life and death were set before him which if he would not consider nor doe his endeavour therein by choosing of evill he might loose all those good gifts The second part of the knowledge of a mans selfe namely before justification standeth in this that a man acknowledge a right the state of this fall sin and mortalitie For that free liberty of choice which God permitted to the will of man he abused and kept not the law of his justice but swerved therefrom and therein transgressed the commandement of God insomuch as he obeyed the devill and those lying speeches of his and gave credit unto them and performed to the devill such faith and obedience as was due to God alone whereby he stripped and bereaved himselfe and his posteritie of the state of perfection and goodnesse of nature and the grace of God and those good gifts of justice and the Image of God which in his creation were engraffed in him he partly lost them and partly corrupted and defiled them as if with horrible poyson one should corrupt pure wine and by this meanes he cast headlong both himselfe and all his off-spring into sinne death and all kinde of miseries in this life and into punishments eternall after this life Wherefore the spring and principall author of all evill is that cruell and detestable devill the tempter lyer and manslayer and next the free will of man which notwithstanding being converted to evill through lust and naughtie desires and by perverse concupiscence chooseth that which is evill Hereby sinnes according to these degrees and after this order may be considered and judged of The first and weightiest or most grievous sinne of all was without doubt after that sinne of Adam which the Apostle calleth Disobedience for the which death reigneth Rom. 5. over all even over those also which have not sinned with like transgression as did Adam A second kind is originall sin naturally ingendred in us and hereditarie wherein we are all conceived and borne into this world Behold saith David I was borne in iniquitie Psal 51. Ephes 2. and in sinne hath my mother conceived me And Paul We are by nature the children of wrath Let the force of this hereditarie destruction be acknowledged judged of by the guilt and fault by our pronenesse and declination by our evill nature and by the punishment which is laid upon it The third kinde of sinnes are those which are called Actuall which are the fruits of Originall sinne and doe burst out within without privily and openly by the powers of man that is by all that ever man is able to doe and by his members transgressing all those things which God commandeth and forbiddeth and also running into blindnesse and errours worthy to be punished with all kinde of damnation This doctrine of the true knowledge of sinne is of our men diligently handled and urged and to this end were the first and second Tables of the Law delivered to Moses of God that men especially might know themselves that they are conceived and borne in sin and that forthwith even from their birth and by nature they are sinners full of lusts and evill inclinations For hereof it commeth that straight even from the beginning of our age and so forth in the whole course of our life being stained and overcome with many sins men doe in heart thoughts and evill deeds breake and transgresse the commandements of God as it is written The Lord looked down from heaven to behold the children Psal 14. Rom. 3. of men to see if there were any that would understand and seeke God all are gone out of the way they have been made altogether unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one And againe When the Lord saw that the wickednesse of man was great in the Gen. 6. earth and all the cogitations of his heart were onely evill continually And againe The Lord said the imagination of mans heart is evill Gen. 8. even from his youth And Saint Paul saith We were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Ephes 2. Here withall this is also taught that by reason of that corruption and depravation common to all mankinde and for the the sinne transgressions and injustice which ensued thereof all men ought to acknowledge according to the holy Scripture their own just condemnation and the horrible and severe vengeance of God and consequently the most deserved punishment of death and eternall torments in hell whereof Paul teacheth us when he saith The wages of sin is death And our Lord Christ They which have Rom. 6. John 5. done evill shall goe into the resurrection of condemnation that is into pains eternall Where shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth They teach also that we must acknowledge * Looke the first observat upon this confession our weaknesse and that great miserie which is ingendered in us as also those difficulties from which no man can ever deliver or rid himselfe by any meanes or justifie himselfe that is procure or get righteousnesse to himselfe by any kinde of works deeds or exercises seeme they never so glorious For that will of man which before was free is now so corrupted troubled and weakened that now from henceforth of it selfe and without the grace of God it cannot chuse judge or wish fully nay it hath no desire nor inclination much lesse any abilitie to chuse that good wherewith God is pleased For albeit it fell willingly and of it owne accord yet by it selfe and by it owne strength it could not * Looke the second observat upon this confession rise againe or recover that fall neither to this day without the mercifull help of God is it able to doe any thing at all And a little after Neither can he which is man onely and hath nothing above the reach of this our nature helpe an other in this point For since that originall sin proceeding by inheritance possesseth the whole nature and doth furiously rage therein and seeing that all men are sinners and doe want the grace and justice Rom. 3. of God therefore saith God by the mouth of the Prophet Esaias Put me in remembrance Let us be judged together count thou if Esa 43. thou have any thing that thou mayest be iustified thy first father hath sinned and thy interpreters that is they which teach thee justice have transgressed against me and a little before speaking of works in the service of God after the invention of man he saith Thou hast not offered unto me the Ram of the burnt offerings neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an offering nor wearied thee with incense And unto the Hebrews it is written Sacrifice and offering and Heb 10. burnt offerings and sinne offerings thou wouldest not have Neither did dest thou approove those things which were offered according to the Law This also must we know
things are taught as touching mans free will we doe worthily reject them seeing that man is the servant of sinne neither can he doe any thing of himselfe but as it is given him from heaven For who is so bold as to bragge that he is able to performe whatsoever he listeth when as Christ himselfe saith No man can come unto me except my Father which Joh. 6. 44. hath sent me doe draw him Who dare boast of his will which heareth that All the affections of the flesh are enemies against God Rom. 8. 1 Cor. 1. 14. Who will vaunt of his understanding which knoweth that The naturall man cannot perceive the things of the spirit of God To conclude who is he that dare bring forth any one cogitation of his owne which understandeth this that we are not Able of our selves to thinke any thing but That we are sufficient it is altogether 2 Cor. 3. 5. of God Therefore that saying of the Apostle must needs remaine firme and steadfast It is God which worketh in us both to will and Pâ—il 2. 12. to doe even of his good pleasure For no mans minde no mans will is able to rest in the will of God wherein Christ himselfe hath wrought nothing before The which also he doth teach us saying Without me ye can doe nothing Joh. 15. 5. We beleeve that through the disobedience of Adam the sin Artic. 15. that is called Originall hath been spred and powred into all mankinde Now Originall sinne is a corruption of the whole nature and an hereditarie evill wherewith even the very infants in their Psal 51. Rom. 3. Gen. 6. Joh. 3. Rom. 5. Eph. 1. Mothers wombe are polluted the which also as a most noysome roote doth branch out most abundantly all kinde of sinne in man and is so filthy and abominable in the sight of God that it alone is sufficient to the condemnation of all man-kinde Neither are we to beleeve that this sinne is by baptisme utterly extinguishet or plucked up by the rootes seeing that out of it as out of a corrupt fountaine continuall flouds and rivers of iniquitie doe daily spring and flow how be it to the children of God it doth not tend neither is it imputed to condemnation but of the meere favour and mercy of God it is remitted unto them not to this end that they trusting unto this remission should be rocked a sleepe in security but that it may stirre up often sighes in the faithfull by the sense and feeling of this corruption and that they should somewhat the more earnestly desire To be delivered from this body of Rom. 7. 18. 2. death Therefore we doe condemne the errour of the Pelagians which affirme that this Originall sinne is nothing else but a certaine kinde of imitation Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE ALso they that teach that after the fall of Adam all men descended Artic. 2. one from another after a naturall manner have originall sinne even when they are borne We meane by originall sinne that which the holy fathers and all of sound judgement and learning in the Church doe so call namely that guilt whereby all that come into the world are through Adams fall subject to Gods wrath and eternall death and that very corruption of mans nature derived from Adam And this corruption of mans nature comprehendeth both the defect of originall justice integritie or obedience and also concupiscence This defect is horrible blindenesse and disobedience that is to wit to want that light and knowledge of God which should have beene in our nature being perfect and to want that uprightnesse that is that perpetuall obedience that true pure and chiefe love of God and those other gifts of perfect nature Wherefore those defects and this concupiscence are things damnable and of their owne nature worthy of death And this originall blot is sinne indeed condemning and bringing eternall death even now also upon them which are not borne againe by baptisme and the holy Ghost They condemne the Pelagians who denie Originall sinne and thinke that those defects or this concupiscence are things indifferent or punishments onely and not of their owne nature damnable and dreame that man may satisfie the Law of God and may for that peculiar obedience be pronounced just before God These things are thus found in another Edition ALso they teach that after Adams fall all men begotten after Artic. the common course of nature are borne with sinne that is without the feare of God without trust in him and with concupiscence And that this disease or Originall blot is sinne indeed condemning and bringing eternall death even now upon all that are not born again by baptisme and the holy Ghost They condemne the Pelagians and others that deny this Originall blot to be sinne indeed and that they may extenuate the glorie of the merit and benefits of Christ they doe reason that a man may by the strength of his owne reason be justified before God Concerning free will they doe teach that mans will hath some Artic. 18. freedome to * Looke the 1. observat upon this confession performe a civill justice and to make choice of things that are within the reach of reason but it hath no power to performe a spirituall justice without the holy Spirit because Paul saith The naturall man perceiveth not the things which are of the spirit of God and Christ saith without me ye can doe nothing Now this spirituall justice is wrought in us when we are * Looke the 2. observat helped of the holy Ghost And we receive the holy Ghost when we assent unto the word of God that we may be comforted through faith in all terrours of conscience as Paul teacheth when he saith That ye may receive the promise of the spirit through faith These things almost in as many words faith S. Augustine lib. 3. Hypognost We confesse that there is in all men a free will which hath indeed the iudgement of reason not that it is thereby apt without God either to begin or to performe any thing in matters pertaining to God but only in workes belonging to this present life whether they be good or evill In good works I affirme those to be which arise of the goodnesse of nature as to be willing to labour in the field to desire meat or drink to desire to have a friend to desire apparell to desire to build an house to marrie a wife to nourish cattell to learne the art of divers good things to desire any good thing pertaining to this present life all which are not without Gods government yea they now are and had their beginning from God In evill things I account such as these to desire to worship an Image to desire manslaughter This sentence of Augustine doth notably teach what is to be attributed to free will and doth put a plaine difference betweene civill discipline or the exercises of humane reason
the Church like doting follies to those of the Pelagians And we say that all men since the fall of our first parents which are borne by the coupling together of male and female doe together with their birth bring with them Originall sinne as Paul saith Rom. 5. By one man sinne entred into the world and by sinne death And Ephes 2. We were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Neither doe we dislike that usuall definition if it be well understood Originall sinne is a want of Originall iustice which ought to be in us Because that Originall justice was not onely an acceptation of mankinde before God but in the very nature of man a light in the minde whereby he might assuredly beleeve the word God and a conversion of the will unto God and an obedience of the heart agreeing with the judgement of the Law of God which which was graffed in the minde and as we said before man was the temple of God That Originall iustice doth comprehend all these things it may beunderstood by this saying Man was created after the Image and likenesse of God which Paul doth thus interpret Ephes 4. Put ye on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse where undoubtedly by true holinesse he understandeth all those vertues which shine in our nature and are given by God not ascited by art or gotten by instruction as now those shadowes of vertues such as they are in men be ascited because that then God dwelling in man did governe him And when we consider what Originall iustice doth signifie then the privation opposite thereunto is lesse obscure Therefore Originall sinne is both for the fall of our first parents and for the corruption which followed that fall even in our birth to be subject to the wrath of God and to be worthy of eternal damnation except we obtaine remission for the Mediatours sake And this corruption is to want now the light or the presence of God which should have shined in us and it is an estranging of our will from God and the stubbornnesse of the heart resisting the law of the minde as Paul speaketh and that man is not the temple of God but a miserable Masse without God and without justice These wants and this whole corruption we say to bee sinne not onely a punishment of sinne and a thing indifferent as many of the Sententiaries doe say That these evils are onely a punishment and a thing indifferent but not sinne And they doe extenuate this Originall evill and then they feigne that men may satisfie the law of God and by their owne fulfilling of the Law become just The Church must avoid ambiguities Therefore we doe expressely name these evils Corruption which is often named of the ancient writers Evill concupiscence But we distinguish those desires which were created in our nature from that confusion of order which hapned after our fall as it is said Ier. 10 The heart of man is wicked And Paul saith The wisedome of the flesh is omnit is against God This evill Concupiscence we say to be sinne and we affirme that this whole doctrine of sinne as it is propounded and taught in our Churches is the perpetuall consent of the true Church of God Of Free Will Artic. 4. NOw let us make manifest also the doctrine of free will Men truely instructed in the Church have alwaies distinguished betweene discipline and the newnesse of the spirit which in the beginning of life eternall and they have taught that in man there is such freedome of will to governe the outward motions of the members that thereby even the unregenerate may after a sort performe that outward discipline which is an externall obedience according to the Law But man by his naturall strength is not able to free himselfe from sinne and eternall death but this freedome and conversion of man unto God and this spirituall newnesse wrought by the Sonne of God quickning us by his holy Spirit as it is said If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his and the will having received the holy Ghost is not idle And we give God thankes for this unspeakable benefit that for the Sonne his sake and through him he giveth us the holy Ghost and doth governe is by his Spirit And we condemne the Pelagians and the Manichces as we have at large declared in an other place Of the difference of sinne Artic. 10. SEeing it is said that sinnes remaine in the regenerate it is necessarie to have a difference of sinnes delivered unto us For out of that saying Luk. 11. He went and tooke unto him seven other spirits worse then himselfe and they enter in and dwelt there c. And of such like sayings it is manifest that some who are regenerate doe grieve and * Looke the 1. Observer upon this confession shake off the holy Ghost and are againe rejected of God and made subject to the wrath of God and eternall punishments And Ezech. 18. it is written when the righteous man shall turne from his righteousnesse and commit iniquitie he shall die therein and when the wicked man shall turne from his wickednesse and doe iudgement and iustice he shall live therein Therefore it is necessary that those sinnes which remaine in holy men in this mortall life and yet doe not shake off the holy Ghost be distinguished from other sinnes for the which man is againe made subject to the wrath of God and to eternall punishments So Paul Rom. 5. distinguisheth betweene sinne that reigneth and sinne that reigneth not And Rom. 8. he saith If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit ye shall live And in the first Epistle to Timothy Chap. 1. he giveth a rule Fight a good fight keeping faith and a good conscience Therefore when a man doth not keepe the faith but either wittingly or by some errour looseth some part of the foundation that is some article of faith or alloweth Idols as many doe which are deceived with false opinions or doe not uphold themselves by the comfort of faith but are overcome by doubting or by despaire or against their conscience doe breake any commandement of God he doth shake off the holy Ghost and is made againe subject to the wrath of God and to everlasting punishment Of these men faith Paul Rom. 8. If ye live according to the flesh ye shall die And 1 Cor. 6. Neither fornicatours nor adulterers nor Idolaters c. shall inherit the kingdome of God And that the oath Ezech. 18. doth cleerely say As I live saith the Lord I do not desire the death of a sinner but rather that he be converted and live In this oath two parts are joyned together conversion and life God doth desire and that with an oath the conversion of man therefore they doe not please him which retaine a purpose to sinne Now in
life and make us fellow heires with himselfe He taking flesh of the most pure Virgin Mary the holy Ghost working together flesh I say being sacred by the union of the Godhead and like unto ours in all things sin onely excepted because it behooved our sacrifice to be unspotted gave the same flesh to death for the purgation of all sin The same Christ as he is to us a full and perfect hope and trust of our immortalitie so he placed his flesh being raised up from death into heaven at the right hand of his Almightie Father This Conquerour having triumphed over death sin and all the infernall devils sitting as our Captaine Head and chiefe high Priest doth defend and plead our cause continually till he doe reforme us to that Image after which we were created and bring us to the fruition of life everlasting we looke for him to come in the end of the world a true and upright Iudge and to give sentence upon all flesh being first raised up to that judgement and to advance the godly above the skie and to condemn the wicked both in soule and body to eternall destruction Who as he is the onely Mediatour Intercessor Sacrifice and also our high Priest Lord and King so we doe acknowledge and with the whole heart beleeve that he alone is our attonement redemption sanctification expiation wisdome protection and deliverance simply herein rejecting all meane of our life and salvation beside this Christ alone The laetter part of this Article we placed also in the second section which entreateth of the onely Mediatour Out of the Confession of BASILL Of Christ being true God and true man VVE beleeve and confesse constantly that Christ in the time hereunto appointed according to the promise of God was given to us of the Father and that so the eternall word of God was made flesh that is that this Son of God being united to our nature in one person was made our brother that we through him might be made partakers of the inheritance of God We beleeve that this Iesus Christ was conceived of the holy Ghost borne of the pure and undefiled Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate crucified and dead for our sins and so by the one oblation of himselfe he did satisfie God our heavenly Father for us and reconcile us to him and so by his death he did triumph and overcame the world death and hell Moreover according to the flesh he was buried descended into hell and the third day he rose againe from the dead These things being sufficiently approoved he in his soule and body ascended into heaven and sitteth there at the right hand that is in the glory of God the Father Almightie from thence he shall come to judge the quicke and the dead Moreover he sent to his disciples according to his promise the holy Ghost in whom we beleeve even as we doe beleeve in the Father and in the Sonne We beleeve that the last judgement shall be wherein our flesh shall rise againe and every man according as he hath done in this life shall receive of Christ Rom. 2. 2 Cor. 5. Joa 5. the Iudge to wit eternall life if he hath shewed forth the fruits of faith which are the works of righteousnesse by a true faith and unfeined love and eternall fire if he hath committed good or evill without faith or love Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA CHAP. 4. Towards the middle NEither hath any man of all things whatsoever any thing at all whereby he may deliver set free or redeeme himselfe from his sins and condemnation without Christ by whom alone John 15. they which truly beleeve are freed from sinne from the tyrannie and prison of the devill from the wrath of God and from death and everlasting torments And a little after towards the end of the said fourth Chapter Together with this point and after it considering that both the matter it selfe and order of teaching so requireth the Ministers of the Church teach us after our fall to acknowledge the promise of God the true word of grace and the holy Gospell brought to us from the privy counsell of the holy Trinitie concerning our Lord Christ and our whole salvation purchased by him Of these promises there be three principall wherein all the rest are contained The first was made in Paradise in these words I will put enmitie betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed Gen. 3. and her seed He shall breake thine head and thou shalt bruise his heele The second was made to Abraham which afterwards Iacob also and Moses did renew The third to David which the Prophets recited and expounded In these promises are described and painted forth those most excellent and principall works of 2 King 7. 23. Christ our Lord which are the very ground-worke whereon our salvation standeth by which he is our Mediatour and Saviour Psal 131. 89 namely his conception in the wombe of the Virgin Mary and his birth of her also for he was made the seed of the woman also Isa 9. 11. his afflictions his rising againe from death his sitting at the right hand of God where he hath obtained the dignitie of a Priest and King of which thing the whole life of David was a certaine type for which cause the Lord calleth himselfe another David Eph. 3. 4. and a Shepherd And this was the Gospell of those holy men before the Law was given and since And Chapter the 6. a little from the beginning For this is very certaine that after the fall of Adam no man was able to set himselfe at libertie out of the bondage of sin death and condemnation or come to be truly reconciled unto God but onely by that one Mediatour betweene God and man Christ Iesus through a lively faith in him who alone by his death and blood-shedding tooke from us that image of sinne and death and put upon us by faith the image of righteousnesse and life For he made unto us of God wisdome righteousnesse sanctification 1 Cor. 2. and redemption But first men are taught that these things are to be beleeved concerning Christ namely that he is eternall and of the nature of his heavenly Father the onely begotten Son begotten from everlasting and so together with the Father and the holy Ghost John 1. Heb. 1. Coloss 1. one true and indivisible God the eternall not created word the brightnesse and the Image or ingraven forme of the person of his Father by whom all things as well those things which may be seene as those which can not be seene and those things which are in heaven and those which are in the earth were made and created Moreover that he is also a true and naturall man our brother in very deed who hath a soule and a body that is true and perfect humane nature which by the power of the holy Ghost he tooke without all sin of Mary a pure Virgin
our nature so that he is one person God and man Man I say that might suffer both in soule and also in body and made like unto us in all things sin onely excepted for that his flesh was indeed the seed of Abraham and David howbeit by the secret and incomprehensible power of the holy Ghost it was conceived in due time in the wombe of that blessed Virgin And therefore we detest as contrary to that truth all those heresies wherwith the Churches were troubled in times past and namely we detest those devillish imaginations of Servetus who gave to our Lord Iesus Christ an imaginarie Deitie whom he said to be the Idea and patterne of all things and the counterfeit or figurative Son of God to conclude he framed him a body compacted of three elements uncreated and therefore he did mingle and overthrow both his natures We beleeve that in one and the same person which is Iesus Artic. 15. Christ those two natures are truly and inseperably so conjoyned that they be also united either of those natures neverthelesse retaining it distinct proprietie so that even as in this divine conjunction the nature of the word reteining it proprieties remained uncreate infinite and filling all places so also the humane nature remained and shall remaine for ever finite having it naturall forme dimension and also proprietie as from the which the resurrection and glorification or taking up to the right hand of the Father hath not taken away the truth of the humane nature Therefore we doe so consider Christ in his Deitie that we do not spoile him of his humanitie We beleeve that God did declare his infinite love and goodnesse Artic. 16. towards us in this that he hath sent his Son who should die and rise againe and fulfill all righteousnesse that he might purchase eternall life for us We beleeve that by that onely sacrifice which Iesus Christ offered Artic. 17. on the crosse we are reconciled to God that we may be taken for just before him because we cannot be acceptable to him nor enjoy the fruit of our adoption but so farre forth as he doth forgive us our sins Therefore we affirme that Iesus Christ is our entire and perfect washing in whose death we obtaine full satisfaction whereby we are delivered from all those sinnes whereof we are guiltie and from the which we could not be acquitted by any other remedie Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE beleeve that Iesus Christ the onely Son of the eternall Artic. 2. Father as long before it was determined before all beginnings when the fulnesse of time was come did take of that blessed and pure Virgin both flesh and all the nature of man that he might declare to the world the secret and hid will of his Father which will had been laid up from before all ages and generations and that he might finish in his humane body the mystery of our redemption and might fasten our sins to the crosse and also that hand-writing which was made against us We beleeve that for our sakes he died and was buried descended into hell the third day by the power of his Godhead returned to life and rose againe and that the fourth day after his resurrection whiles his disciples beheld and looked upon him he ascended into heaven to fulfill all things and did place in Majestie and glory the selfe same body where with he was borne wherein he lived on earth wherein he was jested at wherein he had suffered most painfull torments and cruell kinde of death wherein he rose againe and wherein he ascended to the right hand of the Father above all rule above all power all force all Dominion and above every name that is named not onely in this world but also in the world to come And that there he now sitteth and shall sit till all things be fully perfected And although the Majestie and Godhead of Christ be every where aboundantly dispersed yet we beleeve that his body as S. Augustine saith must need be still in one place and that Christ hath given Majestie unto his body but yet hath not taken away from it the nature of a body and that we must not so affirme Christ to be God that we denie him to be man and as the Martyr Vigilius saith That Christ hath left in touching his humane nature but hath not left us touching his Divine nature and that the same Christ though he be absent from us concerning his manhead yet is ever present with us concerning his Godhead From that place also we beleeve that Christ shall come again to execute that generall judgement as well of them whom be shall finde alive in the body as of them that shall be ready dead And therefore that our onely succour and refuge is to flie to the Artic. 18. mercie of our Father by Iesus Christ and assuredly to perswade our mindes that he is the Obtainer of forgivenesse for our sinnes And that by his blood all our spots of sin be washed cleane That he hath pacified and set at one all things by the blood of his crosse That he by the same one onely sacrifice which he once offered upon the Crosse hath brought to effect and fulfilled all things and that for that cause he said when he gave up the Ghost It is finished as though he would signifie that the price and ransome was now fully paid for the sin of mankinde If there be any that thinke this sacrifice not sufficient let them Artic. 19. goe in Gods name and seeke a better We verily because we know this to be the Onely sacrifice are well content with it alone and looke for none other and forasmuch as it was to be offered but once we command it not to be renewed againe and because it was full and perfit in all points and parts we doe not ordaine in place thereof any continuall succession of offerings To conclude we beleeve that this our selfe same flesh wherein Artic. 21. we live although it die and come to dust yet at the last shall returne again unto life by the means of Christs spirit which dwelleth in us and that then verily whatsoever we suffer here in the meane while for his sake Christ will wipe away all teares and heavinesse from our eyes and that we through him shall enjoy everlasting life and shall for ever be with him in glory So be it Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve that our most mightie and graciâ—us God Artic. 17. when he saw that man had thus throwne himselfe into the damnation both of spirituall and corporall death and was made altogether miserable and accursed by his wonderfull wisdom and goodnesse was induced both to seeke him when through feare he had fled from his presence and also most lovingly to comfort him giving unto him the promise of his own Son to be boâ—â— of a woman which should breake the head of the Serpent and restore him to felicitie
and is consecrated by the word and is now of full force by and for the first blessing of God upon it Wee teach that Baptisme should not be ministred in the Church by women or midwives For Paul secludeth women from Ecclesiasticall callings but Baptisme belongeth to Ecclesiasticall offices We condemne the Anabaptists who deny that young infants borne of faithfull parents are to be baptized For according to the doctrine of the Gospel theirs is the kingdome of God And they are written in the covenant of God And why then should not the signe of the covenant be given to them Why should they not be consecrated by holy baptisme who are Gods peculiar people and in the Church of God We condemne also the Anabaptists in the rest of their opinions which they peculiarly doe hold against the word of God We therefore are not Anabaptists neither doe we agree with them in any point that is theirs Out of the former Confession of HELVETEA Of Baptisme BAptisme according to the institution of the Lord is the font Artis 21. of Regeneration the which the Lord doth give to his chosen in a visible signe by the ministery of the Church in such sort as we have declared before In which holy font we doe therefore dippe our infants because that it is not lawfull for us to reject them from the company of the people of God which are borne of us who are the people of God so long as they be not pointed out by the voyce of God especially seeing that we ought godly to presume of their election Out of the Declaration of the same Confession sent unto Luther Of Baptisme BAptisme is a Sacrament wherein the Lord by a visible signe doth testifie his grace unto us whereby he doth regenerate us and cleanse us from our sinnes and also receive us to be his people that we may live to Christ die to the old Adam and be partakers of the good things of Christ For we all are borne sinners whereupon we have need of regeneration and the purging of our sinnes which cometh to passe by the free mercy of God whereby also we are received into the covenant that being buried into his death we may rise againe in newnesse of life the which thing is taught more at large in the Apostls writings But the goodnesse of God doth in deed give unto us these heavenly gifts and also useth a signe hereunto that it may declare these things unto us and by pouring them into our senses might allure us to more excellent things that so the whole glory might be proper to God and yet the holy institution of the signe might not be made frustrate For it is most truly said Baptisme doth save us but it is added of Peter Not that which washeth away the filth of the body And the Baptist saith I indeed doe baptise you with water but he that is Christ shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Whereunto the holy Councel of Nice having respect did say Our Baptisme is to be considered not with sensible eyes but with the eyes of the minde Also Baptisme is a badge for it serveth to our confession For this we do plainly confesse in the Church that we together with our children and all our family doe professe the Christian religion that the members of that body whereof Christ is the Head to whom we have given our names are received of him into the number of those souldiers who by the good guiding of Christ do through all their life exercise a warfare against the world Satan and the flesh Hitherto also appertaineth the 5. Art ss 2. of the confession of Basill which before was placed in the 12. Sect. Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA Of holy Baptisme CHAP. 12. TOuching holy Baptisme it is taught that men must beleeve and professe that this is a Sacrament or wholesome ministerie of the New Testament instituted of Christ the Lord concerning which the faithfull Ministers have in charge that by the administration hereof they benefit the holy Church This Sacrament consisteth of an outward washing that is done with water with calling on the name of the holy Trinity that of the element and word may arise and be joyntly withall made a Sacrament August he in Ioan. cap. 13. and that washing is used both to signifie and to witnesse a spirituall washing and inward cleansing of the holy Ghost from the disease of hereditarie sinne and from other sinnes the guilt of which is here forgiven and taken away and to the attaining of a new manner of birth or regeneration whereupon it is called the Sacrament of the new birth that is of regeneration or a washing with water in the word of life For we beleeve that whatsoever Act. 2. and 22. by Baptisme as by a Sacrament added to the word of the Gospel is in the outward ceremonie signified and witnessed all that doth the Lord God work and performe inwardly that is that he washeth Iohn 3. Tit. 3. Ephes 5. Galat. 3. Rom. 6. 1 Pet. 3. away sinne begetteth a man againe and bestoweth salvation upon him and through the washing of water cleanseth by the word the societie of his Church cloatheth and apparelleth it with his Son burieth and taketh away sin and giveth testimonie to and sealeth the peace of a good conscience For Baptisme is not a washing away of the outward filth of the flesh but the stipulation or promise that a good conscience maketh unto God For the bestowing of these excellent fruits was holy Baptisme given and granted to the Church which the faithfull shepheards of soules ought to administer and which the faithfull people of Christ touching the receiving thereof ought to use lawfully but once only yet in deed and truth throughout their whole life And although Baptisme in the Primitive Church was for the most part ministred to such as were well grown and of discretion after a confession of faith made by them according to Christs commandement yet this is taught that young children also who are reckoned in the number of Gods people in like sort are by this ministerie to be benefited toward the attaining of salvation that they likewise may be consecrated and dedicated to Christ according to this commandement when he saith Suffer ye the Matth. 16. little ones to come to me and forbid them not because unto such belongeth the kingdome of God Therefore according to the word of the Lord and many other testimonies and other promises made to this beloved age of children especially when as also there is extant an example of that ancient ministerie ordained of God to Gen. 17. wit Circumcision which by reason of the covenant belonged not onely to those of discretion but therewithall also to young children For these causes doe our Ministers without any doubt and boldly baptize children in the name of the holy Trinitie applying unto them a signe of most effectual vertue and a most sure witnesbearing
may profit it very much and finally may help and further it very excellently His chiefest dutie is to procure and maintaine peace and publique tranquillitie Which doubtlesse he shall never doe more happily then when he shall be truly seasoned with the feare of God and true religion namely when he shall after the example of most holy Kings and Princes of the people of the Lord advance the preaching of the truth and the pure and sincere faith and shall root out lies and all superstition with all impietie and Idolatry and shall defend the Church of God For indeed we teach that the care of religion doth chiefly appertaine to the holy Magistrate let him therefore hold the word of God in his hands and look that nothing be taught contrary thereunto In like manner let him governe the people committed to him of God * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession with good laws made according to the word of God Let him hold them in discipline and in their dutie and in obedience let him excrcise judgement by judging uprightly let him not accept any mans person or receive bribes let him deliver widdows fatherlesse children and those that be afflicted from wrong let him represse yea and cut off such as are unjust either by deceit or by violence For he hath not received the sword of God in vaine Therefore let him draw forth this sword of God against all malefactours Rom. 13. seditious persons theeves or murderers oppressours blasphemers perjured persons and all those whom God hath commanded him to punish or execute Let him suppresse stubborn heretiques which are heretiques in deed who cease not to blaspheme the majestie of God and to trouble the Church yea and finally to destroy it but if so be it be necessary to preserve the safetie of the people by warre let him doe it in the name of God so that he first seeke peace by all means possible and use it not save onely then when he can save his subjects no way but by warre And while as the Magistrate doth these things in faith he serveth God by those works as with such as be good works and shall receive a blessing from the Lord. We condemne the Anabaptists who as they denie that a Christian man should beare the office of a Magistrate so also they deny that any man can justly be put to death by the Magistrate or that the Magistrate may make warre or that oathes should be performed to the Magistrates and such like things For as God will worke the safetie of his people by the Magistrate whom he hath given to be as it were a father of the world so all the subjects are commanded to acknowledge this benefit of God in the Magistrate therefore let them honour and reverence the Magistrate as the minister of God let them love him favour him and pray for him as their father and let them obey all his just and equall commandements Finally let them pay all customes and tributes and all other duties of the like sort faithfully and willingly * Looke the 2. Observat And if the common safetie of the countrey and justice require it and the Magistrate doe of necessitie make warre let them lay down their life and spend their blood for the common safetie and defence of the Magistrate and that in the name of God willingly valiantly and cheerefully For he that opposeth himselfe against the Magistrate doth procure the wrath of God against him We condemne therefore all contemners of Magistrates as rebels enemies of the Common-wealth seditious villaines and in a word all such as doe either openly or closely refuse to performe those duties which they ought to doe c. The Conclusion VVE beseech God our most mercifull Father in heaven that he will blesse the Princes of the people and us and his whole people through Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Saviour to whom be praise and thankesgiving both now and for ever Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA Of Magistracie SEeing that every Magistrate is of God his chiefe dutie except it please him to exercise a tyrannie consisteth in this to defend religion from all blasphemie and to procure it and as the Prophet teacheth out of the word of the Lord to put it in practise so much as in him lyeth In which part truly the first place is given to the pure and free preaching of the word of God the instruction of the youth of Citizens and a right and diligent teaching in Schooles lawfull discipline a liberall provision for the Ministers of the Church and a diligent care for the poore Secondly to judge the people according * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession to just and divine laws to keepe judgement and justice to maintaine this publique peace to cherish the Common-wealth and to punish the offenders according to the quantitie of the fault in their riches body or life which things when he doth he performeth a due worship or service to God We know that though we be free we ought wholly in a true faith holily to submit our selves to the Magistrate both with our body and with all our goods and indeavour of minde also to performe faithfulnesse and * Looke the 2. Observat the oath which we made to him so farre forth as his government is not evidently repugnant to him for whose sake we doe reverence the Magistrate Out of the Confession of BASILL Of Magistracie MOreover God hath assigned to the Magistrate who is his minister the sword and chiefe externall power for the defence of the good and to take revenge and punishment of the Rom. 13. evill Therefore every Christian Magistrate * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confession in the number whereof we also desire to be doth direct all his strength to this that among those which are committed to his credit the name of God may be sanctified his kingdome may be enlarged and men may live according to his will with an earnest rooting out of all naughtinesse And in the margent This dutie also was injoyned to the heathenish Magistrate how much more to the Christian Magistrate ought it to be commended as to the true substitute of God Also Art 11. Sect. 1. 3. and 4. We doe clearely protest that together with all other doctrins which are directly contrary to the sound and pure doctrine of Iesus Christ we doe not onely not receive but as abominations and blasphemies reject and condemne those strange and erroneous doctrines which the spirits of hurleburly among other damnable opinions doe bring forth saying c. that Magistrates cannot be Christians And in the margent The Magistrate doth then shew himself to be a good Magistrate when he is a true Christian The Conclusion LAst of all we submit this our Confession to the judgement of the holy Scripture of the Bible and therefore we promise that if out of the foresaid Scriptures we may be better
beleeved God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Here certainly Augustine by faith doth understand confidence which receiveth remission of sins and that which is said in Genesis and in Paul he doth altogether understand it as we expound it And in his booke De spiritu litera he saith By the law we feare God and by faith we flie to his mercie Bernard in his Sermon De Annunciatione saith First of all it is necessarie to beleeve that thou canst not have remission of sins but by the mercie of God But adde thereunto that thou maist also beleeve this that through him thy sins be forgiven thee This is the witnesse which the holy Ghost doth give in our heart saying Thy sins be forgiven thee For so doth the Apostle thinke that a man is iustified freely by faith In this sentence the judgement of our Churches is plainly and properly alleadged and like testimonies are to be found in this author Basil also in his Sermon of Humilitie doth most properly set forth our judgement in these words He that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord saying that Christ is made unto us of God wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption as it is written He that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. For this is perfect and sound reioycing in God when as a man is not puffed up by reason of his own righteousnesse but doth acknowledge that he doth stand in need of the true righteousnesse and that he is iustified by faith alone in Christ Seeing therefore that by this which hath been spoken it is manifest what the word Faith doth signifie in this proposition We are iustified by Faith hereupon we may understand that the Monks and others doe dangerously erre which doe command those that are turned to God to doubt whether they doe please God This common errour of doubting is evidently refuted by these words Being iustified by Faith we have peace with God Also Therefore is righteousnesse of faith that the promise might be sure For so long as mens hearts are tormented with doubting they flie from God they doe not rest in God nor call upon him and the promise becometh unto them but a vaine sound because they give not consent unto it To conclude it is the eternall and immutable commandement of God that we should beleeve in the Son of God according to this saying The spirit shall convince the world of sinne because they beleeve not in me Also 1 Joh. 5. He that beleeveth not God maketh him a lyer Now it is a foolish cavill when they say that we must doubt in respect of our unworthinesse and not in respect of mercie For the promise was therefore given therefore the Son of God was appointed our Mediatour because we are unworthy and that for his sake having suffered being raised up againe and now making intercession for us and dwelling in us and cloathing us with his righteousnesse the Father might undoubtedly be mercifull to this miserable lumpe of ours being unworthy and full of filthinesse according to that saying There is now no condemation to them which walke in Christ Jesus Also it is absurd which they say that we must doubt by reason of our unworthinesse For we are not to doubt whether our unworthinesse doe displease God but with true sighes let us confesse that we are unworthy let us lay to the promise whereunto God hath commanded us to assent Neither is that saying Eccles 9. fitly applyed to this doubting Man knoweth not whether he be worthy of love or of hatred It is madnesse to imagine that Salomon should have any such meaning that neither the just nor the unjust ought to determine with themselves whether they please or displease God seeing it is most certaine that they which persevere in wicked deeds againe their conscience doe displease God But Salomon doth withdraw us from externall shews to the word of God as though he should say Doe not determine with thy selfe that by reason of thy prosperitie thou art in favour with God or by reason of thy adversitie thou art out of favour with him Alexander doth not therefore please God because he is a Conquerour and enjoyeth a large Empire Let not Iob in his calamitie nor David in his exile thinke that they be forsaken of God because they be miserable let them not judge according to these events or outward shews but by the word of God and then even in the middest of our miserie we shall receive this comfort As I live I will not the death of a sinner c. God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that every one that beleeveth in him should not perish c. To conclude This errour of doubting is altogether heathenish and doth abolish the Gospel and in true conversion taketh away comfort from them that feele the wrath of God Men are rather to be taught that this is undoubtedly the voice of the Gospel that we should beleeve the Sonne of God and be assured that grace doth abound much more then sinne and therefore let us withstand doubting by wrestling get the upper hand and by faith overcome it that we may have accesse to God invocate him and give him thanks These chiefe points of worship are fearefully hindred when mens mindes are shaken with the waves of doubting as experience teacheth Hereof it is evident why it is necessary that the Decree of the Tridentine Councell which confirmeth the errour of doubting should be reprooved Also by all that which hath been said it may be understood that we doe justly finde fault with that Synecdoche whereby some interpret Pauls words after this sort We are iustified by Faith that is by a formed love as they speake For they understand the word faith onely of knowledge and thinke that this is the meaning We are iustified by Faith that is we are prepared to righteousnesse that is to other vertues to wit obedience and fulfilling of the Law So this is it onely which they say Man is righteous for his own vertues then they will him to doubt whether he be furnished with those habits whereof they speake Now we have declared before that by Faith is signified a confidence resting in the Sonne of God the Reconciler for whom we are received and doe please God not for our vertues or fulfilling the Law And seeing that in this same comfort the confidence whereby we doe rest in the Sonne of God is indeed a motion kindled by the holy Ghost whereby the heart is quickened and freed from eternall death this conversion is called regeneration Ioh. 3. Except a man be borne againe of water and of the spirit And now man is made indeed the dwelling place of God who is effectuall in him as it is said Ioh. 14. If any man love me he will keepe my word and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and will dwell with him The eternall Father and the Son by the
of Christ which was borne of the pure Virgin Mary suffered for us and ascended into heaven Therefore we doe neither worship Christ in the signes Col. 3. Heb. 1 10. Acts 3. 2 Tim. 4. of bread and wine which we doe commonly call the Sacraments of the body and blood of Christ but in heaven at the right hand of God the Father from whence he shall come to judge the quicke and the dead Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA Of the holy Supper of the Lord. CHAP. 13. IN the thirteenth place we teach touching the Supper of the Lord instituted in the new Testament that we must beleeve with the heart and professe with the mouth that it is a Sacrament instituted of Christ our Lord in his last Supper and that in expresse forme of words that is that concerning bread and wine he hath pronounced that they be his body and his blood and that Matth. 26. Mark 14. Luke 22. they were delivered to his Apostles and so in like sort to the whole universall Church for a monument of his death and that all men should lawfully use the participation thereof even to the end of the world Of this Sacrament the Evangelists doe write and especially Saint Paul whose words even to this day are thus read in the Church I have received of the Lord that 1 Cor. 11. which I also have delivered unto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in that night wherein he was betraied tooke bread c. And a little after When ye come together to wit to the Supper of the Lord Let one tarry for another Therefore according to these things we beleeve with the heart and confesse with the mouth that this bread of the Lords Supper is the body of the Lord Iesus Christ delivered for us and that this Cup or the wine in the Cup is likewise shed for us for the remission of sine And this we affirme according to the expresse words of Christ wherein he saith This is my body This is my blood Which words may not be taken or understood of any other thing nor be otherwise referred then only to the bread and cup of the Lord and the body and blood of the Lord cannot be understood of any other then of the onely true and proper body of Christ which he made meat by his torments and of his blood which being largely poured out of his body he appointed to be drinke for his Church for he had not a naturall body and another blood Therefore our Ministers doe teach that to these certaine words pronounced by Christ our Lord wherein he doth peculiarly pronounce witnesse and institute bread to be his body and wine to be his blood I say to these words no man may adde any thing no man may detract any thing from them but every man in these words is to beleeve * Looke the 1. observat upon this confession that which of themselves they signifie and that no man ought to turne from them either to the right hand or to the left Yet to expound the meaning of this faith we doe further teach that although the bread be the body of Christ according to his institution and wine be his blood yet neither of these doe leave it nature or change or lose it substance but that the bread is and doth remaine bread and that the wine is and doth remaine wine as also the holy Scripture doth give this it owne name to either of them Otherwise if it should cease to be an August in Ioan. Tract 80. Epist 23. ad Bonifa element it should not be a Sacrament seeing that a Sacrament is then made when the word is added to the element Neither could it signifie or beare witnesse if it had nothing in stead of that thing whereof it is a Sacrament or if the thing signified should have any other manner of presence then that which is Sacramentall Wherefore this speech Bread is the body and Wine is the blood of Christ is a sacramentall speech to wit that these two distinct things doe remaine the selfe same thing which in their owne nature they be and yet by reason of a Sacramentall union or Sacramentally they be that also which they doe signifie and whereof they doe testifie and yet not in their owne nature or after a naturall manner but by the institution pronouncing or witnessing of the authour as Paul doth excellently expound this where he thus writeth The cup which we blesse is it not the communion of the bloud of Christ the bread which we break 1 Cor. 10. is it not the communion of the body of Christ Now both the good and the wicked doe use this Sacrament and yet the true beleevers doe receive it to life and those which doe not beleeve doe receive it to judgement and condemnation And although either of them do receive this Sacrament and * Looke the 2 Observat upon this confession the truth thereof sacramentally and outwardly yet the beleevers doe receive it spiritually and so to their salvation without which spirituall receiving there is no worthy receiving in the Sacramentall use For by this meane we are ingrafted into Christ and into his body and by this meane is that true union and communion of Christ with his Church made and in like sort by this meane is the communion of the holy Church which is a certaine spirituall body made amongst and with themselves whereof the Apostle writeth There is one bread and we being many are one body seeing we are all made partakers of one bread 1 Cor. 10. Moreover we are further taught that with this ministerie or Sacrament of the Lord no other thing ought to be done or taken in hand then that one thing which was shewed ordained and expresly commanded of Christ himselfe as when he reached bread severally and peculiarly to his Disciples and in expresse words said Take eate this is my body and in like sort when he reached to them the cup severally and peculiarly saying Drinke ye all of this This is my bloud Thus therefore according to this commandement the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ must be distributed onely and be received in common of the faithfull or beleeving Christians but it must not be sacrificed or set before them or lifted up or shewed forth to this end that there it may be worshipped or kept or carried about And both these must be received in severall elements the body peculiarly and severally and also his holy blood severally as either of them were of the Lord instituted reached forth and given in common to all his Disciples severally And this doctrine was used in the first holy Church and this Sacrament was wholly distributed in both parts and so received But he that beside or contrary to these commandements and institution of Christ dare bring in any other thing or somewhat more and use it with this Sacrament or wantonly invent therein at his
our God to have created Gen. 1. 2. man to wit our first father Adam to his own image and similitude to whom he gave wisdome Lordship justice free-will and cleare knowledge of himselfe so that in the whole nature of man there could be noted no imperfection From which honour and perfection man and woman did both fall the woman Gen. 2. being deceived by the serpent and man obeying the voice of the woman both conspiring against the Soveraigne Majestie of God who in expresse words had before threatned death if they presumed to eate of the forbidden tree Of Originall sinne BY which transgression commonly called Originall sinne was the Image of God utterly defaced in man and he and his posteritie Eph. 3. Rom. 5. Iohn 3. Rom 5. 8. of nature became enemies to God slaves to Satan and servants to sin Insomuch that death everlasting hath had and shall have power and dominion over all that have not been are not or shall not be regenerate from above which regeneration is wrought by the power of the holy Ghost working in the hearts of the Elect of God an assured faith in the promise of God revealed to us in his word by which faith we apprehend Christ Iesus with the graces and benefits promised in him Of the revelation of the promise FOr this we constantly beleeve that God after the fearefull and and horrible defection of man from his obedience did seeke Adam againe call upon him rebuke his sinne convict him of the Gen. 3. Gen. 12. 15. Isa 7. 8. same and in the end made unto him a most joyfull promise to wit that the seed of the woman should breake down the serpents head that is he should destroy the works of the Devill which promise as it was repeated and made more cleare from time to time so was it imbraced with joy and most constantly received of all those faithfull from Adam to Noe from Noe to Abraham from Abraham to David and so forth to the incarnation of Christ Iesus all we meane the faithfull Fathers under the law did see the joyfull dayes of Christ Iesus and did rejoyce The continuance increase and preservation of the Church VVE most constantly beleeve that God preserved instructed Ezâ—c 16. Gâ—n 12. 13. Exod. 1. 2. Exod. 20. multiplyed honoured decored and from death called to life his Church in all ages from Adam till the comming of Christ in the flesh For Abraham he called from his Fathers countrey him he instructed his seed he multiplied the same he marvellously preserved and more marvellously delivered from the bondage and tyrannie of Pharaoh to them he gave his laws constitutions and ceremonies them he possessed in the land of Canaan to them after Iudges and after Saul he gave David to be Josu 1. 25. 2 Reg. 17. King to whom he made promise that of the fruit of his loynes should one sit for ever upon his regall seat To this same people from time to time he sent Prophets to reduce them to the right way of their God from the which oftentimes they declined by Idolatry And albeit that for the stubborn contempt of justice he 2 Reg. 24. 25. Deut. 28. Ier. 39. Esdr 1. Agge 1. 2. Zach. 3. was compelled to give them into the hands of their enemies as before was threatned by the mouth of Moses in so much that the holy Citie was destroyed the temple burnt with fire and the whole land left desolate the space of 70. yeeres yet of mercie did he reduce them againe to Ierusalem where the Citie and Temple were reedified and they against all temptations and assaults of Satan did abide till the Messias came according to the promise Of the incarnation of Christ Iesus VVHen the fulnesse of time came God sent his sonne his Galat. 4. Luk. 1. 2. eternall wisdome the substance of his own glory into this world who tooke the nature of manhood of the substance of a woman to wit of a Virgin and that by operation of the holy Ghost And so was borne the just seed of David the angel of the great counsell of God the very Messias promised whom we acknowledge and confesse Emmanuel very God and very man two perfect natures united and joyned in one person By which our confession we condemne that damnable and pestilent heresies of Arrius Marcion Eutiches Nestorius and such others as either did denie the eternitie of his Godhead either the veritie of his humane nature either confound them either yet divide them Why it behoveth the Mediatour to be very God and very man VVE acknowledge and confesse that this most wondrous conjunction betwixt the Godhead and the manhood in Christ Iesus did proceed from the eternall and immutable decree of God whence also our salvation springeth and dependeth Election FOr that same eternall God and Father who of meere grace elected us in Christ Iesus his Sonne before the foundation of the world was laid appointed him to be our head our brother Ephes 1. Heb. 2. our Pastour and great Bishop of our soules But because that the enmitie betwixt the justice of God and our sinnes was such that no flesh by it selfe could or might have attained unto God it Iohn 20. behoved that the Sonne of God should descend unto us and take himselfe a body of our body flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones and so become the perfect Mediatour betwixt God and man giving power to so many as beleeve in him to be the sonnes of God as himselfe doth witnesse I passe up to my Father and Iohn 1. Iohn 20. unto your God By which most holy fraternitie whatsoever we have lost in Adam is restored to us againe And for this cause are we not afraid to call God our Father not so much because hee hath created us which we have common with the reprobate as for that that he hath given to us his onely Sonne to be our brother and given unto us grace to acknowledge and embrace him for our Mediatour as before is said It behoved farther the Messias Isa 53. and Redeemer to be very God and very man because he was to beare the punishment due for our transgressions and to present himselfe in the presence of his Fathers judgement as in our person to suffer for our transgression and inobedience by death to overcome him that was authour of death But because the onely Godhead could not suffer death neither yet could the only manhood overcome the same he joyned both together in one person that the imbecillitie of the one should suffer and be subject to death which we had deserved and the infinite and invincible power of the other to wit of the Godhead should triumph and purchase to us life libertie and perpetuall victory and so we confesse and most undoubtedly beleeve Christs Death Passion and Buriall THat our Lord Iesus offered himselfe a voluntary sacrifice unto Heb. 10. Esa 53. his Father for us that he