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work_n	create_v	good_a	workmanship_n	4,350	5	11.8942	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18640	An harmony of the confessions of the faith of the Christian and Reformed Churches which purelie professe the holy doctrine of the Gospell in all the chiefe kingdomes, nations, and prouinces of Europe: the catologue and order whereof the pages following will declare. There are added in the ende verie shorte notes: in which both the obscure thinges are made plaine, & those thinges which maie in shew seeme to be contrarie each to other, are plainelie and verie modestlie reconciled, and if anie points doe as yet hang in doubt, they are sincerelie pointed at. All which things, in the name of the Churches of Fraunce and Belgia, are submitted to the free and discrete iudgement of all other Churches. Newlie translated out of Latine into English. Also in the end is added the confession of the Church of Scotland. Alowed by publique authoritie.; Harmonia confessionum fidei orthodoxarum & reformatarum ecclesiarum. English	Salnar.; Goulart, Simon, 1543-1628.	1586 (1586)	STC 5155; ESTC S107818	484,469	636

rule of Gods worde For Peter the Apostle saieth Therefore giuing al diligence thereunto ioyne moreouer vertue with your faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance c. It was said before that the law of God which is the will of God did prescribe vnto vs the patterne of good workes And the Apostle saieth This is the wil of God euen your sanctification that you absteine from al vncleannes that no man oppresse 〈◊〉 deceiue his brother in any matter But as for such workes and worships of god as are taken vp vpon our owne liking which Saint Paull calleth wilworshippe they are not allowed not liked of God Of such the Lord saieth in the Gospell They worship me in vaine teaching for doctrine the precepts of men Wee therefore disalowe all such manner of workes and we approoue and vrge men vnto such as are according to the 〈◊〉 and commaundement of God Yea and these same workes that are agreeable to Gods will must be done not to th● ende to merit eternall life by them for life euerlasting as th● Apostle saieth is the gift of God nor for ostentations sake which the Lord doth reiect Mat. 6. nor for lucre which also he misliketh Mat. 23. but to the glorie of God to comment set forth our calling and to yeald thankefulnes vnto god and also for the profit of our neighbours For the Lorde saith againe in the Gospell Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which 〈◊〉 in heauen Likewise the Apostle Paull saieth Walke worthie of your calling Also Whatsoeuer you doe saith he either in worde o● in deede doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God the Father by him Let no man seeke his owne but euerie 〈◊〉 his brothers And let ours also learne to shew forth good works for necessarie vses that they be not vnprofitable Notwithstanding therefore that we teach with the Apostle that a man is iustified by faith in Christ and not by any good workes yet we doe not lightlie esteeme or condemne good workes because we know that a man is not created or regenerated thorough faith that he should be idle but rather that without ceasing he should doe those things which are good and profitable For in the Gospel the Lorde saith A good tree bringeth forth good fruite And againe Whosoeuer abideth in mee bringeth forth good fruite And lastlie the Apostle saith W● 〈◊〉 the workm●nship of God created in Christ Iesus to good works which god hath prepared that we should walke in them And againe Wh● gaue himselfe for vs that he might deliuer vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to be a peculiar people to himselfe zealous of good workes We therefore condemne all those which doe contemne good workes and doe bable that they ate needeles and not to be regarded Neuerthelesse as was saide before we doe not thinke that we are saued by good workes or that they are so necessarie to saluation that no man was euer saued without them For we are saued by grace and by the benefite of Christ alone Workes do necessarilie proceede from faith but saluation is improperlie attributed to them which is moste properlie ascribed to grace That sentence of the Apostle is verie notable If by grace then not of workes for then grace were no more grace But if of workes then it is not of grace for then workes were no more workes Now the workes which we doe are accepted and allowed of God through faith because they which doe them please God by faith in Christ and also the workes themselues are done by the grace of God through his holie spirit For Saint Peter saith that Of euerie nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousnes is accepted with him And Paul also Wee cease not to praie for you that you maie walke worthie of the Lorde and in al thinges please him being fruitfull in euerie good worke Here therefore we diligentlie teach not false and Philosophicall but true vertues true good workes and the true duties of a Christian man And this we doe with all diligence and earnestnes that we can inculcate and beate into mens mindes sharplie reproouing the slothfulnes and hypocrisie of all those who with their mouthes praise and professe the gospell and yet with their shameful life doe dishonor the same setting before their eies in this case Gods horrible threatninges large promises and bountifull rewardes and that by exhorting comforting and rebuking For we teach that God doth bestow great rewardes on them that doe good according to that saying of the Prophet Refraine thy voice from weeping because thy worke shall haue a rewarde In the Gospell also the Lorde saide Reioyce and be glad because your rewarde is great in the heauens And he that shall giue to one of these little ones a cuppe of colde water verilie I saie vnto you he shall not loose his rewarde Yet we doe not attribute this reward which God giueth to the merit of the man that receiueth it but to the goodnes or liberalitie and trueth of God which promiseth and giueth it who although he owe nothing vnto anie yet he hath promised to giue a reward to those that faithfully worship him notwithstanding that he do also giue them grace to worship him Besides there are many things vnworthie the maiesty of god many vnperfect thinges are found in the workes euen of the saints yet because god doth receiue into fauor imbrace the works of them for Christs sake therefore he performeth vnto them the promised reward For otherwise our righteounesses are compared to a menstruous cloath yea the Lord in the gospell saith When you haue done al things which are commaunded you saie we are vnprofitable seruants that which we 〈◊〉 to doe we haue done So that though we do teach that god 〈◊〉 giue a rewarde to our good deeds yet withall we teach 〈◊〉 Augustine that God doth crowne in vs not our desertes but 〈◊〉 owne gifts And therefore whatsoeuer rewarde we receiue we saie that it is a grace and rather a grace then a rewarde because those good things which we doe we doe them rathe● by God then by our selues and because Paul saith what 〈◊〉 thou that thou hast not receiued If thou hast receiued it Why 〈◊〉 thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued it And that which the blessed Martyr Ciprian doth gather out of this place That we must not boast of any thing seeing nothing is our owne We therefore condemne those who defend the merites of men that they may make frustrate the grace of God OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA NOw we attaine vnto these so diuine benefits and the true sanctification of the spirit of God by Faith which is the meere gifte of God not by anie either ou● strength or merites which faith being a sure and vndoubted

him Ioh. 6. By grace are ye saued through Faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes lest anie man should boast himselfe For we are his workemanshippe created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordeyned that we should walke in them Eph. 2. For seing it is our righteousnes and eternal life to know God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ and that is so farre from being the worke of slesh and blood that it is necessarie to be borne againe anew neither can we come to the Sonne except the Father draw vs neither know the Father except the Sonne reueale him vnto vs and Paull doth write so expreslie Not of your selues not of workes it is euident enough that our workes can helpe nothing at all that of vniust such as we are borne we maie become righteous because that as we are by nature the children of wrath and therefore vniust so we are not able to doe anie thing that is iust or acceptable to God but the beginning of all our righteousnes and saluation must proceede from the mercie of the Lord who of his onely fauour and the contemplation of the death of his Sonne did first offer the doctrine of truth and his Gospell sending those that should preach it and secondlie seing that naturall man can not as Paull saith 1. Cor. 2. perceiue the thinges that are of God he causeth also the beame of his light to arise in the darkenes of our heart that now we maie beleeue the gospell preached being persuaded of the trueth thereof by the holie Spirit from aboue and then foorthwith trusting to the testimonie of this spirit in the confidence of children to call vpon God and to saie Abba Father obteining thereby true saluation according to that saying Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued Of good workes proceeding out of faith through loue THese thinges we will not haue men so to vnderstand as though we placed saluation righteousnes in the slothful thoughtes of men or in faith destitute of loue which they call faith without forme seeing that we are sure that no man can be iust or saued except he doe chieflie loue moste earnestlie imitate God For those which he knew before he also predestinated to be made like to the image of his Sonne But no man can loue God aboue all thinges and worthelie imitate him but he which doth indeede knowe him and doth assuredlie looke for all good things from him Therefore we cannot otherwise be iustified that is as to become righteous so to be saued for righteousnes is euen our saluation then by beeing endued chiefelie with faith in him by which faith we beleeuing the Gospell and therefore being perswaded that God hath taken vs for his adopted children and that he will for euer shewe himselfe a louing father vnto vs let vs whollie depende vpon his pleasure This faith Saint Augustine doth call in his booke De Fide operibus Euangelicall To wit that which is effectuall through loue By this faith we are borne againe and the image of God is repaired in vs. By this Faith whereas we are borne corrupt our thoughtes euen from our childhoode beeing altogether bent vnto euill we become good and vpright For hereupon we beeing fullie satisfied with one God the spring of all good thinges that is neuer drie but runneth alwaies most plentifullie we doe forthwith shew our selues as it were Gods towardes others that is toward the true sonnes of god indeauouring by loue to profit them so much as in vs lieth For He that loueth his brother abideth in the light and is borne of God and is wholie giuen to the new and to the olde commaundement touching mutuall loue And this loue is the fullfilling of the wholl law as Paul saith The wholl law is fulfilled in one worde namelie this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Gal. 5. For whatsoeuer the law teacheth hitherto it tendeth and this one thing it requireth that at the length we maie be reformed to the perfect image of god being good in all things readie and willing to do men good the which we can neuer doe except we be adorned with all kindes of vertues For who can purpose and doe all thinges as the duetie of a Christian doth require 1. Cor. 10. to the true edifying of the Church and the sound profit of all men that is according to the lawe of God and to the glorie of god except that he both thinke speake and doe euerie thing in order and well and therefore be verie familiarlie acquainted with the wholl companie of vertues To whome good workes are to be ascribed and how necessarie they be CHAP. 5. BVt seeing that they which are the Children of God are rather ledde by the spirit of God then doe worke any thing themselues And that Of him through him for him are all things therefore whatsoeuer things we doe well and holilie are to be ascribed to none other then to this one onelie spirit the giuer of all vertues Howsoeuer it be he doth not compell vs but doth lead vs being willing Working in vs both to will and to doe Philip. 2. Whereupon Saint Augustine writeth verie well That God doth reward his workes in vs. And yet we are so farre from reiecting good workes that we doe vtterlie denie that anie man can fullie be saued except he be thus farre brought by the spirit of Christ that he finde no want at all in him touching those good workes whereunto god hath created him For there be diuers members of the same bodie therefore euerie one of vs haue not the same office 1. Cor. 12. It is so necessary that the law should be fullfilled that Heauen and earth shall sooner passe awaie then that one iotte or the least point therof shall be remitted Yet because god alone is good hath created all thinges of nothing and doth by his spirit make vs altogether new and doth wholie lead vs for in Christ nothing auaileth but a new creature none of all these thinges can be ascribed to mans strength and we must confesse that all things are the meere giftes of god whoe of his owne accord and not for anie meritte of ours doeth fauour and loue vs. By these thinges it maie sufficienlie be knowen what we beleeue iustification to be by whome it is wrought for vs and by what meane it is receiued of vs also by what places of scripture we are induced so to beleeue For although of manie we haue aledged a few yet by these few anie one that is but meanely conuersant in the scripture maie fullie perceiue that they which read the scriptures shall finde euerie where such kinde of sentences as doe attribute vnto vs nothing but sinne and destruction as Hosee saith and all our righteousnes and saluation to the Lord. Of the dueties of a Christian man CHAP. 6. NOw it cannot be doubted of what be the dueties

one may see that our Churches deale well in abolishing and condemning that law of the Pope And we beseech the moste renowmed Emperour that he wil not defile himself wirh defending that vncleane single life and with the blood of the Priests for it is written Blessed is he that hath pittie o● the poore and needie the Lorde shall deliuer him in the cuill day This article we found elsewhere placed in the second place amongest those wherein the abuses that are chaunged be mentioned Of the mariage of Priests Art 2. THere was a common complaint of the examples of such priests as were not cōtinent For which cause also Pope Pius is reported to haue said that there were certaine causes for which marriage was forbiddē to priests but there were many waightier causes why it should be permitted again For so Platina writeth VVhen as therefore the Priests among vs sought to auoide these publike offences they married wiues and taught that it was lawfull for them selues to ioyne in marriage First because that Paull saith To auoid fornication let euerie man haue his wife Againe It is better to marrie then to burne Secondlie Christ saith All men doe not receiue this worde where he sheweth that all men are not fitte for a single life because that God created man for procreations sake Gen. 1. It is not in mans power without a speciall gifte and worke of God to alter his creation Therefore such as are not meet for a single life ought to ioyne in matrimonie For no lawe of man no vowe can take away the commaundement of god and his ordinance By these reasons our Priests doe prooue that they maie lawfully marrie wiues And it is wel knowne that in the auncient Churches Priests were married For Paull saith that a Bishop must be chosen which is a husband And in Germanie about 400. yeares ago the Priests were by violence compelled to liue a single life who then were so wholy bēt against the matter that the Archbishop of Mentz being to publish the Pope of Rome his decree in that behalfe was almoste murdered in a tumult by the Priests in their anger And the matter was handled so contrarie to law that they did not onlie forbid mariages for the time to come but also such as were then contracted contrarie to all lawes diuine and humane contrary to the Canons themselues that were before made not onelie by Popes but also by moste famous Councels And seing that the world decaying mans nature by litle and litle waxeth weaker it is behoouefull to looke well to it that no more vices doe ouerspread Germanie Furthermore God ordained mariage to be a remedie for mans infirmitie The Canons themselues doe sa●e that the olde rigour is now then in latter times to be released for the weaknes of men Which it were to be wished might be done in this matter also It is verie like that if mariage be forbidden any longer we shall at length want Pastours in the Church Seing then that there is a plaine commaundement of God seeing the vse of the Church is well knowne seing that the impure single life bringeth forth verie many offences adulteries and other enormities worthie to be punished by the godlie magistrate yet it is a maruell that greater crueltie should be shewed in no other thing then against the marriage of Priests God hath commaunded to honour marriage the lawes in all well ordered common welthes euen among the heathen also haue adorned marriages with verie great priuileges But now men are cruellie put to death yea and Priests also contrarie to the minde of the Canons for no other cause but onelie for marriage Paul calleth that a doctrine of Diuells which forbiddeth mariage 1. Tim. 4. which may now verie well be seene when as the forbidding of mariage is mainteined by such punishments But as no law of man can take awaie the law of God no more can anie vow whatsoeuer Therfore Cyprian giueth counsel that those women should marry which do not keep their vowed chastity His words are these in the first book the 11. Ep. If they wil not or are not able to indure it is far better they should marrie then that they should fall into the fire by their importune desire In any wise let them giue no offence to their brethren or sisters Yea and the Canons vse a kinde of equitie towards such as before their ripe yeares did vowe chastitie as hitherto the vse hath beene To this place also belongeth the 6. Art Of the vowes of Monkes WHat is taught amongest vs touching the vowes of Monkes shall be better vnderstoode if you call to minde what was the state of Monastaries and how many thinges were euerie daie committed in the Monasteries contrarie to the Cannons In Augustines time Colledges were free but afterward when discipline was corrupted euerie where vowes were laid vpon them that as it were by a new deuised prison the discipline might be restored againe Ouer and besides vowes by litle and litle many other obseruations were added And these bands and snares were cast vpon many before they came to ripe yeares contrarie to the Canons Many through errour fell into this kinde of life vnawares who though they wanted no yeares yet they wanted discretion to iudge of their strength and abilitie They which were once got within these snares were constrained to abide in them though by the benefit of the Canon some might be set at libertie And that fell out rather in the Nonneries then in the Colleges of Monks because the weaker sexe was more to be spared This rigour seuerity misliked many good men hertofore when they saw young maides and young men thrust vp into Monasteries there to get their liuing and saw what an vnhappie successe this counsell had what offences it bred and what snares it laide vpon mens consciences They were grieued that the authoritie of the Canons was wholly neglected and contemned in a thing most dangerous To all these euills there was added such a perswasion of vowes which as it is well knowen did in former times mislike the Monks themselues if any of them were somewhat stouter then the rest They taught forsooth that vows were equal to B aptisme touching single life they taught that it merited remission of sinnes iustification before God yea farther that the Monkes life did not onelie merit righteousnes before God but more then that because it obserued not onelie the commaundements but also the Counsells in the Gospell And thus they taught that the Monkes profession was better then Baptisme that the Monkes life did merit more then the life of Magistrates of Pastours and such like which in the obedience of Gods commaundement followed their calling without any such religion of mans making None of these things can be denied they are to be seene in their writings What fell out afterwarde in the Monasteries In olde time there were Schooles for the studie of Diuinitie and other artes which were profitable