A CONFESSION OF CHRISTIAN RELIGION Apoc. c. 18. ver 2. Cecidit cecidit Babylon illa magna Senec. in Troas Hae manus Troiam erigent Nullas habet spes Troia si tales habet Hil. de Syn. adversus Arrianos Verè Drum nesciunt atque vtinam nescivent cum procliviore enim veniâ ignorarant Sisciens fallo At Oxford Printed by Ioseph Barnes 1609. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Vnfainedlie beleeue that there is one immortall vncompouÌ„ded vnlimited Essence which created this worlde and furnished the shop therof with wonderful variety who since doth guide governe the same by a prescribed and regular order taking immediate notice not only of Angels offices mens actions but of every yea the smallest and basest thing in the world not permitting any thing to the lust of fortune or commande of destiny this supernall power I call God and avow him to be the maintainer and rewarder of vertue the revenger and iudge of wickednes and I ascribe vnto him heauen for his throne and the bal of the earth for his footstoole I subiect vnto his absolute commande all the powers of heauen and earth and render vnto him obedience praier thanksgiving for his tribute That there is such a God beside the arguments which we haue from the booke of Nature S. Antonies Booke liber meus ô philosophe est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which it is true of every severall which S. Augustine hath of the heauens Clamat coelum Deo tu me fecisti I appeale to the conscience of the most desperat forlone wretch in the world tell me whosoeuer thou be that hast thy conscience most deaded scared with a hot yron when thou committest a sinne and thinkest that thou hast a vaile cast before the eies of God and resoluest thus in thy hart Who seeth me I am compassed about with darknesse the wals cover me whom need I to feare the most high will not remember my sinnes Nec conscientia nostra nobis tam â—eâ—e diem diceret nisi aliâ—m IudiceÌ„ alia subsellia reformidares Mor. â— â—ie ver c. 34. yet tell me I say why is thy heart so disquieted within thee why is thy countenance cast downe for shame why do thy knees smite togither and thy ioints shiuer for feare If there be no power that doth know or can punish thy fault what neede this anguish But I wot well that these stirring motions within thee are as so many summons to put thee in minde that there is a God in thy coÌ„science which seeth thy sinne and will arraigne thee for the same and awarde condemnation against thee if thou prevent not his iudgement by repentance I beleeue this God is one as it is said in Deuteronomie Audi Israel Deus tuus Deus vnus este there is not for every kingdome a God a God for Zidon a God for Amon a God for Moab a God for Ekron but one alone God manageth the affaires of the whole world for if it bee true in goverment of an earthly kingdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more in the being of a Deitie for a multitude of Gods would crosse and incuÌ„ber the designes one of another none should be omnipotent and so there should be a tumultuous disorder in the goverment of the world which Ovid pointeth out vnto vs saying Mulciber in Troiam pro Troiâ stabat Apollo And Homer in the 21. of his Jliades 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore it is well said of Tertullian Si non est vnus non est lib. 1. aduers man cap. 3. St. Bernards worde is vnissimus This God is simply one in nature essence yet this one God doth subsist in three persons each of them severally communicating in the whole of that one nature and essence yet so as we caÌ„not say that there are three Gods but one God Alius personalitèr non aliud esseâ—rialitèr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for though the persons bee distinguished in number yet they be not devided in Essence which is a mistery to which mans vnderstaÌ„ding must vaile seeing that it hath not pleased God wholy to reueale it to the sonnes of men and that the Cherubins do cover their faces before it as being not able to apprehend the perfit view thereof Wherefore let vs say with holy Moses HiddeÌ„ things belong vnto thee ô Lord but revealed things vnto vs and our children let vs only learne as much of this vnity Trinity as it hath pleased God to reueale vnto vs in his word alwaies remembring that saying of Arnobius De Deo loqui et iam vera periculosissimum est that of another De Deo cuÌ„ dicitur noÌ„ potest dici 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That there are three persons in the Deitie the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost as it may be proved by many pregnaÌ„t places of scripture so it is evideÌ„t from the baptisme of Christ in Iordan where the Sonne was baptized by Iohn the holy Ghost descended in the visible forme of a Doue the Father gaue witnesse from heauen that this was his beloued sonne c vpoÌ„ which place S. Augustine giueth the note Qui nescis triuitatem ito ad Iordanem And an other Father Conveniat mens tua Sanctum IohaÌ„nem in Iordane And yet that there is likewise an vnity of Esséce of which without inequality the whole Trinity doth participate may bee proved by an vsuall forme of speech in the Hebrew originall when speaking of God a nowne of the plural number is ioined with a verbe of the singular as in the beginning of Genesis 1. In principio creavit Elohim 1 Dij coelum terram-Dij for the persons in the plurall number creavit to note the vnitie of the Essence in the singular number This Trinity of persons thus coÌ„spiring in the vnity of Essence is notwithstanding distinguished by attributes and proprieties These attributes or properties are twofold 1 Incommunicable and 2 Communicable Incommunicable proprieties are 1. Of the Father to be vnbegotten 2. Of the Sonne to bee begotten the curious search of whose generation is sealed vp with that saying of Gregory Nazianzene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Irenaeus Si quis dixerit Quomodo filius à patre prolatus est Dicimus et Quia prolationem istam sive generationem eius Inenarrabilem existentem nemo novit non Valentinus non Marcion neque Saturninus nequeâ—asilides neque Angeli neque Archangeli nee principes neque potestates nisisolus quigenerauit pater qui natus est filius 3. Of the holy Ghost to be proceeding How the generation of the Sonne and the procession of the holy Ghost do differ I cannot tell only I say with S. Augustine that they do differ sedego distinguere nescio non valeo noÌ„ sufficio The communicable proprieties are simple infinite immutable eternall iust mercifull onlie wise omnipotent of which the three persons doe inseparably communicate
view of his own glory discontinued his wonted obedience to his Soueraigne nor only so but hauing all that he could aske or thought he should receiue from God Qui mandu canerunt vt essent quasi Dio perdiderunt quod erant facto homines immorrales August betooke himselfe to the Diuell to serue him vpon credit only of better pay Eritis sicut Dij thinking by violence to breake into heauen and to exalt his Throne by the Throne of the Almighty But foolish man by this his Apostasie and wilfull disobedience forfeited his former more blessed estate and was stript of his Masters liuery and all his excellent graces dispossessed of Paradice and sent vnto the Divell to pay him his wages for his former seruice and all his posterity by the guilt of his transgression haue their nature defiled and are abandoned of God and entitled to the Divel for his children and ofspring a wicked seede witches children and sonnes of Beliall And now ô yee sonnes of men saith God by his Prophet Micheas c. 6. v. 5. Remember what Balak king of Moab had deuised and what Balarn the Sonne of Beor answered him that you may knowe the righteousnes of the Lord for so I hope I may apply this prophesie O yee sonnes of men now at this time during our bondage vnder the divel remember what the Prince of darknes had devised against vs and how Iesus Christ the sonne of the living God hath answered him and stopt his mouth with a voice of blood and nailed his accusation to a Crosse that yee may knowe the righteousnes nor that only but the exceeding loue and rich mercy of the Lorde to mankinde for there being no way to free vs out of the power of the Devill but by satisfying the iustice of God for the former transgression God the Father in the fulnesse of time sent his beloued Son made of a woman and clothed in our flesh by the shedding of his precious bloud to redeeme out of the power of the Devill all those that by faith apply the merite of his passion vnto themselues and doe afterwarde shew their thankfulnes vnto God for so great Redemption I beleeue then that Jesus Christ the only Sonne of God coessential to the Father and the holy Ghost was incarnate of the substance of the ever-blessed Virgin Mary by the operation of the holy Spirit that as Sampson married a wife in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistins that hee might seeke an occasion against the Philistins for at that time the Philistins reigned ouer Israel Iud. 14.4 So he by espousing our flesh and by being become the seede of the woman of Abraham of Dauid and our brother might condemne Sinne in the flesh and by his power shrowded vnder this vaile ouerthrow and dispoile the strong mā of his possession then was fulfilled that of St. Augustine Christus pectatumest nos Iustitia Christ is made sinne and wee the righteousnesse of God in him So that in the person of Christ I confesse 2. natures the one Diuine the other Humane by the Diuine nature I doe not vnderstand the Divine nature simply and absolutly as it is commō to all the three persons in the Trinity for wee may not say that the whole Trinity was incarnate but I vnderstand these words Diuine nature Relatiuely of the Nature only of the Sonne of God who is the second Person in the Trinity as also by Humane Nature I do not meane ths Generall or speciall nature of man but the nature considered in the Iudiuiduum only to wit that substance of the humane nature which in the wombe of the Virgin Mary the Sonne of God did assume into the vnity of his person And these 2. Natures I confesse to bee vnited in one person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truely and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfectly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indiuisibly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 distinctly in which 4. words 4. principall heresies touching the person of our Sauiour of the Arians Apolinarians Nestorians Euticheans were confuted in 4. seuerall councells Nice Constantinople Ephesus Calcedon Yet in this doctrine we must heedfully beware of 2. extreames The first that we do not thinke that the Deity assuming is changed into the Humanity assumed assumpsit quod non erat non amisit quod erat saith S. Augustine nor the manhoode assumed into the Deitie assuming but each remaineth entire in his essentiall properties yet without division of the person Salvâ proprietate vtriusque naturae suscepta est à maiestate humilitas à virtute infirmitas ab aeternitate mortalitas Leo ep ad Flau The second that yet notwithstanding we holde for good all such propositions where that is attributed vnto the subiect in concreto which is to be vnderstood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Cyrill speakes in the same subiect especially if the Attribute be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and an effect of the office of Mediatorship As God redeemed the world by his blood the God of glory was crucified and we condemne for Blasphemous that saying of Nestorius Noli gloriari Iudee non enim Deum crucifixisti sed hominē as denying the two natures in 1. Hypostasis and implying that the mā Iesus was assumed into the society only of the Divinity and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one speaketh of the same Heresie To deliver al this more plainly Christ Iesus the second person in the Trinitie assumed our whole nature both body and soule Totus totum assumpsit me vt toti mihi salutem gratificaret quod enim inassumptibile est incurabile est Pet. Lomb. lib. 3. dist 2. into the vnitie of his person and therein performed the whole worke of our Redemption Non Mediator homo praeter Deitatem non Mediator Deus praeter humanitatem sed inter divinitatem solam humanitatem solam mediatrix est humana divinitas diuina humanitas Aug. Which worke of redemption consisteth of two partes 1. Satisfaction for sin both in culpâ poenâ 2. Intercession The one performed by him in the state of Humiliation by his 1. Incarnation 2. Passion Externall Internall 3. Crucifying 4. Death 5. Buriall 6. Descent into hell The other in his estate of Exaltation glory I beleeue that God I doe not say approued or suggested or furthered but permitted directed and J may truely say willed and ordeined the fal of Adā that thereby he might take occasiō to manifest his glory that in two respects 1 In erecting a consistorie and tribunall for his iustice 2 In exposing to the view of all mē the inexhaustible treasure of his rich mercy or that I may speake in the words of a Prophet In opening of a fountaine of mercy to the house of Dauid to the Inhabitants of Ierusalem to all the Israel of God for sinne and for vncleannesse Concerning the first I confesse that there cā no other reason be assigned of the reiection of the wicked but that
another sence then that of the Pope of Rome to be more consonant vnto the Text of Scripture yet Sed tamen si hoc Ecclesia iusserit credam captiuaebo n. intellectum meum in obsequium Ecclesiae And Bellarmine himselfe lib. 4. de Roman pont cap. 5. Si papa praeciperet vitium aut prohiberet virtutem Ecclesia teneretur credere virtutem esse malam vitium esse bonum but it shoulde seeme this troubled him afterwards for in his Recognitions he endeauoureth to excuse it The matter of this Church is 1 Angells 2 Men 1 Angells for not to conceale anie thing I knowe I like not the sentence of M. Beza and M. Perkins be it spoken with reuerence to so worthy men but choose rather to tread in the path of Antiquity Et nemo bibens vetus Vinum statim vult nouum dicit enim vetus melius est Luc. seing the learned Zanch. is perswaded that Angells be parts of the mysticall body of Christ and members of the Church seeing they receaue by the mediation of Christ these benefits ensewing 1 To be confirmed in their blessed estate 2 To haue a more perfit Revelation of the wil of God touching the calling of the Gentiles 3 To be reconciled to man from whom they were averse before as being executioners of Gods wrath vpon our sinnes and hence is their ioie for our seuerall conuersions And I beleeue that this opinion is strongly maintained and abetted with these places of Scripture Ephes 1.10 Coloss 1.20 2 Men. 1. Non Hypocrits or wicked men for howsoeuer they carry an outward profession of Sanctity the liuery of ChristiaÌ„s yet indeed are they not true liuing members of Christs body for otherwise this would follow that the Hypocrite being to receiue his portion in the firie lake that Christ should condemne into hel his owne members only I must advise you that in the iudgement of Charity you do esteeme al those for true members of Christ which fashioÌ„ themselues to an outwarde conformity in the Church alwaies remembring what S. Augustine answered Petilian charging him to be a reprobate In area domini sum vel frumentum vel palea sed huius areae ventilabrum non est lingua Petiliani But 2. holy men elect childreÌ„ Saints of God for their sins being washed away in the bloud of the Lamb they only are cloathed with the stole of righteousnes and haue palmes in their hands and do follow the lambe whither-soever he goeth singing honour and praise and immortalitie to him that sitteth vpon the throne and to the Lambe for evermore 3. The inwarde forme of this Church is the bond of the spirit by which the Saints of God dispersed over the whole earth of divers times are knit togither and linked in a vnion to Christ their head and a communion amongst theÌ„selues 4. I beleeue this Church to be invisible in respect of this inward forme for although Momus desired yet God never granted a window to the breast of maÌ„ so that we caÌ„not enter with a CaÌ„dle to see their faith their electioÌ„ the Graces of the holy Ghost in respect of the better part to wit the Saints blessed in heaven to whom as we cannot extend the torments of mallice or the scourge of our tongue so neither our bodily eies yet visible in some particular churches as now in England for the welfare of which Church my praier hath ever bin that in the Canticles Arise ô North and come ô South and blow on this garden that the spices therof may flow out yet so as subiect to change having a waxing and a waning like the moone for sometime we read that Christ saith of his Church who is shee that looketh forth as the morning faire as the moone pure as the sonne terrible as an army with banners Sometimes againe we read of the church that she is driveÌ„ by the red-dragoÌ„ into the wildernes hath sent after her a river of water to swallow drown her vp 5. This Church is a body coupled togither by ioints Eph. 4.16 and therefore must haue a head the which head I coÌ„fesse Christ Christ alone to be according to that Coloss 1.18 Et ipse caput corporis i Ecclesiae for no other Creature whatsoever can performe the offices of a head to this body which are vi intus agente as Paule speaketh Eph. 5. To giue efficacy quickning to the same and to powre foorth oile in great aboundance into the seaven lamps which stand in the golden candlesticke in the temple as it is in the vision of Zachary Gregorius Meg none of the best Bishops of RoÌ„e and immediate Predecessor to this Boniface sic eragice declamitat Ego autem fidencer dico quia quisquis se Vniuersalem Sacerdotem vocal vel vocari desi deâ—at in elationae sua Antichristum prectortie quia superhiendo se caeteris praepoâ—is and therefore the first and best Bishops of Rome never durst arrogate vnto theÌ„ selues to be the generall fathers heads of the Church Verus successor Pauli dicet cuÌ„ Paulo Non quod dominemur fidei vestrae sed adiutores sumus gaudij Petri haeres audiet Petrum dicentem Neque vt dominantes in clerum Ber. in ep ad Eugen. Nor any in more corrupted times vntill Boniface the 3. about 600. after Christ having absolved from Parricide Phocas who had killed Mauricius the Emperour and his Lord obtained in lew of this Cburch blessing to be called the Oecumenicall and generall head of the Church which ever since the Bishops of Rome haue continued notwithout their disadvaÌ„tag for it was not for nothing that Barcklay himselfe a Catholicke wrote thus to Clement the 8. Hanc potestateÌ„ sempèr censui omnium fluctuum fontem esse quibus bodiè haeresis tuuÌ„ navigium lacessit He giues instance in the Navarrens Grandfather Father and Sonne who their kingdome being given away by Iulius the second revolted and do seeke to mainetaine by a distinction minted by them That Christ indeed is the head of the triumphant and Militant Church both and the Pope of the Militant only Againe That Christ is the head of the Church by soueraigne preheminence in a more diuine ample absolute excellent transcendent sort but the Pope is head only Ministerially Foolish men that seeke to couer their ambition with such Figleaues as these are for what need Christ of a ministeriall head to supply his presence in the Church and if the Pope of Rome bee that head how wisely hath Christ prouided that Error Heresie shal neuer preuaile in it seeing the Pope may erre Non solum actu externo in quaestione facti errore exempli in declaratione opinionis propriae inijs quae obiter dicat in medijs ante conclusionem sed etiam in rebus fidei vt summus pontifex vt publicum os Ecclesiae in definitiuâ sententiâ for many of them haue beene Heretikes Anastatius the second is tormented in hell for the