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A08068 The confession of faith of certayn English people living in exile, in the Low countreyes. Together with a brief note of the speciall heads of those things wherin we differ fro[m] the Church of Engla[n]d.; True confession of the faith, which wee falsely called Brownists, doo hould Ainsworth, Henry, 1571-1622?; Johnson, Francis, 1562-1618. 1607 (1607) STC 18435; ESTC S119852 30,939 73

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THE CONFESSION of faith of certayn English people living in exile in the Low countreyes Together with a brief note of the special heads of those things wherin we differ frō the Church of Englād 2 Cor. 4 13. We beleev therefore have we spoken Harmony of Confess in the preface set before it in the Name of the French Belgick Churches The Prelates Priests alway cry out that we are Hereticks Schismaticks and Sectaryes Howbeit let them know that the crime of Heresy is not to be imputed to them whose faith doth wholly rely vpon most sure grounds of the Scripture That they are not Schismaticks who entierly cleave to the true Church of God such as the Prophets Apostles do describe vnto vs Nor they to be coūted Sectaryes who embrace the truth of God which is one and alwayes like it self Reprinted in the yeare 1607. To the reverend and learned men Students of holy Scripture in the Christian Vniversities of Leyden in Holland of Sanctandrewes in Scotland of Heidelberg Geneva and other the like famous schooles of learning in the Low countreys Scotland Germany France The English people exiled in the Low coūtreys wish grace and peace in Iesus Christ. THis true Confession of our fayth in our iudgment wholly agreable to the sacred Scripture we here exhibit vnto al to be discussed and vnto you reverend Sirs we dedicate it for two causes First for that we know you are able in respect of your singular knowledg in the Scriptures and hope you are willing in respect of your syncere piety to convince our errours by the light of Gods word if any where we erre out of the way Secondly that this testimony of Christian faith if you also fynd it to agree with the word of truth may by you be approved eyther in silence or by writing as you shal think best It may be we shal be thought very bold that being despised of all yet doubted not to sollicite you so many and so great learned men But this we did partly at the request of others to whom we would not deny it partly with desire to have the truth through your help more defended furder spread abroad partly constreyned by our exile other calamities almost infinite partly also moved with love of our native countrey and of these wherein now we live and others else where wishing that al may walk with a right foot to the truth of ehe G●sspel praying daily vnto God that the great work of restoring religion the Church decayed which he hath happily begun in these latter tymes by our Gracious Soveraigne and the other Princes of these countreyes ages his servants he would fully accomplish to the glorie of his name ●ternal salvation in Christ of his elect in al places of the earth Touching the causes which moved vs to publish this Confession of faith to forsake the Church of Eugland as now it standeth we have truly as briefly as we could related them in the Preface to the Reader hereafter following therefore thought here to omit the repetition of them The Lord Iesus alway preserve you your Vniversityes to the prayse of his name the ornament of good learning th● propagation maintenance of his pure Religion From Amsterdam in the low countreyes The yeare of the last patience of the saints 1598. ❧ The preface to the Christian Reader IT may seem strange vnto thee Christian Reader that any of the Englysh nation should for the truth of the Gospell be forced to forsake their native country live in exile especially in these dayes when the Gospel seemeth to have free passage florish in that land And for this cause have our exile ben hardly thought of by many and evil spoken of by some who know not as it seemeth eyther the trew estate of the Church of England or causes of our forsaking and separation from the same but hearing this sect as they call it to be every where spoken against have without all further search accounted and divulged vs as heretickes or Schismatickes at the least Yea some and such as worst might have sought the increase of our afflictions even here also if they could which thing they have both secretly and openly attempted This hath Sathan added vnto all our former sorrowes envying that we should have rest in any part of the inhabited world and therfore ceaseth not to make warre with the remnant of the womans seed which keep the comcōmaundements of God and the testimony of Iesus Christ. But the Lord that brought his former Israel out of Egypt when they walked about from nation to nation from one Kingdome to an other people suffered no man to do them wrong but reproved Kinges for their sakes the same Lord yet liveth to mainteyn the right of his afflicted servantes whō he hath severed and dayly gathereth out of the world to be vnto himself a chosen generation a royal priesthood a peculiar people Israell of God He is our hope and strength and help in troubles ready to be found he will hyde vs vnder his winges and vnder his feathers we shall be sure vntill these miseries be overpast And though we could for our partes wel have borne this rebuke of Christ in silence aud left our cause to him who iudgeth iustly al the children of men yet for the manifestation clearing of the truth of God from reproches of men and for the bringing others together with our selves to the same knowledg and fellowship off the Gospel we have thought it needfull our duty to make knowen vnto the world our vnfeyned fayth in God and loyall obedience towards our Prince and all Governers set over vs in the Lord together with the reasons of our leaving the Ministery worship and Church of England Which are not as they pretend for some few faultes corcorruptions remayning such as we acknowledg may be found in the perfectest Church on earth Neyther count wee it lawfull for any member to forsake the fellowship off the Church for blemishes and imperfections which every one according to his calling should studiously seek to cure and to exspect and further it vntill eyther there follow redresse or the disease be growe incureable the candlestick be moved out of the place But we having through Gods mercy learned to discerne betwixr the true worship of God the Antichristiā leitourgy the true ministery of Christ Antichristiā prelacy the ordināces of Christs testament Popish canons have also learned to leave the evill choose the good to forsake Babell the land of our captivitie get vs vnto Sion the mount of the Lordes holynes and place where his honour dwelleth But first we desire thee good Reader to vnderstand and mynd that we have not in any dislyke of the Civill estate and politick government in that Common wealth which we much like and love separated our selves from
being conceived and formed in iniquity and so by nature children of wrath and servants of sinne and subject to death and all other calamities due vnto sinne in this world and for ever V. Al mankind being thus fallen and become altogether dead in sinne subject to the eternall wrath of God both by original and actuall corruption Yet the elect al and onely are redeemed quickned raysed vp and saved again not of themselves neyther by works least any man should boast himself but wholly and only by God of his free grace and mercy through faith in Christ Iesus who of God is made vnto vs wisdome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption that according as it is written He that reioyceth should reioyce in the Lord. VI. This therefore is lyfe eternal to know the only true God and whom he hath sent into the world Iesus Christ. And on the contrary the Lord will render vengeance in flaming fire vnto them that know not God and which obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ. VII Now the rule of this knowledg faith and obedience concerning the worship and service of God and all other christian dutyes is not mens opinions devises lawes constitutions or traditions vnwritten whatsoever but only the written word of God conteined in the Canonicall books of the old and new Testament VIII In this written word God hath plainely reveled whatsoever he thought needfull for vs to know beleev and acknowledge touching the persō Office of Iesus Christ in whō all the promises of God are Yea and in whom they are Amen to the prayse of God through vs. IX Touching his Person the Lord Iesus of whom Moses the Prophets wrote and whom the Apostles preached is the everlasting Sonne of God the father by eternal generation the brightnes of his glorie the engraven forme of his Person coessential coequal coeternal God with him and with the holy Ghost By whom he made the worlds by whom he vpholdeth and governeth all the works he hath made Who also when the fulnes of tyme was come was made man of a woman of the Tribe of Iudah of the seed of David and Abraham to wyt of Mary that blessed Virgin by the holy Ghost comming vpon her the power of the most High overshadowing her and was also in all things like vnto vs sinne only excepted X Touching his Office Iesus Christ only is made the Mediator of the new Testamēt even of the everlasting Covenant of grace between God Man to be perfectly and fully the Prophet Priest and King of the Church of God for evermore XI Vnto this office he was from everlasting by the iust and sufficiēt authority of the Father in respect of his Manhood from the wōb called separated anoynted also most fully abundantly with all ne●cessary gifts as it is writtē God hath not measured out the Spirit vnto him XII This office to be Mediator that is Prophet Priest and King of the Church of God is so proper to Christ as neyther in the whole not in any part thereof it can be transferred from him to any other XIII Touching his Prophecie Christ hath perfectly revealed out of the bosome of his Father the whole word and will of God that is needfull for his servants eyther joyntly or severally to know beleev or obey He also hath spoken and doth speak to his Church in his own ordinance by his own Ministers and instruments onely and not by any false Ministerie at any tyme. XIIII Touching his Priesthood Christ being consecrated hath appeared once to put away sinne by the offring and sacrificing of himself and to this end hath fully performed suffred all those things by which God through the blood of that his crosse in an acceptable sacrifice might be reconciled to his elect and the blessing of Abraham come vpon vs to eternal life wherefore also having broken down th● partition wal and therewith finished and removed all those rites shadowes and ceremonies he is now entred within the vayle into the holy of holies that is t● the very heaven and presence of God where hee for ever liveth and sitteth a● the right hand of Majestie appearing before the face of his Father to make intercession for such as come vnto the throne of grace by that new and living way and not that onely but maketh his people aspiritual howse an holy Priesthood to offer vp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through him Neyther doth the Father accept or Christ offer vnto the Father any other worship or worshippers XV. Towching his Kingdome Christ being ●isen from the dead ascended into heaven set at the right hand of God the Father having al power in heaven and earth given vnto him he doth spiritually govern his Church exercising his power over all Angels and men good and bad t● the preservation and salvation of the elect to the overruling and destruction of th● reprobate communicating applying the benefits vertue frute of his prophecy and priesthood vnto his elect namely to th● remissiō subduing taking away of thei● syns to their iustificatiō adoptiō of sōnes regeneration sanctificatiō preservation strengthning in all their conflicts against Sathan the world the flesh the temptations of them continually dwelling in governing and keeping their harts in h●● true faith fear by his holy spirit which having once given it hee never take● away from them but by it still begette● and norisheth in them repentance faith love obedience comfort peace ioy hope and all Christian vertues vnto im●mortalitie notwithstanding that it b● somtymes through sinne and tentatio● interrupted smothered and as it were o●erwhelmed for the tyme. And on th● contrary ruling in the world over 〈◊〉 enemies Sathan and all the vessels of wrath limiting vsing restreyning them ●y his mighty power as seemeth good ●n his divine wisdome and justice to the execution of his determinate counsell ●o wit to their seduction hardning and condemnation delivering them vp to a reprobate mynd to be kept through their ●wn desert in darcknes sinne and sensualitie vnto judgment XVI The Kingdome shal be then fully perfected when he shal the second tyme come in glorie with his mightie Angels to judg both quick and dead to abolish a rule authoritie and power to put all his enemies vnder his feet to separate and free all his chosen from them for ever● to punish the wicked with everlasting perdition from his presence to gather ioyne and carry the godly with himsel● into endles glory and then to delive● vp the kingdome to God even the Fa●ther that so the glorie of the Father ma● be full and perfect in the Sonne the glo●rie of the Sonne in all his members God be all in all XVII In the meane tyme besides his absolute rule in the world Christ hath her● in