in this life as our Lord saith Mat. â—2 The kingdome of God is like vnto a drawe net 〈◊〉 into 〈…〉 wâ—â—rein 〈◊〉 are gathered both good and bad but yet they which become enemies to the true doctrine cease to be members of this visible congregation according to that saying Is anie man teach another Gospell let him be accâ—â—sed OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of the cheefe Bishop THere be those that attribute this to the Bishop of Rome that he is the heade of the Vniuersall Church that he hath power in earth not onelie to ordeine ciuill kingdomes and to gouerne all Ecclesiasticall persons and matters but also to commaund the Angels in heauen to deliuer soules out of Purgatorie and to blesse or deliuer whom it pleaseth him But we acknowledge that if the Bishop of Rome were a godly man and did teach the gospel of Christ according to the writings of the Prophets Apostles then he had a ministerie of high authoritie in this earth to wit a ministerie of remitting and reteining sinnes then which ministerie there is nothing greater or more excellent in this earth But he alone hath not this ministerie but he hath it in common with all those who by a lawful calling do preach the Gospell of Christ For the ministerie of remitting or reteining sinnes which otherwise is called the key of the kingdome of heauen is not giuen to the free power of the person of men but it is so neerelie annexed to the worde of the gospell that so many as do preach the Gospel may truly be said to remit and to reteine sins to wit to remit their sins who by faith doe receiue the Gospell to reteine theirs that doe contemne the Gospell Mar. 16. Preach the Gospell to euerie creature He that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued but he that will not beleeue shall be damned Hilarie De Trinit lib. 6. saith The father reuealed it to Peter that he should saie thou art the Sonne of God Therfore vpon this rock of Confession is the Church builded this faith is the foundation of the Church whatsoeuer this faith shall loose or binde in earth shall be loosed or bound in heauen Chrysostome saith They which beare the keies be the priests to whome the worde of teaching and interpreting the Scriptures is committed Now the keie is the worde of the knowledge of the Scriptures by which keie the trueth is opened to men Augustine De Doctâ— Christ Lib. 1. Cap. 18. saith These keies did he giue to the Church that whatsoeuer it looseth in earth should be loosed in heauen to â—it that whosoeuer would not beleeue that his sinnes are forgiuen hiâ— in the Church they should not be forgiuen to him but whosoeuer should beleeue and being corrected doth turne from his sinnes being placed in the lappe of the Church should by the same faith and correction be healed Ambrose saith Sinnes are remitted by the worde whereof the Leuite is the interpreter or expounder Bernard in epist ad Eug. saith The true successâ—â—er of Paull will sate with Paull Not that we haue dominion ouer your saith but we are helpers â—f your ioy The heires of Peter will heare Peter saying Not as though ye were Lordes ouer Gods heritage but that ye maie be ensamples to the flocke Thomas in Summa sua parte 3. in addit q. 6. art 6. saith Because the Church is founded vpon Faith and the Sacraments therefore it doth not pertaine to the ministers of the Church to make new Articles of Faith or to set a parte those which are made neither to appoint new Sacramentes or to take awaie those which are appointed but this is proper to that excellencie of power which iâ— due to Christ alone who is the foundation of the Church And therfore as the Pope cannot dispense that anie one maie be saued without Baptisme so can he not dispense with anie to be saued without confession because that he bindeth by force of a Sacrament And although Thomas haue his opinions touching confession yet this which he saith It doth not pertaine to the Ministers of the Church among whome he reckoneth the Pope to make new Articles of Faith and to appoint new Sacraments is in deede an Apostolike and Catholike iudgement For no other ministerie doeth perteine to the ministers of the Church which haue their calling from Christ then that which we mentâ—oned before and which the Apostles of Christ themselues did execute touching the remittting and reteining of sinnes Therefore if anie thing more then this ministerie be attributed to the Bishop of Rome this is either giuen vnto him by mans ordinances or els it is feigned by the Monkes and other flatterers against the authoritie of the worde of God Of the Church WE beleeue and coâ—fâ—sse that there is one holie Catholique and Apostolique Church according to the Creede of the Apostles and the Nicene Creede 2. That this Church is so gouerned of the holie Ghost that although he suffer it to be weake in this earth yet he doth â—lwaies preserue it that it doe not perish either by errours or by sinnes 3. That in this world manie naughtie men and hypocrites are mingled with this Church 4. That these naughtie men and hypocrites if by a lawfull calling they shall take vponthem the ministerie of the Church shall not of themselues anie whit hinder the trueth of the Sacraments except they peruert the ordinance of Christ and teach wicked thinges 5. That in this Church there is true remission of sinnes 6. That this Church hath authoritie to beare witnes of the holie Scripture 7. That this Church hath authoritie to iudge of all doctrines according to that Trie the spirits whether they be of God And Let the other iudge 8. That this Church hath authoritie * to interpret the scripture But where this Church is to be sought and whether her authoritie be limited within certaine boundes diuers men doe iudge diuerslie But we thinke that men are to iudge by the authoritie both of the holie Scripture and also of the auncient Fathers that the true Catholike and Apostolike Church is not tied to one certaine place or nation nor to one certaine kinde of men but that it is in that place or nation where the Gospel of Christ is sincerelie preached and his Sacraments rightlie administred according to Christ his institution Ioan. 10. I haue saide ye are Gods He called them Gods vnto whome the worde of God was giuen c. Therefore there is the people or Church of God where the worde of God is preached Iohn 15. Now you are cleane through the worde which I haue spoken to you Therefore the worde of Christ which is the Gospell doeth declare where that Church is which is cleane in the sight of God Rom. 1. The Gospell is the power of God to saluation to euerie one that beleeueth Therefore where the Gospell is which is acknowledged by faith there God hath his Church wherein he
forbad vnto his all dominion and highlie commended humility In deed there is one kinde of power which is a meere and absolute power called the power of right According to this power all things in the wholl worlde are subiect vnto Christ who is Lorde of al euen as he himselfe witnesseth saying All power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth And againe I am the first and the last and beholde I liue for euer and I haue the keies of hell and of death Againe He hath the keie of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and 〈◊〉 man openeth This power the Lord reserueth to himselfe and doth not transferre it to anie other that he might sit idlie by and looke on his ministers while they wrought For Isaiah saieth I will put the keie of the house of Dauid vpon his shoulder And againe Whose gouernement shall be vpon his shoulders For he doth not lay the gouernement on other mens shoulders but doth still keepe and vse his owne power thereby gouerning all things Furthermore there is an other power of duetie or ministeriall power limited â—ut by him who hath ful and absolute power and authoritie And this is more like a ministerie then dominion For we see that some Master doth giue vnto the steward of his house authority and power ouer his house and for that cause deliuereth him his keies that he may admit or exclude such as his Master will haue admitted or excluded According to this power doth the minister by his office that which the Lord hath commaunded him to doe and the Lord doth ratifie and confirme that which he doth and will haue the deedes of his ministers to be acknowledged and esteemed as his owne deedes vnto which ende are those speaches in the Gospell I will giue vnto thee the keies of the Kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou bindest or loosest in earth shall be bound and loosed in heauen Againe Whose sinnes soeuer ye remit they shal beremitted and whose sinnes soeuer yea retaine they shal be retained But if the the minister deale not in all things as his Lorde hath commaunded him but passe the limits and bondes of faith then the Lord doth make voyd that which he doth Wherfore the Ecclesiasticall power of the ministers of the Church is that function whereby they doe indeed gouerne the Church of god but yet so as they do al things in the Church as he hath prescribed in his word which things being so done the faithfull doe esteeme them as done of the Lorde himselfe but touching the keies we haue spoken somewhat before Now the power that is giuen to the Ministers of the Church is the same alike in all in the beginning the Bishops or Elders did with a common consent labour gouerne the Church no man lifted vp himselfe aboue an other none vsurped greater power or authority ouer his fellow Bishops for they remembred the wordes of the Lord He which will be the cheifest among you let him be your seruant they kept in themselues by humilitie and did mutuallie aid one another in the gouernement and preseruation of the Church NotwithstaÌ„ding for orders sake some one of the ministers called the assemblie together propounded vnto the assemblie the matters to be consulted of gathered together the voices or sentences of the rest and to be briefe as much as lay in him prouided that there might arise no confusion So did S. Peter as we read in the Acts who yet for all that was neither aboue the rest nor had greater authoritie then the rest Veriâ— true therefore is that saying of Cyprian the Martyr in his book De simpl Cler. The same doubtles were the rest of the Apostles that Peter was hauing an equall fellowship with him both in honoâ—â— and power but the beginning hereof proceedeth from vnity to signifie vnto vs that there is but one Church Saint Ierom vpon the epistle of Paull to Titus hath a sayingnot much vnlike this Before that by the instinct of the deuil there was partaking in religion the Churches were gouerned by the common aduise of the Priests but after that euery one thought that those whome he had baptized were his own not Christs It was decreed that one of the priests should bâ— chosen set ouer the rest who should haue the care of the whol church laide vpon him and by whose meanes al schismes should be remoued Yet Ierom doeth not auouch this as an order set downe of God For straight waie after he addeth Euen as saith he the priests knew by the continuall custome of the Church that they were subiect to him that is set ouer them So the Bishops must know that they are aboue the priests rather by custome then by the prescript rule of Gods truth they should haue the gouernement of the Church in common with them Thus farre Ierome Now therefore no man can forbid by any right that we may returne to the olde appointement of God and rather receiue that then the custome deuised by men The offices of the ministers are diuers yet notwithstanding moste men doe restreine them to two in which all the rest are comprehended to the teaching of the Gospell of Christ and to the lawfull administration of the Sacraments For it is the duetie of the ministers to gather together a holie assemblie therein to expound the worde of God and also to applie the generall doctrine to the state and vse of the Church to the end that the doctrine which they teach maie profit the hearers and maie build vp the faithfull The ministers duetie I saie is to teach the vnlearned and to exhort yea and to vrge them to goe forward in the waie of the Lord who do stand stil or linger and go flowlie forwarde moreouer to comfort and to strengthen those which are fainthearted and to arme them against the manifold temptations of Sathan to rebuke offenders to bring home them that goe astraie to raise vp them that are fallen to conuince the gainsaiers to chase awaie the wolfe from the Lordes flocke to rebuke wickednes and wicked men wiselie and seuerelie not to winke at nor to passe ouer great wickednes and besides to administer the sacraments to commend the right vse of them to prepare al men by holsome doctrine to receiue them to keep together all the faithful in an holie vnity to meete with schismes To conclude to catechise the ignorant to commend the necessitie of the poore to the Church to visit instruct those that are sick or intangled with diuers temptations so to keep them in the way of life Lasty to looke diligently that there be publike praiers supplications made in time of necessity together with fasting that is an holy abstinency most carefully to look to those things which belong to the tranquillity safe tie and peace of the Church And to the ende that the minister maie performe al these thinges the
ouer all then he can be the Bridegroome the light the saluation and life of the church For these priuileges and names belong onely to Christ and be properlie and onelie fit for him alone And that no Bishop of Rome did euer suffer himselfe to be called by suchâ— proude name and title before Phocas the Emperours time who as we know by killing his owne Soueraigne Mauritis the Emperour did by a trayterous villany aspire to the Eâ—pire Which was about the sixth hundred and thirteentâ— yeare after Christ was borne Also the Councell of Carthage did circumspectlie prouide that no Bishop shoulde be called either the highest Bishop or chiefe Priest And therefore sithencâ— the Bishop of Rome will now a daies so be called and challengeth vnto himselfe an Authoritie that is none of his besides that he doth plainlie contrarie to the auncient councells and contrary to the olde fathers We beleeue that he doth giue to himselfe as it is written by his owne companion Gregorie a presumpâ—uouse a prophane a Sacrilegious and an antichristian name that he is also the King of pride that he is Lucifer which preferreth himselfe before his Brethren that he hath forsaken the faith and is the forerunner of Antichrist Further we saie that the Minister ought lawfullie duely and orderlie to be preferred to that office of the Church of God and that no man hath power to wrest himselfe into the holie Ministerie at his owne pleasure Wherefore these persons doe vs the greater wrong which haue nothing so common in their mouthes as that we doe nothing orderlie and comelie but all things troublesomelie and without order And that we allow euerie man to be a prieste to be a teacher and to be an Interpreter of the Scriptures Moreouer we say that Christ hath giuen to his Ministers power to binde to loose to open to shutte And we saie that the office of loosing consisteth in this pointe that the Minister either by the preaching of the Gospell offereth the merites of Christ and full pardon to such as haue lowly and contrite heartes do vnfainedlie repent themselues pronouncing vnto the same a sure an vndoubted forgiuenes of their sinnes and hope of euerlasting saluation Or else that the same minister when any haue offended their brothers mindes with some great offence or notable and open crime whereby they haue as it were bannished and made themselues strangers from the common fellowship and from the bodie of Christ then after perfit amendment of such persons doth reconcile them and bring them home againe and restore them to the companie and vnitie of the faithfull We saie also that the minister doth execute the authoritie of binding and shutting as often as he shutteth vp the gate of the kingdome of heauen against vnbeleuing and stubborne persons denouncing vnto them Gods vengance and euerlasting punishment Or else when he doth quite shut theÌ„ out from the bosome of the church by open excommunication Out of doubte what sentence soeuer the Minister of God shall giue in this sorte God himselfe doth so well allow it that whatsoeuer here in earth by their meanes is loosed and bounde God himselfe will loose and binde and confirme the same in heauen And touching the keies wherwith they may either shut or open the kingdome of heauen we with Chrysostome saie They be â—â—e knowledge of the Scriptures with Tertullian we saie They be the interpretation of the Law and with â—usehius we call them the worde of God Moreouer that Christs Disciples did receiue this authoritie not that they should heare the priuate confessions of the people and listen to their whisperings as the common massing priestes doe euery where now a daies and doe it so as though in that one pointe laie all the vertue and vse of the keies but to the ende they should goe they should teach they should publish abroade the Gospell and be vnto the beleeuing a sweete sauoure of life vnto life and vnto the vnbeleeuing and vnfaithfull a sauoure of death vnto death and that the mindes of godly persons being brought low by the remorse of their former life and errours after they once begonne to looke vp vnto the light of the Gospell and beleue in Christ might be opened with the word of God euen as a dore is opened with a key Contrariwise that the wicked and wilfull and such as would not beleeue nor returne into the right waie should be left stil as fast locked shut vp as S. Paul saith wax worse and worse This take we to bethe meaning of the keis that after this sort mens consciences be either opened or shut We saie that the Priest in deede iâ— a iudge in this case but yet hath no manner of right to challenge an authority or power as Ambrose saith And therfore our Sauiour Iesus Christ to reprooue the negligence of the Scribes and Pharisies in teaching did with these words rebuke them saying Woe be vnto you Scribes and Phariseis which haâ—e taken away the keis of knowledge haue shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men Seing then the keie whereby the waie entry to the kingdome of God is opened vnto vs is the word of the Gospel and the expounding of the law Scriptures we saie plainlie where the same word is not there is not the keie And seeing one manner of worde is giuen to all and one onelie keie belongeth to all we saie there is but one onelie power of all ministers as concerning opening and shutting And as touching the Bishop of Rome for al that his flattering Parasiâ—es sing these words in his eares To thee wil I giue the keies of the kingdom of heauen as though these keis were fitte for him alone and for no bodie else except he goe so to worke as mens consciences may be made pliaunt and be subdued to the wordâ— of God we denie that he doth either open or shut or hath the keies at all And although he taught and instructed the people as would god he might once truelie doe and perswade himselfe it were at the least any peece of his duetie yet we thinke his keie to be neuer a whitte better or of greater force then other mens For who hath seuered him from the rest Who hath taught him more â—unninglie to open or better to absolue then his breethren OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BELGIA WE beleeue that this Church ought to be ruled and gouerned by that spirituall regiment which God himselfe hath deliuered in his worde so that there be placed in it pastours and ministers purelie to preach and rightly to administer the holy Sacraments that there be also in it seniours and Deacons of whome the Senat of the Church might consist that by these meanes true religion might be preserued and sincere doctrine in euery place retayned and spread abroade that vicious and wicked men might after a spirituall manner be rebuked amended and as it were
graunted to those that haue charge of soules and to each seuerall Ecclesiastic all societies whether they besmal or great Of which thing the Lord saith to the Churches Verely I saie vnto you whatsoeuer thinges ye binde on earth shal be bound in heauen And straight after For where two or three be gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Moreouer this is likewise taught that euerie Christian so often as he needeth these keies of the Lord ought to require them particularly for himselfe of the pastors of soules of that Church or fellowship of which himselfe is a parte to which he belongeth that he vse them with full confidence no other wise then if he receiued them of Christ himselfe seeing that Christ hath deliuered them vnto the Pastours and that he by no meanes doubt that by the ministerie of these keies through the vertue and power of Christ his sinnes are forgiuen him and that he is freed from them according to Christ his owne saying whose sinnes you forgiue c. And He that heareth you heareth me and he that receiueth you in the be halfe to wit of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and in his time of neeed receiueth me and contrarilie He that despiseth you despiseth me This is also taught and handled * that the Priests ought not to vse these keies of the Lord otherwise then according to the meaning and will of Christ which is declared expresselie in his word and according to the sure flat and expresse determinations of his iudgement and that they doe not any manner of waie according to mens opinions much lesse after their owne minde or lust abuse these keies for so it would come to passe that the keies should swaâ—ue 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 Lorde hath saide by the Prophet For you saith he is this commaundement O ye Priestes if you will not heare it nor consider it in your heartes to giue glorie to my name saith the Lorde of hoastes I will send a curse vpon you and will curse your blessings as I haue cursed them alreadie because you regarde not in your heartes the feare of the Lorde OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION SEeing that we are not made partakers of Christ but by the Gospell we beleeue that that good order which by the authority of the gospel is confirmed ought to be kept sacred and inuiolable and that therefore Pastours are necessarilie required in the Church vpon whose shoulders the burden of teaching the worde and administring of the Sacraments doth lie whome also we ought to honour and reuerentlie to heare if so be that they being lawfullie called doe discharge their duetie not as though God did stand inneed of such staies inferior helps but therfore rather because that so it seemeth good to him to gouerne vs as it were by vsing this bridle Therefore we detest all those fanaticall spirites who as much as in them lieth desire that both this sacred ministerie or preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacramentes were vtterlie abolished We beleeue that this true Church ought to be gouerned by that 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 maie be retained vices repreâ—sed the poore and others that be in miserie according to their necessitie maie be prouided for and that there maie be holie meetinges for the edifying both of small and great We beleeue that all true Pastours in what place soeuer they be placed haue the same and equall authoritie among themselues giuen vnto them vnder Iesus Christ the onelie heade and the chiefe and alone vniuersall Bishop and that therefore it is not lawfull for anie Church to challenge vnto it selfe Dominion or soueraigntie ouer anie other Church We beleeue that it is not lawfull for anie man vpon his owne authoritie to take vpon him the gouernment of the Church but that euerie one ought to be admitted thereunto by a lawfull election so neere as maie be and so long as the Lorde giueth leaue And this exception we doe expresselie adde because that sometime as it fell out also in our daies the state of the Church being disturbed it was necessarie that some should be raised vp of the Lorde extraordinarily which should repaire the ruines of the decaied Church Neuertheles howsoeuer it be we beleeue that this rule is Iwaâ—es to be followed that all Pastours and Elders should haue a testimonie of their calling OVT OF THE ENGLISH CONFESSION FVrthermore we beleeue that there be diuerse degrees of Ministers in the Church whereof some be Deacons some Priests some Bishops to whom is committed the office to instruct the people and the wholl charge and setting forth of Religion Yet notwithstanding we say that there neither is not can be any one man which may haue the wholl superioritie in this vniuersall state for that Christ is euer present to assist his Church and needeth not any man to supplie his roome as his onelie heire to all his substance and that there can be no one mortall creature which is able to comprehend or conceiue in his minde the Vniuersall Church that is to wit all the partes of the world much lesse hable rightlie and duelie to put them in order and to gouerne them For al the Apostles as Cyprian saith were of like power among themselues and the rest were the same that Peter was And that it was saide indifferentlie to them all Feede yee indifferentlie to them all Goe into the whole worlde Indifferentlie to them all Teach yee the Gospel And as Hierome saith All Bishoppes wheresoeuer 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 Bishoprike and a peeâ— thereof is perfitlie and wholly holden of euery particular Bishop And according to the iudgement of the Nicene Councell we saie that the Bishop of Rome hath no more iurisdiction ouer the Church of God then the rest of the Patriarkes either of Alexandria or of Antioche haue And as for the Bishop of Rome who now calleth all matters before himselfe alone except he doe his duetie as he ought to doe except he minister the Sacraments except he instruct the people except he warne them and teach them we saie 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 haue preeminence not to profit maie vnderstande himselfe to be no Bishop And that neither the Pope nor any other wordly creature can no more be head of the wholl Church or a Bishop
rule of Gods worde For Peter the Apostle saieth Therefore giuing al diligence thereunto ioyne moreouer vertue with your faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance c. It was said before that the law of God which is the will of God did prescribe vnto vs the patterne of good workes And the Apostle saieth This is the wil of God euen your sanctification that you absteine from al vncleannes that no man oppresse 〈◊〉 deceiue his brother in any matter But as for such workes and worships of god as are taken vp vpon our owne liking which Saint Paull calleth wilworshippe they are not allowed not liked of God Of such the Lord saieth in the Gospell They worship me in vaine teaching for doctrine the precepts of men Wee therefore disalowe all such manner of workes and we approoue and vrge men vnto such as are according to the 〈◊〉 and commaundement of God Yea and these same workes that are agreeable to Gods will must be done not to thâ— ende to merit eternall life by them for life euerlasting as thâ— Apostle saieth is the gift of God nor for ostentations sake which the Lord doth reiect Mat. 6. nor for lucre which also he misliketh Mat. 23. but to the glorie of God to comment set forth our calling and to yeald thankefulnes vnto god and also for the profit of our neighbours For the Lorde saith againe in the Gospell Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which 〈◊〉 in heauen Likewise the Apostle Paull saieth Walke worthie of your calling Also Whatsoeuer you doe saith he either in worde oâ— in deede doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God the Father by him Let no man seeke his owne but euerie 〈◊〉 his brothers And let ours also learne to shew forth good works for necessarie vses that they be not vnprofitable Notwithstanding therefore that we teach with the Apostle that a man is iustified by faith in Christ and not by any good workes yet we doe not lightlie esteeme or condemne good workes because we know that a man is not created or regenerated thorough faith that he should be idle but rather that without ceasing he should doe those things which are good and profitable For in the Gospel the Lorde saith A good tree bringeth forth good fruite And againe Whosoeuer abideth in mee bringeth forth good fruite And lastlie the Apostle saith W◠〈◊〉 the workmâ—nship of God created in Christ Iesus to good works which god hath prepared that we should walke in them And againe Whâ— gaue himselfe for vs that he might deliuer vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to be a peculiar people to himselfe zealous of good workes We therefore condemne all those which doe contemne good workes and doe bable that they ate needeles and not to be regarded Neuerthelesse as was saide before we doe not thinke that we are saued by good workes or that they are so necessarie to saluation that no man was euer saued without them For we are saued by grace and by the benefite of Christ alone Workes do necessarilie proceede from faith but saluation is improperlie attributed to them which is moste properlie ascribed to grace That sentence of the Apostle is verie notable If by grace then not of workes for then grace were no more grace But if of workes then it is not of grace for then workes were no more workes Now the workes which we doe are accepted and allowed of God through faith because they which doe them please God by faith in Christ and also the workes themselues are done by the grace of God through his holie spirit For Saint Peter saith that Of euerie nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousnes is accepted with him And Paul also Wee cease not to praie for you that you maie walke worthie of the Lorde and in al thinges please him being fruitfull in euerie good worke Here therefore we diligentlie teach not false and Philosophicall but true vertues true good workes and the true duties of a Christian man And this we doe with all diligence and earnestnes that we can inculcate and beate into mens mindes sharplie reproouing the slothfulnes and hypocrisie of all those who with their mouthes praise and professe the gospell and yet with their shameful life doe dishonor the same setting before their eies in this case Gods horrible threatninges large promises and bountifull rewardes and that by exhorting comforting and rebuking For we teach that God doth bestow great rewardes on them that doe good according to that saying of the Prophet Refraine thy voice from weeping because thy worke shall haue a rewarde In the Gospell also the Lorde saide Reioyce and be glad because your rewarde is great in the heauens And he that shall giue to one of these little ones a cuppe of colde water verilie I saie vnto you he shall not loose his rewarde Yet we doe not attribute this reward which God giueth to the merit of the man that receiueth it but to the goodnes or liberalitie and trueth of God which promiseth and giueth it who although he owe nothing vnto anie yet he hath promised to giue a reward to those that faithfully worship him notwithstanding that he do also giue them grace to worship him Besides there are many things vnworthie the maiesty of god many vnperfect thinges are found in the workes euen of the saints yet because god doth receiue into fauor imbrace the works of them for Christs sake therefore he performeth vnto them the promised reward For otherwise our righteounesses are compared to a menstruous cloath yea the Lord in the gospell saith When you haue done al things which are commaunded you saie we are vnprofitable seruants that which we 〈◊〉 to doe we haue done So that though we do teach that god 〈◊〉 giue a rewarde to our good deeds yet withall we teach 〈◊〉 Augustine that God doth crowne in vs not our desertes but 〈◊〉 owne gifts And therefore whatsoeuer rewarde we receiue we saie that it is a grace and rather a grace then a rewarde because those good things which we doe we doe them ratheâ— by God then by our selues and because Paul saith what 〈◊〉 thou that thou hast not receiued If thou hast receiued it Why 〈◊〉 thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued it And that which the blessed Martyr Ciprian doth gather out of this place That we must not boast of any thing seeing nothing is our owne We therefore condemne those who defend the merites of men that they may make frustrate the grace of God OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA NOw we attaine vnto these so diuine benefits and the true sanctification of the spirit of God by Faith which is the meere gifte of God not by anie either ouâ— strength or merites which faith being a sure and vndoubted
in this rehearsall he maketh no mention at all of priuat Priestes of which sorte the world is now full neither is it like that he world haue omitted this kinde of Priestes if either Christ had appointed it or if it had beene profitable and necessarie for the Church And Paull writeth that a Bishope ought to be apâ—e to teach And Ierome teacheth that A Priest and a Bishoppe are all one Therefore it is euident that excepta Priest be ordeined in the Church to the ministerie of teaching he can not rightly take vnto him neither the name or a Prieste nor the name of a Bishoppe OVT OF THE CONFSSION OF SVEVRLAND Of the Office dignitie and power of Ecclesiasticall Persons TOuching the ministery and dignitie of the Ecclesiasticalorder we do thus 〈…〉 that there is no power in the Church but that which tendeth to edifying â— Cor. 10. Secondlie that we must nor thinke otherwise or any man in this state then Paull would haue men to esteeme either of him selfe or of Peter and Apollo and others As of the seruantes of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God in â—â—ome this is chiefelie required that they be faithfull For these be they which haue the keies of the kingdome of God and the power to binde and loose 〈◊〉 â—o remit or retaine sinnes yet that power is so limited that they be neuerthelesse the ministers of Christ to whome alone the right and authoritie to open heauen and forgiue sinnes doth properlie pertaine For neither he which planteth nor he that watereth is anie thing but God that giueth the increase 1. Cor 3. Neither is anie man of himselfe fitte to thinke anie of those thinges as of himselfe but if anie man be found fitte thereunto he hath it all of God VVho giueth to whome it pleaseth him to be the ministers and preachers of the new Testament to wit so farre forth as he giueth them a minde faithfullie to preach the meaning and vnderstanding of the Gospell vseth them hereunto that men maie be brought by a true faith to his new couenant of grace Furthermore these be they which doe minister vnto vs the dead letter that is such a doctrine of trueth as pearceth no farther then to humane reason but the spirit which quickneth and doth so pearee into our spirit and soule that it doth throughlie perswade our heart of the trueth These are the true fellow labourers of the Lord 1. Cor. 3. opening in deed heauen and forgiuing sinnes 〈◊〉 those to whome they declare the doctrine of faith 〈◊〉 meanes of the grace and spirit of God Whereupon Christ sending out his Apostles to exercise this duetie he breathed vpon them saying Take yee the holie Ghost And further more he addeth whose sinnes ye remit c. Hereof it is manifest that the true and fit ministers of the Church such as be bishops Seniors annointed and consecrated can doe nothing but in respect of this that they be sent of God For how shall they preach saith Paull except they be sent That is except they receiue of God both a minde and power to preach the holie Gospell aright and with fruit and to feede the flocke of Christ And also except they receiue the holie Ghost whoe maie worke together with them and perswade mens hearts Other vertues wherwith these men must be endued are rehearsed 1. Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Therfore they which are in this sort sent anointed consecrated and qualified they haue an earnest care for the flocke of Christ and doe labour faithfullie in the worde and doctrine that they maie feed the people more fruitfullie and these are acknowledged and accounted of our preachers for such Bishops as the Scripture euerie where speaketh of and euery Christian ought to obey their commaundements But they which giue them selfes to other things they place them selfes in other mens seats and do worthelie take vnto them selues other names Yet notwithstanding the life of any man is not so much to be blamed as that therfore a Christian should refuse to heare him if peraduenture he teach somthing out of the chaire of Moses or Christ that is either out of the law of God or out of the holie gospell that maie serue for edification They which bring a diuers or a staunge voice whatsoeuer they be they are in no account or estimation with the sheepe of Christ Ioh. 10. Yet they which haue a seculare power and soueraigntie they haue it of God him selfe howsoeuer they be called therefore he should resist the ordinance of God whosoeuer should oppose him-selfe to that temporall gouernment These things doe our Preachers teach touching the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall persons so that they haue great iniurie offered to them in that they are blamed as though they sought to bring the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall prelats to nothing whereas they neuer forbad them that worldlie gouernement and authoritie which they haue But they haue often wished that they would come nearer to the Ecclesiasticall commaundements and that either they them selues would instruct and faithfullie feede the consciences of Christians out of the holie Gospell or that at the least wise they would admit others hereunto and ordeine such as were more fitte for this purpose This is it I saie that out Preachers haue oftentimes requested of the Prelates them selues so faire haue they beene from opposing themselues at anie time to their spirituall authoritie But wheras we could not either beare anie longer the doctrine of certaine Preachers but beeing driuen thereunto by necessitie we haue placed others in their roome or els haue reteined those also which haue renounced that Ecclesiasticall superioritie We did it not for anie other cause but for that these did plainlie and faithfullie declare the voice of our Lord Iesus christ the other did mingle therwith all mans inuentions For so often as the question is concerning the holie Gospell and the doctrine of trueth Christians must whollie turne them selues to the Bishop of their soules the Lord Iesus Christ and not admit the voice of anie straunger by any meanes wherein notwithstanding neither we nor they do offer violence to anie man for Paull saith All thinges are yours whether it be Paull or Apollos 〈◊〉 Cephas or the worlde or life or death whether they be thinges present or thinges to come euen all are yours and ye Christes and Christ Gods Therefore seeing that Peter and Paull are ours and we are not theirs but Christes and that after the same manner that Christ himselfe is his Fathers to witte that in all thinges which we are or maie be we might liue to him alone Furthermore seing to this ende we haue power to vse all thinges yea euen men themselues of what sorte soeuer they be as though they were our owne and are not to suffer that anie man or anie thing should hinder vs therein no Ecclesiasticall persons maie iustlie complaine of vs or obiect to vs that we are not sufficientlie obedient to them or