things are taught as touching mans free will we doe worthily reject them seeing that man is the servant of sinne neither can he doe any thing of himselfe but as it is given him from heaven For who is so bold as to bragge that he is able to performe whatsoever he listeth when as Christ himselfe saith No man can come unto me except my Father which Joh. 6. 44. hath sent me doe draw him Who dare boast of his will which heareth that All the affections of the flesh are enemies against God Rom. 8. 1 Cor. 1. 14. Who will vaunt of his understanding which knoweth that The naturall man cannot perceive the things of the spirit of God To conclude who is he that dare bring forth any one cogitation of his owne which understandeth this that we are not Able of our selves to thinke any thing but That we are sufficient it is altogether 2 Cor. 3. 5. of God Therefore that saying of the Apostle must needs remaine firme and steadfast It is God which worketh in us both to will and Pâ—il 2. 12. to doe even of his good pleasure For no mans minde no mans will is able to rest in the will of God wherein Christ himselfe hath wrought nothing before The which also he doth teach us saying Without me ye can doe nothing Joh. 15. 5. We beleeve that through the disobedience of Adam the sin Artic. 15. that is called Originall hath been spred and powred into all mankinde Now Originall sinne is a corruption of the whole nature and an hereditarie evill wherewith even the very infants in their Psal 51. Rom. 3. Gen. 6. Joh. 3. Rom. 5. Eph. 1. Mothers wombe are polluted the which also as a most noysome roote doth branch out most abundantly all kinde of sinne in man and is so filthy and abominable in the sight of God that it alone is sufficient to the condemnation of all man-kinde Neither are we to beleeve that this sinne is by baptisme utterly extinguishet or plucked up by the rootes seeing that out of it as out of a corrupt fountaine continuall flouds and rivers of iniquitie doe daily spring and flow how be it to the children of God it doth not tend neither is it imputed to condemnation but of the meere favour and mercy of God it is remitted unto them not to this end that they trusting unto this remission should be rocked a sleepe in security but that it may stirre up often sighes in the faithfull by the sense and feeling of this corruption and that they should somewhat the more earnestly desire To be delivered from this body of Rom. 7. 18. 2. death Therefore we doe condemne the errour of the Pelagians which affirme that this Originall sinne is nothing else but a certaine kinde of imitation Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE ALso they that teach that after the fall of Adam all men descended Artic. 2. one from another after a naturall manner have originall sinne even when they are borne We meane by originall sinne that which the holy fathers and all of sound judgement and learning in the Church doe so call namely that guilt whereby all that come into the world are through Adams fall subject to Gods wrath and eternall death and that very corruption of mans nature derived from Adam And this corruption of mans nature comprehendeth both the defect of originall justice integritie or obedience and also concupiscence This defect is horrible blindenesse and disobedience that is to wit to want that light and knowledge of God which should have beene in our nature being perfect and to want that uprightnesse that is that perpetuall obedience that true pure and chiefe love of God and those other gifts of perfect nature Wherefore those defects and this concupiscence are things damnable and of their owne nature worthy of death And this originall blot is sinne indeed condemning and bringing eternall death even now also upon them which are not borne againe by baptisme and the holy Ghost They condemne the Pelagians who denie Originall sinne and thinke that those defects or this concupiscence are things indifferent or punishments onely and not of their owne nature damnable and dreame that man may satisfie the Law of God and may for that peculiar obedience be pronounced just before God These things are thus found in another Edition ALso they teach that after Adams fall all men begotten after Artic. the common course of nature are borne with sinne that is without the feare of God without trust in him and with concupiscence And that this disease or Originall blot is sinne indeed condemning and bringing eternall death even now upon all that are not born again by baptisme and the holy Ghost They condemne the Pelagians and others that deny this Originall blot to be sinne indeed and that they may extenuate the glorie of the merit and benefits of Christ they doe reason that a man may by the strength of his owne reason be justified before God Concerning free will they doe teach that mans will hath some Artic. 18. freedome to * Looke the 1. observat upon this confession performe a civill justice and to make choice of things that are within the reach of reason but it hath no power to performe a spirituall justice without the holy Spirit because Paul saith The naturall man perceiveth not the things which are of the spirit of God and Christ saith without me ye can doe nothing Now this spirituall justice is wrought in us when we are * Looke the 2. observat helped of the holy Ghost And we receive the holy Ghost when we assent unto the word of God that we may be comforted through faith in all terrours of conscience as Paul teacheth when he saith That ye may receive the promise of the spirit through faith These things almost in as many words faith S. Augustine lib. 3. Hypognost We confesse that there is in all men a free will which hath indeed the iudgement of reason not that it is thereby apt without God either to begin or to performe any thing in matters pertaining to God but only in workes belonging to this present life whether they be good or evill In good works I affirme those to be which arise of the goodnesse of nature as to be willing to labour in the field to desire meat or drink to desire to have a friend to desire apparell to desire to build an house to marrie a wife to nourish cattell to learne the art of divers good things to desire any good thing pertaining to this present life all which are not without Gods government yea they now are and had their beginning from God In evill things I account such as these to desire to worship an Image to desire manslaughter This sentence of Augustine doth notably teach what is to be attributed to free will and doth put a plaine difference betweene civill discipline or the exercises of humane reason
life and make us fellow heires with himselfe He taking flesh of the most pure Virgin Mary the holy Ghost working together flesh I say being sacred by the union of the Godhead and like unto ours in all things sin onely excepted because it behooved our sacrifice to be unspotted gave the same flesh to death for the purgation of all sin The same Christ as he is to us a full and perfect hope and trust of our immortalitie so he placed his flesh being raised up from death into heaven at the right hand of his Almightie Father This Conquerour having triumphed over death sin and all the infernall devils sitting as our Captaine Head and chiefe high Priest doth defend and plead our cause continually till he doe reforme us to that Image after which we were created and bring us to the fruition of life everlasting we looke for him to come in the end of the world a true and upright Iudge and to give sentence upon all flesh being first raised up to that judgement and to advance the godly above the skie and to condemn the wicked both in soule and body to eternall destruction Who as he is the onely Mediatour Intercessor Sacrifice and also our high Priest Lord and King so we doe acknowledge and with the whole heart beleeve that he alone is our attonement redemption sanctification expiation wisdome protection and deliverance simply herein rejecting all meane of our life and salvation beside this Christ alone The laetter part of this Article we placed also in the second section which entreateth of the onely Mediatour Out of the Confession of BASILL Of Christ being true God and true man VVE beleeve and confesse constantly that Christ in the time hereunto appointed according to the promise of God was given to us of the Father and that so the eternall word of God was made flesh that is that this Son of God being united to our nature in one person was made our brother that we through him might be made partakers of the inheritance of God We beleeve that this Iesus Christ was conceived of the holy Ghost borne of the pure and undefiled Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate crucified and dead for our sins and so by the one oblation of himselfe he did satisfie God our heavenly Father for us and reconcile us to him and so by his death he did triumph and overcame the world death and hell Moreover according to the flesh he was buried descended into hell and the third day he rose againe from the dead These things being sufficiently approoved he in his soule and body ascended into heaven and sitteth there at the right hand that is in the glory of God the Father Almightie from thence he shall come to judge the quicke and the dead Moreover he sent to his disciples according to his promise the holy Ghost in whom we beleeve even as we doe beleeve in the Father and in the Sonne We beleeve that the last judgement shall be wherein our flesh shall rise againe and every man according as he hath done in this life shall receive of Christ Rom. 2. 2 Cor. 5. Joa 5. the Iudge to wit eternall life if he hath shewed forth the fruits of faith which are the works of righteousnesse by a true faith and unfeined love and eternall fire if he hath committed good or evill without faith or love Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA CHAP. 4. Towards the middle NEither hath any man of all things whatsoever any thing at all whereby he may deliver set free or redeeme himselfe from his sins and condemnation without Christ by whom alone John 15. they which truly beleeve are freed from sinne from the tyrannie and prison of the devill from the wrath of God and from death and everlasting torments And a little after towards the end of the said fourth Chapter Together with this point and after it considering that both the matter it selfe and order of teaching so requireth the Ministers of the Church teach us after our fall to acknowledge the promise of God the true word of grace and the holy Gospell brought to us from the privy counsell of the holy Trinitie concerning our Lord Christ and our whole salvation purchased by him Of these promises there be three principall wherein all the rest are contained The first was made in Paradise in these words I will put enmitie betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed Gen. 3. and her seed He shall breake thine head and thou shalt bruise his heele The second was made to Abraham which afterwards Iacob also and Moses did renew The third to David which the Prophets recited and expounded In these promises are described and painted forth those most excellent and principall works of 2 King 7. 23. Christ our Lord which are the very ground-worke whereon our salvation standeth by which he is our Mediatour and Saviour Psal 131. 89 namely his conception in the wombe of the Virgin Mary and his birth of her also for he was made the seed of the woman also Isa 9. 11. his afflictions his rising againe from death his sitting at the right hand of God where he hath obtained the dignitie of a Priest and King of which thing the whole life of David was a certaine type for which cause the Lord calleth himselfe another David Eph. 3. 4. and a Shepherd And this was the Gospell of those holy men before the Law was given and since And Chapter the 6. a little from the beginning For this is very certaine that after the fall of Adam no man was able to set himselfe at libertie out of the bondage of sin death and condemnation or come to be truly reconciled unto God but onely by that one Mediatour betweene God and man Christ Iesus through a lively faith in him who alone by his death and blood-shedding tooke from us that image of sinne and death and put upon us by faith the image of righteousnesse and life For he made unto us of God wisdome righteousnesse sanctification 1 Cor. 2. and redemption But first men are taught that these things are to be beleeved concerning Christ namely that he is eternall and of the nature of his heavenly Father the onely begotten Son begotten from everlasting and so together with the Father and the holy Ghost John 1. Heb. 1. Coloss 1. one true and indivisible God the eternall not created word the brightnesse and the Image or ingraven forme of the person of his Father by whom all things as well those things which may be seene as those which can not be seene and those things which are in heaven and those which are in the earth were made and created Moreover that he is also a true and naturall man our brother in very deed who hath a soule and a body that is true and perfect humane nature which by the power of the holy Ghost he tooke without all sin of Mary a pure Virgin
and happinesse Moreover we confesse that God did then at the length fulfill his Artic. 18. promise made unto the Fathers by the mouth of his holy Prephets when in his appointed time he sent his onely and eternâ—â— Son into the world who took upon him the forme of a servant being made like unto men and did truly take unto him the nature of man with all infirmities belonging thereunto sin onely excepted when he was conceived in the wombe of the blessed Virgin Mary by the power of the holy Ghost without any means of man The which nature of man he put upon him not onely in respect of the body 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 body of man was subject to condemnation it was necessary that Christ should take upon him as well the soule as the body that he might save them both together Therefore contrary to the heresie of the Anabaptists which deny that Christ did take upon him the flesh of man we confesse that Christ was partaker of flesh and blood as the rest of his brethren were that he came from the loynes of David according to the flesh I say that he was made of the seed of David according to the same flesh and that he is a fruit of the Virgins wombe borne of a woman the branch of David a flower of the root of Iesse comming of the tribe of Iuda and of the Iews themselves according to the flesh and to conclude the true seed of Abraham and David the which seed of Abraham he tooke upon him being made in all things like unto his brethren sin onely excepted as hath been said before so that he is indeed our true Emmanuel that is God with us We beleeve also that the person of the Son was by this conception Artic. 19. inseparably united and coupled with the humane nature yet so that there be not two Sons of God nor two persons but two natures joyned together in one person both which natures doe still retaine their owne proprieties So that as the divine nature hath remained alwayes uncreated without the beginning of dayes and tearme of life filling both heaven and earth so the humane nature hath not lost his proprieties but hath remained still a creature having both beginning of dayes and a finite nature For whatsoever doth agree unto a true body that it still retaineth and although Christ by his resurrection hath bestowed immortalitie upon it yet notwithstanding he hath neither taken away the trueth of the humane nature nor altered it For both our salvation and also our resurrection dependeth upon the trueth of Christs bodie Yet these two natures are so united and coupled in one person that they could not no not in his death be separated the one from the other Wherefore that which in his death he commended unto his Father was indeed a humane spirit departing out of his body but in the meane season the divine nature did alwaies remaine joyned to the humane even then when he lay in the grave so that his Deitie was no lesse in him at that time then when as yet he was an infant although for a small season it did not shew forth it selfe Wherefore we confesse that he is true God and true man true God that by his power he might overcome death and true man that in the infirmitie of his flesh he might die for us We beleeve that God which is both perfectly mercifull and Artic. 20. perfectly just did send his Son to take upon 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 pay the punishment that was due unto sinne God therefore hath declared and manifested his justice in his owne Sonne being loaden with our iniquities but hath most mercifully powred forth and declared his gracious goodnesse unto us guiltie wretches and worthie of condemnation whilest that in his incomprehensible love towards us he delivered up his Sonne unto death for our sins and raised him up againe from death for our justification that by him we might obtaine immortalitie and life everlasting We beleeve that Iesus Christ is that high Priest appointed to Artic. 21. that office eternally by the oath of his Father according to the order of Melchisedech which offered himselfe in our name before his Father with a full satisfaction for the pacifying of his wrath laying himselfe upon the altar of the crosse and hath shed his blood for the cleansing of our sins as the Prophets had foretold For it is written that the chastisement of our peace was laid upon the Sonne of God and by his wounds we are healed Also that he was carried as a sheepe unto the slaughter reputed amongst sinners and unjust and condemned of Pontius Pilate as a malefactour though before he had pronounced him guiltlesse Therfore he payed that which he had not taken and being just suffered in soul and body for the unjust in such sort that feeling the horror of those punishments that were due unto our sins he did sweat water and blood and at length cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me All which he suffered for the remission of our sins Wherefore we do not without just cause professe w th Paul that we know nothing out Iesus Christ and him crucified and that we doe account all things as dung in respect of the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christ our Lord finding in his wounds and stripes all manner of comfort that can be deserved Wherefore there is no need that either we should wish for any other meanes or devise any of our owne braines whereby we might be reconciled unto God besides this one oblation once offered by the which all the faithfull which are sanctified are consecrated or perfected for ever And this is the cause why he was called the Angel Jesus that is to say a Saviour because he shall save his people from their sinnes Last of all we doe beleeve out of the word of God that out Artic. 37. Lord Iesus Christ when the time appointed by God but unto all creatures unknowne shall come and the number of the elect shall be accomplished shall come againe from heaven and that after a corporall and visible manner as heretofore he hath ascended being adorned with great glory and majestie that he may appeare as Iudge of the quicke and the dead the old world being kindled with fire and flame and purified by it Then * Looke the second observat upon this confession all creatures and as well men as women and children as many as have beene from the beginning and shall be to the end of the world shall appeare before this high Iudge being summoned thither by the voyce of Archangels and the trumpet of God For all that have been dead
whom without some damage to the church we cannot separate from it Againe we must be very vigilant lest that the godly falling fast asleepe the wicked grow stronger and do some mischiefe to the church Further more we teach that it is carefully to be marked wherein especially the truth and unitie of the church consisteth lest that we either rashly breed or nourish schismes in the church It consisteth not in outward rites and ceremonies but rather in the truth and unitie of the Catholike faith This Catholike faith is not taught us by the ordinances or laws of men but by the holy Scriptures a compendious and short summe whereof is the Apostles Creed And therefore we reade in the ancient Writers that there was manifold diversities of ceremonies but that was alwaies free neither did any man thinke that the unitie of the church was thereby broken or dissolved We say then that the true unity of the Church doth consist in severall points of doctrine in the true and uniforme preaching of the Gospel and in such rites as the Lord himselfe hath expresly set downe and here we urge that saying of the Apostle very earnestly As many of us therefore Phil. 3. as are perfect let us he thus minded If any man thinke otherwise the Lord shall reveale the same unto him And yet in that whereunto we have attained let us follow one direction and all of us be like affected one towards another Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA Of the Church THis we hold that of such lively stones being by this meane built upon this lively rocke the Church and the holy gathering together of all the Saints the Spouse of Christ which being cleansed by his blood he shall once in time to come present without blot before his Father is founded The which church though it be manifest to the eies of God alone yet is it not onely seene and known by certaine outward rites instituted of Christ himselfe and by the word of God as by a publique and lawfull discipline but it is so appointed that without these markes no man can be judged to be in this church but by the speciall priviledge of God Out of the Confession of BASILL Of the Church VVE beleeve a holy Christian Church that is a communion Matth. 1. Ephe. 1. Iohn 3. 2 Cor. 11. Ephes 5. Heb. 12. Iohn 1. Galat. 5. Rom. 1. Iohn 1. 1 Iohn 3. of Saints a gathering together of the faithfull in spirit which is holy and the Spouse of Christ wherein all they be Citizens which doe truely confesse that Iesus is the Christ the Lambe that taketh away the sinnes of the world and doe shew forth that faith by the workes of love And a little after This church of Christ doth labour all that it can to keepe the bonds of peace and love in unitie Therefore it doth by no meanes communicate with Sects and the rules of orders devised for the difference of dayes meates apparell and ceremonies Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA Of the holy Church and of the godly institution and government thereof and of Discipline Also of Antichrist CHAP. 8. IN the eighth place it is taught touching the acknowledgeing of the holy Catholike Christian Church And first of all that the foundation and head of the holy Church is Jesus Christ himselfe alone together with the whole merit of grace and truth to life eternall upon whom and by whom this church is at all times built by the holy Ghost the word of God and the Sacraments according to the meaning of that which Christ said unto Peter Matth. 16. upon this rocke to wit whereof thou hast made a true confession I will build my Church And Saint Paul saith Other foundation 1 Cor. 3. can no man lay then that which is laid which is Jesus Christ And in another place And hath appointed him over all things to be Ephes 2. the head of the Church which is his body and the fulnesse of him which filleth all in all things Out of these things it is taught that this is beleeved held and publikely confessed that the holy Catholike church being present at every time and militant upon earth is the fellowship of all Christians and is here and there dispersed over the whole world and is gathered together by the holy Gospel out of all nations families tongues degrees and ages in one faith in Christ the Lord or in the holy Trinitie according to that saying of Saint John who speaketh thus And I saw a great company which no man Apoc. 7. 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 stoore to wit in the wide world and as it were in one heape confusedly gathered together containeth in it as yet as well the pure wheate as the chaffe the godly children of God and the wicked children of the world the living and dead members of the ministers and of the people yet where it is least defiled or most pure it may be knowne even by these signes that follow namely wheresoever Christ is taught in holy assemblies the doctrine of the holy Gospel is purely and fully preached the Sacraments are administred according to Christs institution commandement meaning and will and the faithfull people of Christ doth receive and use them and by these gathereth it selfe together in the unitie of faith and love and in the bond of peace and joyneth it selfe in one and buildeth it selfe hard together upon Christ There therefore is the holy church the house of God the temples of the holy Ghost lively members the parts of the heavenly Ierusalem the spirituall body of Christ and joynts knit together the which are joyned and coupled each with other by one head Christ one spirit of regeneration one word of God the same and sincere Sacraments one faith one love and holy communion one bond of peace order discipline and obedience whether the number of this people be great or small as the Lord witnesseth Where two or three are gathered together in my name Matth. 15. in what countrey or nation and in what place soever this be there am I in the middest of them and contrarily where Christ and the spirit of Christ dwelleth not and the holy Gospel cannot have any place granted unto it c. but on the contrary side manifest errours * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession Rom. 5. and heathenish life have their full course and by getting the upper hand doe spread themselves farre there must also needs be a church so defiled that Christ will not acknowledge it for his welbeloved Spouse seeing that none belongeth to Christ who hath not the spirit of Christ Every Christian is also bound with diligent care to seeke after this and such a true part of the holy church and after he hath found it to joyne and maintaine holy communion and fellowship
they set their mindes upon the body of Christ when they see the cup they set their mindes upon the blood of Christ when they see the bread broken and the wine poured out they consider how that the body of Christ was tormented and his blood poured out for their sakes as by bread the bodies are nourished and strengthened as by wine the mindes are made merry so the godly doe beleeve that by the body of the Lord delivered unto death for them they are fed to everlasting life also that by his blood poured out upon the crosse their consciences are renewed to conclude they doe feele the quickning power of Christ which doth confirme them In this sort is the Supper of the Lord accomplished spiritually thus are the bread and wine a Sacrament unto us and not bare and naked signes Hereupon now ariseth a very great rejoycing and thanksgiving for so great benefits also a praising and confessing of the name of God here those works which the Lord once finished are renued and represented but especially the death of the Lord is repeated which although it once hapned and now is past yet unto the faithfull it is as yet fresh and present For the remembrance of the death of Christ which we make in the Supper is farre more noble and holy then theirs who in some prophane banquet are mindfull of their companion when they drinke the wine that he gave them For among these he that is absent worketh nothing but in this holy Supper of the faithfull the Lord is present and doth worke effectually by the spirit in the hearts of them as he who according to his promises is in the middest of them By these things it is most evident that in the holy Supper we doe not take away our Lord Christ from his Church not deny that his body and blood is there received to be our nourishment unto life eternall but we together with our predecessours and the chiefe Prelates of our Religion did and as yet to this day doe deny that the very body of Christ is eaten carnally or that it is present every where corporally and after a naturall manner For we doe openly confesse according to the Scriptures and with all the holy Fathers that Iesus Christ our Lord left this world and went to his Father and that he now sitteth at the right hand of his Father in heavenly glory from whence he shall never descend or be drawne downe into this earthly and transitory world For the true presence of Christ in the Supper is heavenly not earthly or carnall Also we denie that the bread is turned into the body of Christ miraculously so that the bread should become the very body of Christ naturally and substantially yet after a spirituall manner To conclude we denie that the body of Christ is united with the signes by any other then a mysticall meane whereof we have spoken sufficiently in the generall consideration of a Sacrament Seeing therefore we have expressely said and written with the holy Fathers Tertullian Hâ—erome Ambrose and Augustine that the bread is a figure token and signe of the body of Christ and also that by bread and wine the body and blood of the Lord are signified This is it which we would make manifest to wit that the bread is not the very body of the Lord but a token or a Sacrament of his body And yet we do not therefore speake these things as though we did simply deny all kinde of the presence of Christ in the Supper for that kinde of presence which now we have confessed doth remaine true without any prejudice to these kinde of speeches Moreover the word This in this sentence This is my body doth not onely shew bread unto our corporall eyes but therewith also it she weth the very body of Christ unto the eyes of our minde Also we confesse that this use of the Supper is so holy and profitable that whosoever shall worthily that is with a true faith eate of this bread and drinke of this Cup of the Lord he doth receive heavenly gifts from the Lord but Whosoever shall eate of this bread and drinke of this cup unworthily that is without faith by which alone we are made partakers of the Lord and of salvation He doth eate and drinke iudgement unto himselfe as Paul wrote to the Corinthians Wherefore we doe often put this diligently into the heads of our people that they take heed that none of them abuse the Lords table but that every one examine himselfe and then eate of that bread and drinke of that cup. Also the Lords Supper is a badge unto us for as one loafe and one wine are made of many graines and grapes so we being the whole multitude of the faithfull are gathered together to be one bread and one body By this we testifie in an outward profession that we are redeemed by the blood of Christ and made the members of Christ to whom we give thanks in whom we are confederates and doe promise to performe mutuall duties one toward another Out of the Confession of BASILL Of the Supper of the Lord. VVE confesse that the Lord Iesus did institute his holy Supper Artic. 6. that his holy passion might be remembred with thanksgiving his death declared and Christian charitie and unitie with true faith testified And as in Baptisme wherein the washing away of our sins is offered by the Minister of the Church and yet is wrought onely by the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost true water remaineth so also in the Supper of the Lord wherein together with the bread and wine of the Lord the true body and the true blood of Christ is offered by the Minister of the Church bread and wine remaineth Moreover we doe firmely beleeve that Christ himselfe is the meat of faithfull soules unto life eternall and that our soules by faith in Christ crucified are fed and moistned with the flesh blood of Christ so that we being Joh. 11. Eph. 1. 4. 5. Col. 1. members of his body as of our onely head doe live in him and he in us wherein at the last day through him and in him we shall rise againe to eternall joy and blessednesse And in the marginall note upon these words Our soules For it is a spirituall meate and therefore it is received of a faithfull soule that is the soules are made full strong mightie peaceable quiet merrie and lively to all things as the body is by the corporall meate Also upon those words The members of the head And so man is made a spirituall member of the spirituall bodie of Christ And in the margent upon these words To be present to wit Sacramentally and by a remembrance of faith which lifteth up a mans minde to heaven and doth not pull down Christ according to his humanitie from the right hand of God Now we doe not include into the bread and drinke of the Lord the naturall true and substantiall body
water baptizing of Bels Conjuring of spirits Crossing Sauing Anointing Conjuring Hallowing of Gods good creatures with the superstitious opinion joyned therewith his worldly Monarchy and wicked Hierarchy his three solemned vows with all his shavelings of sundry sorts his erronious bloody decrees made at Trent with all the subscribers and approvers of that cruell and bloody band conjured against the Church of God And finally we detest all his vain allegories rites signes and traditions brought in the Church without or against the word of God and doctrin of this true reformed Church to the which we joyne our selves willingly in doctrin faith religion discipline and use of the holy Sacraments as lively members of the same in Christ our head promising and swearing by the great name of the Lord our God that we shall continue in the obedience of the doctrine and discipline of this Church and shall defend the same according to our vocation and power all the daies of our lives under the pains contained in the law and danger both of body and soule in the day of Gods fearefull judgement And seeing that many are stirred up by Satan and that Romane Antichrist to promise sweare subscribe and for a time use the holy Sacraments in the Church deceitfully against their own conscience minding hereby first under the externall cloake of Religion to corrupt and subvert secretly Gods true Religion within the Church and afterward when time may serve to become open enemies and persecuters of the same under vain hope of the Popes dispensation devised against the word of God to his greater confusion and their double condemnation in the day of the Lord Iesus We therefore willing to take away all suspition of hypocrisie and of such double dealing with God and his Church protest and call the searcher of all hearts for witnesse that our mindes and hearts do fully agree with this our confession promise oath and subscription So that we are not moved for any worldly respect but are perswaded onely in our conscience through the knowledge and love of Gods true Religion printed in our hearts by the holy Spirit as we shall answer to him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed And because we perceive that the quietnesse and stabilitie of our Religion and Church doth depend upon the safetie and good behaviour of the Kings Majestie as upon a comfortable Instrument of Gods mercie granted to this Countrey for the maintaining of his Church and ministration of Iustice amongst us we protest and promise with our hearts under the same oath hand writ and pains that we shall defend his person and authoritie with our goods bodies and lives in the defence of Christs Evangell Libertie of our countrey ministration of justice and punishment of iniquitie against all enemies within this Realme or without as we desire our God to be a strong and mercifull defender to us in the day of our death and comming of our Lord Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and glory eternally Amen THE ESTATES OF SCOTLAND WITH THE INHABITANTS OF the same professing Christ Jesus and his holy Gospell To their naturall countrey-men and to all other Realmes and Nations professing the same Christ Jesus with them wish grace mercy and peace from God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ with the spirit of righteous judgement of salvation LOng have we thirsted deare brethren to have notified unto the world the summe of that doctrine which we professe and for the which we have sustained infamie and danger But such hath been the rage of Sathan against us and against Christ Iesus his eternall veritie lately borne amongst us that to this day no time hath been granted unto us to cleare our consciences as most gladly we would have done For how we have been tossed at times heretofore the most part of Europe as we suppose doth understand But seeing that of the infinite goodnesse of our God who never suffereth his afflicted utterly to be confounded above expectation we have obtained some rest and libertie we would not but set forth this briefe and plaine confession of such doctrine as is proponed unto us and as we beleeve and professe partly for satisfaction of our brethren whose hearts we doubt not have been and yet are wounded by the despitefull railing of such as yet have not learned to speake well and partly for stopping of the mouthes of the impudent blasphemers who boldly damne that which they have neither heard nor yet understood Not that we judge that the cankred malice of such is able to be cured by this our simple confession No we know the sweet savour of the Gospell is and shall be death to the sonnes of perdition but we have chief respect to our weake and infirme brethren to whom we would communicate the bottome of our hearts lest that they be troubled or carried away by diversitie of rumours which Satan spreads abroad against us to the defacing of this our most godly enterprise protesting that if any man shall note in this our confession any article or sentence repugning to Gods holy word and doe admonish us of the same in writing we by Gods grace doe promise unto him satisfaction from the mouth of God that is from his holy Scriptures or else reformation of that which he shall prove to be amisse For God we take to record in our consciences that from our hearts we abhorre all sects of heresie and all teachers of erronious doctrine and that with all humilitie we imbrace the puritie of Christs Gospell which is the onely food of our souls and therefore so precious unto us that we are determined to suffer the extremitie of worldly danger rather then that we will suffer our selves to be defrauded of the same for hereof we are most certainly perswaded that whosoever denieth Christ Iesus or is ashamed of him in the presence of men shall be denied before the Father and before his holy angels And therefore by the assistance of the Almightie the same our Lord Iesus we firmly purpose to abide to the end in the confession of this our faith as by articles followeth Of God VVE confesse and acknowledge one onely God to whom Deut. 6. Isa 44. Deut. 4. onely we must cleave whom onely we must serve whom onely we must worship and in whom onely we must put our trust who is eternall infinite unmeasurable incomprehensible omnipotent invisible one in substance and yet distinct in three Matth. 28. Gen. 1. persons the Father the Son and the holy Ghost By whom we confesse and beleeve all things in heaven and earth as well visible as invisible to have been created to be retained in their being and to be ruled and guided by his inscrutable providence to such end as his eternall wisdome goodnesse and justice hath appointed Prov. 16. them to the manifestation of his glory Of the creation of Man VVE confesse and knowledge this
moment is prone and ready to offend the Majesty of God But the Spirit of God which giveth witnessing to our spirit Rom 3. that we are the sonnes of God maketh us to resist filthy pleasures and to grone in Gods presence for deliverance from this bondage of corruption And finally so triumpheth over sinne that it reigneth not in our mortall bodies This battell have not the carnall men being destitute of Gods Spirit but doe follow and obey sinne with greedinesse and without repentance even as the Devill and their corrupt lusts doe pricke them But the sonnes of God as before is said doe fight against sinne doe sob and mourn when they perceive themselves tempted in iniquitie and if they fall they rise againe with unfained repentance and these things they doe not by their owne power but by the power of the Lord Iesus without whom they were able to doe nothing Iohn 15. What workes are reputed good before God VVE confesse and acknowledge that God hath given to man his holy law in which not onely are forbidden all Exod. 20. Deut. 5. such workes as displease and offend his godly Majestie but also are commanded all such as please him and as he hath promised to reward And these workes be of two sorts The one are done to the honour of God the other to the profit of our neighbours and both have the revealed will of God for their assurance To have one God to worship and honour him to call upon him in all our troubles to reverence his holy name to heare his word to beleeve the same to communicate with his holy Sacraments are the workes of the first Table To honour father mother Princes Rulers and superiour powers to love them to support them yea to obey their charges not repugning the commandement of Ephes 6. God to save the lives of innocents to represse tyranny to defend the oppressed to keep our bodies cleane and holy to live in sobernesse and temperance to deale justly with all men both in word and deed and finally to represse all appetite of our neighbours Ezâ—ch 22. Ier. 22. Esa 50. 1 Thess 4. Luke 2. hurt are the good workes of the second Table which are most pleasing and acceptable to God as those workes that are commanded by himselfe The contrarie whereof is sinne most odious which alwaies displeaseth him and provoketh him to anger As not to call upon him alone when we have need not to heare his word with reverence to contemne and despise it to have or to worship Idols to maintaine and defend idolatrie lightly to esteeme the reverent name of God to prophane abuse or contemne the Sacraments of Christ Iesus to disobey or resist Rom. 11. Ez ch 22. any that God hath placed in authoritie whilest they passe not over the bounds of their Office to murder or to consent thereto to beare hatred or to iuffer innocent blood to be shed if we may withstand it and finally the transgression of any other commandement in the first or second Table we confesse or affirme to be sinne by the which Gods hate and displeasure is kindled against the proud and unthankfull world So that good works we affirme to be those onely that are done in faith and at Gods commandement who in his law hath expressed what the things be that please him And evill works we affirme not onely those that expresly are done against Gods commandement but those also that in matters of religion and in worshipping of God have no other assurance but the invention and opinion of man which God Esa 26. Mat. 15. from the beginning hath ever rejected as by the Prophet Esay and by our Master Christ Iesus we are taught in these words In vaine doe they worship me teaching the doctrines and precepts of men The perfection of the Law and imperfection of man THe Law of God we confesse and acknowledge most just most equall most holy and most perfect commanding those things which being wrought in perfection were able to give Rom. 7. Psal 19. Deut. 5. Rom. 10. 1 Iohn 1. Rom. 10. Gal 3. Deut. 26. Ephes 1. Rom 4. light and able to bring man to eternall felicitie But our nature is so corrupt so weak and so unperfit that we are never able to fulfill the works of the Law in perfection Yea if we say we have no sinne even after we are regenerated we deceive our selves and the veritie of God is not in us And therefore it behoveth us to apprehend Christ Iesus with his justice and satisfaction who is the end and accomplishment of the law by whom we are set at this libertie that the curse and malediction of God fall not upon us albeit we fulfill not the same in all points For God the Father beholding us in the body of his Sonne Christ Iesus accepteth our imperfect obedience as it were perfect and covereth our works which are defiled with many spots with the justice of his Sonne we do not mean that we are so set at libertie that we owe no obedience to the law for that before we have plainly confessed but this we affirme that no man in earth Christ Iesus onely excepted hath given giveth or shal give in work that obedience to the law which the law requireth But when we have done all things we must fall down and unfeinedly confesse that we are Luke 10. unprofitable servants And therefore whosoever boast themselves of the merits of their own works or put their trust in the works of supererogation boast themselves of that which is naught and put their trust in damnable Idolatrie Of the Church AS we beleeve in one God Father Son and the holy Ghost so doe we most constantly beleeve that from the beginning there hath been and now is and to the end of the world shall be Matth 3. 8. one Church that is to say a companie and multitude of men chosen of God who rightly worship and imbrace him by true faith in Christ Iesus who is the onely head of the same Ephâ—s 1. Col. 1. Ephâ—â— 5. Church which also is the body and spouse of Christ Iesus which Church is Catholike that is universall because it containeth the Elect of all ages of all realmes nations and tongues be they of the Iewes or be they of the Gentiles who have communion and society Apoc. 7. with God the Father and with his Son Christ Iesus through the sanctification of his holy spirit therefore it is called the coÌ„munion not of profane persons but of Saints who as Citizens of the heavenly Ierusalem have the fruition of the most inestimable benefits to wit of one God one Lord Iesus one faith and of one Ephâ—s 2. Baptisme out of the which Church there is neither life nor eternall felicity And therefore we utterly abhor the blasphemie of those that affirme that men which live according to equitie and Ioâ— 5. 6. justice shall be saved what religion
all the will of God and that in it all things are abundantly taught whatsoever is necessary to be beleeved of man to attaine salvation Therefore seeing the whole manner of worshipping God which God requireth at the hands of the faithfull is there most exquisitely and at large set downe it is lawfull for no man although he have the authoritie of an Apostle no not for any Angel sent from heaven as Saint Paul speaketh to teach otherwise then we have long since beene taught in the holy Scriptures For seeing it is forbidden that any one should adde or detract any thing from the Word of God thereby it is evident enough that this holy doctrine is perfect and absolute in all points and parcels thereof and therefore no other writings of men although never so holy no custome no multitude no antiquitie nor prescription of times nor personall succession nor any councels and to conclude no decrees or ordinances of men are to be matched or compared with these divine Scriptures and bare truth of God for so much as Gods truth excelleth all things For all men of their owne nature are lyars and lighter then vanitie it selfe therefore we doe utterly refuse whatsoever things agree not with this most certaine rule as we have beene taught by the Apostles when they say Trie the spirits whether they be of God And If any come unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not to house c. Out of the SAXONS Confession Of Doctrine SEeing it is most undoubtedly true that God out of mankinde doth gather together unto himselfe a Church unto eternall life for and by his Sonne through preaching of that doctrine which is written in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles we plainly avouch before God and the whole Church in heaven and in earth that we doe with a true faith embrace all the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and that in that very naturall meanning which is set downe in the Creeds of the Apostles of Nice and of Athanasius And these selfe same Creedes and the naturall meanning of them we have alwaies constantly embraced without corruption and will by Gods helpe alwaies embrace and in this faith doe we call upon the true God who sending his Sonne and giving cleare testimonies hath revealed himself in his Church joyning our prayer with all Saints in heaven and in earth and our Vide obseru 1. adhaac confâ—ss tum in hac sâ—ct tum in sâ—ct secunda declarations upon the Creeds are abroad containing the whole body and ground of doctrine which shew that this our protestation is most true We doe also very resolutely condemne all brainesicke fantasies which are against the Creeds as are the monstrous opinions of heathen men of the Iewes of the Mahometists of Marcion the Manichees of Samosatenus Servetus Arrius and those that deny the person of the holy Ghost and other opinions condemned by the true judgement of the Church Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of the holy Scripture CHAP. 30. THe holy Scriptures we call those Canonicall books of the Vide obseru 1. in hanc Confess old and new Testament of whose authoritie there was never doubt made in the Church This Scripture we beleeve and confesse to be the Oracle of the holy Ghost so confirmed by heavenly testimonies that If an Angel from heaven preach any other thing let him be accursed Wherefore we detest all doctrine worship and Religion contrary to this Scripture But whereas some men thinke that all doctrine necessary to be known of us to true everlasting salvation is not contained in this Scripture and that the right of expounding this Scripture lyeth so in the power of chiefe Bishops that what they according to their owne will give out is to be embraced for the meaning of the holy Ghost it is more easily said then proved The whole Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable 2 Tim. 3. to teach to improve to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect being throughly prepared to every good worke And Iohn 15. I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my father have I made knowne to you And those things which the Apostles received of Christ those have they by their preaching published in the whole world and by their writings delivered them to posteritie It is a plain case therefore that all things which are needfull to be knowne to salvation are contained in the Prophets Chrysost ad Titum hom â— and Apostles writings He hath revealed his owne word in due season by preaching which is all committed to me this is the preaching For the Gospel containeth things both things present and things to come as honour piety and faith yea and all things he hath ioyntly comprised in this one word preaching Againe Ierome ad Tit. Cap. 1. August super Joan. Cap. 11. Tract 40. Without authority of the Scriptures babbling hath no credit For seeing the Lord Iesus did many things al are not written as the same holy Evangelist himselfe witnesseth that the Lord Christ both said and did many things which are not written But those things were selected to be written which seemed to suffice for the salvation of those that beleeve For wheras they say that the right of expounding the Scripture lyeth in the power of cheif Bishops it is evident that the gift of expounding the scripture is not of mans wisedome but of the holy Ghost To every man saith Paul is given the manifestation of the spirit to profit withall for to one is given by the spirit the word of wisedome c. But the holy Ghost is altogether at libertie and is not tied to a certain sort of men but giveth gifts to men according to his own Num. 11. good pleasure Oh that all the people had power to prophecie and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them Debora a woman Iud. 4. the wife of Lapidoth is raised up to be a Prophetesse Againe I am Amos. 7. no Prophet nor Prophets sonne but I am a heard man and a gatherer of wilde figs. And yet Amos received the holy Ghost and was made a Prophet All these things worketh one and the 2 Cor. 12. same spirit distributing to every man as he will Many examples also do witnesse that chiefe Bishops have been often and very foulely deceived wherfore the gift of expounding the Scripture is not so tied to the Popes that whosoever shall be Pope must needs rightly expound the Scripture but the true meaning of the Scripture is to be sought in the Scripture it selfe and among those that being raised by the spirit of God expound Scripture by Scripture CHAP. XXXIIII Of Councels VVE confesse that Councels ought to have their judgements in the Church concerning the holy doctrine of Religion and that the authoritie of lawfull Councels is great but the authoritie of Gods Word must
without his holy Ghost because every one in one and the same essence is of the same eternitie For none of these is either first or last because all three are one both in truth and power and also in goodnesse and mercie And all these things we know as well by the Testimonies of holy Scripture as by the effects and chiefly those which we feele in our owne selves and the testimonies of holy Scripture which teach us to beleeve this holy Trinitie are very common in the old Testament which are not so much to be reckoned up as with sound judgement to be selected such as are in these in the first of Genesis God saith Let us make man according to our Image and likenesse c. and straight after Therefore God made man according to his owne Image and likenesse male I say and female created he them Againe Behold the man is become as one of us For by that which is said Let us make man after our owne likenesse it appeareth that there are more persons in the godhead But when it is said God created c. the unitie of the godhead is signified For although it be not here expresly set downe how many persons there are yet that which was obscurely delivered in the old Testament in the new is made clearer unto us then the noone day For when our Lord Iesus Christ was baptized in Iordan the voyce of the Father was heard saying This is my beloved Sonne and the Sonne himselfe was seen in the waters and the holy Ghost appeared in the likenesse of a Dove Therefore we are also commanded in the common baptisme of all the faithfull to use this forme Baptize ye all nations in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost Lo also in Luke the Angel Gabriel speaketh to Mary the Mother of our Lord. The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall over shadow thee therefore that holy thing which shall be borne of thee shall be called the Sonne of God In like manner The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with you Againe There are three that beare witnesse in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost which three are one By all which places we are fully taught that in one onely God there are three persons And although this doctrine passe all the reach of mans wit yet we now stedfastly beleeve it out of the Word of God looking when we shall enjoy the full knowledge thereof in heaven The offices also and effects of these three persons which every of them sheweth towards us are to be marked For the Father by reason of his power is called our Creator the Sonne our Saviour and Redeemer because he hath redeemed us by his bloud the holy Ghost is called our Sanctifier because he dwelleth in our hearts And the true Church hath alwaies even from the Apostles age untill these times kept this holy doctrine of the blessed Trinitie and maintaineth it against Iewes Mahometanes and other false Christians and hereticks such as were Marcion Manes Praxeas Sabellius Samosatenus and the like all which were worthily condemned by the fathers of most sound judgement Therefore we doe here willingly admit those three Creeds namely that of the Apostles of Nice and Athanasius and whatsoever things they according to the meaning of those Creeds have set downe concerning this point of doctrine We beleeve that Iesus Christ in respect of his divine nature is Artic. 10. the onely Sonne of God begotten from everlasting not made or created for then he should be a creature but of the same essence with the Father and coeternall with him who also is the true Image of the Fathers substance and the brightnesse of his glory in all things equall unto him But he is the Sonne of God not onely since the time he tooke upon him our nature but from everlasting as these testimonies being laid together teach us Moses saith that God created the world but Saint Iohn saith That all things were made by the word which he calleth God so the Apostle to the Hebrewes avoucheth that God made all things by his Son Iesus Christ It followeth therefore that he who is called both God and the Word and the Sonne and Iesus Christ had his being even then when all things were made by him Therefore Micheah the Prophet saith His going out hath beene from the beginning from the dayes of eternitie againe He is without beginning of dayes and without end of life He is therefore that true God eternall Almightie whom we pray unto worship and serve We beleeve also and confesse that the holy Ghost proceedeth Artic. 11. from the Father and the Sonne from everlasting and that therefore he was neither made nor created nor begotten but onely proceeding from them both who is in order the third person of the Trinitie of the same essence glory and majestie with the Father and the Sonne and therefore he also is true and everlasting God as the holy Scriptures teach us Artic. 26. We also beleeve that we have no accesse to God but by that one onely Mediatour and Advocate Iesus Christ the righteous who was therefore made man uniting the humanitie to the Divine nature that there might be an entrance made for us miserable men to the Majestie of God which had otherwise been shut up against us for ever Yet the Majestie and power of this Mediatour whom the Father had set between himself and us ought in no case so much to fray us that we should therefore thinke another is to be sought at our own pleasure For there is none either among the heauenly or earthly creatures who doth more entirely love us then Christ himself who when he was in the shape of God humbled himself by taking upon him the shape of a servant and for our sakes became like unto his brethren in all points and if we were to seeke an other Mediatour who would vouchsafe us some good will whom I pray you could we finde that would love us more earnestly then he who willingly laid his life downe for us when as yet we were his enemies If moreover we were to seeke another that excelleth both in soveraign authoritie and also power who ever obtained so great power as he himself who sitteth at the right hand of God the Father and to whom all power is given in heaven and in earth To conclude who was more likely to be heard of God then that onely begotten and dearely beloved Son of God therefore nothing but distrust brought in this custome whereby we rather dishonor the Saints whom we think to honour in doing these things which they in their life time were ever so farre from doing that they rather constantly and according to their dutie abhorred them as their own writings beare witnesse Neither is our own unworthinesse here to be alleadged for excuse of
De fide Of faith that it affirmeth it to be a needlesse thing to dispute of predestination in the doctrine of iustification by faith Which in what sort it may be said we have declared in the 6. Observation in this Confession sect 9. where these words of the Confession are rehearsed Also the SAXON CONFESSION Doth in the same sense by the way make mention of Predestination and Election about the end of the third Article where it treateth of faith which part we have therefore placed in the 9. Section THE SIXTH SECTION OF THE REPAIRING OR Deliverance of Man from his Fall by Iesus Christ alone and of his Pesron Natures Office and the workes of REDEMPTION The former Confession of HELVETIA Of Jesus Christ being true God and man and the onely Saviour of the World CHAP. II. MOreover we beleeve and teach that the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ was from all eternitie predestinated and fore-ordained of the Father to be the Saviour of the world And we beleeve that he was begotten not onely then when he tooke flesh of the Virgin Mary nor yet a little before the foundations of the world were laid but before all eternitie and that of the Father after an unspeakable manner For Isaiah saith Who can tell Isa 35. Mich 5. 2 Ioh. 1. 1. Phil. 2. 6 his generation And Micheah saith Whose egresse hath beene from everlasting For John saith In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and God was the word c. Therefore the Sonne is coequall and consubstantiall with the Father as touching his divinitie true God not by name onely or by adoption or by speciall favour but in substance and nature Even as the Apostle 1 Iohn 5. 18. saith elsewhere This is the true God and life everlasting Paul also saith He hath made his Sonne the heire of all things by whom also he Heb. 12. made the world The same is the brightnesse of his glory and the ingraved forme of his person bearing up all things by his mightie word Likewise in the Gospel the Lord himselfe saith Father glorifie Iohn 17. 5. thou me with thy selfe with the glory which I had with thee before Iohn 5. 18. the world was Also elsewhere it is written in the Gospel The Iewes sought how to kill Iesus because he said that God was his Father making himself equall with God We therefore do abhor the blasphemous doctrine of Arrius and all the Arrians uttered against the Son of God And especially the blasphemies of Michael Servetus the Spaniard and of his complices which Satan by them hath as it were drawne out of hell and most boldly and impiously spread abroad throughout the world against the Son of God We teach also and beleeve that the eternall Sonne of the eternall Matth. 1. God was made the Sonne of man of the seed of Abraham and David not by the meane of any man as Hebion affirmed but that he was most purely conceived by the holy Ghost and was borne of Mary who was alwaies a Virgin even as the history of the Gospell doth declare And Paul saith He tooke in no sort the Heb. 2. 16. Angels but the seed of Abraham And Iohn the Apostle saith He that beleeveth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God The flesh of Christ therefore was neither flesh in shew onely nor yet flesh brought from heaven as Valentine and Marcion dreamed Moreover our Lord Iesus Christ had not a soule without sense and reason as Apollinaris thought nor flesh without a soule as Eunomius did teach but a soule with it reason and flesh with it senses by which senses he felt true griefes in the time of his passion even as he himselfe witnesseth when he said My soule is heavie Matth. 26. Iohn 12. even to death And My soule is troubled c. We acknowledge therefore that there be in one and the same Iesus Christ our Lord two natures the divine and the humane nature and we say that these two are so conjoyned or united that they are not swallowed up confounded or mingled together but rather united or joyned together in one person the proprieties of each nature being safe and remaining still so that we do worship one Christ our Lord and not two I say one true God and man as touching his divine nature of the same substance with the Father as touching his humane nature of the same substance with us Like unto us in all things sin onely excepted As therefore we detest the heresie of Nestorius which maketh two Christs of one dissolveth the union of the Person so doe we curse the madnesse of Eutiches and of the Monophelites or Monophysicks who overthrow the proprietie of the humane nature Therefore we doe not teach that the divine nature in Christ did suffer or that Christ according to his humane nature is yet in the world and even in every place For we doe neither thinke nor teach that the body of Christ ceased to be a true body after his glorifying or that it was deified and so deified that it put off it properties as touching body and soule and became altogether a divine nature and began to be one substance alone And therefore we doe not allow or receive the unwittie subtilties and the intricate obscure and inconstant disputations of Schucnkfeildius and such other vaine janglers about this matter Neither are we Schuenkfeildians Moreover we beleeve that our Lord Iesus Christ did truely suffer and die for us in the flesh as Peter saith We abhorre the most horrible madnesse 1 Pet. 4. 1. of the Iacobites and the Turkes which abandon the passion of our Lord. Yet we denie not but that the Lord of glory according to the saying of Paul was crucified for us For we doe reverently 1 Cor. 2. 8. and religiously receive and use the communication of proprieties drawne from the Scriptures and used of all antiquitie in expounding and reconciling places of Scripture which at the first sight seeme to disagree one from another We beleeve and teach that the same Lord Iesus Christ in that true flesh in which he was crucified and died rose againe from the dead and that he did not raise up another flesh in stead of that which was buried nor tooke a spirit in stead of flesh but retained a true body Therefore whilest that his disciples thought that they did see the spirit of their Lord Christ he shewed them his hands and feete which were marked with the prints of the nailes and wounds saying Behold my hands and my feete for I am he indeed Luke 24. 39. Handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have We beleeve that our Lord Iesus Christ in the same his flesh did ascend above all the visible heavens into the very highest heaven that is to say the seate of God and of the blessed spirits unto the
according as Saint John saith The Word was made flesh John 1. And thus of these two natures their properties not being changed nor confounded yet by a wonderfull communication thereof there is made one indivisible person one Christ Immanuel our King and Priest our Redeemer our Mediatour and perfect Reconciler full of grace and truth so that of his fulnesse we all doe take grace for grace For the Law was given by Moses but grace and truth was given and exhibited by Iesus Christ being God and man in one person This grace and truth are our men taught to acknowledge and by faith to behold in all those saving and wonderfull works or affections of Christ which according to the meaning of the holy Scripture are by a stedfast faith to be beleeved and professed such as are his coming down from heaven his conception birth torments death buriall resurrection ascension unto heaven sitting at the right hand of God and his coming again from thence to Iudge both the quicke and the dead In these principall affections as in a chest wherein treasure is kept are all those wholsome fruits of our true justification laid up are taken out from thence for the Elect and those which doe beleeve that in spirit and conscience they may be partakers thereof through faith which all hereafter at the day of our joyfull resurrection shall be fully and perfectly bestowed upon us And towards the end of that sixth Chapter these words are added In this Chapter also particularly and for necessary causes to shun and avoyd many pernicious and Antichristian deceits it is taught concerning Christ his * Looke the first obsâ—rvat upon this confession presence namely that our Lord Christ according to his bodily conversation is not amongst us any longer in this world neither will be unto the end of the world in such sort and manner as he was here conversant amongst us in his mortalitie and wherein he was betrayed and circumcised nor yet in the forme of his glorified body which he got at his resurrection and in the which he appeared to his disciples and the fortieth day after his resurrection departing from them ascended manifestly into heaven For after this manner of his presence and company he is in the high place and with his Father in heaven where all tongues professe him to be the Lord and every faithfull one of Christ must beleeve that he is there and worship him there according to the Scriptures as also that part of the Catholike Christian faith doth expressely witnesse which is this He ascended into heaven he sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almightie Also that other Article from thence shall he come that is from an higher place out of heaven with his Angels to iudge both the quicke and 1 Thes 4. the dead So doth Paul also say The Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a shoute and with the voice of an Archangel and with the trumpet of God And Saint Peter saith Whom heaven must containe Act 3. Mar. 16. untill the time that all things be restored And the Evangelist Marke But whâ—n the Lord had spoken with them he was taken up againe into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God And the Angels which were there present when he was taken Acts 1. up into heaven said This Iesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come againe as you have seene him goe into heaven Furthermore this also doe our men teach that the selfe same Christ very God and very man is also with us here in this world but after a diverse manner from that kinde of presence which we named before that is after a certaine spirituall manner not object to our eyes but such a one as is hid from us which the flesh doth not perceive and yet it is very necessary for us to our salvation that we may be partakers of him whereby he offereth and communicateth himselfe unto us that he may dwell in us and we in him and this truly he doth by the holy Ghost whom in his own place that is instead of his own presence whereby he was bodily amongst us hee promised that he would send unto his Church and that he would still abide with it by the same spirit in vertue grace and his holesome truth at all times even untill the end of the world when he said thus It is good for you that I goe Matth. 28. Iohn 16. Iohn 14. hence for except I goe hence the Comforter will not come unto you but if I goe away I will send him unto you And againe I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that is another kinde of comforter then I am that he may abide in you for ever even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth in you and shall be in you I will not leave you comfortlesse but I will come to you namely by the selfe same spirit of truth Now then even as our Lord Christ by his latter kinde of presence being not visible but spirituall is present in the Ministers of the Church in the Word and in the Sacraments even so also by the selfe same Ministers Word and Sacraments he is present with his Church and by these meanes doe the Elect receive him through inward faith in their heart and doe therefore joyn themselves together with him that he may dwell in them and they in him after such a sort as is not apparant but hidden from the world even by that saith spiritually that is to say in their souls and hearts by the spirit of truth of whom our Lord saith He abideth with you and shall be in you And I will come againe unto Iohn 14. you This judgement and declaration of our faith is not new or now first devised but very ancient Now that this was commonly taught and meant in the Church of old it is plaine and evident by the Writings of the ancient Fathers of the Church and by that Decree wherein it is thus written and they are the words of S. Augustine Our Lord is above untill the end of the world but the Iâ— Io. Tract 30. truth of the Lord is here also for the body of the Lord wherein he rose againe must of necessitie be in one place but his truth is dispersed every where Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that whatsoever is requisite to our salvation Artic. 13. is offered and communicated unto us now at length in that one Iesus Christ as he who being given to save us is also made unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption in so much as whosoever doth swarve from him doth renounce the mercie of the Father that is our onely refuge We beleeve that Iesus Christ being the wisdome and eternall Artic. 14. Son of the Father tooke upon him
our nature so that he is one person God and man Man I say that might suffer both in soule and also in body and made like unto us in all things sin onely excepted for that his flesh was indeed the seed of Abraham and David howbeit by the secret and incomprehensible power of the holy Ghost it was conceived in due time in the wombe of that blessed Virgin And therefore we detest as contrary to that truth all those heresies wherwith the Churches were troubled in times past and namely we detest those devillish imaginations of Servetus who gave to our Lord Iesus Christ an imaginarie Deitie whom he said to be the Idea and patterne of all things and the counterfeit or figurative Son of God to conclude he framed him a body compacted of three elements uncreated and therefore he did mingle and overthrow both his natures We beleeve that in one and the same person which is Iesus Artic. 15. Christ those two natures are truly and inseperably so conjoyned that they be also united either of those natures neverthelesse retaining it distinct proprietie so that even as in this divine conjunction the nature of the word reteining it proprieties remained uncreate infinite and filling all places so also the humane nature remained and shall remaine for ever finite having it naturall forme dimension and also proprietie as from the which the resurrection and glorification or taking up to the right hand of the Father hath not taken away the truth of the humane nature Therefore we doe so consider Christ in his Deitie that we do not spoile him of his humanitie We beleeve that God did declare his infinite love and goodnesse Artic. 16. towards us in this that he hath sent his Son who should die and rise againe and fulfill all righteousnesse that he might purchase eternall life for us We beleeve that by that onely sacrifice which Iesus Christ offered Artic. 17. on the crosse we are reconciled to God that we may be taken for just before him because we cannot be acceptable to him nor enjoy the fruit of our adoption but so farre forth as he doth forgive us our sins Therefore we affirme that Iesus Christ is our entire and perfect washing in whose death we obtaine full satisfaction whereby we are delivered from all those sinnes whereof we are guiltie and from the which we could not be acquitted by any other remedie Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE beleeve that Iesus Christ the onely Son of the eternall Artic. 2. Father as long before it was determined before all beginnings when the fulnesse of time was come did take of that blessed and pure Virgin both flesh and all the nature of man that he might declare to the world the secret and hid will of his Father which will had been laid up from before all ages and generations and that he might finish in his humane body the mystery of our redemption and might fasten our sins to the crosse and also that hand-writing which was made against us We beleeve that for our sakes he died and was buried descended into hell the third day by the power of his Godhead returned to life and rose againe and that the fourth day after his resurrection whiles his disciples beheld and looked upon him he ascended into heaven to fulfill all things and did place in Majestie and glory the selfe same body where with he was borne wherein he lived on earth wherein he was jested at wherein he had suffered most painfull torments and cruell kinde of death wherein he rose againe and wherein he ascended to the right hand of the Father above all rule above all power all force all Dominion and above every name that is named not onely in this world but also in the world to come And that there he now sitteth and shall sit till all things be fully perfected And although the Majestie and Godhead of Christ be every where aboundantly dispersed yet we beleeve that his body as S. Augustine saith must need be still in one place and that Christ hath given Majestie unto his body but yet hath not taken away from it the nature of a body and that we must not so affirme Christ to be God that we denie him to be man and as the Martyr Vigilius saith That Christ hath left in touching his humane nature but hath not left us touching his Divine nature and that the same Christ though he be absent from us concerning his manhead yet is ever present with us concerning his Godhead From that place also we beleeve that Christ shall come again to execute that generall judgement as well of them whom be shall finde alive in the body as of them that shall be ready dead And therefore that our onely succour and refuge is to flie to the Artic. 18. mercie of our Father by Iesus Christ and assuredly to perswade our mindes that he is the Obtainer of forgivenesse for our sinnes And that by his blood all our spots of sin be washed cleane That he hath pacified and set at one all things by the blood of his crosse That he by the same one onely sacrifice which he once offered upon the Crosse hath brought to effect and fulfilled all things and that for that cause he said when he gave up the Ghost It is finished as though he would signifie that the price and ransome was now fully paid for the sin of mankinde If there be any that thinke this sacrifice not sufficient let them Artic. 19. goe in Gods name and seeke a better We verily 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 command it not to be renewed againe and because it was full and perfit in all points and parts we doe not ordaine in place thereof any continuall succession of offerings To conclude we beleeve that this our selfe same flesh wherein Artic. 21. we live although it die and come to dust yet at the last shall returne again unto life by the means of Christs spirit which dwelleth in us and that then verily whatsoever we suffer here in the meane while for his sake Christ will wipe away all teares and heavinesse from our eyes and that we through him shall enjoy everlasting life and shall for ever be with him in glory So be it Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve that our most mightie and graciâ—us God Artic. 17. when he saw that man had thus throwne himselfe into the damnation both of spirituall and corporall death and was made altogether miserable and accursed by his wonderfull wisdom and goodnesse was induced both to seeke him when through feare he had fled from his presence and also most lovingly to comfort him giving unto him the promise of his own Son to be boâ—â— of a woman which should breake the head of the Serpent and restore him to felicitie
shall then rise out of the earth the soule and spirit of every one being joyned and coupled together againe to the same bodies wherein before they lived They moreover which shall be alive at the last day shall not die the same death that other men have done but in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye they shall be changed from corruption to an incorruptible nature Then the bookes shall be opened namely the bookes of every mans conscience and the dead shall be judged according to those things which they have done in this world either good or evill Moreover then shall men render an account of every idle word which they have spoken although the world doe now make but a sport and a jest at them Finally all the hypocrisie of men and the deepest secrets of their hearts shall be made manifest unto all so that worthily the onely remembrance of this judgement shall be terrible and fearfull to the wicked and reprobate But of the godly and elect it is greatly to be wished for and is unto them exceeding comfort For then shall their redemption be fully perfited and they shall reape most sweet fruit and commoditie of all those labours and sorrowes which they have suffered in this world Then I say their innocencie shall be openly acknowledged of all and they likewise shall see that horrible punishment which the Lord will execute upon those that have most tyrannically afflicted them in this world with divers kindes of torments and crosses Furthermore the wicked being convinced by the peculiar testimony of their owne conscience shall indeed be made immortall but with this condition that they shall burne for ever in that eternall fire which is prepared for the devill On the contrarie side the elect and faithfull shall be crowned with the crowne of glory and honour whose names the Sonne of God shall confesse before his Father and the Angels and then shall all teares be wiped from their eies Then their cause which now is condemned of heresie and impietie by the Magistrates and Iudges of this world shall be acknowledged to be the cause of the Son of God And the Lord shall of his free mercy reward them with so great glory as no mans minde is able to conceive Therefore we doe with great longing expect that great day of the Lord wherein we shall most fully enjoy all those things which God hath promised unto us and through Iesus Christ our Lord be put into full possession of them for evermore Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE ALso they teach that the word that is the Sonne of God tooke unto him mans nature in the wombe of the blessed Virgin Mary so that the two natures the divine and the humane inseperably joyned together in the unitie of one person are one Christ true God and true man who was borne of the Virgin Mary did truely suffer was crucified dead and buried that he might reconcile his Father unto us and might be a sacrifice not onely for the Originall sinne but also for all actuall sinnes of men The same also descended into hell and did truely rise againe the third day Afterward he ascended into heaven that he might sit at the right hand of the Father and reigne for ever and have dominion over all the creatures sanctifie those that beleeve in him by sending the holy Spirit into their hearts and give everlasting life to such as he had sanctified The same Christ shall openly come againe to judge them that are found alive and the dead raised up againe according to the Creede of the Apostles In the end of this Article after these words by sending his holy Spirit into their hearts these words are found in some Editions BY sending his Spirit into their hearts which may reigne comfort and quicken them and defend them against the Devil and the power of sin The same Christ shall openly come againe to judge the quicke and the dead c. according to the Creed of the Apostles Also they teach that in the end of the world Christ shall appeare to judgement and shall raise up all the dead and shall give unto men to wit to the godly and elect eternall life and everlasting joyes but the ungodly and the devils shall he condemne unto endlesse torments Also we condemne the Origenists who imagined that the devill and the damned creatures should one day have an end of their pains After the first period of this Article this is thus found else-where THey condemne the Anabaptists that are of opinion that the damned men and the devils shall have an end of their torments They condemne others also which now adaies do spread abroad Iewish opinions that before the resurrection of the dead the gody shall get the soveraigntie in the world and the wicked be brought under in every place Out of the Confession of SAXONIE Hitherto pertaineth a part of the third Article THE Son of God our Lord Iesus Christ who is the Image of the eternall Father is appointed our Mediator Reconciler Redeemer Iustifier and Saviour By the obedience and merit of him alone the wrath of God is pacified as it is said Rom 3. Whom he set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood And Heb. 10. It is impossible that the blood of Buls should take away sins But he offering a sacrifice for sins sitteth for ever at the right hand of God c. And although we doe not see as yet * Looke the first observat upon this confession in this our infirmitie the causes of this wonderfull counsell why mankinde was to be redeemed after this sort but we shall learn them hereafter in all eternitie yet these principles are now to be learned In this sacrifice there are to be seene justice in the wrath of God against sin infinite mercie towards us and love in his Son towards mankinde The severitie of his justice was so great that there be no reconciliation before the punishment was accomplished His mercie was so great that his Son was given for us There was so great love in the Son towards us that he derived unto himselfe this true and exceeding great anger O Son of God kindle in our hearts by thy holy spirit a consideration of these great and secret things that by the knowledge of this true wrath we may be sore afraid and that again by true comfort we may be lifted up that we may praise thee for ever Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE VVE beleeve and confesse that the Son of God our Lord Iesus Christ begotten of his eternall Father is true and eternall God consubstantiall with his Father and that in the fulnesse of time he was made man to purge our sins and * Looke the 1. Observat upon this confession to procure the eternall salvation of mankinde that Christ Iesus being very God and very man is one person onely and not two and that in this one person there be two natures not one
which is the saving power of God no man shall Rom 1. wittingly attaine unto faith and salvation according to that saying of Paul Therefore faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word Rom. 10. of God And againe How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Therefore herein our Preachers endevour themselves most earnestly that in our Ecclesiasticall meetings they may propound unto the people the sincere word of God without all mixture or inventions of men For which cause also they doe by an ancient custome recite in the mother and vulgar tongue which may be understood of all not onely those Chapters which are appointed to be read out of the Gospel at certaine times but also all other parts of holy Scripture and do exhort the people with an earnest desire to heare the word of God and to frequent those Ecclesiasticall meetings that by the diligent teaching of the Gospel and by often repeating it in their Sermons they may first teach the people repentance and faith and then the use and administration of the Sacraments and by this meanes prepare them to the right receiving of the Sacraments and afterwards also both whilest the Sacraments be administred and after they be administred they doe conveniently instruct them in all those things which the Lord commanded and chiefly in those things which do appertaine to the leading of an honest life and such a one as beseemeth a Christian profession as Christ saith Teach them to keep Matth 28. all things which I have commanded you In this place also is taught very diligently and as the matter requireth touching the difference which is to be observed betwixt the word or doctrine and worke of the law and betwixt the word and force of the holy Gospel The word or ministerie of the law and of the old Testament is the word of death feare and of the letter also the word of wrath and the word of malediction but the word of the New Testament that is of the holy Gospel is the ministerie of saith and the spirit of clearenesse or glory through our Lord Iesus Christ the word of grace of the new covenant the word 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 words which I speake are spirit and life Also there is mention made of the use of the morall law in the fourth Chapter of this Confession beginning with these words This doctrine of the true knowledge of sinne c as is to be seene before 2 Cor. 3. Iohn 6. in the fourth Section whereunto all that Chapter appertaineth Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that all the figures of the law are taken away by the coming of Christ howbeit we are assured that the truth and substance of them doth abide in him in whom they are all fulfilled Yet we must use 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 Gospel Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve that all the ceremonies figures and shadowes of the law have ceased at the coming of Christ so that now even the use of them ought to be taken away and abolished among Christians Yet in the meane time the truth and substance of them doth remaine to us in Christ in whom they are all fulfilled And therefore we doe still use the testimonies of the Law and the Prophets to confirme our selves in the doctrine of the Gospel and to leade an honest life unto Gods glory according to his will THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGE doth by the way mention the doctrine of the Gospel and of the end thereof in the fourth and fifth Articles which we have placed in the ninth Section wherein iustification and remission of sinnes by faith in Christ is handled Out of the Confession of SAXONY ANd that the benefits of this Mediatour might be knowne unto mankinde and applied unto us there was a promise given straight in the beginning after the fall of our first parents and afterwards often times repeated and by voyce of the Prophets declared but most cleerely was it recited by the very Son and after wards by the Apostles And there was a ministery instituted to teach and to spread abroad that promise also there was a Church made and often renued by the same very voyce touching the Sonne of God our attonement By this Ministery the Sonne of God alwaies was is and shall be effectuall in the beleevers as it is said Rom. 1. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that beleeveth And he doth renue this ministerie when he saith As my Father sent me so doe I send you also Goe and preach repentance and remission of sinnes in my name He will that sinne should be reproved in all mankinde as he saith The spirit shall reprove the world of sinne because they beleeve not in me And Rom. 1. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men God will have his wrath to be acknowledged against all sinne and chiefly 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 way c. He will have us truely to be put in great feare by the knowledge of our darkenesse of our horrible wickednesse and our stubbornnesse And truely God himselfe doth amaze our hearts with the sense of his anger as Ezekiah saith Like a Lion he brake all my bones And to this judgement he doth not onely use the voyce of the ministery of the Law and of the Gospel but also all calamities be as it were the voyce of the law admonishing us of the wrath of God and calling us to repentance Now when the minde is terrified by this voyce that reproveth sinnes then let it heare the peculiar promise of the Gospel touching the Sonne of God and let him be assured that his sinnes are freely remitted for the Sonne of God his sake our Lord Iesus Christ who is our attonement and that of mercy not for any contrition or love of ours Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of the Law CHAP. 6. VVE acknowledge that the Law of God whereof the Tenne Commandements are an abridgement doth command the best the most just and most perfect workes and that man is not onely bound to obey the morall precepts of the Law but also if he should doe the workes of the Tenne Commandements in such perfection and integritie as the Law requireth that he should indeed be counted just before God for his workes and should obtaine eternall salvation by his merits But whereas some men doe thinke that man can come to that state in this life as to be able by his workes not onely to fulfill the tenne Commandements but also to do more and greater works then are
another place He that beleeveth Acts 13. in him is made righteous And this righteousnesse or justification is the remission of sinnes the taking away of eternall punishment which the severe justice of God doth require and to be clothed with Christs righteousnesse or with imputation thereof also it is a reconciliation with God a receiving into favour whereby we are made acceptable in the beloved and fellow heires of eternall life For the confirming of which things and by reason of our new birth or regeneration there is an earnest added to wit the holy Ghost who is given and bestowed freely out of Ephes 1. that infinite grace for Christ his death bloud shedding and his resurrection All these things hath Paul described very excellently in his Epistle to the Romanes where he bringeth in Rom. 4. Psal 32. David speaking in this wise Blessed are they whose iniquitie is forgiven whereof he speaketh in that whole Chapter And to the Gal. 4. Rom. 8. Galathians he saith God sent forth his Son that we might receive the adoption Now because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son crying in your hearts Abba Father For whomsoever God doth justifie to them he doth give the holy Ghost and by him he doth first regenerate them as he promiseth by the Prophet saying I will give them a new heart and I will put my spirit Ezech 11. and 36. Rom 5. in the middest of them that as before sinne had reigned in them to death so also then grace might reigne by righteousnesse unto eternall life through Iesus Christ And this is the communion or participation of the grace of God the Father of the merit of Iesus Christ our Lord and of the sanctification of the holy Ghost this is the law of faith the law of the spirit and life written by the holy Ghost But the lively and never dying spring of this justification is our Lord Iesus Christ alone by those his saving works that is which give salvation from whom all holy men from the beginning of the world as well before the law was published and under the law and the discipline thereof as also after the law have and doe draw have and doe receive salvation or remission of their sins by faith in the most comfortable promise of the Gospel and doe apply and approper it as peculiar to themselves onely for the sole death of Christ and his blood-shedding to the full and perfect abolishing of their sinnes and the cleansing from them all whereof we have many testimonies in the Scripture Holy Peter before the whole countrey at Hierusalem doth proove by sound arguments that Salvation is not to be found in any other then in Act. 4. Christ Iesus alone and that under this large cope of heaven there is no other name given unto men whereby we may be saved And in another place he appealeth to the consenting voyces and testimonies of all the Prophets who spake with one minde and by one spirit as it were by one mouth and thus he said As touching this Iesus Act. 10. all the Prophets beare witnesse that through his name all that beleeve in him shall receive remission of sins And to the Hebrews it is written He hath by himselfe purged our sins and againe We Heb. 1. Eph. 1. 1 Jâ—h 2. have redemption through his blood even the remission of sins And St. John saith We have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation or attonement for our sinnes and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world And againe to the Hebrews We are sanctified by the offering of the body Heb. 10. of Iesus Christ once made and a little after he addeth with one only offering hath he consecrated for ever them that are sanctified namely of God by the spirit of God Therefore all sinners and such as are penitent ought to flie incontinently through their whole life to our Lord Iesus Christ alone for remission of their sins and every saving grace according to that in the Epistle to the Heb. 4. Hebrews Seeing that we have a great high Priest even Iesus the Son of God which is entered into heaven let us hold fast this profession which is concerning Christ our Lord and straight-way he addeth Let us therefore goe boldly unto the throne of grace that we may receive mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of need Also Christ himselfe crying out saith He that thirsteth let him come to Joh. 7. me and drinke And in another place He that cometh unto me shall not hunger and he that beleeveth in me shall never thirst Now they Joh. 6. that attaine to this justification by Christ our Lord are taught to take unto themselves true and assured comfort out of this grace and bountie of God to enjoy a good and quiet conscience before God to be certaine of their owne salvation and to have it confirmed to them by this means that seeing they are here the sons of God they shall also after death in the resurrection be made heires In the meane time they ought both to desire to be brought Rom. 8. Gal. 4. to this that they may receive the fruit of perfect salvation and also cheerefully to looke for it with that confidence according to the promise of the Lord that such shall not come into judgement Joh. 5. but that by making away they have already passed from death into life Of all other points of doctrine we account this the chiefest and weightiest as that wherein the summe of the Gospell doth consist Christianitie is founded and the precious and most noble treasure of eternall salvation and the onely and lively comfort proceeding from God is comprehended Therefore herein our Preachers doe labour especially that they may well instruct the hearts of men in this point of doctrine and so sow it that it may take deepe root Of goods works and a Christian life CHAP. 7. IN the seventh place we teach that they who are made righteous and acceptable to God by faith alone in Christ Iesus and that by the grace of God without any merits ought in the whole course of their life that followeth both altogether joyntly and every one particularly according as the order condition age place of every one doth require to performe and exercise those good works and holy actions which are commanded of God even as God commandeth when he saith Teach them to observe all things which I have commanded you Now these good works or holy actions are not certaine affections devised of flesh and blood for such the Lord forbiddeth but they are expressely shewed and propounded unto us by the spirit of God to doe the which God doth binde us the rule and chiefe square whereof God himselfe is in his word for so he saith by the Prophet Walke not in the Ezech. 20. commandements of your Fathers and keepe
can he doe that is precious and acceptable to God how shall he give himselfe to prayer Secondly for this cause that we may profit and increase more and more in this grace and that we may gaine unto the Lord by occupying those talents which are committed to our trust whereof Saint Paul saith Now we 2 Cor. 3. all beholding as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord with open face are changed into the same Image from glory to glory that is we behold Christ who is the Image and glory of the Father and herein we indeavour that we may be conformed to the likenesse of this Image by the holy Ghost which doth kindle us thereunto till this Image doth get her perfection by the blessed resurrection Thirdly we must doe and exercise our selves in good works as well for the promises of this life as also for the reward of eternall life whereof mention is made very often and at large in the holy Scripture and that by faith in Christ we may have a more easie entrance to the attaining of those rewards and to the eternall kingdome of heaven as Saint Peter testifyeth saying If 2 Pet. â— ye doe these things ye shall never fall For by this meanes an entring shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ But chiefely we must doe the works of mercie whereby we may benefit our neighbour whereby we provide and doe for him and whereof he standeth in need such as these be to give almes to visite the sicke to have a care of them or to be at hand to doe them service to teach the simple by counsell and labour to helpe others to pardon offences and such like which all have the promises of the bountifulnesse of God and of rewards to doe the which Christ our Lord doth exhort in these words Be ye mercifull as your Father is mercifull Give and it shall be given to you forgive and ye shall Luk. 6. be forgiven And in another place Sell your goods and give almes Luk 12. get you bags which waxe not old a treasure that cannot faile in heaven where â—o theefe commeth and where the moth corrupteth nothing Also When thou makest a feast call the poore the maimed the lame the blind â—nd thou shall be blessed because they cannot recompence Luk. 14. thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the iust Also I was an hungred I thirsted I was a stranger naked sicke and in prison and in all things ye helped me by your service Verily I say unto you In as much as you did these things to one of the least of my brethren ye did them to me Come hither ye blessed of my Father inherit the king dome prepared for you before the beginning of the world By these it is plaine and manifest that those works which proceed of faith doe please God and are rewarded with aboundant grace to wit with the recompence of all kinde of good things and blessings both in this life and in the life to come Lastly this doctrine is shut up with this or such like exhortation that no man can perfectly doe these works of Christian godlinesse or fully performe the commandements of God and that no man can be found who doth not faile in any part hereof and who is cleane without sinne as it is written There is not a man Eccles 7. so iust on the earth who doth uprightly and not sinne and that therefore every one ought to seeke and to enjoy his perfection in Christ Iesus in his grace precious sacrifice and merit by that faith and his justification which consisteth in the remission of sins if he will not have any thing in himself that may deserve damnation For Christ alone is our perfection and fulfilling of the law our life and righteousnesse and whosoever receive him by faith and doe wholly trust in him these men have all their sins washed away in the blood of Christ so that afterward they need not to feare condemnation For thus Paul writeth Therefore now there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus which doe not Rom. 8. walke according to the flesh but according to the spirit For to these men Christ is made of Godwisdome righteousnesse sanctification 1 Cor. 1. and redemption Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that our whole righteousnesse doth consist in Artic. 13. the remission of our sins which is also as David doth testifie our onely felicitie Therefore we doe utterly reject all other means whereby men doe thinke that they may be justified before God and casting away all opinion of vertues and merits we doe altogether rest in the onely obedience of Iesus Christ which is imputed to us both that all our sins may be covered and also that we may obtaine grace before God To conclude we beleeve that we cannot finde where to rest our selves if we decline never so little from this foundation but rather we shall be alwaies unquiet because we are not at peace with God till we be certainly perswaded that we are loved in Iesus Christ because that in our selves we are worthy of all hatred We beleeve that by faith alone we are made partakers of this Artic. 10. righteousnesse as it is written He suffered to purchase salvation for us That whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish And this is therefore done because the promises of life offered to us in him are then applyed to our use and made effectuall to us when we doe imbrace them nothing doubting but that we shall enjoy those things whereof the Lord by his owne mouth hath assured us Therefore that righteousnesse which we obtaine by faith doth depend upon free promises whereby the Lord doth declare and testifie that we are beloved of him We beleeve that by the secret grace of the holy Ghost we Artic. 21. are indued with the light of faith which is the free gift of God and is proper to them alone to whom it pleased God to give it so that the faithfull have not whereof to boast in themselves seeing that rather they are more then double debters because they are preferred before others And further we beleeve that faith is given to the Elect not that they might once onely be brought into the right way but rather that they may goe forward therein unto the end because that as the beginning is of God so is also the accomplishment We beleeve that we who by nature are the servants of sin Artic. 22. are regenerated unto a new life by meanes of this same faith and by this faith we receive grace to live holily whiles we doe imbrace that Evangelicall promise that the Lord will give unto us the holy Ghost Therefore it is so farre that faith should extinguish the desire to live well and holily that it doth rather increase and kindle it in us whereupon good workes doe necessarily
doctrine of faith while they leave the conscience in doubt and would have men to merit remission of sinnes by their workes and teach not that we doe by faith alone undoubtedly receive remission of sinnes for Christs sake When as therefore the doctrine of faith which should be especially above others taught in the Church hath been so long unknowne as all men must needs grant that there was not a word of the righteousnesse of faith in all their Sermons and that the doctrine of workes onely was usuall in the Churches for this cause our Divines did thus admonish the Churches First that our workes cannot reconcile God unto us or deserve remission of sinnes grace and justification at his hands But this we must obtaine by faith whiles we beleeve that we are received into favour for Christs sake who alone is appointed the Mediatour and Intercessour by whom the Father is reconciled to us He therefore that trusteth by his workes to merit grace doth despise the merit and grace of Christ and seeketh by his owne power without Christ to come unto the Father whereas Christ hath said expresly of himselfe I am the way the truth and the life This Doctrine of Faith is handled by Paul almost in every Epistle Ephes 2. Ye are saved freely by faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of workes c. And lest any here should cavill that we bring in a new found interpretation this whole cause is underpropped with testimonies of the Fathers Augustine doth in many volumes defend grace and the righteousnesse of faith against the merit of workes The like doth Ambrose teach in his book De vocat Gent. and else where for thus he saith in the forenamed place The redemption made by the blood of Christ would be of small account and the prerogative of mans workes would not give place to the mercy of God if the iustification which is by grace were due to merits going before so as it should not be the liberalitie of the giver but the wages or hire of the labourer This doctrine though it be contemned of the unskilfull sort yet the godly and fearefull conscience doth finde by experience that it bringeth very great comfort because that the consciences cannot be quieted by any workes but by faith alone when as they beleeve assuredly that God is appeased towards them for Christs sake as Paul teacheth Rom. 5. Being iustified by faith we have peace with God This doctrine doth wholly belong to the conflict of a troubled conscience and cannot be well understood but where the conscience hath felt a conflict Wherefore all such as have had no experience thereof and all that are prophane men which dreame that Christian righteousnesse is naught else but a civill and phylosophicall justice are evill judges of this matter In former ages mens consciences were vexed with the doctrine of works they never heard any comfort out of the Gospel Whereupon conscience drave some into Monasteries hoping there to merit favour by a monasticall life Others found out other workes whereby to merit favour and to satisfie for sinne There was very great need therefore to teach this doctrine of faith in Christ and after so long time to renue it to the end that fearefull consciences might not want comfort but might know that grace and forgivenesse of sinnes and justification were apprehended and received by faith in Christ Another thing which we teach men is that in this place the name of Faith doth not onely signifie a bare knowledge of the history which may be in the wicked and as in the Devill but it signifieth a faith which beleeveth not onely the history but also the effect of the historie to wit the article of remission of sinnes namely that by Christ we have grace righteousnesse and remission of sinnes Now he that knoweth that the father is mercifull to him through Christ this man knoweth God truely he knoweth that God hath a care of him he loveth God and calleth upon him In a word he is not without God in the world as the Gentiles are As for the Devils and the wicked they can never beleeve this article of the remission of sinnes And therefore they hate God as their enemie they call not upon him they looke for no good thing at his hands After this manner doth Augustine admonish his Reader touching the name of faith and teacheth that this word faith is taken in Scriptures not for such a knowledge as is in the wicked but for a trust and confidence which doth comfort and cheere up disquieted mindes Moreover our Divines doe teach that it is requisite to doe good workes not for to hope to deserve grace by them but because it is the will of God that we should doe them And because that the holy spirit is received by faith our hearts are presently renued and doe put on new affections so as they are able to bring forth good workes For so saith Ambrose Faith is the breeder of a good will and of good actions For mans powers without the holy spirit are full of wicked affections and are weaker then that they can doe any good deed before God Besides they are in the devils power who driveth men forward into divers sinnes into profane opinions and into very hainous crimes As was to be seene in the Philosophers who assaying to live an honest life could not attaine unto it but defiled themselves with open and grosse faults Such is the weakenesse of man when he is without faith and the holy Spirit and hath no other guide but the naturall powers of man Hereby every man may see that this doctrine is not to be accused as forbidding good works but rather is much tobe cōmended because it sheweth after what sort we must doe good workes For without faith the nature of man can by no meanes performe the workes of the first and second table Without faith it cannot call upon God hope in God beare the crosse but seeketh helpe from man and trusteth in mans helpe So it commeth to passe that all lusts and desires and all humane devises and counsels doe beare sway so long as faith and trust in God is absent Wherefore Christ saith Without me ye can doe nothing Iohn 15. and the Church singeth Without thy power there is naught in man and there is nothing but that which is hurtfull Out of the Confession of SAXONY Of the remission of sinnes and of Iustification VVE said before that these controversies doe pertaine to the interpreting of two Articles of the Creed I beleeve the remission of sinnes and I beleeve the holy Catholike Church Neither doe we speake of not necessary or light things It is most necessary that in the Church the doctrine touching sinne should be propounded and that men should know what sinne is and that there should be an evident difference betweene politicall judgements and the judgement of God But seeing our adversaries doe not teach aright what
the earth and fighteth against the flesh the world and the prince of the world the devill and against sinne and death The other being already set at libertie is now in heaven and triumpheth over all those being overcome and continually rejoyceth before the Lord. Yet these two Churches have notwithstanding a communion and fellowship betweene themselves The Church militant upon the earth hath evermore had in it many particular Churches which must all notwithstanding be referred to the unitie of the Catholike Church This militant Church was otherwise ordered and governed before the law among the Patriarkes otherwise under Moses by the Law and otherwise of Christ by the Gospel There are but two sorts of people for the most part mentioned to wit the Israelites and the Gentiles or they which of the Iewes and Gentiles were gathered to make a Church There be also two Testaments the Old and the New Yet both these sorts of people have had and still have one fellowship one salvation in one and the same Messiah in whom as members of one body they are all joyned together under one head and by one faith are all partakers of one and the same spirituall meate and drinke Yet here we doe acknowledge a diversitie of times and a diversitie in the pledges and signes of Christ promised and exhibited and that now the ceremonies being abolished the light shineth unto us more cleerely our gifts and graces are more aboundant and our libertie is more full and ample This holy Church of God is called the house of the living God builded of living and spirituall stones founded upon a rocke that cannot be removed upon a foundation besides which none can be laid Whereupon it is called the pillar and foundation of the truth that 2 Tim. 3. doth not erre so long as it relyeth upon the rock Christ and upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles And no marvell * Looke the first observat upon this confession if it doe erre so often as it forsaketh him who is the alone truth This Church is also called a virgin and the spouse of Christ and his onely beloved For the Apostle saith I have ioyned you unto one husband that I might present you a chaste virgin unto Christ The Church is called a flocke of sheepe under one shepheard even Christ Ezek. 34. and Iohn 10. also the body of Christ because the faithfull are the lively members of Christ having him for their head It is the head which hath the preheminence in the body and from whence the whole body receiveth life by whose spirit it is governed in all things of whom also it receiveth increase that it may grow up Also there is but one head of the body which hath agreement with the body and therefore the Church cannot have any other head beside Christ For as the Church is a spirituall body so must it needs have a spiritua I head like unto it selfe Neither can it be governed by any other spirit then by the spirit of Christ Wherefore Paul saith And he is the head of his body the Coloss 1. Church who is the beginning the first borne of the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence And in another place Christ saith he is the head of the Church and the same is the Saviour of Ephes 5. his body And againe Who is the head of the Church which is his Ephes 1. body even the fulnesse of him which filleth all in all things Againe Let us in all things grow up into him which is the head that is Ephes 4. Christ by whom all the body being knit together receiveth increase And therefore we doe not allow of the doctrine of the Romish Prelates who would make the Pope the generall Pastour and Supreame head of the Church of Christ miâ—itant here on earth and the very Vicar of Christ who hath as they say all fulnesse of power and soveraigne authoritie in the Church For we hold and teach that Christ our Lord is and remaineth still the onely universall Pastour and highest Bishop before God his Father and that in the Church he performeth all the duties of a Pastour or Bishop even to the worlds end and therefore standeth not in need of any other to supply his roome for he is said to have a substitute which is absent But Christ is present with his Church and is the head that giveth life thereunto He did straightly forbid his Apostles and their successours all superioritie or dominion in the Church They therefore that by gaine-saying set themselves against so manifest a truth and bring another kinde of government into the Church who seeth not that they are to be counted in the number of them of whom the Apostles of Christ prophesied as Peter 2 Epist 2. and Paul Act. 20. 2 Cor. 11. 2 Thess 2. and in many other places Now by taking away the Romish head we doe not bring any confusion or disorder into the Church for we teach that the government of the Church which the Apostles set downe is sufficient to keep the Church in due order which from the beginning while as yet it wanted such a Romish head as is now pretended to keepe it in order was not disordered or full of confusion That Romish head doth maintaine indeed that tyranny and corruption in the Church which was brought into the Church But in the meane time he hindreth resisteth and with all the might hee can make cutteth off the right and lawfull reformation of the Church They object against us that there have beene great strifes and dissentions in our Churches since they did sever themselves from the Church of Rome and that therefore they cannot be true Churches As though there were never in the Church of Rome any sects any contentions and quarrels and that in matters of religion maintained not so much in the Schooles as in the holy chaires even in the audience of the people We know that the Apostle said God is not the authour of dissention but of peace 1 Cor. 11. And Seeing there is amongst you emulation and contention are you not carnall Yet may we not deny but that God was in that Church planted by the Apostle and that that Apostolike Church was a true church howsoever there were strifes and dissentions in it The Apostle Paul reprehended Peter an Apostle and Barnabas Gal. 2. Acts 15. fell at variance with Paul great contention arose in the Church of Antioch betweene them that preached one and the same Christ as Luke recordeth in the Acts of the Apostles And there have at all times beene great contentions in the Church and and the most excellent Doctors of the Church have about no small matters differed in opinions yet so as in the meane time the Church ceased not to be the church for all these contentions For thus it pleaseth God to use the dissentions that arise in the church to the glory of his name the
the Ecclesiasticall ministerie For it behoveth us alwaies to have in minde the words of the Apostle How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and Rom. 10. how shall they heare without a Preacher Therefore faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God And that also which the Lord saith in the Gospel Verely verely I say unto you he that receiveth Iohn 3. those that I shall send receiveth me and he that receiveth mee receiveth him that sent me Likewise that a man of Macedonia appeared in a vision to Paul being then in Asia and said unto him Act. 16. Come unto Macedonia and helpe us And in another place the same Apostle saith We together are Gods labourers and ye are his 1 Cor. 3. husbandrie and his building Yet on the other side we must take heed that we doe not attribute too much to the ministers and ministerie herein remembring also the words of our Lord in the Gospel No man cometh to me except the Father which hath sent me Iohn 6. draw him And the words of the Apostle Who then is Paul and who 1 Cor. 3. is Apollo but the ministers by whom ye beleeved and as the Lord gave unto every one Therefore neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giveth the increase Therefore let us beleeve that God doth teach us by his word outwardly by his ministers and doth inwardly move and perswade the hearts of his Elect unto beliefe by his holy spirit and that therefore we ought to render all the glory of this whole benefit unto God But we have spoken of this matter in the 1 Chapter of this our declaration God hath used for his ministers even from the beginning of the world the best and most excellent men in the world for howsoever divers of them were but simple for worldly wisdome or Philosophy yet sure in true divinitie they were most excellent namely the Patriarks to whom he spake very often by his Angels For the Patriarks were the Prophets or teachers of their age whom God for this purpose would have to live many yeers that they might be as it were Fathers and lights of the world After them followed Moses together with the Prophets that were most famous throughout the whole world Besides after all these our heavenly Father hath sent his onely begotten Sonne the most absolute and perfect teacher of the world in whom is hidden the wisedome of God and from him derived unto us by that most holy perfect and most pure doctrine of all other For he chose unto himselfe Disciples whom he made Apostles And they going out into the whole world gathered together Churches in all places by the preaching of the Gospel And after they ordained pastors and Doctors in all Churches by the commandement of Christ who by such as succeeded them hath taught and governed the Church unto this day Therefore God gave unto his ancient people the Patriarkes together with Moses and the Prophets so also to his people under the new covenant he hath sent his onely begotten Sonne and with him the Apostles and teachers of his Church Furthermore the Ministers of the new covenant are tearmed by divers names for they are called Apostles Prophets Evangelists Bishops Elders Pastors and Doctors The Apostles remained 1 Cor. 12. Ephes 4. in no certaine place but gathered together divers Churches throughout the whole world which Churches when they were once established there ceased to be any more Apostles and in their places were particular parsons appointed in every Church The Prophets in old time did foresee and foretell things to come and besides did interpret the Scriptures * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession and such are found some amongst us at this day They were called Evangelists which were the penners of the history of the Gospel and were also * Looke the 2. Observation preachers of the Gospel of Christ as the Apostle Paul giveth in charge unto Timothy To fulfill the work of an Evangelist * Looke the 3. Observat Bishops were the overseers and the watchmen of the Church which did distribute food and other necessities of the Church The Elders were the ancients and as it were the Senators and Fathers of the Church governing it with the wholesome counsell The Pastors did both keepe the Lords flock and also * Looke the 4. Observat provide things necessary for it The Doctors doe instruct and teach the true faith and godlinesse Therefore the Church Ministers that now are may be called Bishops Elders Pastors and Doctors But in processe of times there were many moe names of Ministers brought into the Church For some were created Patriarks others Archbishops others Suffragans other Metropolitanes Archpriests Deacons Subdeacons Acoluthes Exorcists Queristers Porters and I know not what a a rable besides Cardinals Provosts and Priors Abbots greater and lesser governours higher and lower But touching all these we passe not a rush what they have beene in time past or what they are now It is not sufficient for us that forasmuch as concerneth Ministers we have the doctrine of the Apostles We therfore knowing certainly that Monks and the orders or sorts of them are neither instituted of Christ nor of his Apostles we teach that they are so farre from being profitable that they are pernicious and hurtfull unto the Church of God For although in former times they were somewhat tolerable when they lived solitarily getting their livings with their owne hands were burdensome to none but did in all places obey their Pastours even as laie men yet what kinde of men they be now all the world seeth and perceiveth They pretend I know not what vowes but they leade a life altogether disagreeing from their vowes so that the very best of them may justly be numbred among those of whom the Apostle speaketh We heare say that 2 Thess 3. there be some among you which walke inordinately and worke not at all but are busie bodies c. Therefore we have no such in our Churches and and besides we teach that they should not be suffered to rout in the Churches of Christ Furthermore no man ought to usurpe the honour of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie that is to say greedily to plucke it to him by bribes or any evill shifts or of his owne accord But let the ministers of the Church be called and chosen by a lawfull and Ecclesiasticall election and vocation that is to say let them be chosen religiously of the Church or of those which are appointed thereunto by the Church and that in due order without any tumult seditions or contention But we must have an eye to this that not every one that will be elected but such men as are fit and have sufficient learning especially in the Scriptures and godly eloquence and wise simplicitie to conclude such men as be of good report for a moderation and
joy of conscience and thanksgiving doe after this sort increase the receiving is profitable Neither are any * Look the 2. Observation admitted to the Communion except they be first heard and absolved of the Pastour or his fellow Ministers In this triall the ruder sort are asked and oftentimes instructed touching the whole doctrine and then is absolution published Also men are taught that Sacraments are actions instituted of God and that without the use whereunto they are ordained the things themselves are not to be accounted for a Sacrament but in the use appointed Christ is present in this communion * Looke the 3 4. Observ truly and substantially and the body and blood of Christ is in deed given to the receivers in that Christ doth witnesse that he is in them and doth make them his members and that he doth wash them in his blood as Hilarie also saith These things being eaten and drunke doe cause both that we may be in Christ and that Christ may be in us Moreover in the ceremonie it selfe we observe the usuall order of the whole ancient Church both Latine and Greeke We use no private Masses that is such wherein the body and blood of Christ was not distributed as also the ancient Church for many yeers after the Apostles times had no such Masses as the the old descriptions which are to be found in Dionysius Epiphanius Ambrose Augustine and others doe shew And Paul 1 Cor. 11. Doth command that the Communion should be celebrated when many do meet together Therefore in the publike congregation and such as is of good behaviour prayers and the creed are rehearsed or sung and * Looke the 5. Observat lessons appointed usually for holy dayes are read After that there is a Sermon of the benefits of the Son of God and of some part of doctrine as the order of time doth minister an argument Then the Pastour doth rehearse a thanksgiving and a prayer for the whole Church for them that are in authoritie and as the present necessitie requireth and he prayeth to God that for his Sons sake whom he would have to be made a sacrifice for us he would forgive us our sins and save us and gather and preserve a Church Then he rehearseth the words of Christ concerning the institution of the Supper and he himselfe taketh and distributeth to the receivers the whole Sacrament who come reverently thereunto being before examined and absolved and there they joyne theirs with the publike prayers In the end they doe againe give thanks All men which are not altogether ignorant of antiquitie doe know that this rite and this Communion doth for the most part agree with the writings of the Apostles and with the custome of the ancient Church even almost to Gregories time which thing being so the custome of our Churches is to be approved not to be disallowed but our Adversaries misliking our custome doe defend many errours some more foule and grosse others coloured with new deceits Many heretofore have written that in the masse there is an oblation made for the quicke and the dead and that it doth deserve remission of sins both for him that maketh it and for others even for the works sake And thus were most of them perswaded and as yet are like unto the Pharisees and the heathen For after the same manner the Pharisees the Heathen did dreame that they for the works sake did deserve for themselves and for others remission of sinnes peace and many other good things Or although those which were not so blind did speake more modestly and said that they did deserve but not without the good intention of the sacrificer yet they imagined that those sacrifices were merits and a ransome By reason of this opinion there were a multitude of sacrifices and the craftie meanes of gaine were increased Such is the merchandise of Masses and the prophanation of the Lords Supper almost throughout the whole world But God will have corrupt kindes of worship to be reproved and abolished Therefore we doe simply and in deed propound the voice of God which doth condemne those errours and with all our heart we affirme before God and the whole Church in heaven and in earth that there was one onely sacrifice propitiatorie or whereby the wrath of the eternall Father against mankinde is pacified to wit the whole obedience of the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ who was crucified and raised up againe This is that onely Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1. Of this onely sacrifice mention is made Heb. 10. By one onely sacrifice he made perfect for ever those that are sanctified And this sacrifice is applied to every one by their owne faith when they heare the Gospell and use the Sacraments as Paul saith Rom. 3. Whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood And Habac. 2. The iust shall live by his faith And 1 Pet. 1. Being sanctified in the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ Other Sacraments in the old Testament were typicall whereof we shall speake more at large in their place and they did not deserve any remission of sins and all the righteousnesse of holy men at all times were are and shall be sacrifices of praise which doe not deserve remission either for them that did offer them or for others but they are services which every one ought to performe and are acceptable to God for the Mediatours and our high Priest the Son 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 unchangeable and eternall 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 truth it is also manifest that the Greeke and Latine Canons are very unlike the one to the other and that the Greeke Canons doe disagree among themselves in a most wrightie matter and it appeareth that in the Latine Canon many jagges and pieces were by little and little patched together of ignorant authors The ancient Church doth use the names of Sacrifice and oblation but thereby it understandeth the whole action prayers a taking of it a remembrance faith a confession and thankesgiving This whole inward and outward action in every one that is turned to God and in the whole Church is indeed a sacrifice of praise or thankesgiving and a reasonable service And when the Lord saith Ioh. 4. The true worshippers shall worship the Lord in spirit and in truth he affirmeth that in the New Testament outward sacrifices are not commanded which of necessitie should be made although there were no motions of the holy Ghost in the heart as in the law it was necessarie that the ceremonie of the Passeover should be kept But touching the Supper of the Lord it is said 1 Cor. 11. Let every man
may profit it very much and finally may help and further it very excellently His chiefest dutie is to procure and maintaine peace and publique tranquillitie Which doubtlesse he shall never doe more happily then when he shall be truly seasoned with the feare of God and true religion namely when he shall after the example of most holy Kings and Princes of the people of the Lord advance the preaching of the truth and the pure and sincere faith and shall root out lies and all superstition with all impietie and Idolatry and shall defend the Church of God For indeed we teach that the care of religion doth chiefly appertaine to the holy Magistrate let him therefore hold the word of God in his hands and look that nothing be taught contrary thereunto In like manner let him governe the people committed to him of God * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession with good laws made according to the word of God Let him hold them in discipline and in their dutie and in obedience let him excrcise judgement by judging uprightly let him not accept any mans person or receive bribes let him deliver widdows fatherlesse children and those that be afflicted from wrong let him represse yea and cut off such as are unjust either by deceit or by violence For he hath not received the sword of God in vaine Therefore let him draw forth this sword of God against all malefactours Rom. 13. seditious persons theeves or murderers oppressours blasphemers perjured persons and all those whom God hath commanded him to punish or execute Let him suppresse stubborn heretiques which are heretiques in deed who cease not to blaspheme the majestie of God and to trouble the Church yea and finally to destroy it but if so be it be necessary to preserve the safetie of the people by warre let him doe it in the name of God so that he first seeke peace by all means possible and use it not save onely then when he can save his subjects no way but by warre And while as the Magistrate doth these things in faith he serveth God by those works as with such as be good works and shall receive a blessing from the Lord. We condemne the Anabaptists who as they denie that a Christian man should beare the office of a Magistrate so also they deny that any man can justly be put to death by the Magistrate or that the Magistrate may make warre or that oathes should be performed to the Magistrates and such like things For as God will worke the safetie of his people by the Magistrate whom he hath given to be as it were a father of the world so all the subjects are commanded to acknowledge this benefit of God in the Magistrate therefore let them honour and reverence the Magistrate as the minister of God let them love him favour him and pray for him as their father and let them obey all his just and equall commandements Finally let them pay all customes and tributes and all other duties of the like sort faithfully and willingly * Looke the 2. Observat And if the common safetie of the countrey and justice require it and the Magistrate doe of necessitie make warre let them lay down their life and spend their blood for the common safetie and defence of the Magistrate and that in the name of God willingly valiantly and cheerefully For he that opposeth himselfe against the Magistrate doth procure the wrath of God against him We condemne therefore all contemners of Magistrates as rebels enemies of the Common-wealth seditious villaines and in a word all such as doe either openly or closely refuse to performe those duties which they ought to doe c. The Conclusion VVE beseech God our most mercifull Father in heaven that he will blesse the Princes of the people and us and his whole people through Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Saviour to whom be praise and thankesgiving both now and for ever Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA Of Magistracie SEeing that every Magistrate is of God his chiefe dutie except it please him to exercise a tyrannie consisteth in this to defend religion from all blasphemie and 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 lyeth In which part truly the first place is given to the pure and free preaching of the word of God the instruction of the youth of Citizens and a right and diligent teaching in Schooles lawfull discipline a liberall provision for the Ministers of the Church and a diligent care for the poore Secondly to judge the people according * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession to just and divine laws to keepe judgement and justice 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 body or life which things when he doth he performeth a due worship or service to God We know that though we be free we ought wholly in a true faith holily to submit our selves to the Magistrate both with our body and with all our goods and indeavour of minde also to performe faithfulnesse and * Looke the 2. Observat the oath which we made to him so farre forth as his government is not evidently repugnant to him for whose sake we doe reverence the Magistrate Out of the Confession of BASILL Of Magistracie MOreover 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 revenge and punishment of the Rom. 13. evill Therefore every Christian Magistrate * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confession in the number whereof we also desire to be doth direct all his strength to this that among those which are committed to his credit the name of God may be sanctified his kingdome may be enlarged and men may live according to his will with an earnest rooting out of all naughtinesse And in the margent This dutie also was injoyned 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 clearely protest that together with all other doctrins which are directly contrary to the sound and pure doctrine of Iesus Christ we doe not onely not receive but as abominations and blasphemies reject and condemne those strange and erroneous doctrines which the spirits of hurleburly among other damnable opinions doe bring forth saying c. that Magistrates cannot be Christians And in the margent The Magistrate doth then shew himself to be a good Magistrate when he is a true Christian The Conclusion LAst of all we submit this our Confession to the judgement of the holy Scripture of the Bible and therefore we promise that if out of the foresaid Scriptures we may be better
Vniversities wherein we teach the Gospel and we are perswaded that this is the true sincere and incorrupt doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ agreeing with the Apostles and Prophets and with the Creeds and that it is necessarie for the Churches and we pray our Lord Iesus Christ who was crucified for us and rose againe that hee would mercifully governe and defend these Churches Also we offer our selves to further declaration in every Article This was written Anno 1551. Iuly â—0 in the Towne of Wirtemberg where the Pastours of the Churches neere adjoyning were met together c. Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE The Conclusion which is placed in the latter end of the 35. Chapter VVE have rehearsed those things which seeme good both to be approved and also to be refuted or amended in the Ecclesiasticall doctrine and in the whole administration of the Church And if any thing be spoken either more briefly or more obscurely then so great a matter would require our Preachers doe promise that they wil expound them more largely and more cleerely That which remaineth we beseech all the godly through Iesus Christ the Sonne of God our onely Saviour that which thing we hope they will doe of their owne accord every one according to his office and calling would take unto himselfe a true and earnest endeavour to reforme the Church It cannot be denied but that hitherto for these many yeeres not onely the discipline of the Church hath decayed and the manners thereof have beene corrupted with great and horrible vices and they have very much degenerated from the honestie of our Elders but that also the doctrine of the Church hath beene depraved in suffering and bearing with corruptions which if hereafter they be either dissembled or confirmed every man that is but meanly wise may consider how great evils are like to follow in the Church of God Those execrations and cursings are well known whereunto the law of God doth addict the transgressours of his word And Josias the King of Iuda was endued with an heroicall minde when he repaired the Church and although the wrath of God was by his godly repentance and obedience mittigated after that the book of the law was found out and well knowne that those punishments which the Church of God at that time had desâ—rved through the neglect of his word and their impietr might be deferred till another time yet notwithstanding such was the severitie of God against the contemnets of his word and the impenitent that the King although he were very godly could not altogether take it away from them and appease it Now we think that in these times the wrath of God is no lesse yea much more grievously kindled and set on fire against the assembly of his Church by reason of so many hainous wicked deeds and offences which even in that people which glorieth in the Name of God are more evident then that they can be denied and more cleere then that they may be excused then in times past when as yet the Sonne of God was not made knowne to the world by his Gospel And the judgement of God shall be so much the more severe by how much his benefits are the greater which he seemeth to have bestowed both in the former and also at these present times upon unthankfull men But many other things have need of amendment in the Church and ministery thereof and especially the doctrine of Repentance Iustification and the use of the Sacraments and single life of the Ministers of the Church doe require a godly amendment If these things by the mercy of God and by the diligence and care of all good men shall be restored according to the writings of the Prophets and the Apostles and according to the true Catholique consent of the ancient and purer Church we shall not onely give unto God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ a most acceptable worship but also the whole Christian world shall be stirred up to declare their thankfulnesse and obedience in all dutifull manner that they may We truly doe not know of any errour in our Preachers either in doctrine or in the other administration of the Church yet we doe not doubt but that they are indued with so great modestie and godlinesse that if they be admonished by the testimony of the heavenly doctrine and by the true consent of the Catholique Church they will in no case be wanting to the edifying of the Church And as much as lyeth in us and in our government we will do our endeavour that the mercy of God helping us none of those duties may be pretermitted of us whereby we hope that the true quietnesse of the Church and salvation in Iesus Christ the Sonne of God may be preserved Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Of Secular Magistrates CHAP. 23. IN the former points we have declared that our Preachers doe place that obedience which is given unto Magistrates among good workes of the first degree and that they teach that every man ought so much the more diligently to apply himselfe to the publique lawes by how much he is a more sincere Christian and richer in faith In the next place they teach that to execute the office of a Magistrate it is the most sacred function which can happen unto man from God whereupon also it is come to passe that they which are endued with publike authoritie are in the Scriptures called Gods For when as they doe justly and orderly behave themselves in their function it goeth well with the people both in doctrine and in life because that God doth use so to moderate our affaires that for the greater part the safetie and destruction of the subjects doth depend upon them which are the Governours Wherefore none doe more worthily execute Magistracie then they which of all others are the most Christian and Bishops and other Ecclesiasticall men were promoted by most godly Emperours and Kings to an externall government in civill affaires Wherein though they were religious and wise yet in this one point they offended because they were not able to discharge both those functions sufficiently and it was necessary that either they should be wanting to the Churches in ruling them by the word or to the commonwealth in governing it by authoritie The Conclusion THese be the chiefe points most mightie and religious Emperour wherein our Preachers have somewhat swerved from the common doctrine of Preachers being forced thereunto by the only authoritie of the Scriptures which is worthily to be preferred before all other traditions These things being so declared as the shortnes of time would give us leave we thought it good to offer them to your sacred majestie and that to this end that we might both give account of our faith to thee whom next unto God we doe chiefly honour and reverence and might also shew how necessary it is speedily and earnestly to consult of a way and meane whereby a thing of so great
our God to have created Gen. 1. 2. man to wit our first father Adam to his own image and similitude to whom he gave wisdome Lordship justice free-will and cleare knowledge of himselfe so that in the whole nature of man there could be noted no imperfection From which honour and perfection man and woman did both fall the woman Gen. 2. being deceived by the serpent and man obeying the voice of the woman both conspiring against the Soveraigne Majestie of God who in expresse words had before threatned death if they presumed to eate of the forbidden tree Of Originall sinne BY which transgression commonly called Originall sinne was the Image of God utterly defaced in man and he and his posteritie Eph. 3. Rom. 5. Iohn 3. Rom 5. 8. of nature became enemies to God slaves to Satan and servants to sin Insomuch that death everlasting hath had and shall have power and dominion over all that have not been are not or shall not be regenerate from above which regeneration is wrought by the power of the holy Ghost working in the hearts of the Elect of God an assured faith in the promise of God revealed to us in his word by which faith we apprehend Christ Iesus with the graces and benefits promised in him Of the revelation of the promise FOr this we constantly beleeve that God after the fearefull and and horrible defection of man from his obedience did seeke Adam againe call upon him rebuke his sinne convict him of the Gen. 3. Gen. 12. 15. Isa 7. 8. same and in the end made unto him a most joyfull promise to wit that the seed of the woman should breake down the serpents head that is he should destroy the works of the Devill which promise as it was repeated and made more cleare from time to time so was it imbraced with joy and most constantly received of all those faithfull from Adam to Noe from Noe to Abraham from Abraham to David and so forth to the incarnation of Christ Iesus all we meane the faithfull Fathers under the law did see the joyfull dayes of Christ Iesus and did rejoyce The continuance increase and preservation of the Church VVE most constantly beleeve that God preserved instructed Ezâ—c 16. Gâ—n 12. 13. Exod. 1. 2. Exod. 20. multiplyed honoured decored and from death called to life his Church in all ages from Adam till the comming of Christ in the flesh For Abraham he called from his Fathers countrey him he instructed his seed he multiplied the same he marvellously preserved and more marvellously delivered from the bondage and tyrannie of Pharaoh to them he gave his laws constitutions and ceremonies them he possessed in the land of Canaan to them after Iudges and after Saul he gave David to be Josu 1. 25. 2 Reg. 17. King to whom he made promise that of the fruit of his loynes should one sit for ever upon his regall seat To this same people from time to time he sent Prophets to reduce them to the right way of their God from the which oftentimes they declined by Idolatry And albeit that for the stubborn contempt of justice he 2 Reg. 24. 25. Deut. 28. Ier. 39. Esdr 1. Agge 1. 2. Zach. 3. was compelled to give them into the hands of their enemies as before was threatned by the mouth of Moses in so much that the holy Citie was destroyed the temple burnt with fire and the whole land left desolate the space of 70. yeeres yet of mercie did he reduce them againe to Ierusalem where the Citie and Temple were reedified and they against all temptations and assaults of Satan did abide till the Messias came according to the promise Of the incarnation of Christ Iesus VVHen the fulnesse of time came God sent his sonne his Galat. 4. Luk. 1. 2. eternall wisdome the substance of his own glory into this world who tooke the nature of manhood of the substance of a woman to wit of a Virgin and that by operation of the holy Ghost And so was borne the just seed of David the angel of the great counsell of God the very Messias promised whom we acknowledge and confesse Emmanuel very God and very man two perfect natures united and joyned in one person By which our confession we condemne that damnable and pestilent heresies of Arrius Marcion Eutiches Nestorius and such others as either did denie the eternitie of his Godhead either the veritie of his humane nature either confound them either yet divide them Why it behoveth the Mediatour to be very God and very man VVE acknowledge and confesse that this most wondrous conjunction betwixt the Godhead and the manhood in Christ Iesus did proceed from the eternall and immutable decree of God whence also our salvation springeth and dependeth Election FOr that same eternall God and Father who of meere grace elected us in Christ Iesus his Sonne before the foundation of the world was laid appointed him to be our head our brother Ephes 1. Heb. 2. our Pastour and great Bishop of our soules But because that the enmitie betwixt the justice of God and our sinnes was such that no flesh by it selfe could or might have attained unto God it Iohn 20. behoved that the Sonne of God should descend unto us and take himselfe a body of our body flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones and so become the perfect Mediatour betwixt God and man giving power to so many as beleeve in him to be the sonnes of God as himselfe doth witnesse I passe up to my Father and Iohn 1. Iohn 20. unto your God By which most holy fraternitie whatsoever we have lost in Adam is restored to us againe And for this cause are we not afraid to call God our Father not so much because hee hath created us which we have common with the reprobate as for that that he hath given to us his onely Sonne to be our brother and given unto us grace to acknowledge and embrace him for our Mediatour as before is said It behoved farther the Messias Isa 53. and Redeemer to be very God and very man because he was to beare the punishment due for our transgressions and to present himselfe in the presence of his Fathers judgement as in our person to suffer for our transgression and inobedience by death to overcome him that was authour of death But because the onely Godhead could not suffer death neither yet could the only manhood overcome the same he joyned both together in one person that the imbecillitie of the one should suffer and be subject to death which we had deserved and the infinite and invincible power of the other to wit of the Godhead should triumph and purchase to us life libertie and perpetuall victory and so we confesse and most undoubtedly beleeve Christs Death Passion and Buriall THat our Lord Iesus offered himselfe a voluntary sacrifice unto Heb. 10. Esa 53. his Father for us that he