testifie Vpon the same If so be they have any other power c. they have it by mans law Observat 6. pag 260. It seemeth the band of marriage should be excepted the knowledge whereof by Gods law belongeth to the Pastors and namely in this respect that it cannot be judged firme and sure or voyd and frustrate but by the word of God according to that That which God hath coupled let no man put asunder touching which point looke the 1. Observation upon the former Confession of Helvetia and the 2. upon the Confession of Wirtemberge in the 18. Section Vpon the same Christ Though Christ would also be the Minister of the circumcision Observat 7. pag 262. yet we would not have him ranged in the same order with others whether they be Prophets or Apostles Vpon the Confession of Wirtemberge IF we speake of the Mediatour of praying Look the 2. Observation Obser 1. pag. 265. upon the Confession of Saxonie in the 1. Section Vpon the same That except a Priest be ordained To wit when question is of Obser 2. pag. 266. such Elders or Priests as did attend upon the preaching of the word For there was also another sort of Elders whom the Apostle calleth governours 1 Cor. 12. IN THE TWELFTH SECTION Vpon the latter Confession of Helvetia THe thing signified is regeneration That is the blood of Christ Observat 1. pag. 273. by vertue whereof we are regenerated and washed from our sinnes For to speake properly the thing signified by water is the blood and by sprinkling the washing from sinnes and regeneration is signified Vpon the former Confession of Helvetia THe thing it selfe is regeneration Look the Observation that Obser 1. pag. 275. Obser 2. pag. 275. went next before upon the
some Dioces is subject to some one man and is even by the testimony of Ierome himselfe an old invention of mans appointment and not of Gods ordinance limited and hedged in by very many ancient Canons But as for the third kinde which roveth farre and wide not onely beyond the word of God but also beyond the most just Canons and is indeed Satannicall and Tyrannicall and as yet flourishing in the Romane false named Church we do detest it as a most certain pestilence of the Christian Church Vpon the same It were for the chiefe Bishops gentlenesse We suppose that this Observat 2. pag. 411. is not meant of the Popes gentlenesse whom all the purer Churches doe at once detest as that Antichrist but of that kinde of Bishops which in the Observation next before this we called the second sort Which though it be so yet it seemeth to be against the old Canons that that should here be hanged upon the Bishops gentlenesse which after lawfull intelligence they are rather bound to do both by Gods lawes and by mans or else they are to be removed from their Bishopprick Vpon the same To have rule taken from Bishops It is without all controversie Observ 3. page 411. that Christ did not onely distinguish but also both by word and his owne example sever the civill rule and jurisdiction from the Ecclesiasticall Besides that is also a plaine case that the goods purposed and appointed to the uses of the Churches were in old time given not to the Bishops own persons but to the Church it selfe Now how far it is expedient that the Bishops should carry the shew and appearance of any civill rule and jurisdiction it is the dutie of godly Magistrates to consider Vpon the same The Apostles decree touching things offered to Idols c. To wit Observ 4. page 414. touching that sort of things offered to Idols which is eaten at the table of devils or by the eating whereof men sinne against their weake brethren Like as the decree of the Apostles is expounded of Paul 1 Cor. 9. and 10. Vpon the Confession of Saxony NOt lawfull for Kings nor Bishops to make lawes or rites that Observ 1. pag. 416. can not stand with the word c. And therefore no mysticall rites that is which carry some mysterie or hid signification in them though not otherwise impious as namely such as should be parts of Gods doctrine or kindes of Sacraments but onely such lawes as pertainâ— to order and decencie as is said in the end of this Articlâ— and that not upon their private will and advise but by the judgement of a lawfull assembly IN THE EIGHTEENTH SECTION Vpon the former Confession of Helvetia BVt upon iust cause c. To wit taken from the word of God Observ 1. page 424. For we do not think that it is lawfull for men at their pleasure to made lawes concerning divorcements in marriages permitted and already contracted according to the word of God as they may doe in contracts which are meerely civill for the Lord hath said That which God hath ioyned together let no man separate But the matter being diligently weighed by them of whom it is profitable for the Church that counsell should be asked concerning such matters as be not meerly civill the civill Magistrate may prescribe in his jurisdiction what affinities and upon what conditions it may stand with the profit of the common peace to have permitted or forbidden Vpon the Confession of Bohemia EIther to chuse it to himselfe or to refuse it to wit if he be Obser 1. pag. 425. throughly privie to himself of his own strength and so that he do not binde himself by a vow as it is expounded a little after Vpon the same And women Ministers that is of those who have willingly submitted Obser 2. pag. 426. themselves to take care for the hospitals and for the poor and those that be sick whom notwithstanding the Apostle doth forbid to be received before they be threescore yeers old 1 Tim. 5. 9. And generally he forbiddeth women all other Ecclesiasticall ministery in the second Chapter of the same Epistle Vpon the same They doe preserve the purenesse as well of the spirit as of the body Observat 3. pag. 426. c. to wit resisting the burning For otherwise the purenesse both of the body and of the spirit is preserved in wedlocke of married parties that use it holily Vpon the same To take counsell of the elders and governours of the Church Obser 4. pag. 428. c. understand this of him who should be taken into the Ecclesiasticall Ministery being a single man as for the most part it is used in the Churches of Bohemia yet without any vow or constraint and with no prejudice to other Churches which doe not observe this difference For this necessitie of going to and asking counsell of the Presbyterie it is not laid upon others Concerning which thing we will not thinke it much to set down in this place what the brethren themselves of Bohemia did heretofore answer to a certaine godly and learned man admonishing them of these things that no man may be offended with those things which be read both in this place and else-where in their Confession touching the single life of Ministers The meaning say they of single life is evidently declared in the beginning of that article that it is not ordained of God by any commandement Neither doe we place any dignitie of the ministery in single life We do without doubt beleeve according to the words of Christ that that gift is given to some and to whom it is not given for them it is free to marry We have by the mercie of God both married and unmarried Ministers and we endeavour to keepe a meane in this matter The Monkish custome and other absurd things we have by the grace of God removed farre out of our Churches Thus did they write that they might the better expound themselves Vpon the confession of Saxonie ALso we keepe the rules of the Canon law touching other neerer Oâ—serv 1. page 445. degrees c. Our Churches also do herein attribute some thing to the degree of Cosin Germanes to avoyd the offence of those that be weake seeing that even certaine prophane Law-makers have forbidden this degree and Christian charitie doth command us to depart even from cur right in those things which of themselves be lawfull for their sakes that be weake But we admonish the people diligently that they do not thinke that this degree is forbidden in it selfe that is by the law of God either expressed or understood which is the law of nature As for other inferiour degrees of affinitie and whatsoever that law being not Canonicall but Tyrannicall hath decreed as though it were spirituall concerning corporall affinitie without the word of God which is agreeable to the civill laws we do abolish and detest it as proceeding from the
soever they have professed For as without Christ Iesus there is neither life nor salvation so shall there none be participant thereof but such as the Father hath given unto his Sonne Christ Iesus and those in time to come unto him avow his doctrine and beleeve in him we apprehend the children with the faithfull parents This Church is invisible known only to God who alone knoweth whom he hath chosen and comprehendeth as well as is said the Elect that be departed commonly called the Church triumphant as those that ye live and sight against sinne and Satan and shall live hereafter The immortalitie of the soules THe Elect departed are in peace and rest from their labours Apâ—c 14. Apoc. 7. not that they sleepe and come to a certaine oblivion as some phantastikes doe affirme but that they are delivered from all feare and torment and all temptation to which we and all Gods Elect are subject in this life and therefore doe beare the name of the Church militant as contrariwise the reprobate and unfaithfull departed have anguish torment and paine that cannot be expressed So that neither are the one nor the other in such sleep that they feele not their torment as the parable of Christ Iesus in the 16. of Luke his words to the thiefe and these words of the Luke 16. soules crying under the Altar O Lord thou art righteous and Apoc. 6. iust how long shalt thou not avenge our blood upon these that dwell in the earth doe testifie Of the notes by 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 deck his pestilent Synagogue with the title of the Church of God and hath inflamed the hearts of cruell murderers to persecute Gen. 4. 21. 17. trouble and molest the true Church and members thereof as Caine did Abel Ishmael Isaac Esau Jacob and the whole priesthood of the Iewes Christ Iesus himselfe and his Apostles after Mat. 23. Iohn 11. Acts 3. hiw It is a thing most requisite that the true Church be discerned from the filthy Synagogues by cleere and perfect notes lest we being deceived receive 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 usurped lineall descent place appointed nor multitude of men approving an errour for Cain in age and title was preferred to Abel and Seth Ierusalem had prerogative above all places of the earth where also were the Priests lineally descended from Aaron and greater number followed the Scribes Pharisies and Priests then unfainedly beleeved and approved Christ Iesus and his doctrine and yet as we suppose no man of sound judgement will grant that any of the forenamed were the Church of God The notes therefore of the true Church of God we beleeve confesse and avow to be first the true preaching of the word of God in the which God hath revealed himselfe unto us as the writings of the Prophets and Apostles doe declare Ioh 1. 20. Secondly the right administration of the Sacraments of Christ Iesus which must be annexed unto the word and promise of Rom 4. God to seale and confirme the same in our hearts Lastly Ecclesiasticall discipline uprightly ministred as Gods word prescribeth 1 Cor. 5. whereby vice is repressed and vertue nourished Wheresoever then these former notes are seene and of any time continue be the number never so few above two or three there without all doubt is the true Church of Christ who according to his promise is in the middest of them Not in the universall of which we have before spoken but particular such as was in Corinthus Acts 16. 18. 1 Cor. 2. Acts 20. Gallacia Ephesus and other places in which the Ministerie was planted by Paul and were of himselfe named the Churches of God and such Churches we the inhabitants of the Realme of Scotland professours of Christ Iesus professe our selves to have in our Cities townes and places reformed For the doctrine taught in our Churches is contained in the written word of God to wit in the Books of the Old and New Testaments in those Books we mean which of the ancient have been reputed Canonicall In the which we affirme that all things necessarie to be beleeved for the salvation of mankinde are sufficiently expressed The interpretation whereof we confesse neither appertaineth to private nor publique person neither yet to any Church for any preheminence or prerogative personall or locall which one hath above another but appertaineth to the Spirit of God by the which also the Scripture was written When controversie then happeneth for the right understanding of any place or sentence of scripture or for the reformation of any abuse within the Church of God we ought not so much to looke what men before us have said or done as unto that which the holy Ghost uniformely speaketh within the body of the Scriptures and unto that which Christ Iesus himselfe did and commanded to be done For this is one thing universally granted that the Spirit of God which is the spirit of unitie is in nothing contrary to himselfe 1 Cor. 1â—â— If then the interpretation determination or sentence of any Doctor Church or Councel repugne to the plaine word of God written in any other place of the Scripture it is a thing most certaine that there is not the true understanding and meaning of the holy Ghost although that Councels Realmes and Nations have approved and received the same For we dare not receive or admit any interpretation which repugneth to any principall point of our faith or to any other plaine text of Scripture or yet unto the rule of charitie The authoritie of the Scriptures AS we beleeve and confesse the Scriptures of God sufficiently to instruct and make the man of God perfect so doe we 1 Tim. 3. affirme and avow the authoritie of the same to be of God and neither doe depend on men nor Angels We affirme therefore that such as alledge the Scripture to have no other authoritie but that which he hath received from the Church are blasphemous against God and injurious to the true Church which alwaies heareth and obeyeth the voyce of her own spouse and Pastour Iohn 10. but taketh not upon her to be maistresse over the same Of the generall Councels of their power authoritie and causes of their convention AS we do not rashly damne that which godly men assembled together in generall Councel lawfully gathered have proponed unto us so without just examination we doe not receive whatsoever is obtruded unto men under the name of a generall Councel for plain it is as they were men so have some of them manifestly erred and that in matters of great weight and importance So farre then as the Councel proveth
salvation This Catechisme which doth contain in it the full and Catholike doctrine of Christianisme the knowledge of most weightie things spoken of before our Preachers do use in stead of a sure rule method and table of all those things which they teach and of all their sermons writings and this they do faithfully care for and bestow all their labour therein that this whole ordinary doctrine of the principles of true faith and Christian godlinesse and the doctrine of the foundation may be imprinted in the bottome of the hearts of Christians and throughly ingrafted in the mindes and life of the hearers and that after this manner First that all may know that they are bound to yeeld an inward and outward obedience to the law and therfore they must endevour to performe and fulfill the commandements of God both in their heart seeing that the law is spirituall and in their deeds by loving God above all things and their neighbour as themselves Secondly they must well learne and beare in minde and be able readily to rehearse and to beleeve from the heart to keepe and to professe with the mouth the chiefe points of the Catholike Christian and Apostolike Creed and to testifie a Christian pictie by actions or manners and a life which may beseeme it Therefore they do also in their sermons by expounding it lay open the true and sound meaning and every mysterie which is necessarie to eternall salvation and is comprehended in the articles of faith and in every part thereof and confirme it by testimonies taken out of the holy Scriptures and by these holy Scriptures they do either more largely or briefly declare expound and lay open the meaning and the mysteries And in all these things they doe so behave themselves that concerning the order which the Apostles brought in and propounded they labour to instruct not onely those which be of riper yeers who being come to lawfull age are able presently to understand but also to teach little children that they being exercised even from their childhood in the chiefe points of the covenant of God may be taught to understand the true worship of God For this cause there be both peculiar Ecclesiasticall assemblies with children which doe serve for the exercise of catechizing and also the parents and those that are requested of the parents and used for witnesses who are called godfathers and godmothers at Baptisme are put in minde of the dutie and faith which they owe that they also may faithfully instruct their beloved children traine them up in the discipline of the Lord and from the bottome of their hearts Ephes 6. Col. 3. pray unto God for these and all other the children of the faithfull of Christ But chiefly they which are newly instructed before they be lawfully admitted to the Supper of the Lord are diligently taught the Christian Catechisme and the principles of true religion and by this meanes they are furthered towards the obtaining of saving repentance vertue and the efficacie of faith Afterward all the rest are also instructed that all together being lightned with the knowledge of God and of the Saints every man may walk with all honesty and godlinesse in his place and in that order whereunto he is called of God and may by this means sanctifie the name of God and adorne the true doctrine Thirdly in the Catechisme these things are taught to invocate one true God in a sure confidence in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ to pray and that not for themselves onely and their private affaires but also for the whole Christian Church in all countries for the Ministers of the Church and also for the civill Magistrate who is ordained of God and chiefly for the Emperours and your Princely Majestie for his most noble children and whole posteritie for his counsellors and all those that be subject to his government praying that it would please our gracious God to grant and to give unto your Princely and his Royall Majestie a long life heaped with all good things and a happy government and also a benigne gentle and fatherly minde and affection of heart toward all those that behave themselves uprightly are well affected doe humbly obey doe shew themselves faithfull and loving subjects and those that doe in truth worship God the Father and his Sonne Iesus Christ And to be briefe we teach that prayers may be made faithfully for all men for 1 Tim. 2. our friends and enemies as the doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ and his Apostles doth command us and as examples doe shew that the very first and holy Church did For which cause we are also instant with the people that they would diligently and in great numbers frequent the holy assemblies and there be stirred up out of this word of God to make earnest and reverent prayers Now whatsoever is contrarie to this Catholique and Christian kinde of Catechizing all that we doe forsake and reject and it is strongly confuted by sure reasons and such as do leane unto the foundations of the holy Scripture so farre forth as God doth give us grace hereunto and the people is admonished to take heed of such Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve because Iesus Christ is onely Advocate given Artic. 24. unto us who also commandeth us to come boldly unto the Father in his name that it is not lawfull for us to make our prayers in any other forme but in that which God hath set us downe in his word and that whatsoever men have forged of the intercession of Saints departed is nothing but the deceits and slights of Satan that he might withdraw men from the right manner of praying These things were also set down in the 2. Section but for an other purpose and the other part of this Article is to be found in the 16. Section Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE make our prayers in that tongue which all our people Artic. 16. as meet is may understand to the end they may as Saint Paul counselleth us take common commoditie by common prayer even as all the holy Fathers and Catholique Bishops both in the old and new Testament did use to pray themselves and taught the people to pray too lest as Saint Augustine saith Like Parets and Owles we should seeme to speake that we understand not Out of the Confession of SAXONIE Article 14. which is intituled of the Supper GOd will have the ministerie of the Gospel to be publique he will not have the voice of the Gospel to be shut up in corners onely but he will have it to be heard he will have him selfe to be knowne and invocated of all mankinde Therefore hee would that there should be publique and wel ordered meetings and in these he will have the voice of the Gospel to found there he will be invocated and praised Also he will that these meetings should be witnesses of the confession and severing of the Church of God from
the sects and opinions of other nations Iohn assembled his flock at Ephesus and taught the Gospel and by the use of the Sacraments the whole companie did declare that they imbraced this doctrine and did invocate this God who delivered the Gospel and that they were separated from the worshippers of Diana Iupiter and other Idols For God will bee seene and have his Church heard in the world and have it distinguished by many publique signes from other nations So no doubt the first Fathers Adam Seth Enoch Noe Sem Abraham had their meetings and afterward the civill government of Israel had many rites that their separation from the Gentiles might be more evident Also God gave a peculiar promise to his congregation Matth. 18. Wheresoever two or three be gathered together in my name I will be in the middest of them Also Whatsoever they agreeing together shall desire it shall be done to them And in the 149. Psalme His praise is in the Church of the Saints And the promises wherein God doth affirme that he will preserve his Church are so much the sweeter because we know that he doth preserve and restore the publique ministerie in well ordered meetings as also in the very words of the Supper this promise is included where he commandeth that The death of the Lord should be shewed forth and this Supper distributed till he come c. Hitherto also pertaineth the last part of the 12. Article of this Confession where these things are found touching the revenues of Monastories IN many places the Churches want Pastours or else Pastours want living These men ought chiefly to be relieved out of the revenues of rich Monasteries then the studies of those which be poore must thereby be furthered and in some places Schooles may be erected especially seeing that it is necessary that the Church should discharge the expences of many 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 relieved wherein it is necessary that the poore which have beene sick a long time should be nourished A great part of the revenues in these countries is by the goodnesse of God transferred to such uses which are indeed godly to wit to nourish Pastours the poore and Schollers to erect Schooles and to relieve Hospitals that which remaineth is bestowed in every Monasterie upon the guiding and ordering of things pertaining to their houses and to think that this is not very sumptuous it is but foolishnesse As for the richer Abbots in these dayes upon what uses they lavish out the revenues the examples of many doe declare whom we could name who do both hate learning Religion and vertue and do waste these almes ravenously and either set no Pastours over their Churches or if they have any they suffer them to starve Out of the Confession of WIETEMBERGE Hitherto pertaineth first the 11. Article Of this Confession VVE think that it is most profitable that children and young men be examined in the Catechisme by the Pastors of their Church and that they be commended if they be godly and well instructed and that they be amended if they be ill instructed The rest is to be seene in the 14. Sect. where the confirmation used in Papisticall Baptisme is handled Hitherto also pertaineth the 16 Art ss 2. Of Prayer BY Prayer God is invocated and true invocation is a worke of faith and cannot be done without faith Now faith doth behold Christ and relie upon his merits onely Wherefore except thou shalt apply unto thy selfe the merit of Christ by faith prayer will stand thee in no stead before God Now prayer is necessarily required for this purpose that by a due consideration of the promises of God faith may be stirred up and kindled in us Therefore it is not absurdly said that sins are cleane taken away by prayer yet must it not so be understood as though the very worke of prayer of it own merit were a satisfaction for sins before God but that by prayer faith is stirred up and kindled in us by which faith we are made partakers of the merit of Christ and have our sinnes forgiven us onely for Christ his sake For before that we doe by prayer invocate God it shall be necessarie to have the merit of Christ applied to us and received by faith Therefore it cannot be that prayer should be such a worke as that for the merit thereof we might obtaine remission of our sins before God Psalme 108. Let his prayer be turned into sinne But it is not possible that prayer should be turned into sinne if of it selfe it were so worthy a worke as that sinne thereby should be purged Isa 1. When you shall stretch out your hands I will turne my eyes from you and when you shall multiply your prayers I will not heare you But God would not turne away his eyes from prayer if of it owne worthinesse it were a satisfaction for our sins Augustine upon the 108. Psal saith That prayer which is not made through Christ doth not onely not take away sinne but also it selfe is made sin Bernard de Quadrages Ser. 5. saith But some peradventure doe seeke eternall life not in humilitie but as it were in confidence of their own merits Neither doe I say this let grace received give a man confidence to pray but no man ought to put his confidence in his prayer as though for his prayer he should obtaine that which he desireth The gifts which are promised doe onely give this unto us that we may hope to obtain even greater things of that mercie which giveth these Therefore let that prayer which is made for temporall things be restrained in these wants onely also let that prayer which is made for the vertues of the soul be free from all filthy and uncleane behaviour and let that prayer which is made for life eternall be occupied about the onely good pleasure of God and that in all humilitie presuming as is requisite of the onely mercie of God Of Almes CHAP. 18. VVE do diligently commend almes and exhort the Church that every man help his neighbour by every dutie that he may and testifie his love But whereas it is said in a certaine place That almes doe take away sinne as water doth quench fire we must understand it according to the analogie of faith For what need was there to the taking away of our sins of Christ his passion and death if sins might be taken away by the merit of almes And what use were there of the ministerie of the Gospell if almes were appointed of God for an instrument whereby the death of Christ might be applied to us Therefore that Christ his honour may not be violated and the ministerie of the Gospell may retaine it lawfull use we teach that almes doth thus take away sinne not that of it selfe it is a worthy worke whereby sinne may either be purged or the
that the farre greater part doth there rather seeke kitchins well furnished then for poverty and hunger Now we must also consider of this let eloquent men excuse and praise the Monasticall life as they list yet alwaies this opinion is confirmed in men that are not prophane by this example that such works chosen by mans devise are the worship of God that is such works whereby God doth count himselfe to be honoured This opinion is to be reproved and to be pulled out of the minds of men and men are to be drawn back to the commandements of God according to this saying Mat. 15. In vain do they worship me with the commandements of men Also Walke not after the commandements of your fathers but walke ye in my commandements This is a true and notable reprehension of the Monasticall life Now if they doe faine hereunto merits and perfections the Gospel of Christ touching the righteousnesse of faith and true worship is the more obscured because it is a foule and horrible lie that monasticall observations should merit remission of sinnes or be of so great value as is Baptisme as Thomas doth expressely say Neither was antiquitie ignorant of this reprehension There is a narration extant whether it be true or written onely for doctrines sake yet doth it shew forth the judgements of godly men They write that when Antonie desired to know how much he had profited before God in those externall exercises there was shewed unto him a Coblers house at Alexandria being next doore to him He therefore going in speaketh to the good man of the house questioneth with him concerning doctrine and exercises of godlinesse The Cobler answereth sincerely touching doctrine Afterward he saith that in the morning in a short prayer he giveth thanks to God both for other benefits and that he sent his Sonne then that he doth aske remission of his sins for the Sones sake and pray that God would preserve the Church and his family also that he prayeth to the Sonne to make intercession for us and that hee doth rest in this faith and doth his domesticall affaires ioyfully and provide that his children may be well taught And usest thou no other streighter exercise saith Antonie why saith he doth he labour alittle trow you that provideth how his family shall be maintained and many things doe oftentimes happen which doe suâ—ely vexe him that governeth a house beside other burdens which he hath common with the Citizens Doest thou not see how many private and publike miseries there be in this life and to beare these well and in them to exercise faith and patience doest thou not think it a warfare hard enough Antonie went his way and understood that he was admonished not to preferre his owne exercises before the duties of this common life These and other like narrations are read which although they bee so written for doctrines sake yet they do declare the judgements of learned men Neither is it now needfull to adde a longer discourse especially seeing that no man is ignorant how that in those places where Monks be there is much wicked superstition in Monasteries and that the studies of doctrine are either none at all or very corrupt To deliberate of the meanes how to amend these things we leave it to them that are in authoritie Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of Wedlocke CHAP. 21. VVE confesse that Wedlock is a kind of life instituted and approved of God and that it is * Looke the 1. observation a mystery that is as commonly it useth to be expounded a great Sacrament in Christ and his Church as Paul saith And because Christ doth evidently affirme that wedlock doth pertaine to this present life and the administration of the things of this life doe consist of publique laws being made upon right and probable reason therefore we teach that it is lawfull to marry in these degrees of consanguinitie and affinity which * Looke the 2. observation the politique lawes which are the ordinances of God do permit Also we teach that those which be young ought not to marry without the authority of their parents and that the marriage which is contracted by a rash and unlawfull consent of young parties without the authority of them in whose power they are is not to be counted as ratified For although there be certain cases wherein it is lawfull to marry without the consent of parents yet it seemeth not good to make a generall rule thereof as though every consent of young parties should ratifie the contract of marriage and as though privie marriages were to be approved For not onely the commandement of God doth require that children should honour their Parents but also naturall reason doth command that the consent of parents should be requested in making a marriage hitherto also are children called by the politique lawes And there is a decree of Pope Euarastus extant the words whereof be these Marriage as we have heard of our fathers and have found it delivered unto us of the Apostles and their successours is not otherwise made lawfull but when a wise is sought for at their hands and affianced by the neerest Parents who seeme to have authoritie over the maid or woman and in whose custodie she is Moreover we doe not doubt but that they which are in deed lovers of honesty do think that it is not free for the lay men onely as they call them but also for the Ministers of the Church to marry For the Epistle to the Heb. saith Marriage is honourable in all men and the bed that is undefiled And Paul alloweth of marriage in a Bishop affirmeth that the forbidding of marriage is a spirit of errours and a doctrine of devils For though this saying of Paul is commonly expounded of the Tatians and Eucratians who thought that marriage doth nothing at all differ from whordome yet notwithstanding seeing that marriage is forbidden in the popish decrees it is forbidden by the same reasons by the which marriage is wholly condemned and not in one kinde of men only For that saying is alledged out of Leviticus Be ye holy because I am holy and that of Paul Not in chambering and wantonnesse And againe They which are in the flesh cannot please God But seeing that these sayings of the Scripture do pertaine to all men certainly they might drive all godly men from marriage if they were fitly applied to forbid marriage unto Priests But we hope that all good men do think more honestly of marriage and that they do not dislike of that in the Ministers thereof which they did approve in the Church it selfe especially 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 have their wives And we think that this thing is so to be understood that it was not only