writeth That the Scripture given by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improve to correct and to instruct that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect to every good worke we could not determine any otherwise but that it was meet that we also being in danger of schisme should flie to that holy Scripture to which in times past not onely the holy Fathers Bishops and Princes but also the children of God every where in such extreamitie have alwaies resorted For Saint Luke witnesseth not without singular commendation of the Thessalonians that they compared the Gospel they had heard of the Apostle with the Scripture and tried it Paul also warneth his scholler Timothie that he exercise himself very diligently in the Scriptures and this holy Scripture was had in so high reputation of all holy Bishops and Doctors that neither any Bishop desired to have his ordinances obeyed nor any Doctor his writings beleeved except he had thereout approved them And surely seeing Saint Paul doth plainly testifie that by the holy Scripture the man of God is made absolute and perfect to every good worke no part of Christian truth and sound doctrin can be wanting to him who with all his might laboureth to follow and embrace the Scripture of God THE SECOND SECTION Of GOD in Essence one in persons three and of his true Worship The Latter Confession of HELVETIA Of God his Vnitie and the Trinitie CHAP. 3. WE beleeve and teach that God is one in Essence or nature subsisting by himself all sufficient in himself invisible without a body infinite eternall the Creator of all things both visible and invisible the chiefest good living quickning and preserving all things Almightie and exceeding wise gentle or mercifull just and true And we detest the multitude of Gods because it is expressely written The Lord thy God is one God I am the Lord thy God Deut. 6. Exod. 20. thou shalt have no strange Gods before my face I am the Lord and there is none other beside me there is no God Am not I the Lord and there is none other beside me alone a iust God and a Saviour there Isa 54. is none beside me I the Lord Jehovah the mercifull God gracious and long suffering and aboundant in goodnesse and truth c. Exod. 34. We neverthelesse beleeve and teach that the same infinite one and indivisible God is in persons inseparably and without confusion distinguished into the Father the Son and the holy Ghost so as the Father hath begotten the Son from everlasting the Son is begotten by an unspeakable manner and the holy Ghost proceedeth from them both and that from everlasting and is to be worshipped with them both So that there be not three Gods but three persons consubstantiall coeternall and coequall distinct as touching their persons and in order one going before another yet without any inequalitie For as touching their nature or essence they are so * Vide observ 1 In hanc confess joyned together that they are but one God and the divine essence is common to the Father the Son and the holy Ghost For the Scripture hath delivered unto us a manifest distinction of persons the Angel among other things saying thus to the blessed Virgin The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Luk. 1. highest shall over shadow thee and that holy thing which shall be borne shall be called the Son of God Also in the Baptisme of Christ a voice was heard from heaven saying This is my beloved Son The holy Matth. 3. Iohn 1. Ghost also appeared in the likenesse of a Dove And when the Lord himselfe commanded to baptize he commanded To baptize in the Matth. 28. name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost In like sort else where in the Gospell he said The Father will send the holy Iohn 14. 15. Ghost in my name Againe he saith When the Comforter shall come whom I will send unto you from the Father the spirit of truth who proceedeth from the Father he shall beare witnesse of me c. To be short we receive the Apostles Creed because it delivereth unto us the true faith We therefore condemne the Iews and the Mahometists and all those that blaspheme this Trinitie that is sacred and onely to be adored We also condemne all heresies and heretikes which teach that the Son and the holy Ghost are God onely in name also that there is in the Trinitie some thing created and that serveth and ministreth unto an other finally that there is in it some thing unequall greater or lesse corporall or corporally fashioned in manners or in will divers either confounded or sole by it self as if the Son and holy Ghost were the affections and proprieties of one God the Father as the Monarchists the Novatians Praxeas the Patripassians Sabellius Samosatenus Aetius Macedonius Arrius and such like have thought Of Idols or Images of God of Christ and of Saints CHAP. 4. ANd because God is an invisible spirit and an incomprehensible essence he can not therefore by any Art or Image be expressed For which cause we feare not with the Scriâ—ture to tearme the Images of God meere lies We doe therefore reject not onely the Idols of the Gentiles but also the images of Christians For although Christ tooke upon him mans nature yet he did not therefore take it that he might set forth a patterne for Carvers and Painters He denyed that he came To destroy the Law Matth. 5. and the Prophets But images are forbidden in the Law and the Prophets He denied that his Bodily presence should any whit profit the Church He promiseth that He would by his spirit be present Deut. 4. Isa 40. John 16. 2 Cor. 5. with us for ever who would then beleeve that the shadow or picture of his body doth any whit benefit the godly and seeing that he abideth in us by his spirit We are therefore the Temples of God But what agreement hath the Temple of God with images And seeing 1 Cor. 3. 2 Cor. 6. that the blessed spirits and Saints in heaven while they lived here abhorred all worship done unto themselves and spake against images who can thinke it likely that the Saints in heaven and the Act. 3. and 14. Angels are delighted with their own Images whereunto men do bow their knees uncover their heads and give such other like honour But that men might be instructed in Religion and put in minde of heavenly things and of their own salvation the Lord commanded To preach the Gospell not to paint and instruct the Mark 16. Laytie by pictures he also instituted Sacraments but he no where appointed Images Furthermore in every place which way soever we turne our eyes we may see the lively and true creatures of God which if they be marked as is meet they doe much more effectually moove the beholder then all the Images
the same place in the marginall note upon the word Saints Neverthelesse we confesse that they serve in Gods presence and that they reigne with Christ everlastingly because they acknowledged Christ and both in deed and word confessed him to be their Saviour redemption and righteousnesse without any addition of mans merit For this cause doe we praise and commend them as those who have obteined grace at Gods hand and are now made heires of the everlasting kingdome Yet doe we ascribe all this to the glory of God and of Christ We plainly protest that we condemne and renounce all strange Artic. 11. and erroneous doctrines which the spirits of errours bring forth c. And ss 2. Of the selfe same article We condemne that doctrine which saith that we may in no case sweare although Gods glory and the love of our neighbour require it And in the marginall note upon the word Sweare It is lawfull to use an oath in due time For God hath commanded this in the old Testament and Christ hath not forbidden it in the new yea Christ and the Apostles did sweare Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA or the WALDENSES Of the unitie of the divine Essence and of the three Persons CHAP. 3. OVt of this fountaine of holy Scripture and Christian instruction according to the true and sound understanding and meaning of the holy Ghost our men teach by faith to acknowledge and with the mouth to confesse that the holy Trinitie to wit God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are three distinct Persons but in essence one onely true alone eternall almightie and incomprehensible God of one equall indivisible divine essence Of whom through whom and in whom are all things Rom. 11. Exod. 20. who loveth and rewardeth righteousnesse and vertue but hateth and punisheth all iniquitie and sinne According to this faith men are taught to acknowledge the wonderfull workes of God and those properties which are peculiar to each person of the holy Trinitie and of the Divine Vnitie and to acknowledge the soveraigne and infinite power wisedome and goodnesse of the one onely God out of which also ariseth and proceedeth the saving knowledge as well of the Essence as of the will of God One kind of workes or properties of the three persons of the Godhead by which they are discerned one from the other are the inward eternall and hypostaticall proprieties which alwaies remaine immutable and are onely apprehended by the eyes of faith and are these That the father as the fountaine and wel-spring of the Godhead from all eternitie begetteth the Sonne equall to himselfe and that himselfe remaineth not begotten neither yet is he the person of the Sonne seeing he is a person begetting not begotten The Sonne is begotten of the eternall Father from all eternitie true God of God and as he is a person he is not the Father but the Sonne begotten of the essence or nature of the Father and consubstantiall with him which Sonne in the fulnesse of time which he had before appointed for this purpose himselfe alone as he is the Sonne tooke unto him our nature of the blessed Virgin Mary and united it into one person with the godhead whereof we shall speake afterward But the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne and so he is neither the Father nor the Sonne but a person distinct from them eternall and the substantiall love of the Father and of the Sonne surpassing all admiration these three persons are one true God as is aforesaid The other kind of workes in these persons and in the unitie of the godhead issueth as it were into open sight out of the divine essence and the persons thereof in which being distinct they have manifested themselves and these are three The first is the wonderfull worke of Creation which the Creeds doe attribute to the Father The second is the worke of Redemption which is proper to Christ The third is the worke of Sanctification which is ascribed to the holy Ghost for which cause he in the Apostles Creed is peculiarly called holy And yet all these are the proper workes of one true God and that of him alone and none other to wit the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost This true and absolute faith and difficult knowledge of God as well concerning his nature as his will is comprehended and contained in the aforenamed Catholike and Apostolicall Creede and in the decree of the Nicene Councell agreeing therewith and in many other sound decrees and also in Athanasius his confession All which we judge and professe to be true But it hath everlasting and sure grounds on which it relyeth and most weightie reasons by which it is out of the holy Scripture convinced to be true as by that manifestation wherein the whole Trinitie shewed it selfe when Christ the Lord was baptized in Iordane by the commandment Matt. 3. Matt. 28. of Christ because in the name of the persons of the same holy Trinitie all people must be baptized and instructed in the faith Also by Christs words when he saith the holy Ghost the Comforter whom the Father will send in my name shall teach you all these Iohn 14. things and before these words he saith I will pray the Father and he will give you another Comforter who shall be with you for ever even the spirit of truth Besides we teach that this onely true God one in essence and in divine nature and three in persons is above all to be honoured with high worship as chiefe Lord and King who ruleth and reigneth alwaies and for ever and especially after this sort that we looke unto him above all and put all our confidence in him alone and offering unto him all subjection obedience feare all faith love and generally the service of the whole inward and outward divine worship doe indeed sacrifice and performe it under paine of loosing everlasting salvation as it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve and againe Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Deut. 6. Matt. 22. Mar. 12. Luk. 10. with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy minde and to be short with all thy might as well of the inward as outward powers to whom bee glory from this time forth for evermore Amen Of holy men and their worship CHAP. 17. AS touching holy men it is taught first that no man from the beginning of the world unto this time either was is or can be henceforth unto the end sanctified by his workes or holy actions according to the saying of Moses the faithfull servant of the Lord when he cried out unto the Lord O Lord in thy sight no man Exod. 34. Iob. 15. is innocent that is perfectly holy And in the book of Iob it is written What is man that he should be undefiled and he that is borne of a woman that he should appeare iust to wit before God Behold
among his Saints none is immutable and the heavens are not cleane in his sight how much more abominable and unprofitable man who drinketh in iniquitie as water And the holy Scripture plainly witnesseth throughout all the bookes thereof that all men Ephes 2. Psal 14. even from their birth are by nature sinners and that there neither is nor hath beene any one who of himselfe and by himselfe was righteous and holy but all have gone aside from God and are become Rom. 3. unprofitable and of no account at all And whereas some are made holy and acceptable unto God that is purchased unto them without any worthinesse or merit of theirs by him who alone is holy God himselfe of the meere grace and unspeakable riches of his goodnesse hath ordained and brought them to that estate that they be blessed and called redeemed by Christ cleansed and consecrated by his blood annointed of the holy Ghost made righteous and holy by faith in Christ and adorned with commendable vertues and good deeds or workes which beseeme a Christian profession Of whom many having finished their life and course in such workes have now received and doe enjoy by grace eternall felicitie in heaven where God crowneth those that be his Some of them also God hath indued wiht a certain peculiar grace of his and with divine gifts unto the ministerie and to the publike and common good of the Church such as were the Patriarches Prophets and other holy fathers also Apostles Evangelists Bishops and many Doctors and Pastors and also other famous men and of rare excellencie and very well furnished with the spirit whose memory monuments of their labours and the good things which they did are extant and continue even untill this day in the holy Scriptures and in the Church But especially it is both beleeved and by open confession made knowne as touching the holy Virgin Mary that she was a daughter of the blood royall of the house and family of David that deare servant and friend of God and that she was chosen and blessed of God the Father consecrated by the holy Ghost visited and sanctified above other of her sexe and also replenished with wonderfull grace and power of God to this end that she might become the true mother of our Lord Iesus Christ the Son of God of whom he vouchsafed to take our nature and that she was at all times before her birth in the same and after it a true chaste and pure Virgine and that by her best beloved Sonne the Sonne also of the living God through the price of his death and the effusion of his most holy blood she was dearely redeemed and sanctified as also made one of the deare partakers of Christ by the holy Ghost through faith being adorned with excellent gifts noble vertues and fruits of good workes renowned as happie before all others and made most assuredly a joynt heire of everlasting life And a little after Furthermore it is taught in the Church that no man ought so to reverence holy men as we are to worship God much lesse their Images or to reverence them with that worship and affection of minde which onely are due to God alone And to be short by no meanes to honour them with divine worship or to give it unto them For God saith by the Prophet Esay I am the Lord thy God this is my name I will not give mine honour to another nor my glory to Images Againe a Esa 42. 48. little after But even as that thing is gain-said that the honour due to God should be given to Saints so it is by no meanes to be suffered that the honour of the Lambe Christ our Lord and things belonging to him and due to him alone and appertaining to the proper and true Priesthood of his nature should be transferred to them that is lest of them and those torments which they suffered we should make redeemers or merits in this life or else advocates intercessours and Mediatours in heaven or that we should invocate them and not them onely but not so much as the holy Angels seeing they are not God For there is one onely 1 Tim. 2. Hebr. 9. 1 Tim. 2. 1 Joâ— 2. Redeemer who being once delivered to death sacrificed himselfe both in his body and in his blood there is also one onely Advocate the most mercifull Lord of us all And they are not onely to be reputed and taken for Saints who are gone before us and are fallen a sleepe in the Lord and dwell now in joyes but also they who as there have alwaies beene some upon earth so doe likewise live now on the earth such are all true and godly Christians in what place or countrey soever here or there and among what people soever they lead their life who by being baptized in the name of the Lord may be sanctified and being indued with true faith in the Sonne of God and set on fire are mutually enflamed with affection of divine charitie and love who also acknowledging the justification of Christ doe use both it and absolution from their sinnes and the communion of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and diligently apply themselves to all holy exercises of pietie beseeming a Christian profession as also the Apostles call such beleevers in Christ which as yet like strangers are conversant here on earth according to the state of mortall men Saints As for example Ye are 1 Pet 2. 2 Cor. 1â— Heb. 1â— a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people Againe all the Saints greete you In like manner Salute all those that have the oversight of you and all the Saints that is all faithfull Christians For this cause it is taught that we ought with intire love and favour of the heart to embrace all Christians before all other people and when need is from the same affection of love to afford unto them our sevice and to helpe them further that we ought to maintaine the societie of holy friendship with those that love and follow the truth of Christ with all good affection to conceive well of them to have them in honour for Christs sake to give unto Rom 12 Gal 6. 1 Cor 12. them due reverence from the affection of Christian love and to studie in procuring all good by our dutie and service to pleaâ—ure them and finally to desire their prayers for us And that Christians going astray and intangled with sinnes are lovingly and gently to be brought to amendment that compassion is to be had on them that they are with a quiet minde in love so as becometh to be borne withall that prayer is to be made unto God for them that he would bring them againe into the way of salvation to the end that the holy Gospel may be spread farther abroad and Christs glory may be made knowne and enlarged among all men Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve and acknowledge
one onely God who is one onely and simple essence spirituall eternall invisible immutable infinite incomprehensible unspeakable almightie most wise good just and mercifull The holy Scripture teacheth us that in that one and simple divine essence there be three persons subsisting the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost The Father to wit the first cause in order and the beginning of all things the Sonne his wisdome and everlasting word the holy Ghost his vertue power and efficacie the Sonne begotten of the Father from everlasting the holy Ghost from everlasting proceeding from the Father and the Sonne which three persons are not confounded but distinct and yet not divided but coessentiall coeternall and coequall And to conclude in this mysterie we allow of that which those foure ancient Councels have decreed and we detest all sects condemned by those holy ancient Doctors Athanasius Hylarie Cyrill Ambrose and such as are condemned by others agreeably to Gods word Hitherto also belongeth the 2. Art This one God hath revealed himselfe unto men to be such a one first by the creation preservation and government of his works then much more clearely in his word c. Seeke the rest in the 3. division We beleeve that we by this one meanes obtain libertie of praying Artic. 19. to God with a sure confidence and that it will come to passe that he will shew himselfe a Father unto us For we have no entrance to the Father but by this Mediatour We beleeve because Iesus Christ is the onely Advocate given Artic. 24. unto us who also commandeth us to come boldly unto the Father in his name that it is not lawfull for us to make our prayers in any other form but in that which God hath set us down in his word and that whatsoever men have forged of the intercession of Saints departed is nothing but the deceits and sleights of Satan that he might withdraw men from the right manner of praying We also reject all other meanes whatsoever men have devised to exempt themselves from the wrath of God So much as is given unto them so much is derogated from the sacrifice and death of Christ Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE beleeve that there is one certaine nature and divine Artic. 1. power which we call God and that the same is divided into three equall persons into the Father into the Sonne and into the holy Ghost and that they all be of one power of one majestie of one eternitie of one Godhead and one substance And although these three persons be so divided that neither the Father is the Sonne nor the Sonne is the holy Ghost or the Father yet neverthelesse we beleeve that there is but one very God And that the same one God hath created heaven and earth and all things contained under heaven We beleeve that Iesus Christ the onely Sonne of the eternall Artic 2. Father c. The rest of this article you shall finde in the 6. section whereunto those things doe properly pertaine which are contained in this second article of the Person and Office of Christ We beleeve that the holy Ghost who is the third person in the Artic 3. Trinitie is very God not made not created not begotten but proceeding both from the Father and the Sonne by a certain mean unknowne unto man and unspeakable and that it is his very propertie to mollifie and soften the hardnes of mans heart when he is once received into the hearts of men either by the wholesome preaching of the Gospel or by any other way that he doth give other men light and guide them unto the knowledge of God to all way of truth to newnesse of life and to everlasting hope of salvation Neither have we any other Mediatour and Intercessour by Artic 3. whom we may have accesse to God the Father then Iesus Christ in whose onely name all things are obtained at his Fathers hand But it is a shamefull part and full of infidelitie that we see every where used in the Churches of our adversaries not onely in that they will have innumerable sorts of Mediatours and that utterly without the authoritie of Gods word so that as Ieremie saith the the Saints be now as many in number or rather above the number of the Cities And poore men cannot tell to which Saint it were best to turne them first and though there be so many as they cannot be told yet every of them hath his peculiar dutie and office assigned unto him by these folkes what to give and what to bring to passe But besides this also in that they doe not onely wickedly but also shamefully call upon the Blessed Virgin Christs Mother to have her remember that she is the Mother And to Command her Sonne and to use a Mothers authoritie over him Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve in heart and confesse with the mouth that Arâ—â—â— â— there is one onely and simple spirituall essence which we call God eternall incomprehensible invisible immutable infinite who is wholly wise and a most plentifull well-spring of all good things We know God by two meanes first by the creation and preservation Artic. 2. and government of the whole world For it is unto our eyes as a most excellent booke wherein all creatures from the least to the greatest as it were certaine characters and letters are written By which the invisible things of God may bee seene and known unto us Namely his everlasting power and Godhead as Paul the Apostle speaketh Rom. 1. â—0 which knowledge sufficeth to convince all men and make them without excuse But much more clearely and plainly he afterward revealed himselfe unto us in his holy and heavenly word so far forth as it is expedient for his owne glory and the salvation of his in this life According to this truth and word of God we beleeve in one onely God who is one essence truely distinguished into three persons from everlasting by meane of the incommunicable properties to wit in the Father in the Sonne and in the holy Ghost For the Father is the cause fountaine and beginning of all things visible and invisible the Sonne is the Word wisedome and Image of the Father the holy Ghost is the might and power which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne Yet so that this distinction doth not make God as it were divided into three parts seeing the Scripture teacheth that the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost have a distinct person or subsisting in their properties yet so that these three persons be one onely God Therefore it is certaine that neither the Father is the Sonne nor the Sonne the Father nor the holy Ghost either the Father or the Sonne Neverthelesse these persons thus distinguished are neither divided nor confounded nor mingled For neither the Father nor the holy Ghost have taken unto them mans nature but the Sonne alone The Father was never without his Sonne nor
without his holy Ghost because every one in one and the same essence is of the same eternitie For none of these is either first or last because all three are one both in truth and power and also in goodnesse and mercie And all these things we know as well by the Testimonies of holy Scripture as by the effects and chiefly those which we feele in our owne selves and the testimonies of holy Scripture which teach us to beleeve this holy Trinitie are very common in the old Testament which are not so much to be reckoned up as with sound judgement to be selected such as are in these in the first of Genesis God saith Let us make man according to our Image and likenesse c. and straight after Therefore God made man according to his owne Image and likenesse male I say and female created he them Againe Behold the man is become as one of us For by that which is said Let us make man after our owne likenesse it appeareth that there are more persons in the godhead But when it is said God created c. the unitie of the godhead is signified For although it be not here expresly set downe how many persons there are yet that which was obscurely delivered in the old Testament in the new is made clearer unto us then the noone day For when our Lord Iesus Christ was baptized in Iordan the voyce of the Father was heard saying This is my beloved Sonne and the Sonne himselfe was seen in the waters and the holy Ghost appeared in the likenesse of a Dove Therefore we are also commanded in the common baptisme of all the faithfull to use this forme Baptize ye all nations in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost Lo also in Luke the Angel Gabriel speaketh to Mary the Mother of our Lord. The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall over shadow thee therefore that holy thing which shall be borne of thee shall be called the Sonne of God In like manner The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with you Againe There are three that beare witnesse in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost which three are one By all which places we are fully taught that in one onely God there are three persons And although this doctrine passe all the reach of mans wit yet we now stedfastly beleeve it out of the Word of God looking when we shall enjoy the full knowledge thereof in heaven The offices also and effects of these three persons which every of them sheweth towards us are to be marked For the Father by reason of his power is called our Creator the Sonne our Saviour and Redeemer because he hath redeemed us by his bloud the holy Ghost is called our Sanctifier because he dwelleth in our hearts And the true Church hath alwaies even from the Apostles age untill these times kept this holy doctrine of the blessed Trinitie and maintaineth it against Iewes Mahometanes and other false Christians and hereticks such as were Marcion Manes Praxeas Sabellius Samosatenus and the like all which were worthily condemned by the fathers of most sound judgement Therefore we doe here willingly admit those three Creeds namely that of the Apostles of Nice and Athanasius and whatsoever things they according to the meaning of those Creeds have set downe concerning this point of doctrine We beleeve that Iesus Christ in respect of his divine nature is Artic. 10. the onely Sonne of God begotten from everlasting not made or created for then he should be a creature but of the same essence with the Father and coeternall with him who also is the true Image of the Fathers substance and the brightnesse of his glory in all things equall unto him But he is the Sonne of God not onely since the time he tooke upon him our nature but from everlasting as these testimonies being laid together teach us Moses saith that God created the world but Saint Iohn saith That all things were made by the word which he calleth God so the Apostle to the Hebrewes avoucheth that God made all things by his Son Iesus Christ It followeth therefore that he who is called both God and the Word and the Sonne and Iesus Christ had his being even then when all things were made by him Therefore Micheah the Prophet saith His going out hath beene from the beginning from the dayes of eternitie againe He is without beginning of dayes and without end of life He is therefore that true God eternall Almightie whom we pray unto worship and serve We beleeve also and confesse that the holy Ghost proceedeth Artic. 11. from the Father and the Sonne from everlasting and that therefore he was neither made nor created nor begotten but onely proceeding from them both who is in order the third person of the Trinitie of the same essence glory and majestie with the Father and the Sonne and therefore he also is true and everlasting God as the holy Scriptures teach us Artic. 26. We also beleeve that we have no accesse to God but by that one onely Mediatour and Advocate Iesus Christ the righteous who was therefore made man uniting the humanitie to the Divine nature that there might be an entrance made for us miserable men to the Majestie of God which had otherwise been shut up against us for ever Yet the Majestie and power of this Mediatour whom the Father had set between himself and us ought in no case so much to fray us that we should therefore thinke another is to be sought at our own pleasure For there is none either among the heauenly or earthly creatures who doth more entirely love us then Christ himself who when he was in the shape of God humbled himself by taking upon him the shape of a servant and for our sakes became like unto his brethren in all points and if we were to seeke an other Mediatour who would vouchsafe us some good will whom I pray you could we finde that would love us more earnestly then he who willingly laid his life downe for us when as yet we were his enemies If moreover we were to seeke another that excelleth both in soveraign authoritie and also power who ever obtained so great power as he himself who sitteth at the right hand of God the Father and to whom all power is given in heaven and in earth To conclude who was more likely to be heard of God then that onely begotten and dearely beloved Son of God therefore nothing but distrust brought in this custome whereby we rather dishonor the Saints whom we think to honour in doing these things which they in their life time were ever so farre from doing that they rather constantly and according to their dutie abhorred them as their own writings beare witnesse Neither is our own unworthinesse here to be alleadged for excuse of
De fide Of faith that it affirmeth it to be a needlesse thing to dispute of predestination in the doctrine of iustification by faith Which in what sort it may be said we have declared in the 6. Observation in this Confession sect 9. where these words of the Confession are rehearsed Also the SAXON CONFESSION Doth in the same sense by the way make mention of Predestination and Election about the end of the third Article where it treateth of faith which part we have therefore placed in the 9. Section THE SIXTH SECTION OF THE REPAIRING OR Deliverance of Man from his Fall by Iesus Christ alone and of his Pesron Natures Office and the workes of REDEMPTION The former Confession of HELVETIA Of Jesus Christ being true God and man and the onely Saviour of the World CHAP. II. MOreover we beleeve and teach that the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ was from all eternitie predestinated and fore-ordained of the Father to be the Saviour of the world And we beleeve that he was begotten not onely then when he tooke flesh of the Virgin Mary nor yet a little before the foundations of the world were laid but before all eternitie and that of the Father after an unspeakable manner For Isaiah saith Who can tell Isa 35. Mich 5. 2 Ioh. 1. 1. Phil. 2. 6 his generation And Micheah saith Whose egresse hath beene from everlasting For John saith In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and God was the word c. Therefore the Sonne is coequall and consubstantiall with the Father as touching his divinitie true God not by name onely or by adoption or by speciall favour but in substance and nature Even as the Apostle 1 Iohn 5. 18. saith elsewhere This is the true God and life everlasting Paul also saith He hath made his Sonne the heire of all things by whom also he Heb. 12. made the world The same is the brightnesse of his glory and the ingraved forme of his person bearing up all things by his mightie word Likewise in the Gospel the Lord himselfe saith Father glorifie Iohn 17. 5. thou me with thy selfe with the glory which I had with thee before Iohn 5. 18. the world was Also elsewhere it is written in the Gospel The Iewes sought how to kill Iesus because he said that God was his Father making himself equall with God We therefore do abhor the blasphemous doctrine of Arrius and all the Arrians uttered against the Son of God And especially the blasphemies of Michael Servetus the Spaniard and of his complices which Satan by them hath as it were drawne out of hell and most boldly and impiously spread abroad throughout the world against the Son of God We teach also and beleeve that the eternall Sonne of the eternall Matth. 1. God was made the Sonne of man of the seed of Abraham and David not by the meane of any man as Hebion affirmed but that he was most purely conceived by the holy Ghost and was borne of Mary who was alwaies a Virgin even as the history of the Gospell doth declare And Paul saith He tooke in no sort the Heb. 2. 16. Angels but the seed of Abraham And Iohn the Apostle saith He that beleeveth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God The flesh of Christ therefore was neither flesh in shew onely nor yet flesh brought from heaven as Valentine and Marcion dreamed Moreover our Lord Iesus Christ had not a soule without sense and reason as Apollinaris thought nor flesh without a soule as Eunomius did teach but a soule with it reason and flesh with it senses by which senses he felt true griefes in the time of his passion even as he himselfe witnesseth when he said My soule is heavie Matth. 26. Iohn 12. even to death And My soule is troubled c. We acknowledge therefore that there be in one and the same Iesus Christ our Lord two natures the divine and the humane nature and we say that these two are so conjoyned or united that they are not swallowed up confounded or mingled together but rather united or joyned together in one person the proprieties of each nature being safe and remaining still so that we do worship one Christ our Lord and not two I say one true God and man as touching his divine nature of the same substance with the Father as touching his humane nature of the same substance with us Like unto us in all things sin onely excepted As therefore we detest the heresie of Nestorius which maketh two Christs of one dissolveth the union of the Person so doe we curse the madnesse of Eutiches and of the Monophelites or Monophysicks who overthrow the proprietie of the humane nature Therefore we doe not teach that the divine nature in Christ did suffer or that Christ according to his humane nature is yet in the world and even in every place For we doe neither thinke nor teach that the body of Christ ceased to be a true body after his glorifying or that it was deified and so deified that it put off it properties as touching body and soule and became altogether a divine nature and began to be one substance alone And therefore we doe not allow or receive the unwittie subtilties and the intricate obscure and inconstant disputations of Schucnkfeildius and such other vaine janglers about this matter Neither are we Schuenkfeildians Moreover we beleeve that our Lord Iesus Christ did truely suffer and die for us in the flesh as Peter saith We abhorre the most horrible madnesse 1 Pet. 4. 1. of the Iacobites and the Turkes which abandon the passion of our Lord. Yet we denie not but that the Lord of glory according to the saying of Paul was crucified for us For we doe reverently 1 Cor. 2. 8. and religiously receive and use the communication of proprieties drawne from the Scriptures and used of all antiquitie in expounding and reconciling places of Scripture which at the first sight seeme to disagree one from another We beleeve and teach that the same Lord Iesus Christ in that true flesh in which he was crucified and died rose againe from the dead and that he did not raise up another flesh in stead of that which was buried nor tooke a spirit in stead of flesh but retained a true body Therefore whilest that his disciples thought that they did see the spirit of their Lord Christ he shewed them his hands and feete which were marked with the prints of the nailes and wounds saying Behold my hands and my feete for I am he indeed Luke 24. 39. Handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have We beleeve that our Lord Iesus Christ in the same his flesh did ascend above all the visible heavens into the very highest heaven that is to say the seate of God and of the blessed spirits unto the
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 happinesse Moreover we confesse that God did then at the length fulfill his Artic. 18. promise made unto the Fathers by the mouth of his holy Prephets when in his appointed time he sent his onely and eternâ—â— Son into the world who took upon him the forme of a servant being made like unto men and did truly take unto him the nature of man with all infirmities belonging thereunto sin onely excepted when he was conceived in the wombe of the blessed Virgin Mary by the power of the holy Ghost without any means of man The which nature of man he put upon him not onely in respect of the body but also in respect of the soule for he had also a true soule to the intent he might be true and perfect man For seeing that as well the soule as the body of man was subject to condemnation it was necessary that Christ should take upon him as well the soule as the body that he might save them both together Therefore contrary to the heresie of the Anabaptists which deny that Christ did take upon him the flesh of man we confesse that Christ was partaker of flesh and blood as the rest of his brethren were that he came from the loynes of David according to the flesh I say that he was made of the seed of David according to the same flesh and that he is a fruit of the Virgins wombe borne of a woman the branch of David a flower of the root of Iesse comming of the tribe of Iuda and of the Iews themselves according to the flesh and to conclude the true seed of Abraham and David the which seed of Abraham he tooke upon him being made in all things like unto his brethren sin onely excepted as hath been said before so that he is indeed our true Emmanuel that is God with us We beleeve also that the person of the Son was by this conception Artic. 19. inseparably united and coupled with the humane nature yet so that there be not two Sons of God nor two persons but two natures joyned together in one person both which natures doe still retaine their owne proprieties So that as the divine nature hath remained alwayes uncreated without the beginning of dayes and tearme of life filling both heaven and earth so the humane nature hath not lost his proprieties but hath remained still a creature having both beginning of dayes and a finite nature For whatsoever doth agree unto a true body that it still retaineth and although Christ by his resurrection hath bestowed immortalitie upon it yet notwithstanding he hath neither taken away the trueth of the humane nature nor altered it For both our salvation and also our resurrection dependeth upon the trueth of Christs bodie Yet these two natures are so united and coupled in one person that they could not no not in his death be separated the one from the other Wherefore that which in his death he commended unto his Father was indeed a humane spirit departing out of his body but in the meane season the divine nature did alwaies remaine joyned to the humane even then when he lay in the grave so that his Deitie was no lesse in him at that time then when as yet he was an infant although for a small season it did not shew forth it selfe Wherefore we confesse that he is true God and true man true God that by his power he might overcome death and true man that in the infirmitie of his flesh he might die for us We beleeve that God which is both perfectly mercifull and Artic. 20. perfectly just did send his Son to take upon him that nature which through disobedience had offended that in the selfe same nature he might satisfie for sinne and by his bitter death and passion pay the punishment that was due unto sinne God therefore hath declared and manifested his justice in his owne Sonne being loaden with our iniquities but hath most mercifully powred forth and declared his gracious goodnesse unto us guiltie wretches and worthie of condemnation whilest that in his incomprehensible love towards us he delivered up his Sonne unto death for our sins and raised him up againe from death for our justification that by him we might obtaine immortalitie and life everlasting We beleeve that Iesus Christ is that high Priest appointed to Artic. 21. that office eternally by the oath of his Father according to the order of Melchisedech which offered himselfe in our name before his Father with a full satisfaction for the pacifying of his wrath laying himselfe upon the altar of the crosse and hath shed his blood for the cleansing of our sins as the Prophets had foretold For it is written that the chastisement of our peace was laid upon the Sonne of God and by his wounds we are healed Also that he was carried as a sheepe unto the slaughter reputed amongst sinners and unjust and condemned of Pontius Pilate as a malefactour though before he had pronounced him guiltlesse Therfore he payed that which he had not taken and being just suffered in soul and body for the unjust in such sort that feeling the horror of those punishments that were due unto our sins he did sweat water and blood and at length cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me All which he suffered for the remission of our sins Wherefore we do not without just cause professe w th Paul that we know nothing out Iesus Christ and him crucified and that we doe account all things as dung in respect of the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christ our Lord finding in his wounds and stripes all manner of comfort that can be deserved Wherefore there is no need that either we should wish for any other meanes or devise any of our owne braines whereby we might be reconciled unto God besides this one oblation once offered by the which all the faithfull which are sanctified are consecrated or perfected for ever And this is the cause why he was called the Angel Jesus that is to say a Saviour because he shall save his people from their sinnes Last of all we doe beleeve out of the word of God that out Artic. 37. Lord Iesus Christ when the time appointed by God but unto all creatures unknowne shall come and the number of the elect shall be accomplished shall come againe from heaven and that after a corporall and visible manner as heretofore he hath ascended being adorned with great glory and majestie that he may appeare as Iudge of the quicke and the dead the old world being kindled with fire and flame and purified by it Then * Looke the second observat upon this confession all creatures and as well men as women and children as many as have beene from the beginning and shall be to the end of the world shall appeare before this high Iudge being summoned thither by the voyce of Archangels and the trumpet of God For all that have been dead
onely as by testimonies of the holy Scripture the holy Fathers have declared in the Councels held at Nice Ephesus and Chalcedon Therefore we detest every heresie which is repugnant to this doctrine of the Son of God Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND ALso we beleeve that our Saviour Iesus Christ being true God was also made true man his natures not being confounded but so united in one and the same person that they shall never hereafter be dissolved Neither doe we differ any thing in those points which the Church being taught out of the holy Gospels doth beleeve concerning our Saviour Iesus Christ conceived of the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary and who at the length after he had discharged the office of preaching the Gospell died on the crosse and was buried and descended into hell and the third day he was called backe from the dead unto life eternall the which life when he had by divers arguments prooved unto witnesses hereunto appointed he was carried up into heaven to the right hand of his Father from whence we looke that he should come to judge the quick and the dead In the meane time let us acknowledge that he is neverthelesse present with his Church that he doth renew and sanctifie it and as his onely beloved Spouse beautifie it with all sorts of ornaments of vertues and in these things we doe nothing varie from the Fathers nor from the common consent of Christians we thinke it sufficient after this sort to testifie our faith THE SEVENTH SECTION OF THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL The latter Confession of HELVETIA Of the Law of God CHAP. 12. WE teach that the will of God is set downe unto us in the Law of God to wit what he would have us to doe or not to doe what is good and just or what is evill and unjust We therefore confesse that the Law is good and holy and that this Law is by the finger of God either either written in the hearts of men and so is called the law of nature or ingraven in the two Tables of Exod 20. Deut. 5. stone and more largely expounded in the bookes of Moses For plainnes sake we divide it unto the moral law which is contained in the commandements or the two tables expounded in the books of Moses and into the ceremoniall which doth appoint ceremonies and the worship of God and into the judiciall law which is occupied about politicall and domesticall affaires We beleeve that the * Looke the 1. Observat upon this confession Deut. 4. 12. whole will of God and all necessarie precepts for every part of this life is fully delivered in this law For otherwise the Lord would not have forbidden That any thing should bi either added or taken away from this law Neither would he have commanded us to goe straight forward in this and Notto decline out of the way either to the right hand or to the left We teach that this law was not given to men that we should be justified by keeping it but that by the knowledge thereof we might rather acknowledge our infirmitie sinne and condemnation and so dispairing of our owne strength might turne unto Christ by faith For the Apostle saith plainely The law worketh Rom. 3. 4. Gal. 3. wrath and by the law cometh knowledge of sinne And If there had beene a law given which could have iustified and given us life surely righteousnesse should have beene by the law But the spirit to wit of the law hath concluded all under sinne that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ should be given to them which beleeve Therefore the law was our Schoolemaster to Christ that we might bee iustified by faith For neither could there ever neither at this day can * Looke the second observat upon this confession Rom. 8. any flesh satisfie the law of God and fulfill it by reason of the weakenesse in our flesh which remaineth and sticketh fast in us even to our last breath For the Apostle saith againe That which the law could not performe in as much as it was weake through the flesh that did God performe sending his owne Sonne in similitude of flâ—sh subiect to sinne Therefore Christ is the perfiter of the law and our fulfilling of it who as he tooke away the curse of the law when he was made a curse for us so doth he communicate unto Gal. 3. us by faith his fulfilling thereof and his righteousnesse and obedience is imputed unto us The law of God therefore is * Looke the 3. Observâ—tion on this Confession thus farre abrogated as that it doth not henceforth condemne us neither worke wrath in us For we are under grace and not under the law Moreover Christ did fulfill all the figures of the law Wherefore the shadow ceased when the body came so that in Christ we have now all truth and fulnesse Yet we doe not therefore disdaine or reject the law We remember the words of the Lord saying I came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them We know that * Looke the 4. Observat in the law are described unto us the kinds of vertues and vices We know that the Scripture of the law * Looke the 5. Observat if it be expounded by the Gospel is very profitable to the Church and that therefore the reading of it is not to be banished out of the Church For although the countenance of Moses was covered with a vaile yet the Apostle affirmeth that the vaile is taken away and abolished by Christ We condemne all things which the old or new heretikes have taught against the law of God Of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and also of promises of the spirit and of the letter CHAP. 13. THe Gospel indeed is opposed to the law for the law worketh wrath and doth denounce a curse but the Gospel doth preach grace and a blessing Iohn saith also The law was given by Iohn 2. Moses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ Yet notwithstanding it is most certaine that they which were before the law and under the law were not altogether destiture of the Gospel For they had notable Evangelicall promises such as these are The seede of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head In thy seede Gen. 3. Gen. 22. Gen. 49. Deut. 18. Acts. 3. shall all the nations of the earth be blessed The scepter shall not be taken from Iuda untill Silocome The Lord shall raise up a Prophet from amongst his owne brethren c. And we doe acknowledge that the fathers had two kinde of promises revealed unto them even as we have For some of them were of present and transitorie things such as were the promises of the land of Canaan and of victories and such as are now a dayes concerning our daily bread Othersome there were then and also are now of heavenly and everlasting things as of Gods favour remission of sinnes
Lord is my merit I am not without merit so long as the Lord of mercies is not wanting And if the mercies of the Lord be many I abound in merits Gregorie saith Therefore our righteous Advocate shall Greg. lib. 1. super Ezech. hom 7. in fine Bern. in Serm. 1. annunciat Bâ—â—tae Mariae defend us in the day of iudgement because we know and accuse our selves to be uniust Therefore let us not trust to our teares nor to our actions but to the alleadging of our Advocate Bernard saith Our reioycing is this the testimonie of our conscience not such a testimonie as that proud Pharisee had his thoughts being seduced and seducing him giving witnesse of himselfe and his witnesse was not true But then is the witnesse true when the spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit Now I beleeve that this testimonie consisteth in three things For first of all it is necessarie to beleeve that thou canst not have remission of sins but through the favour of God Secondly that thou canst have no good worke at all except he also give it to thee Lastly that thou canst not deserve eternall life by any works except that also be given thee freely Out of the Confession of SVEVELAND Of Iustification and of Faith CHAP. 3. OVR Preachers doe some what differ from the late received opinions about those things which the people were commonly taught concerning the meane whereby we are made partakers of the redemption wrought by Christ and touching the duties of a Christian man Those points which we have followed we will indeavour to lay open most plainly to your sacred Majestie and also to declare very faithfully those places of Scripture by which we were forced hereunto First therefore seeing that we were taught of late yeeres that works were necessarily required to justification our Preachers have taught that this whole justification is to be ascribed to the good pleasure of God and to the merit of Christ and to be received by Faith alone To this they were mooved especially by these places of Scripture As many as received him to them he gave power to be the sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name which are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Ioh. 1. Verily verily I say unto you except a man be borne againe a new hee cannot see the kingdome of God Ioh. 3. No man knoweth the Sonne but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne will reveale him Matt. 11. Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in heaven Matth. 16. No man can come to me except my Father draw him Ioh. 6. By grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast himselfe For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works which God hath ordained that we should walke in them Eph. 2. For seeing it is our righteousnesse and eternall life to know God and our Saviour Iesus Christ and that is so farre from being the worke of flesh and blood that it is necessarie to be borne againe anew neither can we come to the Sonne except the Father draw us neither know the Father except the Son reveale him unto us and Paul doth write so expressely Not of your selves not of works it is evident enough that our works can helpe nothing at all that of unjust such as we are borne we may become righteous because that as we are by nature the children of wrath and therefore unjust so we are not able to doe any thing that is just or acceptable to God but the beginning of all our righteousnesse and salvation must proceed from the mercie of the Lord who of his onely favour and the contemplation of the death of his Son did first offer the doctrine of truth and his Gospel sending those that should preach it and secondly seeing that naturall man cannot as Paul saith 1 Cor. 2. perceive the things that are of God he causeth also the beame of his light to arise in the darknesse of our heart that now we may beleeve the Gospell preached being perswaded of the truth thereof by the holy Spirit from above and then forthwith trusting to the testimonie of this spirit in the confidence of children to call upon God and to say Abba Father obtaining thereby true salvation according to that saying Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Of good works proceeding out of faith through love THese things we will not have men so to understand as though we placed salvation and righteousnesse in the sloathfull thoughts of men or in faith destitute of love which they call faith without forme seeing that we are sure that no man can be just or saved except he doe chiefly love and most earnestly imitate God For those which he knew before he also predestinated to be made like to the image of his Sinne. But no man can love God above all things and worthily imitate him but he which doth indeed know him and doth assuredly looke for all good things from him Therefore we cannot otherwise be justified that is as to become righteous so to be saved for righteousnesse is even our salvation then by being endued chiefly with faith in him by which faith we beleeving the Gospel and therefore being perswaded that God hath taken us for his adopted children and that he will for ever shew himselfe a loving Father unto us let us wholly depend upon his pleasure This faith Saint Augustine doth call in his booke De Fide operibus Evangelicall To wit that which is effectuall through love By this faith we are borne againe and the image of God is repaired in us By this faith whereas we are borne corrupt our thoughts even from our childhood being altogether bent unto evill we become good and upright For hereupon we being fully satisfied with one God the spring of all good things that is never drie but runneth alwaies most plentifully we doe forthwith shew our selves as it were Gods towards others that is toward the true sonnes of God indevouring by love to profit them so much as in us lyeth For He that loveth his brother abideth in the light and is borne of God and is wholly given to the new and to the old commandement touching mutuall love And this love is the fulfilling of the whole law as Paul saith The whole law is fulfilled in one word namely this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe Gal. 5. For whatsoever the law teacheth hitherto it tendeth and this one thing it requireth that at the length we may be reformed to the perfect image of God being good in all things and ready and willing to doe men good the which we cannot doe except we be adorned
suffered contradiction of sinners that he was wounded and plagued for our transgressions that he being the cleane innocent Lambe of God was damned in the Deut. 21. Gal. 3. presence of an earthly Iudge that we should be absolved before the tribunall seat of our God that he suffered not onely the cruell death of the Crosse which was accursed by the sentence of God but also that he suffered for a season the wrath of his Father which sinners had deserved But yet we avow that he remained the onely welbeloved and blessed Sonne of the Father even in Heb. 10. 1. the midst of his anguish and torment which he suffered in body and soule to make the full satisfaction for the sins of the people After the which we confesse and avow that there remaineth no other sacrifice for sinne which if any affirme we nothing doubt to avow that they are blasphemous against Christs death and the everlasting purgation and satisfaction purchased to us by the same Resurrection VVE undoubtedly beleeve that insomuch as it was impossible that the dolours of death should retaine in bondage Acts 2. 3. Rom. 6. the Author of life that our Lord Iesus crucified dead and buried who descended into hell did rise againe for our justification and destroying of him who was the author of death brought life againe to us that were subject to death and to the bondage of Matth. 28. Matth. 27. Ioh. 20. â—1 same we know that his resurrection was confirmed by the testimonie of his very enemies by the resurrection of the dead whose sepulchers did open and they did arise and appeared to many within the Citie of Ierusalem It was also confirmed by the testimonie of his Angels and by the senses and judgements of his Apostles and others who had conversation and did eate and drink with him after his resurrection Ascension VVE nothing doubt but the selfe same body which was born Acts 1. Matth. 1â— of the virgin was crucified dead and buried that it did rise againe and ascend into the heavens for the accomplishment of all things where in our names and for our comfort he hath received all power in heaven and earth where he sitteth at the right hand of the Father crowned in his kingdome Advocate 1 Iohn 2. 1 Tim. 2. Psal 110. and onely Mediatour for us Which glory honour and prerogative he alone amongst the brethren shall possesse till that all his enemies be made his footstoole As that we undoubtedly beleeve there shall be a finall judgement to the execution whereof we certainly beleeve that the same our Lord Iesus shall visibly returne even as he was seene to ascend And then we firmly beleeve that the time of refreshing and restitution of all things shall come in so much that those that from the beginning have suffered violence injury and wrong for righteousnesse sake shall inherite that blessed immortalitie promised Apoc. 20. Esa 66. from the beginning but contrariwise the stubborne inobedient cruell oppressors filthy persons Idolaters and all sorts of unfaithfull shall be cast into the dungeon of utter darknesse where their worme shall not die neither yet the fire shall be extinguished The remembrance of which day and of the judgement to be executed in the same is not onely to us a bridle wherby our carnall lusts are refrained but also such inestimable comfort that neither may the threatning of worldly Princes neither yet the feare of temporall death and present danger move us to renounce and forsake the blessed societie which we the members have with our head and onely Mediatour Christ Iesus Whom Esa 1. Col. 1. Heb. 9. 10. we confesse and avow to be the Messias promised the onely head of his Church our just Law-giver our onely high Priest Advocate and Mediatour In which honours and office if man or Angel presume to intrude themselves we utterly detest and abhorre them as blasphemous to our Soveraign and supreame governour Christ Iesus Faith in the holy Ghost THis faith and the assurance of the same proceedeth not Matth. 16. Iohn 14. 15. 19. from flesh and blood that is to say from no naturall powers within us but in the inspiration of the holy Ghost whom we confesse God equall with the Father and with the Sonne who sanctifieth us and bringeth us into all veritie by his own operation without whom we should remain for ever enemies to God and ignorant of his Sonne Christ Iesus For of nature we are so dead so blinde and so perverse that neither can we feele when we are pricked see the light when it shineth nor assent to the will of God when it is revealed unlesse the spirit of the Lord quicken that which is dead remove the darknes from our minds and bow our stubborne hearts to the obedience of his blessed wil. And so as we confesse that God the Father created us when we were not as his Sonne our Lord Iesus redeemed us when we were enemies to him so also do we confesse that the holy Ghost doth sanctifie and regenerate us without all respect of any merit proceeding from us be it before or be it after our regeneration To speake this one thing yet in more plain words as we willingly Rom. 5. spoile our selves of all honour and glory of our owne creation and redemption so doe we also of our regeneration and sanctification for of our selves we are not sufficient to thinke one good thought but he who hath begunne the worke in us is onely he that continueth in us the same to the praise and glory of his undeserved grace 2. Cor. 3. The cause of good workes SO that the cause of good workes we confesse to be not our Iohn 13. Ephes 2. free will but the spirit of our Lord Iesus who dwelling in our hearts by true faith bringeth forth such good workes as God hath prepared for us to walke in For this we most boldly affirme that it is blasphemie to say that Christ abideth in the hearts of such as in whom there is no spirit of sanctification And therefore we feare not to affirme that murderers oppressors cruell persecutors adulterers whoremongers filthy persons Idolaters drunkards theeves and all workers of iniquitie have neither true faith neither any portion of the spirit of the Lord Iesus so long as obstinately they continue in their wickednesse For how soone that ever the spirit of the Lord Iesus which Gods elect children receive by true faith taketh possession in the heart of every man so soone doth he regenerate and renue the same man so that he beginneth to hate that which before he loved and beginneth to love that which before he hated And from thence cometh that continuall battell which is betwixt the flesh and the spirit in Gods children so that the flesh and naturall man according to Gal. 5. the owne corruption lusteth for things pleasing and delectable unto it selfe grudgeth in adversitie is lifted up in prosperitie and at every
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
according as Saint John saith The Word was made flesh John 1. And thus of these two natures their properties not being changed nor confounded yet by a wonderfull communication thereof there is made one indivisible person one Christ Immanuel our King and Priest our Redeemer our Mediatour and perfect Reconciler full of grace and truth so that of his fulnesse we all doe take grace for grace For the Law was given by Moses but grace and truth was given and exhibited by Iesus Christ being God and man in one person This grace and truth are our men taught to acknowledge and by faith to behold in all those saving and wonderfull works or affections of Christ which according to the meaning of the holy Scripture are by a stedfast faith to be beleeved and professed such as are his coming down from heaven his conception birth torments death buriall resurrection ascension unto heaven sitting at the right hand of God and his coming again from thence to Iudge both the quicke and the dead In these principall affections as in a chest wherein treasure is kept are all those wholsome fruits of our true justification laid up are taken out from thence for the Elect and those which doe beleeve that in spirit and conscience they may be partakers thereof through faith which all hereafter at the day of our joyfull resurrection shall be fully and perfectly bestowed upon us And towards the end of that sixth Chapter these words are added In this Chapter also particularly and for necessary causes to shun and avoyd many pernicious and Antichristian deceits it is taught concerning Christ his * Looke the first obsâ—rvat upon this confession presence namely that our Lord Christ according to his bodily conversation is not amongst us any longer in this world neither will be unto the end of the world in such sort and manner as he was here conversant amongst us in his mortalitie and wherein he was betrayed and circumcised nor yet in the forme of his glorified body which he got at his resurrection and in the which he appeared to his disciples and the fortieth day after his resurrection departing from them ascended manifestly into heaven For after this manner of his presence and company he is in the high place and with his Father in heaven where all tongues professe him to be the Lord and every faithfull one of Christ must beleeve that he is there and worship him there according to the Scriptures as also that part of the Catholike Christian faith doth expressely witnesse which is this He ascended into heaven he sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almightie Also that other Article from thence shall he come that is from an higher place out of heaven with his Angels to iudge both the quicke and 1 Thes 4. the dead So doth Paul also say The Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a shoute and with the voice of an Archangel and with the trumpet of God And Saint Peter saith Whom heaven must containe Act 3. Mar. 16. untill the time that all things be restored And the Evangelist Marke But whâ—n the Lord had spoken with them he was taken up againe into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God And the Angels which were there present when he was taken Acts 1. up into heaven said This Iesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come againe as you have seene him goe into heaven Furthermore this also doe our men teach that the selfe same Christ very God and very man is also with us here in this world but after a diverse manner from that kinde of presence which we named before that is after a certaine spirituall manner not object to our eyes but such a one as is hid from us which the flesh doth not perceive and yet it is very necessary for us to our salvation that we may be partakers of him whereby he offereth and communicateth himselfe unto us that he may dwell in us and we in him and this truly he doth by the holy Ghost whom in his own place that is instead of his own presence whereby he was bodily amongst us hee promised that he would send unto his Church and that he would still abide with it by the same spirit in vertue grace and his holesome truth at all times even untill the end of the world when he said thus It is good for you that I goe Matth. 28. Iohn 16. Iohn 14. hence for except I goe hence the Comforter will not come unto you but if I goe away I will send him unto you And againe I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that is another kinde of comforter then I am that he may abide in you for ever even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth in you and shall be in you I will not leave you comfortlesse but I will come to you namely by the selfe same spirit of truth Now then even as our Lord Christ by his latter kinde of presence being not visible but spirituall is present in the Ministers of the Church in the Word and in the Sacraments even so also by the selfe same Ministers Word and Sacraments he is present with his Church and by these meanes doe the Elect receive him through inward faith in their heart and doe therefore joyn themselves together with him that he may dwell in them and they in him after such a sort as is not apparant but hidden from the world even by that saith spiritually that is to say in their souls and hearts by the spirit of truth of whom our Lord saith He abideth with you and shall be in you And I will come againe unto Iohn 14. you This judgement and declaration of our faith is not new or now first devised but very ancient Now that this was commonly taught and meant in the Church of old it is plaine and evident by the Writings of the ancient Fathers of the Church and by that Decree wherein it is thus written and they are the words of S. Augustine Our Lord is above untill the end of the world but the Iâ— Io. Tract 30. truth of the Lord is here also for the body of the Lord wherein he rose againe must of necessitie be in one place but his truth is dispersed every where Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that whatsoever is requisite to our salvation Artic. 13. is offered and communicated unto us now at length in that one Iesus Christ as he who being given to save us is also made unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption in so much as whosoever doth swarve from him doth renounce the mercie of the Father that is our onely refuge We beleeve that Iesus Christ being the wisdome and eternall Artic. 14. Son of the Father tooke upon him
Call upon me in the daye of trouble and I will deliver thee Also we use burials having thereat a decent assembly godly admonitions and songs c. The first part of this 19. Article which is of confirmation was placed in the 13. Section Hitherto also pertaineth the beginning of the 20. Article so far as it speaketh of a certaine time appointed for the service of God NAturall reason doth know that there is an order and the understanding of order is an evident testimony of God neither is it possible that men should live without any order as we see that in families there must be distinct times of labour rest meate and sleepe and every nature as it is best so doth it chiefly love order throughout the whole life Also Paul commandeth That all things in the Church be done decently and in order Therefore there hath beene at all times even from the beginning of mankinde a certain order of publique meetings there hath been also a certaine distinction of times and certaine other ceremonies and that without doubt full of gravitie and elegancie among those excellent lights of mankinde when as in the same garden or cottage there sat together Sem Abraham Isaac and their families and when as that Sermon which Sem made concerning the true God the Sonne of God the distinction of the Church and other nations being heard afterward they together used invocation That which followeth because it treateth of indifferent Traditions in generall is placed in the next Section Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of Fasting VVE think that Fasting is profitable not to this end that Artic. 17. either by the merit of it worke it might purge sinnes before God or apply the merit of Christ to him that doth fast but that by sobrietie it may bridle the flesh lest that man being hindered by surfetting and drunkennesse he be the lesse able to obey the calling of God and discharge his dutie negligently But we shall have a fit place hereafter to speak of Fasting Also Article 28. Of Fasting FAsting hath it praise and use But now we doe not speak either of necessary fasting when a man must needs fast for want of meat or of an allegoricall fasting which is to abstaine from all vices but we are to speak of two usuall kindes of fasting whereof the one is a perpetuall fast and this is a sobrietie which is alwaies to be kept in meat and drink throughout the whole course of a mans life for it is never lawfull for us to ravine and to follow surfetting and drunkennesse There is another fast which is for a day when as sometimes we abstaine from meat the whole day such as was used in the Old Testament Levit. 16. Also the examples of Jehosaphat of the Ninivites and others doe witnesse the same thing This kinde of fasting was also used after the publishing of the Gospel as appeareth Act. 13. 14. But afterward there followed a great difference in Churches touching the observation of such a kinde of fasting and as this difference brought no discommoditie to the Church so it testified that the use of this fasting was free And there is a worthy saying among the ancient fathers touching this varietie The difference say they of fastings doth not breake off the agreement of faith Now although some men doe thinke that Christ by his example did consecrate the fast of Lent yet it is manifest that Christ did not command this fast neither can the constitution of our nature abide it that we should imitate the example of Christ his fasting who did abstaine full 40. dayes and 40. nights from all meat and drinke Also Eusebius doth declare and that not obscurely That the use of this Lenten fast was very free in the Church Moreover Chrysostome in Gen. cap. 2. Hom. 11. saith If thou canst not fast yet thou maist abstaine from sinnes and this is not the least thing nor much differing from fasting but fit to overthrow even the fury of the Devill Neither was there any choice of meats appointed because the Apostle had said To the cleane all things are cleane But in the observation of such fasts we must chiefely marke the end The ancient fathers did somtimes fast whole daies together that they might give themselves to publique prayer and by this discipline might admonish their Church especially the youth of dangers that were past or present or hanging over their heads and might stir them up to repentance whereby the wrath of God might be asswaged This is the godly and profitable end of these fastings Others doe fast That by the merit of this worke they may purge their sinnes before God or as some doe speake Apply unto themselves the merit of Christ by their fasting But this end is utterly to be condemned For first the onely death of Christ is the purging of our sinnes Secondly fasting was not ordained for this use that it should be a work whereby the merit of Christ may be applied to us For fasting is either joyned with true repentance and then the merit of Christ is applied to him that repenteth by faith which is the chiefe part of repentance before a man doth begin or end his fasting or else fasting is without repentance and then it is abominable in the sight of God so far is it from applying the merit of Christ to him that fasteth Isa 58. Is it such a fast that I have chosen that a man should afflict his soule for a day and to bowe down his head as a bulrush Augustine Epist 86. ad Casulanum saith I revolving that in my minde which is writen in the Evangelicall and Apostolique Scriptures and in that whole instrument which they call the New Testament doe see that fasting is commanded But on what dayes we ought not to fast and on what dayes we ought to fast I doe not see it defined either by the commandement of the Lord or of the Apostles And by this I thinke that rather a releasing then a binding to fasting is the more fit and apt not to obtaine righteousnesse wherein the beautie of the Kings daughter doth consist inwardly which is obtained by faith but yet to signifie a perpetuall rest And Chrysostom Tom. 4. de Iejun Quadrag Hom. 73. saith If we come daily hither and fast the whole Lent and doe not change our life to the better it will be an occasion of our greater condemnation By these testimonies it is evident that it is neither Apostolique not Catholique to thinke that fasting is a work whereby either sinnes are purged before God or the merit of Christ is applied Hitherto also appertaineth the 29. Article Of the consecrating of water salt wine and other things VVE confesse that the forbidding of water whereby the Leviticall uncleannes was purged was ordained of God in the Old Testament Also we acknowledge that miracle wherby the Prophet Elizeus did heale the barren waters of Jericho by casting in of salt And we embrace that
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