blood of the Lord. And in the 10. coÌ„maundements it is written He that abuseth Gods holie name shall not escape vnpunished As therefore the worlde hath oft heretofore beene iustlie punished for â—dolatrie so doubtles this shameles profaniâ—â— of Masses wil be fearefully reuenged with greeuous plagues And it maie well be that the Church in these latter times iâ— punished with blindenes discord and warres and manie other plagues chiefelie for this one cause And yet these oâ—â— and grosse abuses haue the Bishoppes whoe cannot be ignorant of them not onelie borne with all but also smothâ—â— laughed at them And now all to late they beginne to complaine forsooth of the calamitie of the Church when as 〈◊〉 other thing hath beene the occasion of the broiles of these times but the abuses themselues which were now become too open and euident that modest men coulde no longer beare them I would to God that the Bishoppes had as by their office they might haue long before this brideled restrained the couetousnes or impudencie whether of Monks or of some others whoe chaunging the manner of the olde Church haue made the Masse a monie matter But it shall not be amisse now to shew whence these abuses did spring at the first There is an opinion spread abroad in the Church that the Supper of the Lord is a worke which being once done by the Priest deserueth remission of sinnes both of the fault and of the punishment not onelie for hiâ— that doeth it but also for others and that because of the worke done although it be done without anie good intent of the doer Likewise that if it be applied in the behalfe of the dead it is satisfactorie that is it deserueth remission of the paines of purgatorie And in this meaning they take the worde Sacrifice when they call the 〈◊〉 a sacrifice namelie a worke that being done in the behalâ—e of some others doth merit for them both remission of the 〈◊〉 of the punishmentes and that because of the verie worke done euen without any good intent of him that 〈…〉 they meane that the Priest in the Masse doth offer a sacrifice for the quicke and the dead And after this perswasion was once receiued they taught men to seeke forgiuenes of sinnes and all good thinges yea that the dead were fâ—eed from punishmentes by the benefit of the Masse And it made no matter what kinde of men they were that sâ—â—ed the Masses for they taught that they were verie auaileable for others without any good motion of the vser Afterwarde a question arose whether one Masse said for many was as auaileable as seueral Masses for seueral persons And this disputation did augment the number of Masses and the gaine that came in by them out of measure But we dispute not not now of the gaine we onelie accuse the impietie of them For our Diuines doe prooue planlie that this opinion of the meriting applying of the Masse is both false and impious This is the state of this controuersie betweene vs and them And it is no hard matter for the godlie to iudge of this point if a man wil but weigh the arguments that folow First we haue prooued before that men doe obtaine remission of sinnes freelie by faith that is by sure trust to obtaine mercy for Christes sake It is then impossible for a man to obâ—aine remission of sinnes for another mans work and that without anie good motion that is without his owne faith This reason doth very euidentlie ouerthrowe that monstrous and impious opinion touching the merit and application of the Masse Secondly Christes passion was an oblation satisfaction not onelie for originall sinne but also for all other sinnes as it is written in the epistle to the Hebr. We are sanctified by the oblation of Christ once offered Againe By one oblation he hath made perfect for euer those that are sanctified To conclude a good part of the Epistle to the Heb. is spent in confirming this point that the onelie sacrifice of Christ did merit remission of sinnes or reconciliation for others Therfore saith he the Leuiticall sacrifices were oft times offered in one manner because they could not take awaie sinnes But Christ by his sacrifice hath 〈◊〉 once satisfied for the sinnes of all men This honour of Christs sacrifice must not be transferred from him to the worke of a Priest For he saith expresselie that by one oblation the Saints are made perfect Besides it is a wicked thing to place that trust in the work of a priest which should onelie leane and staie it selfe vpon the oblation and intercession of Christ the high Priest Thirdlie Christ in the institution of the Lordes supper doth not commaund the Priestes to offer for others either quick or dead vpon what ground then or authoritie was this worship ordeined in the Church as an offering for sins without anie commaundement of God But that is yet more grosse far from al reasoÌ„ that the masse should be applied to deliuer the soules of such as are dead For the masse was ordeined for a remembrance that is that such as receiued the supper of the Lord should stirre vp and confirme their faith and comfort their distressed consciences with the remembrance of Christes benefits Neither is the masse a satisfaction for the punishment but it was instituted for the remission of the fault to wit not that it should be a satisfaction for the fault but that it might be a sacrament by the vse whereof we might be put in minde of the benefit of Christ and the forgiuenes of the fault Seing therefore that the applying of the Supper of the Lord for the deliuerance of the dead is receiued without warrant of scripture yea quite contrarie to scripture it is to be condemned as a new and vngodlie worship or seruice Fourthlie a Ceremonie in the new couenant without faith meriteth nothing neither for him that vseth it nor for others For it is a dead worke according to the saying of Christ The true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and trueth The same doth the 11. Chap. to the Heb. throughout prooue By faith Abell offered a better offering vnto God Also without faith it is impossible to please God Therfore the masse doth not merit remission of the fault or of the punishment euen for the verie workes sake performed This reason doth euidentlie ouerthrow the merit as they cal it which ariseth of the verie worke that is done Fiftlie the applying of the benefit of Christ is by a mans owne faith as Paull witnesseth Rom 3. Whome God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood this applying is made frelie And therefore it is not made by another mans work nor for another mans work For when we vse the sacrament this application is made by our owne work by our owne faith not by another mans work For surely if we could haue no remission but
part agree with the writinges of the Apostles and with the custome of the auncient Church euen almoste to Gregories time which thing being so the custome of our Churches is to be approoued not to be disalowed but our Aduersaries misliking our custome doe defend manie errours some more foule and grosse others coloured with new deceites Manie heretofore haue written that in the masse there is an oblation made for the quick and the dead and that it doth deserue remission of sinnes both for him that maketh it and for others euen for the workes sake And thus were most of them persuaded and as yet are like vnto the Pharisies and the heathen For after the same manner the Pharisies and the Heathen did dreame that they for the workes sake did deserue for them selues and for others remission of sinnes peace and manie other good thinges Or although those which were not so blinde did speake more modestlie and saide that they did deserue but not without the good intention of the sacrificer yet they imagined that those sacrifices were merits a raunsome By reason of this opinion there were a multitude of sacrifices and the craftie meanes of gaine were increased Such is the marchandise of Masses and the prophanation of the Lordes Supper almost throughout the wholl world But God will haue corrupt kindes of worship to be reprooued and abolished Therefore we 〈◊〉 â—implie and in deede propound the voice of God which doth condemne those errors and with all our heart we affirme before God and the wholl Church in heauen and in earth that there was one onelie sacrifice propitiatorie or whereby the wrath of the eternall Father against mankinde is pacified to wit the wholl obedience of the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ who was crucified and raised vp againe This is that onelie Lambe which taketh awaie the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1. Of thâ—â— onelie sacrifice mention is made Heb. 10. By one onely sacrifice he made perfect for euer those that are sanctified And this sacrifice is applied to euerie one by their owne faith when they heare the Gospell and vse the sacraments as Paull saith Rom. 3. Whome God hath set forth to be are conciliation through faith in his blood And Habac. 2. The iust shall liue by his faith And 1. Pet. 1. Being sanctified in the spirit vnto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ Other sacraments in the old Testament were typicall wherof we shal speake more at large in their place they did not deserue anie remission of sinnes and all the righteousnes of holie men at all times were are and shall be sacrifices of praise which do not deserue remission either for them that did offer them or for others but they are seruices which euerie one ought to performe and are acceptable to God for the Mediatours and our high priest the Sonne of God his sake as it is said Heb. 13. By him we offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God That this is an vnchangeable and eternal truth it is most manifest And whereas certaine fragments which they call the Canons of the masse are alledged against this so cleare light of the trueth it is also manifest that the Greeke and Latine Canons are verie vnlike the one to the other and that the Greeke Canons do disagree among themselues in a most waightie matter and it appeareth that in the Latine Canon manie iagges peeces were by litle litle patched together of ignorant authors The auncient Church doth vse the names of Sacrifice and oblation but therby it vnderstandeth the whole action prayers a taking of it a remembrance faith a confession and thanksegiuing This wholl inward and outward action in euerie one that is turned to God and in the wholl Church is indeede a sacrifice of praise or thankesgiuing and a reasonable seruice And when the Lord saith Ioh. 4. The true worshippers shall worship the lord in spirit and in trueth he affirmeth that in the new testament outward sacrifices are not commaunded which of necessitie should be made although there were no motions of the holie ghost in the heart as in the law it was necessarie that the ceremonie of the Passe ouer should be kept But touching the supper of the Lord it is said 1. Cor. 11 Let euerie man examine him-selfe c. So the supper of thâ— Lord doth profit him that vseth it when as he bringeth with him repentance and faith and another mans work doth nothing at all profit him Furthermore concerning the dead it is manifest that all this shew is repugnant to the wordes of the institution of the Supper wherein it is said Take ye eat ye c. Doe ye this in remembrance of me What doth this apperteine to the dead or to those that be absent and yet in a great part of Europe manie masses are said for the dead also a great number not knowing what they do do read Masses for a reward But seing that all these things are manifestlie wicked to wit to offer as they speake to the end that they maie deserue for the quick and the dead or for a man to do he knoweth not what they do horriblie sinne that retaine and defend these mischieuous deeds And seeing that this ceremony is not to be taken for a sacrameÌ„t without the vse wherunto it was ordeined what manner of Idolworship is there vsed let godlie and learned men consider Also it is a manifest prophanation to carie about parte of the Supper of the Lord and to worship it where a parte is vtterlie transferred to an vse cleane contrarie to the first Institution whereas the text saith Take eat and this shew is but a thing deuised of late To conclude what be the manners of manie Priestes and Monks in all Europe which haue no regard of this saying 1. Cor. 11 Let euerie man examine him-selfe Also Whosoeuer taketh it vnworthelie shall be guiltie of the bodie and bloode of the Lord. Euerie man of him-selfe doth know these things Now although the chiefe Bishopes and hypocrites who seeke delusions to establish these euills doe scoffe at these complaintes yet it is most certaine that God is greeuouslie offended with these wicked deeds as he was angrie with the people of Israell for their prophanations of the sacrifices And we do see euident examples of wrath to wit the ruines of so many kingdomes the spoile and waste that the Turkes doe make in the worlde the confusions of opinions and many moste lamentable dissipations of Churches But O Sonne of God Lorde Iesus Christ which wast crucified and raised vp againe for vs thou which art the high priest of the Church with true sighes we beseech the that for thine and thy eternall Fathers glorie thou wouldest take awaie Idolls errours and abominations and as thou thy selfe didst praie Sanctifie vs with thy trueth and kindle the light of thy Gospell and true inuocation in the heartes of many and bowe our heartes to true obedience that
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
latter confession of Heluetia Basill the French and that of Belgia which alone haue expresse titles of these chiefe points of doctrine But these foure to wit the former confession of Heluetia the English that of Auspurge and Wirtemberge do by the waie make mention both of the prouidence of God and also of the creation of the world in the article of God as is to be seene in the 2. Section And the others to wit those of Bohem. Saxonie and Sueueland haue altogether omitted this part of doctrine THE 4. SECTION pag. 59. OF the fall of man of sinne and of free will This Section consisteth of 10. Confessions to wit Of the former and latter confessions of Heluetia of that of Basil Bohemia or the Waldenses the French English that of Belg. Auspurge Saxony and Wirtemb THE 5. SECTION pag. 84. OF eternal Predestination This Section consisteth of foure Confessions onely to wit Of the lâ—tter Confession of Heluetia that of Basil the French and that of Belgia THE 6. SECTION pag. 88. OF the reparing or deliuerance of man from his fall by Iesus Christ alone Also of his Person names office and the workes of Redemption This Section consisteth of 12. confessions to wit Of the former and latter Confessions of Heluetia that of Basill Bohemia the French the English that of Belgia Auspurge Saxony Wirtemberge Sueueland THE 7. SECTION pag. 1â—0 OF the lawe and the Gospell This Section consisteth of 7. confessions onely to wit Of the former and latter confessions of Heluetia that of Bohemia the French that of Belgia Saxony and Wirtemberge THE 8. SECTION pag. 212. OF Repentance and the Conuersion of man Tihs Section consisteth of 6. Confessions onely to wit Of the latter confession of Heluetia that of Bohem. Auspurge Saxony Wirtemb and Sueueland THE 9. SECTION pag. 242. OF Iustification by faith and of good works and their rewards This Section consisteth of 11. confessions to wit of the former and latter confessions of Heluetia that of Basill Bohemia the French the English that of Belgia Auspurge Saxony Wirtemberge and Sueueland THE 10. SECTION pag. 306. OF the holie Catholique Church This Section consisteth of 11. confessions to wit of the former and latter confessions of Heluetia that of Basill Bohemia the French the English that of Belgia Auspurge Saxonie Wirtemberge and Sueueland THE 11. SECTION pag. 337. OF the Ministers of the Church and of their calling and office This Section consisteth of 9. confessions to wit Of the former and latter confessions of Heluet. that of Bohemia the French the English that of Belgia Auspurge Wirtemberge and Sueueland THE 12. SECTION pag. 377. OF true and false Sacraments in generall This Section consisteth of 11. confessions Of the former confession of Heluetia and the declaration thereof the latter confess of Heluet. that of Basill Bohemia the French the English that of Belgia Auspurge Saxonie Wirtemberge and Sueueland THE 13. SECTION pag. 395. OF the Sacrament of holie Baptisme This Section consisteth of 10. confessions to wit Of the former confession of Heluetia and the declaration thereof of the latter conâ—es of Heluet. that of Bohemia the French the English that of Belgia Auspurge Saxonie Wirtemberge and Sueueland THE 14. SECTION pag 411. OF the holie Supper of the Lord. This Section consisteth of 11. confessions to wit of the former confession of Heluetia and the declaration thereof of the latter confes of Heluet. that of Basill Bohemia the French the English that of Belgia Auspurge Saxonie Wirtemberge and Sueueland THE 15. SECTION pag. 464. OF Ecclesiasticall Meetings This Section consisteth of 8. confessions to wit the former and latter confessions of Heluetia that of Bohemia the F eâ—ch the English that of Saxonie Wirtemberg and Sueueland THE 16. SECTION pag. 47â— OF Holie daies fasts and the choise of meats and of the visiting of the sicke and the care that is to be had for the dead This Sect. consisteth of 9. Confess to wit of the latter confession of Heluet. that of Basill Bohemia the French the English that of Auspurge Saxonie Wirtemberge and Sueueland THE 17. SECTION pag. 516. OF Ceremonies and rites which are indifferent in general This Section consisteth of 11. confessions to wit of the former and latter confessions of Heluetia that of Basill Bohemia the French the English that of Belgia Auspurge Saxonie Wirtemberge and Sueueland THE 18. SECTION pag. 540. OF Wedlock single life and Monasticall Vowes This Section consisteth of 8. confessions to wit of the former and latter confessions of Heluetia that of Bohemia the French the English that of Auspurge and Sueueland THE 19. SECTION pag. 578. OF the Ciuill Magistrate This Section consisteth of 10 confessions to wit of the former and latter confessions of Heluetia that of Basill Bohemia the French that of Belgia Auspurge Saxonie Wirtemberge and Sueueland A GENERAL CONFESSION OF THE TRVE CHRISTIAN FAITH AND RELIGION ACCORding to Gods word and actes of our Parliaments subscribed by the Kings Maiestie and his household with sun drie others To the glory of God and good example of all men At Edinborough the 28. day of Ianuarie The yeare of our Lord. 1581. And in the 14. yere of his Maiesties Raigne WE all and euerie one of vs vnder written protest that after long due examination of our owne consciences in matters of true and false Religion are now throughlie resolued in the truth by the word and spirit of God And therefore we beleeue with our hartes confesse with our mouthes subscribe with our handes and constantlie affirme before God and the whole world that this onelie is the true Christian faith and religion pleasing God and bringing saluation to man which is now by the mercie of God reuealed to the world by the preaching of the blessed Euangell and is receaued beleeued and defended by manie and sundrie notable Churches realms but chiefely by the Church of Scotland the Kings Maiestie three Estates of this Realm as Gods eternal trueth onely ground of our saluation as more particularlie is expressed in the confession of our Faith established and publikelie confirmed by sundrie actes of Parliaments and now of a long time hath beene openlie professed by the Kinges Maiestie and wholl bodie of this Realme both in burgh and land To the which confession and forme of Religion we willinglie agree in our consciences in all pointes as vnto Gods vndoubted trueth and veritie grounded onelie vpon his written word And therefore we abhorre and detest all contrarie religion doctrine but chiefelie all kinde of Papistrie in generall and particular heades euen as they are now damned and confuted by the word of God Church of Scotland but especiallie we detest andrefuse the vsurped authority of that Romane Antichrist vpon the Scriptures of God vpon the Church the ciâ—â—ll magistrate and conscience of men all his tyranous Lawes made vpon indifferent things against our Christian libertie his erronious doctrine against the sufficienâ—â— of the written word the perfection
a general councell for plaine it is as they were men so haue some of them manifestlie erred and that in matters of great weight and importance So farre then as the Councel prooueth the determination and commaundement that it giueth by the plaine worde of God so soone doe we reuerence and embrace the same But if men vnder the name of a Councel pretende to forge vnto vs newe Articles of our faith or to make constitutions repugning to the worde of God then vtterlie we must refuse the same as the doctrine of Deuils which draweth our soules from the voice of our onelie God to follow the doctrine and constitutions of men The cause then why that generall Councels came together was neither to make anie perpetuall lawe which God before had not made neither yet to forge new articles of our beliefe neither to giue the word of God authoritie much lesse to make that to be his word or yet the true interpretation of the same which was not before his holie will expressed in his word But the cause of councels we meane of such as merit the name of Councels was partlie for confutation of heresies for giuing publike confession of their faith to the posteritie following which both they did by the authoritie of Gods written word and not by anie opinion of prerogatiue that they could not erre by reason of their generall assemblie And this we iudge to haue beene the chiefe cause of general Councells The other was for good pollicie and order to be constitute obserued in the Church wherein as in the house of God it becommeth all things to be done decentlie and in order Not that we thinke that one pollicie and one order in ceremonies can be appointed for all ages times and places for as ceremonies such as men haue deuised are but temporall so maie and ought they to be changed when they rather suffer superstition then that they edifie the Church vsing the same Of the Sacramentes AS the fathers vnder the law besides the veritie of the sacrifices had two cheefe Sacramentes to wit Circumcision and the Passeouer the despisers and contemners whereof were not reputed for Gods people so we acknowledge and confesse that we now in the time of the Gospell haue two chiefe Sacraments onelie instituted by the Lord Iesus and commaunded to be vsed of all those that will be reputed members of his bodie to wit Baptisme and the Supper or table of the Lord Iesus called the communion of his bodie and his bloode And these Sacramentes as well of the olde as of the new Testament now instituted of god not onelie to make a visible difference betwixt his people those that were without his league but also to exercise the faith of his children and by participation of the same Sacramentes to seale in their heartes the assurance of his promise and of that most blessed coniunction vnion and societie which the elect haue with their heade Christ Iesus And thus we vtterlie damne the vanitie of those that affirme sacramentes to be nothing else but naked and bare signes No we assuredlie beleeue that by baptisme we are ingrafted in Christ Iesus to be made partakers of his iustice by which our sins are couered and remitted And also that in the Supper rightlie vsed Christ Iesus is so ioyned with vs that he becommeth the verie nourishment food of our soules Not that we imagine any transâ—ubstantiation of the bread in Christs naturall bodie and of wine in his naturall blood as the Papists haue perniciously taught and damnablie beleeued but this vnion and coniunction which we haue with the bodie and blood of Christ Iesus in the right vse of the Sacramente is wrought by operation of the holie Ghost who by true faith carieth vs aboue all things that are visible carnal and earthlie and maketh vs to fâ—â—de vpon the bodie and bloode of Christ Iesus which was once broken and shed for vs which now is in heauen and appeareth in the presence of his father for vs and notwithstanding the farre distance of place which is betwixt his bodie now glorified in the heauen and vs now mortall in this earth yet we must assuredlie beleeue that the breade which we breake is the communion of Christs body and the cup which we blesse is the communion of his bloode so that we confesse and vndoubtedlie beleeue that the faithfull in the right vse of the Lords table doe so eate the bodie and drinke the bloode of the Lord Iesus that he remaineth in them and they in him Yea they are so made flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones that as the eternall Godheade giueth to the flesh of Christ Iesus which of the owne condition and nature was mortall and corruptible life and immortalitie so doeth Christ Iesus his his flesh and bloode eaten and drunken by vs giue vnto vs the same prerogatiues Which albeit we confesse are neither giuen vnto vs at this time onelie neither yet by the proper power and vertue of the Sacrament onelie yet we affirme that the faithfull in the right vse of the Lordes table haue such coniunction with Christ Iesus as the naturall man cannot apprehend yea and further we affirme that albeit the faithfull oppressed by negligence and manly infirmitie doe not profit so much as they would in the verie instant action of the Supper yet shall it after bring fruite forth as liuelie seede sowne in good ground For the holie spirit which can neuer be deuided from the right institution of the Lord Iesus will not frustrate the faithfull of the fruite of that mysticall action but all this we saie commeth of true faith which apprehendeth Christ Iesus who onelie maketh his Sacraments effectuall vnto vs. And therefore whosoeuer slaundereth vs as that we affirme or beleeue Sacraments to be onely naked and bare signes doeth iniury vnto vs and speaketh against the manifest trueth But this liberallie and frankelie we confesse that we make distinction betwixt Christ Iesus in his eternal substance and betwixt the elementes in the sacramentall signes So that we will neither worship the signes in place of that which is signified by them neither yet do we despise interpret them as vnprofitable and vaine but doe vse them with all reuerence examining our selues diligentlie before that so we doe Because wee are assured by the mouth of the Apostle that such as eate of that bread drinke of that cup vnworthelie are guiltie of the bodie and of the bloode of Christ Iesus Of the right administration of the Sacramentes THat sacraments be rightlie ministred we iudge two thinges requisite the one that they be ministred by lawful ministers whome we affirme to be onely they that are appointed to the preaching of the word into whose mouthes God hath put some sermon of exhortation they being men lawfullie chosen there to by some Church The other that they be ministred in such elements and in such sort as God hath appointed else we affirme that
of the holie ghost but it is to be laid to the rule of the Prophets Apostles doctrine that that which agreeth therewith may be acknowledged and that which is contrarie thereunto maie be confuted If we or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you a gospell beside that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed And beleeue ye not euerie spirit but trie the spirits whether they be of God Againe Trie all thinges and keepe that which is good Augustine against Maximâ—us a Bishop of the Arrians in his 3. booke Chap. 14. saith But now an I neyther to cite the councell of Nice nor you the councell of Arimine as it were to preiudice the matter neither am I bound by the authoritie of the one nor you by the authoritie of the other with authorities of scripture which are witnesses not proper to anie one but common to vs both let matter with matter Cause with cause Reason with reason c. And Panormitane in the Chapter significasti Extr. de electio In things concerning faith euen the verdite of one priuat man were to be preferred before the Popes if he were leadwith better warrants of the old new Testament then the Pope And Gerson in the first part about triall of doctrines The first truth shoud stand that if there were a plaine priuate maÌ„ sufficiently instructed in holie scripture more credit were to be giuen in a case of doctrine to his assertion then to the Popes definitiue sentence For it is plaine that the gospell is more to be beleeued then the Pope If then a man so learned teach anie trueth to be contained in the Gospell where the Pope were either ignorant or willingly deceiued it is cleare whose udgement were to be preferred And a little after Such a learned man ought in that case while a generall councell were holden at which he him selfe were present to set him selfe against it if he shoulde perceiue the greater part of malice or ignorance to incline to that which is contrarie to the Gospell Of Ecclesiasticall writers CHAP. 34. RIse vp before an hoare head saith the scripture and reueuerence the person of an old man We do therefore reuerence the graie heares of our ancetours who euen since the Gospell beganne to be reuealed and published haue in the world taken vpon them the t aâ—el of furthering the Church not only by preaching but also by publike writings that the posteritie might from the Apostles euen vnto this time haue manifest and certaine testimonies of the holie Doctrine And we so embrace their writings as both the holie scripture alloweth vs to vse mans authoritie and as themselueswould haue their writinges acknowledged You my friends say that in the auncient is wisdome in the length of daies is vnderstanding but I saie vnto you that with him to wit with the Lord our God is wisdome strength he hath councell vnderstanding And 1. Corinth 4. Let the Prophets speake two or three and let the rest iudge And Trie all thinges and keepe that which is good 1. Thess 5. It is not lawfull for vs to bring in any thing of our owne head no not so much as to take that which any man hath brought in of his owne head We haue the Apostles of the Lord for authors who chose nothing of their owne heads which they might bring in but the discipline which they receiued of Christ they faithfullie deliuered to all nations And Augustine saith Neither ought we to esteem of the writings of any men although they be Catholike commendable persons as of the Canonical scriptures as though it were not lawful yealding theÌ„ that reuerence which is due vnto such men to disallow refuse something in their writings if perchance we finde that they haue thought otherwise then the trueth is vnderstoode either of others or of our selues thorough the gift of God Such am I in other mens writings as I would haue them construers of mine Againe Be thou not tied to my writings as it were to the Canonicall scriptures but in the Canonicall scriptures that which thou didst not beleeue when thou hast found it beleeue it incontinentlie but in myne that which thou thoughtest to be vndoubtedlie true vnlesse thou perceiue it to be true indeede hold it not resolutelie And againe I neither can nor ought to denie that as in those who haue gone before so also in so many slender workes of mine there are many things which may with vpright iudgement and no raâ—hnes be blamed And againe I haue learned to giue this reuerence to these writers alone which are now called Canonicall Againe But I so read others that be they neuer so holie or neuer so learned I doe not therefore thinke it true because they haue so thought but because they could perswade me by other authors or by Canonicall or at least by probable reasons which disagree not from the truth And in another place Who knoweth not that holie scripture c. And Doe not brotâ—â—â— against so many diuine c. For these places are knowen euen out of the Popes own decrese OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SVEVELAND Art 1. ss 1. Whence sermons are to be taken FIrst a controuersie being raised amongst the learned about certaine articles of Christian doctrine when as the people with vs were daungerouslie deuided by reason of contrarie preachings we charged our preachers that they should henceforth broach no thing to the people in anie sermon which either is not taught in the scriptures of God or hath not sure ground thereout as it was openlie decreed in the assemblie holden at Norimberge in the 22. yeare after the smaller account which moreouer is also the opinion of all the holie fathers For seeing S. Paull writeth That the scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct that the man of God maie be absolute being made perfect to euerie good worke wee could not determine anie otherwise but that it was meete that we also being in daunger of schisme shoulde flie to that holie scripture to which in times past not onelie the holie fathers Bishops and Princes but also the children of God euery where in such extremitie haue alwaies resorted For S. Luke witnesseth not without singular commendation of the Thessalonians that they compared the Gospel they had heard of the Apostle with the scripture and tried it Paul also warneth his scholler Timothie that he exercise himselfe very diligentlie in the scriptures and this holie scripture was had in so high reputation of all holie Bishops and Doctours that neither anie Bishop desired to haue his ordinances obeyed nor anie Doctor his writings beleeued except he had thereout approoued them And surelie seing Saint Paull doeth plainelie testifie that by the holie scripture the man of God is made absolute and perfect to euerie good worke no part of Christian truth and sound doctrine can
effect and fulfilled al things and that for that cause he said when he gaue vp the Ghost It is finished as though he would signifie that the price and râ—nsome was now fully paide for the sinne of mankinde If there be any that thinke this sacrifice not sufficient let them goe in Gods name and seeke a better We verelie because we know this to be the Onely sacrifice are well content with it alone and looke for none other and forasmuch as it was to be offered but once we commaunde it not to be renewed againe and because it was full and perfit in all points and partes we doe not ordeine in place thereof any continuall succession of offerings To conclude we beleeue that this our selfesame flesh wherein we line although it die and come to dust yet at the last shall returne againe vnto life by the meanes of Christes spirit which dwelleth in vs and that then verilie whatsoeuer we suffer here in the meane while for his sake Christ will wipe awaie all teares and heauines from our eyes and that we through him shall enioie euerlasting life and shall for euer be with him in glorie So beit OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BELGIA WE beleeue that out moste mightie and gracious God when he saw that man had thus throwen himselfe into the damnation both of spirituall and corporal death and was made altogether miserable and accursed by his wounderfull wisdome and goodnes was induced both to seek him when through feare he had fled from his presence and also most louingly to comfort him giuing vnto him the promise of his owne sonne to be borne of a woman which should breake the head of the serpent and restore him to selicitie and happines Moreouer we confesse that God did then at the length fullfill his promise made vnto the Fathers by the mouth of his holie Prophetes when in his appointed time he sent his onelie and eternall sonne into the world who toke vpon him the forme of a seruant beeing made like vnto men and did truelie take vnto him the nature of man with all infirmities belonging thereunto sinne onelie excepted when he was conceiued in the wombe of the blessed Virgine Mary by the power of the holie ghost without anie meanes of man The which nature of man he put vpon him not onely in respect of the bodie but also in respect of the soule for he had also a true soule to the intent he might be true and perfect man For seeing that as well the soule as the bodie of man was subiect to condemnation it was necessarie that Christ should take vpon him aswell the soule as the bodie that he might saue them both together Therefore contrarie to the heresy of the Anabaptists which denie that Christ did take vpon him the flesh of man we confes that Christ was partaker of flesh blood as the rest of his bretheren were that he came from the loines of Dauid according to the flesh I saie that he was made of the seede of Dauid according to the same flesh that he is a fruit of the Virgins wombe borne of a woman the branch of Dauid a flower of the roote of lesse comming of the Tribe of Iuda of the Iewes themselues according to the flesh to conclude the true seed of Abraham Dauid the which seede of Abrahame he tooke vpon him being made in all thinges like vnto his brethren sinne onelie excepted as hath beene saide before so that he is indeede our true Emmanuell that is God with is We beleeue also that the person of the sonne was by this conception inseperablie vnited and coupled with the humane nature yet so that there be not two Sonnes of God nor two persons but two natures ioyned together in one person both which natures doe still retaine their owne proprieties So that as the diuine nature hath remained alwaies vncreated without beginning of daies and terme of life filling both heauen and earth so the humane nature hath not lost his proprieties but hath remained still a creature hauing both beginning of daies a finite nature For whatsoeuer doth agree vnto a true bodie that it still retaineth and although Christ by his resurrection hath bestowed immortalitie vpon it yet notwithstanding he hath neither taken awaie the trueth of the humane nature nor altered it For both our saluation and also our resurrection dependeth vpon the trueth of Christes bodie Yet these two natures are so vnited and coupled in one person that they could not no not in his death be seperated the one from the other Wherefore that which in his death he commended vnto his father was in deed a humane spirit departing out of his bodie but in the meane season the diuine nature did alwaies remaine ioyned to the humane euen then when he laâ—e in the graue so that his deitie was no lesâ—e in him at that time then when as yet he was an infant although for a small season it did not shew forth itselfe Wherefore we confesse that he is true God and true man true god that by his power he might ouercome death â—ane true man that in the infirmitie of his flesh he might dâ— for vs. We beleeue that God which is both perfectlie mercifull and perfectlie iust did send his sonne to take vpon him that nature which through disobedience had offended that in the selfe same nature he might satisfie for sinne and by his bitter death and passion pare the punishment that was due vnto sinne God therefore hath declared and manifested his iustice in his own sonne being loaden with our iniquities but hath most mercifullie powred forth and declared his gracious goodnes vnto vs guilty wretches and worchie of condemnation whilest that in his incomprehensible loue towards vs he deliuered vp his sonne vnto death for our sinnes and raised him vp againe from death for our iustification that by him we might obtaine immortalitie and life euerlasting We beleeue that Iesus Christ is that high priest appoâ—â—ed to that office eternallie by the oath of his Father according to the order of Melchisedeâ—h which offered himselfe in our name before his Father with a ful satisfaction for the paâ—ifying of his wrath laying himselfe vpon the alâ—ar of the crosse and hath shed his blood for the clensing of our sinnes as the Prophets had foreâ—olde For it is written that the chastisment of our peace was laide vpon the sonne of God and by his woundes we are healed Also that he was carried as a sheepe vnto the slaughter reputed amongst sinners and vniust and condemned of Pontius Pilaâ—e as a male factour though before he had pronounced him guiltles Therefore he payed that which he had not taken and being iust suffred in soule and bodie for the vniust in such sorte that feeling the horror of those punishments that were due vnto our sinnes be did sweate water and blood and at length cried out My God â—y God why hast
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
substance and laying holde on thinges to be hoped for from the good will of God doth send out of it selfe charitie and then verie excellent fruites of all vertues yet doe we not attribute anie thing to these workes although they be the workes of godlie men but that saluation which we haue obteined wee doe whollie attribute to the verie grace of God And this indeed is the onelie true worship of God to wit a faith moste fruitfull of God workes and yet not putting anie confidence in workes OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASILL WE confesse the remission of sinnes through faith in Christ crucified and though this faith doeth without intermission exercise and shew forth it selfe in the workes of charitie and by this meanes is tried yet we doe not attribute righteousnes and satisfaction for our sinnes vnto workes which are fruites of faith but onelie to a true confidence and faith in the blood of the lambe of God shed for vs. For we doe vnfeignedlie professe that all thinges are giuen vs freelie in Christ who is our righteousnes holines redemption waie trueth wisdome and life Therefore the faithfull doe worke not to satisfie for their sinnes but onelie that they maie in some sorte shewe them selues thankefull vnto God our Lorde for great benefits bestowed vpon vs in Christ And in the margent vpon the word Thankfull Thankefullnes consisteth in requiting of benefites receiued but we can requite nothing to God because he wanteth nothing Therefore we haue an eie to those thinges which he requireth of vs and those aâ—e faith and the workes of charitie he requireth Faith toward him selfe Charitie toward our neighbour OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA Of Christ our Lorde and of Iustification by Faith CHAP. 6. THE sixth point of Christian doctrine in our Churches is as touching sound and liuelie faith in Iesus Christ our Lorde and of true Iustification by this Faith And a little after Our men are taught to acknowledge this grace and truth and in all the sauing and wonderfull works which Christ brought to effect by faith to beholde those things which according to the meaning of the holie scripture are in a steadfast faith to be beeleeued and professed such are these The comming of Christ from heauen his conception natiuitie torments death buriall resurrection ascending into heauen his sitting at the right hand of God and his comming againe from thence to iudge the quicke and the dead In these principall effectes as in a chest wherein treasure is kept are all those sauing fruites of true iustification laide vp and from thence they are taken for the elect and faithfull that in spirit and conscience by faith they maie be made partakers thereof all which shall hereafter be perfectlie and fullie giuen vnto them in the daie of that ioyfull resurrection These thinges are also 〈◊〉 in the sixth Section so farre soorth as they describe the workes of Christ and the fruites thereof Out of this foundation of this iustifying faith and of true and perfect iustification thereby according to euident cleare testimonies in the scriptures we are further taught First that no man by his owne strength or by the power of his own wil or of flesh bloode can attaine vnto or haue this sauing or iustifying faith except God of his grace by the holy ghost by the ministerie of the gospell preached do plant it in the heart of whome he list and when he list so that that heart maie receiue all things which are offered to saluation and made knowne touching the same by the publike preaching of the worde and by the sacraments instituted of Christ Hereof holie Iohn Baptist saith Man can take nothing to himselfe except it be giuen him from aboue Also our Lord Christ himselfe saith No man commeth to me except the Father which sent me do drawe him And a litle after Except it be giuen him of my Father that is from aboue by the holie ghost And to Peter Christ said Flesh blood hath not reueiled this vnto thee Now this faith properlie is an assent of a willing heart to the wholl trueth deliuered in the Gospell whereby man is lightned in his minde and soule that he may rightly acknowledge and receiue for his onelie Sauiour his God and Lord Iesus Christ and vpon him as on a true â—ocke he maie builde his wholl saluation loue followe and enioie him repose all his hope and confidence in him and by this valiant confidence he maie lift vp him selfe and trust that for him and his onelie merite God is become to him louing gentle bountifull also that in him and for him he assuredlie hath and shall haue for euer eternall life according to his true promise which he confirmed with an othe saying Verelie I saie vnto you he that beleeueth in me hath eternall life And This is the will of him that sent me that he which seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him should haue eternal life and I wil raise him vp in the last daie Also This is life eternall that they know thee the true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ And Isaiah saith By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie manie This faith alone and this inward confidence of the heart in Iesus Christ our Lord doth iustifie or make a man iust before God without any workes which he maie adde or anie merite of his of which faith Saint Paull saith But to him which worketh not at all but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the wicked man his faith is imputed for righteousnes And before he saide But now is the righteousnes of God made manifest without the lawe hauing witnes of the law and of the Prophetes to wit the righteousnes of God by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue And in another place He that beleeueth in him is made righteous And this righteousnes or iustification is the remission of sinnes the taking awaie of eternall punishment which the seuere iustice of God doth require and to be clothed with Christs righteousnes or with imputation thereof also it is a reconciliation with God a receiueing into fauour whereby we are made acceptable in the beloued and fellow heires of eternall life For the confirming of which thinges and by reason of our new birth or regeneration there is an earnest added to wit the holie Ghost who is giuen and bestowed freelie out of that infinite grace for Christ his death blood shedding and his resurrection All these thinges hath Paull described verie excellentlie in his Epistle to the Romanes where he bringeth in Dauid speaking in this wise Blessed are they whose iniquitie is forgiuen whereof he speaketh in that wholl Chapter And to the Galathians he saith God sent forth his Sonne that we might receiue the adoption Now because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne crying in your hearts Abba Father For whomesoeuer God doth
holie Catholike Christian Church And first of all that the foundation and head of the holy Church is Iesus Christ himselfe alone together with the wholl merit of grace and trueth to life eternall vpon whome and by whome this Church is at all times built by the holie Ghost the word of God and the sacramentes according to the meaning of that which Christ saide vnto Peter vpon this rocke to wit wherof thou hast made a true confession I will builde my Church And Saint Paull saith Other foundation can no man laie then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ. And in another place And hath appointed him ouer all thinges to be the head of the Church which is his bodie and the fullnes of him which filleth all in all thinges Out of these thinges it is taught that this is beleeued held and publikelie confessed that the holie Catholike Church beeing present at euerie time militant vpon earth is the fellowshippe of all Christians and is here and there dispersed ouer the wholl worlde and is gathered together by the holie Gospell out of all nations families tounges degrees and ages in one faith in Christ the Lord or in the holie Trinitie according to that saying of Saint Iohn who speaketh thus And I sawe a great companie which no man can number of all nations peoples and tongues standing before the throne and before the lambe This true Church although while it lieth here in the Lords floore to wit in the wide worlde and as it were in one heape confusedlie gathered together containeth in it as yet as well the pure wheat as the chaffe the Godlie children of God and the wicked children of the world the liuing and dead members of the ministers of the people yet where it is least defiled or most pure it maie be knoweÌ„ euen by these signes that follow namelie wheresoeuer Christ is taught in holie assemblies the doctrine of the holie Gospell is purelie and fullie preached the Sacraments are administred according to Christs institution commaundement meaning and will the faithfull people of Christ doth receiue vse them by these gathereth it selfe together in the vnitie of faith and loue and in the bonde of peace and ioyneth it selfe in one and buildeth it selfe hard together vpon Christ There therfore is the holie Church the house of God the temples of the holie Ghost liuelie members the partes of the heauenlie Ierusalem the spirituall bodie of Christ and ioynts knit together the which are ioyned and coupled ech with other by one head Christ one spirit of regeneration one worde of god the same and sincere sacramentes one faith one loue and holie communion one bonde of peace order discipline and obedience whether the number of this people be great or small as the Lorde witnesseth Where two or three are gathered together in my name in what countrie and nation and in what place soeuer this be there am I in the middest of them and contrarily where Christ and the spirit of Christ dwelleth not and the holie Gospell cannot haue anie place graunted vnto iâ— c. but on the contrarie side manifest errors and 〈…〉 life haue their full course and by getting the vpper hand do spread themselues faite there most also needes be a Church so defiled that Christ will not acknowledge iâ— for his welbeloued spouse seeing that none belongeth to Christ who hath not the spirit of Christ 〈◊〉 Christian is also bound with diligent care to seeke after this and such a true part of the holie Church and after he hath founde it to ioylie and mainteine holie communion and fellowship therewith as the other parte of that point of the Church in our christian Câ—â—â—de doth declare where we doe profelie that we 〈…〉 communion of Saints and ought altogether with this fellowship or spirituall companie of Gods people to 〈…〉 the true vnitie and concord of Christs spirit to Liue and beare good will to all the members to yâ—lde obedience thereunto and endeauour by all meanes possible to procure the profitte and furtherance thereof and in truth to holde agreement therewith and by no meanes thorough sâ—â—bboâ—nnes to mooue schismes seditions and sects against the truth To which thing the Apostle exhorteth all men where he saith So walke or behaue your selues as worthie of the place or vocation whereunto ye are called with all humblenes and â—â—ekenes with a quiet minde and long suffering forbearing one another and indeauour ye to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace There is one bodie and one spirit euen as ye are called in one hope of your vocation there is one Lord one faith one baptisme ore God and Father of all And againe Let euerie man please his neighbour in in that that is good to edification Also doe nothing through sâ—râ—â—e or for vaine glorie Againe Let there not be dissentions among you He therefore that in this life walketh according to these commaundements he is a true and liuelie member of the holie Church which bringeth forth the fruite of Faith and loue But he that looseth the spirit of Faith and looue in the holie fellowship must needes be a deede member Together with these thinges the ministers of our Churches teach that this is to be thought of their fellowship which is in like manner to be thought of any other Christian fellowship whether it be great or small to wit that it selfe alone is not that holie Catholike Christian Church but onely one part therof as the Apostle writeth of the Church at Corinth Ye are the bodie of Christ and members of him euerie one for his parte They teach also that there must be a platforme and certaine order of gouernment in the holie Church For without a platforme of order and outward gouernement it can not be in good case or go well with it no more then it can with anie other euen the least societie But this platforme of order consisteth chiefelie in this that they be both ordinarilie called and lawfullie ordained who execute due functions in the same beginning at the least proceeding to those that are of a meane sort so sorth euen to the chiefest The next point is that euerie one do wel discharge that place as it were his warde to which he is called vse watchfulnes suffer nothing to be sound wanting in himselfe nor at his owne pleasure do closelie conuey him selfe out of the same or go beyond the bondes thereof and meddle with other mens charges and moreouer that all among them-selues submit them-selues one to an other and al performe obedience from theleast to the greatest euerie man in his owne place whereunto he is called and do it with the affection of loue and of his owne accord not of constraint euen for Christes sake and for the care they haue of eternall saluation according as the Apostles and other holie men haue taught concerning this matter
iâ— effectuall vnto eternall life Chrysostome in his commentaries vpon Matthew Cap. 24. hom 49. saith Therefore 〈◊〉 this time all Christians must goe to the Scriptures because that 〈◊〉 this time since heresie possessed those Churches there can be no â—riaâ— of true Christianitie neither can there be anie other refuge for Christians that would willinglie know the truth of faith but onelie the â—iâ—ine Scriptures And a little after Therefore he that will knâ—â— which is the true Church of Christ whence maie he know it but onelie by the Scriptures Augustine Tom. 2. Epist 166. saith Iâ— the Scriptures we haue learned Christ in the Scriptures we hauâ— learned to know the Church these Scriptures we haue in common why doe we not in them retâ—ine in common both Christ and the Church And againe Tom. 7. in Epist. contra Epist Petiâ—iani Donatistae cap. 2. 3. 4. It is a question betweene vp and the Donatistes where the Church is What then shall we does shall we seeke the Church in our owne wordes or in the wordes of his head in our Lord Iesus Christ I thinke that we ought to seeke it rather in his words who is the truth and doth best of all know his bodiâ— Now that which is affirmed that the Church hath authorâ—tiâ— to beare witnes of the holie Scripture to interprete the Scripture and to iudge of all doctrines it is not so to be vnderstoode that the Church hath absolute authoritie to determine what she listeth and also if it please hir to change the Scripture and to feigne a new doctrine and to appoint new worships of God but that the Church as the Spouse of Christ ought to know the voice of hir husband and that she hath receiued of hir husband a certaine rule to wit the Propheticall and Apostolical preaching confirmed by miracles from heauen according to the which she is bounde to interprete those places of the Scripture which seeme to be obscure and to iudge of doctrines Psal 119. Thy worde is a light vnto my feete Rom. 3. Hauing giftes that be diuers according to the grace that is giuen vnto vs whether we haue prophecy according to the proportion of Faith c. 2. Pet. 1. We haue a more surâ—â—orde of the Prophets to the which ye doe well that yee take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place c. Origen vpon Ierem. Hom. 1. It is necessarie for vs to call the holie Scriptures to witnes for our meanings and interpretations haue no creditte without these witnesses Ierome vpon Math. 23. That which is spoken without authoritie of the Scriptures is as easilie contemned as it is spoken And August De Nupt. Concup Lib. 2. Cap. 23. saith This contouersie seeketh a Iudge Therefore let Christ iudge and let him shew what thing it is that his death doth profit This saith he is my bloode And a little after Together with him let the Apostle iudge because that Christ himselfe also speaketh in the Apostle he crieth out and saith touching God the Father He which spared not his â—wn◠〈◊〉 c. Wherefore the Church hath so farre authoritie to iudge of doctrine that notwithstanding shee must keepe her selfe within the bondes of the holie Scripture which is the voice of hir husband from which voice it is not lawfull for any man no not for an Angell to departe OVT OF THE CONFSSION OF SVEVELAND Of the Church FVrthermore we will shew what is taught among vs â—oth touching the Christian Church and also touching the holie Sacraments and touching the Church this is it that we teach The Church or congregation of Christ which as yet is in this worlde as a stranger from god is the fellowshippe and companie of those which addict them selues to Christ and doe altogether trust and rest in his protection among whome notwithstanding many shall be mingled euen to the end of the worlde who although they professe the Christian faith yet they haue it not in deede This hath our Lorde taught sufficientlie Math. 13. by the parable both of the cockle and also of the Net cast into the sea iâ— the which the bad fishes are caught with the good Also Math. 22. by the parable of the King inuiting all men to the mariage of his Sonne and afterward casting him out beeing bound hand and foote into vtter darkenes which had not a wedding garment Now these places of Scripture wherin the congregation of Christ is commended to be the Spouse of Christ for the which he hath giuen himselfe Eph. 5. The house of God the pillar and ground of trueth 1. Tim. 3. Also The holie hill of Sion the Citie of the liuing God the heauenlie Ierusalem and the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen I saie all these places of Scripture doe properlie pertaine to them who for their sincere faith are truelie and in the sight of God reckoned among the children of God For seeing that in these alone the Lorde doth fullie reigne these onelie if we will speake properly are called the Church of Christ and the communion of Saints in which sense also the name of the Church is expounded in the common Articles of faith those false Christians beeing excluded which are mingled amongest them Furthermore the holie Ghost himselfe doth gouerne this Church or congregation remaineth with it as Christ doth euen to the ende of the world and doth sanctifie it that at the length he may present it vnto himself without spoâ—or wrinckle as it is saide Eph. 5. Also this is that Church which all men are commaunded to heare and he that will not heare her is to to be counted as an heathen and Publicane And although that to wit faith it selfe can not be seene whereby this Congregation hath obteined to be called the Church and companie of Christ yet the fruites of that faith maie be seene and knowne and of them a certaine Christian coniecture be taken These fruites be cheeflie a bolde profession of Faith a true loue offering it selfe to doe humble seruice to all men a contempt of all things Seeing therfore that these be the proper fruites wheresoeuer the holie Gospell and the Sacraments be exercised thereupon it maie easilie be knowne where and who be the Christian Church so much as is necessary for vs to preserue among vs the christian communion that in the same we may be instructed admonished and helpe one an other according to the commaundement of Christ Furthermore seeing this congregation is the verie kingdome of God wherein all things ought to be appointed in best order she hath all kinde of offices and ministers for â—he is the body of Christ himselfe compacted of many members whereof euerie one haue their proper worke Therefore whosoeuer doe faithfullie discharge such functions and doe earnestlie labour in the worde and doctrine they doe represent the Church and may doe all things in the name thereof so that whosoeuer shall either despise them or refuse
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
Church I haue receiued of 〈◊〉 Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the 〈◊〉 Iesus in that night wherein he was betraied tooke bread c. Aâ—â— a little after When ye come together to wit to the Supper 〈◊〉 the Lord Let one tarie for an other Therefore according 〈◊〉 these thinges wee beleeue with the heart and confeâ—e with the mouth that this breade of the Lords Supper is the bodie of the Lord Iesus Christ deliuered for vs and thâ—â— this Cuppe or the wine in the Cuppe is likewise shed for vs for the remission of sinnes And this we affirme according to the expresse wordes of Christ wherein he saith This is my bodie This is my blood Which words may not be taken or vnderstood of any other thing nor be otherwise referred then onelie to the bread and cuppe of the Lord and the bodie bloode of the Lord can not be vnderstood of any other then of the onelie true and proper bodie of Christ which he made meate by his torments and of his bloode which beeing largelie poured out of his bodie he appointed to be drinke for his Church for he had not a naturall bodie and another bloode Therefore our Ministers doe teach that to these certaine wordes pronounced by Christ our Lorde wherein he doth peculiarlie pronounce witnes and institute bread to be his bodie and wine to be his bloode I say to these wordes no man maie adde any thing no man may detract any thing from them but euerie man in these words is to beleeue that which of them selues they signifie anâ— that no man ought to turne from them either to the right hand or to the left Yet to expound the meaning of this faith we doe further teach that although the bread be the bodie of Christ according to his institution and wine be his bloode yet neither of these doe leaue it nature or chaunge or lose it substance but that the bread is and doth remaine breade and that the wine is and doth remaine wine as also the holie Scripture doth giue this it owne name to either of them Otherwise if it should cease to be an element it should not be a Sacrament seeing that a Sacrament is then made when the worde is added to the element Neither could it signifie or beare witnes if it had nothing in steade of that thing whereof it is a Sacrament or if the thing signified should haue any other manner of presence then that which is Sacramentall Wherefore this speach Bread is the bodie and wine is the bloode of Christ is a Sacramentall speach to wit that these two distinct thinges doe remaine the selfe same thing which in their owne nature they be and yet by reason of a Sacramentall vnion or Sacramentallie they be that also which they doe signifie and whereof they doe testifie yet not in their owne nature or after a naturall manner but by the institution pronouncing or witnessing of the author as Paull doth excellentlie expound this where he thus writeth The cuppe which we blesse is it not the communion of the bloode of Christ the bread which we breake is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ Now both the good and the wicked doe vse this Sacrament and yet the true beleeuers doe receiue it to life and those which doe not beleeue doe receiue it to iudgement and condemnation And although either of them doe receiue this Sacrament and the trueth thereof Sacramentallie and outwardlie yet the beleeuers doe receiue it spirituallie and so to their saluation without which spirituall receiuing there is no worthie receiuing in the Sacramentall vse For by this meane we are ingrafted into Christ and into his bodie and by this meane is that true vnion and communion of Christ with his Church made and in like sorte by this meane is the communion of the holy Church which is a certaine spirituall bodie made amongst and with them selues whereof the Apostle writeth There is one bread and we beeing many are one bodie seeing we are all made partakers of one bread Moreouer we are further taught that with this ministerie or Sacrament of the Lord no other thing ought to be done or taken in hand then that one thing which was shewed ordeined and expresselie commaunded of Christ himselfe as when he reached bread seuerallie and peculiarlie to his Disciples and in expresse wordes saide Take eat thâ— is my bodie and in like sort when he reached to them the 〈◊〉 seuerallie and peculiarlie saying Drinke ye all of this Thâ—◠〈◊〉 my bloode Thus therefore according to this commaundement the bodie and bloode of our Lord Iesus Christ must be distributed onelie and be receiued in common of the faithfull or beleeuing Christians but it must not be sacrificed 〈◊〉 set before them or lifted vp or shewed forth to this end thâ— there it may be worshipped or kept or caried about Aâ—â— both these must be receiued in seuerall elements the bodie peculiarlie and seuerallie and also his holie bloode seuerallie as either of them were of the Lord instituted reacheâ— forth and giuen in common to all his Disciples seuerallie And this doctrine was vsed in the first holie Church anâ— this Sacrament was whollie distributed in both partes and so receiued But he that beside or contrarie to these commaundements and institution of Christ dare bring in any other thing or somewhat more and vse it with this Sacrament or wantonelie inuent therein at his pleasure he doth manifestly and malapertly against our Lord who instituted this Sacrament and committeth a thing cleane contrarie to his holie Testament and last will which was declared in his owne wordes and that expresselie Also this Sacrament ought to be receiued and administred without adoration and without that worship which is due to God alone yet with a due kinde of religion and reuerence and chieflie with that which is the chiefest of all namelie with faith and examination of himselfe which in this action is moste acceptable to Christ our Lorde and moste profitable for men which also Saint Paull taught the first Church and exhorted it hereunto saying Let euerie man trie or examine himselfe and so let him eateof that breade and drinke of that cuppe For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthelie doth eate and drinke his owne iudgement or condemnation because he disâ—erneth not the Lordes bodie And in another place Prooue your selues whether ye are in the faith examine your selues know ye not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Now I praie vnto God that ye doe no euill If so be that anie man approch to this table without such a tryall and not making himselfe worthie who hath not first examined himselfe what manner of faith he hath with what purpose he came to this sacrament or how he had prepared himselfe hereunto I saie such a man should greatlie prophane and reproch this sacrament
we may thankefullie praise thee in all eternitie The greatnes of our sinnes which the prophanation of the Supper of the Lorde these many yeares hath brought forth doth surpasse the eloquence of Angells and men We are herein the shorter seeing that no words can be deuised sufficient to set out the greatnes of this thing and in this great griefe we beseech the Sonne of God that he would amend these euills and also for a further declaration we offer our selfes to them that wil heare it But in this question we see that to be chieflie done which Salomon saith He that singeth songes to a wicked heart is like him that powreth vineger vpon nitre Our aduersaries know that these perswasions of their sacrifice are the sinewes of their power and riches therefore they will heare nothing that is said against it Some of them doe now learne craftelie to mitigate these things and therfore they say The oblation is not a merit but an application they deceiue in wordes and retaine still the same abuses But we saide before that euerie one doth by faith applie the sacrifice of Christ to himselfe both when he heareth the Gospell and then also when he vseth the Sacraments and it is written 1. Cor. 11. Let euerie man examine himselfe Therefore Paull doth not meane that the ceremonie doth profitte another that doth not vse it And the Sonne of God himselfe did offer vp himselfe going into the holie of holies that is into the secret counsell of the Diuinitie seeing the will of the eternall Father and bearing his great wrath and vnderstanding the causes of this wonderfull counsell these weightie things are meant when the text saith Heb. 9. He offered himselfe And when Esaie saith Cap. 53. He will make his soule an offering for sinne Now therefore what doe the Priestes meane who saie that they offer vp Christ and yet antiquitie neuer spake after this manner But they doe most grieuouslie accuse vs. They saie that we doe take awaie the continuall sacrifice as did Antiochus who wâ—â— a type of Antichrist We answered before that we doe reteine the wholl ceremonie of the Apostolike Church and this is the eontinuall sacrifice That the sincere doctrine of the Gospell should be heard that God should be truelie inuocated to conclude as the Lord saith Ioh. 4. It is to worship the Father in Spirit and trueth we doe also herein comprehende the true vse of the Sacraments Seeing that we retaine all these things faithfullie we doe with great reuerence reteine the continuall sacrifice they doe abolish it who many waies doe corrupt true inuocation and the verie Supper of the Lord who commaund vs to inuocate dead men who set out Masses to sale who boast that by their oblation they doe merit for others who doe mingle many mischieuous errours with the doctrine of Repentance and remission of sinnes who will men to doubt when they repent whether they be in fauour who defile the Church of God with filthie lustes and Idols These men be like vnto Antiochus and not we whoe endeuour to obeie the Sonne of God who saith Ioh. 4. If any man loueth me he will keepe my worâ—â— Of the vse of the wholl Sacrament LEt Sophistrie be remooued from the iudgements of the Church All men know that the Supper of the Lorde is so instituted that the wholl Sacrament may be giuen to the people as it is written Drinke ye all of this Also the custome of the auncient Church both Greeke and Latine is well knowne Therefore we must confesse that the forbidding of one part is an vniust thing It is greate iniurie to violate the lawfull Testaments of men Why then doe the Bishopes violate the Testament of the Sonne of God which he hath sealed vp with his owne bloode But it is to be lamented that certeine men should be so impudent as to feigne sophistrie against this so weightie an argument that they may establish their prohibition the refutation of whome the matter beeing so cleere and euident we doe omitte In an other place this Article is not distinguished from that which went before but is thus ioyned with it To conclude wee must also speake in few things of the vse of the wholl Sacrament Let sophistrie be remooued c. OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of the Eucharist CHAP. 9. WE beleeue and confesse that the Eucharist for so it pleased our forefathers to call the Supper of the Lord is a Sacrament instituted of Christ himselfe and that the vse therof is commended to the church euen to the latter end of the world But because the substance is one thing and the vse thereof an other thing therefore we will speakâ— of these in order Touching the substance of the Eucharâ—â—â— we thus thinke and teach that the true bodie of Christ 〈◊〉 his true bloode is distributed in the Eucharist and we refute them that saie that the bread and wine of the Eucharist are signes of the body and blood of Christ beeing onelie absent Also we beleeue that the omnipotencie of Goâ— is so great that in the Eucharist he may either annihilateâ—â— substance of bread and wine or else change them into 〈◊〉 bodie and bloode of Christ but that God doth exercise 〈◊〉 his absolute omnipotencie in the Eucharist we haue no certeine worde of God for it and it is euident that the auncient Church was altogether ignorant of it For as in Ezech where it is said of the Citie of Hierusalem described on the out side of a wall This is Hierusalem it was not necessarie that the substance of the wall should be changed into the substance of the Citie of Hierusalem so when it is said of the bread This is my bodie it is not necessary that the substance 〈◊〉 bread should be changed into the the substance of the bodâ— of Christ but for the truth of the sacrament it is sufficient that the bodie of Christ is in deed present with the bread and in deede the verie necessitie of the trueth of the Sacrament doth seeme to require that true breade should remaine with the true presence of the bodie of 〈◊〉 For as to the trueth of the Sacrament of Baptisme it is necessarie that in the vse thereof there should be water and that true water should remaine so it is necessarie in the Lords Supper that there should be bread in the vse thereof and that true bread should remaine whereas if the substance of bread were changed we should haue no proofe of the trueth of the Sacrament Whereupon both Paull and also the auncient Ecclesiasticall writers doe call the bread of the Eucharist euen after conâ—ecration bread 1. Cor. 11. Letâ— man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that bread And Whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke this cuppe of the Lord vnworthely c. And Augustine in his Sermon to young children saith That which yâ—u haue seene it iâ— the bread and the 〈◊〉 the which thing
Purgatorie it is flat contrarie to the Christian faith I beleeue the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting and to the absolute purgation of sinnes made by Christ and to these sayings of Christ our Lord Verilie verilie I saie vnto you he that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come vnto condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life Againe He that is washed needeth not saue to wash his feete but is cleane euerie whitte and ye are cleane Now that which is recorded of the spirits or soules of the dead sometime appearing to them that are aliue and crauing certaine duties of them whereby they maie be set free we count those apparitions among the delusions crafts and deceits of the deuill who as he can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light so he laboureth tooth and naile either to ouerthrow the true faith or else to call it into doubt The Lord in the olde Testament forbad to enquire the truth of the dead and to haue any thing to do with Spirits And to the glutton being bound in torments as the trueth of the gospell doeth declare is denied anie returne to his brethren The Lord by his worde pronouncing and saying They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them if they heave not Moses and the Prophets neither will they beleeue if one shall arise from the dead OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASIL THe Church of Christ doth herein labour all that she can to keepe the bondes of peace and loue in vnitie Therefore she doth by no meanes communicate with sectes and the rules of orders deuised to make a difference of daies meates apparell and ceremonies No man can prohibit that which Christ him selfe hath not prohibited For this cause we know that auricular confession holy daies dedicated to saints and such like thinges had there beginning of men and were not commaunded of God as on the other side we know that the mariage of ministers was not forbidden And againe No man can forbid those thinges which God hath permitted therefore we thinke that it is not by anie meanes forbidden to receiue meates with thankesgiuing OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA Hitherto perteine first those thinges which are to be found in the 15. Chap. about the middest concerning the keeping of hole daies and fastes IN like sorte manie of the auncient ceremonies and such as were brought in by custome so neere as may be are reteined among vs euen at this daie of this sort be certein daies appointed for feastes and holie daies the mattens that is morning sermons euening assemblies the Lords daies which be holie daies and speciall feast daies added thereunto which are consecrated to the celebrating of the workes of Christ as to his natiuitie his Passion resurrection c. and such as be dedicated to the remembrance of holie men as of the Virgine Marie of the Apostles and of other Saints and chiefely of those saints of whome there is mention in the holy scriptures and all these thinges be done of vs that the word of God may be taught that God maie be worshiped and serued and that he may be glorified among vs. That which followeth and is to be referred to this place is taken out of the 17. Chap. IN like sort also our ministers as it is meete for christian men to do to the glory and praise of God do celebrate holie daies consecrated to the Virgine the remembrance of hiâ— do make and sing godly and christian songs of hir with pleasure both diligentlie and that they maie confirme them-selues rehearse those great thinges wherewith God hath adorned hir aboue al other women and they al reioyce one with another and shew them-selues moste thankfull for the saluation which is purchased to mankinde and with all Christian people they confesse professe that shee is happie and they praise God for all these things and so much as lieth in them they do faithfullie follow and imitate the holy life and good manners of that Virgin and they do indeed execute that which she commaundeth to them that ministred in the Marriage at Cana and doe alwaies desire to be in heauen with her And all these things they do according to the meaning of the holie scriptures And a litle after And thus do we teach that the Saints are truely worshipped when the people on certaine daies at a time appointed do come together to the seruice of God and do call to minde and meditate vpon the benefits of God which he hath bestowed vpon holie men and through them vpon his Church and therewithall doth admonish it selfe concerning their calling or place which they held their doctrine faith life and exercises of godlines and the last end of their life to the end that it maie be as it were built vp in the same trueth by the word of God and maie praise God and giue him thankes for those men and in their name and may sing profitable songs and such as are free from superstition and maie raise and stirre vp themselues to the like obedience imitation of their faith workes and deedes godlines holines and honestie and that they maie call vpon God that he would vouchsafe to giue vnto them to enioy their companie and fellowship as well here in the time of grace as hereafter in eternall glorie All which things are in few wordes comprehended in the epistle to the Hebrewes where it is said Remember them which haue the ouersight ouer you which haue declared vnto you the word of God whose faith follow considering what hath bene the end of their conuersation Of Fasting CHAP. 18. TOuching true and Christian fasting we teach that it is an outward work of faith comprehending in it worship which is done by exercising the bodie to abstinencie ioyning therewithal praiers and giuing of almes and that it is due to God alone and that among Christians according as their strength will suffer and their affaires and busines desire and permit at what time soeuer they vse it in anie societie either generall or particular it must be done without hypocrisie or superstition as the holie scriptures do witnes and Paull among other thinges doth thus write of it Let vs approoue our selues as the ministers of God by fasting c. And Christ saith Then they shall fast And againe Paull saith in another place That ye maie giue your selues to fasting praier Now fasting doth not consist in the choise of meat which a man vseth but in the moderate vse of meat and in exercising chastising and bringing vnder the vnrulie flesh before god and chiefelie the matter consisteth in the spirit and in the heart to wit how for what cause with what intent and purpose a man doth faste and how and by what meane the godlie maie exercise a wholsome and acceptable faste vnto God and on the other side to know
at anie time perfourmed yet for all this wee must confesse that we are vnprofitable seruantes Therefore what meritte can wee dreame of THE SEVENTEENTH SECTION OF CEREMONIES AND RITES WHICH ARE INDIFFERENT in generall THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of Rites Ceremonies and indifferent things CHAP. 27. VNto the ancient people in olde time were giuen certaine ceremonies as a kinde of schooling or pedagogie to those which were kept vnder the law as vnder a Schole master or Tutor but Christ the deliuerer being once come and the law taken awaie we which beleeue are no more vnder the law the ceremonies are vanished worne out of vse And the Apostles were so far from reteining them in the Church of Christ or reparing them that they witnessed plainelie that they would not laie any burden vpon the Church Wherefore we should seeme to bring in and set vp Iudaisme againe if so be we should multiplie Ceremonies or Rites in the church according to the manner of the old church Therefore we are not of their iudgement who would haue the Church of Christ kept in with many and diuerse Rites as it were with a certaine schooling or pedagogie For if the Apostles would not thrust vpon the Christian people the ceremonies and rites which were appointed by God who is there I praie you that is well in his wiâ—tes that will thrust vpon it the inuentions deuised by man The greater that the heape of ceremonies is in the Church so much the more is taken not onelie from Christian libertie but also from Christ and from faith in him whilest the people seeke those things in ceremonies which they should seeke in the onelie Sonne of God Iesus Christ through faith Wherefore a few moderate simple rites that are not contrarie to the word of God do suffice the godly And that there is found diuersitie of rites in the Churches lâ—t no man saie therefore that the Churches doe not agree Socrates saith That it were not possible to set downe in writing all the ceremonies of the Churches which are thoroughout Cities and Countries No Religion doeth keep euerie where the same ceremonies although they admitte and receiue one and the selfe same doctrine touching them for euen they which haue one and the selfe same faith doe disagree among them selues about ceremonies Thus much faith Socrates we at this daie hauing diuerse rites in the celebration of the Lordes Supper and in certeine other things in our Churches yet we doe not disagree in doctrine and faith neither is the vnitie and societie of our Churches rent a sunder For the Churches haue alwaies vsed their libertie in such rites as beeing things indifferent which we also doe at this daie But yet notwithstanding we admonish men to take heede that they count not among things indifferent such as indeed are not indifferent as some vse to count the Masse the vse of Images in the Church for things indifferent That is indifferent saith Ierome to Augustine which is neither good nor euill so that whether you doe it or doe it not you are neuer the more iust or vniust thereby Therefore when things indifferent are wrested to the confession of faith they cease to be free as Paull doth shew that it is lawfull for a man to eate flesh if no man doe admonish him that it was offered to Idolls for then it is vnlawfull because he that eateth it doeth seeme to approoue Idolatry by eating of it OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of things indifferent THose things which be called are properlie things indifferent although a godlie man may in al places at all times vse them freelie yet he must onely vse all things according to knowledge and in charitie to wit to the glorie of God and to the edifying of the Church and his neighboures OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASIL IN this Section also may the tenth Article of this confession be placed which we haue partlie referred to the first Section where mention is made of humane Traditions partlie to other Sections as occasion serued OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA Of accessories or things indifferent to wit of Ecclesiasticall traditions constitutions rites and ceremonies and of Christian libertie CHAP. 15. TOuching this accessorie kinde humane traditions constitutions and ceremonies brought in by a good custome men are taught that these be things inferior in degree and lesse necessarie then are the gifts of the ordinarie Ministerie yea that they be instituted and appointed in regard of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and to serue thereunto and yet that they are with an vniforme consent to be reteined in the Ecclesiasticall assemblies of Christian people at the common seruice of God according to the doctrine of the holy Apostles Let al things be done in your meeting to wit in the Church decently in order Also God is not the author of Confusion but of peace But they must alwaies be kept with this caueat within these boundes that they be not taken for foundations whereupon saluation must stey it selfe or for a worship which is appointed of God without any difference that they doe not rather or more straigthly binde the consciences of men then the commaundements of God doe and that they be not lifted vp or preferred before them but that they be taken for an ornament decency honest shew and laudable discipline and so that they doe not violate the Christian libertie of the Spirit of God and of faith nor disturb charitie and on the other side that no man by pretending a shew of Christian libertie doe withdraw himselfe from such constitutions as be godly serue to a good vse Now by the name of Christian libertie is chiefly vnderstood that libertie wherby through Christ we are freed from sinne and the curse and the yoke of the law secondlie the receiuing of the Spirit of a readie will or of the voluntarie Spirit of the Sonnes of God whereby they doe earnestlie and with pleasure and of their owne accord exercise the works of faith toward God and charitie towards their neighbour and by the law of charitie the minde is stirred vp to performe these things rather of loue then of debt or any compulsion Also whereby we are made free from all bond of conscience to any humane traditions that a man may not be tied in such sorte or rather more strictlie vnto these then to the commaundements of God And lastlie that no man may fuffer his conscience to be seared thereby as with an hot iron Therefore according to these things al those humane traditions and ceremonies which do obscure or take awaie the glorie honour worship and grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and doe withdraw the people from true and sincere faith and in a worde in respect whereof the commaundements of God are broken neglected and lightlie regarded the word of God is not exercised or handled according to it owne sinceritie and trueth they are not onelie not
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
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
reiected so long time all kindes of lust euen those which are not to be named be it spoken with reuerence to your sacred M. O noble Cesar haue more then horribly ouerthrowne this Ecclesiasticall order so that at this daie amongst men there be none more abhominable then they which beare the name of Priests THE NINTEENTH SECTION OF THE CIVIL MAGISTRATE THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of Magistracie CHAP. 30. THE Magistracie of what sort soeuer it be is ordained of God him selfe for the peace and quietnes of mankinde and so that he ought to haue the chiefest place in the world If he be an aduersarie to the Church he may hinder and disturbe it very much but if he be a friend and a member of the Church he is a moste profitable and excellent member thereof which may profit it verie much and finallie may helpe and further it verie excellentlie His chiefest dutie is to procure and maintaine peace and publique tranquillitie Which doubtles he shall neuer do more happilie then when he shall be truelie seasoned with the feare of God and true religion namelie when he shall after the example of moste holie Kinges and Princes of the people of the Lorde aduaunce the preaching of the truth and the pure and sincere faith and shall roote out lies and all superstition with all impietie and Idolatrie and shall defend the Church of God For in deede we teach that the care of religion doth chieflie appertaine to the holie Magistrate let him therefore holde the worde of God in his handes and looke that nothing be taught contrary thereunto In like manner let him gouerne the people committed to him of God with good lawes made according to the worde of God Let him hold them in discipline and in their dutie and in obedience let him exercise iudgement by iudgeing vprightlie let him not accept anie mans person or receiue bribes let him deliuer widowes fatherles children and those that be afflicted from wrong let him represse yea and cut of such as are vniust either by deceit or by violence For he hath not receiued the sworde of God in vaine Therefore let him draw forth this sworde of God against all malefactours seditious persons theeues or murderers oppressours blasphemers periured persons and all those whome God hath commaunded him to punish or execute Let him suppresse stubborne heretiques which are heretiques in deede who cease not to blaspheme the maiestie of God and to trouble the Church yea and finallie to destroy it but if so be it be necessarie to preserue the saftie of the people by warre let him doe it in the name of God so that he first seeke peace by all meanes possible and vse it not saue onelie then when he can saue his subiects no waie but by warre And while as the Magistrate doth these things in faith he serueth God by those workes as with such as be good workes and shall receiue a blessing from the Lorde We condemne the Anabaptists who as they denie that a christian man should beare the office of a magistrate so also they deny that anie man can iustlie be put to death by the Magistrate or that the Magistrate maie make warre or that othes shoulde be performed to the Magistrates and such like thinges For as God will worke the saftie of his people by the Magistrate whome he hath giuen to be as it were a father of the world so all the subiects are commaunded to acknowledge this benefit of God in the Magistrate therefore let them honour and reuerence the Magistrate as the minister of God let them loue him fauour him and pray for him as their father and let them obey all his iust and equall commaundements Finallie let them pay all customes and tributes and all other dueties of the like sorte faithfullie and willinglie And if the common saftie of the countrie and iustice require it and the Magistrate do of necessitie make warre let them laie downe their life spend their blood for the common saftie and defence of the Magistrate and that in the name of God willinglie valiantlie and cherefullie For he that opposeth himselfe against the Magistrate doth procure the wrath of god against him We condemne therfore all contemners of Magistrates as rebells enemies of the common wealth seditious villaines in a word all such as do either openlie or closelie refuse to performe those duties which they ought to do c. THE CONCLVSION WE beseech God our most mercifull Father in heauen that he will blesse the Princes of the people and vs and his wholl people through Iesus Christ our onelie Lord and Sauiour to whome be praise and thankesgiuing both now and for euer OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of Magistracie SEing that euery Magistrate is of God his chiefe dutie except it please him to exercise a tyranie consisteth in this to defend religion from all blasphemie to procure it and as the Prophet teacheth out of the word of the Lord to put it in practise so much as in him lieth In which parte trulie the first place is giuen to the pure free preaching of the worde of God the instruction of the youth of Citizens and a right and diligent teaching in Schooles lawfull discipline a liberall prouision for the Ministers of the Church and a diligent care for the poore Secondlie to iudge the people according to iust diuine lawes to keepe iudgement and iustice to maintaine this publique peace to cherish the common wealth and to punish the offenders according to the quantitie of the fault in their riches bodie or life which things when he doth he performeth a due worship or seruice to God We know that though we be free we ought whollie in a true faith holilie to submit our selues to the Magistrate both with our bodie and with all our goods and indeauour of minde also to performe faithfulnes and the othe which we made to him so farre forth as his gouernment is not euidentlie repugnant to him for whose sake we doe reuerence the Magistrate OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASILL Of Magistracie MOreouer God hath assigned to the Magistrate who is his minister the sword and chiefe externall power for the defence of the good and to take reuenge and punishment of the euill Therefore euerie Christian Magistrate in the number whereof we also desire to be doth direct all his strength to this that among those which are coÌ„mitted to his credit the name of God may be sanctified his kingdome may be enlarged and men may liue according to his will with an earnest rooting out of all râ—ughtines And in the margent This duetie also was inioyned to the heathenish Magistrate how much more to the Christian Magistrate ought it to be commended as to the true substitute of God Also Art 11. Sect. 1. 3. and 4. We doe clearelie protest that together with all other doctrines which are directlie contrarie to the
especially according to that which the Lord commaundeth Giue vnto Cesar the things which are Cesars and vnto God the things which are Gods But if some should attempt to remooue any from this Christian and true opinion they ought to follow the example of the Apostles who with a bolde courage nothing at all daunted answered the Magistrate and counsell of Ierusalem in this manner We ought rather to obey God then men Whereof also is to be seene the iudgement of the olde fathers and of the Canon law where they thus write and these are the wordes of S. Ierome If the Lord or magistrate commaund those things that are not contrary to the holy scriptures let the seruant be subiect to the Lord but if 〈◊〉 anie thing contrarie let him rather obey the Lord of his pâ—â—rit then of his bodie And a litle after If it be good which the Emperor commaundeth do the will of him that commaundeth if it be euill answer we ought rather to obey God then men THE CONCLVSION ANd hetherto haue beene informed and shewed vnto your Maiestie in this writing the reasons causes of our faith and doctrine and Christian religion fuch doctrine as the ministers of our Churches all and singular euery one according to the gift of god graunted vnto him do with one consent of iudgement holde talke of and preach and do constantlie manteine and fight for the same not with the power of this world but by holy scriptures against those that impugne it or by teaching do spread abroade contrarie errors thereunto Neither yet without that modestie that becommeth the profession of Christians do they stubbournly rather then rigiouslie persist in this doctrine or haue at any time heretofore persisted but if anie thing be found herein not well taken by them and that by certeine grounds out of the word of god which ought to be the rule of iudgement vnto all men peaceablie and with a meeke spirit as it ought to be done be shewed vnto them they are readie and forward and thereunto as alwaies heretofore so now they offer themselues that after due consideration true knowledge of the trueth had they will most gladlie and thankfullie receiue that doctrine which shall haue better foundations and willinglie reforme whatsoeuer shall haue need to be amended Wherefore most excellent King and gratious Lord maie it please your Maiestie to examine this our confession and after diligent and due consideration had to waie and consider whether anie man worthelie and for iust cause may reiect and condemne this doctrine as not agreeable to the holie scripture nor Christian Verilie we are of opinion that if anie man presume to despise or condemne this doctrine he must of necessitie also condemne the holie scripture from whence it was taken and the auncient and true Christian Doctors with whome it agreeth and also the holie lie Church it selfe which from the beginning and that constantlie 〈◊〉 and doth teach And hereby your Maiesty may graciâ—â—slie perceiue and determine whether the complaints and accusations of our aduersaries and such as fauour not vs and our teachers be iust or noe Wherefore most humbly we pray that your sacred Maiestie will giue no place or credit to our aduersaries in those matters which diuers waies without anie ground they charge vs withall when as without all humanitie they accuse vs our ministers and preachers as if we had an other religion and taught an other doctrine then that which at this present we offer vnto your Maiestie or that we presume stubbournlie to take in hand or do attempt anie other thing against God and your Maiestie and contrarie to the institutions of this common wealth and to the publique law of the kingdome of Bohemia And your Maiestie may well call to your remembrance that we haue euerie waie and at all times behaued our selues obedientlie and peaceablie and in all things which may turne or belong to the preseruation of your Maiesties person and to the publique good and commoditie of the whol realme in al such things I say we haue indeauoured not to be behinde others and hereafter also we offer our selues most readie to perfourme the same according to our allegeance and duetie Neither do we think it onelie a point of vertue and to apperteine vnto honesty alone and the good estate of the common wealth to yeeld our selues subiect and faithfull to your maiesty for peace concord and the rewards of this life but much rather we acknowledge that it pleaseth God and that so is his will that euery one for conscience sake should be obedient to the Magistrate and should reuerence loue honour and highly esteem him euen as our teachers also do deale both with vs and with the people to perfourme this and oftentimes by teaching out of the word doe in force it vpon vs both Here we commend our selues vnto your Maiesty as to the fatherly and liberall tuition care and protection of our most gracious Lord and do most humbly beseech of your Maiesty that vnto these things which on the befalfe of Christian religion we haue tendred vnto your Maiestie we may receiue a courteous answer and such as God maie be pleased withall The almightie and euerlasting God graciouslie preserue your Maiestie in continuall health to the profit benefit and increase of his holie Christian Church Amen Prouerb 20. Mercie and trueth preserue the King for his throne is established with mercie OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION WE beleeue that God would haue the world to be gouerned by lawes and by ciuill gouernmenr that there maiâ— be certaine bridles whereby the immoderate desires of the world maie be restrained and that therefore he appointed kingdomes common wealths and other kindes of principalitie whether they come by inheritance or otherwise And not that alone but also whatsoeuer perteineth to the state of righteousnes as they call it whereof he desireth to be acknowledged the author Therefore he hath also deliuered the sword into the hands of the Magistrates to wit that offences maie be repressed not onely those which are committed against the second table but also against the first Therefore because of the author of this order we must not onelie fuffer them to rule whome he hath set ouer vs but also giue vnto them all honour and reuerence as vnto his embassadours and ministers assigned of him to execute a lawfull and holie function Also Art 40. THerefore we affirme that we must obey the lawes and statutes that tribute must be paied and that we must patientlie endure the other burdens to conclude that we must willnglie suffer the yoke of subiection although the Magistrate be infidells so that the soueraigne gouernment of God do remaine wholl or entire and nothing diminished Therefore we detest all those which do reiect all kinde of dominion and bring in a communitie and confusion of goods and who to conclude do go about to ouerthrow al order of law OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BELGIA
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
is it lawfull either to restore the olde ceremonies of the law or to deuise new to shadow forth the truth allreadie laide open and brought to light by the Gospell as in the daie light to set vp candles to signifie the light of the Gospel or to carie banners and crosses to signifie the victorie of Christ through his crosse Of which sort is al that wholl furniture of massing attire which they say doth shadow out the wholl passion of Christ many other things of that kinde Much lesse is it lawfull to ordaine ceremonies and holie rites by the merit whereof sinne may be purged the kingdome of heauen purchased For of that former kind of ceremonies and holie rites Christ out of Esay preacheth saying In vaine doe they worshippe me teaching for doctrines the precepts of men And Paull saith Let no man iudge you in meat or drink or part of an holie daie or of the new Moone c. Hitherto may be added the testimonies of Augustine others touching the obseruation of such ceremonies But touchgin the latter kinde of ceremonies it is manifest that they are wicked rites and reprochful to the death and resurrection of Christ by whose onelie merit we haue deliuerance from sinne and inheritance of eternall life by faith OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SVEVELAND Of humane traditions CHAP. 14. FVrthermore touching the traditions of the Fathers or such as the Bishops and Churches doe at this daie ordaine this is the opinion of our men They reckon no tradirions for mens traditions but such as are condemned in Scripture but such as are contrarie to the law of God such as binde the conscience about me at and drinke and times and other outward things such as forbid mariage to them who haue neede therof to liue honestlie and the rest of that stamp For such as agree with the Scripture and were ordeined for good manners the profit of men although they be not word for worde expressed in the Scriptures neuertheles in that they proccede from the commaundement of loue which ordereth all things most decentlie they are worthely to be accounted rather of God then of man Of this sort were those set downe by Paull that women should not praie in the Church bareheaded nor men with their heades couered that they who are to communicate together should tary one for another that no mā should speak with tongues in the congregation without an interpreter that the Prophets without confusion should deliuer their Prophecies to be iudged by them that sit by Many such the Church at this daie for good cause obserueth and vpon occasion also maketh new which who so refuseth he despiseth the authoritie not of men but of God whose tradition it is whatsoeuer is profitable For whatsoeuer truth is saide or written by his gift it is spoken and written who is truth as Saint Augustine hath godly written But often times there is disputing about that what tradition is profitable what not that is what set forward godlines what doth hinder it But he that shall seeke nothing of his owne but shall wholly dedicate himselfe to the publike profit he shal easily see what things are agreable to the law of god what are not Furthermore seing the estate of Christians is such that they are also helped by iniuries the Christian will not refuse to obey no not vniust lawes so they haue no wicked thing in them according to the saying of Christ If any man compell thee to goe with him one mile go with him two Euen so surelie the Christian ought to become all vnto al that he may studie to do and suffer all things so that they be not contrarie to the commaundements of God to pleasure and profit men withall Hence it commeth to passe that euerie man so much the more willinglie obeyeth the ciuill lawes which are not repugnant to religion the more fullie he is indued with the faith of Christ THE EIGHTEENTH SECTION OF WEDLOCKE SINGLE LIFE AND MONASTIcall vowes THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of single life wedlocke and householde gouernement CHAP. 29. SVuch as haue the gift of chastitie giuen vnto them from aboue so as they can with the heart or wholl minde be pure and continent and not be grieuouslie burned with lust let them serue the Lord in that calling as long as they shall feele themselues indued with that heauenlie gift and let them not lifte vp themselues aboue others but let them serue the Lord dailie in simplicitie and humilitie For such are more apt for doing of heauenlie thinges then they which are distracted with priuate affaires of their familie but if againe the gift be taken away and they feele a continuall burning let them call to minde the words of the Apostle It is better to marrie then to burne For wedlocke which is the medicine of incontinencie continencie it selfe was ordeined by the Lord God himselfe who blessed it most bountifully and willeth man and woman to eleaue one to the other inseperablie and to liue together in great loue and concorde Whereupon we know the Apostle said Mariage is honourable among all the bedde vndefiled And againe If a Virgine marrie she sinneth not We therefore condemne Poligamie and those which condemne second mariages We teach that mariages ought to be made lawfullie in the feare of the Lord and not against the lawes which forbid certein degrees to ioine in matrimony lest the mariages should be incestuous Let mariages be made with consent of the parents or such as be in steed of parents for that ende especiallie for the which the Lord ordeined mariages and let them be confirmed publiquely in the church with praier and blessing of them Moreouer let them be kept holilie with peace faithfulnes duetifulnes loue and also puritie of the persons coupled together Therefore let them take heede of brawlings debates lusts and adulteries Let lawfull iudgements and holie Iudges be established in the Church which may mainteine mariages and may represse all dishonestie and shamefulnes and before whom the controuersies in matrimonie may be decided and ended Let children also be brought vp of the Parentes in the feare of the Lord and let Parentes prouide for their children remembring the saying of the Apostle He that prouideth not for his owne hath denied the faith and is worsse then an infidell But speciallie let them teach their children honest sciences whereby they may mainteine themselues let them withdraw them from idlenes and plant in them a true confidence in god in al these things lest they through distrust or ouermuch careles securitie or filthie couetousnes wax lose and in the end come to no good Now it is most certaine that those workes which Parents doe in a true faith by the dueties of mariage gouernment of their families are before God holie good workes in deed and doe please God no lesse then praiers fastings and almes deeds For so the Apostle hath taught in his