sinnes But he offering a sacrifice for sinnes sitteth for euer at the right hand of God c. And although we doe not see as yet in this our infirmitie the causes of this wonderfull counsell why mankinde was to be redeemed after this sort but we shall learne them hereafter in all eternitie yet these principles are now to be learned In this sacrifice there are to be seene iustice in the wrath of God against sinne infinite mercie towards vs and loue in his Sonne towards mankinde The seueritie of his iustice was so great that there could be no reconciliation before the punishment was accomplished His mercie was so great that his Sonne was giuen for vs. There was so great loue in the Sonne towards vs that he deriued vnto himselfe this true and exceeding great anger O Sonne of God kindle in our hearts by thy holie spirit a consideration of these great and secret things that by the knowledge of this true wrath we may be sore afraide and that againe by true comforte we may be lifâ—ed vp that we may praise thee for euer OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE WE beleeue and confesse that the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ be gotten of his eternal Father is true and eternal God consubstantial with his father and that in the fullnes of time he was made man to purge our sinnes and to procure the eternall saluation of mankinde that Christ Iesus being verie God and verie man is one person onelie and not two and that in this one person there be two natures not one onelie as by testimonies of the holie scripture the holie Fathers haue declared in the Councells held at Nice Ephesus and Chalcedon Therfore we detest euerie heresie which is repugnant to this doctrine of the Sonne of God OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SVEVELAND ALSO we beleeue that our Sauiour Iesus Christ being true God was also made true man his natures not beeing confounded but so vnited in one and the same person that they shall neuer hereafter be dissolued Neither do we differ any thing in those points which the Church being taught out of the holie Gospells doth beleeue concerning our Sauiour Iesus Christ conceiued of the holie Ghost borne of the Virgine Marie 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 daie he was called backe from the dead vnto life eternall the which life when he had by diuers arguments prooued vnto witnesses hereunto appointed he was caried vp into heauen to the right hand of his Father from whence we looke that he should come to iudge the quick and the dead In the meane time let vs acknowledge that he is neuer thelesse present with his Church that he doth renew and sanctifie it and as his onelie beloued spouse beutifie it with all sortes 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 sorte to testifie our faith THE SEVENTH SECTION OF THE LAVV AND THE GOSPELL THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVEITA Of the lawe of God CHAP. 12. WE teach that the will of God is set downe vnto vs in the lawe of God to wit what he would haue vs to doe or not to doe what is good and iust or what is euill and vniust we therefore confes that the lawe is good and holie and that this lawe is by the finger of God either written in the heartes of men and so is called the lawe of nature or ingrauen in the two tables of stone and more largelie expounded in the bookes of Moses For plainnes sake we deuide it vnto the morall lawe which is contained in the commaundementes or the two tables expounded in the books of Moses and into the ceremoniall which doth appoint ceremonies and the worshipâ— of God and into the iudicial law which is occupied about politicall and domesticall affaires VVe beleeue that the wholl will of God and all necessarie precepts for euerie part of this life is fullie deliuered in this lawe For otherwise the Lord would not haue forbidden That anie thing should be either added or taken away from this law Neither would he haue commaunâ—â—d vs to goe straight forward in this and Not to decline out of the waie either to the right handor to the left We teach that this lawe was not giuen to men that we should be iustified 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 vnto Christ by faith For the Apostle saith plainlie The law worketh wrath and by the law commeth knowledge of sinne And If there had bene a law giuen which could haue iustified and giuen vs life surely righteousnes should haue bene by the law But the spirit to wit of the law hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them which beleue Therfore the law was our schoolemaster to Christ that we might be iustified by faith For neither could there euer neither at this daie can anie flesh satisfie the law of God fullfill it by reason of the weaknes in our flesh which remaineth and sticketh fast in vs euen 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 own sonne in similitude of flesh subiect to sinne Therfore Christ is the perfiter of the law and our fullfilling of it who as he tooke awaie the cursse of the law when as he was made a cursle for vs so doth he coÌ„municate vnto vs by faith his full filling thereof his righteousnes obedience is imputed vnto vs. The law of God therefore is thus farre abrogated as that it doeth not henceforth condemne vs neither work wrath in vs. For we are vnder grace and not vnder the law Moreouer Christ did fulfill all the figures of the law Wherefore the shadow ceased when the bodie came so that in Christ we haue now all trueth and fullnes Yet we do not therefore disdaine or reâ—ect the law We remember the wordes of the Lord saying I came not to destroie the law and the Prophets but to fullfill them We knowe that in the law are described vnto vs the kindes of vertues vices We know that the scripture of the lawe if it be expounded by the Gospell 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 couered with a vaile yet the Apostle affirmeth that the vaile is taken awaie and abolished by Christ We condemne al thinges which the olde or new heretikes haue taught against the lawe of God
the sacraments the which is prooued by that sentence of the moste excellent Apostle Saint Paul For Christ sent me not to Baptize that is not chieflie to do this but to preach the Gospell For onelie through the pure Gospell and the preaching thereof is faith sowed inwardlie in the heart by the holie Ghost and from thence also must we conceiue and seeke the true meaning of God and Christ touching all thinges necessarie to saluation and also touching the sacramentes them-selues Amongst those who by reason of their age are able to vse their vnderstanding it is of necessitie that the preaching of the Gospell go before the receiuing of the sacramentes Wherof we maie see an euident proofe in those three thowsand which were conuerted by Peter also in Cornelius in the Chamberlaine we maie see that according to the example of Phillippe the question is thus to be made Doest thou beleeue with all thy heart Then it maie be that thou who hast true faith grafted in thy heart maiest receiue profit by the participation of the sacraments For without the hearing of the word of God which is the sauing power of God no man shall wittinglie attaine vnto faith and saluation according to that saying of Paull Therfore faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God And againe How shall they beleeue in him of whome they haue not heard Therefore herein our preachers endeuour them selues moste earnestlie that in our Ecclesiastical meetings they maie propound vnto the people the sincere word of God without all mixture or inuentious of men For which cause also they do by an auncient custome recite in the mother and vulgare tongue which maie be vnderstood of all not onelie those Chapters which are appointed to be read out of the gospell at certaine times but also all other partes of holie scripture and do exhort the people with an earnest desire to heare the word oâ— God and to frequent those Ecclesiasticall meetings that by the diligent teaching of the Gospell and by often repeating it in their sermons they maie first teach the people repentance and faith and then the vse and administration of the sacraments and by this meanes prepare them to the right receiuing of the sacraments afterwardes also boâ—â— whilest the sacraments be administred and after they be administred they doe conuenientlie instruct them in all those thinges which the Lord commaunded and chieflie in those things which doe appertaine to the leading of an honest life and such a one as beseemeth a Christian profession as Christ saith Teach them to keepe all things which I 〈◊〉 commaunded you In this place also it is taught verie diligentlie and as the matter requireth touching the difference which is to be obserued betwixt the worde or doctrine and worke of the lawe and betwixt the worde and force of the holie Gospell The worde or ministerie of the lawe and of the olde Testament is the worde of death feare and of the letter also the worde of wrath and the worde of malediction but the worde of the new Testament that is of the holie Gospell is the ministerie of faith and the spirit of cleerenes or glorie through our Lord Iesus Christ the worde of grace of the new couenant the worde of comfort and the messenger of peace Of them both the Apostle writeth thus The letter killeth but the spirit quickneth And Christ saith The wordes which I speake 〈◊〉 spirit and life Also there is mention made of the vse of the 〈◊〉 law in the fourth Chapter of this confession beginning with these wordes This doctrine of the true knowledge of sinne c. 〈◊〉 is to be seene before in the fourth Section whereunto all that Chapter apperteineth OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION WE beleeue that all the figures of the law are takes awaie by the comming of Chist howbeit we are assured that the truth and substance of them doth abide iâ— him in whome they are all fulfilled Yet we must vse the doctrine of the law and the Prophets both to frame our life aright and also that we may so much the more be confirmed in the promises of the Gospell OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BELGIA WE beleeue that all the ceremonies figures and shadows of the law haue ceased at the comming of Christ so that now euen the vse of them ought to be taken away abolished among Christians Yet in the mean time the truth substance of them doth remaine to vs in Christ in whome they are all fulfilled And therfore we doe still vse the testimonies of the law the Prophets to confirme our selues in the doctrine of the gospell and to lead an honest life vnto Gods glorie according to his will THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGE doth by the way mention the doctrine of the Gospell of the end thereof in the 4. and 5. Articles which we haue placed in the ninth Section wherein iustification and remission of sinnes by faith in Christ is handled OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SAXONY ANd that the benefittes of this Mediatour might be knowen vnto mankinde and applied vnto vs there was a promise giuen straight in the beginning after the fal of our first parents and afterwardes often times repeated and by voice of the Prophets declared but moste cleerely was it recited by the verie Sonne and afterwardes by the Apostles And there was a ministery instituted to teach and to spread abroade that promise also there was a Church made and often renued by the same very voice touching the Sonne of God our attonement By this mynisterie the Sonne of God alwaies was is and shall be effectuall in the beleeuers as it is saide Rom. 1. The Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to euerie one that beleeueth And he doth renue this ministerie when he saith As my Father sent me so doe I send you also Go preach repentance remission of sinnes in my name He wil that sin should be reprooued in all mankind as he saith The spirit shall reprooue the world of sinne because they beleeue not in â—ee And Rom. 1. The wrath of God is reueiled from heauen against all vngodlines and vnrighteousnes of men God will haue his wrath to be acknowledged against all sinne and chieflie against the contempt of the Sonne as he saith in the Psalme Kisse the Sonne lest he be angrie and so ye perish from the waie c. He wil haue vs truelie to be put in great feare by the knowledge of our darkenes of our horrible wickednes and our stubbernes And truelie God himselfe doth amazâ— our heartes with the sense of his anger as Ezechiah saitâ— Like a Lyon he brake all my bones And to this iudgement 〈◊〉 doth not onelie vse the voice of the ministerie of the lawâ— and of the Gospell but also all calamities be as it were the voice of the lawe admonishing vs of the wrath of God 〈◊〉 calling vs to repentance Now when the minde is
terrified by this voice that reprooueth sinnes then let it heare thâ— peculiar promise of the gospel touching the Sonne of God and let him be assured that his sinnes are freelie remitted fâ—â— the Sonne of God hissake our Lord Iesus Christ who is our attonement and that of mercie not for any 〈◊〉 or loue of ours OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of the lawe CHAP. 6. WE acknowledge that the lâ—w of God whereof the 10. commaundementes are an abrigedment doth commaund the best the most iust and moste perfect workes and that man is not onelie bounde to obeie the morall precepts of the lawe but also if he should doe the workes of the 10. commaundements in such perfection and integritie as the lawe requireth that he should indeed be counted iust before God for his workes and should obtaine eternall saluation by his merites But whereas some men doe thinke that man can come to that state in this life as to be able by his works not onelie to fullfil the 10. commaundements but also to doe more and greater workes then are commaunded in the lawe which they call works of supererogation it is contrarie to the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles and it is repugnant to the iudgement of the true Catholike Church For the lawe was not giuen to this end to signifie that man might perfectlie fullfill the commaundements thereof in this life but to shew to man his imperfection to testifie of the vnrighteousnes of man and of the wrath of God against all men to stirre them vp to seke remission of their sinnes righteousnes and saluation by faith in the only Sonne of God our Lorde Iesus Christ Rom. 3. By the lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne And Rom. 7. The law is spirituall but I am carnall solde vnder sinne And Rom. 8. The wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God For it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indeede can be And Galat. 3. Curssed is euerie man that continueth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the lawe to doe them Augustine saith This first commaundement of iustice wherein we are commaunded to loue the Lorde with all our heart with all our soule and with all our minde whereupon followeth that other commaundement of louing our neighboure we shall fullfill in that life where we shall see him face to face But therfore it is euen now also commaunded vnto vs that we might be admonished what it behoueth vs to require by faith whether to send our hope before hand and by forgetting those thinges which are behinde what fore thinges we should stretch our selues vnto And hereby so far as I can iudge he hath profited much in this life in that righteousnes which is to be perfited who by profiting doth knowe how far he is from the perfection sf righteousnes And againe Charitie is a vertue whereby that is loued which is to be beloued This is in some greater in others lesser and in some none at all But the moste absolute loue which now cannot be increased so long as a man liueth here is not to be founde in anie man For so long as it may be increased that which is lesse then it ought to be commeth of our corruption by reason of which corruption there is not a iust man in the earth that doth good and sinneth not by reason of which corruption no flesh liuing shall be iustified in the sight of God for which corruptions sake If we saie that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs for the which also though we profit neuer so much yet it is necessary for vs to saie Forgiue vs our debtes although all our wordes deedes and thoughtes are alreadie forgiuen vs in baptisme And againe All the commaundements of God are counted as done when as whatsoeuer is not done is notwithstanding pardoned And Ierome saith This is onelie perfection vnto men if they know that they are vnperfect This is the true wisedome of man to know that he is imperfect and that I maie so speake the perfection of all iust men in the flesh is imperfect Of the Gospell of Christ CHAP. 8. ALthough manie preceptes of the law of God be conteined in the writings of the Euangelistes and Apostles and Christ himselfe doth teach that we must not rendâ—â— euill for euill nor looke vpon a woman wantonlie and such like yet we must not think that the Gospel of Christ is a new law whereby as the fathers in times past were saued vnder the olde testament by the olde law so now men vnder the new testament should be saued by a new law For except a man take the name of the law generallie for doctrine as the Prophets now and then do vse the name of the law certainlie the Gospell of Christ is not properlie a law as Paull doth commonlie vse the name of the law but it is a good and ioyfull message touching the sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ that he onelie is the purger of our sinnes the appeaser of the wrath of God and our redeemer and sauiour Neither are the commaundements of the law which are conteined in the Apostles writings any new law but they are an interpretation of the olde law according to the iudgement of the holie Ghost which also were to be seene before and that not obscurelie in the writinges of the Prophets But they are repeated in the preaching of the gospell of Christ that the seueritie of the law of God and the corruption of our nature beeing declared we might be stirred vp to seeke and embrace Christ reuealed in his Gospell and that we maie know after what rule we are to frame our life through faith in Christ Wherefore if we will speake properlie of the law of God and Gospell of Christ as of Christ we are not to make a new lawgiuer seeing that he neither hath made a new law nor instituted a new politiâ—e kingdome in this earth so must we not make a new law of the Gospell which by more harde and seuere commaundements doth bring eternall saluation to the doers thereof But we thinke it to be most certaine that the naturall or morall law of the olde and new Testament is one and the same and that neither the men which liued vnder the olde Testament nor those which liue vnder the new Testament doe obteine eternal saluation for the merit of the workes of the law but onelie for the merit of our Lord Iesus Christ through faith Christ out of Isaiah doth recite his office for the which he was sent into the earth The spirit of the Lorde saith he is vpon me because he hath annointed me he hath sent me to preach the Gospell to the poore c. Here Christ teacheth that his proper office is not to make a new lawe which should terrifie and kill miserable sinners but to preach the Gospell which might comfort and quicken sinners Gal. 4. When the
And for this cause do our diuines teach that priuate Absolution is to be reteined in the Church and they set out the dignitie of it and the power of the keies with true and verie large commendations namelie because the power of the keies doth dispense the Gospell not onelie to al in general but also to euerie * one in particular as Christ saith Thou hast wonne thy brother c. and because we must beleeue the voice of the Gospell which is dispensed vnto vs in absolution by the ministery of the Church no otherwise then a voice sounding from heauen This wholl benefit of absolution and of this ministerie hath heretofore beene whollie obscured with the false opinions of such as taught that absolution was naught worth without sufficient contrition and did afterwards wil men to misdoubt of absolution because no man knewe whether his contrition were sufficient or not What els was this but quite to take awaie from all consciences the comfort of the Gospell and to remooue out of the Church and cleane to abolish the ministery of the Gospel or the power of the keies whodoth not see that these pernitious errors are worthely reprooued Now seeing that confession yealdeth a place where to bestowe absolution in priuate and this custome doth vpholde the vnderstanding of the power of the keies and remission of sinnes among the people besides seeing that this conference auaileth much for admonishing and instructing of men therefore we doe duelie retaine Confession in our Churches yet so as that wee teach that reckoning vp of the faultes is not necessarie by Gods lawe and that mens consciences are not to be clogged with it For there is no commaundement in all the Apostles writinges sounding that way Againe this rehearsing of all ones sinnes is a thing impossible according to that in the Psalme Who can vnderstand his faultes And Ieremie saieth The heart of man is corrupt and vnsearchable But if no sinnes could be forgiuen but such as are reckoned vp mens consciences could neuer be at rest because they neither see nor can call to minde the greatest number of them Whereby it maie easilie be gathered that the ministerie of absolution and remission of sinnes doth not depend vpon the condition of numbring them vp all The auncient writers also doe testifie that this counting of sinnes by tale is a thing needles Chrysostome on the Epistle to the Heb. saith Let vs recken of it that we haue sins and let not the tongue alone vtter it but the conscience within vs also And let vs not barelie saie we are sinners but let vs recken vp our sinnes particularlie I doe not bid the to bewraie thy selfe openlie nor to occuse thy selfe to other but to followe the saying of the Prophet Laie open thy waies before the Lord confesse thy sinnes before God vtter thy sinnes with praier before the true iudge not remembring them with the tongue but with the conscience then in deed maist thou hope to finde mercie That sermon of Chrysostomes teacheth not onelie what is to be thought of reckoning vp of sinnes but doth also verie wiselie ioyne contrition and faith together as they are ioyned by vs. First he will haue vs acknowledge our sinnes vnfainedly and abhorre them from our heartes In the next place he teacheth to adde thereunto praier faith which maie assure vs that we are forgiuen Elsewhere he saith Acknowledge thy sins that thou maist as them away If thou are ashamed to shew thy sins to any man then vt them euerie day in thy heart I say not goe confes thy sins to thy fellow seruant that may vpbraide thee with them butconfes them vnto god that is able to cure thē The glosse vpon the dercees touching penance the 5. distinct graunteth that Confession was ordeyned of the Church and is not commaunded in the scriptures of the olde and new Testament of the same iudgement are manie of the Doctors Wherefore our iudgement touching the doctrine of confession is neither new nor without reason Lastlie there is moste need of all that the godlie shoulde be admonished touching satisfactions For there was more hurte and daunger in them then in numbring vp of sinnes in as much as they darkened the benefit of Christ because that the vnlearned thought they did obtaine remission of the guilt of sin for their owne workes sake and besides mens consciences were much distressed if aught were omitted that was inioyned for satisfaction Againe ceremonies and pilgrimages and such like fruitles workes were thought meete for satisfaction rather then thinges commaunded of God And forsooth their teachers themselues dreamed that eternall death was fullie redeemed by them Therfore we thought it needfull that godlie mindes should be set free from such errors and we teach that their canonicall satisfactions which they call workes not due c are neither auaileable for the remission either of the fault or euerlasting punishment nor yet necessarie It was a custome long since in the Church that in publike penance such as had fallen did returne to the Church againe should not be receiued without some punishment laid vpon them for examples sake from which custome these satisfactions did spring But the fathers minde was by such examples to fraie the people from sinnes they did not account that Ceremonie to be a iust recompence for the fault or for eternall death or for purgatorie paines These things were afterwards coyned by ignorant and vnlearned men But those auncient customes were in time worne out of vse and laid aside As for vs we doe not burden mens consciences with satisfactions but this weteach that the fruites of repentance are necessarie and that obedience the feare of God faith loue chastitie the wholl renuing of the spirit ought to increase in vs. We giue men warning of this also that sinnes are eftsonnes punished euen by temporal punishments in this life as Dauid Manasses manie others were punished and we teach that these punishments maie be mitigated by good works the whol practize of repentance as Paul declareth If we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the lord And repentance deserued that is obteined that God should alter his purpose touching the destruction of Niniuie Thus whereas before the disputations were intricate and endles and full of grosse opinions now that doctrine beeing purged is deliuered to the people so as it maie be vnderstoode and auaile much vnto godlines We doe still holde and set forth the true partes of repentance Contrition Faith Absolution Remission of sinnes Amendment of the wholl life Mitigation of present punishmentes and wee are in good hope that the godlie will not onelie not reprehend anie thing in this place but also will giue them thankes which haue purged this pointe of Christian doctrine which is requisite and profitable in all Churches to be expounded moste plainlie and set out moste clearelie Christ saith that the Angells in heauen doe reioyce whensoeuer they set
from God we do not murmure against God but we approch â—nto him with true faith and hope we do aske and looke for helpe at his handes we loue him and submit our selues to him and thus is the beginning of obedience wrought After that manner saith the Lord. Ioh. 14. I will praie the father and he will giue you another comforter euen the spirit of truth The holy Ghost doth kindle the light of truth in our minds and new motions in our heartes agreeable to the law of god Letâ—s acknowledge this so great a gift and let vs endeuour to keepe it thankfullie and desire dailie to be helped in so great daungers of this life The will is not idle when it hath receiued the holie ghost How our now obedience doth please God THe Pharisie in Luke cap. 18 doth admire please him selfe being bewitched with this persuasion that â—e doth satisfie the law and for this discipline such as it is â—oth please God Manie such there be among men who thinke themselues secure if they performe neuer so litle though it be but a shadow of discipline But the heauenlie â—oâ—ce doth often times accuse the arrogancie of these men and therefore the Lord saith Luc. 13. Except ye recent ye shall 〈◊〉 in like sorte perish and 1. Ioh. 1. If we saie we haue no sinne â—â—â—â—liers Therefore their imagination is vaine which think that obedience doth please god for it owne worthies and that it is a merit of Condignitie as they speake and such a righteousnes before God as is a merit of eternal life And yet afterward they do adde that we must alwaies doubt whether our obedience do please God because it is euident that in euerie one there is much pollution manie sinnes of ignorance and omission and manie not small blemishes Here it is necessarie that mens consciences should be instructed aright in either of these points both coÌ„cerning our infirmitie and also concerning the comfort It is necessarie that the regenerate should haue the righteousnes of a good conscience and obedience begunne in this life as hathbeene said yet neuertheles in this life there is still remaining in our nature in our soule and in our heart verie much pollution which they do the more see and bewaile which haue receiued more light then others as the Prophets and Apostles according to that complaint of Paull Rom. 7. I see an other law in my members which striueth against the law of my minde and maketh me captiue to the law of sinne There is as yet in euery one a great mist manifold ignoraÌ„ce and manie sorowfull doubtes errors in counsells raised by distrust by false opinions and a vaine hope manie vitious flames of lustes much neglect of duetie murmuringes and indignations against God in his punishments to conclude it is vnsensiclenes and madnes not to be willing to confes that the feare loue of God is much more colde in vs then it ought to be These confessions are repeated in the sermons of the Prophets and Apostles Psa 143. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified And 1. Ioh. 1. If we saie that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs. This confession is necessarie and mans arrogancie to be reprooued Also the errour of our aduersaries who feigne that men in this mortall life maie satisfie the law of God and of those who sâ—ie that the euill of concupiscence which is bred with vs is not sinne nor an euill repugnant to the law or will of God is to be reprehended These errours doth Paul manifestlie confute Rom. 7. 8. Then must comfort also be ioyned thereunto First let the regenerate person assure himselfe that he is reconciled to God by faith alone that is by confidence in the Mediatour and that the person is certenlie accounted righteous for the Sonne of God the Mediatour and that freelie for his merit Secondlie let vs confesse with true griefe that there remaine as yet in the reâ—â—â—erate man many sinnes and much pollution worthie of the wrath of God Thirdlie let him neuerthelesse know that obedience and the righteousnes of a good conscience must be begunne in this life and that this obedience although it be verie farre from that perfection which the law reqâ—ireth is neuerthelesse in the regenerate acceptable to God for the Mediatours sake who maketh request for vs and by his meritte doth couer our great and vnspeakeable miseries Thus for the Mediatours sake both the person is receiued and also our workes doe please God that in either of them our faith may shine Therefore Peter saith 1. Pet. 2. Offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Iesus Christ This comfort is set forth Rom. 8. Now there is no condemnation to them which doe walke in Christ Iesus And Rom. 3. Ye are not vnder the law but vnder grace In that place this question is asked whether our â—â—edience doe please God seeing it doth not satisfie the lawâ— Paull answereth that it doth please God Because we are not vnder the law that is condemned by the law but â—e are vnder grace reconciled or receiued into sâ—uour Rom. 8. Who shall 〈◊〉 Christ hath died for vs and is risen againe and sitteth at the right hand of God and maketh request for vs that is holie men doe please God for the Sonne his sake who also offered his obedience for vs and maketh request for vs. Wee must oppose these sayings to doubting lest faith and inuocation be extinquished for doubting doth weaken our inuocation Seeing therefore that we know both that new obedience is necessarie and that helpe is certenlie giuen vs and that this obedience doth please God although it be vnperfect and needie let vs knowledge the infinite mercie of God and giue thanks for it and haue a great care how to gouerne our actions because we know that we are both helped and that this obedience is acceptable to God for the Sonnes sake And let this necessitie be alwaies in our eies that if the benefits of God to wit Iustification and regeneration be shaken of we loose eternall life according to that saying We shal be clothed if so be that we be not found naked And Rom. 8. If any haue not the Spâ—rit of Christ he is not his And alwaies in Iustification let there be also a beginning of newnes of life The theefe hanging on the crâ—sâ—e hath good workes and those both internall and externall it gâ—eâ—ueth him that he had sinned and he confesseâ—h that he is iustlie punished then by faith he doth acknowledge the Sauiour and desireth saluation of him and therefore he bâ—areth expresse absolution and the preaching of eternall life and the promise and resteth in this voice of the Messias and â—ubmmitteth himselfe to god and doth not beare the punishment impatientlie but is eased by acknowledging the Messias and by the hope of eternall life and giueth thankes to god
times we should come together to these godlie exercises but the speciall daie which was but a ceremonie is free Whereupon the Apostles retained not the seauenth daie but did rather take the first daie of the weeke for that vse that by it they might admonish the godlie both of their libertie and of Christes resurrection The thinges obiected against this maie easelie be taken awaie The Apostles decree touching thinges offered to Idoles and fornication was moral and perpetuall but in that which they added touching blood and that which was strangled they had regard of offence giuing at that time For it was an vse euen before the Apostles time that such as then were conquered by the Iewes should abstaine from blood and thinges strangled The Apostles therefore haue laied no new thing vpon those that were ioyned vnto their fellowshippe but as yet they kept the olde vsual rite which was pleasing both to the godlie Iewes and such as ioyned with them in the societie of Christ As for that which Christ saith I haue yet manie things to say vnto you doubtles he meant not those foloish ceremonies that the Popes haue brought in nor any new articles of faith but a farther illumination of that gospel which he had already deliuered And therfore afterward he addeth touching the office of the holy ghost that he should not bring any other kinde of doctrine but should enlighten the mindes of the Apostles that they should vnderstand the Gospel touching the will of God which before had bin taught Therefore he saieth Ioan. 14. He shal teach you all thinges and shal bring al things to your remembrance which I haue shewed you Againe He shall not speake of himselfe but what he hath heard that shall he speake OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SAXONY Of traditions that is of ceremonies instituted in the Church by mans authoritie ALthough for orders sake there must needes be some decent and seemelie ceremonies yet notwithstanding men that are giuen to superstition doe soone peruert those ceremonies falselie imagining that such obseruations doe merit forgiuenes of sinnes and are accepted for righteous in the sight of God and doe turne the signes into Gods like as manie haue ascribed a godhead vnto Images and manie either of superstition or by tyrannie doe heap vp ceremonies superstition hath increased in the Church the ceremonies of satisfaction as they cal them Nebuchadnesar Antiochus because they are of opinion that consent in Religion is auaileable to the peaceable gouernment of their kingdomes doe ordaine such seruice of God as they wil hane indifferentlie obserued of all their subiects There new lawes and new Gods were erected not of superstition but by tyrannie Thus we obserue that amongst men true and false religion are confounded and each chaunged into other and we maruell at the cause why men doe not stedfastlie continue in the truth reuealed by God But the worde of God pronounceth that men are set on by Deuils to fall away from God and the nature of man being blinde curious and inconstant loueth to plaie with diuers opinions Against these great mischiefs God armeth and confirmeth his Church and deliuereth a sure and certaine doctrine which is conteyned in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles and in the Creedes Wherefore it is necessary to consider what those lawes or rites be and whence they had their beginning The first rule therefore is this It is lawfull for no creature neither for Angels nor for men neither for Kinges nor for Bishops to make laws or ordeine ceremonies disagreeing from the worde of God Horriblie sinned the King of Babylon although he excelled in wisdome and valour when he commaunded his Image to be worshipped and all men doe sinne that obey such proclamations or lawes euen as Eue sinned when shee departed from the commaundement of God for the lying persuasion of the Deuill But generallie the rule is to be obserued which is set downe Act. 5. We ought rather to obey God then men Such are the edicts which commaund to call vpon dead men or to imbrace false doctrine or to vse vngodlie worshippe Touching all these that Rule of the first commaundement is to be holden 1. Cor. 10. Flie from Idolls Such is also the law of the single life of Priests which manie can not obserue without sinne And albeit we know what opinion politique and expert men doe hold of the chaunge of lawes yet God hath so commaunded obedience that still he would haue vs fast tied vnto himselfe and to agree with his wisdome and righteousnes From whence doe arise those vnchangeable and perpetuall rules Exod. 20. Thou shalt haue no strange Gods Also Acts 5. We ought rather to obey God then men Also Gal. 1. If anie man teach you anie other Gospell let him be accursed The second rule For asmuch as it is vsuall to adde superstition to those works which otherwise in their owne nature were indifferent as to eate or not to eate flesh it is necessarie to reprooue such superstitions errours as are in this sorte added and in the practise of our libertie examples of this doctrine may modestlie be shewed And that errour is not among the least which the follie of many teachers and for the moste parte of the people bringeth in in that they teach and thinke that fasting and such like workes deserue forgiuenes of sinnes both of the guiltines of the paine as both Thomas doth write of satisfactions and manie also doe saie the same This Pharisaicall imagination easilie intangleth the mindes of men and darkeneth the light of the doctrine of the benefits proper to Christ and of free forgiuenes of sinnes and of faith For when as men thinke that they merit remission of sinnes by these their ceremonies they take awaie the honour due vnto Christ and giue it vnto these ceremonies and are somewhat puffed vp with vaine confidence Yet afterward when they be in true sorrow they fal headlong into manie doubts which turne to their destruction And of it selfe it is a great sinne not to know the benefits of God For this cause Paull so earnestlie contendeth for the abolishing of circumcision and other ceremonies of the law of Moses for feare lest the true acknowledgement of the Mediatour might be cleane put out if men should think that they deserued remission of sinnes and were made righteous by this obseruation of the law and ceremonies of Moses as the Pharisies did auouch And oftentimes Paull admonisheth to beware that the light of the Gospell be not darkened by new ceremonies of mans inuention This second errour is not so euident but yet verie daungerous After that some men see that this Pharisaical errour can not be defended they come to this Although say they these ceremonies deserue not remission of sinnes yet are these traditions defended because they are good workes and seruices of God as in the law of Moses the abstinence of the Nazarites although it deserued not remission of
erronious doctrine and that with all humilitie wee imbrace the puritie of Christes Gospell which is the onelie foode of our soules and therefore so precious vnto vs that we are determined to suffer the extremitie of worldlie daunger rather then that we will suffer our selues to be defrauded of the same for hereof we are moste certainlie perswaded that whosoeuer denieth Christ Iesus or is ashamed of him in the presence of men shall be denied before the Father and before his holie angels And therefore by the assistance of the almightie the same our Lorde Iesus we firmelie purpose to abide to the ende in the confession of this our faith as by articles followeth Of God WE confesse and acknowledge one onelie God to whome onelie we must cleaue whome onelie we must serue whome onelie we must worshippe and in whom onelie we must put our trust who is eternall infinite vnmeasurable incomprehensible omnipotent inuisible one in substance and yet distinct in three persons the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost By whome we confesse and bâ—lâ—eue all things in heauen and earth as well visible as inuisible to haue beene created to be retained in their being and to be ruled and guided by his inscrutable prouidence to such ende as his eternall wisdome goodnes and iustice hath appointed them to the manifestation of his glorie Of the creation of man WE confesse and knowledge this our God to haue created man to wit our first father Adam to his owne image and similitude to whome he gaue wisedome Lordship iustice free will and cleare knowledge of himselfe so that in the wholl nature of man there could be noted no imperfection From which honour and perfection man and woman did both fall the woman being deceiued by the serpent and man obeying the voice of the woman both conspiring against the Soueraigne Maiestie of God who in expresse wordes had before threatned death if they presumed to eate of the forbidden tree Of Originall sinne BY which transgression commonlie called Originall sinne was the Image of God vtterlie defaced in man and he and his posterity of nature became enimies to God slaues to Satan and seruants to sinne Insomuch that death euerlasting hath had and shall haue power and dominion ouer all that haue not beene are not or shall not be regenerate from aboue which regeneration is wrought by the power of the holie Ghost working in the hearts of the elect of God an assured faith in the promise of God reuealed to vs in his word by which faith we apprehend Christ Iesus with the graces and benefits promised in him Of the reuelation of the promise FOr this we constantlie beleeue that God after the fearefull and horrible defection of man from his obedience did seeke Adam againe call vpon him rebuke his sinne conuict him of the same and in the ende made vnto him a moste ioyfull promise to wit that the seede of the woman should breake downe the serpents head that is he should destroie the workes of the Deuill which promise as it was repeated and made more cleare from time to time so was it imbraced with ioy and moste constantlie receiued of all those faithfull from Adam to Noe from Noe to Abraham from Abraham to Dauid and so forth to the incarnation of Christ Iesus all wee meane the faithfull Fathers vnder the lawe did see the ioyfull daies of Christ Iesus and did reioyce The continuance increase and preseruation of the Church WE moste constantlie beleeue that God preserued instructed multiplied honoured decored and from death called to life his Church in all ages from Adam til the comming of Christ in the flesh For Abraham he called from his Fathers countrie him he instructed his seed he multiplied the same he maruelouslie preserued and more maruelouslie deliuered from the bondage and tyrannie of Pharao to them he gaue his lawes constitutions and ceremonies them he possessed in the land of Chanaan to them after Iudges and after Saul he gaue Dauid to be King to whome he made promise that of the fruite of his loynes should one sit for euer vpon his regall seate To this same people from time to time he sent Prophets to reduce them to the right waie of their God from the which oftentimes they declined by Idolatrie And albeit that for the stubborne contempt of iustice he was compelled to giue them into the handes of their enemies as before was threatned by the mouth of Moses in so much that the holie Citie was destroyed the temple burnt with fire and the wholl lande left desolate the space of 70. yeres yet of mercie did he reduce them againe to Ierusalem where the Citie and Temple were reedified and they against all temptations and assaultes of Satan did abide till the Messias came according to the promise Of the incarnation of Christ Iesus WHen the fulnes of time came God sent his sonne his eternall wisdome the substance of his owne glorie into this worlde who tooke the nature of manhood of the substance of a woman to wit of a Virgin and that by operation of the holie Ghost And so was borne the iust seed of Dauid the angel of the great counsell of god the verie Messias promised whom we acknowledge and confesse Emmanuel verie God and verie man two perfect natures vnited and ioyned 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 deuide them Why it behooueth the Mediatour to be very God and verie man WE acknowledge and confesse that this moste wondrous coniunction betwixt the Godhead and the manhood in Christ Iesus did proceede from the eternal and immutable decree of God whence also our saluation springeth and dependeth Election FOr that same eternall God and father who of meere grace elected vs in Christ Iesus his sonne before the foundation of the worlde was laid appointed him to be our head our brother our Pastour great Bishop of our soules But because that the enimitie betwixt the iustice of God our sinnes was such that no flesh by it selfe could or might haue atteined vnto God it behoued that the sonne of God should descend vnto vs and take him selfe a bodie of our bodie flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones and so become the perfect Mediatour betwixt God and man giuing power to so manie as beleeue in him to be the sonnes of God as himselfe doth witnes I passe vp to my Father and vnto your God By which moste holie fraternitie whatsoeuer we haue lost in Adam is restored to vs againe And for this cause are we not afraide to call God our father not so much because he hath created vs which we haue common with the reprobate as for that that he hath giuen to vs his
him alone shalt thou worship or him onelie shalt thou serue Surelie all the Prophets inueighed earnestlie against the people of Israell whensoeuer they did adore and worship straunge Gods and not the one onelie true God But we teach that God is to be adored and worshipped as himselfe hath taught vs to worship him to weere in spirite and trueâ—h not with any superstition but with sinceritie according to his worde lest at any time he also saie vnto vs who hath required these thinges at your handes For Paull also saith God is not worshipped with mans hands as though he needed any thing c. We in all daungers and casualties of our life call on him alone and that by the mediation of the onelie Mediatour and our intercessour Iesus Christ For it is expressely commaunded vs Call vpon me in the daie of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Moreouer the Lord hath made a moste large promise saying whatsoeuer ye shal aske of my father he shall giue it you And againe Come vnto me all ye that labour and are heauie loaden and I will refresh you And seeing it is written How shall they call vpon him in whome they haue not beleeued and we doe beleeue in God alone therefore we call vpon him onelie and that thorough Christ For there is one God saith the Apostle and one Mediatour betweene God and men Christ Iesus Againe If anie man sinne we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous c. Therefore we doe neither adore worshippe nor praie vnto the Saints in heauen or to other Gods neither do we acknowledge them for our intercessours or Mediatours before the father in heauen For God and the Mediatour Christ do suffice vs neither do we imparte vnto others the honour due to God alone and to his sonne because he hath plainlie said I wil not giue my glorie to another and because Peter hath said There is no other name giuen vnto men whereby they muste be saued but the name of Christ In which doubtles they that rest by faith doe nor seeke aniething without Christ Yet 〈◊〉 all that we doe neither despise the Saints nor thâ—nke basâ—lie of them For we acknowledge them to be the 〈◊〉 members of Christ the friends of god who haue glorâ—ouslie ouercome the flesh and the world We therfore loue them as â—â—â—thâ—en and honour them also yet not with any woâ—sh◠〈…〉 an honourable opinion of them and to conclude 〈◊〉 their iust praises We also doe imitate them For we desire wâ—â—h most eaâ—nest affections and praiers to be followers of their faith vertues to be partakers also with them of euerlasting siluation to dwell together with them euerlastinglie with God to reioyse with them in Christ And in this point we approoue that saying of Saint Augustine in his booke De vera relig Let not the worship of men departed be any religion vnto vs. For if they haue liued holily they are not so to be esteemed as that they seek such honours but they wil haue vs to worship him by whose illâ—minatioÌ„ they reioice that we are fellow seruantâ— â—s touching the reward They are therefore to be honoured for imitation not to be worshipped for religions sake c. And we muchlesse beleeue that the reliques of Saints are to be adored or worshiped Those auncient holie men seemed sufficientlie to haue honoured their deade if they had honestlie committed their bodies to the earth after that the soule was gone vp into heauen and they thought that the moste noble reliques of their ancetours were their vertues doctrine faith which as they commended with the praise of the dead so they did endeuour to expresse the same so long as they liued vpon earth Those auncient men did not swear bâ—t by the name of the only Iehoua as is it commaunded in the lawe of God Therefore as we are forbidden To sweare by the names of strange Gods so we do not sweare by Saints although we be requested thereunto We therefore in all these things doe reiect that doctrine which giueth too much vnto the Saintes in heauen OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA WE thus thinke of God that he is one in substance three in persons and almightie Who as he hath by the worde that is his sonne made all thinges of nothing so by his spirite and prouidence he doth iustlâ—â— truely and mosâ—e wiselie gouerne preserue and cherish all things Who as he is the onelie Mediatour intercessour and sacrifice also our high priest Lord and King so we acknowledge and with the wholl heart beleeue that he alone is our attonement redemption satisfaction expiation wisedome protection and deliuerance simplie reiecting herein all meanes of life and saluation besides this Christ alone OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASILL WE beleeue in God the father in God the sonne in God the holie Ghost the holie diuine Trinitie three persons and one eternall almighte God in essence and substance and not three Gods And in the marginall note is added This is prooued by manie places of the wholl scripture of the olde and new testament Therefore we mislike the worship and inuocation of dead men the worshipping of Saintes and setting vp of Images with such like thinges And in the same place in the marginall note vpon the worde Saints Neuerthelesse we confesse that they serue in Gods presence and that they reigne with Christ euerlastinglie because they acknowledged Christ and both in deede word confessed him to be their sauiour redemption and righteousnes without any addition of mans merit For this cause doe we praise and commend them as those who haue obteined grace at Gods hand and are now made heites of the euerlasting kingdome Yet doe we ascribe all this to the glorie of God and of Christ We plainlie protest that we condemne and renounce al straunge and erronious 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 glorie and the loue of our neighbour require it And in the marginall note vpon the worde sweare It is lawfull to vse an oath in due time For God hath commaunded this in the olde testament and Christ hath not forbidden it in the new yea Christ and the Apostles did sweare OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA Oâ— THE WALDENSES Of the vnitie of the diuine essence and of the three persons CHAP. 3. OVt of this fountaine of holie scripture and Christian instruction according to the true and sound vnderstanding and meaning of the holie ghost our men teach by faith to acknowledge with the mouth to confesse that the holie Trinitie to wit god the father the sonne and the holie ghost are three distinct persons but in essence one onelie true alone eternall almightie and incomprehensible God of one equall
Sonne of God In like manner The grace of our Lord Iesus Christe and the loue of God and the fellowship of the holie Ghost be with you Againe There are three that beare wiâ—nes in heauen the father the woâ—de and the holie Ghost whish three are one By all which places we are fullie taught that in one onelie God there are three persons And although this doctrine passe al the reach of mans wit yet we now stedfastlie beleeue it out of the word of God looking when we shall enioy the full knowledge thereof in heauen The offices also effects of these three persons which euerie of them sheweth towards vs are to be marked For the father by reason of his power is called our Creator the sonne our Sauiour and redeemer because he hath redeemed vs by his bloode the holie Ghost is called our Sanctifier because he dwelleth in our heartes And the true Church hath allwaies euen from the Apostles age vntill these times kept this holie doctrine of the blessed Trinitie and manteineth it against Iewes Mahometanes and other false Christians and heretikes such as were Marcion Manes Praxeas Sabellius Samosatenus and the like all which were worthelie condemned by the fathers of most sound Iudgement Therefore we do here willinglie admit those three Creedes namelie that of the Apostles of Nice and of Athanasius and whatsoeuer things they according to the meaning of those Creeds haue set downe concerning this point of doctrine We beleeue that Iesus Christ in respect of his diuine nature is the onelie sonne of God begotten from euerlasting 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 brightnes of his glorie in all things equall vnto him But he is the sonne of god not onely since the time he tooke vpon him our nature but from euerlasting as these testimonies being laid together teach vs. Moses saith that God created the worlde but Saint Iohn saith That all thinges wâ—â—e made by the worde which he calleth God so the Apostle to the Hebrewes auoutcheth that God made all thinges by his sonne Iesus Christ It followeth therefore that he who is called both God and the word and the Sonne and Iesus Christ had his being euen then when all thinges were made by him Therefore Micheah the Prophet saith 〈◊〉 goeing out hath beene from the beginning from the daies of eternitie againe He is without beginning of daies and without end of life He is therefore that true God eternall almightie whome we praie vnto worship and serue We beleue also and confesse that the holie Ghost proceedeth from the father the sonne from euerlasting that therfore he was neither made nor created nor begotten but onelie proceeding from them both who is in order the third person of the Trinitie of the same essence glory maiesty with the father and the sonne and therefore he also is true and euerlasting God as the holie scriptures teach vs. We also beleeue that we haue no accesse to God but by that one onelie Mediatour and Aduocate Iesus Christ the righteous who was therefore made man vniting the humanitie to the diuine nature that there might be an entrance made for vs miserable men to the maiestie of God which had otherwise beene shut vp against vs for euer Yet the maiestie and power of this Mediatour whome the father hath set betweene himselfe and vs ought in no case so much to fray vs that we should therefore thinke another is to be sought at our owne pleasure For there is none either among the heauenlie or earthlie creatures who doth more entirelie loue vs then Christ himselfe who when he was in the shape of God humbled himselfe by taking vpon him the shape of a seruant and for our sakes became like vnto his brethren in all points and if we were to seeke an other Mediatour who would vouchsafe vs some good will whome I praie you could we finde that would loue vs more earnestlie then he who willinglie laid his life downe for vs when as yet we were his enemies If moreouer we were to seeke another that excelleth both in soueraigne authority also power who euer obteined so great power as he himselfe who sitteth at the right hand of God the father to whome all power is giuen in heauen in earth To conclude who was more likelie to be heard of God then that onely begotten and dearelie beloued sonne of God therefore nothing but distrust brought in this custome wherby we rather dishonor the Saints whome we thinke to honour in doeing these things which they in their life time were euer so farre from doeing that they rather constantlie and according to their dutie abhorred them as their owne writings beare witnes Neither is our owne vnworthines here to be alledged for excuse of so great vngodlines For we at no hand offer vp our praiers trusting to our owne worthines but resting vpon the only worthines excellency of the Lord Iesus Christ whose righteousnes is ours by faith whereupon the Apostle for good cause to exempt vs from this vaine feare or rather distrust saith that Christ was in all things made like vnto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high priest in those things that were to be done with God for the clensing of the peoples sinnes For in as much as he beeing tempted hath suffered he is also able to helpe those that are tempted And that he might encourage vs to come the more boldlie to this high Priest the same Apostle addeth Hauing therefore a great high priest who hath entred the heauens euen Iesus the son of god let us holâ— fast this professioÌ„ For we haue not an high priest that caÌ„not be touched with the feling of our infirmities but he was in al things teÌ„pted in like sort yet without sin Let vs therefore with boldnes approch vnto the throne of grace that we may obteine mercie finde grace to help in time of need The same Apostle saith that we haue liberty to enter into the holy place thorough the blood of Iesus Let vs therfore draw neare with a constant perswasion of faith c. And againe Christ hath an euerlasting priesthood Wherefore he is able 〈◊〉 to save them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth 〈◊〉 make intercession for them What need manie wordes when as Christ himselfe saith I am the way the trueth and the life Nâ— man commeth to the father but by me VVhy should we seeke vnto our selues any other Aduocate especiallie seeing it hath pleased God himselfe to giue vs his owne sonne for our Aduocate there is no cause why forsaking him we should seeâ—e another lest by continuall seeking we neuer finde any other For God vndoubtedlie knew when he gaue him 〈◊〉 vs that we were miserable sinners VVhereupon it is that a cording to
beginning of euill vnto man beeing good came from his free will We condemne also the Pelagians who affirme that an euill man hath free will sufficientlie to performe a good preâ—ept Both these are confuted by the scripture which saâ—â—â—h to the former God made man vâ—right and to the latter If the sonne make you free then are yâ—â— free indeede OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA MAâ— being the moste perfect Image of God in earth and hauing the chiefdome of all visible creatures consisting of soule and bodie whereof this is mortall that immortall after he was made holie of the Lorde he by his owne fault falling into sinne drue wholl mankinde with him into the same fall and made him subiect to the same calamitie And this infection which men tearme Originall hath so inuaded the wholl stocke that the childe of wrath and the enemie of God can by none other then by the diuine help of Christ be cured For if there be anie sparke of good fruit remaining here it being weakned dailie by our sinnes declineth tothe worsse For the force of euil doth get the vpper hand neither doth it suffer reason to beare the sway nor the most deuine faculty of the minde to haue the preheminâ—ce Whereupon we doe so atâ—ribute free will to man as that knowing and hauing a will to doe good and euill we finde notwithstanding by experience that of our owne accord we maie doe euill but we can neither imbrace nor follow anie good thing except being illuminated by the grace of Christ we be stirred vp and effectually mooued thereunto For God is he which worketh in vs both to will and to bring to passe according to his good will And Saluation is of the Lord destruction of our selues OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASIL Art 2. Of man WE confesse that in the beginning man was made of god in righteousnes and true holines after the true Image of God but he fel into sinne of his owne accord by the which fall wholl mankinde is made corrupt and subiect vnto damnation Hence is it that our nature is defiled and become so prone vnto sinne that except it be renued by the holie Ghost man of himselfe can neither doe nor will anie good OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA OR THE WALDENSES Of the knowledge of a mans selfe Also of sinne the causes and fruites thereof and of the promise of God CHAP. 4. FOurthlie touching the knowledge of himselfe man is taught and that after two sortes First the knowledge of his estate yet being in his innocencie or voide of all fault that is of his nature being perfect from whence he fell Secondlie the knowledge of his sinne and mortalitie into which he fell The estate and condition of his innocencie and righteousnes consisteth in these points that the Lorde in the beginning made man after his owâ—â— Image and likenes and adorned him with the giftes of his grace or bountie that he engraffed in him righteousnes and his spirit a soule and a bodie togither with all the faculties and powers thereof and so made him holie iust wise immortall and a moste pleasant temple for his heauenlie spirit in the minde will memorie and iudgement and bestowed vpon him cleare light of vnderstanding integritie and a verie ordinate or lawfull loue towardes God and all his creatures also a full and absolute obedience or habilitie to obey God the true feare of God and a sincere heart and nature that man might be his owne possession and his proper and peculiar workemanship created vnto the praise of his glorious grace Man being placed in this estate had left vnto him free will so that if he would he was able to fulfill that commandement which god gaue him and thereby to retaine righteousnes both for himselfe and for all his posteritie after hiâ— and euerie waie to enioy a spirit soule bodie and an estatâ— moste blessed and further also to make a waie vnto a faâ—re more excellent glorie by considering that fire and water life and death were set before him which if he would not consider nor doe his endeuour therein by choosing of euill he might loose all those good giftes The second part of the knowledge of a mans selfs namelie before iustification standeth in this that a man acknowledge aright the state of his fal sinne and morâ—aâ—â— For that free liberty of choice which God permitted to the wil of man he abused and kept not the lawe of his iustice but swarued therefrom and therein transgressed the commaundement of God insomuch as he obeyed the deuillâ— those lying speaches of his and gaue credit vnto them and performed to the deuill such faith and obedience as was dâ—â— to God alone whereby he stripped and bereaued himselfe and his posteritie of the state of perfection and goodnes of nature and the grace of God and those good giftes of iustice and the Image of God which in his creation were engreffed in him he partlie lost them and partlie corrupted defiled them as if with horrible poyson one should corrupt pure wine and by this meanes he cast headlong both himselfe and all his ofspring into sinne death and all kinde of miseries in this life and into punishments eternall after this life Wherefore the spring and principall author of all euill is that cruell and detestable deuill the tempter lyer and manslayer and next the free will of man which notwithstanding being conuerted to euil through luste and naughtie desires and by peruerse concupiscense chooseth that which is euill Hereby sinnes according to these degrees and after this order maie be considered iudged of The first and weightiest or moste greiuous sinne of all was without doubt that sinne of Adam which the Apostle calleth Disobedience for the which death reigneth ouer al euen ouer those also which haue not sinned with like trangression as did Adam A second kinde is originall sinne naturallie ingendered in vs and hereditarie wherein we are all conceiued and borne into this world Behold saith Dauid I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me And Paull We are by nature the children of wrath Let the force of this hereditarie destruction be acknowledged and iudged of by the guilt and fault by our prones and declination by our euill nature and by the punishment which is laide vpon it The third kinde of sinnes are those which are called Actuall which are the fruites of originall sinne and doe burste out within without priuilie and openlie by the powers of man that is by all that euer man is able to doe and by his members trangressing all those thinges which God commaundeth and forbiddeth and also running into blindnes and errors worthie to be punished with all kinde of damnation This doctrine of the true knowlede of sinne is of our men diligentlie handled and vrged and to this end were the first and second tables of the law deliuered to Moses of
God that men especiallie might knowe themselues that they are conceiued and borne in sinne and that forthwith euen from their birth and by nature they are sinners full of lustes and euill inclinations For hereof it commeth that straight euen from the beginning of our age so forth in the wholl course of our life being stained ouercome with manie sins men doe in heart thoughtes and euil deedes breake and transgresse the commandements of God as it is written The Lorde looked downe from heauen to behold the children of men to see if there were aâ—â— that would vnderstand and seeke God all are gone out of the way they haue bene made altogether vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one And againe When the Lorde saw that the wickednes of man was great in the earth and all the cogitations of his heart were onelie euill continuallie And againe The 〈◊〉 saide the imagination of mans heart is euill euen from his youth And Saint Paull saith VVe were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Herewithall this is also taught that by reason of that corruption and deprauation common to all mankinde and for the sinne transgressions and iniustice which ensued thereof all men ought to acknowledge according to the holie scripture their owne iust condemnation and the horrible seuere vengeance of God and consequentlie the most deserued punishment of death and eternall torments in heâ— whereof Paull teacheth vs when he saith The wages of sinne is death And our Lord Christ They which haue done euill shal gâ—â— into the resurrection of condemnation that is into paines eternall Where shal be wailing and gnashing of teeth They teach also that we must acknowledge our weakenes and that great myserie which is ingendered in vs as also those difficulties from which no man can euer deliuer or ridde himselfe by any meanes or iustifie himselfe that is procure or get righteousnes to himselfe by any kinde of works deeds or exercises seeme they neuer so glorious For that wil of man which before was free is now so corrupted troubled and weakened that now from hence forth of it felfe and without the grace of God it cannot chuse iudge or wish fullie nay it hath no desire nor inclination much lesse any ability to chuse that good wherewith God is pleased For albeit it fell willinglie and of it owne accord yet by it selfe and by it owne strength it could not rise againe or recouer that fall neither to this daie without the mercifull helpe of God is it able to doe any thing at all And a litâ—â— after Neither can he which is man onelie and hath nothing aboue the reach of this our nature helpe an other in this point For since that originall sinne proceeding by inheritance possesseth the wholl nature and doth furiouslie rage therein and seeing that all men are sinners and doe want the grace and iustice of God therefore saith God by the mouth of the Prophet Esaias Put me in remembrance Let vs be iudged together count thou if thou haue any thing that thou may est be iustified thy first father hath sinned and thy interpreters that is they which teach thee iustice haue transgressed against me a litle before speaking of works in the seruice of god after the inuention of man he saith Thou hast not offered vnto me the Ramme of the burnt offrings neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices I haue not caused thee to serue with an offering nor wearied thee with incense And vnto the Hebrewes it is written Sacrifice offering and burnt offerings and sinne offerings thou wouldest not haue Neither didest thou approoue those things which were offered according to the law This also must we know that the Lord God for sinne doth permit and bring all kindes of afflictions miseries and vexations of minde in this life vpon all men such as are heat colde hunger thirst care and anguish sore laboures calamitie aduersitie dolefull times sword fire diseases griefes and at the last also that intollerable and bitter death whereby nature is ouerthrowen as it is written Thou shalt die the death Againe Cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorow shalt thou eate of it all the daies of thy life thornes also and thistles shall it bringforth to thee And yet it is taught that men must ought to beare all these punishments patientlie seeing that they owe vnto God haue deserued a farre more cruell punishment Yet they must not be so perswaded as though they deserued any thing by suffering this punishment or should receiue from God any grace or reward in recompense for the merit of these punishments seeing that Paull speaking of a much more worthie crosse and sufferings which the true beleuers take vppon them for Christs sake saith that they be not comparable to the glorie which shall be shewed vnto vs And these punishments are laied vpon vs are patientlie to be borne that we may acknowledge the greatnes of our sinne how greeuous a thing it is there withal our own weakenes needes and miserie and that by experience we may knâ—â— how wicked foull and bitter athing it is euen aboue all thâ— we are able to conceiue for a man to forsake the Lord 〈◊〉 God as saith the Prophet And moreouer that they whiâ— beeing plunged in these miseries and oppressed with these burthens may againe be stirred vp to repentance and â— seeke for fauour and helpe from God which is a father 〈◊〉 of mercie and compassion Howbeit this is also expresselie added that the laboures and torments which holie men doe suffer for the name of Christ that is in the cause of eternall saluation for the holie trueth of Christ are an acceptable and pleasant sacrifice to God and haue great and large promises especiallie in the life to come the which thing also did euen so fall out with Christ our heade of whome the epistle to the Hebrewes speaketh thus that for the ioy that was set before him he endured the crosse who also by himselfe consecrated and hallowed the crosse to them euen to this ende thaâ— those sufferings which we indure for Christ his names salâ—â— might be pleasant and acceptable vnto God OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION VVE beleeue that man being created pure and vpright and conformable to the image of God through his owne fault fell from that grace which he had receiued and therby did so estraunge him selfe from God the fountaine of all righteousnes and of all good things that his nature is become altogether defiled and being blinde iâ— spirit and corrupt in heart hath vtterlie lost all that integritic For although he can somewhat discerne betweene good and euill yet we affirme that whatsoeuer light he hath 〈◊〉 straightwaies becommeth darkenes when the question is of seeking God so that by his vnderstanding and reason he can neuer come to God Also although he be endued with
thou sorsaken me All which he suffered for the remission of our sinnes Wherefore we doe not without iust cause professe with Paul that we know â—â—thiâ—g but Iesus Chrisâ— and him crucified and that we doe aâ—â—ount all thinges as dung in respect of the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christ our Lord finding in his woundes and stripes all manner of comfort that can be deserued VVherefore there is no neede that oâ— her we should wish for any other meanes or 〈◊〉 any of our owne bâ—aines whereby we might be reconciled vnto God besides this one oblation once offred by the which all the faithfull which are sanctified are consecrated or perfected for euer And this is the cause why he was called of the Angell Iesus that is to saie a sauiour because he should save his people from their sinnes Last of all we do beleeue out of the word of God that our Lord Iesus Christ when the time appoâ—â—ted by God but â—nto all creatures vnknowen shall come and the number of the elect shal be accomplished shall come againe from heauen and that after a corporall and visiâ—â—e mâ—nner as heretofore he hath ascended being adorned with gâ—â—â—t glorie and maiestie that he maie appeare as iudge of the quicke and the dead the olde world being kindelâ—d with fire and flame and puriâ—ied by it Then all creatures and aswell men as women and children as manie as haue bene from the beginning and shall be to the end of the world shall appeare before this high Iudge beeing sâ—mmoned thither by the voice of Archangeils and the trumpet of God For all that haue bene dead shall then rise out of the earth the soul and spirit of euerie one being ioyned and coupled together againe to the same bodies wherein before they liued They moreouer which shall be aliue at the last dare she ll not die the same death that other men haue done but in a moment and in the twinkling of an eie they shall be changed from corruption to an incorruptible nature Then the bookes shall be opened namelie the bookes of euerie mans conscience and the dead shal be iudged according to those things which they haue done in this world either good or euill Moreouer then shall men render an account of euerie idle worde which they haue spoken although the worlde doe now make but a sporâ—e and a iest at them Finall e all the hypocrisie of men and the deepest secrets of their hearts shall be made manifest vnto all so that worthelie the onelie remembrance of this iudgement shall be terrible and fearefull to the wicked and reprobate But of the godlie and elect it is greatlie to be wished for and is vnto them exceeding comfort For then shall their redemption be fullie perfited and they shall reape moste sweete fruite and commoditie of all those labours and sorrowes which they haue suffered in this world Then I saie their innocencie shall be openlie acknowledged of all and they likewise shall see that horrible punishment which the Lord will execute vpon those that haue moste tyrannic allie afflicted them in this world with diuers kindes of torments and crosses Furthermore the wicked being conuinced by the peculiar testimony of their owne conscience shal indeed be made immortal but with this condition that they shall burne for euer in that eternal fire which is prepared for the deuil On the contrarie side the elect and faithfull shal be crowned with the crowne of glorie and honour whose names the sonne of God shall confesse before his Father and the Angels and then shall all teares be wiped from their eyes Then their cause which now is condemned of heresie and impietie by the magistrates and Iudges of this worlde shall be acknowledged to be the cause of the sonne of God And the Lorde shall of his free mercie reward them with so great glorie as no mans minde is able to conceiue Therefore we doe with great longing expect that great daâ—e of the Lorde wherein we shall moste fullie enioy all those thinges which God hath promised vnto vs and through Iesus Christ our Lorde be put into full possession of them for euer more OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGF ALso they teach that the word that is the sonne of God tooke vnto him mans nature in the wombe of the blessed Virgine Marie so that the two natures the deuine and the humane inseperablie ioyned together in the vnitie of one person are one Christ true God and true man who was borne of the Virgine Marie did truelie suffer was crucified dead and buried that he might reconcile his father vnto vs and might be a sacrifice not onely for the originall sinne but also for all actuall sinnes of men The same also descended into hell and did truelie rise againe the third daie Afterward he ascended into heauen that he might sit at the right hand of the father and raigne for euer and haue dominion ouer all the creatures sanctifie those that beleeue in him by sending the holie spirit into their heartes and giue euerlasting life to such as he had sanctified The same Christ shall openlie come againe to iudge them that are found aliue and the dead raised vp againe according to the Creed of the Apostles In the end of this Article after these words by sending his holie spirit into their heartes these wordes are found in some editions BY sending his spirit into their hearts which may reigne comfort and quicken them and defend them against the Deuill and the power of sinne The same Christ shall openlie come againe to iudge the quick and the dead c. according to the Creed of the Apostles Also they teach that in the end of the world Christ shall appeare to iudgement and shall raise vp all the dead and shal giue vnto men to weete to the godlie and elect eternal life and euerlasting ioyes but the vngodlie and the Deuills shall he condemne vnto endles torments Also we condemne the Origenistes who imagined that the deuill and the damned creatures should one daie haue an end of their paines After the first periode of this Article this is thus found else where THey condemne the Anabaptistes that are of opinion that the damned men and the deuillâ— shall haue an end of their torments They condemne others also which now a daies do spread abroade Iewish opinions that before the resurrection of the dead the godlie shall get the soueragintie in the world and the wicked be brought vnder in euerie place OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SAXONIE Hitherto pertaineth a parte of the third article THe sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ who is the Image of the eternall father is appointed our Mediator Reconciler Redeemer Iustifier and sauiour By the obedience and merit of him alone the wrath of God is pacified as it is said Rom. 3. Whome he set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloode And Heb. 10. It is impossible that the bloode of Bulls should take away
Of the gospell of Iesus Christ and also of Promises of the spirit and of the letter CHAP. 13. THE gospell indeede is opposed to the lawe for the lawe worketh wrath and doeth denounce a cursse but the gospell doth preach grace and a blessing Iohn saith also The lawe was giuen by Moses but grace and trueth came by Iesus Christ Yet notwithstanding it is moste certaine that they which were before the lawe and vnder the lawe were not altogether destitute of the gospell For they had notable Euangelicall promises such as these are The seede of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed The scepter shall not be taken from Iuda vntil Silo come The Lord shall raise vp a Prophet from amongest his owne brethren c. And we doe acknowledge that the fathers had two kinde of promises reuealed vnto them euen as we haue For some of them were of present transitorie thinges such as were the promises of the lande of Canaan and of victories and such as are now a dayes concerning our dailie bread Othersome there were then also are now of heauenlie euerlasting things as of Gods fauour remission of sinnes life euerlasting through faith in Iesus Christ Now the fathers had not onelie outwarde or earthly but spiritual heauenly promises in Christ For the Apostle Peter saith that the Prophets which prophesied of the grace that should come to vs haue searched and inquired of this saluation Whereupon the Apostle Paul also saith that the gospell of God was promised before by the Prophets of God in the holie scriptures Hereby then it appeereth euidentlie that the fathers were not altogether destitute of all the Gospell And although after this manner our fathers had the gospell in the writinges of the Prophets by which they attained saluation in Christ through faith yet the gospell is properlie called that glad and happie tidings wherein first by Iohn Baptist then by Christ the Lorde himselfe and afterward by the Apostles their successours is preached to vs in the world that God hath now performed that which he promised from the beginning of the world hath sent yea and giuen vnto vs his onelie sonne and in him reconciliation with the father remission of sinnes all fulnes and euerlasting life The historie therefore set downe by the foure Euagelists declaring how these thinges were done or fulfilled of Christ and what he taught and did and that they which beleeued in him had al fulnes this I saie is truelie called the Gospell The preaching also and scripture of the Apostles in which they expound vnto vs how the sonne was giuen vs of the father and in him all things pertaining to life and saluation is truelie called the doctrine of the Gospell so as euen at this daie it looseth not that worthie name if it be sincere The same preaching of the Gospel is by the Apostle tearmed the spirit and the ministerie of the spirit because it is lining and workeing thorough faith in the eares yea in the hearts of the faithfull thorough the illumination of the holie spirit For the letter which is opposed vnto the spirit doth in deede signifie euerie outward thing but more speciallie the doctrine of the law which without the spirit faith worketh wrath stirreth vp sin in the mindes of theÌ„ that do not truly beleeue For which cause it is called by the Apostle the ministery of death for hitherto pertaineth that saying of the Apostle The letter killeth but the spirit giueth life The false Apostles preached the Gospel corrupted by mingling of the law therewith as though Christ could not saue without the law Such also were the Hebionites said to be which came of Hebion the heretike and the Nazarites which before time were called Myneans Al which we doe condemne sincerely preaching the worde and teaching that the beleeuers are iustified by the spirit onelie and not by the law But of this matter there shall follow a more large discourse in the title of iustification And although the doctrine of the Gospel compared with the Pharisees doctrine of the law might seeme when it was first preached by Christ to be a new doctrine the which thing also Ieremie prophesied of the new Testament yet in deed it not onelie was as yet is though the Papists call it new in regarde of Popish doctrine which hath of long time bin receiued an ancient doctrine but also the most ancient in the world For God from all eternitie fore ordeined to saue the world by Christ and this his predestination and eternal counsel hath he opened to the world by the Gospell Whereby it appeareth that the Euangelicall doctrine and religion was the moste auncient of all that euer were are or euer shal be Wherefore we saie that all they erre foullie and speake things vnworthy the eternall counsell of God who tearme the Euangelicall doctrine and religion a new start vp faith scarce thirtie yeares olde to whome that saying of Isaiah doth verie well agree Woe vnto them that speake good 〈◊〉 euill and euill of good which put darkenes for light and lightâ—â— darkenes that put bitter for sweete and sweete for sowre OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Therefore in the wholl Euangelicall doctrine this ought first and chiefely to be vrged that we are saued by the onelie mercie and grace of God and by Christ his merittes whereof that men may know how much they stand in neede their sinnes must be verie clearelie laid open vnto them by the law and by Christ his death OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA Of the word of God or the holie Gospell CHAP. 10. ANd seeing that the administration of thee new testâ— ment also the word and the sacraments are lawfully committed to the Ministers of the Church and their lippeâ— ought to preserue knowledge that the law maie be sought at their mouth therefore in this Chapter it is further taught what the word of God and the holie gospell is Now the Preaching of the word of God and of the Gospell is the true ministerie of grace instituted and commaunded of Christe our Lord wherein the full and perfect will of God touching eternall reconciliation necessarie to saluation and made manifest in the holie scripture is declared and preached vnto all people This doctrine did Christ giue in charge vnto his disciples in the wordes of this sentence Goye into all the world and preach the Gospell to euerie creature This doctrine doth Peter professe before Cornelius when he saith He commaunded vs to preach vnto the people and to testifie that this is he that is ordeined of God to be the Iudge of the quick and the dead To him also giue all the Prophets wines that through his name all that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes This ministery is more honorable greater and more necessarie to saluation then are
fulnes of time was come God sent his Sonne made of a woman and made vnder the law that he might redeeme them which were vnder the law and that we by adoption might receiue the right of sonnes And Acts. 15 it is saide Why tempt ye God to laie an yoke vpon the Disciples neckes which neither our fathers nor wee were able to beare but we beleeue through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ to be saued euen as they c. And Augustine saith That people which receiued the old Testament was helde vnder certaine shadowes and figures of thinges before the comming of the Lorde according to the wonderfull and moste orderlie diuision of times Yet therein was so great preaching and foretelling of the new Testament that in the Euangelicall and Apostolike discipline though it be painfull and diuine no commaundements or promises can be found which are wanting euen in those olde bookes THE EIGHT SECTION OF REPENTANCE AND THE CONVERSION OF MAN THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA CHAP. 14. THe gospel hath the doctrine of repentance ioyned with it for so saide the Lord in the Gospell In my name must repentance and remission of sinnes be preached among all nation Byrepentance we vnderstand the change of the minde in a sinfull man stirred vp by the preaching of the Gospell and by the holy spirit receiued by a true faith by which a sinneful man doth eftsonnes acknowledge his naturall corruption and aâ—â— his sinnes seeing them conuinced by the word of God iâ— hartely greeued for them and doth not onelie bewaile and freelie confesse them before God with shame but also doth loath and abhorre them with indignation thinketh seriouslie of present amendment and of a continuall care of innocencie and vertues wherein to exercise himselfe holilie all the rest of his life And surely this is true repentance namely an vnfeined turning vnto god and to all goodnes and a serious returne from the Deuill and from all euill Now we doe expresselie saie that this repentance is the meere gift of god and not the worke of our owne strength For the Apostle doth will the faithful Minister diligentlie to Instruct those which withstande the trueth if that at any time the Lord will giue them repentance that they may acknowledge the trueth Also the sinnefull woman in the gospell which washed Christs feete with her teares and Peter which bitterlie wept and bewailed his deniall of his Master doe manifestlie shew what minde the penitent man should haue to witte verie earnestlie lamenting his sins committed Moreouer the Prodigal sonne and the Publican in the Gospell that is compared with the Pharisie doe set forth vnto vs a most fit paterne of confessing our sinnes to God The Prodigall sonne saide Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee I am not worthie to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruants The Publican also not daring to lift vp his eies to heauen but knocking his brest he cryed God be mercifull vnto me a sinner And we dout not but the Lord receiued them to mercie For Iohn the Apostle saith If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to purge vs from all iniquitie If we saie wee haue not sinned we make him a lier and his word is not in vs. We beleeue that this sincere confession which is made to God alone either priuatelie betweene God and the sinner or openlie in the Church where that generall confession of sinnes is rehearsed is sufficient and that it is not necessarie for the obteining of remission of sinnes that any man should confesse his sinnes vnto the priest whispering them into his eares that the priest laying his hands on his head he might receiue absolution because that we finde no commaundement nor example thereof in the holie scripture Dauid protesteth saieth I made my fault knowne to thee and my vnrighteousnes did I not hide from thee I said I will confesse my wickednes to the Lord against my selfe and thou hast forgiuen the hainousnes ofmy sinne Yea and the Lord teaching vs to pray and also to confesse our sinnes saide So shall you praie Our father which art in heauen forgiue vs our debtes euen as we forgiue our debters It is requisite therefore that we should confesse our sinnes vnto god and be reconciled with our neighbour if we haue offended him And the Apostle Iames speaking generallie of confession saith Confes ech of you your sinnes one to another If so be that any man beeing ouerwhelmed with the burthen of his sinnes and troublesome temptations wil priuatelie aske counsell instruction or comfort either of a minister of the Church or of any other brother that is learned in the law of God we doe not mislike it Like as also we doe fullie alow that generall and publike confession which is wont to be rehearsed in the Church and in holie meetings whereof we spake before beeing as it is agreeable with the scripture As concerning the keies of the kingdome of heauen which the Lord committed to his Apostles they prate manie straunge thinges and of these keies they make swordes speares scepters and crownes and full power ouer mightie kingdoms yea ouer mens soules and bodies But we iudging vprightlie according to the word of God do saie that al ministers trulie called haue and exercise the keies or the vse of them when as they preach the Gospell that is to say when they doe teach exhorte reprooue and keepe in order the people committed to their charge For so doe they open the kingdome of God to the obedient and shut it against the disobedient These keies did the Lorde promise to the Apostles in the 16. Chapter of Mathew and deliue them in Iohn 20. Chapter Marke 16. Luke the 24. when as he sent forth his disciples and commaunded them To preach the Gospell in all the world to forgiue sinnes The Apostle in the Epistle to the Cor. saith That the Lorde gaue to his ministerâ— the ministerie of reconciliation And what this was he straighwaie maketh plaine and saieth The worde or doctrine of reconciliation And yet more plainelie expounding his words he he addeth that the ministers of Christ Do as it were go an imbassage in Christs name as if God himselfe should by his ministers exhort the people to be reconciled to god to weet by faithful obedience They vse the keies therfore when as they perswade to faith and repentance Thus do they reconcile men to God thus they forgiue sins thus do they open the kingdome of heauen and bring in the beleeuers much differing herein from those of whome the Lorde spake in the Gospell Wâ—t be vnto you lawyers for ye haue taken awaie the keie of knowledge You haue not entred in your selues and those that would haue entered ye forbad Rightlie therefore and effectuallie do ministers absolue when as they preach the Gospell of Christ and thereby
remission of sinnes which is promised to euerie one that beleeueth euen as euerie one is baptized and doe testifie of it that it doth particularlie appertaine to all Neither doe we imagine that this absolution is made anie whit more effectual for that which is mumbled into some priests eare or vpō some mans head particularly yet we iudge that men must be taught diligentlie to seeke remission of sinnes in the bloode of Christ and that euerie one is to be put in minde that forgiuenes of sinnes doth belong vnto him But how diligent and carefull euerie penitent man ought to be in the endeuour of a new life and in sleying the olde man raising vp the new man the examples in the gospel do teach vs. For the Lord saith to him whome he had healed of the palsie Behold thou art made hole sinne no more lest a worsse thing come vnto thee Likewise to the adulteres woman which was deliuered he said goe thy waie and sinne no more By which wordes he did not meane that any man could be free from sinne whiles he liued in this flesh but he doth commend vnto vs diligence and an earnest care that we I saie should endeuour by al meanes and begge of god by praier that we might not fall againe into sinne out of which we are risen after a manner and that we maie not be ouercome of the flesh the world or the deuill Zacheus the publicane being receiued into fauour by the Lorde he cryeth out in the gospell Beholde Lorde the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore if I haue taken from anie man anie thing by forged cauillation I restore him foure folde After the same manner we preach that restitution and mercie yea and giuing of almes are necessarie for them which doe truelie repent And generallie out of the Apostles words we exhort men saying Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodie that you should obey it through the lustes thereof Neither giue ye your members as weapons of vnrighteousnes to sinne but giue your selues vnto God as they that are aliue from the dead and giue your members as weapons of righteousnes vnto God Wherefore we condemne all the vngodlie speaches of certeine which abuse the preaching of the Gospel and saie To returne vnto God it is verie easie for Christ hath purged al our sinnes Forgiuenes of sinnes is easily obteined What therefore will it hurt to sinne And we neede not take anie great care for repentance c. Notwithstanding we alwaies teach that an enterance vnto God i◠open for all sinners and that this God doth forgiue all the sinnes of the faithful onelie that one sinne excepted which is committed against the holy ghost And therefore we condemne the olde and new Nouatians and Catharines and especiallie we condemne the Popes gaineful doctrine of penance and against his Simonie and Simoniacall indulgences we vse that sentence of Simon Peter Thy 〈◊〉 periesh with thee because thou thoughest that the gift of god might be bought with mony Thou hast no parte or fellowshippe in this matter for thy heart is not vpright before God We also disalow those that think that themselues by their owne satisfactions can make recompence for their sinnes committed For we teach that Christ alone by his death passion is the satisfaction propitiation and purging of all sinnes Neuertheles we cease not to vrge as was before said the mortification of the flesh and yet we adde further that it must not be proudly thrust vppon God for a satisfaction for our sinnes but must humblie as it becommeth the sonnes of god be performed as a new obedience to shew thankfull mindes for the deliuerance and full satisfaction obteined by the death and the satisfaction of the sonne of God OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA CHAP. 5. NOw that we know what sinne is in the next place we are taught concerning holie repentance which doctrine doth bring great comfort to all sinners and generallie it is verie profitable and necessarie to saluation for all men as well for Christians which beginne to learne as for those which haue profited yea euen for sinners that haue fallen yet such which by the grace of God being conuerted doe repent Of this repentance Iohn Baptist did preach and after him Christ in these words Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand Afterwarde also the Apostles preached thereof throughout the wholl world for so it is written And thus it hehooued that repentance and remission of sinnes shoulde be preached in his name among all nations Now this repentance doth whollie arise out of a true knowledge of sinne and the wrath of God And to attaine vnto this knowledge we must vse the full and entire helpe of the ministerie by peaching to laie open vnto vs both the doctrine of repentance or the law touching that righteousnes which is due vnto God and the sentence of God pronounced against sin also of faith in Christ Iesus and of that holy satisfaction which he hath made for vs by suffering moste greeuous torments This repentance and sauing conuersion doth our mercifull God by his peculiar gifte offer and bestowe and he writeth the same in the hearts of the faithfull euen as he saith I will giue you a new heart and I will put my spirit in the midst of you and I will cause you to walke in my waies Againe That you maie repent of your sinnes and of your Idolatrie And againe When I was conuerted I did repent This sauing repentance which doth differ verie much from the repentance of Esau and ludas taketh it true and right beginning from this gifte of God who bestoweth it and from the sermons of the word of God whereby sinne is reprooued and it hath this in order first that it is a feare and terrour of the secret heart before God and that by repenting and sorowing it doth tremble at this iust and seuere iudgement and reuengement whereupon ariseth a heauie trembling and vnquiet conscience a troubled minde a heart so sorrowfull carefull and bruised that a man can haue no comfort with himselfe and of himselfe but his soull is full of all griefe sadnes anguish and terrour wherby he is much troubled because of the feare of that burning wrath which he seeth in the seuere countenance of God We haue an example in Dauid when he saith There is nothing sound in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinnes I am become miserable and crooked verie sore I goe mourning all the daie Such a terrour and true sense of sinne doth worke in the faithful an inward chaunge of the minde and the soule and a constant detesting of sinne and the causes and occasions thereof Hereunto it is streightwaie added by diligent teaching of the troubled terrified repentant that such men ought in a sincere affection of the heart with repentance an humble
vaine shadowes which they reason to preuaile although a man fall againe into mortall sinne And in this matter they haue deuised new iugling trickes They confesse that these satisfactions are not recompences but they saie that we muste admitte such satisfactions as chastisements as Paull doth punish the Corinthian 1. Cor. 5. That chastisement was excommunication and we confesse that they which are guiltie of manifest hainous deedes are by a lawfull iudgement and order to be excommunicated neither is iust excommunication a vaine lightning Yet notwithstanding the power of the Church doth not punish by corporall force as by prison or by hunger but it doth onelie pronounce this sentence The prison and common punishments doe pertaine to ciuill gouernours But such is the frowardnes of certaine men that although they see themselues conuinced by the euidence of truth yet they seeke to dallie by sophistrie lest if they should giue place they should be thought to haue betrayed their fellowes God which seeth the heart knoweth that with a simple indeauour we haue sought out the trueth OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of Repentance CHAP. 12. SEing that we must alwaies acknowledge our sinnes and beleeue that they be forgiuen for Christ his sake wee thinke it also meete that men should alwaies repent in this life But diuers men expound repentance diuerslie commonlie they make three partes of repentance Contrition Confession and Satisfaction We will seuerallie and brieflie runne ouer these partes that we maie declare what we maie thinke to be in deede Catholike and Apostolike in this doctrine of Repentance Of Contrition CHAP. 13. WE call Contrition a feeling of the wrath of God or a sorrow and great feare of the minde raised by the knowledge of the greatnes of our sinnes and the weightines of the wrath of God And we thinke that such a Contrition as the law of God doth vse to stirre vp in man is necessarilie required in true repentance but to teach that it doth deserue remission of sinnes or that it is a purging of our sinnes before God we thinke it contrarie to the Apostolike doctrine God truelie doth not despise a contrite and an humble heart as the Psalme saith but therefore he doth not despise it because the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ tooke vpon him a contrite humble heart by whose onelie contrition and humiliation our sinnes are purged before God and his wrath is pacified Now we are made partakers of this pacification when with a contrite and humble heart we beleeue that Iesus Christ alone is our reconciler with the heauenlie Father Isa 53. He was wounded for out trangressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisment of our peace was vpon him and by his stripes we are healed 1. Ioh. 2. He is the propitiation for our sinnes Act. 10. To him giue all the Prophets witnes that through his name all that beleeue in him shall haue remission of their sinnes Also the examples of Cain Esau Saul Iudas Iscarioth and such like doe witnes that Contrition is not a merit of remission of sinnes For these men although they had so great contrition that it seemed to them a thing more tollerable to dispatch their life either by strangling or by thrusting themselues in with swordes rather then to suffer those horrible griefes yet could they not obteine remission of their sinnes The Glosse saith If we looke narrowlie to the matter remission of sinnes is to be attributed to the grace of God not to contrition Wherfore we confesse that to shew forth true repentance Contrition is necessarie yet not to this ende that it should be any merit or purging of our sinnes before God but that man acknowledging the greatnes of his sinnes should be stirred vp to seeke remission of sinnes saluation in the onelie free clemencie and mercie of God and that onelie for Iesus Christ our Lord his sake by faith Of Confession CHAP. 14. THey call confession a reckoning vp of sinnes before a Priest Therfore such confession as hath hitherto bin vsed as it was not commaunded of God so it is manifest that the auncient Church did not exact it with such seueritie as if it had beene necessarie to obteine eternal saluation And it is not to be doubted but that we ought to acknowledge our selues before God to be sinners and to confesse our sinnes to God yea the auncient Ecclesiasticall writers doe graunt that it is free for any one to reckon vp his sins before man vnles in some matter man be offended and the trueth by lauful and deuine calling is to be declared Chrysostome saith I will thee not to bewraie thy selfe openlie nor to accuse 〈◊〉 selfe before others but I counsell thee to obeie the Prophet saying Open thy waie vnto the Lorde And againe If thou ar◠ashamed to shew thy sinnes to any man then vtter them euerie daie in thine heart I saie nos goe confesse thy sinnes to they felow seruant that maie vpbraide thee with them but confesse them vnto God that is able to cure them Now although these wordes of Chrysostome vse to be expounded of those sinnes which were before confessed to a Priest yet is this exposition a manifest wresting of the meaning of Chrysostome and the Ecclesiasticall historie doth euidentlie witnes that this custome of confessing vnto a Priest was abrogated in the Church of Constantinople Augustine saith What haue I 〈◊〉 doe with men that they should heare my confessions as if they 〈◊〉 able to heale all my griefes They are verie curious to know an other mans life and verie slow in amending their own Ambrose saith Peter sorrowed and weept because he erred as man I doe not final what he saide I know that he wept I reade of his teares I doe not reade of his satisfaction And although we thinke that it is not necessarie to saluation to reckon vp sinnes before a Priest and that it is not any merite of remission of sinnes yet we endeuour that a generall confession of sinnes so farre as may be and is lawfull maie be reteined in our Churches and that for two causes One is that by this priuate conference the ignorant may be admonished and instructed in necessarie matters the other that by this occasion the Gospell of Christ touching remission of sinnes maie be heard priuatelie the which Gospell is the true Keie of the Kingdome of heauen and absolution from sinne and that by the hearing of the Gospell or absolution faith m aie be either conceiued or confirmed For that we may truelie repent we thinke that there is nothing more sure certaine then that of necessity we should haue faith to this ende that as the Gospel of Christ doth declare it so we may assuredlie beleeue that our sinnes are freely pardoned and forgiuen for our Lord Iesus Christ his sake We are not ignorant if we looke vnto our workes that we are not one he to doubt but also to dispaire of our saluation
because that our workes seeme they neuer so good cannot stand vpright before the seuere tribunal seat of God Neither are we ignorant that some doubt of the mercie and fauour of God doth alwaies cleaue to our flesh so long as we liue in the bodie But seeing that God doth promise vnto vs his free mercie for Christ his Sonnes sake and doth require of vs that we doe obedientlie beleeue the Gospell of his sonne he therewith also doth require that we mortifie the doubting of the flesh and haue a moste assured affiance in his mercie that we doe not accuse his promise to be so full of deceit as we are of doubting And that we maie conceiue sure confidence therein he placed our saluation not in the merites of our righteousnes which is vnperfect but onelie in the merites of his sonne our Lord Iesus Christ whose righteousnes as it is moste perfect so is it moste firme and constant in the iudgement of God Mar. 1. Repent and beleeue the Gospell He commaundeth vs to beleeue the Gospell which declareth vnto vs the certaine fauour of God toward vs for Christ his sake therefore he will not haue vs to doubt of his fauour toward vs but that we maie conceiue sure considence thereof Ioan 6. This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him whome the Father hath sent If God require of vs that we beleeue in his Sonne certeinlie he would not haue vs to doubt but that we put our sure confidence in him Iames. 1. If anie of you want wisdome let him aske of him which giueth it namelie of God who giueth I saie to all men without exception vpbraideth not and it shall be giuen him but let him aske with confidence nothing doubting Hilarie saith The kingdome of heauen which the Prophets foreshewed Iohn preached and our Lord professed to consist in him selfe he will haue vs to hope for without anie doubting of a wauering will Otherwise iustification through faith is none at all if faith itselfe be doubtfull And Augustine saith He that doth dispaire of the pardon of his sinnes doth denie that God is mercifull he that doth distrust of the mercie of God doth great iniurie vnto God and as much as in him lieth he denieth that God hath loue trueth and power in which thinges all our hope doth consist Sixtus saith He which is doubtfull in faith is an infidell Wherefore we thinke that they who counsell vs to doubt of the fauour of God towards vs doe â—ot onelie dissent from the true iudgement of the Catholike Church but also prouide verie ill for the saluation of the Church Of Satisfaction CHAP. 15. AS touching satisfaction we beleeue and confesse that the alone passion and death of the onelie begotten sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ is a satisfaction for our sinnes and that this satisfaction of Christ is offered and applied to vs by the ministerie of the Gospell and is receiued of vs by faith We also confesse that after the satisfaction of Christ is applied and by faith receiued we ought necessarily to doe those good workes which God hath commaunded not that by them we might purge our sinnes before God but that we might bring forth good fruites of repentance and testifie our thankefullnes For as touching praier fasting giuing of almes such like works we thinke that they are diligentlie to be performed yet that they haue a farre other vse then that they should by their merites either satisfie God for our sinnes or applie vnto vs the merite of Christ OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SVEVELAND Of Confession CHAP. 20. SEeing that true confession of sinnes and such as hath it beginning from godlines can be performed of no man whome his repentance and true sorow of minde doth not force thereunto it cannot be wrested out by anie precept Wherefore neither Christ himselfe nor the Apostles would commaund it Therfore for this cause our preachers doe exhort men to confesse their sinnes and therewithall they shew what fruit ariseth hereof that a man should secretlie seeke for comforte counsell doctrine instruction and at the hands of a man that is a Christian and wise yet by commaundement they vrge no man but doe rather affirme that such commaundements doe hinder godlines For that constitution of confessing sinnes vnto a priest hath driuen infinite soules vnto desperation and is subiect to so manie corruptions that of late it ought to haue bene abrogated and without doubt had bene abrogated if the gouernours of Churches of late time had burned with so great a zeale to remooue awaie stumbling blookes as in times past Nestorius the Bishoppe of Constantinople did burne who did vtterlie abolish secret confession in his Church because that a certaine noble woman going often to Church vnder pretence of doing the workes of repentance was deprehended to haue to doe with a Deacon Infinite such vndoubted sinnes were committed euerie where Moreouer the Pontifical laws do require that the hearer iudge of confession should be so holie learned wise mercifull that a man can hardlie finde out especiallie among those that are commonlie appointed to heare confessions to whom he might confesse him selfe And now the Schoolmen doe thinke that it is better to confesse sinnes to a laie man then to that Priest by whome we maie not looke to be edified in godlines This is the summe That confession bringeth more hurt then profit which sound repentance true sorow of the minde for sinnes committed doth not wring out Therfore seeing this is the gift of god alone that we maie repent of our sinnes be truelie sorowfull for that we haue sinned nothing that maie turne to saluation can be done in this matter by commaundementes as hath hitherto bene too too manifest euen by experience THE NINTH SECTION OF IVSTIFICATION BY FAITH AND OF good workes and their Rewards THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of the true Iustification of the faithfull CHAP. 15. TO iustifie in the Apostles disputation touching iustification doth signifie to remitte sinnes to absolue from the faulte and the punishment therof to receiue into fauour to pronounce a man iuste For the Apostle saith to the Rom. God is he that iustifieth who is he that can condemne Where to Iustifie and to condemne are opposed And in the Actes of the Apostles the Apostle saith Through Christ is preached vnto you forgiuenes of sinnes and from all things from which ye could not be iustified by the lawe of Moses by him euery one that beleueth is iustified For the lawe also in and in the Prophets we reade that If a controuersie were risen amongst anie and they came 〈◊〉 iudgement the Iudge should iudge them that is iustifie the righteous and make wicked or condemne the wicked And in the 5. chapter of Isaiah woe to them which iustifie the wicked for rewards Now it is most certaine that we are all by nature sinners and before the iudgement seat of God conuicted of
God his sake that is laying holde by faith vpon Christ himselfe who 〈◊〉 our righteousnes as Ieremie Paul do saie because that by his merit we haue remission and God doth impute his righteousnes to vs and for him doth account vs iust and by giuing his holie spirit doth quicken and regenerate vs as it is saide Ioh. 5. This is life in his Sonne He that hath the Sonne hath eternall life he that hath not the Sonne of God hath not life And. Rom. 3. That he may be iust and a iustifier And although newnes is withall begunne which shall be perfect in the life eternal wherunto we are redeemed yet neither for the new qualities nor for any workes is any man in this life made iust that is acceptable to God and heire of eternall life but onelie for the Mediatours sake who suffered rose againe reigneth and praieth for vs shadowing and quickning vs. For although vertues are here begunne yet be they still imperfect the reliques of sinne do sticke in vs. Therefore we must holde this comfort that the person is accepted for the Sonne of God his sake his righteousnes beeing imputed to vs as it is said Rom. 4. Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes Also Blessed are they whose inicâ—ities be forgiuen and whose sinnes be couered Therefore this saying must be vnderstood correlatiuelie We are iustified by faith that is we are iustified by confidence in the Sonne of God not for our quality but because he is the reconciler in whom the heart doth rest in confidence of the promised mercie for his sake Which confidence he doth raise vp in vs by his holie Spirit as Paull saith Ye haue receiued the Spirit of the aâ—â—ption of the sonnes by whom we crie Abba Father Here also we must speake of the exclusiue member Paull doth often repeat the word Freely by which it is moste certaine that the condition of our merites is excluded Therefore it is saide in our Churches We are iustified by Faith alone which we so vnderstand and declare Freely for the onelie Mediatours sake not for our contrition or other our merites we haue our sinnes forgiuen vs and are reconciled to God For although contrition and many other vertues are together with Faith or with this confidence kindled in vs yet these vertues are not the cause or the merit of the Remission of sinnes neither doth the person please God in regarde of them according to that saying No man liâ—ing shall be iustified in thy sight but the person hath remission and doth certenlie please God by reason of the Mediatour who must be apprehended by faith as it is saide Eph. 3. Bâ— whome we haue boldnes and entrance with confidence by Faith in him This wholl doctrine is more manifest in the true conuersion and dailie inuocation of the godlie When we are in great feare by the knowledge of the wrath of God this one comfort is fâ—rme and sure to flie to the Sonne of God who saith Come vnto me all ye that labour and are loaden and I will refresh you Also As I liue I will not the death of a sinner but that he returne and liue Also Grace aboundeth more then sinne In these griefes if man be taught to doubt of the remission of sinnes sorrow will haue the vpper hand and then follow moste greeuous murmurings against God and desperation and eternall death but if man be taught that doubting is to be ouercome by faith then shall he vnderstand that by the worde Faith is not onelie signified the knowledge of the storie he shall know that confidence doth relie vpon the onelie Mediatour and he shall perceiue what is meant by these wordes Freely for the Mediatour sake remission is receiued by faith alone and so the person is made acceptable This wrastling hath at all times instructed some For though Origen manie other â—ritâ—â—s 〈◊〉 sententiaries haue brought forth an impuâ—e kinde of doctrine yet in Augustine and certaine others we â—eede diuers sentences which shew that they also receiued comfort out of th se true fountains Who although they dâ—e 〈◊〉 speake vnproperlie of thinges vnlike because they were 〈…〉 negligent in speaking yet we maie 〈…〉 what was their perpetuall iudgement if we will iudge 〈◊〉 Augustine â—â—on the Psal 31. saith Who be happieâ— not they â—n whome god shall not sinde sinnes for those he findeth in all men For all men haue sinned and are destitute of the glorie of God Therefore if sinnes be found in 〈◊〉 men it is euident that none are happie but those whose sinnes it forgiuen This therefore the Apostle did thus commend Abraâ—aâ— beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes Here certainlie Augustine by faith doth vnderstand confidence which receiueth remission of sinnes and that which is said in Genesis and in Paull he doth altogether vnsterstand it as we expound it And in his booke De spiritu litera he saith By the law we feare God and by faith we flie to his mercie Bernard in his Sermon De 〈◊〉 saith First of all it is necessarie to beleeue that thou canst not haue remission of sinnes but by the mercie of God But aâ—â—â— thereunto that thou maist also beleeue this that through him thy sinnes be forgiuen thee This is the witnes which the holie Ghost doth â—iâ—e in our heart saying Tâ—y sinnes be forgiuen thee For so doth the Apostle thinke that a man is iustified freelie by faith In this sentence the iudgement of our Churches is plainlie and properlie alledged and like testimonies are to be sound in this author Basill also in his sermon of Humilitie doth most properly set forth our iudgement in these wordes He that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lorde saying that Christ is maie vnto vâ— of God wisedome and righteousnes and sanctification and 〈◊〉 aâ— it is written He that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lorde For this is perâ—â—ct and sound reioycing in God when as a man is not puffed vp by reason of his owne righteousnes but doth acknowledge that he doth stand in neede of the true righteousnes and that he is iustified by faith alone in Christ Seeing therefore that by this which hoth bin spoken it is manifest what the worde Faith doth signifie in this proposition We are iustified by Faith herereupon we maie vnderstand that the Monkes and others doe daungerouslie erâ—e which doe commaund those that are turned to God to doubt whether they doe please God This common errour of doubting is euidentlie refuted by these wordes Being iustified by Faith we haue peace with God Also Therefore is righteousnes of faith that the promise might be sure For so long as mens hearts are tormented with doubting they flie from God they doe not rest in God nor call vpon him and the promise becommeth vnto them but a vaine sound because they giue not consent vnto it To conclude it is the eternall and immutable commaundement of God that we should
in this life as our Lord saith Mat. â—2 The kingdome of God is like vnto a drawe net 〈◊〉 into 〈…〉 wâ—â—rein 〈◊〉 are gathered both good and bad but yet they which become enemies to the true doctrine cease to be members of this visible congregation according to that saying Is anie man teach another Gospell let him be accâ—â—sed OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of the cheefe Bishop THere be those that attribute this to the Bishop of Rome that he is the heade of the Vniuersall Church that he hath power in earth not onelie to ordeine ciuill kingdomes and to gouerne all Ecclesiasticall persons and matters but also to commaund the Angels in heauen to deliuer soules out of Purgatorie and to blesse or deliuer whom it pleaseth him But we acknowledge that if the Bishop of Rome were a godly man and did teach the gospel of Christ according to the writings of the Prophets Apostles then he had a ministerie of high authoritie in this earth to wit a ministerie of remitting and reteining sinnes then which ministerie there is nothing greater or more excellent in this earth But he alone hath not this ministerie but he hath it in common with all those who by a lawful calling do preach the Gospell of Christ For the ministerie of remitting or reteining sinnes which otherwise is called the key of the kingdome of heauen is not giuen to the free power of the person of men but it is so neerelie annexed to the worde of the gospell that so many as do preach the Gospel may truly be said to remit and to reteine sins to wit to remit their sins who by faith doe receiue the Gospell to reteine theirs that doe contemne the Gospell Mar. 16. Preach the Gospell to euerie creature He that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued but he that will not beleeue shall be damned Hilarie De Trinit lib. 6. saith The father reuealed it to Peter that he should saie thou art the Sonne of God Therfore vpon this rock of Confession is the Church builded this faith is the foundation of the Church whatsoeuer this faith shall loose or binde in earth shall be loosed or bound in heauen Chrysostome saith They which beare the keies be the priests to whome the worde of teaching and interpreting the Scriptures is committed Now the keie is the worde of the knowledge of the Scriptures by which keie the trueth is opened to men Augustine De Doctâ— Christ Lib. 1. Cap. 18. saith These keies did he giue to the Church that whatsoeuer it looseth in earth should be loosed in heauen to â—it that whosoeuer would not beleeue that his sinnes are forgiuen hiâ— in the Church they should not be forgiuen to him but whosoeuer should beleeue and being corrected doth turne from his sinnes being placed in the lappe of the Church should by the same faith and correction be healed Ambrose saith Sinnes are remitted by the worde whereof the Leuite is the interpreter or expounder Bernard in epist ad Eug. saith The true successâ—â—er of Paull will sate with Paull Not that we haue dominion ouer your saith but we are helpers â—f your ioy The heires of Peter will heare Peter saying Not as though ye were Lordes ouer Gods heritage but that ye maie be ensamples to the flocke Thomas in Summa sua parte 3. in addit q. 6. art 6. saith Because the Church is founded vpon Faith and the Sacraments therefore it doth not pertaine to the ministers of the Church to make new Articles of Faith or to set a parte those which are made neither to appoint new Sacramentes or to take awaie those which are appointed but this is proper to that excellencie of power which iâ— due to Christ alone who is the foundation of the Church And therfore as the Pope cannot dispense that anie one maie be saued without Baptisme so can he not dispense with anie to be saued without confession because that he bindeth by force of a Sacrament And although Thomas haue his opinions touching confession yet this which he saith It doth not pertaine to the Ministers of the Church among whome he reckoneth the Pope to make new Articles of Faith and to appoint new Sacraments is in deede an Apostolike and Catholike iudgement For no other ministerie doeth perteine to the ministers of the Church which haue their calling from Christ then that which we mentâ—oned before and which the Apostles of Christ themselues did execute touching the remittting and reteining of sinnes Therefore if anie thing more then this ministerie be attributed to the Bishop of Rome this is either giuen vnto him by mans ordinances or els it is feigned by the Monkes and other flatterers against the authoritie of the worde of God Of the Church WE beleeue and coâ—fâ—sse that there is one holie Catholique and Apostolique Church according to the Creede of the Apostles and the Nicene Creede 2. That this Church is so gouerned of the holie Ghost that although he suffer it to be weake in this earth yet he doth â—lwaies preserue it that it doe not perish either by errours or by sinnes 3. That in this world manie naughtie men and hypocrites are mingled with this Church 4. That these naughtie men and hypocrites if by a lawfull calling they shall take vponthem the ministerie of the Church shall not of themselues anie whit hinder the trueth of the Sacraments except they peruert the ordinance of Christ and teach wicked thinges 5. That in this Church there is true remission of sinnes 6. That this Church hath authoritie to beare witnes of the holie Scripture 7. That this Church hath authoritie to iudge of all doctrines according to that Trie the spirits whether they be of God And Let the other iudge 8. That this Church hath authoritie * to interpret the scripture But where this Church is to be sought and whether her authoritie be limited within certaine boundes diuers men doe iudge diuerslie But we thinke that men are to iudge by the authoritie both of the holie Scripture and also of the auncient Fathers that the true Catholike and Apostolike Church is not tied to one certaine place or nation nor to one certaine kinde of men but that it is in that place or nation where the Gospel of Christ is sincerelie preached and his Sacraments rightlie administred according to Christ his institution Ioan. 10. I haue saide ye are Gods He called them Gods vnto whome the worde of God was giuen c. Therefore there is the people or Church of God where the worde of God is preached Iohn 15. Now you are cleane through the worde which I haue spoken to you Therefore the worde of Christ which is the Gospell doeth declare where that Church is which is cleane in the sight of God Rom. 1. The Gospell is the power of God to saluation to euerie one that beleeueth Therefore where the Gospell is which is acknowledged by faith there God hath his Church wherein he
by the bridle of discipline kept within their compasse that the poore in like manner and those that be afflicted may be releeued either with aide or comfort according to the seuerall necessitie of euerie one For then shall all things in the Church be done in due conuenient order when faithfull and godlie men are chosen to haue the gouernement of the same euen as Saint Paull hath prescribed in the first to Timothie the 3. and the first to Titus We beleeue that the Ministers Seniours and Deacons ought to be called to those their functions by the lawfull election of the Church to be aduaunced into those roomes earnest praier beeing made vnto God after the order manner which is set downe vnto vs in the worde of God This especiall◠〈◊〉 one ought to take diligent heede of that he doe not bâ—â—â—lawfull meanes thrust himselfe into those offices For 〈◊〉 must waite vntill he be called of God himselfe that he 〈◊〉 haue a certaine testimonie of his vocation and may know 〈◊〉 is from the Lorde Yet in what place of the worlde 〈…〉 the ministers of the worde of God doe keepe they haue 〈◊〉 them the same and equall power and authoritie beeing 〈…〉 â—hem equallie the ministers of Christ the onelie vniuersall 〈…〉 and head of the Church Moreouer lest that this holie 〈…〉 of god be despised and brought into contempt it is the 〈◊〉 of all men to haue a verie honourable and reuerent opinâ—â—â—â— of all the Ministers of the worde and Seniours of the Church euen for that workes sake wherein they doe labour also to be at peace and vnitie with them and as much as possiblie may be to abstaine from all manner of quarrelings and contentions one with another OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGE COncerning Ecclesiasticall orders they teach that no man should publikelie in the Church teach or mininister the Sacraments except he be rightlie called according as Saint Paull giueth commaundement to Titus To ordaine Elders in euerie Citie Out of the Articles concerning abuses Of the power Ecclesiastical THere haue bin great controuersies touching the power and authoritie of Bishops in which many haue incommodiously mingled together the ecclesiasticall power and the power of the sword And out of this confusion there hath sprong very great warres and tumults while that the Popes bearing themselues bolde vpon the power of keies haue not onlie appointed new kindes of worship seruice of God burdened mens consciences by reseruing of cases and by violent excommunications but also haue laboured to transferre wordlie kingdomes from one to an other and to spoile Emperours of their power and authoritie These faultes did godlie and learned men long since reprehended in the Church and for that cause our diuines were faine for the comforte of mens consciences to shew the difference betweâ—ne the Ecclesiastic all and ciuil powers And they haue taught that either of them because Gods commaundement is duetifullie to be reuerenced and honoured as the cheefest blessings of god vpon earth Now their iudgement is this that the power of the keies or the power of Bishopps by the rule of the Gospel is a power or commaundement from God of preaching the Gospell of remitting or retaining sinnes and of administring the Sacraments For Christ doth send his Apostles with this charge As the father hath sent me so send I you Receiue yee the holic Ghost whose sins ye forgiue they are forgiuen them whose sins ye reteine they are reteined Mar. 16. Goe and preach the Gospell to euerie creature c. This power is put in execution onelie by teaching or preaching the Gospell and administring the sacraments either to many ioyntlie or to seuerall persons according to their calling For they be not corporall thinges but eternall that are graunted vnto vs as an eternal righteousnes the holie Ghost life euerlasting These things cannot begotten but â—y the ministerie of the worde and Sacraments As Paull saith The Gospell is the power of God to saluation to euerie one that beleueth Seing then that the power ecclesiastical concerneth things eternall is put in vse onelie by the ministery of the word it hindreth not the politicall gouernement no more then doth the* skill of musicke or singing For the ciuil gouernement is occupied about other matters then is the Gospell the Magistrate is to defend not the mindes but the bodies and bodelie things against manifest iniuries he restreineth men by the sworde and corporall punishment that he may vpholde peace and a ciuill iustice Wherefore the Ecclesiasticall and ciuill powers are not to be confounded The Ecclesiasticall power hath a peculiar commaundement to preach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments Let it not by force enter into another charge let it not tourne wordlie kingdomes from the right owners Let it not abrogate the Magistrates lawes let it not withdraw from them lawfull obedience let it not hinder iudgements touching any ciuil ordinances and statutes or contractes let it not prescribe lawes to the magistrate touching the for me of a common wealth as Christ saith My kingdome is not of this world Againe Whoe made me a iudge or a diâ—idâ—r ouer you And Paull to the Philip. 3. Our conuersation is in heauen 2. Cor. â—0 The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie in god to throw downe the imaginations c. Thus doe our diuines discerne and distinguish the dueties of each power one from the other and doe warne all men to honour both powers and to acknowledge both to be the good gift and blessing of God * If so â—e that the Bishopes haue anie power of the sword they haue it not as bishops by the commaundement of the Gospell but by mans law giuen vnto them of Kinges and Emperours for the ciuil gouernment of their goods Yet this is a kinde of function and charge diuerse from the ministerie of the Gospell Therefore when as the question is touching the iurisdiction of Bishoppes rule and dominion must be distinguished from Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction Againe by the Gospell or as they tâ—arâ—e it by Gods lawe Bishops as they be Bishops that is such as haue the administration of the word sacraments coÌ„mitted to them haue no iurisdiction at all but onlie to forgiue sin also to know what is true doctrine to reiect such doctrine as will not stand with the Gospell * to debarre from the communion of the Church such as are notoâ—iouslâ—e wicked not by humane force and violence but by the worde of God And * herein of necessitie the Churches ought by the law of God to performe obedience vnto them according to the saying of Christ he that heareth you heareth me But when as they teach or determine any thing contrary to the Gospel then haue the Churches a coÌ„maundement of God which forbiddeth obedience to them Mat. 7. Beware of false Prophets Gal. 1. If an Angel from heauen preach any other Gospell let him
in this rehearsall he maketh no mention at all of priuat Priestes of which sorte the world is now full neither is it like that he world haue omitted this kinde of Priestes if either Christ had appointed it or if it had beene profitable and necessarie for the Church And Paull writeth that a Bishope ought to be apâ—e to teach And Ierome teacheth that A Priest and a Bishoppe are all one Therefore it is euident that excepta Priest be ordeined in the Church to the ministerie of teaching he can not rightly take vnto him neither the name or a Prieste nor the name of a Bishoppe OVT OF THE CONFSSION OF SVEVRLAND Of the Office dignitie and power of Ecclesiasticall Persons TOuching the ministery and dignitie of the Ecclesiasticalorder we do thus 〈…〉 that there is no power in the Church but that which tendeth to edifying â— Cor. 10. Secondlie that we must nor thinke otherwise or any man in this state then Paull would haue men to esteeme either of him selfe or of Peter and Apollo and others As of the seruantes of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God in â—â—ome this is chiefelie required that they be faithfull For these be they which haue the keies of the kingdome of God and the power to binde and loose 〈◊〉 â—o remit or retaine sinnes yet that power is so limited that they be neuerthelesse the ministers of Christ to whome alone the right and authoritie to open heauen and forgiue sinnes doth properlie pertaine For neither he which planteth nor he that watereth is anie thing but God that giueth the increase 1. Cor 3. Neither is anie man of himselfe fitte to thinke anie of those thinges as of himselfe but if anie man be found fitte thereunto he hath it all of God VVho giueth to whome it pleaseth him to be the ministers and preachers of the new Testament to wit so farre forth as he giueth them a minde faithfullie to preach the meaning and vnderstanding of the Gospell vseth them hereunto that men maie be brought by a true faith to his new couenant of grace Furthermore these be they which doe minister vnto vs the dead letter that is such a doctrine of trueth as pearceth no farther then to humane reason but the spirit which quickneth and doth so pearee into our spirit and soule that it doth throughlie perswade our heart of the trueth These are the true fellow labourers of the Lord 1. Cor. 3. opening in deed heauen and forgiuing sinnes 〈◊〉 those to whome they declare the doctrine of faith 〈◊〉 meanes of the grace and spirit of God Whereupon Christ sending out his Apostles to exercise this duetie he breathed vpon them saying Take yee the holie Ghost And further more he addeth whose sinnes ye remit c. Hereof it is manifest that the true and fit ministers of the Church such as be bishops Seniors annointed and consecrated can doe nothing but in respect of this that they be sent of God For how shall they preach saith Paull except they be sent That is except they receiue of God both a minde and power to preach the holie Gospell aright and with fruit and to feede the flocke of Christ And also except they receiue the holie Ghost whoe maie worke together with them and perswade mens hearts Other vertues wherwith these men must be endued are rehearsed 1. Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Therfore they which are in this sort sent anointed consecrated and qualified they haue an earnest care for the flocke of Christ and doe labour faithfullie in the worde and doctrine that they maie feed the people more fruitfullie and these are acknowledged and accounted of our preachers for such Bishops as the Scripture euerie where speaketh of and euery Christian ought to obey their commaundements But they which giue them selfes to other things they place them selfes in other mens seats and do worthelie take vnto them selues other names Yet notwithstanding the life of any man is not so much to be blamed as that therfore a Christian should refuse to heare him if peraduenture he teach somthing out of the chaire of Moses or Christ that is either out of the law of God or out of the holie gospell that maie serue for edification They which bring a diuers or a staunge voice whatsoeuer they be they are in no account or estimation with the sheepe of Christ Ioh. 10. Yet they which haue a seculare power and soueraigntie they haue it of God him selfe howsoeuer they be called therefore he should resist the ordinance of God whosoeuer should oppose him-selfe to that temporall gouernment These things doe our Preachers teach touching the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall persons so that they haue great iniurie offered to them in that they are blamed as though they sought to bring the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall prelats to nothing whereas they neuer forbad them that worldlie gouernement and authoritie which they haue But they haue often wished that they would come nearer to the Ecclesiasticall commaundements and that either they them selues would instruct and faithfullie feede the consciences of Christians out of the holie Gospell or that at the least wise they would admit others hereunto and ordeine such as were more fitte for this purpose This is it I saie that out Preachers haue oftentimes requested of the Prelates them selues so faire haue they beene from opposing themselues at anie time to their spirituall authoritie But wheras we could not either beare anie longer the doctrine of certaine Preachers but beeing driuen thereunto by necessitie we haue placed others in their roome or els haue reteined those also which haue renounced that Ecclesiasticall superioritie We did it not for anie other cause but for that these did plainlie and faithfullie declare the voice of our Lord Iesus christ the other did mingle therwith all mans inuentions For so often as the question is concerning the holie Gospell and the doctrine of trueth Christians must whollie turne them selues to the Bishop of their soules the Lord Iesus Christ and not admit the voice of anie straunger by any meanes wherein notwithstanding neither we nor they do offer violence to anie man for Paull saith All thinges are yours whether it be Paull or Apollos 〈◊〉 Cephas or the worlde or life or death whether they be thinges present or thinges to come euen all are yours and ye Christes and Christ Gods Therefore seeing that Peter and Paull are ours and we are not theirs but Christes and that after the same manner that Christ himselfe is his Fathers to witte that in all thinges which we are or maie be we might liue to him alone Furthermore seing to this ende we haue power to vse all thinges yea euen men themselues of what sorte soeuer they be as though they were our owne and are not to suffer that anie man or anie thing should hinder vs therein no Ecclesiasticall persons maie iustlie complaine of vs or obiect to vs that we are not sufficientlie obedient to them or
Paull could not be withhâ—ld but in so fit a place he would plainelie haue declared this state of soules and would haue prescribed a meane vnto the Church whereby miserable soules might be deliuered from their torment But the true and Catholike Church in deed hath plainelie shewed that shee hath no certaintie at all concerning this third kinde of the state of soules in another world Chrysostome in his second sermon of Lazarus saieth If thou hast violently taken anie thing from anie man restore it and saie as doth Zacheus If I haue taken from anie man by forged cauillation I restore fourefoulde If thou art become an enimie to anie man be reconciled before thou come to iudgement Discharge all thinges here that without greefe thou maist beholde that tribunall seat Whilest we be here we haue manie excellent hopes But so soone as we depart thither it is not then in our power to repent nor to wash awaie our sinnes And againe He that in this present life shall not wash awaie his sinnes shall not finde any comforte afterward Augustine although he place certaine men in the middest betiwxt them that be verie good and those that be verie euill to the one sorte whereof he seemeth to assigne the place of Purgatorie yet in other places he doubteth of that matter and doth not define anie certaintie Therefore we must so thinke of this opinion of Augustine as he requireth that is we must receiue that which is confirmed either by the authority of the Scripture or by probable reason But it is euident that those places of the Scripture which are commonlie cited to establish Purgatorie are wrested from the naturall to a straunge sense and are farre otherwise expounded euen of the aâ—ncient writers themselues And those reasons which Augustine bringeth for his opinion do seme to leane to this foundation That we obtaine remission of our sinnes and life not onelie for Christ his sake through faith but also for the merites of our workes But how this agreeth with the true Apostolike doctrine we haue before declared Wherefore we thinke that this speculation of Purgatorie fire is to be left to it owne authors and that we must chiefely doe this as Paull exhorteth vs that we maie confirme our selues one another with speaches touching the assured faith of our resurrection and saluation in Christ Iesus for whose sake God doth so fauour the faithfull that in the middest of death he preserueth them and giueth them true peace OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SVEVELAND Of praiers and fastinges CHAP. 7. VVE haue among vs praiers and Religious fastes which are moste holie workes and such as doe verie much beseeme Christians whereunto our Preaehers do most diligentlie exhorte their hearers For true fasting is as it were a renouncing of this present life which is alwaies subiect to euill lustes and desires and a meditation of the life to come which is free from all perturbation And praier is a lifting vp of the minde vnto God and such a familiar speach with him as no other thing can so greatlie set a man on fire with heauenlie affections more mightelie make the minde comformable to the will of God And though these exercies be neuer so holie and necessarie for Christians yet seeing that a mans neighbour is not so much benefited by them as man is prepared that he maie with fruit and profit haue regarde of his neighbour they are not to be preferred before holie doctrine godlie exhortations and admonitions and also other dueties whereby our neighbour doth presentlie receiue some profit Whereupon we reade of our Sauiour that in the night time he gaue him selfe to praier and in the daie time to doctrine and to heale the sicke For as loue is greater then faith and hope so to beleeue those thinges which come neerest vnto loue to wit such as bring assured profit vnto men are to be perferred before all other holie functions whereupon S. Chrysostome writeth that Among the wholl companie of vertues fasting hath the last place Of the Commaunding of Fastes CHAP. 8. BVt because that no mindes but these that be ardent and peculiarlie stirred vp by the heauenlie inspiration can either praie or faste aright and with profit we beleeue that it is farre better after the example of the Apostles and the former more sincere Church by holie exhortations to inuite men hereunto then to wring them out by preceptes such especiallie as doe binde men vnder paine of deadlie sinne the which thing the Priestes that were of late toke vpon them to doe when as then the order of Priestes had not a litle degenerated But we had rather leaue the placetime and manner both of praying and also of fasting to the arbitrement of the holie Ghost then to prescribe them by certaine lawes especiallie such as maie not be broken without some sacrifice of amends Yet for their sakes that be the younger and more imperfect sorte our Preachers doe not dislike that there should be an appointed time and meanes both for prayer and also for fasting that as it were by these holie introductions to exercises they might be prepared hereunto so that it be done without bynding of the conscience We were induced thus to thinke not so much for that all compulsion being against a mans will is repugnant to the nature of these actions but rather because that neither Christ himselfe nor anie of his Apostles haue in any place made mentioÌ„ of such kinde of precepts this doth Chrysostome also witnes saying Thou seest that an vpright life doth helpe more then all other thinges Now I tearme an vpright life not the labour of Fasting nor the bed of haire or ashes but if thou doest despise monie no otherwise then it becommeth thee if thou burne with charitie if thou nourish the hungrie with thy bread if thou ouercome thy anger if thou dost not desire vaine glorie if thou be not possessed with enuie for these be the thinges that he teacheth for he doth not saie that he will haue his fast to be followed howbeit he might haue proponed those 40. daies vnto vs but he saith Learne of me because I am meeke and lowlie in heart Yea rather on the contrarie side saith he eate all that is set before you Moreouer we doe not read that anie solemne or set faste was enioyned to the auncient Church but that faste of one daie For those fastes which as the scripture doth witnes were ordeyned of Prophets and of Kinges it is certaine that they were no set fastes but enioyned onelie for their time to wit when as euident calamities either hanging ouer their heads or presentlie pinching them did so require it Seeing therfore that the Scripture as S. Paull doth affirme doth instruct a man to euerie good worke and yet is ignorant of these fastes which are extorted by precepts we doe not see how it could be lawful for the successours of the Apostles to ouercharge the Church with so
to be obserued but to be auoided For Christ our Lord doth sharpely reprooue those Pharisies and Masters of the Iewes by the name of such rites and traditions and for that they doe obserue such when he saith Verie well hath Esay prophecied of you hypocrites as it is written This people honoureth me with their lippes but their heart is farre away from me But they worship me in vaine seeing that they teach such doctrine as is deliuered and brought in by men For ye laie the commaundements of God aparte and obserue the traditions of men And holy Paull doth admonish vs to take heede of such toies deuised by men when he saith Beware lâ—st there be any that spoile you through philosophie and vaine deceit through the traditions of men according to the rudimentes of the world and not after Christ Whereof also there be Canons extant in the Canon lawe and the wordes be these We praise custome yet that onely which is knowne to vse nothing contrarie to the Catholique faith Wherfore those rites onely and those good ceremonies are to be obserued which among the people of God doe builde vp one onelie and that a true faith and a sincere worshippe of God concord charitie and true and Christian or religious peace Therefore whether they haue their beginning and be brought in of Bishops or of Ecclesiasticall Councells or of anie other authors whatsoeuer the simpler sorte are not to care for it neither to be mooued or disquieted but to vse them to good because they are good and to obserue this onelie rule therein as alwaies to put their greatest confidence in those things onelie which are of God settle their onelie and chiefe refuge in those things and with all diligence take heede that they be not withdrawne by such ceremonies from those things which are the chiefest of all and whereon religion is founded and so by consequent from the thinges themselues For those diuine and holsome things are to be preferred in euery respect before all other things of all men and the conscience ought to be bounde to them alone For the Lorde himselfe did pronounce a Woe against those Elders of the Iewes who preferred their owne traditions before the commaundements of God and those which were the lesser before things of greater weight You leaue saith he the weightiest matters of the lawe as iudgement and mercie and fidelitie These ought ye to haue done and not to haue lefâ—e the other And although our Preachers doe not keepe all rites alike with other Churches the which thing neither can be neither is necessarie to be done that in all places where there be Christian assemblies one and the same ceremonies should be vsed yet they doe not withstande or oppose themselues to anie good and godlie constitution neither are they so minded as that for the ceremonies sake they would raise vp anie dissensions although they should thinke that some of them were not verie necessarie so that they be not founde to be contrarie to God and to his worship and glorie and be such as do not diminish true faith in Iesus Christ which alone doth purchase righteousnes Howbeit in this place and in this point it must not be passed ouer with silence to wit that we ought by no meanes to burden the people with many superfluous and grieuous traditions such as the Mosaical traditions were vnder the law For the Apostles forbad that this should be done as also holie Peter said vnto certeine concerning this matter Why do ye tempt God in laying a yoke vpon the neckes of the disciples Also Be ye not saith Paul intangled with the yoke of bondage For which cause also Christ did vehementlie inueigh against the Scribes saying Woe also be to you Scribes for ye laie burdens vpon mens shoulders which can scarse be borne Also men are taught to acknowledge this that humane traditions do not containe a perpetual and immutable law but as they are for iust causes instituted of men so also they maie vpon iust and weightie causes and if the matter so require be broken abrogated and changed without anie sinne according to the example of the Apostles who did transgresse the traditions of the Elders when as they did eate bread with vnwashed handes and did not obserue the same fastes with others add yet they were not by this meanes guiltie of any sinne also according to the example of the first and holie Church vpon which the Apostles and the wholl councel laied this commaundement by the holie ghost that they should absteine from the eating of those thinges which were sacrificed to Idolls and of blood and of that which is strangled Notwithstanding after that the causes and occasions for the which this decree was made in processe of time did vanish awaie euen this Apostolicall constitution did grow out of vse Neither in these things ought we to care for the offence of the wicked who are offended with this thing as the Lord saith Let them alone they be blinde and guides of the blinde And on the other side we must take diligent heede hereunto that no offence be giuen to litle ones by a rash froward and wicked vsing of Christian libertie for this also the Lord saith Woe be to that man by whome offence commeth Now if so be that there be anie vnlikenes in traditions and externall ceremonies and if anie diuersitie which is not hurtfull be found in Ecclesiasticall assemblies certeinlie no man ought to be so ignorant in these thinges as for this cause to be offended therewith or to take offence at others and in this respect to reproch or hurt others or to be an author of sectes and also of factions seeing that there was neuer in all places one and the same forme of an Ecclesiasticall constitution in this point neither is at this day the same The which thing also is mentioned in the bookes of the Canon law in these wordes The holie Church of Rome doth know that constitutions and customes beeing diuers according to time place do nothing at all hinderthe saluation of the faithfull if the Canonicall authoritie be not against them Rather it becommeth euerie sound Christian to be content in his conscience to rest in that if he see Christians to haue the one spirit of Christ and with agreeing mindes to holde and follow his true meaning and one and the same doctrine in al these things and chiefe pointes of faith For he that hath not this Spirit of Christ he is not Christes as the Apostle doth witnes although he vse all and euerie kinde of ceremonies or constitutions Therefore whosoeuer be Christes this is their duetie as in all other such like thinges that as members of one bodie they do suffer and beare one with an other in charitie without the which no thing can profit anie whit according to the meaning of the Apostolike doctrine OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION WE
beleeue that it is expedient that they which be chosen to be gouernours in anie Church do wiselie looke vnto it among them selues by what meanes the wholl bodie maie conuenientlie be ruled yet so that they do neuer swarue from that which our Lord Iesus Christ hath instituted Yet this doth not hinder but that euerie place maie haue their peculiar constitutions as it shall seeme conuenient for them But we exclude all humane deuises and all those lawes which are brought in to binde mens consciences vnder pretence of the word of God and we do onelie like of those which serue for the nourishing of concord and to keepe euerie one in due obedience wherein we think that we are to follow that which our Lord Iesus Christ appointed touching excommunication which we do allow of and together with it additions thinke to be necessarie OVT OF THE ENGLISH CONFESSION AS touching the multitude of vaine and superfluous Ceremonies we know that Saint Augustine did greeuouslie complaine of them in his owne time and therefore haue we cut of a great number of them because we know that mens consciences were encombred about them and the Churches of God ouerladen with them Neuerthelesse we keepe still and esteeme not onely those Ceremonies which we are sure were deliuered to vs from the Apostles but some others too besides which we thought might be suffered without hurt to the Church of God for that we had a desire that all thinges in the holy congregation might as Saint Paull commaundeth be done with comelines and in good order But as for all those thinges which we saw were either verie susuperstitious or vtterlie vnprofitable or noisome or mockeries or contrarie to the holie scriptures or else vnseemelie for sober discreet people wherof there be infinite numbers now a daies where the Roman Religion is vsed these I saie we haue vtterlie refused without all manner exception because we would not haue the right worshiping of God to be anie longer defiled with such follies OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BEGIA IN the meane time we beleeue that it is in deede profitable that the Elders which doe gouerne in Churches should appoint some order among them-selues so that they do diligently take heed that in no case they do swarue or decline from those things which Christ himselfe our onelie master hath once appointed Therefore we do reiect all humane inuentions and all those lawes which were brought in to be a worship of God that mens consciences should anie waie thereby be snared or bound and we receiue those onelie which are fit either to cherish or manteine concord or to keepe vs in the obedience of God And hereunto excommunication is chiefelie necessarie being vsed according to the commaundement of the word of god and other additions of Ecclesiasticall discipline annexed thereunto OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGE Art 15. COncerning Ecclesiasticall rites which are ordeined by mans authoritie they teach that such rits are to be obserued as maie be kept without sinne do tend to quietnes and good order in the Church as namelie set holidaies and certein godlie psalmes and other such like rits But yet touching this sort of rites they teach that mens consciences are not to be burdened with superstitious opinions of them that is it must not be thought that these humane ordinances are righteousnes before God or do deserue remission of sinnes or are dueties necessarie vnto the righteousnes reuealed in the gospel But this is to be thought of them that they are indifferent thinges which without the case of offence may be omitted But such as breake them with offence are faultie as those which doe rashlie disturbe the peace of the Churches Such traditions therefore as cannot be obserued without sinne are reiected of vs as the tradition of single life We reiect also that impious opinion of traditions and vowes wherein they feign that worships inuented by mans authority do merit remission of sinnes are satisfactions for sinne c. Of which like false opinions touching vowes and fastings not a few haue beene spread abroade in the Church by vnlearned men This Article is thus to be found in another edition COncerning Ecclesiasticall rites they teach that those rites are to be obserued which maie be kept without anie sinne and are auaileable for quietnes and good order in the Church such as are set holiedaies feastes and such like Againe out of the 7. Article touching abuses of the same confession These wordes that follow perteine to this place and the rest vno the eleuenth section Of the authoritie of the ministers BEsides these things there is a controuersie whether Bishops or Pastors haue power to ordeine ceremonies in the Church to make lawes of meates and holie daies and degrees or orders of ministers They that ascribe this power to the Bishops alledge this testimonie for it I haue yet manie thinges to saie vnto you but you cannot beare them away now But when that spirit of trueth shall come he shall teach you all trueth They aledge also the examples of the Apostles which commaunded the Christians to absteine from blood and that which was strangled They alledge the change of the Sabboth into the Lords daie contrarie as it seemeth to the morall law they haue no examples so oft in their mouthes as they change of the Sabboth They will needes haue the Churches power authoritie to be very great because it hath dispensed with a precept of the moral law But of this questiō our men do thus teach that the Bishops haue no power to ordeine anie thing contrarie to the Gospel as was shewed before The same also do the Canons teach distinct 9. Moreouer it is against the scriprure to ordeine or require the obseruation of anie traditions to the ende that we might merit remission of sinnes and satisfie for sinnes by them For the glorie of Christes merit receiueth a blow when as we seeke by such obseruations to merit remission of sinnes and iustification And it is verie apparant that through this persuasion traditions grew into an infinite number in the Church In the meane while the doctrine of faith and of the righteousnes of faith was quite smoothered for euer and anone there were new holiedaies made new fastes appointed new ceremonies new worshippes for Saints ordeined because that the authors of such geare supposed by these works to merit remission of sinnes and iustification After the same manner heretofore did the penitential Canons increase wherof we still see some footings in satisfactions Againe manie writers imagine that in the new testament there should be a worship like to the Leuitical worship the appointing whereof god committed to the Apostles and Bishops wherein they seeme to be deceiued by the example of the law of Moses as if the righteousnes of the new testament were the outward obseruing of certeine rites as the iustice of the law was Like as therefore in the lawe
it was a sinne to eate swines flesh c. so in the new testament they place sinne in meates in daies in apparell and such like things and they holde opinion that the righteousnes of the new testament can not stand without these From hence are those burdens that certeine meates defile the conscience that it is a mortall sinne to omit the canonicall houres that fastinges merit remission of sinnes because they be necessary to the righteousnes of the new testament that a sinne in a case reserued can not be pardoned but by the authority of him that reserued it wheras the Canons speake onelie of reseruing of canonicall punishments and not of the reseruing of the fault Whence then haue the Bishops power and authoritie of imposing these traditions vpon the Churches for the burdening of mens consciences For there are diuers cleare testimonies which inhibit the making of such traditions either for to deserue remission of sinnes or as thinges necessarie to the righteousnes of the the new testament or to saluation Paull to the Coloss 2. Let no man iudge you in meat drinke or a peece of a holie daie in the new moone or in the Sabboth Againe If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye liued in the world are ye burdened with traditions as Touch not tast not handle not which all do perish with the vsing and are the preceptes and doctrines of men which haue a shew of wisedome And to Titus he doth plainlie forbid traditions For he saith Not listning to Iewish fables to the precepts of men that abhorre the truth And Christ Mat 15. saith of them which vrge traditions Let them alone they be blinde leaders of the blinde he condemneth such worships Euerie plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shall be rooted vp If Bishops haue authoritie to burden the Churches with innumerable traditions and to snare mens consciences why doth the scripture so oft forbid to make to listen to traditions why doth it cal them the deuils traditions hath the holy ghost warned vs of them to no purpose It remaineth then that seeing constitutions ordeined as necessarie or with opinion of meriting remission of sinnes by them are flat repugnant to the gospell because that it is not lawfull for any Bishops to appoint or vrge anie such worship For it is verie requisite that the doctrine of Christian liberty should be manteined in the Church because that the bondage of the law is not necessarie vnto iustification as it is written to the Gal. Come not ye vnder the yoke of bondage againe It is necessarie that the chiefest point of all the gospel should be holden fast that we do freelie obteine remission of sinnes iustification by faith in Christ not by anie obseruations nor by any worship deuised by man For though they seeke to qualifie traditions yet the equitie of them can neuer be seene nor perceiued so long as the opinion of necessitie remaineth which must needes remaine wher the righteousnes of faith Christian liberty are not known The Apostles commaunded them to absteine from blood who obserueth that now a daies and yet they do not sinne that obserue it not for the Apostles them selues would not burden mens consciences with such a seruitude but they forbad it for a time for offence sake For in that decree the perpetuall intent and minde of the gospell is to be considered â—carselie anie canons are precisely kept and manie grow out of vse dailie yea euen among them that doe most busilie defend traditions Neither can there be sufficient care had of mens consciences except this equitie be kept that men should know that such rites are not to be obserued with anie opinion of necessitie and that mens consciences are not hurt though traditions grow out of vse The Bishops might easilie reteine lawfull obedience if they would not haue men to obserue such traditions as can not be kept with a good conscience But now they commaunde single life and they admitte none except they will sweare not to teach the pure doctrine of the Gospell The Churches do not desire of the Bishops that they would repaire peace and concord with the losse of their honour which yet good Pastors ought to do onelie they desire that they would remit vniust burdens which are both new and receiued contrarie to the custome of the Catholike Church It maie well be that some constitutions had some probable causes when they began which yet will not agree to latter times It is euident that some were receiued through error Wherefore it were for the chiefe Bishops gentlenes to mitigate them now for such a change would not ouerthrow the vnitie of the Church For manie humane traditions haue bene changed in time as the Canons themselues declare But if it can not be obteined that those obseruations may not be released which can not be kept without sin then must we folow the Apostles rule which willeth to obey God rather then men Peter forbiddeth Bishops to be Lords to be imperious ouer the Churches Our meaning is not to haue rule taken from the Bishops But this one thing is requested at their hands that they would suffer the gospel to be purely taught that they would release a few obseruations which can not be obserued without sinne But if they will remit none let them looke how they will giue account to God for this that by their wilfulnes they giue occasion of schisme Also in the same 7. Art touching Abuses this exposition is found thus in another edition NOw come I to the question in hand touching the laws of bishops concerning which first this most certaine rule is to be holden That it is not laufull for anie to make lawes repugnant to the commaundement of God That sentence of Saint Paull is well knowne If an Angell from heauen teach anie other Gospell let him be accursed Vpon this foundation which is sure and immooueable the rest maie easilie be reared Now there be three orders of the decrees of Bishops Some doe constreine a man to sinne as the law of single life the lawes of priuate Masâ—es wherein is made an oblation and application for the quick and the dead And the opinion of transsubstantiation breedeth a wicked adoration Also the commaundement of praying to the dead It is an easy matter to giue sentence of these lawes For seeing they doe manifestlie oppugne the commaundement of God the Apostles rule is We ought rather to obeie God then men The second order is of those rites which concerne thinges in their owne nature indifferent such as are the lawes touching the difference of meates and daies and such like thinges But when false opinions are ioyned vnto these thinges they are â—o more indifferent Now our aduersaries doe some more some lesse tie vnto them absurde and false opinions for the which both those laws rites are to be cast of lest anie
sinnes yet it pleased god and was a seruice acceptable vnto God With this colour certaine of late haue learned to paint traditions which yet striue not about these indifferent matters but go about to establish other foul errours and the opinion of the power of Bishops But it is necessarie for the godlie here to beware of deceitfull doctrine There is a great errour euen in this colourable reason neither is that example well alledged out of Moses The workes ordeined and commaunded by God doe farre differ from workes not commaunded nor ordeined by God but onely deuised by mans inuention The works ordeined in the law of god were seruices of god although they deserued forgiuenes of sins But wilworships deuised by men neither haue bin nor are any seruice of god God doth not alow this boldnes of men which notwithstanding hath alwaies been vsuall to deuise new worship that is such as is immediatlie intended to honour God withall Therefore the worde of God crieth out Math. 15. In vaine do they worship me after the ordinances of men And euerie where in the Apostles and in Paull this boldnes is reprooued But the true seruice of God are those workes that he hath commaunded which are done in the acknowledgement and confidence of the Mediatour to the end that God maie be obeyed and that we maie professe him to be the true God whome we so worship So also Ezec. 20. he calleth vs back to the commaundement of God saying Walke not after the ordinances of your fathers but walke in my commaundements And often are such warnings repeated And Psal 118. Thy word is a lanterne vnto my feete And Num. 15. Let them not follow their owne imaginations The third errour is this Hypocrites do imagine that such workes are a kinde of perfection as Monkes doe preferre their vowes ful of vanitie before the ciuill and householders life whereas God by his wonderfull prouidence hath so ioyned mankinde together in fellowshippe and in these trauels and daungers would haue our faith praier and confession or liberallity one toward an other or patience and other vertues to be tried The fourth errour is the opinion of necessitie as some doe write That the fasting of Lent is necessarie and other things are arbitrarie Neither is it onelie a tormentâ—of conscience to iudge that he is no Christian nor member of the Church of God that eateth flesh on the Satursdaie or obserueth not the faste of Lent but it is also an errour that darkneth great matters as the doctrine of the righteousnes of the Gospell and of the Church what manner of Church it is and how the members of the Church are to be discerned not by meate and drinke but by faith praier and other vertues And against the opinion of necessitie it is expressely said Col. 2. Let no man iudge you in meat or drinke And Galat. 5. Stand in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made you free and be not againe intangled with the yoke of bondage And that opinion of necessitie hath alwaies breade great discord as in time past there was great contention about Easter daie about leuen and now also many such like contentions haue risen The fift errour To the former opinions this errour also is added that the Bishops take to themselues authoritie to ordaine new kindes of worshipe to binde consciences as Gregory hath ordeined That maried men translated to the order of priesthoode should forsake the companie of their wiues and the constitution of confession commaundeth to reckon vp sins and decrees haue beene made of differences of meates and fasting and such like Of such traditions there are also late books setforth full of labyrinths wherin it is written that the transgressions of such ceremonies are mortall sinnes yea though they be committed without giuing offence to others Gerson sought for some mitigations but the true comfort is the voice of the Gospel which would haue the vnderstanding of this liberty to be made known and mainteined in the Church namely by remoouing those errours whereof hath beene spoken But ceremonies inuented by man such as are seemelie deuised for order may be obserued without any opinion of merit worship or necessitie as hath beene aforesaid out of the Col. 2. Let no man iudge you in meat or drinke And Peter saith Act. 15. Why doe ye tempt God laying vpon the neckes of the disciples a yoke which neither your fathers nor we were able to beare The third rule Those errours beeing remooued whereof the Church must needes be admonished afterward we both obserue certeine ceremonies which are comelie and made for good order and also teach that they ought to be obserued euen as men can not liue without order And Paull saieth 1. Cor. 14. Let all things be done decentlie and in order And there is a saying of Athanasius Ceremonies are profitable but with knowledge of the trueth and in measure It is plaine that this last word is opprossed to superstition which then also dailie increased ceremonies and darkened the trueth and burdened consciences and the Churches But we thanke God the euerlasting Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who for his Sonne and by him gathereth an eternall Church for that euen from the first beginning of mankinde he hath preserued the publique ministerie of the Gospell and honest assemblies who himselfe also hath set a part certeine times for the same and we pray him that henceforth he will saue and gouerne his Church And we diligentlie teach that al men ought to help to mainteine the publike ministerie auoid offences dissentions that scatter the Church as in it proper place more at large is declared OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of Ecclesiasticall ceremonies WE acknowledge that by Christ the Sonne of God two ceremonies were ordained in the Church Baptisme and the Lords Supper which are also to be obserued according to the institution of Christ We confesse also that the Apostles did appoint certaine ordinances in the Church That all things be done decentlie and in order as Paull speaketh such as they be that are set downe 1. Cor. 14. and 1. Timoth. 2. The Apostles also in ordaining Ministers of the Church vsed laying on of hands which beeing reteined out of the custome of the olde law and not beeing commaunded to the Church may be freely obserued They ordeined also in the Acts of the Apostles That the gentils should beware of eating of that which was strangled and of bloode not that this obseruation should be for euer among the Gentiles but for a time and so long to continue till this eating were no more offensiue We confesse this also that it is lawfull for the Bishops with the consent of their Church to appoint holie daies lessons and Sermons for edifying and for instruction in the true faith in Christ But it is not lawfull for them to thrust vpon the Church the ceremonies of the olde law for the holie seruice wherewithall God alone is worshipped Neither
earth And Psal 23. Yâ—e Princes open your gates that is open your kindomes to the gospell and giue entertainment to the Sonne of God and Esa 49. And Kings and Queenes shallhe thy nurces that is let common-welthes be nurces of the Church let them giue entertainment to the Church and to godlie studies Let Kinges and Princes themselues be members of the Church and rightlie vnderstand the doctrine thereof and giue no help vnto those that establish false doctrine and exercise vniust crueltie and remember this saying I will honour them that honuor me And Daniell in the 4. Chap. exhorteth the King of Babylon to acknowledge the wrath of God and to shew mercie to the bannished Church when he saieth Redeeme thy sinnes with righteousnes and with mercie toward the poore and there shall be a healing of thy transgression And since they are among the principall members of the Church let them prouide that iudgement be rightlie exercised in the Curch as Constantine Theodosius Arcadius Martian Charles the great manie godlie Kinges haue prouided that iudgement in the Church should be sincerely executed But of the difference of both states namely of the ministerie of the gospell and the ciuill magistracie there are many writinges in our Church which declare that we teach no fantasticall nor seditious opinions but doe shew the necessarie doctrine deliuered in the gospell touching both degrees profitable to godlines and common peace Thankes be to God THis is the summe of that doctrine which by the blessing of God with one consent we teach in our Churches which to be the sincere meaning of the doctrine deliuered from God in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and in the Creedes we nothing doubt and it may be vnderstood out of the auncient purer writers to be agreeable to the ancient and puâ—er Churches Now the matter it selfe declareth that we haue not sought to dispute about newfangled curious and subtle questions neither doe striue about authoritie or riches but onelie to vnfolde and bring to light from the great darkenes of traditions and opinions that doctrine which is necessarie to the true inuocation of God to true worship to the right knowledge of the Sonne of God and to the saluation of soules and doe in moste simple and plaine manner propound the same vnto the Churches For all wise men must needes confesse that there was much obscuritie and many errours in the doctrine of the Monkes and many snares of conscience in the Popes traditions and whether doctrine is true plaine euident profitable for consciences and for manners comparison doth declare For we auoide not the iudgements of the Godly yea rather we desire thatthe wholl true Church of God that is al the faithfull learned wheresoeuer they are may vnderstand what we say who we doubt not will be witnesses that this doctrine is the consent of the true Catholique Church of God Also we offer our selues at any time to a more full declaration in in euerie point and we thinke that this rehearsall of our doctrine now made is agreeable to the confession exhibited at Auspurge Anno. 1530. For as much therefore as the doctrine which we here recite is true and necessarie for the Church we intreat that our Churches may not be condemned as if they either imbraced errours or foolishlie or seditiouslie stirred vp strife without any weightie cause The truth and weight of the matters may deliuer vs from this vniust accusation Next after a godly manner we admonish the Councell itselfe They see that olde abuses and many great errours are as yet sticking in the Church because in al ages euen from the beginning of mankinde the deuil coÌ„tinueth scattering his seed of errour and since that time through the ignorance of men by superstition they are either confirmed or do shoote forth againe And now for that the vanitie of many superstitions is known the times require a reformation vnles the gouernours prouide that the trueth may be brought to light great diuision in opinions is like to follow especially because in this last age of the worlde great confusion is to be feared Therfore let the councel see to it that they condemne not a manifest truth And if in a godly sort they wil deliberate how they may prouide for the churches if a more ample declaration shal be demaunded of vs men learned of vnderstanding louing the truth fearing god must be chosen to consult together of these so weighty matters Neither let them only striue with vs in number of vices seeing it is manifest by many preiudices of what opinion the Bishop of Rome and others are that are adicted vnto him who now by the space of many yeares haue not onelie set forth against vs edicts written with bloode but also haue slaine many of our side and there be many that neither vnderstand nor looke after any truth of doctrine but being alreadie corrupted with prophane perswasions doe thinke this to be an especiall parte of politique men to defend the present state and to mainteine their owne authoritie And for this purpose they seeke fit Ministers by sophisticall iugling to â—est out the truth Wherefore now we testifie that we will not reiect the truth although it be condemned by the iudgements of such men And we openlie professe that we consent not to the Councell of Trent which heretofore hath sent abroade decrees partlie false partly captious and sophisticall but doe earnestly request that both we may be heard in the same matter and that the errours before confirmed by the decrees of the Tridentine Councell may be reformed And we reuerently beseâ—ch the most worthy Emperour Carolus Auguâ—â—us that he giue not leaue to the Aduersaries to oppresse the truth by their presumption and to strengthen their crueltie which they exercise against innocents and to stare vp greater dissention by their vniust decrees And now we commend the Church and our selues to the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ who we know by the voice of the Gospell gathereth together to himselfe an euerlasting Church and we praie him that he would gouerne vs and not suffer the light of his Gospell to be extinguished nor the assemblies of them that rightlie call vpon him to be dispersed AN ADDITION AND we request all that teach in the Churches neâ—re adioyning or els where that receiue the Confession exhibited at Auspurge 1530. that when they reade these things if in any point they finde any want they would louinglie admonish vs thereof for that it was not our purpose to bring vp any other kinde of doctrine but plainlie to recite the summe of the Confession of Auspurge and the common consent of these Churches and we desire that we may be fauourablie and not quarrelouslie iudged of We purpose not to stirre vp new contentions but especially we pray to the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ that was crucified for vs and rose againe that praied in his agonie that we might be one
the Ministerie of the Gospell arising not of the Gospell it selfe but of the contempt of the Gospell But this application of the similitude of the keies for the opening of all mens consciences which this Confession doth often vse seemeth to be somewhat farre from the meaning of Christ Vpon the same That the Priest in deede Touching the name of Priestes looke the 2. obseruation vpon the former Confession of Heluetia Againe it must be vnderstood that when the question is of Ecclesiasticall Censures the lawful intelligence of the Sâ—â—gniorie muste goe before the Priestes iudgeing That which is said touching power or authority must be vnderstood of ciuill power which Ecclesiastical functions haue not at all or else of the authority of making lawes to mens consciences which resteth whollie in Christ the onely lawgiuer according to whose prescript and appointment his ministers ought to iudge and determine in the Churches Vpon the same Yea and the Bishop of Rome a litle after except he go to worke By Bishop vnderstand not him that now sitting Pope at Rome is called of other and termeth himselfe vniuersall Bishop but such a Pastor as being lawfully called in the Church of Rome if there were anie true Church to be found did with his fellowe laborers discharge a Christian ministerie Vpon the Confession of Auspurge No more then doth the skill of Musick namely because it hath a diuerse scope not that there is no more affinite or agreement betweene the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and the ciuill gouernment then between a musition and a magistrate when as they do both tend directly vnto the selfe same onely though by means distinct and diuerse one from the other and also both the Ministers in matters ciuill be subiect to the Magistrate and the Magistrate in matters belonging to conscience is subiect to the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and one doth leane and stay it selfe vpon the other and one aid and succour the other Von the same The Magistrate is to defend not the minde but the bodies This also is to be vnderstood as that notwithstanding this the Magistrate is the keeper and defender of both tables of this lawe Vpon the same If so be the Bishops haue c. This do we also acknowledge to be most true but we saie that it was neither lawfull for the Princes to deriue this power vnto Bishoppes nor for the Bishops to take it when it was offered because the Lord hath so distinguished these two as he hath also seuered them the one from the other And the Apostle doth expresly forbid ministers to entangle themselues in the things of this life yea and the Apostles them selues did cast of euen the care of the almes from themselues vnto the Deacons that they might attend vpon the word and praiers Vpon the same To debarre the wicked c. To wit by the iudgement and verdict of the Presbyterie lawfullie gathered together and not by the will and determination of anie one man as was noted before in the third obseru vpon the English Confession Vpon the same The Churches must performe vnto them To wit to the Ministers of the word and to the Elders and not to such alone as now by the law of man carie the name of Bishops as proper and peculiar to themselues alone which is common to all Pastors equallie as Hierome can testifie Vpon the same If so be they haue anie other power c. they haue it by mans law It seemeth the band of marriage should be excepted the knowledge whereof by Gods law belongeth to the Pastors and namelie in this respect that it can not be iudged firme and sure or voide and frustrate but by the worde of God according to that That which God hath coupled let not man put asunder touching which point looke the 1. obseru vpon the former confession of Heluetia and the 2. vpon the Confess of Wirtemb in the 18. Section Vpon the same Christ Though Christ would also be the Minister of the circumcision yet we would not haue him raunged in the same order with others whether they be Prophets or Apostles Vpon the Confession of Wirtemberge IF we speake of the Mediatour of praying Looke the 2. obseru vpon the Confession of Saxonie in the 1. Sect. Vpon the same That except a Priest be ordained To wit when question is of such Elders or Priests as did attend vpon the preaching of the word For there was also another fort of Elders whom the Apostle calleth gouernours 1. Cor 12. IN THE 12. SECTION Vpon the latter Confession of Heluetia THe thing signified is regeneration That is the bloode of Christ by vertue whereof we are regenerated washed from our sinnes For to speake properlie the thing signified by the water is the bloode and by sprinkling the washing from sinnes and regeneration is signified Vpon the former Confession of Heluetia THe thing it selfe is regeneration Looke the Obseruation that went next before vpon the latter Confession of Heluetia But the thinge is the communication of the bodie c. that is the bodie and blood of Christ communicated to vs spirituallie by faith to the remission of sinnes and to eternal life Vpon the declaration of the said former Confession of Heluetia Visiblie shew that is shew by setting forth visible signes Vpon the same The Minister doth conuert To wit as the instrumentall outward cause which the holie spirit vseth to work those things inwardlie which are preached to vs outwardlie Vpon the confession of Basill TO testifie our faith Hereunto adde also the other endes and effectes which are more fullie set forth in other confessions Vpon the confession of Bohemia EIther entirelie Entire that is lawfull libertie such as â—oth agree with Christ his institution Vpon the same They doe alwaies exercise their vertue This must warilie be vnderstood For properlie the sacramentes doe witnes seale or confirme no other thing but grace and saluation The condemnation of such as vse them vnworthelie doth not flow from anie vertue or power of the sacraments which doth auaile onelie to saluation but onelie from the fault of the vnworthe themselues whereby it commeth to passe and that by an accident that whilest they receiue the signes alone and that vnworthely they depriue themselues of the vertue of the sacramentes and yet for all that they cease not on gods behalfe to be perfect sacraments whether they be giuen to the worthie or to the vnworthie touching which point loke after in the 14. Section the 1. and 2. obseruations vpon the confession of Auspurge IN THE 13. SECTION Vpon the lattter Confession of Heluetia THat is the most perfect forme of Baptisme c. Vnderstand by forme the externall ceremonie whether it be of dipping or of sprinkeling Vpon the same We thinke them nothing necessarie c. Yea we haue vtterlie reiected some of them as meere superstitious some as beeing manifestlie brought