THE CONFESSION of FAITH OF The Reformed CHURCHES in the NETHERLANDS WITH The FORMES which they use In The administration of the Sacraments The Exercise of Ecclesiasticall discipline The confirmation of Ecclesiasticall Officers Ministers Elders and Deacons The Celebration of Marriage before the Church Translated out of Dutch into English AMSTERDAM Printed by the Widow of STEVEN SWART 1689. THE CONFESSION of FAITH Revised in the Nationall Synod last held at Dordrecht in the year of our Lord 1618. and 1619. The I Article WE all do believe with the heart and confess with the mouth that there is one onely and single Spiritual Being which we call God everlasting incomprehensible invisible unchangeable infinite almighty perfectly wise just good and a super-abounding fountain of all good II. We know him by two means First by the Creation and maitaning and governing of the whole World seing it is before our eyes as a fair book in which all the Creatures both great and small are as characters showing unto us the invisible things of God viz. his eternal power and Godhead as St. Paul saith Rom. 1.20 All which things are sufficient to convince Mankind and to leave them without excuse Secondly he makes him self known unto us more plainly and fully by his Holy and Divine Word to wit as much as we stand in need of in this life to his Glory and the Salvation of his people III. We confess that this Word of God was not sent nor produced by the will of man but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost as St. Peter tells us God afterwards by a special care which he takes for us and our Salvation commanded his Servants the Prophets and Apostles to write down his manifested Word And he himself wrote with his own finger the two Tables of the Law. Therefore we call such Writings Holy and Divine Scriptures IV. We comprehend the Holy Scriptures in the two Volumnes of the Old and New Testament which are Canonical Books without all contradiction These are summed up in the Church of God after this manner The Books of the Old Testament are the five Books of Moses viz. Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronome the Book of Joshua Judges Ruth two Books of Samuel and two Books of the Kings two Books of the Chronicles the first Book of Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job the Psalms of David the three Books of Solomon viz. the Proverbs Ecclesiastes and the Song the four great Prophets viz. Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel and Daniel and the other twelf lesser Prophets viz. Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah 〈◊〉 Micah Nahum Habbakuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Those of the New Testament are the four Evangelists viz. Mathew Mark Luke John the Acts of the Apostles the fourteen Epistles of the Apostle Paul viz. to the Romans two to the Corinthians to the Galatians to the Ephesians to the Philippians to the Colossians two to the Thessalonians two to Timothie to Titus to Philemon to the Hebrews the seven Epistles of the other Apostles viz. the Epistle of James the two Epistles of Peter the three Epistles of John the Epistle of Jude and the Revelation of the Apostle John. V. These Books onely we receive as holy and canonical to the regulating grounding and confirming of our Faith believing without any doubt all which is contained in them not so much because the Church doth receive and take them for such but more especially because the holy Ghost bears witness in our hearts that they are from God seeing they carry the evidence of it along with them for the very blind are able to perceive the fulfilling of those matters that are fore told in the same VI. We distinguish those holy Books from the Apocryphal viz. the third and fourth Book of Ezdras the Books of Tobie and Judith the Books of Wisdom Jesus Syrach Baruch the Appendix to the book of Esther the prayer of the three men in the fire the History of Susanne that of the Image of Bell and the Dragon the prayer of Manasse the Books of the Macchabees All which the Church may read and take instruction out of them in as much as they do agree with the Canonical Books But they have not such a power and efficacy as to confirm by any of their Testimonies any point of the Faith or Christian Religion much less to detract of the authority of those other Holy Books VII We believe that these Holy Scriptures doe fully contain the will of God and that every thing which a man ought to believe unto Salvation is sufficiently taught in the same For because the whole manner of service which God requires of us is writ down in them at large it is unlawfull for any one thô an Apostle to teach otherwise then we are taught by the Holy Scriptures nay though it was an Angel from heaven as St Paul saith For seeing it is forbidden to add unto or take away any thing from the word of God it doth evidently appear that the Doctrine of it is very perfect and compleat in all respects Neither ought we to compare the writings of any men thô never so holy unto those divine Scriptures nor the customs with the truth of God for the truth is above all nor the great multitude nor Antiquity nor Succession of times or Persones nor Councels or Decrees For all men are naturally Lyars and more vain then Vanity it self Therefore we reject with our very heart every thing which doth not agree with this infallible Rule as the Apostles have taught us saying Try the Spirits whether they are of God. And If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house VIII According to this truth and this Word of God we believe in one onely God who is one single Being which are three persons in deed and in truth and from everlasting distinguished according to their incommunicable Attributes viz. the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost The Father is the cause the original and the beginning of all things both visible and invisible the Son is the Word the Wisdom and the Image of the Father the Holy Ghost is the eternal strength and power proceeding from the Father and the Son. Nevertheless God is not by this distinction divided into three since the Holy Scriptures doe teach us That the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost each of them hath his substance distinguished by their Attributes but thus that these three persons are but one onely God Hence it is plain that the Father is not the Son and that the Son is not the Father and that neither the Holy Ghost is the Father nor the Son. Howbeit these persons thus distinguished are not divided nor mixed together For the Father has not taken upon him the Flesh neither hath the Holy Ghost done it but onely the Son the Father hath never been without his Son or without his Holy Ghost for they are all three coeternall and coessential There is no first nor last for they are all three one in truth in power in goodness and mercy IX All this we know from the Testimonies of the Holy Scriptures as also from the Operations of them and chiefly by those which we feel in ourselves The Testimonies of the Holy Scriptures that teach us to believe this holy Trinity are
held forth in many places of the Old Testament which is needless to sum up onely to select them distinctly and judicially In Genes 1 26. God saith Let us make man in our image after our likeness c. and vs. 27. So God created man in his own image male and female created he them And Gen. 3 22. Behold the man is become as one of us From thence it appeares that there is more then one Person in the Godhead when he saith Let US make Man in our Image and he points at the singleness when he saith God created It is very true he doth not say how many persones there are but that which seemes obscure unto us in the Old Testament is very plain in the New for when our Lord was baptised in Jordan the voice of the Father was heard saying This is my beloved Son the Son was seen in the water and the holy Ghost made himself manifest in the shape of a Dove Likewise in the Baptism of Believers this form is instituted by Christ Baptize all Nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost In the Gospel of St Luke the Angel Gabriel speakes to Mary the Mother of our Lord after this manner The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall over shadow thee therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. At another place it is said The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with you There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one In all these places we are fully taught that there are three Persons in one sole Divine Beeing and thô this Doctrine farr surpasses the understanding of man we nevertheless now believe the same through the Word waiting untill we shall enjoy the compleat knowledge and the fruits thereof in Heaven Further more we must consider the particular Offices and operations of these three Persons towards us The Father is called our Creator by his Power the Son is our Saviour and Redeemer by his Blood the Holy Ghost is our Sanctifier by his dwelling in our hearts This Doctrine of the holy Trinity hath alwayes been assented and maintained by the true Church eversince the times of the Apostles hitherto against the Jewes Mahumetans and some false Christians and Hereticks as Marcion Manes Praxeas Sabellius Samosatenus Arrius and some others who have justly been condemned by the holy Fathers Therefore in this point we do willingly receive the three Symbols of the Faith viz that of the Apostles of Nicea and of Athanasius and also that which conformable there unto is agreed upon by the Ancients X. We beleeve that Jesus Christ according to his divine Nature is the onely begotten Son of God born from eternity not made nor created for then he should be a Creature but coessential with the Father also coeternall the express image of his Fathers substance and the brightness of his Glory equal with him in all things Who is the Son of God not onely from the time that he hath taken upon him our nature but from all eternity as these Testimonies teach us when compared together Moses saith that God hath created the World and St. John saith that all things are created by that Word which he calles God the Apostle saith that God has made the times by his Son also that God created all things through Jesus Christ then consequently he that is called God the Word the Son and Jesus Christ must needs have been before if so be that all things are created by him And therefore saith the Prophet Micah His goings forth have been from of old from everlasting and the Apostle That he hath neither beginning of dayes nor end of life Then he is the true everlasting God the omnipotent whom we adore worship and serve XI We believe and confess also that the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son from everlasting not being made nor created nor born but onely proceeding from both who is in order the third Person of the Trinity coessential and equal in Majesty and glory with the Father and the Son being true and eternal God as the holy Scriptures do teach us XII We believe that the Father by his Word that is by his Son hath created out of nothing the Heaven the Earth and all Creatures when it seemed good unto him giving unto every Creature its beeing shape and form and severall offices to serve his Creator that he doth also up hold and govern them according to his eternal providence and infinite power for the service of mankind that so Man may serve his God. He hath also created the Angels good for to be his Messengers and Ministers unto his elected some of which are fallen from that Excellency in which God created them into everlasting destruction and others have kept steadfast by the Grace of God in their primitive state The Devils and evil spirits are so farr corrupted that they are become enemies unto God and every good thing laying in wait to the utmost off their power like robbers and murtherers for the Church and every member thereof for to spoil and destroy all by their deceit And so they are condemned by their own wickedness unto eternal damnation daily expecting their horrible torments Therefore we reject and abhor the error of the Sadducees who denied the existency of Spirits and Angels as also the error of the Manichees who affirm that the original of the Devils is out of them selves inasmuch that they are evil by their own nature without having been corrupted XIII We believe that the same good God after having created all things hath not dismist them nor given them up to Chance or Fortune but governs and rules them according to his holy will not suffering any thing to fall out in this World without his direction nevertheless God is neither Author nor guilty of any sin that is committed For his Power and goodness is so large and incomprehensible that he operates and acts all his works justly even then when the Devils and the wicked do act injustly And as to his acting of any thing which surpasses the understanding of men we will not be to nice in searching any further then our capacity will admit but we do humbly adore with all due respect and humility the righteous Judgements of God which are hid from us contenting our selves that we are Disciples of Christ onely for to learn those things which
suffered his blessed body to be nayled to the Crosse that hee might fasten upon it the handwriting of our sinnes and hath also taken upon himselfe the cursse due to us that hee might fill us with his blessing and hath humbled himselfe into the deepest pangs of Hell with soule and body on the tree of the Crosse where hee cryed out with a loud voyce My God my God Why hast thou forsaken mee that wee might bee received of God and never forsaken of him and finally confirmed with his death and bloodshedding the new and everlasting Covenant of grace and reconciliation when hee sayd It is finished And that wee might firmly believe that wee belong to this Covenant of grace the Lord Jesus Christ in his last Supper tooke Bread gave thankes brake it and gave it to his Disciples and sayd Take eate this is my Body which is given for you do this in remembrance of mee In like maner also after Supper hee tooke the Cup gave thankes and sayd Drinke yee all of this This Cup is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sinnes do this so often as yee drincke of it in remembrance of mee That is as often as yee eate of this Bread and drincke of this Cup yee shall thereby as by a certaine pledge and remembrance bee admonished and assured of this my hearty love and faithfulnesse towards you that whereas yee should have suffered eternall death I have given my body into the death of the Crosse and shed my blood for you and as certainely as you see this Bread broken before your eyes and this Cup given to you and yee with your mouth do eate and drincke the same to my remembrance so do I feed and refresh your hungry and thirsty soules with my body and blood to everlasting life Out of this Institution of the Supper of the Lord Jesus Christ wee do see that hee directs our faith and confidence to his perfect sacrifice which was once offered on the Crosse as to the onely ground and foundation of our soules that hee is become to our hungry and thirsty soules the true food to eternall life For by his death he hath taken away the cause of our everlasting death and miseries namely sinne and hath merited for us the quickening spirit that wee by the same which dwelleth in Christ as the head and in us as his members might have true Communion and fellowship and be made partakers of all his blessings to everlasting life and glory Besides that wee by the same spirit may also be united together into brotherly love as members of the same mystecall body as the Scripture saith One Bread is it so are wee one Body because wee are all made partakers of one Bread For as out of many graines being grinded one Bread is made and out of many Berries being prest together one drincke floweth so shall wee all who by a true Faith are ingrafted into Christ bee one body through brotherly love for Christ his sake who hath so exceedingly loved us and manifested the same one towards another not onely in words but also in workes and deeds Heereto assist us the Almighty Father of our Lord Jesus Christ through his Holy Spirit Amen And that wee may obtaine this let us humble our selves before God and in true Faith call upon him for his grace O Most mercifull God and Father wee beseech thee that in this ordinance in which wee celebrate the blessed memory of the most bitter death and passion of thy Son Jesus Christ thou wilt bee pleased to worke in our hearts through the Holy Ghost that wee may give our selves more and more with true confidence to thy Son Jesus Christ that so our broken and burdened hearts may bee fed and comforted through the power of the Holy Spirit with his body and blood yea with him true God and Man the onely Bread of Heaven and that henceforth wee may not live any longer in our sinnes but hee in us and wee in him and bee also really partakers of that new and everlasting Covenant of Grace no wayes doubting but that thou wilt bee our eternall and Gracious God not imputing our sinnes unto us but filling us with all good things for body and soule as thy beloved Children and Heyres Graunt also unto us thy grace that wee may take upon us our crosse cheerefully deny our selves confesse our Saviour and in all tribulations expect our Lord Jesus Christ out of Heaven where hee will make our mortall bodies conformable to his most glorious body and take us to himselfe to bee with him in all eternity Ans OUr Father which art in heaven 1. Hallowed be thy Name 2. Thy Kingdome come 3. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven 4. Give us this day our daily bread 5. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us 6. And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evill For thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie for ever and ever Amen Strengthen us also by this Holy Sacrament in the Articles of our Christian Faith of which wee make Confession saying with heart and mouth I Beleeve in God the Father almightie maker of heaven and earth ij And in Jesus Christ his onely begotten Sonne our Lord. iij. Which was conceived by the Holy Ghost borne of the virgine Marie iv Suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descended into hel v. The third day he rose again from the dead vj. He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almightie vij From thence shall he come to judge the quick and the dead viij I beleeve in the Holy Ghost ix I beleeve an Holy Catholike church the Communion of Saints x. The forgivenes of sinnes xj The resurrection of the body xij And life everlasting Amen That wee may now bee fed with the true heavenly Bread the Lord Jesus Christ so let not our hearts cleave to the outward elements of Bread and Wine but let us lift up the same into Heaven where Christ our Advocate is sitting on the right hand of his heavenly Father whether also wee are directed by the Articles of our Christian faith nothing doubting but wee shall bee fed and refreshed with his Body and Blood by the power of the Spirit so certainly as wee receive this holy Bread and Wine to his remembrance In breaking and distributing of the Bread the Minister shall say The Bread which wee breake is the Communion of the body of Christ. And when hee gives the Cup The Cup of blessing wherewith wee blesse is the Communion of the Blood of Christ. During the Communion there shall eyther bee sung some Psalm or some Chapter read which may serve to the remembring of the Passion of Christ as Esa Chap. 53. Joh. 13. and 14. and 15. and 16. and 18. or the like After the Communion the Minister shall