to be any longer defiled with such foilies Out of the Confession of BELGIA IN the meane time we beleeve that it is in deed profitable that Artic. 32. the Elders which doe governe in Churches should appoint some order among themselves so that they doe diligently take heed that in no case they do swarve or decline from those things which Christ himselfe our onely Master hath once appointed Therefore we doe reject all humane inventions and all those laws which were brought in to be a worship of God that mens consciences should any way thereby be snared or bound and we receive those onely which are fit either to cherish or maintaine concord or to keepe us in the obedience of God And hereunto * Looke the 1. observation upon this confâ—ssion excommunication is chiefly necessary being used according to the commandement of the word of God and other additions of Ecclesiasticall discipline annexed thereunto Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE Artic. 15. COncerning Ecclesiasticall rites which are ordained by mans authority they teach that such rites are to be observed as may be kept without sin and do tend to quietnesse and good order in the Church as namely set holidaies certain godly Psalmes and other such like rites But yet touching this sort of rites they teach that mens consciences are not to be burdened with superstitious opinions of them that is it must not be thought that these humane ordinances are righteousnesse before God or do deserve remission of sins or are duties necessary unto the righteousnesse revealed in the Gospel But this is to be thought of them that they are indifferent things which without the case of offence may be omitted But such as breake them with offence are faultie as those which do rashly disturbe the peace of the Churches Such traditions therefore as cannot be observed without sinne are rejected of us as the tradition of single life We reject also that impious opinion of traditions and vowes wherein they feigne that worships invented by mans authoritie doe merit remission of sins and are satisfactions for sin c. Of which like false opinions touching vowes and fastings not a few have been spread abroad in the Church by unlearned men This Article is thus to be found in another Edition COncerning Ecclesiasticall rites they teach that those rites are to be observed which may be kept without any sinne and are availeable for quietnesse and good order in the Church such as as are set holydaies feasts and such like Againe out of the 7. Article touching abuses of the same confession These words that follow pertaine to this place and the rest unto the eleventh Section Of the authoritie of the Ministers BEsides these things there is a controversie whether Bishops Here also be many things which might very fitly have been referred to the former Sect. by reason of speciall examples of meats and holy dayes here rehearsed but seeing that the title or this page is generall it could not here be pretermitted or Pastours have power to ordaine ceremonies in the Church and to make laws of meats and holidaies and degrees or orders of Ministers They that ascribe this power to the Bishops alledge this testimonie for it I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot beare them away now But when that spirit of truth shall come he shall teach you all truth They alledge also the examples of the Apostles which commanded the Christians to abstaine from blood and that which was strangled They alledge the change of the Sabbath into the Lords day contrary as it seemeth to the morall law and they have no examples so oft in their mouthes as the change of the Sabbath They will needs have the Churches power and authoritie to be very great because it hath dispensed with a precept of the morall law But of this question our men doe thus teach that the Bishops have no power to ordaine any thing contrary to the Gospell as was shewed before The same also doe the Canons teach distinct 9. Moreover it is against the Scripture to ordaine or require the observation of any traditions to the end that we might merit remission of sinnes and satisfie for sinnes by them For the glorie of Christs merit receiveth a blow when as we seeke by such observations to merit remission of sinnes and justification And it is very apparant that through this perswasion traditions grew into an infinite number in the Church In the meane while the doctrine of faith and of the righteousnesse of faith was quite smoothered for ever and anone there were new holidaies made new fasts appointed new ceremonies new worships for Saints ordained because that the authors of such geare supposed by these works to merit remission of sinnes and justification After the same manner heretofore did the penitentiall Canons increase whereof we still see some footings in satisfactions Againe many writers imagine that in the New Testament there should be a worship like to the Leviticall worship the appointing whereof God committed to the Apostles and Bishops wherein they seeme to be deceived by the example of the law of Moses as if the righteousnesse of the New Testament were the outward observing of certain rites as the justice of the law was Like as therefore in the law it was a sinne to eate swines flesh c. so in the New Testament they place sinne in meates in daies in apparell and such like things and they hold oppinion that the righteousnesse of the New Testament can not stand without these From hence are those burdens that certaine meats defile the conscience that it is a mortall sinne to omit the canonicall houres that fastings merit remission of sinnes because they be necessary to the righteousnesse of the New Testament that a sin in a case reserved cannot be pardoned but by the authoritie of him that reserved it whereas the Canons speake onely of reserving of Canonicall punishments and not of the reserving of the fault Whence then have the Bishops power and authoritie of imposing these traditions upon the Churches for the burdening of mens consciences For there are divers cleare testimonies which inhibit the making of such traditions either for to deserve remission of sinnes or as things necessarie to the righteousnesse of the New Testament or to salvation Paul to the Coloss 2. Let no man iudge you in meat drinke or a peece of a holy day in the new moone or in the Sabbath Againe If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye lived in the world are ye burdâ—ned with traditions as Touch not taste not handle not which all doe perish with the using and are the precepts and doctrines of men which have a shew of wisedome And to Titus he doth plainly forbid traditions For he saith Not listning to Jewish fables and to the precepts of men that abhorre the truth And Christ Matth. 15. saith of them which urge traditions Let
yet so as they doe all things in the Church as he hath prescribed in his word which thing being so done the faithfull doe esteeme them as done of the Lord himselfe but touching the keies we have spoken somewhat before Now the * Looke the 5. observation upon this confession power that is given to the Ministers of the Church is the same and alike in all and in the beginning the Bishops or Elders did with a common consent and labour governe the Church no man lifted up himselfe above another none usurped greater power or authoritie over his fellow Bishops for they remembred the words of the Lord He which will be the chiefest among Luc. 20. you let him be your servant they kept in themselves by humility and did mutually aide one another in the governement and preservation of the Church Notwithstanding for orders sake some one of the ministers called the assembly together propounded unto the assembly the matters to be consulted of gathered together the voyces or sentences of the rest and to be briefe as much as lay in him provided that there might arise no confusion So did Saint Peter as we read in the Acts who yet for all that was neither above the rest nor had greater authority then the rest Very true therefore is that saying of Cyprian the Martyr in his booke De simpl Cler. The same doubtlesse were the rest of the Apostles that Peter was having an equall fellowship with him both in honour and power but the beginning hereof proceedeth from unitie to signifie unto us that there is but one Church Saint Jerome upon the Epistle of Paul to Titus hath a saying not much unlike this Before that by the instinct of the Devill there was partaking in religion the Churches were governed by the common advice of the Priests but after that every one thought that those whom he had baptised were his owne and not Christs It was decreed that one of the Priests should be chosen and set over the rest who should have the care of the whole Church laid upon him and by whose meanes all schismes should be removed Yet Jerome doth not avouch this as an order set downe of God For straight way after he addeth Even as saith he the Priests knew by the continuall custome of the Church that they were subiect to him that is set over them So the Bishop must know that they are above the priests rather by custome then by the prescript rule of Gods truth and they should have the government of the Church in common with them Thus farre Jerome Now therefore no man can forbid by any right that we may returne to the old appointment of God and rather receive that then the custome devised by men The offices of the ministers are divers yet notwithstanding most men doe restraine them to two in which all the rest are comprehended to the teaching of the Gospel of Christ and to the lawfull administration of the Sacraments For it is the dutie of the Ministers to gather together a holy assembly therein to expound the Word of God and also to apply the generall doctrine to the state and use of the Church to the end that the doctrine which they teach may profit the hearers and may build up the faithfull The Ministers dutie I say is to teach the unlearned and to exhort yea and to urge them to goe forward in the way of the Lord who doe stand still or linger and goe slowly forward moreover to comfort and to strengthen those which are faint-hearted and to arme them against the manifold temptations of Satan to rebuke offenders to bring them home that goe astray to raise them up that are fallen to convince the gainsaiers to chase away the wolfe from the Lords flocke to rebuke wickednesse and wicked men wisely and severely not to winke at nor to passe over great wickednesse and besides to administer the Sacraments and to commend the right use of them and to prepare all men by wholesome doctrine to receive them to keepe together all the faithfull in an holy unitie and to meete with schismes To conclude to catechise the ignorant to commend the necessitie of the poore to the Church to visit and instruct those that are sicke or intangled with divers temptations and so to keepe them in the way of life Lastly to looke diligently that there be publike prayers and supplications made in time of necessitie together with fasting that is an holy abstinencie and most carefully to looke to those things which belongeth to tranquillity safety and peace of the Church And to the end that the Minister may performe all these things the better and with more ease it is required in him that he be one that feareth God pray diligently giveth himselfe much to the reading of the Scripture and in all things and at all times is watchfull and doth shew forth a good example unto all men of holinesse of life And seeing there must needs be a discipline in the Church and that among the ancient fathers excommunication was in use and there were Ecclesiasticall judgements amongst the people of God wherein this discipline was exercised by godly men it belongeth also to the Ministers dutie for the edifying of the Church to moderate this discipline according to the condition of the time and publike estate and according to necessitie whereas this rule is alwaies to be holden that All things ought to be done to edification decently honestly without any oppression or tumult For the Apostle witnesseth that power was given to him of God to edifie and not to destroy 2 Cor. 10. And the Lord himselfe forbad the cockle to be plucked up in the Lords field because there would be danger lest the wheate also should be plucked up with it But as for the errour of the Donatists we doe here utterly detest it who esteemed and judged the doctrine and administration of the Sacraments to be either effectuall or not effectuall by the good or evill life of the Ministers For we know that the voyce of Christ is to be heard though it be out of the mouthes of evill Ministers forasmuch as the Lord himselfe said Doe as they Matth. 22. command you but according to their workes doe ye not We know that the Sacraments are sanctified by their institution and also by the word of Christ and that they are effectuall to the Godly although they be administred by ungodly Ministers Of which matter Augustine that blessed servant of God did reason diversly out of the Scriptures against the Donatists yet notwithstanding there ought to be a streight discipline amongst the Ministers For there must be diligent enquirie in the Synods touching the life and Doctrine of the Ministers Those that offend are to be rebuked of the Seniours and to be brought into the way if they be not past recovery or else to be deposed and as wolves to be driven from the Lords flocke by the true Pastors if
Tithes c. They hold it by mans law and that in such places where the ordinary judges failing the Princes are constrained will they nill they to minister justice to their subjects for maintaining of peace And a few lines after So oft as we handle this place by and by our Adversaries cry out that the Bishops authoritie being overthrowne there followeth disorder that the peoples behaviour cannot be ordered that the common sort waxe lusty and unbridled and in a word there followeth a hellish life such a one as is painted out by Euripides in this verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They complaine also that when as some laws are abrogated the common people taketh it as a patterne how to deale with all the rest And so shaking off the bonds and reines of discipline and order they take an excessive libertie to themselves which breedeth infinite offences breaches betweene Princes scattering of Churches tumults warres and desolations To conclude they tell us here what an enemie to mankinde want of government is and how many vices and calamities arising out of this fountaine doe overflow the whole life of man They advise therefore for the avoiding of these so great evils to establish the authoritie of Bishops to retaine still the laws that have been in use before and also to beare with the inconveniences if there be any in them in respect of the common weaknesse of men and for quietnesse sake to dissemble them especially seeing there can no state or order be appointed which is without all manner of faults Here also they bring in that old saying That an evill well couched is not to be stirred They rehearse many examples how great overthrows followed upon the remooving of laws and the change of the forme of government in the Cities of Athens Sparta Rome and divers others At Rome how oft did the dissentions of the Consuls and the Tribunes stirre up great civill warres Though these Senatour like declamations be very plausible and incense the mindes of many against us yet they may be confuted by most true and substantiall arguments First therefore we desire that these our Accusers would turne over the Historie of the Church from time to time and that they would not thinke that those notable men the Prophets and Apostles were withit common sense and reason and so hard hearted that they caned not for the peace and quiet of their country or so barbarous and cruell that they made no great accompt of the discipline lawes and good order of the kingdome For those most wise vertuous and grave men Esay Ionas Ieremy Iohn Baptist * Look the 7. Observation Christ Peter Iames and Paul Did both know what a great good civill concord is and loved their country and country-men and also were greeved to behold the discords and renting a sunder of those notable common-wealthes How often did Christ weep when he spake of the discords and Tumults of his nation and the sacking of the City Albeit therefore the Prophets and Apostles did very well know and greatly like of those civill duties Yet were they constrained by the commandement of God to warre against the divels kingdome to preach heavenly doctrine to collect a Church unto God and to imploy their service to the eternall salvation of a great number of men These are the first lawes that ever were given and are to be preferred before all other Thou shalt have no other Gods Thou shalt not take the name of God in vaine And this concerning the sonne This is my beloved sonne heare him These lawes must needs be obeyed The true doctrine of God and his true worship must needs be embraced and received and all errors that tend to the dishonour of God must be abhorred and forsaken though all the world should breake and fall downe No humane thing must be preferred before Gods commandement not our life not our friends not the concord and agrement of neighbours and countrymen Moses a very wise man no doubt a politick man layeth upon the tribe of Levi the charg of teaching and knowing what great conflicts and dangers teachers shall meete withall he forewarneth them of that which he tooke to be most difficult of all other And chargeth them that the defence of true doctrine be most deare unto them for so he saith Deut. 33. These shall keepe thy word and shall forget their Parents children and brethren And hereof we have experience that it is no small burden that is laid upon the teachers of the word Our men are cruelly dealt with in many places We are sore oppressed and the discord in our country bringeth no small griefe unto us But as was said before the commandement of God concerning the embracing of the true doctrine of God and renouncing of errours must be preferred before these great inconveniences We are not ignorant what wise men have written of changing and altering lawes We remember well the saying of Plato that as the manners of doting parents so the customes and fashions of our country though none of the wisest are to be borne with all But these precepts have their bounds and limits within which they must be restrained Bondage without impiety may be borne but Idolatry is not to be borne with nor the light of the Gospell to be extinguished Againe why do our adversaries declaime of such a moderation unto us when as they in the meane while murder the Citizens and members of Christ They might easily establish peace and maintaine the author of good order if they would abolish superstition and unjust lawes But now they contend not for the safety of the Church but for their owne profits and pleasures They would not have the Idolatry of the Masse nor praying to the dead spoken against because they cannot abide that their gaine should decrease They forbid wandring lusts because the unmarried state is best for the keeping of their goods These things are in all mens eyes Therefore let them leave of their Senator like invectives wherein to use the old Poets words under a faire colour they seeke to establish shamelesse facts Hereto I adjoyne also the other part of our defence both true and unfeigned We doe not shake of government to bring in disorder We teach that the ministery of the Gospel is most highly to be reverenced and obeyed in those things which according to the gospel do properly belong to the ministery thereof And he is a wicked and an accursed wretch that doth not with reverence entertaine as most beautifull the feet of such as bring tiding of peace And as for the civill power which beareth the sword it hath been highly commended and approved in our writings Wherefore it is a vile slaunder that they object against us that we be enemies of government Hitherto also belongeth the ss in the end of this 7. Article THey alleadge against us also other sayings which command obedience Obey those that are set over you How oft must we answer that
is she appointeth at what times and where the Church shall come together For this civill end it is lawfull to make traditions But men that are not acquainted with the doctrine of Christ are not content with this end but they joyne superstitious opinions unto traditions and by superstition multiply traditions out of measure Of this there hath been complaint made in the Church not onely by late Writers as Gerson and others but also Saint Augustine Wherefore it is needfull to admonish the people what to thinke of the traditions which are brought into the Church by mans authoritie For it is not without cause that Christ and Paul doe so often speake of traditions and admonish the Church to judge wisely of traditions There was a common opinion not of the common sort alone but also of the Teachers in the Church that the difference of meats and such like works which the Ecclâ—siasticall traditions doe command are services of God which deserve remission of sinnes Also that such kindes of worship are Christian righteousnesse and as necessary as the Leviticall ceremonies in the Old Testament ever were and that they cannot be omitted without sinne no not then when they might be omitted without danger of giving offence These perswasions have brought forth many discommodities First the doctrine of the Gospell is hereby obscured which teacheth that sins are forgiven freely by Christ This benefit of Christ is transferred unto the worke of man And by reason of this opinion traditions were especially encreased because that these works were supposed to deserve remission of sins to be satisfactions and to be Christian righteousnesse Moreover for this cause especially doth Saint Paul so often and so earnestly give us warning to beware of traditions lest that Christs benefit should be transferred to traditions lest the glory of Christ should be obscured lest that true and found comfort should be withheld from mens consciences and in a word lest that faith that is trust of the mercie of Christ should be quite smothered These dangers Saint Paul would have avoided For it is greatly needfull that the pure doctrin of the benefit of Christ of the righteousnesse of faith and of the comfort of consciences should be continued in the Church Secondly these traditions have obscured the Commandements of God for this kinde of schooling was thought to be spirituall and the righteousnesse of a Christian man Yea the traditions of men were set aloft above the commandements of God All Christianitie was placed in the observation of certaine festivall dayes rites fasts and forme of apparell These beggerly rudiments carried goodly titles namely that they were the spirituall life and the perfection of a Christian In the meane while the commandements of God touching every calling were of small estimation that the Father brought up his children that the Mother bare them that the Prince governed the Common-wealth these works were little set by They were not taken to be any service of God The mindes of many stood in a continuall mamering whether marriage magistracie and such like functions of a civill life did please God or no. And this doubtfulnesse did trouble many very much Many forsaking their callings leaving the Common-wealth did shut up themselves in Monasteries that they might seeke that kinde of life which they thought did more please God yea which they supposed to merit remission of sins Thirdly the opinion of necessitie did much vexe and disquiet the consciences Traditions were thought necessary And yet no man though never so diligent did ever observe them all especially for that the number of them was infinite Gerson writeth That many fell into desperation some murthered themselves because they perceived well that they could not observe the traditions And all this while they never heard one comfortable word of grace and of the righteousnesse of faith We see that the Summists and Divines gather together the All this matter of the ceremonies and traditions in generall doth properly belong to the 17. Section next following but for as much as here is intreated of daies meats fasts it was requisite that it should be brought in this Section because the generals cannot well be severed from particulars traditions and seeke out qualifications of them for the unburdening of mens consciences but even they cannot satisfie themselves nor winde themselves out and sometimes also their very interpretations themselves doe snare mens consciences The Schooles also and Pulpits were so busied in numbring up the traditions that they had no leasure to handle the Scripture or to search out more profitable doctrine of faith of the Crosse of Hope of the excellencie of civill affairs or of the comfort of mens consciences in sore tentations Wherefore many good men have oft complained that they were hindered by these contentions about traditions that they could not be occupied in some better kinde of doctrine When as therefore such superstitious opinions did cleave fast unto the traditions it was necessary to admonish the Churches what they were to judge of traditions to free godly mindes from errour to cure wounded consciences and to set out the benefit of Christ We doe not goe about to weaken the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall power we detract nothing from the * Looke the 3 4 Observ upon this confession in the 11. Sect. dignitie of Bishops we doe not disturbe the good order of the Church Traditions rightly taken are better liked but we reprove those Iewish opinions onely Thus therefore we teach touching ceremonies brought into the Church by mans authoritie First touching traditions which are opposed to the commandement of God or cannot be kept without sinne the Apostles rule is to be followed We must obey God rather then men Of this sort is the tradition of single life Secondly touching other ceremonies which are in their owne nature things indifferent as Fasts Festivall daies difference of apparell and the like we must know that such observations doe neither merit remission of sinnes neither yet are they the righteousnesse or perfection of a Christian but that they are things indifferent which where is no danger of giving offence may well be omitted This judgement of ours hath these evident and cleere testimonies in the Gospel to the end that it may admonish the Church that the Gospel be not oppressed and obscured by superstitious opinions Rom. 14. The kingdome of God is not meat and drinke but righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Here Paul teacheth plainly that a Christians righteousnesse is the spirituall motions of the heart and not the outward observation of meates and daies c. Coloss 2. Let no man iudge you in meat drinke or a part of a holyday He forbiddeth that their consciences should be judged that is that their consciences should be condemned in the use of such things but will have them counted altogether indifferent things and such as pertaine not to the righteousnesse of the Gospel Then there followeth a long and a
upon the Confession of Auspurge Vpon the same That every Christian so often as he needeth these keyes c. ought Observ 8. page 252. to require them This is to be interpreted by those things which we spake of private absolution in the eighth Section in the 1. Observation upon this Confession and the first upon the Confession of Saxonie Vpon the same That the Priests ought not Whom they meane by the name Observ 9. page 252. of Priests it hath beene already shewed before in the 2. Observation upon the former Confession of Helvetia and shall straight after be repeated in the 3. Observation upon the English Confession in which signification it is henceforward to be taken in all the Confessions Vpon the English Confession ANd is Lucifer It is grown to a custome to call Satan Lucifer Observ 1. pag. 255. the prince of Devils upon a place of Esay misunderstood of some of the ancient Fathers Vpon the same By open excommunication There is also a certaine kinde of excommunication Observ 2. page 256. which is not publique or open and is used onely for a triall of repentance Againe this is so to be taken that as we have oft before admonished all and singular Churches may keep their holy libertie both in ordaining and putting in practise this manner of discipline So that there be good heed taken that the flock be not infected with a contagion of obstinacie and that the sacred mysteries be not cast to dogs and swine Vpon the same Vnto the unbeleeving a savour of death This must be understood Obser 3. pag. 256. to be the accidentall and not the proper end of the Ministerie of the Gospel arising not of the Gospel it selfe but of the contempt of the Gospel But this application of the similitude of the keies for the opening of all mens consciences which this Confession doth often use seemeth to be somewhat far from the meaning of Christ Vpon the same That the Priest in deed Touching the name of Priests looke Obser 4. pag. 256. the 2. Observation upon the former confession of Helvetia Againe it must be understood that when the question is of Ecclesiasticall Censures the lawfull intelligence of the Seigniorie must goe before the Priests judging That which is said touching power or authoritie must be understood of civill power which Ecclesiasticall functions have not at all or else of the authoritie of making lawes to mens consciences which resteth wholly in Christ the onely law-giver according to whose prescript and appointment his Ministers ought to judge and determine in the Churches Vpon the same Yea and the Bishop of Rome and a little after except he goe to Obser 5. pag. 257. worke By Bishop understand not him that now sitting Pope at Rome is called of other and tearmeth himselfe universall Bishop but such a Paster as being lawfully called in the Church of Rome if there were any true Church to be found did with his fellow laborers discharge a Christian ministerie Vpon the Confession of Auspurge NO more then doth the skill of musicke namely because it hath Obser â— pag. 259. a divers scope not that there is no more affinitie or agreement between the Ecclesiasticall ministery and the civill government then between a Musician and a Magistrate when as they do both tend directly unto the selfe same onely though by means distinct and diverse one from the other and also both the Ministers in matters civill be subject to the magistrate and the magistrate in matters belonging to conscience is subject to the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and one doth leane and stay it selfe upon the other and one aide and succour the other Vpon the same The Magistrate is to defend not the minde but the bodies This Obser 1. pag. 259. also is to be understood as that notwithstanding this the Magistrate is the keeper and defender of both tables of this law Vpon the same If so be the Bishops have c. This doe we also acknowledge Obser 3. pag. 260. to be most true but we say that it was neither lawfull for the Princes to derive this power unto Bishops nor for the Bishops to take it when it was offered because the Lord hath so distinguished these two as he hath also severed them the one from the other And the Apostle doth expresly forbid Ministers to intangle themselves in the things of this life yea and the Apostles themselves did cast off even the care of the almes from themselves unto the Deacons that they might attend upon the word and prayers Vpon the same To debarre the wicked c. To wit by the judgement and Obser 4. pag. 260. verdict of the Presbyterie lawfully gathered together and not by the will and determination of any one man as was noted before in the third Observation upon the English Confession Vpon the same The Churches must performe unto them To wit to the Ministers Obser 5. pag. 260. of the word and to the Elders and not to such alone as now by the law of man carry the name of Bishops as proper and peculiar to themselves alone which is common to all Pastors equally as Hierome can testifie Vpon the same If so be they have any other power c. they have it by mans law Observat 6. pag 260. It seemeth the band of marriage should be excepted the knowledge whereof by Gods law belongeth to the Pastors and namely in this respect that it cannot be judged firme and sure or voyd and frustrate but by the word of God according to that That which God hath coupled let no man put asunder touching which point looke the 1. Observation upon the former Confession of Helvetia and the 2. upon the Confession of Wirtemberge in the 18. Section Vpon the same Christ Though Christ would also be the Minister of the circumcision Observat 7. pag 262. yet we would not have him ranged in the same order with others whether they be Prophets or Apostles Vpon the Confession of Wirtemberge IF we speake of the Mediatour of praying Look the 2. Observation Obser 1. pag. 265. upon the Confession of Saxonie in the 1. Section Vpon the same That except a Priest be ordained To wit when question is of Obser 2. pag. 266. such Elders or Priests as did attend upon the preaching of the word For there was also another sort of Elders whom the Apostle calleth governours 1 Cor. 12. IN THE TWELFTH SECTION Vpon the latter Confession of Helvetia THe thing signified is regeneration That is the blood of Christ Observat 1. pag. 273. by vertue whereof we are regenerated and washed from our sinnes For to speake properly the thing signified by water is the blood and by sprinkling the washing from sinnes and regeneration is signified Vpon the former Confession of Helvetia THe thing it selfe is regeneration Look the Observation that Obser 1. pag. 275. Obser 2. pag. 275. went next before upon the
notes thereof 26 27 28 Of Ecclesiasticall functions 29 Of the power and authoritie of the ministers 30 Of their lawfull calling election 31 Of Ecclesiasticall discipline 32 Of Excommunication and other Censures 33 Of the Sacraments in generall 34 Of Baptisme 35 Of the holy Supper of the Lord. 36 Of the efficacie and true communication of the thing signified by the signes 37 38 Of the Magistrate and politicke laws 39 40 The Articles of the English Confession OF one God in three Persons 1 Of Iesus Christ being the true Sonne of God and of the Incarnation and other works of Redemption and of his two natures being unseperably united and unconfounded 2 Of his last coming Of the holy Ghost and his works in us 3 Of the Catholique Church and the one onely King head and husband thereof 4 Of the divers degrees of the Church 5 Of the lawfull calling the Antichrist of Rome 5 Of the lawfull calling and Election of Ministers 6 Of their power and the use of the Keyes 7 Of marriage and a single life 8 Of the Canonicall Scriptures 9 Of the Sacraments and the number thereof 10 Of Baptisme 11 Of the holy Eucharist 12 Of the sale of Masses 13 Of Purgatorie 14 Of Ceremonies and Ecclesiasticall rites 15 Of Prayer in a vulgar tongue 16 Of the onely Intercessour and Mediatour Christ 17 Of the corruption of man through sinne of his iustification through Christ 18 Of the one onely sacrifice of Christ whereby we are perfectly reconciled to God 19 Of good works 20 Of the last resurrection of this flesh 21 The Articles of the Confession of Belgia OF the Essence or nature of God 1 Of the double knowledge of God 2 Of the beginning and author of the word of God 3 Of the Canonicall books of the old and new Testament 4 Of their authoritie 5 Of the Apocryphall books 6 Of the perfection of the Canonicall Scripture above all the doctrines of all men 7 Of three persons in one onely essence of God 8 Of the testimonies of both the Testaments whereby both the Trinitie of the persons and also their properties may be proved 9 Of the divine nature and generation of Iesus Christ the Son of God 10 Of the divine nature of the holy Ghost 11 Of the creation of the world and Angels and the distinguishing of them 12 Of the Providence of God and of his iust government both generall and speciall 13 Of the creation of man his fall corruption and servile free-will 14 Of originall sinne 15 Of free election iust reprobation 16 Of the repairing of man through Christ 17 Of the first coming of Christ and his true incarnation of the seed of David 18 Of his two natures hypostatically united in one onely person 19 Of the cause or end of his death and resurrection 20 Of his onely Priesthood and expiatorie sacrifice 21 Of faith the onely instrument of our iustification 22 Of true iustificatiō through Christ 23 Of regeneration and good works 24 Of the abrogating of the law and shadows 25 Of the onely Mediatour or Intercessour Christ against the Intercession of Saints 26 Of the Catholique Church 27 Of the unitie and communion thereof 28 Of true notes of the true Church 29 Of the government and Ecclesiasticall functions 30 Of the Election of Ministers Elders and Deacons and of their authoritie 31 Of Ecclesiasticall traditions 32 Of the Sacraments and their number 33 Of Baptisme 34 Of the Supper of the Lord. 35 Of Magistrates and their office and power 36 Of the last Iudgement 37 The Articles of the Confession of Auspurge OF God and the persons of the divinitie 1 Of originall sinne 2 Of the incarnarion of the Sonne of God 3 Of Iustification 4 Of the Preaching of Repentance and generall Remission 5 Of the righteousnesse of good works 6 Of the Church 7 Of the Sacraments which are administred by evill men 8 Of Baptisme 9 Of the Lords Supper 10 Of Repentance 11 Of Confession 12 Of the use of Sacraments 13 Of Ecclesiasticall order or degrees 14 Of Ecclesiasticall rites 15 Of civill ordinances 16 Of the last iudgement 17 Of free-will 18 Of the cause of sinne 19 Of good works 20 Of Invocation 21 Articles concerning the abuses which are changed in externall rites OF the Masse 1 Of either kinde of the Sacrament 2 Of Confession 3 Of the difference of meats and such like Popish traditions 4 Of the marriage of the Priests 5 Of the vows of Monks 6 Of Ecclesiasticall power 7 The chiefe points of the Confession of Saxonie OF Doctrine 1 Of originall sinne 2 Of the remission of sinnes and of Iustification 3 Of free-will 4 Of new obedience 5 What works are to be done 6 How good works may be done 7 How new obedience doth please God 8 Of rewards 9 Of the difference of sins 10 Of the Church 11 Of the Sacraments 12 Of Baptisme 13 Of the Lords Supper 14 Of the use of the whole Sacrament 15 Of Repentance 16 Of Satisfaction 17 Of Wedlocke 18 Of Confirmation and anointing 19 Of traditions or Ecclesiastical rites 20 Of a Monasticall life 21 Of the invocating of godly men departed out of this life 22 Of the civill Magistrate 23 The chiefe points of the Confession of Wirtemberge OF God and three persons in one Godhead 1 Of the Sonne of God 2 Of the holy Ghost 3 Of sinne 4 Of Iustification 5 Of the law 6 Of good works 7 Of the Gospell of Iesus Christ 8 Of the Sacraments 9 Of Baptisme 10 Of Confirmation 11 Of Repentance 12 Of Contrition 13 Of Confession 14 Of Satisfaction 15 Of Prayer 16 Of Fasting 17 * Of Almes 18 Of the Eucharist that is of the Sacrament of thanksgiving 19 * Of the Masse 20 Of holy orders 21 Of Marriage 22 * Of extreame Vnction 23 Of the invrcating of Saints 24 Of the remembrance of the dead 25 Of Purgatorie 26 * Of Monasticall vows 27 Of Canonicall houres 28 Of Fasting 29 Of the consecrating of water salt wine and other such like things 30 Of the holy Scripture 31 * Of the Pope 32 Of the Church 33 Of Councels 34 Of the Teachers of the Church 35 Of Ecclesiasticall Ceremonies 36 THE CONTENTS OF THE BOOKE FOLLOWING ACCORDING TO THE SECTIONS which are in number nineteene and of how many confessions each Section doth consist THE FIRST SECTION pag. 1. OF the holy Scripture being the true word of God and the interpretation thereof This Section consisteth of ten confessions to wit Of the former and latter confessions of Helvetia of that of Basil or Myllane of Bohemia or the Waldenses the French the English that of Belgia Saxonie Wirtemberge and Sheveland THE SECOND SECTION pag. 19. OF God in essence one in persons three and of his true worship This Section consisteth of 11. confessions to wit Of the former and latter confession of Helvetia that of Basil of Bohemia or the Waldenses the French the English that of Belgia Auspurge Saxonie Wirtemberge
needs be the greatest For although the Church have a sure promise of Christs continuall presence and be governed by the holy Ghost yet not every assembly of men may be taken for the true Church and albeit never so many seeme often times to come together in the name of Christ yet few are chosen and all have not faith And as it is wont to fall out in civill meetings so doth it also in meetings of the Church that for the most part the greater side overcommeth the better Hitherto may be added that the holy Ghost doth not make men in this life not subject to sinne but leaveth in them many and sundrie infirmities Examples also witnesse that not onely the Popes but also Councels have beene deceived Wherefore seeing that the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is confirmed of God the sentence of no one man nor of any assembly of men is to be received simply without triall for the Oracle of the holy Ghost but it is to be laid to the rule of the Prophets and Apostles doctrine that that which agreeth therewith may be acknowledged and that which is contrary thereunto may be confuted If we or an Angel from heaven Gal. 1. preach unto you a Gospel beside that which wee have preached unto you let him bee accursed And beleeve yee not every spirit 1 Ioh. 4. but trie the spirits whether they bee of God Againe 1 Thess 5. Trie all things and keepe that which is good Augustine against Maximius a Bishop of the Arrians in his 3. booke Chap. 14. saith But now am I neither to cite the Councel of Nice nor you the Councel of Arimine as it were to preiudice the matter neither am I bound by the authoritie of the one nor you by the authoritie of the other with authorities of Scripture which are witnesses not proper to any one but common to us both let matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason c. And Panormitane in the Chapter significasti Extr. de electio In things concerning faith even the verdict of one private man were to be perferred before the Popes if he were lead with better warrants of the old and new Testament then the Pope And Gerson in the first part about triall of doctrines The first truth should stand that if there a plaine private man sufficiently instructed in holy Scripture more credit were to be given in a case of doctrine to his assertion then to the Popes definitive sentence For it is plaine that the Gospel is more to be beleeved then the Pope If then a man so leaned teach any truth to be contained in the Gospel where the Pope were either ignorant or willingly deceived it is cleare whose iudgement were to be preferred And a little after Such a learned man ought in that case while a generall Councel were holden at which he himselfe were present to set himselfe against it if he should perceive the greater part of malice or ignorance to incline to that which is contrarie to the Gospel Of Ecclesiasticall Writers CHAP. 34. RIse up before an hoare head saith the Scripture and reverence the person of an old man We do therefore reverence the gray haires of our ancestours who even since the Gospell began to be revealed and published have in the world taken upon them the travell of furthering the Church not only by preaching but also by publike writings that the posteritie might from the Apostles even unto this time have manifest and certaine testimonies of the holy doctrine And we so embrace their writings as both the holy Scripture alloweth us to use mans authoritie and as themselves would have their writings acknowledged You my friends say that in the ancient Iob 12. is wisdome and in the length of daies is understanding but I say unto you that with him to wit with the Lord our God is wisdome and strength he hath councell and understanding And 1 Corinth 4. Let the Prophets speake two or three and let the rest iudge And Try all things and keepe that which is good 1 Thess 5. It is not lawfull for us to bring in any thing of our own Tertut Lib de scrip haeret head no not so much as to take that which any man hath brought in of his own head We have the Apostles of the Lord for Authors who chose nothing of their own heads which they might bring in but the discipline which they received of Christ they faithfully delivered to all nations And Augustine saith Neither Epist ad Fâ—â—â—unat Dist 8. ought we to esteeme of the writings of any men although they be Catholike and commendable persons as of the Canonicall Scriptures as though it were not lawfull yeelding them that reverence which is due unto such men to disallow and refuse something in their writings if perchance we finde that they have thought otherwise then the truth is understood either of others or of our selves through the gift of God Such am I in other mens writings In Proe in Lib. 3. de Trinie as I would have them construers of mine Againe Be thou not tyed to my writings as it were to the Canonicall Scriptures but in the Canonicall Scriptures that which thou didst not beleeve when thou hast found it beleeve it incontinently but in mine that which thou thoughtest to be undoubtedly true unlesse thou perceive it to be true indeed hold it not resolutely And againe I neither can nor ought to deny that as in those who have gone before Ad Vincent Lio. so also in so many slender works of mine there are many things which may with upright iudgement and no rashnesse be blamed And againe I have learned to give this reverence to In Epist aâ— Ierom. these Writers alone which are now called Canonicall Againe But I so read others that be they never so holy or never so learned I do not therefore thinke it true because they have so thought but because they could perswade me by other Author or by Canonicall or at least by probable reasons which disagree not from the truth And in another place Who knoweth not that holy Scripture De unico baptismo in Epist ad Vincent c. And Doe not brother against so many divine c. For these places are known even out of the Popes own Decree Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Art 1. ss 1. Whence Sermons are to be taken FIrst a controversie being raised amongst the learned about certaine Articles of Christian doctrine when as the people with us were dangerously divided by reason of contraâ—y preachings we charged our Preachers that they should henceforth broach nothing to the people in any Sermon which either is not taught in the Scriptures of God or hath not sure ground thereout as it was openly Decreed in the Assembly holden at Norimberge in the 22 yeere after the smaller account which moreover is also the opinion of all the holy Fathers For seeing Saint Paul
or vaine unmooveable rotten and dead pictures of all men whatsoever of which the Prophet spake truly They have eyes and see not c. Psal 115. Therefore we approove the judgement of Lactantius an ancient writer who saith Vndoubtedly there is no religion wheresoever there is a picture And we affirme that the blessed Bishop Epiphanius did well who finding on the Church doores a vaile that had painted in it the picture as it might be of Christ or of some other Saint he cut and tooke it away For that contrary to the authoritie of the Scriptures he had seene the picture of a man to hang in the Church of Christ and therefore he charged that from thence forth nosuch vailes which were contrary to our religion should be hanged up in the Church of Christ but that rather such scruple should be taken away which was unworthy the Church of Christ and all faithfull people Moreover we approove this sentence of S. Augustine Cap. 55. de ver a relig Let not the worship of mesn works be a religion unto us For the workmen themselves that make such things are better whom yet we ought not to worship Of the adoring worshipping and invocating of God through the onely Mediatour Jesus Christ CHAP. V. VVE teach men to adore and worship the true God alone this honour we impart to none according to the commandement of the Lord thou shalt adore the Lord thy God and Matth. 4. him alone shalt thou worship or him onely shalt thou serve Surely all the Prophets inveighed earnestly against the people of Israel whensoever they did adore and worship strange gods and not the one onely true God But we teach that God is to be adored and worshipped as himselfe hath taught us to worship him to weete in spirit and truth not with any superstition but with sinceritie Iohn 5. Isa 66. Ier. 7. Acts 17. according to his word lest at any time he also say unto us who hath required these things at your hands For Paul also saith God is not worshiped with mans hands as though he needed any thing c. We in all dangers and casualties of our life call on him alone and that by the mediation of the onely Mediatour and our intercessour Iesus Christ For it is expresly commanded us Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50. Moreover the Lord hath made a most large promise saying whatsoever ye shall aske of my Father he shall give it you And againe Iohn 16. Matth. 11. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavie laden and I will refresh you And seeing it is written How shall they call upon him in Rom. 10. whom they have not beleeved and we doe beleeve in God alone therefore we call upon him onely and that through Christ For there is one God saith the Apostle and one Mediatour betweene 1 Tim. 2. 1 Iohn 2. God and men Christ Iesus Againe If any man sinne we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous c. Therefore we doe neither adore worship nor pray unto the Saints in heaven or to other Gods neither doe we acknowledge them for our intercessours or Mediatours before the Father in heaven For God and the Mediatour Christ doe suffice us neither doe we impart unto others the honour due to God alone and to his Sonne because he hath plainly said I will not give my glory to another and Isa 42. Acts 4. because Peter hath said There is no other name given unto men whereby they must be saved but the name of Christ In which doubtlesse they that rest by faith doe not seeke any thing without Christ Yet for all that we doe neither despise the Saints nor thinke basely of them For we acknowledge them to be the lively members of Christ the friends of God who have gloriously overcome the flesh and the world We therefore love them as brethren and honour them also yet not with any worship but with an honourable opinion of them and to conclude with their just praises We also doe imitate them For we desire with most earnest affections and prayers to be followers of their faith and vertues to be partakers also with them of everlasting salvation to dwell together with them everlastingly with God and to rejoyce with them in Christ And in this point we approve that saying of Saint Augustine in his booke De verarelig Let not the worship of men departed be any religion unto us For if they have lived holily they are not so to be esteemed as that they seeke such honours but they will have us to worship him by whose illumination they reioyce that we are fellow servants as touching the reward They are therefore to be honoured for imitation not to be worshipped for religions sake c. And we much lesse beleeve that the reliques of Saints are to be adored or worshipped Those ancient holy men seemed sufficiently to have honoured their dead if they had honestly committed their bodies to the earth after that the soule was gone up into heaven and they thought that the most noble reliques of their ancestours were their vertues doctrine and faith which as they commended with the praise of the dead so they did endevour to expresse the same so long as they lived upon earth Those ancient men did not sweare by the name of the onely Iehova as it is commanded by the Law of God Therefore as we are forbidden To sweare by the name of strange Gods so we doe not sweare by Deut. 10. Exod. 23. Saints although we be requested thereunto We therefore in all these things doe reject that doctrine which giveth too much unto the Saints in heaven Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA VVE thus thinke of God that he is one in substance three in Artic. 6. persons and almightie Who as he hath by the word that is his Sonne made all things of nothing so by his spirit and providence he doth justly truely and most wisely governe preserve and cherish all things Who as he is the onely Mediatour intercessour and sacrifice Artic. 11. also our high Priest Lord and King so we acknowledge and with the whole heart beleeve that he alone is our attonement redemption satisfaction expiation wisedome protection and deliverance simply rejecting herein all meanes of life and salvation besides this Christ alone Out of the Confession of BASILL VVE beleeve in God the Father in God the Sonne in God Artic. 1. the holy Ghost the holy divine Trinitie three Persons and one eternall Almightie God in essence and substance and not three Gods And in the marginall note is added This is proved Artic. 10. by many places of the whole Scripture of the old and new Testament Therefore we mislike the worship and invocation of dead men the worshipping of Saints and setting up of Images with such like things And in
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
sigh and are sorry because that errours are established Therefore chiefly by the voyce of the Doctrine we may and ought to judge which and where the true Church is which by the voyce of the true doctrine and then by the lawfull use of the Sacraments is distinguished from other nations And what is the voice of the true doctrine the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and the Creeds doe declare In these the doctrine is not doubtfull touching the foundation to wit touching the Articles of faith the essence and will of God the Sonne the Redeemer the Law the Promises the use of the Sacraments and the ministery And it is manifest that it is not permitted to any creature not to Angels nor to men to change that doctrine which is delivered of God Now what the Church is the Sonne of God sheweth saying My kingdome is not of this world Also As my Father sent me so doe I send you By the voice of the Ministers of the Gospell an eternall Church is gathered to God and by this voice God is effectuall and turneth many to himselfe This exceeding great benefit of God we ought to acknowledge and thankfully to extoll And although the Church be a companie that may be seene and heard yet it is to be distinguished from Politicall Empires or those that beare the sword Bishops have not authoritie by the Law of God to punish the disobedient neither doe they possesse the kingdomes of the world and yet in the Church there is an order according to that saying He ascended he giveth gifts to Men Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers The Sonne of God is the high Priest anoynted of the eternall Father who that the Church might not utterly perish hath given unto it Ministers of the Gospell partly called immediatly by himselfe as the Prophets and Apostles partly chosen by the calling of men For he doth both allow of the choise of the Church and of his infinite goodnesse he is effectuall even when the Gospell doth sound by such as are chosen by voices or in the name of the Church Therefore we doe retaine in our Churches also the publique rite of Ordination whereby the ministerie of the Gospell is commended to those that are truely chosen whose manners and doctrine we doe first throughly examine And touching the worthinesse of the ministery we doe faithfully teach our Churches No greater thing can be spoken then that which the Sonne of God saith As my Father sent me so doe I send you He also declareth what commandements he giveth Preach ye the Gospell and he affirmeth that he will be effectuall by their voice as the Father sheweth himselfe to be effectuall by the Son Also we set before men the commandements of God He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Also Obey them that have the oversight of you And yet these sayings doe not erect a kingdome without the Gospel but they command an obedience which is due to the voice of the Gospel And these things pertaine to the ministery To teach the Gospell to administer the Sacraments to give Absolution to them that aske it and doe not persevere in manifest offences to ordaine Ministers of the Gospell being rightly called and examined to exercise the judgements of the Church after a lawfull manner upon those * Looke the 1. Observat upon this confession which are guiltie of manifest crimes in manners or in doctrine and to pronounce the sentence of excommunication against them that are stubborne and againe to absolve and pardon them that do repent That these things may be done orderly there be also Consistories appointed in our Churches We said in the description of the Church that there be many in this visible Church which be not holy who notwithstanding in outward profession doe imbrace the true Doctrine We condemne the Donatists who feigned that their ministerie is not effectuall which are not holy Also we condemne that Anabaptisticall filth which feigned that to be the visible Church wherein all are holy And we confesse that we are so to thinke of the visible Church in this life as our Lord saith Matth. 12. The kingdome of God is like unto a draw net cast into the sea wherein fishes are gathered both good and bad but yet they which become enemies to the true doctrine cease to be members of this visible congregation according to this saying If any man teach another Gospell let him be accursed Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of the chiefe Bishop THere be those that attribute this to the Bishop of Rome that he is the head of the Vniversall Church and that he hath power in earth not onely to ordaine civill kingdomes and to governe all Ecclesiasticall persons and matters but also to command the Angels in heaven to deliver souls out of Purgatorie and to blesse or deliver whom it pleaseth him But we acknowledge that if the Bishop of Rome were a godly man and did teach the Gospel of Christ according to the writings of the Prophets and Apostles then he had a ministery of high authoritie in this earth to wit a ministery of remitting and retaining sinnes then which ministerie there is nothing greater or more excellent in this earth But he alone hath not this ministerie but he hath it in common with all those who by a lawfull calling doe preach the Gospell of Christ For the ministerie of remitting or retaining sins which otherwise is called the Key of the kingdome of heaven is not given to the free power of the person of men but it is so neerely annexed to the word of the Gospell that so many as doe preach the Gospell may truly be said to remit and to retaine sins to wit to remit their sins who by faith do receive the Gospell to retaine theirs that doe contemne the Gospell Mar. 16. Preach the Gospell to every creature He that shall beleeve and be baptized shall be saved but he that will not beleeve shall be damned Hilarie De Trinit lib. 6. saith The Father revealed it to Peter that he should say thou art the Sonne of God Therefore upon this rocke of Confession is the Church builded this faith is the foundation of the Church whatsoever this faith shall loose or binde in earth shall be loosed or bound in heaven Chrysostome saith They which beare the keyes be the Priests to whom the word of teaching and interpreting the Scriptures is committed Now the key is the word of the knowledge of the Scriptures by which key the truth is opened to men Augustine De Doctr. Christ Lib. 1. Cap. 18. saith These keyes did he give to the Church that whatsoever it looseth in earth should be loosed in heaven to wit that whosoever would not beleeve that his sinnes are forgiven him in the Church they should not be forgiven to him but whosoever should beleeve and being corrected doth turne from his sins being placed in the lap of the Church should
by the same faith and correction be healed Ambrose saith Sinnes are remitted by the word whereof the Levite is the Interpreter or Expounder Bernard in Epist ad Eug. saith The true successour of Paul will say with Paul Not that we have dominion over your faith but we are helpers of your ioy The heires of Peter will heare Peter saying Not as though ye were Lords over Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke Thomas in Summa sua parte 3. in addit q. 6. art 6. saith Because the Church is founded upon Faith and the Sacraments therefore it doth not pertaine to the Ministers of the Church to make new Articles of Faith or to set apart those which are made neither to appoint new Sacraments or to take away those which are appointed but this is proper to that excellencie of power which is due to Christ alone who is the foundation of the Church And therefore as the Pope cannot dispense that any one may be saved without Baptisme so cannot he not dispense with any to be saved without confession because that he bindeth by force of a Sacrament And although Thomas have his opinions touching confession yet this which he saith It doth not pertaine to the Ministers of the Church among whom he reckoneth the Pope to make new Articles of Faith and to appoint new Sacraments is indeed an Apostolike and Catholike judgement For no other ministerie doth pertaine to the Ministers of the Church which have their calling from Christ then that which we mentioned before and which the Apostles of Christ themselves did execute touching the remitting and retaining of sins Therefore if any thing more then this ministerie be attributed to the Bishop of Rome this is either given unto him by mans ordinances or else it is feigned by the Monks and other flatterers against the authoritie of the word of God Of the Church VVE beleeve and confesse that there is one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church according to the Creed of the Artic. 32. Apostles and the Nicene Creed 2. That this Church is so governed of the holy Ghost that although he suffer it to be weake in this earth yet he doth alwayes preserve it that it doe not perish either by errours or by sins 3. That in this world many naughtie men and hypocrites are mingled with this Church 4. That these naughtie men and hypocrites if by a lawfull calling they shall take upon them the ministerie of the Church shall not of themselves any whit hinder the truth of the Sacraments except they pervert the ordinance of Christ and teach wicked things 5. That in this Church there is true remission of sins 6. That this Church * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confess hath authoritie to beare witnesse of the holy Scripture 7. That this Church hath authoritie * to judge of all doctrines according to that Try the spirits whether they be of God And Let the other iudge 8. That this Church hath authoritie * Looke the 2. observation to interpret the Scripture But where this Church is to be sought and whether her authoritie be limited within certaine bounds divers men doe judge diversly But we thinke that men are to judge by the authoritie both of the holy Scripture and also of the ancient Fathers that the true Catholike and Apostolike Church is not tied to one certaine place or nation nor to one certaine kinde of men but that it is in that place or nation where the Gospell of Christ is sincerely preached and his Sacraments rightly administred according to Christ his institution Ioh. 10. I have said ye are Gods He called them Gods unto whom the word of God was given c. Therefore there is the people or Church of God where the word of God is preached Joh. 15. Now you are cleane through the word which I have spoken to you Therefore the word of Christ which is the Gospell doth declare where that Church is which is cleane in the sight of God Romanes 1. The Gospell is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth Therefore where the Gospell is which is acknowledged by faith there God hath his Church wherein he is effectuall unto eternall life Chrysostome in his Commentaries upon Matthew Cap. 24 Hom. 49. saith Therefore at this time all Christians must goe to the Scriptures because that at this time since heresie possessed those Churches there can be no triall of true Christianitie neither can there be any other refuge for Christians that would willingly know the truth of faith but onely the Divine Scriptures And a little after Therefore he that will know which is the true Church of Christ whence may he know it but onely by the Scriptures Augustine Tom. 2. Epist 166. saith In the Scriptures we have learned Christ in the Scriptures we have learned to know the Church these Scriptures we have in common why doe we not in them retaine in common both Christ and the Church And againe Tom. 7. in Epist contra Epist Petiliani Donatistae cap. 2. 3. 4. It is a question betweene us and the Donatists where the Church is What then shall we doe shall we seeke the Church in our own words or in the words of her Head in our Lord Iesus Christ I thinke that we ought to seeke it rather in his words who is the truth and doth best of all know his body Now that which is affirmed that the Church hath authoritie to beare witnesse of the holy Scripture to interpret the Scripture and to judge of all doctrines it is not so to be understood that the Church hath absolute authoritie to determine what she listeth and also if it please her to change the Scripture and to feigne a new doctrine and to appoint new worships of God but that the Church as the Spouse of Christ ought to know the voice of her husband and that she hath received of her husband a certain rule to wit the Propheticall and Apostolicall preaching confirmed by miracles from heaven according to the which she is bound to interpret those places of the Scripture which seeme to be obscure and to judge of doctrines Psal 119. Thy word is a light unto my feete Rom. 3. Having gifts that be divers according to the grace that is given unto us whether we have prophecy according to the proportion of Faith c. 2 Pet. 1. We have a more sure word of the Prophets to the which ye do well that ye take heede as unto a light that shineth in a darke place c. Origen upon lerem Hom. 1. It is necessary for us to call the holy Scriptures to witnes for our meanings and interpretations have no credit without these witnesses Ierome upon Matth. 23. That which is spoken without authority of the Scriptures is as easily contemned as it is spoken And August De Nupt. Concup Lib. 2. Cap. 23. saith This controversie seeketh a Iudge Therefore let Christ
honesty of life according to that Apostolike rule which Saint Paul giveth in the 1 to Timothy 3. cap. and 1 to Titus And those which are chosen let them be ordained of the Elders with publike prayer and laying on of hands We doe here therefore condemne all those which runne of their own accord being neither chosen sent nor ordained We doe also utterly disallow unfit Ministers and such as are not furnished with gifts requisite for a Pastor In the meane time we are not ignorant that the innocent simplicitie of certaine Pastours in the Primitive Church did sometimes more profit the Church then the manifold exquisite and nice learning of other some that were over loftie and high minded And for this cause we also at this day doe not reject the honest simplicitie of certaine men which yet is not destitute of all knowledge and learning The Apostles of Christ doe terme all those which beleeve in Christ Priests but not in regard of their ministerie but because Exod. 19. 2 Pet. 1. Apoc. 1. that all the faithfull being made Kings and Priests by Christ may offer vp spirituall sacrifices unto God The ministerie then and Priesthood are things farre different one from the other For Priesthood as we said even now is common to all Christians so is not the ministerie And we have not taken away the ministery from the Church because we have thrust the Popish priesthood out of the Church of Christ For surely in the new covenant of Christ there is no longer any such priesthood as was in the ancient Church of the Iewes which had an externall anointing holy Heb. 4. garments and very many ceremonies which were figures and tipes of Christ who by his coming fulfilled and abolished them And he himselfe remaineth the onely Priest for ever and we doe not communicate the name of Priest to any of the ministers lest we should detract any thing from Christ For the Lord himselfe hath not appointed in the Church any priests of the new Testament who having received authoritie from the Suffragane may offer up the hoste every day that is the very flesh and the very blood of our Saviour for the quicke and the dead but Ministers which may teach and administer the Sacraments Paul declaring plainly and shortly what we are to thinke of the Ministers of the New Testament or of the Church of Christ and what we must attribute unto them Let a man saith he thus account of us as of 1 Cor. 4. the Ministers of Christ and dispensers of the mysteries of God So that the Apostle his minde is that we should esteeme of Ministers as of Ministers Now the Apostle calleth them as it were underrowers which should onely have an eye unto their master and chiefe governour and be as men that live not to themselves nor according to their owne will but unto others to wit their Masters at whose commandement and becke they ought to be For the Minister of the Church is commanded wholly and in all parts of his dutie not to please himselfe but to execute that onely which he hath received in commandment from his Lord. And in this same place it is expresly declared who is our Master even Christ to whom the Ministers are in subjection in all the functions of their ministerie And to the end that he might the more fully declare their ministerie he addeth further that the ministers of the Church are stewards and dispensers of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4. Now the mysteries of God Paul in many places and especially in the third to the Ephes doth call the Gospel of Christ And the Sacraments of Christ are also called mysteries of the ancient Writers Therefore for this purpose are the ministers called namely to preach the Gospel of Christ unto the faithfull and to administer the Sacraments We reade also in another place in the Gospel of the faithfull and wise servant that his Lord set him over his family Luk. 12. to give foode unto it in due season Againe in an other place of the Gospel a man goeth into a strange countrey and leaving his house giveth unto his servants authoritie therein committeth to them his substance and appointeth every man his worke This is now a fit place to speake somewhat also of the power and office of the ministers of the Church And concerning their power some have entreated and disputed overbusily and would bring all things even the very greatest under their jurisdiction and Luc. 22. Mat. 18. that against the commandement of God who forbad unto his all dominion and highly commendeth humilitie indeed there is one kinde of power which is a meere and absolute power called the power of right According to this power all things in the whole world are subject unto Christ who is Lord of all even as he himselfe witnesseth saying All power is given unto me in heaven Matth. 28 21. Apoc. 23 and 22. and in earth And againe I am the first and the last and behold I live for ever and I have the keies of hell and of death Again He hath the key of David which openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and no man openeth This power the Lord reserveth to himselfe and doth not transfer it to any other that he might sit idle by and look on his ministers while they wrought For Isaiah saith I will put the keie of the house of David upon his shoulder And again Whose government shall be upon his shoulders For he doth not lay the government on other mens shoulders but doth stil keep and use his own power thereby governing all things Furthermore there is another power of duty or ministeriall power limited out by him who hath full and absolute power and authority And this is more like a ministry then dominion For we see that some master doth give unto the steward of his house authoritie and power over his house and for that cause delivereth him his keies that he may admit or exclude such as his Master will have admitted or excluded According to this power doth the minister by his office that which the Lord hath commanded him to do and the Lord doth ratifie and confirme that which he doth and will have the deeds of his ministers to be acknowledged and esteemed as his own deeds unto which end are those speeches in the Gospel I will give unto thee the Mâ—th 16. keies of the Kingdome of heaven and whatsoever thou bindest or loosest in earth shall be bound and loosed in heaven Againe Whose sinnes soever ye remit they shall be remitted and whose sinnes soever Iohn 20. ye retaine the shall be retained But if the Minister deale not in all things as his Lord hath commanded him but but passe the limits and bounds of faith then the Lord doth make voyde that which he doth Wherefore the Ecclesiasticall power of the ministers of the Church is that function whereby they doe indeed governe the Church of God but
they be incurable For if they once be false teachers they are in no wise to be tollerated neither doe we disallow of generall councels if that they be taken up according to the example of the Apostles to the salvation of the Church and not to the destruction thereof The faithfull Ministers also are worthy as good workemen of their reward neither doe they offend when as they receive a stipend and all things that be necessary for themselves and their family For the Apostle sheweth that these things are for just cause offered of the Church and received of the Ministers they are likewise of right 1 Cor. 9. and 1 Tim. 5. and in other places also The Anabaptists likewise are confuted by this Apostolicall doctrine who condemne and raile upon those ministers which live upon the ministerie Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA Of the Ministerie of the Word VVE confesse that the Ministers of the Church are as Paul Artic. 15. termeth them the fellow labourers of God by whom he doth dispense both the knowledge of himselfe and also remission of sinnes turne men to himselfe raise them up comfort them and also terrifie and judge them yet so that notwithstanding we doe ascribe all the vertue and efficacie that is in them unto the Lord and give a ministerie onely to the Ministers For it is certaine that this vertue and efficacie is not to be tied to any creature at all but is to be dispensed by the free favour of God in what manner and to whom it pleaseth him For he that watereth is nothing neither he that planteth but God that giveth the increase Ecclesiasticall power NOw the authoritie of the Word and feeding the flock of the Artic. 16. Lord which properly is the power of the keyes prescribing * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession to all as well high as low what to doe ought to be sacred and inviolable and is to be committed onely to those that are chosen and fit to discharge it and that either by the divine service of God or by the certaine and advised suffrage of the Church or by their sentence to whom the Church hath assigned this charge The choosing of Ministers FOr this function is to be given to none whom the Ministers Artic 17. and they to whom this charge is committed by the Church doe not finde and judge to be skilfull in the law of God to be of a blamelesse life and to beare a singular affection to the name of Christ which seeing it is the true election of God is rightly allowed by the consent of the Church * Looke the 2. observation upon this confession and by the laying on of the hands of the Priest The head and shepheard of the Church FOr Christ himselfe is the true head of his Church and he alone Artic. 18. is the Shepheard who giveth governours Pastours and Doctors that by the outward administration of the keies they may rightly and lawfully use that authoritie Wherefore we doe not acknowledge that those are Shepheards and that head of Rome which have the bare title and nothing else The duties of Ministers THe chiefe dutie of this function is to preach repentance and Artic. 19. remission of sinnes through Christ without ceasing to pray for the people to give themselves very diligently without wearinesse to holy studies and to the word of God and with the word of God as with the sword of the spirit and by all kinde of meanes to persecute Satan with deadly hatred and to weaken his force to defend those Citizens of Christ which are sound and to admonish reprehend and punish those that are infected and by a godly consent of them which are chosen out of the ministers and the magistrates by discipline to shut out or by some other fit meanes to mulct those which proceed further in wickednesse till such time as they doe repent and may be saved For that is the returning to the Church for a diseased Citizen of Christ if having changed his minde and endevour whereunto all this discipline doth tend hee acknowledge and confesse his errour and doth now of his owne accord require holesome discipline and by his new endeavour of godlinesse doth rejoyce all the godly Out of the declaration of the same Confession which Luther himselfe approved by his letters Anno 1537. VVE beleeve and confesse that mankinde by the onely mercy of God is justified by faith through Christ and that the Almightie God by the outward preaching of the Gospel and the holy seales doth declare and set before our eyes that salvation and happinesse which Christ without any worke or merit of ours hath purchased for us and given freely unto us But we are unjustly suspected of some as though we did attribute nothing to the preaching of the outward word and to the Sacraments or as though we did take that from them which the Lord himselfe doth attribute unto them and by this meanes should overthrow and abolish the ordering and guiding of those things which pertaine to the Church whereas on the contrary side wee have a chiefe regard unto this that we neither attribute too much nor too little to these things For we have learned both out of the holy Scriptures and also out of the Catholike Doctor Austin That the soule is in miserable servitude if any man take or worship the signes instead of the things which they signifie And againe That is an errour if any man interpret them unfruitfully We have learned also that the externall gifts are not to be despised because of the internall gifts knowing that Cornelius the Centurion was taught of God and that yet notwithstanding he was put over to heare Peter the Apostle preach and to be baptised of him Therefore that we may walke in the high and plain way that is that we may detract nothing from the Word and Sacraments which the Scripture doth attribute unto them and againe that we may not give that to the creature which is proper to the Creator and that the ordinance of God may not be disanulled but all glory may be given to God alone to conclude lest that by those externall things instituted of God we should too much tie the mindes of the faithfull to things created wee so beleeve touching the Ministerie of the Word and the Sacraments as we have professed which thing also wee do thus declare by that which followeth Of the ministery of the Word of God ALthough the Lord hath expresly said No man cometh to me except my Father which sent me doe draw him Yet it was his will that the Gospel of the kingdome should be preached to all nations and that Bishops should discharge this dutie of the Ministery with great care and diligence and with speciall watchfulnesse and be instant in season and out of season and by all means to gaine many unto Christ For therefore when he was ready to depart hence into heaven in his
ordinary and lawfull discipline of the Church to be brought into the way againe and to be chastised but if he will not repent nor be healed then he ought first to be remooved from the executing of his charge and from the ministerie and afterward as an unprofitable servant as a member which causeth offence a dry branch and unsavoury salt to be cast out or banished from the fellowship of the Church and injoying of salvation of whom the Lord saith that this salt is henceforth good for nothing that which Matth. 5. Joh. 15. Matth. 5. 1 Tim. 5. Paul also teacheth when he saith Those that offend meaning those that are Elders reproove or chastise before all men that the rest also may stand in feare But the people ought so to behave themselves toward such Teachers either growne out of kinde or entangled with errors or toward other Elders also not repenting and excommunicated as the holy Scripture sheweth and first Christ saith Take ye heed of false Prophets which come to you in Matth. 7. sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening woolves ye shall know them by their fruits and Paul Now I beseech you brethren marke Rom. 16. those diligently which cause division and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoyd them for they that are such serve not our Lord Iesu Christ but their own bellies Of the Keyes of Christ CHAP. 14. THE fourteenth Chapter of Ecclesiasticall doctrine is of the Lords Keyes of which he saith to Peter I will give thee the Matth. 16. Keyes of the kingdome of heaven and these Keyes are the peculiar Function or Ministerie and administration of Christ his power and his holy Spirit which power is committed to the Church of Christ and to the Ministers thereof unto the end of the world that they should not onely by preaching publish the holy Gospell although they should doe this especially that is should shew forth that word of true comfort and the joyfull message of peace and new tidings of that favour which God offereth but also that to the beleeving and unbeleeving they should publikely or privately denounce and make knowne to wit to them his favour to these his wrath and that to all in generall or to every one in particular that they may wisely receive some into the house of God to the communion of Saints and drive some out from thence and may so through the performance of their ministerie hold in their hand the Scepter of Christ his kingdome and use the same to the government of Christ his sheepe Therefore the condition and proper office of the Keyes is first first to open and loose that is in Christ to appease and still the conscience of the faithfull ones and of those that turne againe by repentance to make it knowne unto them that their sins be forgiven and to strengthen them in a sure hope of salvation and by this means to open the kingdome of heaven unto them to give them courage against all temptations and to stirre upstedfastnesse and cheerefulnesse in them And all these things are done by the faithfull Shepheards of souls in the Lords stead not doing this of themselves but upon Christ his commandement not by their own and proper vertue but by Christs and by the efficacie of his Word and Sacraments as those that are Stewards and Dispensers of the mysteries of God and Ministers onely In the administration of which things they may use some seemely and indifferent ceremonies that is which are no way necessary such as are * Looke the 6. observation 1 Cor. 4. 2 Cor. 3. 5. to lay on hands or to reach out the right hand or else they may omit them On the other side the office and proper worke of the Keyes of Christ is to shut and binde that is by the commandement of Christ and the authoritie of this office given by him to the Church which is his power and scepten to denounce against all stubborne impenitent unbeleeving and other such like sinners Gods horrible judgement and his intollerable wrath which no nature carrabide and his severe sentence and so by the word of Christ according to the qualitie of the offence to reproove sinne to sever them from the fellowship of Christ our Saviour and from the fruit and participation of the Sacraments and to cast them out of the Christian Church and in a word to shut the kingdome of heaven upon them and at the length to deliver them to Sathan This power of his Scepter and spirit hath the Lord granted and delivered to the holy Apostles and in them to all Ministers of Churches lawfully ordained that they might exercise in hisstead and he granted it to them by these words As the Father hath John 20. sent me so doe I send you also And by and by he addeth these words Receive ye the holy Ghost If ye forgive any men their sins they are forgiven them and if ye retaine any mans sins they are retained Moreover a manifest example of using the power of the Keyes is layed out in that sinner of Corinth and others whom St. Paul together with the Church of that place by the power and 1 Cor. 5. authoritie of our Lord Iesu Christ and of his spirit threw out from thence and delivered to Sathan and contrariwise after that God gave him grace to repent he absolved him from his sins he tooke him againe into the Church to the communion of Saints and Sacraments 2 Cor. 2. and so opened to him the kingdome of heaven againe By this we may understand that these Keyes or this Divine Function of the Lords is committed and granted to those that have charge of souls and * Looke the 7. observation to each severall Ecclesiasticall Societies whether they be small or great Of which thing the Lord saith to the Churches Verily I say unto you whatsoever things ye binde on earth Matth. 18. shall be bound in heaven And straight after For where two or three be gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Moreover this is likewise taught * Look the 8. Observation that every Christian so often as he needeth these Keyes of the Lord ought to require them particularly for himself of the Pastors of souls of that Church or fellowship of which himselfe is a part and to which he belongeth and that he use them with full confidence no otherwise then if he received them of Christ himselfe seeing that Christ hath delivered them unto the Pastours and that he by no meanes doubt that by the ministerie of these keyes through the vertue and power of Christ his sins are forgiven him and that he is freed from them according John 20. Luke 10. Matth. 10. John 13. to Christ his own saying whose sins you forgive c. And He that heareth you heareth me and he that receiveth you in the behalfe to wit of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and
in his time of need receiveth me and contrarily He that despiseth you despiseth me This is also taught and handled * Looke the 9. Observation that the Priests ought not to use these keyes of the Lord otherwise then according to the meaning and will of Christ which is declared expressely in his word and according to the sure flat and expresse determinations of his judgement and that they doe not any manner of way according to mens opinions much lesse after their own minde or lust abuse these keyes for so it would come to passe that the keyes should swarve from their office And this is to be taken heed of that it be not by this meanes fulfilled in the misusing of them which the Lord hath said by the Prophet For you saith be is this Malac. 2. commandement O ye Priests if you will not heare it nor consider it in your hearts to give glory to my name saith the Lord of Hrasts I will send a curse upon you and will curse your blessings as I have cursed them already because you regard not in your hearts the feare of the Lord. Out of the FRENCH Confession SEeing that we are not made partakers of Christ but by the Artic. 25. Gospell we beleeve that that good order which by the authoritie of the Gospell is confirmed ought to be kept sacred and inviolablâ— and that therefore Pastours are necessarily required in the Church upon whose shoulders the burden of teaching the word and administring of the Sacraments doth lie whom also we ought to honour and reverently to heare if so be that they being lawfully called doe discharge their dutie not as though God did stand in need of such stayes and inferiour helps but therefore rather because that so it seemeth good to him to governe us as it were by using this bridle Therefore we detest all those fanaticall spirits who as much as in them lyeth desire that both this sacred ministerie or preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments were utterly abolished We beleeve that this true Church ought to be governed by that Artic. 29. regiment or discipline which our Lord Iesus Christ hath established to wit so that there be in it Pastours Elders and Deacons that the puritie of Doctrine may be retained vices repressed the poore and others that be in miserie according to their necessitie may be provided for and that there may be holy meetings for the edifying both of small and great We beleeve that all true Pastours in what place soever they be Artic 30. placed have the same and equall authoritie among themselves given unto them under Iesus Christ the onely head and the chiefe and alone universall Bishop and that therefore it is not lawfull for any Church to challenge unto it selfe Dominion or Soveraigntie over any other Church We beleeve that it is not lawfull for any man upon his owne Artic. 31. authoritie to take upon him the government of the Church but that every one ought to be admitted thereunto by a lawfull election so neere as may be and so long as the Lord giveth leave And this exception we doe expressely adde because that sometime as it fell our also in our daies the state of the Church being disturbed it was necessary that some should be raised up of the Lord extraordinarily which should repaire the ruines of the decayed Church Neverthelesse howsoever it be we beleeve that this rule is alwaies to be followed that all Pastours and Elders should have a testimonie of their calling Out of the ENGLISH Confession FVrthermore we beleeve that there be divers degrees of Ministers in the Church whereof some be Deacons some Artic. 5. Priests some Bishops to whom is committed the office to instruct the people and the whole charge and setting forth of Religion Yet notwithstanding we say that there neither is nor can be any one man which may have the whole superioritie in this universall state for that Christ is ever present to assist his Church and needeth not any man to supply his roome as his onely heire to all his substance and that there can be no one mortall creature which is able to comprehend or conceive in his minde the Vniversall Church that is to wit all the parts of the world much lesse able rightly and duely to put them in order and to governe them For all the Apostles as Cyprian saith were of like power among themselves and the rest were the same that Peter was And that it was said indifferently to them all Feedye indifferently to them all Goe into the whole world Indifferently to them all Teach ye the Gospell And as Hierome saith All Bishops wheresoever they be be they at Rome be they at Eugubium be they at Constantinople be they at Rhegium be all of like preeminence and of like Priesthood And as Cyprian saith There is but one Bishopricke and a peece thereof is perfitly and wholly holden of every particular Bishop And according to the judgement of the Nicene Councell we say that the Bishop of Rome hath no more jurisdiction over the Church of God then the rest of the Patriarks either of Alexandria or of Antioch have And as for the Bishop of Rome who now calleth all matters before himselfe alone except he doe his dutie as he ought to do except he minister the Sacrament except he instruct the people except he warne them and teach them we say that he ought not of right once to be called a Bishop or so much as an Elder For a Bishop as saith Austine is a name of labour and not of honour that the man that seeketh to have preeminence and not to profit may understand himselfe to be no Bishop And that neither the Pope nor any other worldly creature can no more be head of the whole Church or a Bishop over all then he can be the Bridegroome the light the salvation and life of the Church For these priviledges and names belong onely to Christ and be properly and onely fit for him alone And that no Bishop of Rome did ever suffer himselfe to be called by such a proud name and title before Phocas the Emperours time who as we know by killing his owne Soveraigne Mauritius the Emperour did by a trayterous villany aspire to the Empire Which was about the sixth hundred and thirteenth yeere after Christ was borne Also the Councell of Carthage did circumspectly provide that no Bishop should be called either the highest Bishop or chiefe Priest And therefore sithence the Bishop of Rome will now adaies so be called and challengeth unto himselfe an authoritie that is none of his besides that he doth plainly contrary to the ancient Councels and contrary to the old Fathers We beleeve that he doth give to himselfe as it is written by his own companion Gregory A presumptuous a prophane a sacrilegious and an antichristian name that he is also the King of pride that he is * Looke the 1.
Observat upon this confession Artic. 6. Lucifer which preferreth himselfe before his Brethren that he hath forsaken the faith and is the forerunner of Antichrist Further we say that the Minister ought lawfully duely and orderly to be preferred to that office of the Church of God and that no man hath power to wrest himselfe into the holy Ministerie at his owne pleasure Wherefore these persons doe us the greater wrong which have nothing so common in their mouthes as that we doe nothing orderly and comely but all things troublesomely and without order And that we allow every man to be a Priest to be a Teacher and to be an Interpreter of the Scriptures Moreover we say that Christ hath given to his Ministers power Artic. 7. to binde to loose to open to shut And we say that the office of loosing consisteth in this point that the Minister either by the preaching of the Gospell offereth the merits of Christ and full pardon to such as have lowly and contrite hearts and doe unfainedly repent themselves pronouncing unto the same a sure and an undoubted forgivenesse of their sins and hope of everlasting salvation Or else that the same Minister when any have offended their brothers mindes with some great offence or notable and open crime whereby they have as it were banished and made themselves strangers from the common followship and from the body of Christ then after perfit amendment of such persons doth reconcile them and bring them home againe and restore them to the companie and unitie of the faithfull We say also that the Minister doth execute the authoritie of binding and shutting as often as he shutteth up the gate of the kingdome of heaven against unbeleeving and stubborne persons denouncing unto them Gods vengeance and everlasting punishment Or else when he doth quite shut them out from the bosome of the Church * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession by open excommunication Out of doubt what sentence soever the Minister of God shall give in this sort God himselfe doth so well allow it that whatsoever here in earth by their means is loosed and bound God himselfe will loose and binde and confirme the same in heaven And touching the Keyes wherewith they may either shut or open the kingdome of heaven we with Chrysostome say They be the knowledge of the Scriptures with Tertullian we say They be the interpretation of the Law and with Eusebius we call them the word of God Moreover that Christs Disciples did receive this authoritie not that they should heare the private confessions of the people and listen to their whisperings as the common massing Priests doe every where now a dayes and doe it so as though in that one point lay all the vertue and use of the Keyes but to the end they should goe they should teach they should publish abroad the Gospell and be unto the beleeving a sweet savour of life unto life and unto the unbeleeving and unfaithfull * Looke the 2. observation upon this confession a savour of death unto death and that the mindes of godly persons being broght low by the remorse of their former life and errours after they once begun to looke up unto the light of the Gospel and beleeve in Christ might be opened with the word of God even as a doore is opened with a Key Contrariwise that the wicked and wilfull and such as would not beleeve nor returne into the right way should be left still as fast locked and shut up and as Saint Paul saith waxe worse 2 Tim. 3. and worse This take we to be the meaning of the Keys and that after this sort mens consciences be either opened or shut We say that the Priest in deed is a judge in this case But yet hath no manner of right to challenge an authoritie or power as Ambrose * Looke the 3. Observavation saith And therefore our Saviour Iesus Christ to reproove the negligence of the Scribes and Pharisees in teaching did with these words rebuke them saying Woe be unto you Scribes and Luk. 11. Matth. 21. Pharisees which have taken away the Keyes of knowledge and have shut up the kingdome of heaven before men Seeing then the Key whereby the way and entry to the kingdome of God is opened unto us is the word of the Gospel and the expounding of the Law and Scriptures we say plainly where the same word is not there is not the Key And seeing one manner of word is given Matth. 16. to all and one onely key belongeth to all we say there is but one onely power of all Ministers as concerning opening and shutting And as * Looke the 4. Observat upon this confession touching the Bishop of Rome for all that his flattering Parasites sing these words in his eares To thee will I give the keyes of the kingdome of heaven as though these keyes were sit for him alone and for no body else * Looke the 4. Observat upon this confession except he goe so to worke as mens consciences may be made pliant and be subdued to the word of God we deny that he doth either open or shut or hath the keyes at all And although he taught and instructed the people as would God he might ofice truely doe and perswade himselfe it were at the least any piece of his dutie yet we thinke his key to be never a whit better or of greater force then other mens For who hath severed him from the rest Who hath taught him more cunningly to open or better to absolve then his brethren Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve that this Church ought to be ruled and governed Artic. 30. by that spirituall regiment which God himselfe hath delivered in his word so that there be placed in it Pastours and Ministers purely to preach and rightly to administer the holy Sacraments that there be also in it Seniours and Deacons of whom the Senate of Church might consist that by these means true Religion might be preserved and sincere doctrine in every place place retained and spread abroad that vicious and wicked men might after a spirituall manner be rebuked amended and as it were by the bridle of discipline kept within their compasse that the poore is like manner and those that be afflicted may be releeved either with aide or comfort according to the severall necessitie of every one For then shall all things in the Church be done in due and convenient order when faithfull and godly men are chosen to have the government of the same even as St. Paul hath prescribed in the first to Timothie the 3. and the first to Titus We beleeve that the Ministers Senours and Deacons ought Artic. 31. to be called to those their functions and by the lawfull election of the Church to be advanced into those roomes earnest prayer being made unto God and after the order and manner which is set downe unto us
in the word of God This especially every one ought to take diligent heed of that he doe not by unlawfull means thrust himselfe into those offices For every one must waite untill he be called of God himselfe that he may have a certaine testimonie of his vocation and may know that it is from the Lord. Yet in what place of the world soever the Ministers of the word of God doe keep they have all of them the same and equall power and authoritie being all of them equally the Ministers of Christ the onely universall Bishop and head of the Church Moreover lest that this holy ordinance of God be despised and brought into contempt it is the dutie of all men to have a very honourable and reverent opinion of all the Ministers of the Word and Seniours of the Church even for that works sake wherein they doe labour also to be at peace and unitie with them and as much as possibly may be to abstaine from all manner of quarrellings and contentions one with another Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE COncerning Ecclesiasticall Orders they teach that no man Artic. 14. should publiquely in the Church teach or Minister the Sacraments except he be rightly called according as Saint Paul giveth commandement to Titus To ordaine Elders in every Citie Out of the Articles concerning abuses Of the power Ecclesiasticall THere have been great controversies touching the power and Artic. 7. authoritie of Bishops in which many have incommodiously mingled together the Ecclesiasticall power and the power of the sword And out of this confusion there hath sprung very great wars and tumults while that the Popes bearing themselves bold upon the power of the keyes have not only appointed new kindes of worship and service of God and burdened mens consciences by reserving of cases and by violent excommunications but also have laboured to transferre worldly kingdomes from one to another and to spoile Emperours of their power and authoritie These faults did godly and learned men long since reprehend in the Church and for that cause our Divines were faine for the comfort of mens consciences to shew the difference betweene the Ecclesiasticall and civill powers And they have taught that either of them because of Gods commandement is dutifully to be reverenced and honoured as the chiefest blessings of God upon earth Now their judgement is this that the power of the keyes or the power of the Bishops by the rule of the Gospel is a power or commandement from God of preaching the Gospel of remitting or retaining sins and of administring the Sacraments For Christ doth send his Apostles with this charge As the Father hath sent me so send I you Receive ye the holy Ghost whose sins ye forgive they are forgiven them and whose sins ye retaine they are retained Mar. 16. Go and preach the Gospel to every creature c. This power is put in execution onely by teaching or preaching the Gospel and administring the Sacraments either to many joyntly or to severall persons according to their calling For they be not corporall things but eternall that are granted unto us as an eternall righteousnesse the holy Ghost life everlasting These things cannot be gotten but by the ministerie of the Word and Sacraments As Paul saith The Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth Seeing then that the power Ecclesiasticall concerneth things eternall and is put in use onely by the ministery of the word it hindreth not the politicall government * Looke the 1. observation no more then doth the * skill of musicke or singing For the civill government is occupied about other matters then is the Gospel * Looke the 2. observation the Magistrate is to defend not the mindes but the bodies and bodily things against manifest injuries he restraineth men by the sword and corporall punishment that he may uphold peace and a civill justice Wherefore the Ecclesiasticall and civill powers are not to be confounded The Ecclesiasticall power hath a peculiar commandement to preach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments Let it not by force enter into another charge let it not turne worldly kingdomes from the right owners Let it not abrogate the Magistrates laws let it not withdraw from them lawfull obedience let it not hinder judgements touching any civill ordinances and statutes or contracts let it not prescribe lawes to the magistrate touching the forme of a common-wealth as Christ saith My kingdome is not of this world Againe Who made me a iudge over you And Paul to the Philip. 3. Our conversation is in heaven 2 Cor. 10. The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty in God to throw downe the imaginations c. Thus doe our Divines discerne and distinguish the duties of each power one from the other and doe warne all men to honour both powers and to acknowledge both to be the good gift and blessing of God * Looke the 3. observation upon this confession If so be that the Bishops have any power of the sword they have it not as Bishops by the commandement of the Gospell but by mans law given unto them of Kings and Emperours for the civill government of their goods Yet this is a kind of function and charge diverse from the ministery of the Gospell Therefore when as the question is touching the jurisdiction of Bishops rule and dominion must be distinguished from Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction Againe by the Gospell or as they tearme it by Gods law Bishops as they be Bishops that is such as have the administration of the word and Sacraments committed to them have no jurisdiction at all but onely to forgive sinne also to know what is true doctrine and to reject such doctrine as will not stand with the Gospell and * Looke the 4. Observation to debarre from the communion of the Church such as are notoriously wicked not by humane force and violence but by the word of God And * herein of necessity the Churches ought by the law of God to perform obedience unto them according to the saying of Christ he that heareth you heareth me But when as they teach or determine any thing contrary to the Gospell then have the Churches a commandement of God which forbiddeth obedience to them Matt. 7. Beware of false Prophets Gal. 1. If an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel let him be accursed 2 Cor. 13. We cannot doe any thing against the truth but for the truth Also This power is given us to edifie and not to destroy So doe the Canons command 2. quaest 7. Cap. Sacerdotes Cap. Oves And Augustine in his Treatise against Petilians Epistle saith Neither must we subscribe to Catholike Bishops if they chance to erre or hold opinion which be against the Scriptures If so be * Looke the 6 Observat that they have any other power or jurisdiction in hearing and understanding certaiâ—â— cases as namely of Matrimony and
obedience is most necessary in such things as belong properly to this ministery ordained of God For these sayings do not allot unto Bishops a kingdome without the Gospell Christ gave them certaine commandements and those he will have us obey Againe he forbad that any new found worship should be set up in the Church and such he will not have us yeeld unto There are certaine bonds and limits prefixed within which both the Pastours authority and our obedience must containe it selfe But these limites do those Bishops most malapertly remove who proudly challenge to themselves a triple power whereby they establish most pernicious errours to wit a Princely and supream power of interpreting the Scriptures Secondly a power of erecting new worship and service of God Thirdly a soveraigne power of making new lawes And thus they trans forme the Church into an humane government They imagine forsooth that as the Prince or highest Iudge in a Realme is to interpret the law and as the Prince hath power to make new lawes so the Bishops must have a power in the Church not unlike that And they cannot abide that the Church should be governed by the dumbe writings as they call them of the Prophets and Apostles which because sometime they scarse make the matter plaine enough which they do set down the ambiguity breedeth dissentions and discords Here therefore there must needs be say they a definitive voice of some soveraigne or high Iudge to interpret that which is ambiguous and doubtfully written And except all be tied to stand to their interpretation there will be no end of strife and controversies Againe unlesse they may according as times and occasions require make lawes what a disorder would there follow These things are set out with bigge words and they carry a shew of probability in them because they are in imitation of the civill government And surely such conceits as these have in all ages from the beginning of the world hurt the Church greatly and still will hurt it The godly are therefore to be admonished that they be not overtaken with these subtilties sleights God will have his Church governed by his word which Christ and his Apostles have left unto the Church and he will have this his voice to sound in the Church by the mouthes of his ministers And though it do containe a wisdome that is farre from reasons reach yet the word of the Prophets and Apostles is sure and not doubtfull Therefore Peter saith Ye do well in attending to the word of the Prophets as to a light in the darknes Besides the Church hath the gift of interpretation that is the understanding of the heavenly doctrine but that is not tyed to the name or degree of Bishops and therefore it is no power of interpreting like to the power of a Prince or highest Iudge But those that are learned in the word of God and born again by his spiritin what place soever they be they assent unto the word of God and understand the same some more some lesse Men must therefore judge wisely of those huge Bulwarkes of the peoples power Touching lawes to be made by the Bishops Peter saith in a word Why doe ye tempt God laying a yoke on them c. Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of Order IT is evident by the holy Scriptures that all they which are indeed Artic. 20. Christians are consecrated in baptisme by Christ the Son of God to be spirituall priests and that they ought alwaies to offer up to God spirituall sacrifices Neither is it unknowne that Christ in his Church hath instituted ministers who should preach his Gospel and administer the Sacraments Neither is it to be permitted to every one although he be a spirituall priest to usurpe a publike ministerie in the Church without a lawfull calling For Paul saith Let all things be done honestly and decently among you And againe Lay hands suddenly on no man Wherefore we doe not account it an unprofitable thing to prove as it were by certaine steps the faith of them that are to be admitted to the publike ministerie of the Gospel And it seemeth not a little to further concord and unitie to keepe a due order among the Ministers of the Church But the holy Scripture doth not teach us that Christ hath instituted in his Church such priests as should be Mediatours betweene God and men and pacifie the wrath of God towards men by their sacrifices and apply the merit of Christ to the quick and the dead without the preaching of the Gospel and administration of the Sacraments For if we will speake of the great and true Mediatour There is but one Mediatour betweene God and men Jesus Christ the Sonne of God * Looke the 2. Observat upon this confession If we will speake of the Mediatour of praying every godly man is made a Mediatour each for other through Iesus because that their dutie doth require that they should commend one anothers health to God in their prayers the which dutie also then every one doth performe when they say the Lords prayer in faith If we speake of the sacrifices which doe purge our sinnes and appease the wrath of God then is there one onely sacrifice which doth purge us and reconcile God unto us to wit the sacrifice of our Lord Iesus Christ which was once made on the Crosse And as Christ doth die no moe death hath no more Dominion over him so this sacrifice of his shall never be made againe but by his one oblation as it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews He hath made perfect for ever those that be sanctified If we speake of the remembrance of this one sacrifice and of the applying of the merit thereof then the publike ministers of the Church which doe teach the Gospel publikely and administer the Sacraments according to the institution of Christ doe not onely make a true and right remembrance of this purging sacrifice but doe also apply by their dispensation the merit of this sacrifice to all those that doe receive the Gospel and the Sacraments by faith Therefore we cannot see what use there is of those kinde of men in the Church which are ordained for this purpose that they may have authoritie to sacrifice for the quicke and the dead Paul when as in his Epistles to the Corinthians and Ephesians he rehearseth those offices and ministeries which are necessary to the edifying and preserving of the Church he reckoneth Prophets Apostles Evangelists Pastors Doctors and such like but in this rehearsall he maketh no mention at all of private Priests of which sort the world is now full neither is it like that he would have omitted this kinde of Priests if either Christ had appointed it or if it had been profitable and necessary for the Church And Paul writeth that a Bishop ought to be apt to teach And Jerome teacheth that A Priest and a Bishop are all one Therefore it is evident that
any which would be but a looker De consecr Dist 1. cap. omnes on and abstaine from the holy Communion him did the old Fathers and Bishops of Rome in the Primitive Church before private Masse came up excommunicate as a wicked person and as a Pagane Neither was there any Christian at that time which did communicate alone whiles other looked on For so did Calixtus Distinct 2. cap. seculares in times past decree That after the Consecration was finished all should communicate except they had rather stand without the Church doores For thus saith he did the Apostles appoint De conscer Dist 2 cap. Peract and the same the holy Church of Rome keepeth still Moreover when the people cometh to the holy Communion the Sacrament ought to be given them in both kindes for so both Christ hath commanded and the Apostles in every place have ordained and all the ancient Fathers and Catholique Bishops have followed the same And who so doth contrary to this he as Gelasius saith committeth Sacrilege And therefore we say that our adversaries De cons dist 2. cap. comperimus at this day who having violently thrust out and quite forbidden the holy Communion doe without the word of God without the authoritie of any ancient Councel without any Catholique Father without any example of the Primitive Church yea and without reason also defend and maintaine their Private Masses and the mangling of the Sacraments and doe this not onely against the plaine expresse commandement of Christ but also against all antiquitie doe wickedly therein and are very Churchrobbers We affirme that the bread and wine are the holy and heavenly mysteries of the body and blood of Christ and that by them Christ himselfe being the true bread of eternall life is so presently given unto us as that by faith we verily receive his body and blood Yet say we not this so as though we thought that the nature and substance of the bread and wine is clearely changed and goeth to nothing as many have dreamed in these latter times and yet could never agree among themselves upon their owne dreames For that was not Christs meaning that the wheaten bread should lay apart his owne nature and receive a certain new Divinitie but that he might rather change us and to use Theophilacts words might transforme us into his body For what In Ioa cap. 6. can be said more plainly then that which Ambrose saith Bread and Wine remaine still the same they were before and yet are changed De sacra lib. 4. cap. 4. into another thing Or that which Gelasius saith The substance of the bread or the nature of the wine ceaseth not to be Or that which Theodoretus saith After the consecration the mysticall In Dialogis 1. 2. signes doe not cast off their owne proper nature for they remain still in their former substance forme or kinde Or that which Augustine In serm ad Infantes De cons dist 2. cap Qui ma' dâ—casti In Matth 15. saith That which ye see is the Bread and Cup and so our eies doe tell us but that which your faith requireth to be taught is this The bread is the body of Christ and the cup is his blood Or that which Origen saith The bread which is sanctified by the word of God as touching the materiall substance thereof goeth into the belly and is cast out into the privie Or that which Christ himselfe said not only after the blessing of the cup but also after he had ministred the communion I will drink no more of this fruit of the Vine It is well known that the fruit of the Vine is wine and not blood Luc. 22. And in speaking thus we mean not to abase the Lords Supper or to teach that it is but a cold ceremonie onely and nothing to be wrought therein as many falsly slander us we teach For we affirme that Christ doth truely and presently give himselfe wholly in his sacraments In Baptisme that we may put him on and in his Supper that we may eate him by Faith and Spirit and may have everlasting life by his Crosse and blood And we say not this is done slightly or coldly but effectually and truly For although we doe not touch the body of Christ with teeth and mouth yet we hold him fast and eate him by faith by understanding and by Spirit And it is no vaine faith that comprehendeth Christ neither is it received with cold devotion that is received with understanding Faith and the Spirit For Christ himselfe altogether is so offered and given us in these mysteries that we may certainly know we be flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones and that Christ continueth in us and we in him And therefore in celebrating these mysteries the people are to good purpose exhorted before they come to receive the holy communion to lift up their hearts and to direct their minds to heaven De coâ—s dist 1. cap. Quaedo wards because he is there by whom we must be fed and live Cyrillus saith when we come to receive these mysteries all grosse Imaginations must quite be banished The Councel of Nice as it is alledged by some in Greeke plainly forbiddeth us to bee basely affectioned or bent toward the Bread and Wine which are set before us And as Chrysostome very aptly writeth we say That the bodie of Christ is the dead carkasse and we our selves must be the Eagles meaning thereby that we must flie on high if we will come to the body of Christ For this Table as Chrysostome saith is a Table of Eagles and not of Jaies Cyprian also This bread saith he is the food of the soule and not the meat of the De caena Domins belly And Saint Augustine saith How shall I hold him being absent How shall I reach my hand up to heaven to lay hold upon him sitting there He answereth Reach thither thy faith and then In Ioan. tract 50. thou hast laid hold on him Neither can we away in our Churches with these shews and sales and markets of Masses nor with the carrying about and worshipping of the bread nor with such other Idolatrous and Blasphemous fondnesse which none of them can prove that Christ or his Apostles ever ordained or left unto us And we justly blame the Bishops of Rome who without the word of God without the authoritie of the holy Fathers without any example of antiquitie after a new guise doe not onely set before the people the sacramentall bread to be worshipped as God but doe also carry the same about upon an ambling Palfraie whither soever themselves journey in such sort as in old times the Persians fire and the Reliques of the Goddesse Isis were solemnly carried about in Procession and have brought the Sacraments of Christ to be used now as a Stage Play and a solemne sight to the end that mens eyes should be fedde with nothing else but
Chapt. touching Prayers did appertaine to the 15. Sect. if they might fitly have been separated most holy works and such as doe very much beseeme Christians whereunto our Preachers doe most diligently exhort their hearers For true fasting is as it were a renouncing of this present life which is alwaies subject to evill lusts and desires and a meditation of the life to come which is free from all perturbation And prayer is a lifting up of the minde unto God and such a familiar speech with him as no other thing can so greatly set a man on fire with heavenly affections and more mightily make the minde comformable to the will of God And though these exercises be never so holy and necessary for Christians yet seeing that a mans neighbour is not so much benefited by them 1 Cor. 13. as man is prepared that he may with fruit and profit have regard of his neighbour they are not to be preferred before holy doctrin godly exhortations and admonitions and also other duties whereby our neighbour doth presently receive some profit Whereupon we reade of our Saviour that in the night time he gave himselfe to prayer and in the day time to doctrine and to heale the sicke For as love is greater then faith and hope so to beleeve those things which come neerest unto love to wit such as bring assured profit unto men are to be preferred before all other holy functions whereupon S. Chrysostome writeth that Among the In Matth. Hom. 48. whole companie of vertues fasting hath the last place Of the commanding of Fasts CHAP. 8. BVt because that no mindes but these that be ardent and peculiarly stirred up by the heavenly inspiration can either pray or fast aright and with profit we beleeve that it is farre better after the example of the Apostles and the former and more sincere Church by holy exhortations to invite men hereunto then to wring them out by precepts such especially as do binde men under pain of deadly sin the which thing the Priests that were of late tooke upon them to doe when as then the order of Priests had not a little degenerated But we had rather leave the place time and manner both of praying and also of fasting to the arbitrement of the holy Ghost then to prescribe them by certaine laws especially such as may not be broken without some sacrifice of amends Yet for their sakes that be the younger and more imperfect sort our Preachers doe not dislike that there should be an appointed time and meanes both for prayer and also for fasting that as it were by these holy introductions to exercises they might be prepared hereunto so that it be done without binding of the conscience We were induced thus to thinke not so much for that all compulsion being against a mans will is repugnant to the nature of these actions but rather because that neither Christ himselfe nor any of his Apostles have in any place made mention of such kinde of precepts and this doth Chrysostome also witnesse saying Thou seest that an upright life doth helpe more then all other things Now I tearme an upright life not the labour of In Matth. Hom. 47. Fasting nor the bed of haire or ashes but if thou doest despise money no other wise then it becommeth thee if thou burne with charitie if thou nourish the hungry with thy bread if thou overcome thy anger if thou doest not desire vain glory if thou be not possessed with envie for these be the things that he teacheth for he doth not say that he will have his fast to be followed howbeit he might have proponed those fortie dayes unto us but he saith Learne of me because I am meeke and lowly in heart Yea rather on the contrary side saith he eate all that is set before you Moreover we doe not read that any solemne or set fast was enjoyned to the ancient Church but that fast of one day For those fasts which as the Scripture doth witnesse were ordained of Prophets and of Kings it is certaine that they were no set fasts but enjoyned onely for their time to wit when as evident calamities either hanging over their heads or presently pinching them did so require it Seeing therefore that the Scripture as Saint Paul doth affirme doth instruct a man to every good work and yet is ignorant of these fasts which are extorted by precepts we doe not see how it could be lawfull for the successours of the Apostles to overcharge the Church with so great and so dangerous a burthen Truly Ireneus doth witnesse that in times past the observation of fast in Churches was divers and free as it is read in the Ecclesiasticall historie lib. 8. cap. 14. In the same booke Eusebius maketh mention that one Apollonius an Ecclesiasticall Writer among other arguments used this for one to confute the doctrine of Montanus the heretike Because he was the first that made lawes for fasts Thereupon Chrysostome saith in a certaine place Fasting is good but let no man be compelled thereunto And in another place he exhorteth him that is not able to fast to abstaine from dainties and yet affirmeth that it doth not much differ from fasting and that it is a strong weapon to represse the furie of the Devill Moreover experience also it selfe doth more then prove that these precepts concerning fasts have been a great hinderance to godlinesse Therefore when we saw it very evidently that the chief men in the Church did beside the authoritie of the Scripture take upon themselves this power so to enjoyne fasts as to binde mens consciences under paine of deadly sinne we did loose the consciences out of these snares but by the Scriptures and chiefly by Pauls writings which doe with a singular endeavour remove these rudiments of the world from the necks of Christians For we ought not lightly to account of that saying of Paul Let no man condemne you in meat and drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbath daies And again Therefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye lived in the world are ye burdened with traditions For if Saint Paul then whom no man at any time did teach Christ more certainly doe earnestly affirme that through Christ we have obtained such libertie in outward things that he doth not onely not give authoritie to any creature to burden those which beleeve in Christ no not so much as with those ceremonies and observations which notwithstanding God himself appointed and would have to be profitable in their time but also denounceth that they be fallen away from Christ and that Christ shall nothing at all profit them who suffer themselves to be addicted thereunto what shall we then thinke of those commandements which men have devised of their owne braine not onely without any oracle but also without any example worthy to be followed and which are therefore made
them alone they be blinde leaders of the blinde And he condemneth such worships Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up If Bishops have authoritie to burden the Churches with innumerable traditions and to snare mens consciences why doth the Scripture so oft forbid to make and to listen to traditions why doth it call them the Devils traditions hath the holy Ghost warned us of them to no purpose It remaineth then that seeing constitutions ordained as necessarie or with opinion of meriting remission of sinnes by them are flat repugnant to the Gospel because that it is not lawfull for any Bishops to appoint or urge any such worship For it is very requisite that the doctrine of Christian libertie should be maintained in the Church because that the bondage of the law is not necessary unto justification as it is written to the Gal. Come not ye under the yoke of bondage again It is necessary that the chiefest point of all the Gospel should be holden fast that we doe freely obtain remission of sins and justification by faith in Christ and not by any observations nor by any worship devised by man For though they seek to qualifie traditions yet the equitie of them can never be seen nor perceived so long as the opinion of necessitie remaineth which must needs remain where the righteousnesse of faith and Christian libertie are not known The Apostles commanded them to abstaine from bloud who observeth that now a dayes and yet they doe not sinne that observe it not for the Apostles themselves would not burden mens consciences with such a servitude but they forbad it for a time for offence sake For in that decree the perpetuall intent and minde of the Gospel is to be considered scarcely any canons are precisely kept and many grow out of use daily yea even among them that doe most busily defend traditions Neither can there be sufficient care had of mens consciences except this equitie be kept that men should know that such rites are not to be observed with any opinion of necessitie and that mens consciences are not hurt though traditions grow out of use The Bishops might * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession easily retaine lawfull obedience if they would not have men to observe such traditions as cannot be kept with a good conscience But now they command single life and they admit none except they will sweare not to teach the pure doctrine of the Gospel The Churches doe not desire of the Bishops that they would repaire peace and concord with the losse of their honour which yet good Pastors ought to doe onely they desire that they would remit unjust burdens which are both new and received contrary to the custome of the Catholike Church It may well be that some constitutions had some probable causes when they began which yet will not agree to latter times It is evident that some were received through errour Wherefore it were for the * Looke the 2. Observat chiefe Bishops gentlenesse to mitigate them now for such a change would not overthrow the unitie of the Church For many humane traditions have been changed in time as the Canons themselves declare But if it cannot be obtained that those observations may not be released which cannot be kept without sin then must we follow the Apostles rule which willeth to obey God rather then men Peter forbiddeth Bishops to be Lords and to be imperious over the Churches Our meaning is not to have * Looke the 3. observation rule taken from the Bishops But this one thing is requested at their hands that they would suffer the Gospel to be purely taught and that they would release a few observations which cannot be observed without sin But if they will remit none let them look how they will give account to God for this that by their wilfulnesse they give occasion of schisme Also in the same 7. Article touching abuses this exposition is found thus in another Edition NOw come I to the question in hand touching the laws of Bishops concerning which first this most certaine rule is to be holden That it is not lawfull for any to make lawes repugnant to the commandement of God That sentence of Saint Paul is well known If an Angel from heaven teach any other Gospel let him be accursed Vpon this foundation which is sure and immoveable the rest may easily be reared Now there be three orders of the decrees of Bishops Some doe constraine a man to sinne as the law of single life the laws of private Masses wherein is made an oblation and application for the quick and the dead And the opinion of Transubstantiation breedeth a wicked adoration Also the commandement of praying to the dead It is an easie matter to give sentence of these lawes For seeing they doe manifestly oppugne the commandement of God the Apostles rule is We ought rather to obey God then men The second order is of those rites which concern things in their own nature indifferent such as are the lawes touching the difference of meats and daies and such like things But when false opinions are joyned unto these things they are no more indifferent Now our adversaries doe some more some lesse tie unto them absurd and false opinions for the which both those lawes and rites are to be cast off lest any corrupt worship should be established The most part doe feigne that the works of mans traditions as satisfactions and such like doe merit remission of sinnes This opinion is apparantly false for it removeth the benefit of Christ unto mans traditions And there needeth here no long confutation we will content our selves with one thundering saying of Saint Paul Ye are made void of Christ whosoever are iustified by the law Ye are fallen from Christ This saying teacheth that men doe not merit remission of sinnes by the proper workes either of Gods law or of mans traditions Others being put in minde what grosse absurditie there is in this first errour they begin to talke more modestly of traditions But yet they hold still an errour that is not to be borne withall They say That these workes though they doe not deserve remission of sins yet are they services of God that is workes the immediate end whereof is that God by them might be honoured This errour also must be stiffely withstood For Christ saith plainly They worship me in vaine with the precepts of men And Paul doth expressely condemne will worship to the Coloss And seeing that the worship of God must be done in faith it is necessary that we should have the word of God that may testifie that the worke pleaseth God For how can the conscience offer a worke unto God unlesse there be a voyce of God which may declare that God will be so worshipped or served with this honour But ungodly men understanding this Doctrine of faith have in all ages with damnable boldnesse devised worships
your fathers but walke in my commandements And often are such warnings repeated And Psal 1 18. Thy word is a lanterne to my feet And Numb 15. Let them not follow their owne imaginations The third error is this Hypocrites doe imagine that such works are a kinde of perfection as Monks doe preferre their vowes full of vanitie before the civill and housholders life whereas God by his wonderfull providence hath so joyned mankinde together in fellowship and in these travels and dangers would have our faith prayer and confession or liberalitie one toward another or patience and other vertues to be tried The fourth errour is the opinion of necessitie as some doe write That the fasting of Lent is necessary and other things are arbitrary Neither is it onely a torment of conscience to judge that he is no Christian nor member of the Church of God that eateth flesh on the Saturday or observeth not the fast of Lent but it is also an error that darkeneth great matters as the doctrine of the righteousnes of the Gospel and of the Church what manner of Church it is and how the members of the Church are to be discerned not by meat and drink but by faith prayer and other vertues And against the opinion of necessitie it is expresly said Col. 2. Let no man iudge you in meat or drinke And Gal. 5. Stand in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made you free and be not againe intangled with the yoke of bondage And that opinion of necessitie hath alwaies bread great discord as in time past there was great contention about Easter day and about leven and now also many such like contentions have risen The fifth errour To the former opinions this errour also is added that the Bishops take to themselves authoritie to ordaine new kinds of worship and to binde consciences as Gregory hath ordained That married men translated to the order of priesthood should forsake the company of their wives and the constitution of confession commandeth to recken up sins and decrees have been made of differences of meats and fasting and such like Of such traditions there are also late bookes set forth full of labyrinths wherein it is written that the transgressions of such ceremonies are mortall sins yea though they be committed without giving offence to others Gerson sought for some mittigations but the true comfort is the voice of the Gospel which would have the understanding of this liberty to be made knowne and maintained in the Church namely by removing those errors whereof hath been spoken But ceremonies invented by man such as are seemely devised for order may be observed without any opinion of merit worship or necessitie as hath been aforesaid out of the Col. 2. Let no man iudge you in meat or drinke And Peter saith Act. 15. Why do ye tempt God laying upon the necks of the disciples a yoke which neither your fathers nor we were able to beare The third rule Those errors being removed whereof the Church must needs be admonished afterward we both observe certain ceremonies which are comely and made for good order and also teach that they ought to be observed even as men cannot live without order And Paul saith 1 Cor. 14. Let all things be done decently and in order And there is a saying of Athanasius Ceremonies are profitable but with knowledge of the truth and in measure It is plain that this last word is opposed to superstition which then also daily increased ceremonies and darkened the truth and burdened consciences and the Churches But we thank God the everlasting Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who for his Son and by him gathereth an eternall Church for that even from the first beginning of mankind he hath preserved the publike ministery of the Gospel and honest assemblies who himselfe also hath set apart certain times for the same and we pray him that henceforth he wil save and govern his Church And we diligently teach that all men ought to help to maintain the publike ministerie and avoid offences and dislentions that scatter the Church as in it proper place more at large is declared Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of Ecclesiasticall Ceremonies VVE acknowledge that by Christ the Sonne of God two Artic. 35. Ceremonies were ordained in the Church Baptisme and the Lords Supper which are also to be observed according to the institution of Christ We confesse also that the Apostles did appoint certaine ordinances in the Church That all things be done decently and in order as Paul speaketh such as they be that are set downe 1 Cor. 14. and 1. Tim. 2. The Apostles also in ordaining Ministers of the Church used laying on of hands which being retained out of the custome of the old Law and not being commanded to the Church may be freely observed They ordained also in the Acts of the Apostles That the Gentiles should beware of eating of that which was strangled and of blood not that this observation should be for ever among the Gentiles but for a time and so long to continue till this eating were no more offensive We confesse this also that it is lawfuâ—l for the Bishops with with the consent of their Church to appoint holy days lessons Sermons for edifying for instruction in the true faith in Christ But it is not lawfull for them to thrust upon the Church the ceremonies of the old law for the holy service wherewithall God alone is worshipped Neither is it lawfull either to restore the old ceremonies of the law or devise new to shadow forth the truth already laid open and brought to light by the Gospel as in the day light to set up candles to signifie the light of the Gospel or to carrie banners and crosses to signifie the victory of Christ through the Crosse Of which sort is all that whole furniture of massing attire which they say doth shadow out the whole passion of Christ and many other things of that kinde Much lesse is it lawfull to ordain ceremonies and holy rites by the merit whereof sin may be purged the kingdome of heaven purchased For of that former kind of ceremonies and holy rites Christ out of Esay preacheth saying In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the precepts of men And Paul saith Let no man iudge you in meat or drink or part of an holy day or of the new Moone c. Hitherto may be added the testimonies of Augustine others touching the observation of such ceremonies But touching the latter kind of ceremonies it is manifest that they are wicked rites reprochful to the death and resurrection of Christ by whose onely merit we have deliverance from sin and inheritance of eternall life by faith Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Of humane Traditions CHAP. 14. FVrthermore touching the traditions of the Fathers or such as the Bishops and Churches doe at this day ordaine this is the opinion of our men They reckon no traditions
that the farre greater part doth there rather seeke kitchins well furnished then for poverty and hunger Now we must also consider of this let eloquent men excuse and praise the Monasticall life as they list yet alwaies this opinion is confirmed in men that are not prophane by this example that such works chosen by mans devise are the worship of God that is such works whereby God doth count himselfe to be honoured This opinion is to be reproved and to be pulled out of the minds of men and men are to be drawn back to the commandements of God according to this saying Mat. 15. In vain do they worship me with the commandements of men Also Walke not after the commandements of your fathers but walke ye in my commandements This is a true and notable reprehension of the Monasticall life Now if they doe faine hereunto merits and perfections the Gospel of Christ touching the righteousnesse of faith and true worship is the more obscured because it is a foule and horrible lie that monasticall observations should merit remission of sinnes or be of so great value as is Baptisme as Thomas doth expressely say Neither was antiquitie ignorant of this reprehension There is a narration extant whether it be true or written onely for doctrines sake yet doth it shew forth the judgements of godly men They write that when Antonie desired to know how much he had profited before God in those externall exercises there was shewed unto him a Coblers house at Alexandria being next doore to him He therefore going in speaketh to the good man of the house questioneth with him concerning doctrine and exercises of godlinesse The Cobler answereth sincerely touching doctrine Afterward he saith that in the morning in a short prayer he giveth thanks to God both for other benefits and that he sent his Sonne then that he doth aske remission of his sins for the Sones sake and pray that God would preserve the Church and his family also that he prayeth to the Sonne to make intercession for us and that hee doth rest in this faith and doth his domesticall affaires ioyfully and provide that his children may be well taught And usest thou no other streighter exercise saith Antonie why saith he doth he labour alittle trow you that provideth how his family shall be maintained and many things doe oftentimes happen which doe suâ—ely vexe him that governeth a house beside other burdens which he hath common with the Citizens Doest thou not see how many private and publike miseries there be in this life and to beare these well and in them to exercise faith and patience doest thou not think it a warfare hard enough Antonie went his way and understood that he was admonished not to preferre his owne exercises before the duties of this common life These and other like narrations are read which although they bee so written for doctrines sake yet they do declare the judgements of learned men Neither is it now needfull to adde a longer discourse especially seeing that no man is ignorant how that in those places where Monks be there is much wicked superstition in Monasteries and that the studies of doctrine are either none at all or very corrupt To deliberate of the meanes how to amend these things we leave it to them that are in authoritie Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of Wedlocke CHAP. 21. VVE confesse that Wedlock is a kind of life instituted and approved of God and that it is * Looke the 1. observation a mystery that is as commonly it useth to be expounded a great Sacrament in Christ and his Church as Paul saith And because Christ doth evidently affirme that wedlock doth pertaine to this present life and the administration of the things of this life doe consist of publique laws being made upon right and probable reason therefore we teach that it is lawfull to marry in these degrees of consanguinitie and affinity which * Looke the 2. observation the politique lawes which are the ordinances of God do permit Also we teach that those which be young ought not to marry without the authority of their parents and that the marriage which is contracted by a rash and unlawfull consent of young parties without the authority of them in whose power they are is not to be counted as ratified For although there be certain cases wherein it is lawfull to marry without the consent of parents yet it seemeth not good to make a generall rule thereof as though every consent of young parties should ratifie the contract of marriage and as though privie marriages were to be approved For not onely the commandement of God doth require that children should honour their Parents but also naturall reason doth command that the consent of parents should be requested in making a marriage hitherto also are children called by the politique lawes And there is a decree of Pope Euarastus extant the words whereof be these Marriage as we have heard of our fathers and have found it delivered unto us of the Apostles and their successours is not otherwise made lawfull but when a wise is sought for at their hands and affianced by the neerest Parents who seeme to have authoritie over the maid or woman and in whose custodie she is Moreover we doe not doubt but that they which are in deed lovers of honesty do think that it is not free for the lay men onely as they call them but also for the Ministers of the Church to marry For the Epistle to the Heb. saith Marriage is honourable in all men and the bed that is undefiled And Paul alloweth of marriage in a Bishop affirmeth that the forbidding of marriage is a spirit of errours and a doctrine of devils For though this saying of Paul is commonly expounded of the Tatians and Eucratians who thought that marriage doth nothing at all differ from whordome yet notwithstanding seeing that marriage is forbidden in the popish decrees it is forbidden by the same reasons by the which marriage is wholly condemned and not in one kinde of men only For that saying is alledged out of Leviticus Be ye holy because I am holy and that of Paul Not in chambering and wantonnesse And againe They which are in the flesh cannot please God But seeing that these sayings of the Scripture do pertaine to all men certainly they might drive all godly men from marriage if they were fitly applied to forbid marriage unto Priests But we hope that all good men do think more honestly of marriage and that they do not dislike of that in the Ministers thereof which they did approve in the Church it selfe especially seeing that there be manifest examples of the Church when as yet it was but fresh and more pure wherein it was lawfull both for the Apostles which was the highest degree in the Church and also for Bishops to have their wives And we think that this thing is so to be understood that it was not only
except a * Looke the 2. Observation upon this confess Priest be ordained in the Church to the ministerie of teaching he cannot rightly take unto him neither the name of a Priest nor the name of a Bishop Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Of the Office dignitie and power of Ecclesiasticall Persons TOuching the ministery and dignitie of the Ecclesiasticall Order Artic. 13. we doe thus teach First that there is no power in the Church but that which tendeth to edifying 2 Cor. 10. Secondly that we must not thinke otherwise of any man in this state then Paul would have men to esteeme either of himselfe or of Peter and Apollo and others As of the servants of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God in whom this is chiefly required that they be faithfull For these be they which have the keies of the kingdome of God and the power to binde and loose and to remit or retaine sinnes yet that power is so limited that they be neverthelesse the ministers of Christ to whom alone the right and authoritie to open heaven and forgive sinnes doth properly pertaine For neither he which planteth nor he that watereth is any thing but God that giveth the increase 1 Cor. 3. Neither is any man of himselfe fit to thinke any of those things as of himselfe but if any man be found fit thereunto he hath it all of God Who giveth to whom it pleaseth him to be the ministers and preachers of the New Testament to wit so farre forth as he giveth them a mind faithfully to preach the meaning and understanding of the Gospel and useth them hereunto that men may be brought by a true faith to his new covenant of grace Furthermore these be they which doe minister unto us the dead letter that is such a doctrine of truth as pearceth no further then to humane reason but the spirit which quickneth and doth so pearce into our spirit and soule that it doth throughly perswade our heart of the truth These are the true fellow-labourers of the Lord 1 Cor. 3. opeaing indeed heaven and forgiving sinnes to those to whom they declare the doctrine of faith by meanes of the grace and spirit of God Whereupon Christ sending out his Apostles to exercise this dutie he breathed upon them saying Take ye the holy Ghost And furthermore he addeth whose sins ye remit c. Hereof it is manifest that the true and fit Ministers of the Church such as be Bishops Seniors annointed and consecrated can doe nothing but in respect of this that they be sent of God For how shall they preach saith Paul except they be sent That is except they receive of God both a minde and power to preach the holy Gospel aright and with fruite and to feed the flocke of Christ And also except they receive the holy Ghost who may worke together with them and perswade mens hearts Other vertues where with these men must be endued are rehearsed 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Therefore they which are in this sort sent annointed consecrated and qualified they have an earnest care for the flocke of Christ and doe labour faithfully in the word and doctrine that they may feede the people more fruitfully and these are acknowledged and accounted of our preachers for such Bishops as the Scripture every where speaketh of and every Christian ought to obey their commandements But they which give themselves to other things they place themselves in other mens seats and doe worthily take unto themselves other names Yet notwithstanding the life of any man is not so much to be blamed as that therefore a Christian should refuse to heare him if peradventure he teach something out of the chaire of Moses or Christ that is either out of the Law of God or out of the holy Gospel that may serve for edification They which bring a divers or a strange voice whatsoever they be they are in no account or estimation with the sheepe of Christ Iohn 10. * Looke before the third Observation upon the August confession Also after sect 17. 3. observat upon the same confession of August Yet they which have a secular power and soveraigntie they have it of God himselfe howsoever they be called therefore he should resist the ordinance of God whosoever should oppose himselfe to that temporall government These things doe our Preachers teach touching the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall persons so that they have great injurie offered to them in that they are blamed as though they sought to bring the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall Prelats to nothing whereas they never forbad them that worldly government and authority which they have But they have often wished that they would come neerer to the Ecclesiasticall commandements and that either they themselves would instruct and faithfully feed the consciences of Christians out of the holy Gospel or that at the least-wise they would admit others hereunto and ordain such as were more fit for this purpose This is it I say that our Preachers have oftentimes requested of the Prelates themselves so farre they have beene from opposing themselves at any time to their spirituall authoritie But whereas we could not either beare any longer the doctrine of certaine Preachers but being driven thereunto by necessitie we have placed others in their roome or else have retained those also which have renounced that Ecclesiasticall superioritie We did it not for any others cause but for that these did plainely and faithfully declare the voyce of our Lord Iesus Christ the other did mingle therewith all mans inventions For so often as the question is concerning the holy Gospel and the doctrine of truth Christians must wholly turne themselves to the Bishop of their soules the Lord Iesus Christ and not admit the voyce of any stranger by any meanes wherein notwithstanding neither we nor they doe offer violence to any man for Paul saith All things are yours whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come even all are yours and ye Christs and Christ Gods Therefore seeing that Peter and Paul are ours and we are not theirs but Christs and that after the same manner that Christ himselfe is his Fathers to wit that in all things which we are or may be we might live to him alone Furthermore seeing to this end we have power to use all things yea even men themselves of what sort soever they be as though they were our owne and are not to suffer that any man or any thing should hinder us therein no Ecclesiasticall person may justly complaine of us or object to us that we are not sufficient by obedient to them or that we doe derogate any thing from their authoritie seeing that the thing it selfe doth witnesse that we have attempted and done all those things according to the will of God which we have attempted against the will of Ecclesiasticall persons These therefore be those things
which we teach touching the office dignitie and power of the Ministers of the Church whom they call Spirituall the which that we may credit we are moved thereunto by those places of Scripture which for the most part we rehearsed before THE TVVELFTH SECTION OF TRVE AND FALSE SACRAMENTS IN GENERALL The latter Confession of HELVETIA Of the Sacraments of Christ CHAP. 19. GOD even from the beginning added unto the preaching of the Word his Sacraments or sacramentall signes in his Church And this doth the holy Scripture plainely testifie Sacraments be mysticall signes or holy rites or sacred actions ordained of God himselfe consisting of his word of outward signes and of things signified whereby he keepeth in continuall memorie and eftsoones calleth to minde in his Church his great benefits bestowed upon man and whereby he sealeth up his promises and outwardly representeth and as it were offereth unto our sight those things which inwardly he performeth unto us and therewithall strengthneth and increaseth our faith though the working of Gods Spirit in our hearts lastly whereby he doth separate us from all other people and religions and consecrateth and bindeth us wholly unto himselfe and giveth us to understand what he requireth of us These Sacraments are either of the Old Testament or of the New The Sacraments of the Old Testament were circumcision and the Paschall Lambe which was offered up in sacrifice and for that cause is referred to the sacrifices which were in use from the beginning of the world The Sacraments of the New Testament are Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Some there are which reckon seven Sacraments of the New Testament Of which number we grant that repentance matrimonie and the ordination of ministers we meane not the Popish but the Apostolicall ordination are very profitable ordinances of God but no Sacraments As for confirmation and extreame unction they are meere devices of men which the Church may very well want without any damage or discommoditie at all and therefore we have them not in our Churches because there be certaine things in them which we can at no hand allow of As for that merchandise which the Romish Prelates use in ministring their Sacraments we utterly abhorre it The authour and institutor of all Sacraments is not any man but God alone for men can by no meanes ordain Sacraments because they belong to the worship of God and it is not for man to appoint and prescribe a service of God but to embrace and retaine that which is taught unto him by the Lord. Besides the sacramentall signes have Gods promises annexed to them which necessarily require faith now faith stayeth it selfe onely upon the word of God And the word of God is resembled to writings or letters the Sacraments to seales which the Lord alone setteth to his owne letters Now as the Lord is the Author of the Sacraments so he continually worketh in that Church where they be rightly used so that the faithfull when they receive them of the Ministers doe know that the Lord worketh in his owne ordinance and therefore they receive them as from the hand of God and the Ministers faults if there be any notorious in them cannot hurt them seeing they doe acknowledge the goodnesse of the Sacraments to depend upon the ordinance of the Lord. For which cause they put a difference in the administration of the Sacraments betweene the Lord and the Lords ministers confessing that the substance of the Sacraments is given them of the Lord and the outward signes by the hands of the ministers Now the principall thing that in all the Sacraments is offered of the Lord and chiefly regarded of the godly of all ages which which some have called the substance and matter of the Sacraments is Christ our Saviour That onely sacrifice and the Lambe of God slaine from the beginning of the world the rocke also of which all our fathers dranke by whom all the elect are circumcised with circumcision made without hands through the holy spirit and are washed from all their sinnes and are nourished with the very body and blood of Christ unto eternall life Now in respect of that which is the chiefe thing and the very matter and substance of the Sacraments the Sacraments of both the Testaments are equall For Christ the onely Mediatour and Saviour of the faithfull is the chiefe thing and substance in them both one and the same God is authour of them both They were given unto both Churches as signes and seales of the grace and promises of God which should call to minde and renew the memorie of Gods great benefits to them and should distinguish the faithfull from all the religions in the world lastly which should be received spiritually by faith and should binde the receivers unto the Church and admonish them of their dutie In these I say and such like things the Sacraments of both Churches be not unequall although in the outward signes they be diverse And indeed we doe yet put a greater difference betweene them for ours are more firme and durable as those which are not to be changed to the end of the world Againe ours testifie that the substance and promise is alreadie fulfilled and performed in Christ whereas the other did onely signifie that they should be performed And ours are more simple and nothing painefull nothing so sumptuous nor so full of ceremonies Moreover they belong to a greater people that is dispersed through the face of the whole earth Againe because they are more excellent and doe by the Spirit of God stirre up in us a greater measure of faith therefore a more plentifull measure of the spirit doth follow of them But now since that Christ the true Messias is exhibited unto us and the abundance of grace is powred forth upon the people of the New Testament the Sacraments of the old law are surely abrogated and ceased and in their stead the Sacraments of the New Testament are placed namely for Circumcision Baptisme and for the Paschall Lambe and Sacrifices the Supper of the Lord. And as in the old Church the sacraments consisted of the word the signe and the thing signified so even at this day they stand as it were of the same parts For the word of God maketh them Sacraments which before were none for they are consecrated by the word and declared to be sanctified by him who who first ordeined them To fanctisse or consecrate a thing is to dedicate it unto God and unto holy uses that is to take it from the common and ordinarie use and to appoint it to some holy use For the signes that be in the Sacraments are drawne from common use to things eternall and invisible As in baptisme the outward signe is the element of water and that washing is visible which is done by the Minister The thing * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession signified is regeneration and the cleansing from sinne Likewise in the Lords Supper the outward