quike destroyed synnes and yet he calleth theim the holie churches of Christ Yea some tyme it cometh to passe that God by his iuste iudgement ▪ suffreth the truth of his woorde the catholike faithe and true worshippyng of hym to be darkened and plucked a sunder as it were so that it semeth vtterly to bee destroyed yea and no Churche at all to remaine As wee reade that it came to passe in Elias daies and other times yet notwithstādyng God hath in this worlde and in these darknes those his true worshippers yea and no smalle nomber of thē aboue seuen thousande For the Apostle auoucheth that the foundaciō of God remaineth sure and ii Reg. xix Apoc. vii hath this seale The Lorde knoweth who are his c. Wherefore the Churche maie also The churche may be called vnuisible be called inuisible not that mē be inuisible of whom the churche is gathered but because it beyng hidde from our yies and onely knowen to God man ofte tymes is not able to Iudge All be not of the churche that be in the churche where it is Moreouer not all that are nombred in the Churche are sainctes and the liuely or true members of the Churche For there are many Hippocrites whiche to the outwarde shewe heareth the worde of God and openlie receiueth the Sacramentes and seme also to call vpon GOD in Christe his name onely to confesse Christe to bee their onelie rightuousnesse to serue God to doe the workes of charitie and to suffer or a tyme their miseries paciently but inwardly thei are destitute of the lighte of the spirite of faithe of purenes of mynde and of continuaūce to the ende so that at lengthe thei are disclosed what thei bée Ihō the Apostle saieth Thei wante out frō vs but thei i. Ioh. ii were not of vs for if thei had been of vs thei would haue cōtinued with vs. And yet while thei faigne holines albeit thei be not of the churche yet thei Apte similitudes are compted to bée in the Churche As traitours in a Common wealthe are nombred emong citezeins before thei be discouered and as Daruell Kockle and Chaffe is founde among wheate and as boūches or swellings is foūde in a sounde bodie whereas in dée de diseases and deformities are truly saied to belong to the bodie thei are rather maladies and deformities of the body then true members thereof Wherefore the Churche of God is well compared Math. xiij to a nette wherein is drawen al kinde of fishe and so a fielde wherein is founde bothe Kockle and Wheate Here muste wee take deede that wee iudge not to sone that wee goe not about we must not rashly iudge to shutte out to caste awaie or to cutte of those whō God will not haue caste out or suche as without losse to the Churche we can not separate Also we must watch leste while the godlie slepe the wicked preuaile so muche that thei dooe some hurte to the church Moreouer wée diligentlie teache men to marke wherein chieflie the truthe and vnitie of the Churche dooeth consiste leaste by our rashenesse we raise The vnitie of churches stoudeth not in outwarde rytes and maintaine some Schisme in the churche It consisteth not in Ceremonies and outward rites but rather in truthe vnitie of the catholike faithe Whiche catholike faith is not taught vs in mannes Lawe but in the diuine scriptures a brief somme whereof the Apostles Crede is We haue redd that emong the olde fathers there was diuersitie of rites but so free for men to vse or not to vse that no man thought the vnitie of the churche to be broken Ceremonies indifferent to be vsed or not to be vsed by not obseruyng theim We affirme therefore that the true concorde of the churche standeth in doctrine in the vniforme preachyng of Christe his Gopell in kepyng of those rites whiche the Lorde euidently deliuered and cōmaunded wherin the vnitie of the church consisteth Phi. iii. Here chiefly we alledge the sentence of the Apostle Let as many as bee perfecte bee thus mynded and if ye bee otherwise mynded God shall reucale euē the same vnto you neuerthelesse in that whervnto we are come lette vs procede by one rule that wes maie mynde one thyng ¶ Of the ministers of the Churche of the making of them and their offices Chap. 18. GOd to assemble together to ordaine to gouerne or God vseth ministers to the instructing of his churche preserue his Churche hath alwaies and dooeth to this daie euer will so long as the churche shall cōtinue on the yearth vse the seruice of ministers The first beginning then and appointing of ministers and their function is of greate antiquitie beyng God his owne ordinaunce not The original cause of the ministrie any newe doctrine inuented by mannes braine God doubtles could by his own power without any meane ioine himself his churche whiche cōsisteth of menne together But he had rather deale with men by the seruice of men Wherfore ministers ought to be estemed The ministerie ought not to be cōtēned not as ministers onely but as Gods ministers for because by theim God worketh mens saluaciō Wherfore we warne men to take hede that thei dooe not in suche sorte attribute those thynges to the secrete woorkyng of the holie Ghoste whiche belonge to our conuersion and instruction that thereby the ministerie of the Churche bee abased For it is meete that wee should alwaies bée mindfull of the Apostles woordes How shall thei beleue Rom. x. in hym of whom thei haue not heard And howe shall thei heare without a Preacher Then faithe is by the hearing and hearyng by the 〈…〉 of GOD. Neither should 〈◊〉 forgette 〈◊〉 his saiyng in the Gospell Verely verely I saie vnto you he that receiueth whōsoeuer Ihon. xiii I shal sende receiueth me and he that receiueth me receiueth hym that sente me Wee ought also to remember Iohn vi what the man of Macedonie apperyng in a vision to Paule beyng in Asia counsailed hym to do saiyng Take thy iourney into Macedonie i. Cor. i. come helpe vs. For in an other place the saied Apostle writeth Wee together To muche ought not to be attributed to ministers are God his laborers ye are gods housbandrie and Gods buildyng Againe on the other side We must beware that wée attribute not to muche to ministers or to the ministerie remembryng the Lordes woordes No i. Cor. iii. manne cometh to me except my father drawe hym And the Apostles saiyng Who is Paule then and who is Apollo but the ministers by whom ye beleued And as the Lord gaue to euery man I haue planted Apollo watered but God gaue the increase So then neither is he that planteth any thyng neither he that watereth but GOD that geueth the increase Let vs therefore beleue that God doeth teache vs in his worde outwardlie by his ministers Howe God doth
seates of the scorners the whiche we are commaunded to flie that we may be blessed Moreouer if Doctors and Councels may be called as vvitnesses so that vve do iudge by the vvorde there be any doubte of the interpretation of the woorde writen I doo not refuse thē to be witnesses as I haue said but I suppose that first of all we muste diligently discerne the true Churche from the Synagoge of Satan the Fathers that are not suspected in Faithe nor cōdemned from such as either are mē manifestly without knowledge or Heretikes or otherwise suspected and the lawfull and vndoubted faithfull Councels from the Synodes and conuenticles assembled against Christes truthe finally the true bookes must be warely Iudged from the forged and counterfaite These thinges beinge determined God is only iudge by his vvorde then doo I saye that all these are to be hearde not as iudges for God is only the iudge by his written woorde but as witnesses cited and sworne and that certainely after the same maner as witnesses are heard by skilfull Iudges in publike controuersies euen so verely that they shew the causes reasons of their testimonies causes I say not borowed any where els but foorthe of the same woorde of the interpretation wherof the questiō is moued For Augustine renouncinge humaine reason saith very wel by the holy Scriptures we walke much more safely the which Augustine beinge shadowed with borowed speaches when we wil search them either that cōmeth foorth whiche is without controuersie or if it haue any doubte it may be determined by the same Scripture by the gatheringe and finding of testimonies witnesses of euery side Thus saith he and that very wel For if we must onely haue our wisdome by the onely writen woorde then may not the interpretation of this woorde be fetched any other where For as the same Augustine saith so hath the holy spirite tempered ordered the Scriptures the that thyng which is spoken in some place somethinge darkly in some other place is declared more plainly Finally what other man shal we folow VVho rather to be folovved then Christ and the Apostles Heretikes ouercome by the Scriptures then Christ him self and his Apostles and Christe did confute Satan abusinge the Scriptures by no other meanes but by the same Scriptures The Apostles confirme their doctrine by the writings of the Prophets And the Iewes of Beraea are praysed that whē they had hearde the doctrine taught by Paule they cōpared it with the writinges of the Prophetes to trie whether those thinges were so or no. Certainely the Councels of Nice did with none other weapon cut the throte of Arrius nor that of Cōstantinople Macedonius nor the Ephesine Nestorius nor the Chalcedonian Eutiches nor Augustine Pelagius Donatus wherfore they that counte the Scripture so doubtfull and darke that it standeth néede to haue light brought thereunto some other wayes are woorthie of all good men to be spitted vpō as blasphemers and vtterly to be abhorred Yet doo I not disprayse the writings Doctors allovved of God of the Doctors and their interpretations seinge that he that hath ordeined pastors and doctors to the edificatiō of the bodie hath Authorised them bothe by woorde and by writinges to interpretate the same but I declare howe farre we must sticke vnto them euen so farre as they doo bringe nothinge of their owne no not at that time when as the controuersie is of the sence and interpretatiō of any place of Scripture but that they by the Scriptures doo interpretate the Scriptures accordinge to the proportion of Faithe the whiche who so dothe whether he be newe or olde a Priuate person or Publike officer in the Churche whether he come alone or with many whether he be an olde man or a yong man let hym bee heard For though order Order is necessary but not so that we binde Gods grace to persone place but measure all by the rule of gods word must nedes be kepte in the Churche of God yet are no men so farre deceiued as thei that dooe binde the grace of the holie ghost to certaine places and persones For who murdered the Prophetes Who crucified Christe Thei vndoubtedlie that should haue been the chief pillers of true religion Therfore doeth not the Prophete sende the people of God to those godlesse Priestes but to the Lawe and the Prophettes Neither assuredlie hath the condicion of the Churche a long while béen any otherwaies whiles the corner stone hath been reproued by the verie chiefe builders and Antichrist hath sitten in the temple and place of God hym self What shall we now conclude Verelie that by the woorde of God all controuersies muste bee ended and that it is necessarie that the false and forged The worde of God ende of all controuersies woorde bee iudged from the true like as also the true churche from the false and adulterous and the Synodes and coūcelles gouerned by the holie ghost from those wherein Sathan was presidente Finallie the truthe from lyes and errours by Gods holie woorde For we muste beleue that in thynges concernyng our saluaciō we haue no The want of the word the original of all errours where els the truthe reueiled The whiche thynges beyng true if followeth that that thyng is moste certain whiche I said in the beginning moste noble Prince to bee the originalle whence all these euils did flowe wherwith in our fathers daies the churche was almoste oppressed and therefore that this onelie is the waie and mean to raise it vp again if by the pure word of God these controuersies maie bee decided For so will it come to passe that of the moste parte of those thynges there shal bee no question at all aboute the whiche yet at this daie verie many partly by ignoraunce partly through malice and frowardnesse dooe moste stubbernely contende and striue And those thynges whiche shall seme to be staied by the testimonies of scriptures if thei be iudged not by custome which when it departeth from the woorde hath no aucthoritie at all in matters of religion neither by the bare aucthoritie of certaine menne bee thei newe or olde but by the comparison of the places together all the interpretaciōs beyng examined by the proporcion and rule of faithe then finallie no thyng shal bee founde so harde that shall not easily be vnderstand nothing so darke that shall not be made cleare nothyng so doubtfull that shall not bee made plaine and euidente But who shall binde men to this order who shall directe this action and who finallie shall treate these thynges by common aucthoritie It is not our purpose to prosecute these matters at this presente although whiles I often and many times dooe thinke of this matter some thynges dooe come into my mynde of the whiche it maie be that I shal haue occasion to speake at some other time Now lette vs treate that wee haue in hande Seyng then all these controuersies must be
other halfe of the word of God Surely he that denieth this denieth the Sonne to shine at the middaie And I praie you what common wealthe what citie what house or familie shall not straight waies bee dissolued vnlesse it be knit together with The churche the scolehouse of honestie maie not bee the denne of vnthriftes the bondes of Lawes and Order What Shall wée suffer the Churche of Christe that teacheth all holinesse and honestie to bée transformed into a schoole of wickednesse and licencious life But if we take awaie this discipline that wée speake of if euery one bee permitted to preache publikely if there be no examinacion of the doctrine and maners of the Pastours if euery man bee receiued without difference vnto the Sacramentes if it be not lawful to reproue those that synne with the offence of others and seuerely to correcte those that resiste stubbernely and also in the ende if nede be by the example of the Apostle to thrust suche forthe of the flocke leaste thei infecte others and also vnlessé there be prouision for the poore and almoses bée distributed by the order appoincted by the holy ghost vnlesse finally all thynges bee rightly and orderly dooen in the house of God what will the Churche bee streight waies for the moste parte but an assemblie of men geuen to libertie and all licētious life But will some saie these An obiection The answer are the duties of Magistrates As though wée wee would haue temporall and yearthly thinges suche as are onely for this world to come into question by any meanes in the Ecclesiasticall Consistorie or that we would exempt either Pastours them selues or any others from the aucthoritie or commaundemente of the Ciuile Magistrates as those doe whom men call Catholikes Christ aunswered vnto them that called Christe hath established the discipline of the church vpon hym to deuide their heritage who saieth he hath appoincted me youre Iudge But he saieth also he that heareth not the Churche let hym bee as an Heathen a Publicane wherfore those thynges are to be disseuered that GOD hath deuided but thei maie not be takē awaie that he hath established Naie certainly it is so farre from the truthe that this Discipline dooeth hinder or lessen the ancthoritie of the Magistrates if it bée lawfully that is to saie by the worde of God onely placed and ordered that contrarywise it dooeth as muche as maie bée establishe it séeyng that nothyng is able so muche to maintain publike tranquilitie as this one thyng that the conscienses of all maie bée retained in the feare of God But it is to bée feared least that olde Popishe An obiection tyrannie bée brought again into the Churche So it is howbeit this is greate The answer foolishenesse saieth the Poet so to auoide vices that thou doe fall into the contrary extremities Wherefore wee maie not auoide Christs yoke of Discipline moste sweete to the godlie mannes tyrannie shake of Christes yoke but we muste receiue it for it is onely vnpleasaunte vnto the wicked and prophane persones and is to the good and godlie moste swéete and comfortable And wée are so farre from coumptyng the Magistrates The Magistrates the sheldes of the Churche and you whom God hath made the foster fathers of his Churche by the Kinges Maiesties Decrees Laie men as certaine dooe and so to separate you as straūgers frō this discipline that I speake of that contrary wise wée doe iudge that this poinct chieflie belongeth vnto you to punishe most seuerely those troublesome contemners of the Churche and by your aucthoritie to procure that the worship of God maie moste purely bee maintained And seyng this regimente of the Elders must bee appoincted not onely of the Pastours but of suche also by whom the pastours theim selues if néede bée maye bée corrected who is so madde but that in the chusyng of the Elders he muste thinke that greate consideracion must bee had of those that besides the commendacions of their godlinesse haue also aucthoritie and proeminence in the Churche But paraduenture I haue spoken to muche of these thynges vnto you especially of whose good willes I can nothyng doubt Therfore I make an ende besechyng the moste merciful and mightie God that he would strengthen thee moste noble Prince with his mightie power and you the rest of the renouned Lordes endued with his holie and excellente spirite and with the true knowledge of his soonne and vouchsafe to adorne you cōtinually more and more with all his moste excellente giftes that he maie finishe that greate worke that he hath begonne in you to the full restoryng of his heauenly kyngdome moste blessedly with your immortall praise and glorie At Geneua the .x. of the Calendes of Marche The yere from Christes incarnaciō for vs. 1565. To al the faithfull Christians whiche are in Germany and other foraigne Nations the Ministers of the Churches throughout Heluetia vvhose names are subscribed wishe grace and peace from God the Father by Iesus Christe our Lorde MAny and sundrie cōfessiōs and declarations of our Faith haue béene heretofore writtē but chieflye in this our age set foorthe in Printe by Kingedomes Nations and Cities wherby in these our latter daies in so vnhappie increase of pernicious Heresies which euery where sprynge vp they shewe and testifie that they thinke beleue and teache purely plainely and according to the vnfallible truthe all euery Article of the Christian faithe and Religiō to be short that thei are farre from Heresies or erronious opinions Albeit therefore we haue done the like alreadie in our writinges whiche we haue published yet bicause they are now perhaps out of minde scattered in diuers places intreate of the matter more at large then that euery man can haue leasure to peruse and reade them through we beinge incoraged by other faithfull mens good example doo our indeuour in this briefe declaratiō to comprehende and set foorth to al that beleue in Christe the doctrine gouernment of our Churches whiche they frō the beginninge of their reformation these many yeares wadinge through sundrie perils haue taught euen to this daie and now also doo retaine with one full cōsent Hereby also we witnesse to all men our generall agrement which the Lord hath wrought emong vs that in our Churches wherein God hath apointed vs Ministers we al speake one thinge not disagreynge amonge our selues but are a perfecte bodie of one minde of one iudgement Moreouer we declare by this our woorke that we sowe not such séede of corrupte doctrine in our Churches as many of our aduersaries falsely and vndeseruedly goe about to laie to our charge to thrust violently vpō vs specially in their hearinge to whome our writinges come not and before suche as know not our Doctrine Indifferent Readers therefore shall most manifestly perceiue by this our writinge that we doo in no wise allow any Heresies whiche heresies that it might the better appeare how greatly
A CONFESsion of Fayth made by common consent of diuers reformed Churches beyonde the Seas with an Exhortation to the Reformation of the Churche Perused amd allowed accordinge to the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions Imprinted at London by Henry Wykes for Lucas Harrison Vnto the Christian Reader THe subtill Serpent our deadly enemie Satan laieth many snares to intangeil mankinde to withhold him frō cōming to the truth but especially two whiche be of all other most perilous Wilfull ignorance and Slaūderous reportes wherwith if once man be ensnared say what you liste doo what you please he lieth still in his errours and will not be remoued for wilfull ignorance so blindeth his eyes from readinge slaunderours reportes so stoppe his eares from hearinge the truth that not knowynge the clerenesse of the light he estemeth the darknes of a cloudie night as the brightnes of noone daies and giuinge light credite to false rumors beleueth forged lies as vnfallible truthes Thus many a Christian ketcheth his bane and no maruell For what disease is cured by increasing the corrupt humors whereon the sicknes féedeth howe is it possible that he shoulde be wonne to the Gospell that wittingly wilfully doth blindesielde him selfe dothe stubbernly refuse to Reade the truthe dothe frowardely disdayne to peruse any other bookes then suche as nussell him in his errours What good successe trowe you is that Capitayne like to haue that considereth his owne powre onely and is not desirous to know his enemies strength also what wise and trustie Lawier will harken to his Clientes tale alone and would not gladly if opportunitie were offered scanne his aduersaries writinges also If the iudge will giue eare to the first accuser beleue all that he sayeth to be true and either wil not heare the defendant or if he doo estéemeth his woordes as lies howe can he iudge arighte if thou wander in Poperie as in darknes and wilt not walke in the light of the Gospell if thy soule be poisoned with venimous superstitiō and wilte not tast the preseruatiue of God his woorde if thou consider Antichrist his powre onely and wilt not vnderstāde Christe his might and puisance if thou defende thine errours as an euill cause and wilt not regarde thine aduersaries proufes to mayntaine his righte if thou wilt credite the first doctrine that euer thou hardest which is nothinge els but mens Traditions wilt not harken to any other truthe no maruell if thou be blinde if thy soule be poisoned if thou be cōquered if thou lose thy cause if thou iudge wrongefully in weightie matters of Faith and true Religion Suche was the wilfull ignorāce of the Idolatrous Iewes who sayed to Ieremie The woorde that thou haste spoken to vs in the name of the Lorde we will not heare it of thée but we will doo what soeuer thinge goeth out of our owne mouth we will burne incense to the Quéene of Heauen we wil powre out drinke offerings vnto her as we haue done bothe we and our Fathers our Kinges and our Princes for then had we plentie of vitayles and were well and felte no euill so they that now adaies will not heare the Preacher of God his woorde that wil doo what thei liste that will offer to theyr Ladie of heauen that will sence to their worm-eaten Images that will doo as their forefathers their Kinges and Princes haue done bosting that then they had plentie of all thinges that then it was a merie worlde that then they felte no euill doo wilfully as it were hydewinke themselues frō seing the truth No maruell if Iehoiakim runne hedlonge into his destruction when he woulde not vouchsafe so muche as to giue Iehudie the hearyng while he red the booke of the Lorde written by Baruch but cut it with a penknife hurled it into the fier and brente it to Ashes Ahab was content at the length to heare what Michah woulde saye but estemyng his woordes as lesinges and beleuing his flattering false Prophets hasted to his miserable ende And as Michah then saide that a spirite went out was a false spirit in the mouthes of al his Prophetes so in this our age not one but many spirites are broken lose and be false Spirites bothe in the mouthes tounges hartes of our Romishe cole Prophetes For how many lies coyne they howe many slaunderous Sclaunderous reportes reportes forge they to deface the Gospell and the true professours therof Doo thei not laye to our charge as that Iewes did to Christ that our doctrine is newe learnynge that we are Anabaptistes Pelagians Libertines detestable Heretikes that we contemne fastinge neglect prayinge doo no Almes déedes dispraise good woorkes that we denie God his powre beleue not his woordes defie Christe his Image and are enemies to his Crosse that we falcifie the Scriptures refuse the Doctors deface the Councels sette at naught Traditions that we honour not the Sainctes estéeme not the Mother of Christe nor his blessed Martirs that we care not for the dead that we make God the auctor of sinne and man as a stocke or a blocke voide of all goodnes that we passe not for the Churche and rayle against the head therof that we abuse the Sacramentes that we are rebelles and teach subiectes to disobay their Prince inferiours to resist their superiours that we preache nothinge but libertie libertie to be shorte that we cannot agrée amonge our selues about the chiefest pointes of our Religion These and many such like slaunderous reportes haue lyinge spirites put into the mouthes of the Romishe Cleargie and their adherentes which if thou credite to be as true as the Gospell it wil be longe before thou beleue the truth of the Gospell But if thou wilt voutchsafe good Christian Reader diligently to peruse in the feare of the Lord this litle treatise not condemnynge it before thou reade it nor wrestynge euery woorde to an euill sence but with indifferēcie ponder eche thyng and iudge vprightly then then I hope that God will opē thine eies and giue thée grace to sée to acknowledge his truth wil enriche thée with wisedome to discerne the Spirite of truthe from the Spirite of errour light from darknesse Christe from Antichriste To those slaunderous reportes I néede not to answeare particularly bicause they be confuted by this woorke it selfe as by readinge thou maist vnderstande But two pointes I cannot omitte vntouched which are often vrged and neuer proued that we falcifie the Scriptures and agrée not emonge our selues in the weightiest matters of Religion Touchynge the firste we gather the true meaning of the Scriptures Expoundinge of Scripture by the circumstances of the text by reconcilinge it with other places of God his woorde to the confirmation of the truth and not to the establishinge of our owne deuises as some wreste them racke them to maintaine their fonde phantasies inuented of their foolishe braynes We alledge not the Racking of Scripture sayinge of Christe to Peter Ego oraui pro
God onely knoweth not he but blindely I leaue this blinde guide and ignorant Doctor stumbling ignorantly in darknes and teachynge in ignorance he seeth not what It is a world to beholde how shamefully they disagrée about Hoc est Corpus Disagremēt about the vvoordes of Consecration meum This is my Bodie some say they be not the woordes of Consecration but that Christe did Consecrate whē he Blessed most parte denie that some saye by the woorde Hoc this is meante Bread not his Bodie some his Bodie and not Bread some nether Bread nor his Bodie but Indiuidüum vagū indiuidüum in genere indiuidüum entis indiuidüum insignitū Indiuidüum indiuidui I know not what phantasticall vnknowen vncertaine vnsensible thinge Vouchsafe good gentle Reader to peruse the answeare of the godly learned pretious Iuell and reuerende father in Christe B. of Sarum to Articl 24. M. Hardinges Indiuidum vagū and thou shalte finde vij or viij sundrie opinions or expositions aboute these woordes of Consecration Hoc est Corpus meum this is my Bodie which argueth either their blinde ignorance or their obstinate malitiousnesse Thus all men may sée howe they dissent in Trāsubstantiatiō one of the Articles of their beliefe I néede not to declare the vehemencie of Pope Gelasius to The Sacrament in bothe kindes haue the Sacrament ministred in both kindes affirminge that he which deuided the Euchariste when he taketh the one parte absteyneth frō the other doth wickedly committeth sacrilege For you know that Pope Innocentius thought it no sacrilege but highe seruice to God to commaunde that the Cuppe shoulde not be ministred to the Laye people It were to long to shew how pitifully thei dissent how vncōstantly they answeare when they be vrged with absurdities which necessarilie foloweth their Transubstātiatiō It were to tedious to trouble your Disagremēt about the Masse good eares with the iarring discorde of Pope Leo who helde it vnlawfull to saye any more then one Masse in one Churche in one daye and our later Popes who defende it to be meritorious to say a Trētall of Masses in one forenoone in one place whereas in déede one halfe Masse were to manie It were bootelesse to put you in remēbraunce that you shall finde very few or none but mislike some pointe or other of Popishe inuentions some the Latine seruice some praier to Saincts some the Popes Supremacie some Purgatorie some Iustification by woorkes some ministring in one kind some sole receauinge some crepinge offering to Images some the makyng the picture of God the Father and the most parte Pilgrimage pardons Reliques with such like trumperie howbeit they will openly defende the doctrine of the Romish Churche boldly talke their pleasure against the reprouers thereof Hereby thou maiste perceaue good Christian reader what credite should be giuen to thē who would accuse vs of discorde when they themselues agrée not emonge them selues but with shame inough be at great variance for their Princely Supremacie for the frée election sure confirmation and absolute iurisdiction of their holy Father the Pope for the glorious erecting of their wodden images for their meruailous miracle of their straunge Transubstantiatiō for the vnnatural presence of Christes Bodie in their hoste for the coniuringe Woordes of their diuine Consecration for the sacrilege robbing of the lay people of the Cuppe for to often sayinge of their Idolatrous Masse for the greatest misteries highest pointes strōgest keies and chiefest Articles of their opinions Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum It is a foule faulte to rebuke an other for that wherein thou thy selfe most offendest If they answeare that the truth of their doctrine is one albeit in some pointes a few dissent and sauour a little of errours so ascribe the blame to men and not to Religion it might please them to alledge the same excuse for our defence For as here in this confession thei may reade the Articles of our doctrine dissent not one from the other If thē any cominge out of Egipte desire to woorshippe God in the forme of a Calfe as the Egiptians did or beinge lately weaned from the breste of Gentilitie longe to lap some sower whigge of Paganisme or beyng turned from Iudaisme delight in sundrie of Aarons gorgious ceremonies or beynge conuerted from Papistrie smell fulsomely sauer ranckely yea stinke filthelie of some dunge of Poperie blame the mē and not the truth For wine is not to be dispraysed bicause dronkerdes distemper thēselues therewith nor meate to be refused for that gluttons surfaite thereby The vndoubted veritie of God his woorde is pleasaunt meate and comfortable drinke to that Christian soule whiche doth hunger thirste after rightuousnes albeit the queasiè stomackes of the vngodly cannot brooke it or the infirmitie of weakelings wil not kéepe al but caste vp some that it receaueth As for vs it may plainely be perceaued by this little treatise that we dissent not in any Article of our beliefe in any mater of saluation or damuation but rather in ceremonies in trifelinge and indifferent thinges yea in such sort that notwithstādyng we al consent in this that they may be altered remoued and quite abolished without any great hinderāce to Christ his Church Thus haue I giuen thée warning good Christian reader of two daungerous snares wilfull Ignorance and slaunderous Reportes wherwith thy craftie enemy Satan woulde intangle thée and withholde thée from cōminge to the truth Now then it resteth that thou wilfully doo not blindefield thine eies from beholding the clere light of the Gospel least wittingly thou stumble into perilous ginnes nor lightly open thine eares to beleue forged slaūders least thou be faste tied with the stronge cheynes of diuelishe illusions but that thou willingely marke the proufes on bothe sides indifferently heare what we teache and so vprightly iudge our cause whiche thinge that euen the simplest might the better doo I haue done mine indeuour faithfully to trāslate out of Latine into English the Confession of the Christian faith cōpiled by the generall consent of sundrie Christian Churches as by the title thou maist vnderstande I liste not at large to cōmēde their godly Zeale who woulde not couetously hoorde vp from their poore bretherne so greate a treasure but liberally deuide it emong them to the enritchinge of their soules with heauenly riches for so thei might lose the chiefest parte of their deserued prayse by the folye of a slender cōmender Neither minde I to extoll the woorthinesse of their woorke for pure Golde cōpared with rustie brasse preferreth it selfe and néedeth no prayser This onely I affirme that by readyng this booke the learned may refresh his memorie with profitable repetinge of that he hath bene taught the vnskilfull may learne that he neuer knewe the faithfull maye be confirmed in the truth the infidell reclaymed from his errour the Parent the Childe the Maister the seruaunt the Prince the subiect
discussed by gods holy worde I suppose that this thing ought chiefly to be prouided for that seing all can not haue the knowledge to vnderstande the woorde of God in those peculiar A good and true copy of the scriptures very necessary languages the Hebrue and the Greke whiche were to be wished that there should be some true and apt trāslacion of the olde and newe Testamente made the whiche diuers haue alredie laboured to bryng to passe but no manne hath yet sufficiētly enough performed it For the olde translacion The old texte whose so euer it is although it ought not to bee condemned yet is it founde bothe obscure and vnperfit and superfluous and also false in many places to speake nothing of an infinite varietie almoste of the copies The whiche text therfore for good cause many godlie and learned menne haue laboured to amende but not with like successe And yet how necessary a thing this is The learned Grecian fathers did not attain to the Hebrue veritie whosoeuer shall read those moste learned writers of the Grecians and shall compare their interpretacions which are many tymes farre frō the purpose with the Hebrue veritie he shall confesse it with greate sorowe And the ▪ same euill was not onelie hurtefull emonges the Latine writers but also the ignoraunce of the Greke tongue The Latin writers wer troubled for wāt of knowledge of Hebrue greke where with many of them were troubled whiles thei did depende of the common translacion thei often times seke a knot in the Rushe according to the prouerhe and fall into moste foule errours This cause therfore hath moued me to compare moste diligētlie the diuersitie of copies and to weigh the sentenses and iudgemētes of the moste part of the learned men especially of theim that this age hath brought forthe skilfull in the languages who are moe in nomber doubtles and better learned then the Churche hath had since the time of the Apostles and so to ease thē The nombre of the lerned somewhat that desire a more pure interpretaciō And that it might be doen with the more profite I haue also added annotacions in the whiche I haue also conferred together the diuersitie of interpretacions and as muche as I could I haue laboured to make plain and euidente the sense and meauyng of all the moste darke places But when as I did see that thicke woorke and very painfull as I muste nedes by experience confesse it growe so greate when it came againe to the Printyng that many could not haue the commoditie of it I caused it to bee Printed alone without those annotacions In the place whereof yet I suppose that I haue sette suche thynges the which if I could haue doen them as thei oughte to haue been dooen I would not doubt to commende them not onely as profitable but also as verie necessarie There bee twoo kindes of interpretaciōs The one is of that sorte which Two kinds of interpreters doe not consider properly the thyng it self and what is spoken but take in hande to declare with what woordes any thyng is spoken chaungyng onely the phrases the maner of speache The whiche kinde of interpretacion although it can scarsly no not at all rightly be performed of hym that vnderstandeth not the thyng it self yet standeth it in the woordes The other kinde is of them whiche dooe declare the thyng and matter it Caluine self with many woordes and geue the reasons In the whiche kinde of interpretacion in my iudgement and as I suppose in the iudgemente of all the learned that haue read his bokes that noble Ihon Caluine that man of blessed memorie and my father in Christe shal be founde so that no manne enuy my saiyng farre to haue passed and excelled all the writers bothe did and new Therefore though I some times in certaine places not in any poinct of his doctrine the whiche I haue alwayes marked to be moste pure sounds in his writynges as in any other interpreter besides but in the explicacion of certaine places doe dissent from hym yet dooe I iudge of his commentaries that which Cicero did iudge of Iulius Caesars commentaries in a kind of writing farre vnlike that is to saie that he made all menne of any witte affraied to write after him And would to God that wée that are ministers in Christes churche through the 〈◊〉 of God and I my self especially might be occupied in learnyng and teaching rather then in writing But what shal we doe The importunitie of certaine of our aduersaries against whose practises it is necessarie that the louers of the truthe by all meanes oppose them selues doeth partly driue vs herevnto least the simple bee trapped at vnwares and partly Charitie whiche doeth admonishe vs to applie to the profite of our brethren what soeuer we haue receiued Now verie many haue seemed vnto me either because it is so or because I am deceiued to faile muche in this that in the particular rehersals of the Euangelicall and Appostolical The cheife points of christian Religiō and the order of the writers are to be obserued historie in to that whiche is diuided doubtles by moste diuine arte thei do not marke nor cōsider to what poinct chiefly of christian religiō euery thing ought to bee referred muche lesse also in those moste graue disputacions in the Epistles of thapostles whiche are written as is moste true with an excellente order do thei cōsider what is the state of theim what is the order or finally what is the ende and purpose herof commeth it that in some of their writinges neither hed nor foote appereth many tymes And thei leauyng the scope and purpose wander to certaine notes and obseruacions confusedly and without order heaped together So that in many places of moste importaunce no regarde is had to the sentence it self This is the cause that in Paule cheifly who yet had as great a skill iudgement in writing as any writer that Paul of most diuine iudgement hath written most orderly euer did write vnlearned and vnskilfull men haue dreamed hertofore to be infinitie Hiperbatons and Anantapo dotons sentences and wordes not answering out to an other and haue in their commentaries vpon him euery where to their owne shame still inculcated the same in so muche that certainly this moste excellent declarer of gods secrets was no more knowen in the scholes then if he had lefte no monumentes nor writinges yea many did flye from him as from a rocke for feare of shipwrake Wherfore that I might fynde a remedy for this mischiefe I haue endeuored my selfe as much as in me lyeth to note the brefe Bezas annotations summaries of doctrine in the historie matters that who so euer shall saile as it were in that see maye marke a hauen before their eies where vnto thei may directe their course And in the Epistles I haue labored that the scope and order of arguments and the
we deteste we haue made mention of them almost in euery Chapiter briefly recitinge reiecting them Men shall easely gather this also that we doo not by any wicked Schisme seuer or cut of our selues from Christ his holie Churches of Germany France Englande and other Christian Nations but that we well agrée with all and euery one of them in the truthe of Christe whiche here we haue acknowledged For albeit there is some varietie in diuers Churches aboute the vtteringe and settinge foorthe of their doctrine and aboute rites or Ceremonies Varietie of Ceremonies and dissent in trifels whiche they receaue as a meane to edifie their Churches yet that varietie neuer seemed to minister cause of dissention and Schisme in the Church For in suche matters the Churches of Christe haue alwaies vsed their libertie as we may Reade in the Ecclesiasticall Historie The Godly in time past thought it sufficient if they agreed Agrement in the chiefe pointes of their faith in the true meaninge thereof and in brotherly loue wherefore we truste that Christes Churches when they shall perceaue and finde that we consente in all Articles of our holy and eternall Gods doctrine in the true vnderstandinge thereof in brotherly loue with theim and chiefely with the auncient Apostolike Churche will likewise willingly agree with vs in those matters for the chiefest cause whiche moued vs to publish this Cōfession was to séeke obtaine and once obtayned to keepe peace concorde and mutuall loue with the Churche of Germany and other foraigne Countries who be as we throughly perswade our selues so kind so sincere and perfect that if any of our doinges haue perhaps not bene well vnderstoode hetherto of diuers they will herafter hearing this our plaine Cōfession not count vs Heretikes nor condemne our Churches whiche are true Christian Churches as impious But in especiall we professe that we are alwaies readie if any man require it more at large to declare all and eche particular thinge that here we haue proposed yea and to yeelde and giue them most hartie thankes and to obey them in the Lorde which can teach vs better doctrine by the woorde of God to whome be prayse and Glorie The firste of Marche 1566. All the Ministers of all Christe his Churches in Heluetia subscribed their names whiche be at Tygur Bern. Scaphonse Sangall the Court of Grisons and they whiche be ioigned in leage with them on this side and beyonde the Alpes Milhous and Bienne To whome the Ministers of the Churche of Geneua haue associated them selues also A briefe and plaine confession and declaration of true Christian Religion c. ¶ Of the holy Scripture and of the true woorde of God Cap. 1. WE beleue and confesse The Canonical Scripture is the vvoorde of God that the Canonical Scriptures set foorth in the olde new Testament by holie Prophetes and Apostles is the verse true woorde of God and that thei haue sufficient authoritie not of men but of them selues For God himselfe spake to our forefathers the Prophets and Apostles and speaketh yet to vs The Scripture is sufficiēt to instructe vs in al godlines by his holy Scriptures wherin the catholike Churche of Christe hath at full set foorth what so euer may truely instructe vs bothe how we should beleue to be saued and what life we shoulde leade to please God for the which cause he hath expresly commaunded that nothinge be added to his woorde or diminished from the same We thinke therfore that in these Scriptures we ought to séeke true wisedome and godlines reformatiō and gouernment of Churches instruction to gouerne our selues in all godlines to be shorte the proufe of doctrine reproufe or confutation of al errours with good admonitions accordinge to that sayinge of the Apostle The holy Scripture is geuen by the inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improue c. 2. Timoth. 3. And againe these thinges I wryte to thée sayeth he 1. Timoth. 3. that thou mayst know how thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the house of God and 1. Thes 2 when you receaued of vs the woorde of the preachinge of God ye receaued it not as the woorde of mē but as it is in déede the woorde of God The Lord himselfe saide in the Gospell you are not they which speake but the spirite Mat. 10. Luc. 10. Ioan. 13. of my father speaketh in you therfore he that heareth you heareth me but he that dispiseth you dispiseth me Wherfore when this woorde of God The preach ynge of Goddes voorde is the vvorde of God is preached in the Church by preachers lawfully therto called we beleue that the very true woorde of God is taught and receaued of the faithfull and that we ought not to imagine or to looke for frō heauē for any other woorde of God nor consider the preacher so muche as the woorde it selfe whiche is preached For albeit the preacher be euell sinfull The preachers sinne maketh not Gods vvorde the vvorse The invvard vvorkinge of the holye ghost disanulleth not the outvvarde preachyng Ier. 31. 1. Cor. 3. Ioan. 6. yet the woorde of God remayneth still true and good Neither doo we thinke that the outwarde preachinge is therefore to be compted vnprofitable because the true Religion dependeth of the inwarde lightninge of the holy Ghost or bicause it is written no man shall teache his neighbour for all men shall knowe me he is nothinge whiche watereth or planteth but God which geueth the sucrease For albeit no man come to Christe excepte he be drawen of his heauenly father and illuminated with the holy Ghoste yet we know that God wil haue his woord preached by some outwarde meanes also For he could haue faught Cornelius by his holy spirite or by an Angel without Peters ministerie yet not withstanding he sent him to Peter of whome the Angell speakinge sayeth He shall tell thée what thou muste doo For he whiche inwardly illuminateth by geuinge his holy spirite to men cōmaundeth also his Disciples sayinge Goe ye into all the world and preache the Gospel to euery creature as Paule preached the outward woorde to Lydia a sellar of purple at Philipie but inwardly the Lorde opened the womans harte And the saide Paule speakinge elegantly by degreese as it were Rom. 10. at the length inferreth Then faith is by hearinge hearinge by the woorde of God Howbeit we acknowledge that God can illuminate whom when he will euen without the outwarde ministerie suche is his omnipotent power but we speake of the ordinary waye showed to vs by Gods commaundement and declared by examples We detest therefore the Heresies of Artemon of the Maniches of Heresies the Valentinians of Cerdo and the Marcyonites who eyther denied the Scriptures to be of the holy Ghoste or els disalowed some part therof or māgled and corrupted them Not withstanding we plainely affirme that certaine bookes of the old Testament are called of some anncient writers
mercie then by our owne accorde And as Paule saieth What i. Cor. iiii hast thou that thou hast not receiued if thou hast receiued it why boastest thou as though thou haddest not receiued it And as out of that place the holy martire Cyprian Cypriā gathereth We must glorie in nothyng because wee haue nothyng Heresies of our owne Wee condemne therefore these who in suche sorte defende mennes merites that thei diminishe the grace of God ¶ Of the holie catholike churche of God of the one onely hedde of the Churche Chapi 17. SEyng that God from the beginnyng The churche euer was euer shal be would haue manne saued and come to the knoweledge of the truthe it muste nedes bee that euer there was and now is and to the ende of the worlde there shal bée what the churche is a Churche that is to saie a companie of the faithfull called and gathered out of the worlde a companie I saie of all the Sainctes to witte of them whiche doe truly knowe and rightly worship the true God in Christe their sauiour accordyng to his worde and by the aide of the holie Ghoste to bee shorte whiche are made partakers of al goodnes offered fréelie vnto them through Christe by faithe All these be citezens of one Citie liuyng vnder one Lorde vnder one kinde of lawes being alike partakers of all good thynges For so the Apostle calleth them fellowe citezeins with the Sainctes and of Gods housholde folke namyng them sainctes who abidyng in the yearth are faithfull sanctified by the blood of gods soonne Of whom this article of our Ephe. ii 1. Cor. vi beleife speaketh wherein it is saied I beleue the holie catholike church The Communion of Sainctes And seyng that there is alwaies one onely God one mediatour betwene God and mā Iesus our Messias and one shepherde There was neuer but one true churche of the whole flocke one hedde of this bodie to conclude one spirite one saluacion one faithe one Testamente or couenaunte it followeth necessarilie that there is one onely Churche also Whiche therefore we call Catholike Why it is called catholike because it is vniuersall is dispersed throughout all the partes of the world and extendeth it self to all tymes beyng limited and inclosed in no place or tyme. We condemne therefore the Donatistes who straightlie enclosed Heretikes tiyng the churche to certain places and times the churche in I knowe not what corners of Aphrike Neither dooe wee allowe the Romishe Clergie who bests that almoste the onely Romishe churche is the catholike Churche The Churche is distributed into tiuers Diuers partes of the churche partes not that it is seuered or torne in peeces in it self but rather by reasō of the diuersitie of the members that be therein For there is one churche The Militant churche called Militant an other Triumphant that is militante whiche being as yet on the yearth wageth battaile and fighteth with the fleshe the world and the Prince of this worlde the deuill also with synne and death Whē this Churche is discharged of attendaunce here it triumpheth in heauen for the victorie ouer all those her enemies reioysyng before the Lorde albeit these twoo Churches are still vnited or knitte together The militant Churche remainyng Particuler churches on the yearth hath alwaies had many particuler Churches yet all thei are referred to the vnitie of the catholike Churche This Churche was otherwise gouerned before the lawe emōg the Patriarkes otherwise vnder Moises by the laws otherwise of Christe by the gospell Cōmenly also there are compted twoo kinds of people the Israelites and the Gentiles or a people consistyng of the Iewes and Gētiles gathered together in the Churche There be twoo Testamentes also the old and the newe Yet of all these people there was and is one societie one saluacion by one Messias in whom as members of one bodie vnder one hedde all are knitte together in one faithe all are partakers of one spiritual meate and drinke Howbeit here we acknowledge that there were sundrie tymes diuers signes or Sacramentes of our Messias both promised giuen also to vs of his father that the ceremonies remoued a brighter light now shineth vnto vs that we receiue larger giftes inioy greater libertie thē our forefathers had before the commyng of Christe This holie Churche of God is called the house of the liuyng Lorde built The names of the church of liuing and spiritual stones and sect vpon an vnmoueable rocke vpō suche a foundaciō that there can none other foundaciō be laied then it And in that i. Timo. iii. respecte it is also called the piller and ground of truthe It erreth not as lōg when the church erreth as it testeth vpon Christe the Rocke and foundacion of the Prophettes and Apostles But no meruell if it erre as often as it forsaketh hym who onely is the truthe The Churche also is called the virgine and spouse of Christe and the onely and welbeloued spouse of Christe For the Apostle saieth I ii Cor. xi ioigned you to one housbande to presente you as a pure virgine to Christ It is also called the flocke of shepe vnder one shepherde Christe bothe in the xxxiiij Chap. of Ezech. and. x. of Ihon. And it is named Christe his bodie because the faithfull are the liuyng mēbers of Christ vnder Christ their hed The hedde is that whiche hath preeminence and the higheste roume in the bodie geuyng life to it and ruling it so in all thynges with the vitall spirites comming from thence that it increaseth groweth thereby There is also but one hed of that bodie wherewith it doeth wel agree For the churche There is but one hedde of the churche Christe Iesus can not haue any other hedde then Christe and as the Churche is a spirituall bodie so it is meete that it haue a spirituall hedde agreablie Neither cā it be ruled by any other spirit then by Christe his spirite Paule writeth he is the hedde of the bodie of the churche He is the beginning first borne Col. 1. of the dedde that in all thynges he might haue the preeminence Againe Christ is the hedde of the churche and Ephe. v. Ephe. i. the same Christe is the sauiour of his bodie And again he saieth Which is the hedde of the churche whiche churche is his bodie euen the fulnesse of hym that filleth all in all Moreouer Ephe. iiij Let vs in all thinges growe vp into hym whiche is the hedde that is Christ by whom al the body beyng coupled and knitte together by euery ioynte receiueth increase We allowe not therfore that doctrine of the Romishe Clergie makyng their Romishe bisshoppe an vniuersall Shepeherde the The Pope chief hedde yea and Christes true vicare of his catholike militante churche in the yearth wherein he hath fulnesse of power and supreme dominion as thei saie For we teache that Christ is
the Lorde and remaineth the onely vniuersall shepherde chief high priest before God his father and that he in Christ is present with his churche the churche doeth all the dueties of an high bisshoppe or shepherd and so will continue vnto the ende of the worlde and therefore néedes no vicare as one that were absente Truely Christe is present with his Churche and is a liuyng hedde who straightly forbadde his Apostles and their successours to chalenge the primacie or supremacie in the churche Whosoeuer then gainsaieth this manifest truth bringeth into the church of Christ a coÌ„trary gouernment who seeth not that thei are to be coumpted emong the nomber of those whoÌ„ Christes Apostles Prophesied of ij Peter ij and Paule Acte xx ij Cor xi and. ij Thes ij By takyng awaie the Romish hed No desorder in the church we bryng into the Churche of Christe no disorder no trouble seyng that we teache that the gouernemente of the churche prescribed by the Apostles is sufficiente for vs to kepe the Churche in due order Whiche 〈◊〉 the beginnyng while it was without suche a Romishe hedde as now adaies is said to keepe the Churche in order it was not without very 〈…〉 Doubtlesse The head of Rome the hedde of Rome maintaineth the tyrannie and corruption brought into the churche but 〈◊〉 resisteth and with all the might he 〈◊〉 withstaÌ„deth the true reformacion thereof It is obiected vnto vs that there are diuers coÌ„tentions crept into our churches Contentions in the church sithens we separated our selues from the Romishe churche wherevpoÌ„ Contentions in the romish churche some conclude that we bée not the true Churches of Christe as though there were neuer any sectes in the Churche of Rome neuer any strie for contencion and that for religion not so muche in Scholes as in their holte Chaires and in open assemblies We acknowledge i. Cor. xiiii that the Apostle said God is not GOD of dissencion but of peare and seyng there is emong you emulacion and contencion are ye not carnall yet it cannot be deuied but that God was Contention is no true note of the false churche 〈◊〉 the Apostolike Churche and that that Churche was the true Churche in which notwithstandyng there was striefe and discorde For the Apostle Gal. ii Act. xv Paule reprehended Peter the apostle and Barnaâ—â—â— dissented froÌ„ Paule A greuous coÌ„tencion 〈◊〉 in the churche of Antibche betwene them that preache Christ as Luke reherseth Act. rv There hath vtter great strief alwaies in the Churche and the moste famous doctors thereof haue dissented emong theimselues in no light matters the Church notwithstanding ceassed not to bee Christe his Churche still as it was before for so it pleased God to vse the strief in the Churche to the glorie of his name to sette forthe his truthe and to haue those whoe are tried better knowen But as wee acknowledge none other The markes of the true churche hedde of the Churche then Christ so wee agnise not euery one that boasteth it self for the true Churche to be the true Churche in deede We teache that to bee the true Churche wherein are found the signes or markes of the true Churche especially the right and sincere preachyng of God his woorde As wée be taught in the bookes of the Prophettes and Apostles who referre all to Christ whiche faieth in the Gospell My Shepe heare 〈◊〉 voice and I knowe theim thei followe me and I geue to theÌ„ eternall life and thei shall neuer perishe thei followe not a strauÌ„ger but flie from hym because thei knowe not the voice of strauÌ„gers and these Shepe be all of one faithe of one spirit and therefore worship one onely God seruyng hym alone in spirite and truth and louing him onely with all their harte with all their strength dooe call on hym onely for Christe his sake their onely mediatour and intercossour seekyng without Christe and faithe in him no rightuousnes no life because thei acknowledge Christe to be the onely hedde and foundacion of the Churche and them selues to bee laied vpon this foundacion Thei doe daiely repare them selues with repentaunce dooe paciently beare the crosse 〈◊〉 vpon them and beyng knitte together by vnfained loue with al Christes members doe thereby declare theÌ„selues to bee the Disciples of Christe continuyng in the bonde of peace and godlie vnitie Thei be also partakers together of the Sacramentes instituted by Christe and taught of the Apostles vsyng them none otherwise then the lorde hath commanded them The saiyng of the Apostle is well knowen to all men I haue receiued of the lord that whiche I also haue deliuered vnto you Wherfore we condemne those i. Cor. xi Churches as disagreyng from Christ his true Church which be not such as we haue heard that thei shuld be boast thei neuer so muche of the succession of Bisshops of vnitie and antiquitie Yea the Apostles commauÌ„de vs to flie from Idolatrie and Babilon and not to take part with her except we would i. Cor. x. i. Ihon. v. Apoc. xviii ii Cor. vi There is no saluatioÌ„ with out we be of Christe his churche take part of God his plages also We so muche esteme the societie with the true Churche of Christe that we deny that thei can liue in GOD his sighte whiche doe not communicate with the true Churche of God but separate theÌ„selues from it For as out of the Arke of Noe there was no sauyng helpe A similitude when the worlde perished by the flood so wee beleue that there is no assured saluacion without Christ who offreth hymself in the Churche to be enioyed of his electe and therefore we teache that thei whiche will liue muste not separte theimselues froÌ„ the true churche of Christe Howbeit wée doe not so narrowlie include the Churche within the signes aboue rehearsed that we The churche is not tyed to signes teache all those to be out of the church whiche either receiue not the Sacramentes so that it be not a self will or All offenders are not counted to be out of the church contempte but compelled rather by necessitie whiche thei can not auoide either those in whom sometime faithe fainteth but is not vtterly loste and cleane dedde either els suche in whoÌ„ there are founde faultes and errours by infirmitie For we knowe that god had some frendes in the worlde which were not of the Israelites Common wealthe We are not ignoraunt what happened to the people of God in the captiuitie of Babilon in the whiche thei lacked their sacrifices for the space of lxx yeres We knowe what befell to Peter who denied his maister and what daiely is wonte to happe to the electe and faithfull weaklinges Further we are not ignoraunt what maner of Churches in the Apostles tyme the Galathians Corinthians had in the whiche the Apostle laieth to their charge that there was many and greuous The churche sumtime semeth to be
preferred before other b 1. Cor. 1. 8 9. Yea and that faith is not onelie geuen to the chosen to bryng theim into the right waie for one onelie time but causeth them to continue therein to the ende c Philipens 2. 13 1. 6. For as God must woorke the beginnyng so must he also woorke the ende 22 We beleue a Ro. 6. a. b. 7. a b. Col. 2. 13. 3. 10. 1. Pet. 1. 3. that through this faith wee are regenerate into newenesse of life beyng naturallie thrall to synne And that wee receiue through faithe the grace to liue holily and in the fear of GOD in receiuyng the promesse which is geuen vs by the gospell that is that God will geue vs his holy spirite b Iames. 2. Gal. 5. 6. 1. Iohn 2. 3. 4 5. 28. So faithe dooeth not onelie not coole the desire to liue well and holily but rather engendreth and prouoketh the same in vs necessarilie bringyng forth good workes c Deut. 30. Iohn 3. 5. Furthermore although God to fulfill our Saluacion regenerateth vs in framyng vs to doe well d Luc. 17. 10 Psal 16. 2 Rom. 3. c. d Tit. 3. 5. Rom. 4. 3. 4 5. neuerthelesse wée confesse that the good woorkes whiche wee dooe through the guidyng of the holie spirite are not sufficiente to iustifie vs or deserue that GOD shal accepte vs for his children for we should bee alwayes waueryng in doubte and vncertaintie if our cōsciences were not stayed on that satisfaction where with Iesus Christe hath cleared vs. 23. Wée beleue a Ro. 10. 4. Gal. 3. 4 Coll. 2. 17 that all the figures of the lawe toke ende at the comming of Iesus Christe But though the Ceremonies are no longer in vse neuerthelesse the substaunce and truthe remaineth with vs in the person of him in whom consisteth all fulnesse b 2. Ti. 3. 16 2. Pet. 1. 19. 3. 2. And further that wee muste vse the helpe of the lawe and Prophetes as well to the framyng of our liues as to confirme vs in the promises of the gospel 24. We beleue a 1. Tim. 2. 5 Act. 4. 12. 1. Ioh. 2. 1. 2 sith Iesus Christe is geuen to bée our onely aduocate b Ioh. 16. 23 24. and that he commaundeth vs to haue familiar recourse in his name to his father c Mat. 6. 9. Luc. 11. 2. yea that it is not lawfull for vs to praie but accordyng to the forme that God hath appoincted vs by his worde d Act. 10. 25 26. 14. 14 Apoc. 19. that all that whiche men haue imagined touchyng intercession of dedde Sainctes is but abuse and deceipte of Sathan to tourne menne from the forme of true praier Wée despise also all other meanes wherewith menne presume to be able to reunsome them selues to Godwarde as derogatyng the sacrifice of the death and passion of Iesus Christ To be shorte we esteme purgatorie for an illusiō forged in the same forge the c Mat. 15. 11 Act. 10. 14. Rom. 14. a. b. c. Gal. 4. 9. 10 Col. 2. 18. 19 23. 1. Tim. 4. 2. 3. 4. 5. Monkish vowes pilgrimages forbiddyng of Mariages and vse of meates the Ceremonious obseruacion of daies Auriculer confession Pardons with al other suche like were whereby menne thincke too deserue grace and saluacion Whiche thynges we despise not onelie for the false opinion of deserte that is had in theim but also because thei are mannes inuentions and yoke mennes cōsciences 25. And a Rom. 1. 16 17 10. c. because we enioye not Iesus Christ but by the Gospell b Math. 18. 20. Eph. 1. 22. 23 we beleue that the order of the Churche whiche is established by his aucthoritie ought to bee holie and inuiolable and therefore that the Churche can not stande without Pastours whose charge is to teache c Math. 10. Ioh. 13. 20 Rom. 10. ◠and ought to be honoured and reuerently heard if thei be duelie called and faithfully exercise their office Not that God is bounde to their helpes or base meanes but that it pleaseth him to bridle vs therwith Wherin wee despise all suche phantasticall persones as goe aboute as muche as in theim lieth to deface the ministerie and preachyng of the woorde and Sacramentes 26. We beleue then a Psal 58 22. 23. 42 5. Ephe. 4. 12. Heb. 2. 12. that none ought to withdrawe hymself a parte and be contented alone but that all together ought to kéepe and maintain the vnitie of the Churche submittyng theim selues to the common instruction and to the yoke of Iesus Christe and that in what place soeuer God hath established a true order of his Churche b Act. 4. 19 20. Heb. 10. 25 yea though the Magistrates and their ordinaunces be contrarie thereunto and that all they that submitte not themselues therevnto but separate them selues from it doe contrarie to the ordenaunce of God 27. Neuertheles a Iere. 7. 4. b. 11. 12. Math. 3. 12. 7. 22. 24. 5. we beleue that it behoueth carefullie wiselie to discerne whiche is the true Churche for that this title hath been too too muche abused b Ephe. 2. 20 4. 11. 12. 1. Tim. 3. 5. Deut. 31. 12. Wee saie therefore accordyng to the woorde of God that it is the companie of the faithfull whiche agree together to folowe the same worde and the pure Religion dependeth thereon and whiche profite therein all the dayes of their life encreasyng and confirmyng theim selues in the feare of GOD accordyng as thei neede to aduance themselues and to marche dailie forward c Rom. 3. c. when they haue done their vttermoste that it behoueth thē continually to haue recourse to the remission of their synnes d Mat. 13. d 2. Tim. 2. 18 19. 20. And neuerthelesse wee deny not but that emong the faithfull there are Hypocrites and reprobate whose malice is not able to deface the title of the Churche 28. Vpon this belief a Math. 10. 14 15. Iohn 10. c. 1. Cor. 3. b. c we proteste that where the woorde of God is not receiued nor any professe to submit theimselues ther vnto where the Sacramētes are not ministred to speake plainly wee can not iudge any Churche to be there And therefore we condemne the Popish assemblies seyng the pure truthe of God is banished thence in whiche the Sacramentes are corrupt counterfeacte falsified or wholie defaced and wherein all supersticion and Idolatrie beareth swaie b 2. Cor. 6. 14. 15. 16. 1. Cor. 6. 15. Wee holde then that all thei that haue to do therin or communicate after that sorte separate and cutte of theim selues from the bodie of Iesus Christe Neuerthelesse because there domaineth a certaine small trace of the Churche in Poperie namely that the substaunce of Baptisme remaineth therein c Math. 3. 11 28. 19. Mar. 1. 8. Act. 1. 5. 11. 15. 16. 17 19. 4. 5. 6.
Epistles chiefly to Timothe i. Tim. iiii and Titus But with the saied To forbid mariage is a doctrine of deuils Apostle we compt it a doctrine of Deuils to forbidde or openly to dispraise mariage or to restrain it by some croked or couerte meanes as though it were not holy or cleane Wee deteste Heresies vnchaste single life the secrete or open and manifeste lustes and fornicacion committed by hypocrites faining chastitie when thei are moste lasciuious of all others God will iudge them all We disalowe not riches and riche Ritches men if thei be godlie and vse their riches well but wee mislike the secte of the Apostolicans who would haue all thynges common ¶ Of Magistrates EVery chief Magistrate is ordained of God hym self for Magistrates be ordained of God the peace and tranquilitie of mankynde and to beare the chiefeste rule and degree of honour in the worlde If he bee an enemie to the Churche he maie hinder and trouble it muche But if he be a friende and so a member of the churche he is the profitableste and moste excellente parte thereof whiche maie greatly profitte and beste helpe the Churche His chiefeste office is to prouide for The duetie of a Magistrate and kepe the publike peace and quietnesse Whiche thing he shall neuer do with better successe then when he feareth God in deede and zelously setteth for the his religion imitating the steppes of moste godlie Kynges and Princes that gouerned the Lordes people and aduaunseth the Preachyng of the truthe and sincere faithe rooteth out lies and vntruthes all Supersticion with all impietie and Idolatrie and defendeth God his churche We teach that a godlie Magistrate ought chiefly to care for the furtheraunce of Religion Lette hym therefore with all his might maintaine the worde of God and prouide that no doctrine contrary to it bée taught Let hym also rule the people cōmitted by God to his charge with good lawes agreyng with gods worde and thereby kepe them in good order in doyng their duetie and in obedience Lette hym exercise hym self in iudgyng causes iustly not respectyng persones refusing bribes defendyng widowes fatherlesse children and other afflicted punishyng yea and rootyng out vniuste deceiptfull and cruell persones For he hath not Roma xiii the swearde of God for naught Letts hym therefore drawe his swearde against euill doers sowers of dissencion theues murtherers oppressours blasphemours forswearers of theim selues and againste all those whom God hath commaunded hym to punishe and put to death Lette hym chasten Heretikes also and correcte vncorrigible heretikes whiche be heretikes in deede which cease not to blaspheme the maiestie of God to trouble and destroye his Churche If it bee necessarie to defende warre the sauegarde of his people by warre lette hym goe to warre in the name of Lorde so that firste ▪ he seeke peace by all meanes he maie and can defende his subiectes none otherwise then by battaile While the Magistrate dooeth this of faithe he with the self same workes as good in déede serueth God and is blessed of hym Wee condemne the Anabaptistes who as Heresies thei deny that any Christian cā beare the office of a Magistrate so thei defende that no manne can lawfully be putte to death by a Magistrate or that a Magistrate oughte to wage battaile with any or that thei should require othes of menne and sweare them on a Booke c. For as God will that the sauegard of his people be wrought by his Magistrate Subiectes duetie whom he hath geuen to the worlde to bee as a father euen so all subiectes are charged to acknowledge this benefit of God in the magistrate It is their duetie therefore to honour and reuerence hym as God his minister to loue hym to praie for hym as for their father to obeie all his lawful and iuste commaundementes to bee shorte to paie hym Tribute with all suche like duetie faithefully and willynglie If the conseruacion of the publike wealthe and Iustice so require and the Magistrate bee forced necessarilie to warre let his subiectes be reddie to hassarde their liues and to shed their bloude gladlie valiauntlie and cherfullie in Gods name to saue their Countrie and their chief gouernour For he that resisteth his rewler doeth purchase God his greuous wrathe againste hymself We condemne therfore all despisers of Magistrates Rebelles Dispisers of Magistrats Traitours enemies to the common wealth sedicious knaues to bee shorte all that refuse either openlie or craftely and couertly to do their boūden duetie and allegeaunce to their gouernour We praie God our moste mercifull and heauēlie father to blesse the princes of his people and vs also with all his people through Iesus Christe our onely Lorde and sauior to whom bee praise glorie and thankes worlde without ende So be it A confession Of Faith made by common agreement of suche Frenchemen as desire to liue accordinge to the puritie of the Gospel of our Lorde IESVS CHRIST The Frenchmen that desire to liue accordyng to the puritie of the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ to the King WE haue great cause most mightie Prince to geue God thankes that hauing not hitherto had accesse to youre Maiestie whereby we mighte declare what rigour of persecutions we haue suffered and dayly do suffer for desiring to liue according to the puritie of the Gospell and quietnesse of our consciences he hath no vouchsaued to graunt vs this fauour that your grace is willinge to vnderstande of our cause as appeareth by the last proclamation gyuen at Amboise the moneth of Marche the yeare 1559. when it pleased your Maiestie to cause the publicatiō of the same Whiche boldeneth vs at this present to open mouth whiche before by the violence and iniustice of certaine your officers was closed and stopped vp rather of malice to vs ward than good affection or seruice to you ward And to the ende your Maiestie maye be plainelye and fullye informed of the whole cause we most humbly beseche you to read and vnderstand this our Confession of Fayth whiche wee here present vnto you hopinge it to be sufficient defence for vs against all such blames and slaunders as we haue hitherto wrongfully ben charged withall by suche as haue daily sought to condemne vs before our cause were knowen or heard Wherin we proteste there is nothinge repugnant to the worde of God or contrary to that subiection which we owe to your Maiestie For these articles of Faithe set forth at large in our confession tend all to this ende that seeyng God hath sufficiently declared his wille by his Prophettes and Apostles yea by the monthe of his derely beloued soonne our sauiour Iesus Christe wee ought so to honour and reuerence this holie woorde of God that we adde nothyng thereto of our owne but wholie conforme our selues to the rewle prescribed vnto vs therein And for that the Romishe Churche leauyng the vse and custome of the primitiue Church
hath broughte in newe commaundementes and a newe maner of seruing God we thinke it moste reasonable to preferre the coÌ„maundmentes of God whiche is the truthe it self to the coÌ„maundementes of men who naturally are enclined to lesyng and vanitie And what soeuer our aduersaries preteÌ„de against vs yet dare we saie bothe before God and manne that we suffer for none other cause but for maintainyng our Lorde Iesus Christe to bee the onely Sauiour and redemer and his doctrine to be the onely doctrine of life and saluacion And this is the onely cause why the handes of hangmen haue been so ofte embrued with the bloodde of your poore subiectes Who sparyng neither life nor gooddes for maintainaunce of this Confession of faithe haue manifestly declared to all the worlde that thei wer moued therto by a farre mightier spirit then any spirit of manne whiche is more carefull of quietnes and commoditie then of the honour and glorie of God And therefore accordyng to the goodnesse and clemencie whiche your Maiestie promiseth to shewe to vs your poore subiectes wee moste humblie beseche you to bee so gracious as to take in hande the knowledge of the cause by whiche beyng daily pursued to death or banishemente wee lose the power and meane to shewe to you that most humble seruice whiche of duetie wee owe. Maie it therfore please your Maiestie in stede of fire and sweard heretofore vsed to examine our Confession by the worde of God and to graunt vs sufferaunce and sauetie in the meane while And then wee hope that your self shall iudge of our innoceÌ„cie well perceiue that there is neither heresie nor rebellion in vs but that we onely tende to this ende to liue in quietnesse of conscience serue God as he hath coÌ„maunded and to obeye your Maiestie in all humble obedience and seruice And bicause the preaching of the word of God is necessarie to putte vs in remembraunce as wel of our duetie towardes hym as towardes you wee moste humbly beseche your Maiestie that we maie sometymes gather together to be exhorted to the feare of God by his woorde and confirmed by the administracion of the Sacramentes whiche our Sauiour Christe hath appoincted to his church And if it would please you to graunte vs some open place where all the worlde might see our assemblies that onely sight should discharge vs of those hainous crimes that heretofore our said asseÌ„blies haue been charged withall For there is nought to been but modestie and chastitie nought to be heard but praise to God exhortacion to his seruice and praier for the conseruacioÌ„ of your Maiestie and kyngdome And if it please not your grace to shew vs this fauor yet maie it please you at the leaste to graunte that wee maie particularly vse that quiet order whiche is established Moste humblie besechyng your Maiestie in readyng this present supplicacion to coÌ„sider that it is the cries and groaries of an infinite nomber of your poore subiectes whiche craue suche mercie at your handes that it maie quenche the fires that your cruel Iudges haue kindled in your realme And so that huÌ„blie seruyng your maiestie wee maie lawfully serue hym that hath exalted your highnes to this dignitie and state And if ye refuse to beare vs yet maie please you to heare the voice of the sonne of God who geuyng you power ouer oure bodies goodes liues requireth of you that the power and gouernment ouer our soules and consciences whiche he so dearely bought by the price of his hart bloud should be reserued to hym onely The same God we beseche to guide you with his holy spirit and with pour yeres to encrease your might and power to geue you victorie ouer all your enemies and establishe for euer in all equitie and iustice the throne of your Maiestie Before whom it maie please hym to graunte vs to finde suche fauour that we maie obtain some frute of our presente supplicacion That so chaunging our grieffes and afflictioÌ„s into quietnesse and libertie wee maie also chaunge our sighes and teares into perpetuall thankyng GOD for your Maiestie for grauntyng a thing so agreable to hym so worthie of your goodnesse and Iustice and so necessarie for the conseruacion of your most humble and obedient subiectes and seruauntes ¶ A confession of faithe made by common agrement of suche Frenchemen as desire to liue accordyng to the puritie of the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ The firste article WE beleue and confesse that there is a Deut. 4. 35 39. 1. Cor. 8. 4. 6. one onely GOD which is one onely and simple substaunce b Gene 1. 3. Iohn 4. 24 2. Cor. 3. 17. spirituall c Exod 3. 15 16. 18. euerlastyng d Rom 1. 20 1. Tim. 1. 17 inuisible e Mala. 3. 6. vnchaungeable f Rom. 11. 33 Act. 17. 24. 7. 48. endlesse incomprehensible vnspeakable g Ier. 10. 7. 10. Luc. 1. 37. that can doe all thynges who is h Ro. 16. 27 whollie wise i Mat. 19. 17 whollie good k Iere. 12. 1. whollie iuste and whollie mercifull 2. This God declareth himself to men l Exod. 34. 6. 7. so to be Rom. 1. 19. and first by his woorkes as well in creatyng conseruyng as guidyng of the same n Heb. 1. 1. But secondlie and more plainlie by his worde whiche in the beginnyng was o Gene. 15. 1 reuealed by Oracle and afterwardes p Exod. 24. 3. 4. written in bookes whiche we call q Rom. 1. 12 holy scripture 3. All this holie scripture is comprised in the Canonicall bokes of the old and newe Testament whereof the names hereafter followe Firste the fiue bookes of Moises that is to saie Genesis Exodus Leuiticus Nombers Deuteronomie Further Iosue the Iudges Ruth the firste and seconde bookes of Samuel the firste and seconde bookes of the Kynges The firste and seconde bokes of the Chronicles otherwise called Pariâ—â—pomenon and the firste booke of Esoras Also Nehemias the bookes of Hester Iob Psalmes of Dauid Prouerbes of Salomon the booke of Ecclesiastes otherwise called the Preacher The Canticles of Salomon Likewise the bookes of Esaie Ieremie the Lamentacions of Ieremie Ezechiell Daniell Osee Ioell Amos Abdias Ionas Miche Nahum Abacucke Sophonie Agge Zacharie Malachie Also the holy Gospell of S. Matthew sainct Marke S. Luke S. Ihon Furthermore the seconde booke of saincte Luke otherwise called the Actes of the Apostles and one Epistle of sainct Paule to the Romaines twoo the Corinthians one to the Galathians one to the Ephesians one to the Philippians one to the Collossians twoo to the Thessalonians twoo to Timothe one to Tite and one to Philemon Also the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Epistle of sainct Iames the firste and seconde Epistles of saincte Peter The firste seconde and third Epistles of sainct Ihon The Epistle of saincte Iude and the Apocalipse or Reuelacion of sainct Ihon. 4. We knowe these bookes