salvation This Catechisme which doth contain in it the full and Catholike doctrine of Christianisme the knowledge of most weightie things spoken of before our Preachers do use in stead of a sure rule method and table of all those things which they teach and of all their sermons writings and this they do faithfully care for and bestow all their labour therein that this whole ordinary doctrine of the principles of true faith and Christian godlinesse and the doctrine of the foundation may be imprinted in the bottome of the hearts of Christians and throughly ingrafted in the mindes and life of the hearers and that after this manner First that all may know that they are bound to yeeld an inward and outward obedience to the law and therfore they must endevour to performe and fulfill the commandements of God both in their heart seeing that the law is spirituall and in their deeds by loving God above all things and their neighbour as themselves Secondly they must well learne and beare in minde and be able readily to rehearse and to beleeve from the heart to keepe and to professe with the mouth the chiefe points of the Catholike Christian and Apostolike Creed and to testifie a Christian pictie by actions or manners and a life which may beseeme it Therefore they do also in their sermons by expounding it lay open the true and sound meaning and every mysterie which is necessarie to eternall salvation and is comprehended in the articles of faith and in every part thereof and confirme it by testimonies taken out of the holy Scriptures and by these holy Scriptures they do either more largely or briefly declare expound and lay open the meaning and the mysteries And in all these things they doe so behave themselves that concerning the order which the Apostles brought in and propounded they labour to instruct not onely those which be of riper yeers who being come to lawfull age are able presently to understand but also to teach little children that they being exercised even from their childhood in the chiefe points of the covenant of God may be taught to understand the true worship of God For this cause there be both peculiar Ecclesiasticall assemblies with children which doe serve for the exercise of catechizing and also the parents and those that are requested of the parents and used for witnesses who are called godfathers and godmothers at Baptisme are put in minde of the dutie and faith which they owe that they also may faithfully instruct their beloved children traine them up in the discipline of the Lord and from the bottome of their hearts Ephes 6. Col. 3. pray unto God for these and all other the children of the faithfull of Christ But chiefly they which are newly instructed before they be lawfully admitted to the Supper of the Lord are diligently taught the Christian Catechisme and the principles of true religion and by this meanes they are furthered towards the obtaining of saving repentance vertue and the efficacie of faith Afterward all the rest are also instructed that all together being lightned with the knowledge of God and of the Saints every man may walk with all honesty and godlinesse in his place and in that order whereunto he is called of God and may by this means sanctifie the name of God and adorne the true doctrine Thirdly in the Catechisme these things are taught to invocate one true God in a sure confidence in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ to pray and that not for themselves onely and their private affaires but also for the whole Christian Church in all countries for the Ministers of the Church and also for the civill Magistrate who is ordained of God and chiefly for the Emperours and your Princely Majestie for his most noble children and whole posteritie for his counsellors and all those that be subject to his government praying that it would please our gracious God to grant and to give unto your Princely and his Royall Majestie a long life heaped with all good things and a happy government and also a benigne gentle and fatherly minde and affection of heart toward all those that behave themselves uprightly are well affected doe humbly obey doe shew themselves faithfull and loving subjects and those that doe in truth worship God the Father and his Sonne Iesus Christ And to be briefe we teach that prayers may be made faithfully for all men for 1 Tim. 2. our friends and enemies as the doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ and his Apostles doth command us and as examples doe shew that the very first and holy Church did For which cause we are also instant with the people that they would diligently and in great numbers frequent the holy assemblies and there be stirred up out of this word of God to make earnest and reverent prayers Now whatsoever is contrarie to this Catholique and Christian kinde of Catechizing all that we doe forsake and reject and it is strongly confuted by sure reasons and such as do leane unto the foundations of the holy Scripture so farre forth as God doth give us grace hereunto and the people is admonished to take heed of such Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve because Iesus Christ is onely Advocate given Artic. 24. unto us who also commandeth us to come boldly unto the Father in his name that it is not lawfull for us to make our prayers in any other forme but in that which God hath set us downe in his word and that whatsoever men have forged of the intercession of Saints departed is nothing but the deceits and slights of Satan that he might withdraw men from the right manner of praying These things were also set down in the 2. Section but for an other purpose and the other part of this Article is to be found in the 16. Section Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE make our prayers in that tongue which all our people Artic. 16. as meet is may understand to the end they may as Saint Paul counselleth us take common commoditie by common prayer even as all the holy Fathers and Catholique Bishops both in the old and new Testament did use to pray themselves and taught the people to pray too lest as Saint Augustine saith Like Parets and Owles we should seeme to speake that we understand not Out of the Confession of SAXONIE Article 14. which is intituled of the Supper GOd will have the ministerie of the Gospel to be publique he will not have the voice of the Gospel to be shut up in corners onely but he will have it to be heard he will have him selfe to be knowne and invocated of all mankinde Therefore hee would that there should be publique and wel ordered meetings and in these he will have the voice of the Gospel to found there he will be invocated and praised Also he will that these meetings should be witnesses of the confession and severing of the Church of God from
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.
and doth not teach that faith which beleeveth that grace is freely given us for Christs sake is necessarie in the use of the Sacraments but imagineth that men are just for the very use of the Sacraments even by the worke done and that without any good affection of him that useth it This Article we finde thus in another Edition COncerning the use of the Sacraments they teach that they were ordained not so much to be markes and badges of profession amongst men as that they should be signes or testimonies of the will of God towards us set forth unto us to stirre up and confirme faith in such as use them Whereupon they condemne those that teach that the Sacraments do justifie by the worke done and doe not teach that faith to beleeve remission of sinnes is requisite in the use of Sacraments Out of the Confession of SAXONIE Of the Sacraments THe Church also is discerned from other Gentiles by certaine Artic. 12. rites and ceremonies instituted of God and usually called Sacraments as are Baptisme and the Lords Supper which notwithstanding are not onely signes of a profession but much more as the ancient Fathers said signes of grace that is they be ceremonies added to the promise of the Gospel touching grace that is touching the free remission of sinnes and touching reconciliation and the whole benefit of our redemption the which are so instituted that every man may use them because they be pledges and testimonies which declare that the benefits promised in the Gospel doe appertaine to every one For the voice of the Gospel is generall this use doth beare witnesse that this voyce doth appertaine to every one which useth the Sacraments Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of the Sacraments THe word Sacrament as also the word Mysterie which interpreters Artic. 9. doe expound Sacrament is very large But because some have thought it good to restraine it to the number of seven Sacraments we will briefly runne over every one that we may shew what we finde wanting in the doctrine that some have broached and what may seeme to be repugnant to the meaning of that Church which is indeed Catholique or Orthodoxe Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Of the Sacraments SEeing that the Church of Christ doth live here in the flesh Artic. 16. howbeit not according to the flesh it pleased the Lord also to teach admonish and exhort it by the outward word And that this might be done the more commodiously he would also have his to make much of an externall societie among themselves For which cause he gave unto them holy signes among which these are the chiefest Baptisme and the Lords Supper the which we doe not onely thinke therefore to have had the name of Sacraments among the Fathers because they are visible signes of invisible grace as Saint Augustine doth define them but also for that purpose because that by them we doe consecrate our selves unto Christ and doe binde our selves as it were by the oath or Sacrament of faith THE THIRTEENTH SECTION OF THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISME The latter Confession of HELVETIA Of holy Baptisme CHAP. 20. BAptisme was instituted and consecrated by God and the first that baptized was John who dipped Christ in the water in Jorden From him it came to the Apostles who also did baptize with water The Lord in plaine words commanded them To Matth. 28. preach the Gospel and to baptize in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And Peter also when divers demanded of him what they ought to doe said to them in the Acts Act. 8. Let every one of you be baptized in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and you shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost Whereupon Baptisme is called of some a signe of initiation of Gods people as that whereby the elected of God are consecrated unto God There is but one Baptisme in the Church of God for it is sufficient to be once baptized or consecrated unto God For baptisme once received doth continue all a mans life and is a perpetuall fealing of our adoption unto us For to be baptized in the name of Christ is to be enrolled entered and received into the covenant and family and so into the inheritance of the sonnes of God yea and in this life to be called after the name of God that is to say to be called the sonne of God to be purged also from the flchinesse of sinnes and to be indued with the manifold grace of God for to leade a new and innocent life Baptisme therefore doth call to minde and keepe in remembrance the great benefit of God performed to mankinde for we are all borne in the pollution of sinne and are the sonnes of wrath But God who is rich in mercy doth freely purge us from our sinnes by the bloud of his Sonne and in him doth adopt us to be his sonnes and by an holy covenant doth joyne us to himselfe and doth inrich us with divers gifts that we might live a new life All these things are sealed up unto us in Baptisme For inwardly we are regenerated purified and renewed of God through the holy Spirit and outwardly we receive the sealing of most notable gifts by the water by which also those great benefits are represented and as it were set before our eyes to be looked upon And therefore are we baptized that is washed and sprinckled with visible water For the water maketh cleane that which is filthy refresheth things that faile and faint and cooleth the bodies And the grace of God dealeth in like manner with the soule and that invisibly and spiritually Moreover by the Sacrament of Baptisme God doth separate us from all other Religions of people and doth consecrate us a peculiar people to himselfe We therefore by being baptized doe confesse our faith and are bound to give unto God obedience mortification of the flesh and newnesse of life yea and we are billed souldiers for the holy warfare of Christ that all our life long wee should fight against the world Satan and our owne flesh Moreover we are baptized into one body of the Church that we might well agree with all the members of the Church in the same religion and mutuall duties We beleeve that * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession that of all other is the most perfect manner of baptisme where in Christ was baptised and which the rest of the Apostles did use in baptisme Those things therefore which by mans device were added afterwards and used in the Church * 2. Observation we thinke them nothing necessary to the perfection of Baptisme Of which kind is exorcisme and the use of lights oyle salt spattle and such other things as namely that baptisme is twise every yeer consecrated with divers ceremonies For we beleeve that the baptisme of the Church which is but one was sanctified in Gods first institution of it
Call upon me in the daye of trouble and I will deliver thee Also we use burials having thereat a decent assembly godly admonitions and songs c. The first part of this 19. Article which is of confirmation was placed in the 13. Section Hitherto also pertaineth the beginning of the 20. Article so far as it speaketh of a certaine time appointed for the service of God NAturall reason doth know that there is an order and the understanding of order is an evident testimony of God neither is it possible that men should live without any order as we see that in families there must be distinct times of labour rest meate and sleepe and every nature as it is best so doth it chiefly love order throughout the whole life Also Paul commandeth That all things in the Church be done decently and in order Therefore there hath beene at all times even from the beginning of mankinde a certain order of publique meetings there hath been also a certaine distinction of times and certaine other ceremonies and that without doubt full of gravitie and elegancie among those excellent lights of mankinde when as in the same garden or cottage there sat together Sem Abraham Isaac and their families and when as that Sermon which Sem made concerning the true God the Sonne of God the distinction of the Church and other nations being heard afterward they together used invocation That which followeth because it treateth of indifferent Traditions in generall is placed in the next Section Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of Fasting VVE think that Fasting is profitable not to this end that Artic. 17. either by the merit of it worke it might purge sinnes before God or apply the merit of Christ to him that doth fast but that by sobrietie it may bridle the flesh lest that man being hindered by surfetting and drunkennesse he be the lesse able to obey the calling of God and discharge his dutie negligently But we shall have a fit place hereafter to speak of Fasting Also Article 28. Of Fasting FAsting hath it praise and use But now we doe not speak either of necessary fasting when a man must needs fast for want of meat or of an allegoricall fasting which is to abstaine from all vices but we are to speak of two usuall kindes of fasting whereof the one is a perpetuall fast and this is a sobrietie which is alwaies to be kept in meat and drink throughout the whole course of a mans life for it is never lawfull for us to ravine and to follow surfetting and drunkennesse There is another fast which is for a day when as sometimes we abstaine from meat the whole day such as was used in the Old Testament Levit. 16. Also the examples of Jehosaphat of the Ninivites and others doe witnesse the same thing This kinde of fasting was also used after the publishing of the Gospel as appeareth Act. 13. 14. But afterward there followed a great difference in Churches touching the observation of such a kinde of fasting and as this difference brought no discommoditie to the Church so it testified that the use of this fasting was free And there is a worthy saying among the ancient fathers touching this varietie The difference say they of fastings doth not breake off the agreement of faith Now although some men doe thinke that Christ by his example did consecrate the fast of Lent yet it is manifest that Christ did not command this fast neither can the constitution of our nature abide it that we should imitate the example of Christ his fasting who did abstaine full 40. dayes and 40. nights from all meat and drinke Also Eusebius doth declare and that not obscurely That the use of this Lenten fast was very free in the Church Moreover Chrysostome in Gen. cap. 2. Hom. 11. saith If thou canst not fast yet thou maist abstaine from sinnes and this is not the least thing nor much differing from fasting but fit to overthrow even the fury of the Devill Neither was there any choice of meats appointed because the Apostle had said To the cleane all things are cleane But in the observation of such fasts we must chiefely marke the end The ancient fathers did somtimes fast whole daies together that they might give themselves to publique prayer and by this discipline might admonish their Church especially the youth of dangers that were past or present or hanging over their heads and might stir them up to repentance whereby the wrath of God might be asswaged This is the godly and profitable end of these fastings Others doe fast That by the merit of this worke they may purge their sinnes before God or as some doe speake Apply unto themselves the merit of Christ by their fasting But this end is utterly to be condemned For first the onely death of Christ is the purging of our sinnes Secondly fasting was not ordained for this use that it should be a work whereby the merit of Christ may be applied to us For fasting is either joyned with true repentance and then the merit of Christ is applied to him that repenteth by faith which is the chiefe part of repentance before a man doth begin or end his fasting or else fasting is without repentance and then it is abominable in the sight of God so far is it from applying the merit of Christ to him that fasteth Isa 58. Is it such a fast that I have chosen that a man should afflict his soule for a day and to bowe down his head as a bulrush Augustine Epist 86. ad Casulanum saith I revolving that in my minde which is writen in the Evangelicall and Apostolique Scriptures and in that whole instrument which they call the New Testament doe see that fasting is commanded But on what dayes we ought not to fast and on what dayes we ought to fast I doe not see it defined either by the commandement of the Lord or of the Apostles And by this I thinke that rather a releasing then a binding to fasting is the more fit and apt not to obtaine righteousnesse wherein the beautie of the Kings daughter doth consist inwardly which is obtained by faith but yet to signifie a perpetuall rest And Chrysostom Tom. 4. de Iejun Quadrag Hom. 73. saith If we come daily hither and fast the whole Lent and doe not change our life to the better it will be an occasion of our greater condemnation By these testimonies it is evident that it is neither Apostolique not Catholique to thinke that fasting is a work whereby either sinnes are purged before God or the merit of Christ is applied Hitherto also appertaineth the 29. Article Of the consecrating of water salt wine and other things VVE confesse that the forbidding of water whereby the Leviticall uncleannes was purged was ordained of God in the Old Testament Also we acknowledge that miracle wherby the Prophet Elizeus did heale the barren waters of Jericho by casting in of salt And we embrace that
unto many not onely beggerly and weake but also hurtfull not elements that is rudiments of holy discipline but also impediments of true godlinesse How much more unjustly shall any man take unto himselfe-authoritie over the inheritance of Christ to oppresse him with such kinde of bondage and how farre shall he remove us from Christ if we submit our selves unto him For who doth not see the glory of Christ to whom we ought wholly to live whom he hath wholly redeemed to himselfe and restored to libertie and that by his blood to be more obscured if beside his authoritie we doe binde our conscience to those laws which are the inventions of men then to those which have God for their Author although they were to be observed but onely for their time Certainly it is a lesse fault to play the Iew then the Heathen Now it is the manner of the Heathen to receive laws for the worship of God which have their beginning from mans invention onely God never being asked counsell of in the matter Wherefore if in any matter at all certainly here that saying of Paul taketh place Ye are bought with a great price be not made the servants of men 1 Cor. 7. Of the choise of meats CHAP. 9. FOr the same cause was that forbearing and chusing of meats enjoyned and tied to certaine daies which Saint Paul writing to Timothy calleth the doctrine of Devils Neither is their answer sufficient Who say that these things be spoken onely against the Manichies Encratites Tatians and Marcionites who did wholly forbid certaine kindes of meats and marriage For the Apostle in this place hath condemned those which command to abstaine from meats which God hath created to be taken with thankesgiving c. Now they also which doe but forbid to take certaine meats on certaine daies do neverthelesse command men to abstain from those meats which God hath created to be taken and are cousin germanes to the doctrine of the Devils the which also is evidently seene by the reason which the Apostle addeth For saith he Whatsoever God hath created it is good and nothing is to be refused that is received with giving of thanks Here he doth not take exception against any times although no man favoured frugalitie temperance and also choise chastisements of the flesh and lawfull fasting more greatly then he did Certainly a Christian must be frugall and sometime the flesh must be chastised by diminishing the daily and accustomed portion or diet but base meats and a meane doth serve better to this purpose then any kinde of meats to conclude it is meet for Christians now and then to take upon them a lawfull fast but that must not be an abstinence from certaine but from all meats nor from meats onely but also from all the dainties of this life whatsoever For what kinde of fast is this what abstinence only to change the kinde of dainties the which thing at this day they use to doe which are counted more religious then others seeing that S. Chrysostome doth not account it to be a fast if we continue wholly without meats even unto the evening except together with abstaining from meats we doe also containe our selves from those things which be hurtfull and bestow much of that leisure upon the studie and exercise of spirituall things That by Prayers and Fasts we must not looke to merit any thing CHAP. 10. MOreover our Preachers have taught that this fault is to be a amended in prayers and fasts that commonly men are taught to seeke to obtaine I know not what merit and justification by these works For As we are saved by grace through faith so also are we justified And touching the works of the law among the which prayers and fasts are reckoned Paul writeth thus For we through the Spirit waite for the hope of righteousnesse Gal. 5. through faith Therefore we must pray but to this end that we may receive of God not that we may hereby give any thing unto him We must fast that we may the better pray and keepe the flesh within the compasse of it dutie and not before God to deserve any thing for our selves This onely end and use of prayers both the Scripture and also the writings and examples of the Fathers do prescribe unto us Moreover the case so standeth with us that although we could pray and fast so religiously and so perfectly do all those things which God hath injoyned us that nothing could more be required of us which hitherto no mortall man hath at any time performed yet for all this we must confesse that we are unprofitable servants Therefore what merit can we dreame of THE SEVENTEENTH SECTION OF CEREMONIES AND RITES WHICH ARE INDIFFERENT IN GENERALL The latter Confession of HELVETIA Of Rites Ceremonies and indifferent things CHAP. 27. VNto the ancient people in old time were given certaine ceremonies as a kinde of schooling or pedagogie to those which were kept under the law as under a Schoole-master or Tutor but Christ the deliverer being once come and the law taken away we which beleeve are no more under the law and the ceremonies are vanished and worne out of use And the Apostles were so farre from retaining them in the Church of Christ or repairing them that they witnessed plainly that they would not lay Rom. 6. any burden upon the Church Wherefore we should seeme to bring in and set up Iudaisme againe if so be we should multiply Ceremonies or Rites in the Church according to the manner of the old Church Therefore we are not of their judgement who would have the Church of Christ kept in with many and diverse Rites as it were with a certaine schooling or pedagogie For if the Apostles would not thrust upon the Christian people the ceremonies and rites which were appointed by God who is there I pray you that is well in his wits that will thrust upon it the inventions devised by man The greater that the heape of ceremonies is in the Church so much the more is taken not onely from Christian libertie but also from Christ and from faith in him whilest the people seeke those things in ceremonies which they should seeke in the onely Son of God Iesus Christ through faith Wherefore a few moderate and simple rites that are not contrary to the word of God do suffice the godly And that there is found diversitie of rites in the Churches let no man say therefore that the Churches doe not agree Socrates saith That it were not possible to set down in writing all the ceremonies of the Churches which are throughout Cities and Countries No Religion doth keep every where the same ceremonies although they admit and receive one and the selfe same doctrine touching them for even they which have one and the self same faith do disagree among themselves about ceremonies Thus much saith Socrates and we at this day having divers rites in the celebration of the Lords Supper and
Ministers of Christ Iesus yea this is more horrible they suffer women whom the holy Ghost will not suffer to teach in the Congregation to baptize and secondly because they have so adulterated both the one Sacrament and the other with their owne inventions that no part of Christs action abideth in the originall puritie For oyle sait spattle and such like in baptisme are but mens inventions adoration veneration bearing through streets and townes and keeping of bread in boxes or boists are prophanation of Christs Sacraments and no use of the same For Christ sesus said Take eat c. Do you this in remembrance of me By which words charge he sanctified bread and wine to be the Sacrment of his holy body and blood to the end that the one should be eaten and that all should drink of the other and not that they should be kept to be worshipped and honoured as God as the Papists have done heretofore who also have committed sacriledge stealing from the people the one part of the Sacrament to wit the blessed cup. Moreover that the Sacraments be rightly used it is required that the end and cause for which Sacraments were instituted be understanded and observed as well of the Minister as by the receivers For if the opinion be changed in the receiver the right use ceaseth which is most evident by the rejection of the sacrifices as also if the teacher plainly teach false doctrine which were odious and abominable before God albeit they were his owne ordinance because the wicked men use them to another end then God hath ordained The same we affirme of the Sacraments in the Papisticall Church in which we affirme the whole action of the Lord Iesus to be adultered as well in the external forme as in the end and opinion What Christ Iesus did and commanded to be done is evident by the Evangelists and by Saint Paul what the Priest doth at his Altar we need not to rehearse The end and cause of Christs institution and why the selfe same should be used is expressed in these words Doe ye this in remembrance of me As oft as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup you shall shew forth that is extoll preach magnifie and praise the Lords death till he come But to what end and in what opinion the Priests say their Masse let the words of the their own Doctors and writings witnesse to wit that they as Mediatours betwixt Christ and his Church doe offer unto God the Father a sacrifice propitiatory for the sinnes of the quick and the dead which doctrine is blasphemous to Christ Iesus and making derogation to the sufficiencie of his onely sacrifice once offered for purgation of all those that shall be sanctified we utterly abhorte detest and renounce To whom Sacraments appertaine VVE confesse and acknowledge that Paptisme appertaineth as well to the insants of the faithfull as unto them that be of age and discretion And so we damne the errour of the Anabaptists who deny Baptisme to appertaine to children before they have faith and understanding But the Supper of the Lord we confesse to appertain to such onely as be of the houshold of faith and can trie and examine themselves as well in their faith as in their duty towards their neighbours Such as eate and drink at that holy Table without faith or being at dissention with their brethren do eate unworthily and therefore it is that in our Church our Ministers take publique and particular examination of the knowledge and conversation of such as are be admitted to the Table of the Lord Iesus Of the civill Magistrates VVE confesse and acknowledge Empires kingdomes domininions and cities to be distincted or ordained by God the powers and authoritie in the same be it of Emperours in their Empires of Kings in their Realmes Dukes and Princes in their dominions and of other Magistrates in their cities to be Gods holy ordinance ordained for manifestation of his own glory and for the singular profit and commoditie of mankinde so that whosoever goeth about to take away or to confound the whole state of civill pollicies now long established we affirme the same men not onely to be enemies to mankinde but also wickedly to fight against Gods expressed will We farther confesse and acknowledge that such persons as are placed in authoritie are to be beloved honoured feared and holden in most reverent estimation because they are the Lievetenants of God in whose seats God himselfe doth sit and Iudge yea even the Iudges and Princes themselves to whom by God is given the sword to the praise and defence of good men and to revenge and punish all malefactours Moreover to Kings Princes Rulers and Magistrates we affirme that chiefly and most principally the conservation and purgation of the Religion appertaineth so that not onely they are appointed for civill pollicie but also for maintenance of the true Religion and for suppressing of idolatry and superstition whatsoever As in David Iosaphat Ezechias Iosias and others highly commended for their zeale in that case may be espied And therefore we confesse and avow that such as resist the supreame power doing that thing which appertaineth to his charge do resist Gods ordinance and therefore cannot be guiltlesse And farther we affirme that whosoever deny unto them their aide counsell and comfort whilest the Princes and Rulers vigilantly travell in execution of their office that the same men deny their helpe support and counsell to God who by the presence of his Lieutenant doth crave it of them The gifts freely given to the Church ALbeit that the word of God truly preached and the Sacraments rightly ministred and discipline executed according to the word of God be the certaine and infallible signes of the true Church yet we meane not that every particular person joyned with such company is an elect member of Christ Iesus For we acknowledge and confesse that darnell cockell and chaffe may be sown grow and in great aboundance lye in the middest of the wheat that is the reprobate may be joyned in the societie of the elect and may externally use with them the benefits of the Word and Sacraments But such being but temporall professors in mouth and not in heart doe fall backe and continue not to the end And therefore they have no fruit of Christs death resurrection nor ascension but such as with heart unfainedly beleeve and with mouth boldly confesse the Lord Iesus as before we have said shall most assuredly receive these gifts First in this life the remission of sins and that by onely faith in Christs blood In so much that albeit sin remaine and continually abide in these our mortall bodies yet it is not imputed unto us but is remitted and covered with Christs justice Secondly in the generall judgement there shall be given to every man and woman resurrection of the flesh For the sea shall give her dead the earth those that therein be inclosed yea the eternall God shall stretch out his hand on the dust and the dead shall arise uncorruptible and that in the substance of the same flesh that every man now beareth to receive according to their works glory or punishment For such as now delight in vanitie crueltie filthinesse superstition or idolatry shall be adjudged to the fire unquenchable in which they shall be tormented for ever as well in their own bodies as in their souls which now they give to serve the devill in all abhomination But such as continue in well doing to the end boldly professing the Lord Iesus we constantly beleeve that they shall receive glory honour and immortalitie to raigne for ever in life everlasting with Christ Iesus to whose glorified body all his elect shall be made like when he shall appeare againe in judgement and shall render up the kingdome to God his Father who then shall be and ever shall remaine all in all things God blessed for ever to whom with the Sonne and with the holy Ghost be all honour and glory now and ever So be it The Kings Majesties charge to all Commissioners and Ministers within his Realm SEeing that We and Our houshold have subscribed and given this publique Confession of our Faith to the good example of Our Subjects We command and charge all Commissioners and Ministers to crave the same confession of their Parishioners and proceed against the refusers according to Our laws and order of the Church delivering their names and lawfull processe to the Ministers of Our house with all haste and diligence under the pain of 40. pound to be taken from their stipend that We with the advise of Our Counsell may take order with such proud contemners of God and Our laws Subscribed with Our hand At Holyrudhous 1581. the 2. day of March the 14. yeere of Our Reign Now unto the King everlasting immortall invisible unto God only wise be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen