reiected so long time all kindes of lust euen those which are not to be named be it spoken with reuerence to your sacred M. O noble Cesar haue more then horribly ouerthrowne this Ecclesiasticall order so that at this daie amongst men there be none more abhominable then they which beare the name of Priests THE NINTEENTH SECTION OF THE CIVIL MAGISTRATE THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of Magistracie CHAP. 30. THE Magistracie of what sort soeuer it be is ordained of God him selfe for the peace and quietnes of mankinde and so that he ought to haue the chiefest place in the world If he be an aduersarie to the Church he may hinder and disturbe it very much but if he be a friend and a member of the Church he is a moste profitable and excellent member thereof which may profit it verie much and finallie may helpe and further it verie excellentlie His chiefest dutie is to procure and maintaine peace and publique tranquillitie Which doubtles he shall neuer do more happilie then when he shall be truelie seasoned with the feare of God and true religion namelie when he shall after the example of moste holie Kinges and Princes of the people of the Lorde aduaunce the preaching of the truth and the pure and sincere faith and shall roote out lies and all superstition with all impietie and Idolatrie and shall defend the Church of God For in deede we teach that the care of religion doth chieflie appertaine to the holie Magistrate let him therefore holde the worde of God in his handes and looke that nothing be taught contrary thereunto In like manner let him gouerne the people committed to him of God with good lawes made according to the worde of God Let him hold them in discipline and in their dutie and in obedience let him exercise iudgement by iudgeing vprightlie let him not accept anie mans person or receiue bribes let him deliuer widowes fatherles children and those that be afflicted from wrong let him represse yea and cut of such as are vniust either by deceit or by violence For he hath not receiued the sworde of God in vaine Therefore let him draw forth this sworde of God against all malefactours seditious persons theeues or murderers oppressours blasphemers periured persons and all those whome God hath commaunded him to punish or execute Let him suppresse stubborne heretiques which are heretiques in deede who cease not to blaspheme the maiestie of God and to trouble the Church yea and finallie to destroy it but if so be it be necessarie to preserue the saftie of the people by warre let him doe it in the name of God so that he first seeke peace by all meanes possible and vse it not saue onelie then when he can saue his subiects no waie but by warre And while as the Magistrate doth these things in faith he serueth God by those workes as with such as be good workes and shall receiue a blessing from the Lorde We condemne the Anabaptists who as they denie that a christian man should beare the office of a magistrate so also they deny that anie man can iustlie be put to death by the Magistrate or that the Magistrate maie make warre or that othes shoulde be performed to the Magistrates and such like thinges For as God will worke the saftie of his people by the Magistrate whome he hath giuen to be as it were a father of the world so all the subiects are commaunded to acknowledge this benefit of God in the Magistrate therefore let them honour and reuerence the Magistrate as the minister of God let them loue him fauour him and pray for him as their father and let them obey all his iust and equall commaundements Finallie let them pay all customes and tributes and all other dueties of the like sorte faithfullie and willinglie And if the common saftie of the countrie and iustice require it and the Magistrate do of necessitie make warre let them laie downe their life spend their blood for the common saftie and defence of the Magistrate and that in the name of God willinglie valiantlie and cherefullie For he that opposeth himselfe against the Magistrate doth procure the wrath of god against him We condemne therfore all contemners of Magistrates as rebells enemies of the common wealth seditious villaines in a word all such as do either openlie or closelie refuse to performe those duties which they ought to do c. THE CONCLVSION WE beseech God our most mercifull Father in heauen that he will blesse the Princes of the people and vs and his wholl people through Iesus Christ our onelie Lord and Sauiour to whome be praise and thankesgiuing both now and for euer OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of Magistracie SEing that euery Magistrate is of God his chiefe dutie except it please him to exercise a tyranie consisteth in this to defend religion from all blasphemie to procure it and as the Prophet teacheth out of the word of the Lord to put it in practise so much as in him lieth In which parte trulie the first place is giuen to the pure free preaching of the worde of God the instruction of the youth of Citizens and a right and diligent teaching in Schooles lawfull discipline a liberall prouision for the Ministers of the Church and a diligent care for the poore Secondlie to iudge the people according to iust diuine lawes to keepe iudgement and iustice to maintaine this publique peace to cherish the common wealth and to punish the offenders according to the quantitie of the fault in their riches bodie or life which things when he doth he performeth a due worship or seruice to God We know that though we be free we ought whollie in a true faith holilie to submit our selues to the Magistrate both with our bodie and with all our goods and indeauour of minde also to performe faithfulnes and the othe which we made to him so farre forth as his gouernment is not euidentlie repugnant to him for whose sake we doe reuerence the Magistrate OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASILL Of Magistracie MOreouer God hath assigned to the Magistrate who is his minister the sword and chiefe externall power for the defence of the good and to take reuenge and punishment of the euill Therefore euerie Christian Magistrate in the number whereof we also desire to be doth direct all his strength to this that among those which are coÌ„mitted to his credit the name of God may be sanctified his kingdome may be enlarged and men may liue according to his will with an earnest rooting out of all râ—ughtines And in the margent This duetie also was inioyned to the heathenish Magistrate how much more to the Christian Magistrate ought it to be commended as to the true substitute of God Also Art 11. Sect. 1. 3. and 4. We doe clearelie protest that together with all other doctrines which are directlie contrarie to the
especially according to that which the Lord commaundeth Giue vnto Cesar the things which are Cesars and vnto God the things which are Gods But if some should attempt to remooue any from this Christian and true opinion they ought to follow the example of the Apostles who with a bolde courage nothing at all daunted answered the Magistrate and counsell of Ierusalem in this manner We ought rather to obey God then men Whereof also is to be seene the iudgement of the olde fathers and of the Canon law where they thus write and these are the wordes of S. Ierome If the Lord or magistrate commaund those things that are not contrary to the holy scriptures let the seruant be subiect to the Lord but if 〈◊〉 anie thing contrarie let him rather obey the Lord of his pâ—â—rit then of his bodie And a litle after If it be good which the Emperor commaundeth do the will of him that commaundeth if it be euill answer we ought rather to obey God then men THE CONCLVSION ANd hetherto haue beene informed and shewed vnto your Maiestie in this writing the reasons causes of our faith and doctrine and Christian religion fuch doctrine as the ministers of our Churches all and singular euery one according to the gift of god graunted vnto him do with one consent of iudgement holde talke of and preach and do constantlie manteine and fight for the same not with the power of this world but by holy scriptures against those that impugne it or by teaching do spread abroade contrarie errors thereunto Neither yet without that modestie that becommeth the profession of Christians do they stubbournly rather then rigiouslie persist in this doctrine or haue at any time heretofore persisted but if anie thing be found herein not well taken by them and that by certeine grounds out of the word of god which ought to be the rule of iudgement vnto all men peaceablie and with a meeke spirit as it ought to be done be shewed vnto them they are readie and forward and thereunto as alwaies heretofore so now they offer themselues that after due consideration true knowledge of the trueth had they will most gladlie and thankfullie receiue that doctrine which shall haue better foundations and willinglie reforme whatsoeuer shall haue need to be amended Wherefore most excellent King and gratious Lord maie it please your Maiestie to examine this our confession and after diligent and due consideration had to waie and consider whether anie man worthelie and for iust cause may reiect and condemne this doctrine as not agreeable to the holie scripture nor Christian Verilie we are of opinion that if anie man presume to despise or condemne this doctrine he must of necessitie also condemne the holie scripture from whence it was taken and the auncient and true Christian Doctors with whome it agreeth and also the holie lie Church it selfe which from the beginning and that constantlie 〈◊〉 and doth teach And hereby your Maiesty may graciâ—â—slie perceiue and determine whether the complaints and accusations of our aduersaries and such as fauour not vs and our teachers be iust or noe Wherefore most humbly we pray that your sacred Maiestie will giue no place or credit to our aduersaries in those matters which diuers waies without anie ground they charge vs withall when as without all humanitie they accuse vs our ministers and preachers as if we had an other religion and taught an other doctrine then that which at this present we offer vnto your Maiestie or that we presume stubbournlie to take in hand or do attempt anie other thing against God and your Maiestie and contrarie to the institutions of this common wealth and to the publique law of the kingdome of Bohemia And your Maiestie may well call to your remembrance that we haue euerie waie and at all times behaued our selues obedientlie and peaceablie and in all things which may turne or belong to the preseruation of your Maiesties person and to the publique good and commoditie of the whol realme in al such things I say we haue indeauoured not to be behinde others and hereafter also we offer our selues most readie to perfourme the same according to our allegeance and duetie Neither do we think it onelie a point of vertue and to apperteine vnto honesty alone and the good estate of the common wealth to yeeld our selues subiect and faithfull to your maiesty for peace concord and the rewards of this life but much rather we acknowledge that it pleaseth God and that so is his will that euery one for conscience sake should be obedient to the Magistrate and should reuerence loue honour and highly esteem him euen as our teachers also do deale both with vs and with the people to perfourme this and oftentimes by teaching out of the word doe in force it vpon vs both Here we commend our selues vnto your Maiesty as to the fatherly and liberall tuition care and protection of our most gracious Lord and do most humbly beseech of your Maiesty that vnto these things which on the befalfe of Christian religion we haue tendred vnto your Maiestie we may receiue a courteous answer and such as God maie be pleased withall The almightie and euerlasting God graciouslie preserue your Maiestie in continuall health to the profit benefit and increase of his holie Christian Church Amen Prouerb 20. Mercie and trueth preserue the King for his throne is established with mercie OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION WE beleeue that God would haue the world to be gouerned by lawes and by ciuill gouernmenr that there maiâ— be certaine bridles whereby the immoderate desires of the world maie be restrained and that therefore he appointed kingdomes common wealths and other kindes of principalitie whether they come by inheritance or otherwise And not that alone but also whatsoeuer perteineth to the state of righteousnes as they call it whereof he desireth to be acknowledged the author Therefore he hath also deliuered the sword into the hands of the Magistrates to wit that offences maie be repressed not onely those which are committed against the second table but also against the first Therefore because of the author of this order we must not onelie fuffer them to rule whome he hath set ouer vs but also giue vnto them all honour and reuerence as vnto his embassadours and ministers assigned of him to execute a lawfull and holie function Also Art 40. THerefore we affirme that we must obey the lawes and statutes that tribute must be paied and that we must patientlie endure the other burdens to conclude that we must willnglie suffer the yoke of subiection although the Magistrate be infidells so that the soueraigne gouernment of God do remaine wholl or entire and nothing diminished Therefore we detest all those which do reiect all kinde of dominion and bring in a communitie and confusion of goods and who to conclude do go about to ouerthrow al order of law OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BELGIA
vse yet notwithstanding this doth nothing hinder but that euery church as it knoweth what is expedient may appoint a certeine kinde of Censure or Ecclesiasticall discipline which it may vse where need so requireth that the Church maie be satisfied as we haue noted before in the first obseruation vpon the Confession of Bohemia and hereafter in the 10. Sect. and in the third obseruation vpon the Confession of Bohemia Vpon the same WE giue men warning of this also c. How temporall punishments may be said sometime to be differred and some time to be mitigated by good workes we haue declared a litle before to wit in the third obseruation vpon this confession Moreouer the word merit both in the words which follow Repentance deserued that God should alter his purpose touching the destruction of Niniuie and also in other places wheresoeuer either this or other Confessions doe vse it it is without doubt thus to be taken for that which we saie to obteine and to get as it is often times vsed among the auncient Latine deuines And whereas God here is said to haue chaunged his minde we do not doubt but that our bretheren do vnderstand it as spoken after the manner of men as when he is said to Repent him of some thing or else it is to be referred to the outward preaching of Ionas For as concerning God himselfe it was onelie a threatning and not a sentence decreed Vpon the confession of Saxonie WE affirme that the Ceremonie of priuat absolution is to be reteined in the Church How farre we thinke that this priuate confession and absolution is to be reteined in the Church we haue declared a litle before to wit in the first obseruation vpon the Confession of Bohemia Vpon the same In true Confession there must be these chaunges a mortification and a quicking Rom. 6. c. This is moste truelie saide but in a diuers sense For neither is contrition or a sense of sinne which is a fruit of sinne common to al signified by the name of mortification insomuch as it is a gift of the holie Ghost proper to the Elect but an abolishing of the olde man or of the flesh or of that natural corruption which taking it beginning of that contrition or sorow which is according to God whereof that place Psal 5. 19. and Esa 66. 2. is vnderstood is by litle and litle perfited in the elect and is the beginning of true conuersion whereunto on the other side quickning is answerable that is a certeine restoring as it were from death vnto life of the minde which was before in a manner dead in that corruption and being persuaded of the free remission of sinnes in Christ by faith it beginneth to hate sinne wherewith it was delighted to loue God whome it hated and to conclude to will well and to do vprightlie Vpon the same To shake of God and againe to loose c. Looke those things which are noted in the first obseruation of the 4. Section vpon this Confession Vpon the same This wholl custome was appointed for examples sake and is politicall c. We doe thinke that this custome of publious satisfaction before the Church is in such sorte politicall that notwithstanding it maie be referred to the Ecclesiasticall order and maie altogether be distinguished from those punishmentes which are meerelie ciuill and from those which are to be inflicted by the ciuill Magistrate For although such a publique kinde of acknowledging and dâ—teâ—â—ing of sinnes being made in the Church is in no case to be thought to be of anie value before God for the ransom of our sinnes such lesse that it should be a Sacrament yet we doe not doubt but that this abasing is both acceptable to God and commodious for the edifying of the Church and that in such places wherein it maie be fruitfullie vsed Vpon the same Hath no commaundement to inioyne such punishmentes c. But it hath a commaundement lawfullie to binde and to loose and to trie by diligent search which is true repentance Concerning which thing looke what we haue spoken a litle before in the 2. obseruation vpon the confession of Auspurge and is hereafter taught more at large in the 11. Section where we doe expresselie intreat of the power of the keies Vpon the same Are cheefelie mitigated for the Sonne of God c. Where the question is of the Church of God we saie that all blessings without any exception are bestowed vpon it and the members thereof not chiefelie but onelie for the Sonne of God his sake And these wordes Euen for the very conuersions sake our punishmentes are mitigated because that in the Saintes the legall promises being added to their workes are not without their effect but haue their rewardes c. ought as they seeme to be thus taken by adding to them this interpretation They are not without their effect but that must be of meere grace and in respect of Christ alone in whome God doth vouchsafe euen to rewarde both the Saintes themselues and also good workes hauing no regard to the blemishes of their workes as we haue saide before in the 3. and 7. obseruatious vpon the confession of Auspurge Vpon the same Iâ— doth onely proâ—unce this sentence c. To wit according to the Ecclesiasticall iudgementes and censures whereof we 〈…〉 before and not by anie ciuill authoritie 〈…〉 as they beâ—â—armed in Papacie vse to doe Vpon the Confession of Wirtemberge ALthough we thinke that it is not necessarie to saluation to reckon 〈…〉 c. yet we endeauour that a generall confession of 〈…〉 be reteined in our Churches c. Seeing that these thinges perteine not to the Doctrine of faith but vnto the vse of Ecclesiastical discipline of the libertie wherof in particular Churches we haue oftentimes spoken elsewhere we doe not thinke it good that this lawe should be brought into our Churches being made and receiued in other places beside the word of God and the custome of the auncient pure Church which did neuer require priuate confession of euerie one of those which did professe the Christian Religion but onelie of them of whose sinnes knowledge was taken in the assemblie IN THE 9. SECTION Vpon the Confession of Bohemia BVT such works as are taught of men what shew soeuer they haue euen of goodnes are in no case to be so highlie esteemed as those whieh are commaunded of God Vnderstand this of those workes which yet are not willworship and deuises of mans braine For such are wholly to be reiected as is also saide of such a little after that are not of faith but contrarie to faith Vpon the same By taking heede that they fall not into mortall sinne Looke the 2. obseruation vpon the Saxonie Confession in the 4. Sect. Vpon the same First for this cause that is for diuerse causes whereof this is one Lest that the grace of faith which we haue
of the lawe the office of Christ and his blessed Euangell his corrupted doctrine concerning original sinne our naturall inabâ—lâ—tiâ— and rebellion to Gods law our instification by faith onelie our imperfect sanctification and obedience to the lawe the nature number and vse of the holie Sacraments his fine bastard sacraments with all his rites ceremonies and false doctrine added to the administration of the true Sacraments without the word of God his cruell iudgement against Infants departing without the Sacrament his absolute necessitieâ— Baptisme his blasphemous opinion of transsubst antiatioâ— or reall presence of Christes bodie in the elements and receiuing of the same by the wicked or bodies of men his dispensations with solemne othes periuries and degrees of mariage forbidden in the word his crueltie against the Innocent diuorced his deuilish Masse his blasphemous Priesthood his prophane sacrifice for the sinnes of the dead and the quick his Canonization of men calling vpon Angells or Saintes departed worshipping of Images reliques and crosses dedicating of Churches Altars Daies Vowes to creatures his Purgatorie praiers for the dead praying or speaking in a strange language with his processions and blasphemous Letany and multitude of Aduocates or Mediatours his manifolde orders Auricular confession his dispersed vncertaine repentance his generall and doubt some faith his satisfactions of men for their sinnnes his iustification by workes Opus Operatum woorkes of supererogation merites pardons peregrinations and stations his holie water Baptiâ—â—ng of Belles Coniuring of spirites Crossing Saâ—ing Annointing coniuring Hallowing of Gods good Creatures with the superstitious opinion ioyned therewith his worldlie Monarchie and wicked hierarchâ—e his three solemned vowes with all his shaâ—eliâ—gs of sundrie sortes his erronious bloodie decrees made at Trent with all the subscribers and approouers of that cruell and bloody band coniured against the Church of God And finallie â—e detest all his vaine allegories rites signes and traditions brought in the Church without or against the worde of God and doctrine of this true reformed Church to the which we toyne our selues willinglie in doctrine faith religion discipline and vse of the holie Sacraments as liuelie members of the same in Christ our head promising and swearing by the great name of the Lord our God that we shall continue in the obedience of the doctrine and discipline of this Church and shall defend the same according to our vocation and power all the daies of our liues vnder the paines contained in the law and danger both of bodie and soule in the date of Gods fearefull iudgement And seeing that manie are stirred vp by Satan and that Romane Antichrist to promise sâ—â—are subsâ—râ—â—â— and for a time vse the holy Sacraments in the Church deceitfully against their owne conscience minding hereby first vnder the externall cloake of Religion to corrupt and subuert secretlie Gods true Religion within the Church and afterward when time maie serue to become open enemies and persequuters of the same vnder vaine hope of the Popes dispensation deuised against the word of God to his greater confusion and their double condemnation in the daie of the Lord Iesus We therefore willing to take away all suspition of hypocrisie and of such double dealing with God and his Church protest and call the sâ—archer of all heartes for witnes that our mindes and heartes do fully agree with this our confession promise oth and subscription So that we are not mooâ—ed for anie worldlie respect but are persuaded onelie in our conscience through the knowledge and loue of Gods true religion printed in our heartes by the holie spirit as we shall answer to him in the daie when the secrets of all heartes shall be disclosed And because we perceiue that the quietnes and stabilitie of our religion and Church doth depend vpon the safetie and good behauioâ—r of the Kings maiestie as vpon a comfortable Instrumenâ— of Gods mercie graunted to this countrie for the manteining of his Church and ministration of Iustice amongst vs we protest and promise with our heartes vnder the same oth hand writ and paines that we shall defend his person and authoritie with our goods bodies and liues iâ— the defence of Christes Euangell Libertie of our countrie ministration of iustice and punishment of iniquity against all enemies within this realme or without as we desire our God to be a strong and mercifull defender to vs in the daie of our death and comming of our Lord Iesus Christ To whome with the father and the holy spirit bâ— all honour and glory eternallie Amen THE ESTATES OF SCOTLAND VVITH THE INHABITANTS OF THE SAME PROfessing Christ Iesus and his ho lie gospell To their naturall countrie men and to all other Realmes and nations professing the same Christ Iesus with them wish grace mercie and peace from God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ with the spirit of righteous iudgement of saluation LOng haue wee thirsted deare brethren to haue notified vnto the worlde the summe of that doctrine which wee professe and for the which we haue sustained infamie and daunger But such hath beene the rage of Sathan agaist vs and against Christ Iesus his eternall veritie latelie borne amongest vs that to this daie no time hath beene graunted vnto vs to cleare our consciences as moste gladlie we would haue done For how we haue beene tossed at times heretofore the moste parte of Europe as we suppose doth vnderstand But seing that of the infinite goodnes of our God who neuer suffereth his afflicted vtterlie to be confounded aboue expectation we haue obtained some rest and libertie we would not but set forth this briefe and plaine confession of such doctrine as is proponed vnto vs and as we beleeue and professe partlie for satisfaction of our brethren whose hearts we doubt not haue beene and yet are wounded by the despitefull railing of such as yet haue not learned to speake well and partlie for stopping of the mouthes of the impudent blasphemers who boldelie damne that which they haue neither heard nor yet vnderstoode Not that we iudge that the cankred malice of such is able to be cured by this our simple confession No we knowe the sweete sauour of the Gospell is and shall be death to the sonnes of perdition but we haue chiefe respect to our weake and infirme brethren to whome we woulde communicate the bottome of our hearts lest that they be troubled or carried awaie by diuersitie of rumours which Satan spreads abroad against vs to the defacing of this our moste godlie enterprise protesting that if anie man shall note in this our confession anie article or sentence repugning to Gods holie worde and doe admonish vs of the same in writing we by Gods grace doe promise vnto him satisfaction from the mouth of God that is from his holie Scriptures or else reformation of that which he shall prooue to be amisse For God we take to record in our consciences that from our hearts we abhorre all sectes of heresie and all teachers of
Citizens of the heauenlie Ierusalem haue the fruition of the moste inestimable benefites to wit of one God one Lord Iesus one faith and of one Baptisme out of the which Church there is neither life nor eternall felicitie And therfore we vtterlie abhor the blasphemie of those that affirme that men which liue according to equitie and iustice shall be saued what religion so euer they haue professed For as without Christ Iesus there is neither life nor saluation so shal there none be participant thereof but such as the father hath giuen vnto his Sonne Christ Iesus and those in time to come vnto him auow his doctrine and beleeue in him we apprehend the children with the faithful parents This Church is inuisible knowne onelie to God who alone knoweth whome he hath chosen and comprehendeth as well as said is the elect that be departed commonlie called the Church triumphant as those that yet liue and fight against sinne and Satan and shall liue hereafter The immortalitie of the soules THe elect departed are in peace and rest from their labours not that they sleepe and come to a certaine obliuion as some phantastikes doe affirme but that they are deliuered from all feare and torment and all temptation to which we and al Gods elect are subiect in this life and therfore doe beare the name of the Church militant as contrariwise the reprobate and vnfaithful departed haue anguish torment and paine that can not be expressed So that neither are the one nor the other in such sleepe that they feele not their torment as the parable of Christ Iesus in the 16. of Luke his wordes to the theefe and these wordes of the soules crying vnder the Altar O Lorde thou art righteous and iâ—st how long shalt thou not reuenge our blood vpon these that dwell in the earth doe testifie Of the notes by the which the true Church is discerned from the false and who shall be iudge of the doctrine BEcause that Satan from the beginning hath laboured to decke his pestilent sinagogue with the title of the Church of God and hath inflamed the heartes of cruell murtherers to persecute trouble molest the true Church and members thereof as Caine did Abell Ismaell Isaak Esau Iacob and the wholl priesthoode of the Iewes Christ Iesus himselfe and his Apostles after him It is a thing most requisite that the true Church be discerned from the filthie sinagogues by cleare perfit notes lest we being deceiued receiue and imbrace to our condemnation the one for the other The notes signes and assured tokens whereby the immaculate spouse of Christ Iesus is knowne from the horrible harlot the Church malignant we affirme are neither antiquitie title vsurped lineall descent place appointed nor multitude of men approouing an errour for Caine in age and title was preferred to Abell and Seth Ierusalem had prerogatiue aboue al places of the earth where also were the priests lineallie descended from Aaron and greater number followed the Scribes Pharisies and Priestes then vnfainedlie beleeued and approoued Christ Iesus and his doctrine yet as we suppose no man of sound iudgement will graunt that any of the forenamed were the Church of God The notes therefore of the true Church of God we beleeue confesse and auow to be first the true preaching of the worde of God in the which God hath reuealed himselfe vnto vs as the writings of the Prophets and Apostles doe declare Secondlie the right administration of the Sacramentes of Christ Iesus which must be annexed vnto the worde and promise of God to seale confirme the same in our hearts Lastlie Ecclesiasticall discipline vprightlie ministred as Gods word prescribeth wherby vice is repressed and vertue nourished Whersoeuer then these former notes are seene and of anie time continue be the number neâ—â—r so fewe aboue two or three there without all doubt is the true Church of Christ who according to his promise is in the midst of them Not in the vniuersall of which we haue before spoken but particular such as was in Corinthus Gallacia Ephesus and other places in which the ministery was planted by Paull and were of himselfe named the Churches of God and such Churches we the inhabitants of the Realme of Scotlande professours of Christ Iesus professe our selues â—o haue in our Cities townes and places reformed For the doctrine taught in our Churches is contained in the written worde of God to wit in the bookes of the olde and new Testaments in those bookes we meane which of the auncient haue beene reputed Canonicall In the which we affirme that all thinges necessarie to be beleeued for the saluation of mankinde are sufficientlie expressed The interpretation whereof we confesse neither appertaineth to priuate nor publike person neither yet to anie church for any preheminence or prerogatiue personal or locall which one hath aboue another but appertaineth to the Spirit of God by the which also the scripture was written When controuetsie theÌ„ happeneth for the right vnderstanding of any place or sentence of scripture or for the reformation of anie abuse within the Church of God we ought noâ— so much to looke what men before vs haue saide or done as vnto that which the holie ghost vniformlie speaketh within the bodie of the scriptures and vnto that which Christ Iesus himselfe did and commaunded to be done For this is one thing vniuersally graunted that the spirit of god which is the spirit of vnitie is in nothing contrarie to himselfe Iâ— then the interpretation determination or sentence of anie Doctor Church or Councell repugne to the plaine worde of God written in anie other place of the scripture it is a thing moste certaine that there is not the true vnderstanding and meaning of the holie ghost although that councels Realmes and nations haue approoued and receiued the same For we dare not receiue nor admitâ—te anie interpretation which repugneth to anie principall point of our faith or to anie other plaine texte of scripture or yet vnto the rule of charitie The authoritie of the Scriptures AS we beleeue and confesse the scriptures of God sufficientlie to instruct and make the man of God perfect so doe we affirme and auowe the authoritie of the same to be of God and neither to depende on men nor Angels We affirme therefore that such as alledge the scripture to haue no other authoritie but that which it hath receiued from the Church are blasphemous against God and iniurious to the true Church which alwaies heareth and obeyeth the voice of her owne spouse and Pastour but taketh not vpon her to be maistresse ouer the same Of the generall Councells of their power authoritie and causes of their conuention AS we doe not rashlie damne that which godlie men assembled together in generall Councel lawfully gathered haue proponed vnto vs so without iust examination doe we not receiue whatsoeuer is obtruded vnto men vnder the name of
is preached is to be regarded not the minister that preacheth who although he be euill and a sinner neuerthelesse the 〈◊〉 of God abideth true and good Neither doe we thinke thâ—â— therefore the outward preaching is to be thought as frâ—iâ—lesse because the instruction in true religion dependeth 〈◊〉 the inward illumination of the spirit because it is writteâ— No man shall teach his neighbour For all men shall know me And he that watreth or he that planteth is nothing but God who 〈◊〉 the increase For albeit no man can come to Christ vnlesse heâ— drawne by the heauenlie Father and be inwardlie lightned 〈◊〉 the holie Ghost yet we know vndoubtedlie that it is 〈◊〉 will of God that his worde should be preached euen ouâ— wardlie God could indeede by his holie spirite or by thâ— ministerie of an Angell without the ministerie of Saint 〈◊〉 haue tought Cornelius in the Actes but neuerthelesse 〈◊〉 referreth him to Peter of whome the Angel speaking saiâ—â— â—e shall tell thee what thou must doe For he that illuminateâ— inâ—aâ—dlâ—â— by giuing men the holie Ghost the selfe same bâ— waie of commaundement said vnto his disciples goe ye iâ—â— the whoâ—â— world and preach the gospell to euerie creature And 〈◊〉 Paâ—â— preached the word outwardlie to Lydia a purple sellâ— among the Philippians but the Lord inwardlie opened thâ— womans heart And the same Paul vpon an elegant gâ—â—dation fitlie placed in the 10. to the Romanes at last inferreth therefore faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Wee knowe in the meane time that God can illuminate whome and when he will euen without the externall ministerie which is a thing appertaining to his power but we speake of the vsuall waie of instructing men deliuered vnto vs of God both by commaundement and examples We therefore detest all the heresies of Artemon the Manichees Valentinians of Cerdon and the Marcioniâ—â—s who denied that the scriptures proceeded from the holie Ghost or else receiued not or polished and corrupted some of them And yet we doe not denie that certaine bookes of the olde Testament were of the auncient authors called Apochryâ—hall and of others Ecclesiasticall to witte such as they would haue to be read in the Churches but not alledged to auouch or confirme the authoritie of faith by them As also Austine in his 18. Booke De â—iuit Dei C. 38. maketh mention that in the bookes of the Kinges the names and bookes of certaine Prophets are reckoned but he addeth that they are not in the Canon and that those bookes which we haue suffice vnto godlines OF INTERPRETING THE HOLIE SCRIPTVRES and of Fathers Councels and Traditions CHAP. 2. THe Apostle Peter hath said that the holy scriptures are not of anie priuat interpretation therefore we doe not alowe all expositions whereupon we doe not acknowledge that which they call the meaning of the Church of home for the true and naturall interpretation of the scriptures which forsooth the defenders of the Romane Church doe striue to force all men simplie to receiue but we acknowledge that interpretation of Scriptures for authenticall and proper which being taken from the scriptures themselues that is from the phrase of that tongue in which they were written they being also waied according to the circumstances and expounded according to the proportion of places either like or vnlike or of moe and plainer accordeth with the rule of faith and charitie and maketh notably for Gods glorie and mans saluation Wherefore we do not contemnâ— the holie treatises of the Fathers agreeing with the scriâ—tures from whome notwithstanding we doe modestlie dâ— sent as they are deprehended to set downe thinges meereâ— straunge or altogether contrarie to the same Neither doâ— thinke that we doe them anie wrong in this matter seeinâ— that they all with one consent will not haue their writingâ— matched with the canonicall scriptures but bid vs allowâ— them so farre forth as they either agree with them or disagree and bid vs take those things that agree and leaue those that disagree and according to this order we do accountâ— the decrees or Canons of councells Wherefore we suffer not oâ—â— selues in controuersies about Religion or matters of faithâ— be pressed with the bare testimonies of fathers or decrees oâ— Councells much lesse with receiued customes or else with 〈◊〉 of men being of one iudgement or with prescription of long tiâ—â— Therefore in controuersies of religion or matters of faith we cannot admâ—â— anie other iudge then God himselfe pronouncing by the holie scriptures what is true what is falâ—â— what is to be followed or what to be auoided So we do 〈◊〉 rest but in the iudgements of spiritual men drawen from the word of God Certainely Ieremie the other Prophets 〈◊〉 vehemenâ—lie condemne the assemblies of Priests gathereâ— against the law of God diligentlie forewarned vs that â— should not heare the fathers or tread in their path who wâ—â— king in their owne inuentions swarued from the law of goâ— We doe likewise reiect humane traditions which althouâ— they be set out with goodlie titles as though they were dâ—uine and Apostolical by the liuelie voice of the Apostles deliuered to the Church as it were by the hands of Apostolicall men by meane of Bishops succeeding in their roomeâ— yet being compared with the scriptures disagre from theâ— and by that their disagreement bewraie them selues in 〈◊〉 wise to be Apostolicall For as the Apostles did not disagree among themselues in doctrine so the Apostles schâ—lers did not set forth thinges contrarie to the Apostleâ— Nay it were blasphemous to auouch that the Apostles 〈◊〉 liuely voice deliuered thinges contrarie to their writingâ— Paull affirmeth expresselie that he taught the same thingeâ— in all Churches And againe We saith he write no other thiâ—â— vnto you then which ye read or also acknowledge Also in another place he witnesseth that he and his disciples to wit Apostolicall men walked in the same waie and ioyntlie by the same spirit did al thingâ— The Iewes also in time past had their traditions of Elders but these traditions were seuerelie confuted by the Lord shewing that the keeping of them hindereth Gods lawe and that God is in vaine worshipped with such OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION of Heluetia THe Canonical scripture being the word of God and deliuered by the holie Ghost and published to the world by the Prophets and Apostles being of all other the most perfect ancient philosophie doth alone perfectlie conteine all pietie and good ordering of life The interpretation herof is to be taken onely from herselfe that herselfe maie be the interpreter of her selfe the rule of charitie and faith being her guide Which kinde of interpretation so far forth as the holie Fathers haue followed we doe not onelie receiue them as interpreters of the scripture but reuerence them as the beloued instruments of God But as for the traditions of men although neuer
perfect and absolute in all pointes and parcells thereof and therefore no other writings of men although neuer so holie no custome no multitude no antiquitie nor prescription of times nor personall succession nor anie councells and to conclude no decrees or ordinances of men are to be marched or compared with these deuine scriptures and bare trueth of God for so much as Gods trueth excelleth al things For all men of their owne nature are lyers and lighter then vanitie it selfe therefore we do vtterlie refuse whatsoeuer things agree not with this moste certaine rule as we haue beene taught by the Apostles when they saie Trie the spirites whether they be of God And If anie come vnto you and bring not this doctrine receiue him not to house c. OVT OF THE SAXONS CONFESSION Of Doctrine Seeing it is most vndoubtedlie true that God out of mankinde doth gather together vnto him selfe a Church vnto eternal life for by his sonne thorugh preaching of that doctrine which is written in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles we plainlie auoutch before God and the wholl Church in heauen and in earth that we do with a true faith embrace all the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and that in that verie naturall meaning which is set downe in the Creedes of the Apostles of Nice and of Athanasius And these selfe same Creedes and the naturall meaning of them we haue alwaies constantlie embraced without corruption and will by Gods helpe alwaies embrace and in this faith do we call vpon the true God who sending his sonne and geuing cleare testimonies hath reuealed himselfe in his Church ioyning our praier with all Saints in heauen and in earth and our declarations vpon the Creedes are abroade conteining the wholl bodie and ground of doctrine which shew that this our protestation is most true We do also verie resolutelie condemne all brainsick fantasies which are against the Creedes as are the monstrous opinions of heathen men of the Iewes of the Mahometistes of Marcion the Manichees of Samosatenus Seruetus Arrius and those that denie the person of the holie Ghost and other opinions condemned by the true iudgements of the Church OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of the holie scipture CHAP. 30. THe holie scripture we call those Canonicall bookes of the olde and new testament of whose authoritie there was neuer doubt made in the Church This scripture we beleeue and confesse to be the oracle of the holie Ghost so confirmed by heauenlie testimonies that If an Angell from heauen preach anie other thing let him be accursed Wherefore we detest all doctrine worship and religion contrarie to this scripture But whereas some men thinke that all doctrine necessarie to be knowne of vs to true and euerlasting saluation is not conteined in this scripture and that the right of expounding this scripture lyeth so in the power of chiefe Bishops that what they according to their owne wil giue out is to be embraced for the meaning of the holie Ghost it is more easelie said then prooued The wholl scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be perfect being thoroughlie prepared to euery good worke and Iohn 15. I haue called you friendes for all things that I haue heard of my father haue I made knowne to you and those things which the Apostles receiued of Christ those haâ—e they by their preaching published in the wholl world and by their writings deliuered them to posterity It is a plaine case therfore that all things which are needefull to be knowen to saluation are conteined in the Prophets Apostles writings He hath reueiled his owne word in due season by preaching which is all committed to me this is the preaching For the Gospell conâ—einedth things both things present and things to come as honour pietie and faith yea and all things he haâ—h ioynâ—lâ—e comprised in this one word preaching Againe Without authoritie of the scriptures babling hath no credit For seeing the Lord Iesus did many things al are not written as the same holie Euangelist himselfe witnesseth that the Lord Christ both said and did many things which are not written But those things were selected to be written which seemed to suffice for the saluation of those that beleeue For whereas they saie that the right of expounding the scripture lieth in the power of chiefe Bishoppes it is euident that the gift of expounding the scripture is not of mans wisedome but of the holie ghost To euerie man saith Paull is giuen the manifestation of the spirite to profit withall for to one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedome c. But the holie ghost is altogether at libertie and is not tyed to a certaine sort of men but giueth giftes to men according to his owne good pleasure Oh that all the people had power to prophecie and that the Lord would put his spirit vpon them Debora a woman the wife of Lapidoth is raised vp to be a prophetesse Againe I am no Prophet nor Proprophets sonne but I am a heardman and a gatherer of wilde figges And yet Amos receiued the holie ghost and was made a-Prophet All these things worketh one and the same spirit distributing to euerie man as he will Manie examples also do witnes that chiefe Bishops haue beene often and verie foulie deceiued wheresore the gift of expounding the scripture is not so tied to the Popes that whosoeuer shall be Pope must needs rightly expound the scripture but the true meaning of the scripture is to be sought in the scripture it selfe and among those that being raised vp by the spirit of God expound scripture by scripture OF COVNCELLS CHAP. 34. WE confesse that Councells ought to haue their iudgements in the Church concerning the holy doctrine of Religion and that the authoritie of lawfull councells is great but the authoritie of Gods worde must needes be the greatest For although the Church haue a sure promise of Christs continuall presense and be gouerned by the holie Ghost yet not euerie assemblie of men maie be taken for the true Church and albert neuer so manie see me often times to come together in the name of Christ yet few are chosen and all haue not faith And as it is wont to fall out in ciuill meetinges so doth it also in meetings of the Church that for the moste part the greater side ouercommeth the better Hether to may be added that the holy Ghost doeth not make men in this life not subiect to sinne but leaueth in them manie and sundrie infirmities Examples also witne that not onelie the Popes but also Councels haue bene deceiued Wherefore seing that the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is confirmed of god the sentence of no one maÌ„ nor of anie assembly of men is to be receiued simplie without trial for the oracle
errour of the Manichees who holde that the Deuills haue their beginning of themselues and are of their owne nature euill and not corrupted by willfull disobedience We beleeue that this moste gracious and mightie God after he had made al things left them not to be ruled after the will of chaunce or fortune but himselfe doth so continuallie rule and gouerne them according to the prescriâ—â— rule of his holie will that nothing can happen in this world without his decree and ordinance and yet God cannot be said to be either the author or guilty of the euils that happen in this world For both his infinite and incomprehensible power and goodnes streatcheth so farre that euen theâ— he decreeth and executeth his workes and deedes iustlie and holily when as both the deuil and the wicked doe vnâ—usâ—â—ie And whatsoeuer things he doth passing the reach of mans capacitie we will not curiouslie and aboue our capacitie inquire into them Nay rather we humblie and reuerentlie adore the secret yet iust iudgements of God For iâ— sufficeth vs as being Christs disciples to learne onely those things which he himselfe teachth in his word neither doâ—â— thinke it lawful to passe these boundes And this doctrine afordeth vs exceeding great comforte For by it we know that nothing befalleth vs by chaunce but all by the will of our heauenlie father who watcheth ouer vs with a fatherly care in deede hauing all things in subiection to him selfe so that not a haire of our heade which are euerie one numbred can be plucked awaie nor the least sparrow light on the ground without the will of our father In these things therefore doe we wholly rest acknowledging that God holdeth the Deuills and all our enemies so bridled as it were with snaffles that without his will and good leaue they are not able to hurt any of vs and in this place we reiect the detestable opinion of the Epicures who fained God to be idle to do nothing and to commit all things to chaunce THE FOVRTH SECTION OF MANS FALL SINNE AND FREE WILL. THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of mans fall sinne and the cause of sinne CHAP. 8. MAN was from the beginning created of God afer the Image of God â—n righteousnes and true holines good and vpright but by the instinct of the serpent and his owne fault falling from goodnes and vprightnes become subiect to sinne death and diuers calamities and such an one as he became by his fall such are all his ofspring euen subiect to sinne death and sundrie calamities And we take sinne to be that naturall corruption of man deriuedâ— spread from those our first parents vnto vs al through whâ—â—â— we being dorwned in euil concupiscenses and cleene turnâ— awaie from God but prone to all euill full of all wickednes distrust contempt hatred of God can do no goodâ— our selues no not so much as thinke of any And th at mâ—â— is euen as we do grow in yeares so by wicked thoughts wordes and deedes committed against the law of God we bring forth corrupt fruites worthie of an euill tree in 〈◊〉 respect we through our owne desert being subiect to thâ— wrath of God arein daunger of iust punishments so thâ— we had all beene cast awaie from God had not Christ the deliuerer brought vs backe againe By death therfore we vnderstand not onlie bodily death which is once to be suffered of all vs for sinnes but also euerlasting punishmentes due to our corruption and to 〈◊〉 sinnes For the Apostle saith we were dead in trespasses 〈◊〉 and were by nature the children of wrath as well as others 〈◊〉 God which is â—itch in mercie euen when we were dead by sinnâ— quickened vs together in Christ Againe As by one man sinneâ—tred into the world and by sinne death and so death went 〈◊〉 men for as much as all men haue sinned c. We therefore acknowledge that originall sinne is in all men we acknowledge that all other sinnes which spring hereout are both called and are in deede sinnes by whâ—â— name soeuer they be termed whether mortall or veniall 〈◊〉 also that which is called sinne against the holy Ghost whiâ—â— is neuer forgiuen we also confes that sinnes are not equall although they spring from the same fountaine of coruptioâ— and vnbeliefe but that some are more greeuous then other euen as the Lord hath said that It shall be easier for Sodoâ—â— then for the Citie that despiseth the word of the Gospell we therefore condemne all those that haue taught thinges contrarie to these but especiallie Pelagius and all the Pelagians together with the Iouinianistes who with the Stoikes count all sinnes equall we in this matter agree fullie with â— Augustine who produced and mainteined his sayings out of the holie scriptures Moreouer we condemne Florinus and Blastus against whome also Iraeneus wrote and al those that make god the author of sinne seeing it is expressely written Thou art not a god that loueth wickednes thou hatest all them that worke iniquitie and wilt destroy all that speak lies And againe when the Deuill speaketh a lie he speaketh of his owne because he is a lier the father of lying Yea there is euen in our selues sin corruption enough so that there is no need that god should infuse into vs eyther a new or greater measure of wickednes Therefore when God is saied in the scripture to harden to blinde and to deliuer vp into a reprobate sense it is to be vnderstoode that God doth it by iust iudgement as a iust iudge reuenger To conclude as often as god in the scripture is saide and seemeth to doe some euill it is not thereby meant that man doth not commit euill but that god doth suffer it to be done and doth not hinder it and that by his iust iudgement who could hinder it if he would or because he maketh good vse of the euill of men as he did in the sinnes of Iosephes brethren or because himselfe ruleth sinnes that they breake not out and rage more violentlie then is meete Saint Augustine in his Enchiridion saith After a wonderfull and vnspeakeable manner that is not done beside his wil which is done contrarie to his wil because it could not be done if he should not suffer it to be done and yet he doth not suffer it to be done vnwillinglie but willinglie neither would he being God suffer any euil to be done vnles being also almightie he could make good of euill Thus farre Augustine Other questions as whether god would haue Adam fall or whether he forced him to fall or why he did not hinder his fall and such like we account amongst curious questions vnlesse perchance the frowardnes of heretikes or of men otherwise importunate doe compell vs to open these points also out of the word of God as the godly Doctours of the Church haue often times done knowing that the Lord did forbid that man should not eate of
send him vnto vs so that now we are not to looke for any other And now there remaineth nothing but that we all should giue all glorie to him beleeue in him and rest in him onelie contemning and reiecting al other aides of our life For they are fallen from the grace of God and make Christ of no value vnto themselues whosoeuer they be that seeke saluation in anie other things besides Christ alone And to speake manie thinges in few wordes with a sinceare heart we beleeue and with libertie of speach we freelie professe whatsoeuer thinges are defined out of the holy scriptures and comprehended in the Creedes and in the decrees of those foure first and moste excellent councells holden at Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon together with blessed Athanasius his Creede and all other Creedes like to these touching the mysterie of the incarnation of our Lord Iesus Christ and we condemne al things contrarie to the same And thus doe we retaine the Christian sounde Catholike faith wholie and inuiolable knowing that nothing is contained in the foresaid Creedes which is not agreeable to the worde of God and maketh wholie for the sincere declaration of faith OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA The eternal Counsel of the restoring of man ANd though man by this fault was deputed to damnation and had incurred moste iuste wrath yet God the father neuer ceased to haue a care ouer him the which is manifest by the first promises by the wholl law which as it is holie and good teaching vs the will of God righteousnes and trueth so doth it worke anger and stirre vp not extinguish sinnes in vs not through it owne fault but by ours and by Christ ordeined and exhibited for this purpose Iesus Christ and those benefittes which we reap by him THis Christ the true sonne of God beeing true God and true man was made our brother when according to the time appointed he had taken vpon him wholl man that is consisting of soule bodie and in one indiuisible person vnited two natures yet were not these natures confounded that he might restore vs beeing dead to life and make vs fellow heires with him-selfe He taking flesh of the moste pure virgine Marie the holie Ghost working together flesh I saie beeing sacred by the vnion of the Godhead and like vnto ours in all thinges sinne onelie accepted because it behooued our sacrifice to be vnspotted gaue the same flesh to death for the purgation of all since The same Christ as he is to vs a full and perfect hope aâ—â— trust of our immortalitie so he placed his flesh being raised vp from death into heauen at the right hand of his almightie father This conquerour hauing triumphed ouer death sinne and all the infernall deuills sitting as our captaine head and chiefe high Priest doth defend and plead our cause continuallie til he do reforme vs to that Image after which we were created and bring vs to the fruition of life euerlasting we looke for him to come in the end of the world a true and vpright iudge and to giue sentence vpon all flesh beeing first raised vp to that iudgement and to aduaunce the godlie aboue the skie and to condemne the wicked both in soul and bodie to eternall destruction Who as he is the onelie Mediatour intercessor sacrifice and also our high Priest Lord and King so we doe acknowledge and with the wholl heart beleeue that he alone iâ— our attonement redemption sanctification expiation wisdome protection and deliuerance simplie herein reiecting all mean of our life and saluation beside this Christ alone The latter parte of this article we placed also in the second section which entreateth of the onelie mediator OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASILL Of Christ being true God and true man WE beleeue and confesse constantlie that Christ in the time hereunto appointed according to the promise of God was giuen to vs of the father and that so the eternall word of God was made flesh that is that this sonne of God being vnited to our nature in one person was made our brother that we through him might be made partakers of the inheritance of God We beleeue that this Iesus Christ was conceiued of the holie Ghost borne of the pure and vndefiled Virgine Marie suffered vnder Pontius Pilate crucified and dead for our sinnes and so by the one oblation of him selfe he did satisfie God our heauenlie father for vs and reconcile vs to him and so by his death he did triumph and ouercame the world death and hell Moreouer according to the flesh he was buried descended into hell and the third daie he rose againe from the dead These thinges being sufficientlie approoued he in soul and bodie ascended into heauen and sitteth there at the right hand that is in the glorie of God the father almightie from thence he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead Moreouer he sent to his disciples according to his promise the holie Ghost in whome we beleeue euen as we do beleeue in the father and in the sonne We beleeue that the last iudgement shall be wherein our flesh shall life againe and euerie man according as he hath done in this life shall receiue of Christ the Iudge to weete eternall life if he hath shewed forth the fruites of faith which are the workes of righteousnes by a true faith and vnfeigned loue and eternall fire if he hath committed good or euill without faith or loue OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA CHAP. 4. Towardes the middle NEither hath anie man of all thinges whatsoeuer anie thing at all whereby he maie deliuer set free or redeeme himselfe from his sinnes and condemnation without Christ by whome alone they which trulie beleeue are freed from sinne from the tyrannie and prison of the deuill from the wrath of God and from death and euerlasting torments And a litle after towardes the end of the said fourth Chap. Together with this point and after it considering that both the matter it selfe and order of teaching so requireth the ministers of the Church teach vs after our fall to acknowledge the promise of God the true word of grace and the holie gospell brought to vs from the priuy counsell of the holie Triâ—iâ—ie concerning our Lord Christ and our wholl saluation purchased by him Of these promise there be three principall wherein all the rest are contained The first was made in Paradise in these wordes I will out enmitie betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seede He shal breake thine head and thou shalt bruyse his heele The second was made to Abraham which afterwardes Iacob also and Moses did reneuâ— The third to Dauid which the Prophets recited expounded In these promises are described and painted forth those moste excellent and principall workes of Christ our Lorde which are the verse ground worke whereon our saluation standeth by which he is our Mediator
thou sorsaken me All which he suffered for the remission of our sinnes Wherefore we doe not without iust cause professe with Paul that we know â—â—thiâ—g but Iesus Chrisâ— and him crucified and that we doe aâ—â—ount all thinges as dung in respect of the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christ our Lord finding in his woundes and stripes all manner of comfort that can be deserued VVherefore there is no neede that oâ— her we should wish for any other meanes or 〈◊〉 any of our owne bâ—aines whereby we might be reconciled vnto God besides this one oblation once offred by the which all the faithfull which are sanctified are consecrated or perfected for euer And this is the cause why he was called of the Angell Iesus that is to saie a sauiour because he should save his people from their sinnes Last of all we do beleeue out of the word of God that our Lord Iesus Christ when the time appoâ—â—ted by God but â—nto all creatures vnknowen shall come and the number of the elect shal be accomplished shall come againe from heauen and that after a corporall and visiâ—â—e mâ—nner as heretofore he hath ascended being adorned with gâ—â—â—t glorie and maiestie that he maie appeare as iudge of the quicke and the dead the olde world being kindelâ—d with fire and flame and puriâ—ied by it Then all creatures and aswell men as women and children as manie as haue bene from the beginning and shall be to the end of the world shall appeare before this high Iudge beeing sâ—mmoned thither by the voice of Archangeils and the trumpet of God For all that haue bene dead shall then rise out of the earth the soul and spirit of euerie one being ioyned and coupled together againe to the same bodies wherein before they liued They moreouer which shall be aliue at the last dare she ll not die the same death that other men haue done but in a moment and in the twinkling of an eie they shall be changed from corruption to an incorruptible nature Then the bookes shall be opened namelie the bookes of euerie mans conscience and the dead shal be iudged according to those things which they haue done in this world either good or euill Moreouer then shall men render an account of euerie idle worde which they haue spoken although the worlde doe now make but a sporâ—e and a iest at them Finall e all the hypocrisie of men and the deepest secrets of their hearts shall be made manifest vnto all so that worthelie the onelie remembrance of this iudgement shall be terrible and fearefull to the wicked and reprobate But of the godlie and elect it is greatlie to be wished for and is vnto them exceeding comfort For then shall their redemption be fullie perfited and they shall reape moste sweete fruite and commoditie of all those labours and sorrowes which they haue suffered in this world Then I saie their innocencie shall be openlie acknowledged of all and they likewise shall see that horrible punishment which the Lord will execute vpon those that haue moste tyrannic allie afflicted them in this world with diuers kindes of torments and crosses Furthermore the wicked being conuinced by the peculiar testimony of their owne conscience shal indeed be made immortal but with this condition that they shall burne for euer in that eternal fire which is prepared for the deuil On the contrarie side the elect and faithfull shal be crowned with the crowne of glorie and honour whose names the sonne of God shall confesse before his Father and the Angels and then shall all teares be wiped from their eyes Then their cause which now is condemned of heresie and impietie by the magistrates and Iudges of this worlde shall be acknowledged to be the cause of the sonne of God And the Lorde shall of his free mercie reward them with so great glorie as no mans minde is able to conceiue Therefore we doe with great longing expect that great daâ—e of the Lorde wherein we shall moste fullie enioy all those thinges which God hath promised vnto vs and through Iesus Christ our Lorde be put into full possession of them for euer more OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGF ALso they teach that the word that is the sonne of God tooke vnto him mans nature in the wombe of the blessed Virgine Marie so that the two natures the deuine and the humane inseperablie ioyned together in the vnitie of one person are one Christ true God and true man who was borne of the Virgine Marie did truelie suffer was crucified dead and buried that he might reconcile his father vnto vs and might be a sacrifice not onely for the originall sinne but also for all actuall sinnes of men The same also descended into hell and did truelie rise againe the third daie Afterward he ascended into heauen that he might sit at the right hand of the father and raigne for euer and haue dominion ouer all the creatures sanctifie those that beleeue in him by sending the holie spirit into their heartes and giue euerlasting life to such as he had sanctified The same Christ shall openlie come againe to iudge them that are found aliue and the dead raised vp againe according to the Creed of the Apostles In the end of this Article after these words by sending his holie spirit into their heartes these wordes are found in some editions BY sending his spirit into their hearts which may reigne comfort and quicken them and defend them against the Deuill and the power of sinne The same Christ shall openlie come againe to iudge the quick and the dead c. according to the Creed of the Apostles Also they teach that in the end of the world Christ shall appeare to iudgement and shall raise vp all the dead and shal giue vnto men to weete to the godlie and elect eternal life and euerlasting ioyes but the vngodlie and the Deuills shall he condemne vnto endles torments Also we condemne the Origenistes who imagined that the deuill and the damned creatures should one daie haue an end of their paines After the first periode of this Article this is thus found else where THey condemne the Anabaptistes that are of opinion that the damned men and the deuillâ— shall haue an end of their torments They condemne others also which now a daies do spread abroade Iewish opinions that before the resurrection of the dead the godlie shall get the soueragintie in the world and the wicked be brought vnder in euerie place OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SAXONIE Hitherto pertaineth a parte of the third article THe sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ who is the Image of the eternall father is appointed our Mediator Reconciler Redeemer Iustifier and sauiour By the obedience and merit of him alone the wrath of God is pacified as it is said Rom. 3. Whome he set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloode And Heb. 10. It is impossible that the bloode of Bulls should take away
terrified by this voice that reprooueth sinnes then let it heare thâ— peculiar promise of the gospel touching the Sonne of God and let him be assured that his sinnes are freelie remitted fâ—â— the Sonne of God hissake our Lord Iesus Christ who is our attonement and that of mercie not for any 〈◊〉 or loue of ours OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE Of the lawe CHAP. 6. WE acknowledge that the lâ—w of God whereof the 10. commaundementes are an abrigedment doth commaund the best the most iust and moste perfect workes and that man is not onelie bounde to obeie the morall precepts of the lawe but also if he should doe the workes of the 10. commaundements in such perfection and integritie as the lawe requireth that he should indeed be counted iust before God for his workes and should obtaine eternall saluation by his merites But whereas some men doe thinke that man can come to that state in this life as to be able by his works not onelie to fullfil the 10. commaundements but also to doe more and greater workes then are commaunded in the lawe which they call works of supererogation it is contrarie to the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles and it is repugnant to the iudgement of the true Catholike Church For the lawe was not giuen to this end to signifie that man might perfectlie fullfill the commaundements thereof in this life but to shew to man his imperfection to testifie of the vnrighteousnes of man and of the wrath of God against all men to stirre them vp to seke remission of their sinnes righteousnes and saluation by faith in the only Sonne of God our Lorde Iesus Christ Rom. 3. By the lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne And Rom. 7. The law is spirituall but I am carnall solde vnder sinne And Rom. 8. The wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God For it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indeede can be And Galat. 3. Curssed is euerie man that continueth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the lawe to doe them Augustine saith This first commaundement of iustice wherein we are commaunded to loue the Lorde with all our heart with all our soule and with all our minde whereupon followeth that other commaundement of louing our neighboure we shall fullfill in that life where we shall see him face to face But therfore it is euen now also commaunded vnto vs that we might be admonished what it behoueth vs to require by faith whether to send our hope before hand and by forgetting those thinges which are behinde what fore thinges we should stretch our selues vnto And hereby so far as I can iudge he hath profited much in this life in that righteousnes which is to be perfited who by profiting doth knowe how far he is from the perfection sf righteousnes And againe Charitie is a vertue whereby that is loued which is to be beloued This is in some greater in others lesser and in some none at all But the moste absolute loue which now cannot be increased so long as a man liueth here is not to be founde in anie man For so long as it may be increased that which is lesse then it ought to be commeth of our corruption by reason of which corruption there is not a iust man in the earth that doth good and sinneth not by reason of which corruption no flesh liuing shall be iustified in the sight of God for which corruptions sake If we saie that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs for the which also though we profit neuer so much yet it is necessary for vs to saie Forgiue vs our debtes although all our wordes deedes and thoughtes are alreadie forgiuen vs in baptisme And againe All the commaundements of God are counted as done when as whatsoeuer is not done is notwithstanding pardoned And Ierome saith This is onelie perfection vnto men if they know that they are vnperfect This is the true wisedome of man to know that he is imperfect and that I maie so speake the perfection of all iust men in the flesh is imperfect Of the Gospell of Christ CHAP. 8. ALthough manie preceptes of the law of God be conteined in the writings of the Euangelistes and Apostles and Christ himselfe doth teach that we must not rendâ—â— euill for euill nor looke vpon a woman wantonlie and such like yet we must not think that the Gospel of Christ is a new law whereby as the fathers in times past were saued vnder the olde testament by the olde law so now men vnder the new testament should be saued by a new law For except a man take the name of the law generallie for doctrine as the Prophets now and then do vse the name of the law certainlie the Gospell of Christ is not properlie a law as Paull doth commonlie vse the name of the law but it is a good and ioyfull message touching the sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ that he onelie is the purger of our sinnes the appeaser of the wrath of God and our redeemer and sauiour Neither are the commaundements of the law which are conteined in the Apostles writings any new law but they are an interpretation of the olde law according to the iudgement of the holie Ghost which also were to be seene before and that not obscurelie in the writinges of the Prophets But they are repeated in the preaching of the gospell of Christ that the seueritie of the law of God and the corruption of our nature beeing declared we might be stirred vp to seeke and embrace Christ reuealed in his Gospell and that we maie know after what rule we are to frame our life through faith in Christ Wherefore if we will speake properlie of the law of God and Gospell of Christ as of Christ we are not to make a new lawgiuer seeing that he neither hath made a new law nor instituted a new politiâ—e kingdome in this earth so must we not make a new law of the Gospell which by more harde and seuere commaundements doth bring eternall saluation to the doers thereof But we thinke it to be most certaine that the naturall or morall law of the olde and new Testament is one and the same and that neither the men which liued vnder the olde Testament nor those which liue vnder the new Testament doe obteine eternal saluation for the merit of the workes of the law but onelie for the merit of our Lord Iesus Christ through faith Christ out of Isaiah doth recite his office for the which he was sent into the earth The spirit of the Lorde saith he is vpon me because he hath annointed me he hath sent me to preach the Gospell to the poore c. Here Christ teacheth that his proper office is not to make a new lawe which should terrifie and kill miserable sinners but to preach the Gospell which might comfort and quicken sinners Gal. 4. When the
iustifie to them he doth giue the holie Ghost and by him he doth first regenerate them as he promiseth by the Prophet saying I will giue them a new heart and I will put my spirit in the middest of them that as before sinne had reigned in them to death so also then grace might reigne by righteousnes vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ And this is the communion or participation of the grace of God the father of the merit of Iesus Christ our Lorde and of the sanctification of the holie Ghost this is the lawe of faith the lawe of the spirit and life written by the holie Ghost But the liuelie and neuer drying spring of this iustification is our Lorde Iesus Christ alone by those his sauing workes that is which giue saluation from whome all holie men from the beginning of the world as well before the law was published and vnder the lawe and the discipline thereof as also after the lawe haue and doe drawe haue and doe receiue saluation or remission of their sinnes by faith in the moste comfortable promise of the gospell and doe applie and approper it as peculiar to themselues onelie for the sole death of Christ and his bloodshedding to the full and perfect abolishing of their sinnes and the clensing from them all whereof we haue manle testimonies in the Scripture Holie Peter before the wholl councell at Hierusalem doth prooue by sound arguments that Saluation is not to be found in any other then in Christ Iesus alone that vnder this large cope of heauen there is no other name giuen vnto men whereby we maie be saued And in another place he appealeth to the consenting voyces and testimonies of all the Prophets who spake with one minde and by one spirit as it were by one mouth and thus he saide As touching this Iesus all the Prophets beare witnes that through his name all that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes And to the Hebrwes it is written He hath by himselfe purged our sinnes and againe We haue redemption through his blood euen the remission of sins And S Iohn saith we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous he is the propitiation or attonement for our sinnes and not for ours onlie but also for the sinnes of the wholl world And againe to the Hebrewes We are sanctified by the offering of the bodie of Iesus Christ once made and a litle after he addeth with one onlie offering hath he consecrated for euer them that are sanctified namely of God by the spirit of God Therfore al sinners and such as are penitent ought to flie incontinentlie thorough their wholl life to our Lord Christ alone for remission of their sinnes and euerie sauing grace according to that in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Seeing that 〈◊〉 haue a great high Priest euen Iesus the Sonne of God which is entered into heauen let vs holde fast this profession which is concerning Christ our Lord and straight way he addeth Let vs therefore goe boldlie vnto the throne of grace that we maie receiue mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of neede Also Christ him selfe crying out saith He that thirsteth let him come to me and drinke And in an other place He that commeth vnto me shal not hunger he that beleeueth in me shal neuer thirst Now they that attaine to this iustification by Christ our Lord are taught to take vnto themselues true and assured comfort out of this grace bountie of God to enioy a good quiet conscience before God to be certaine of their owne saluation and to haue it confirmed to them by this meanes that seeing they are here the sonnes of God they shall also after death in the resurrection be made heires In the meane time they ought both to desire to be brought to this that they maie receiue the fruit of perfect saluation and also cheerefullie to looke for it with that confidence according to the promise of the Lord that such shall not come into iudgement but that by making awaie they haue alreadie passed from death into life Of al other points of doctrine we account this the chiefest and weightiest as that wherein the summe of the Gospell doth consist Christianitie is founded and the pretious and most noble treasure of eternall saluation the onelie and liuelie comforte proceeding from God is comprehended Therefore herein our preachers doe labour especiallie that they maie well instruct the hartes of men in this point of doctrine so sowe it that it maie take deepe root Of good workes and a Christian life CHAP. 7. IN the seuenth place we teach that they whoe are made righteous and acceptable to God by faith alone in Christ Iesus that by the grace of God without any merits ought in the wholl course of their life that followeth both all together iointlie euerie one particularlie according as the order condition age and place of euery one doth require to performe and exercise those good works and holie actions which are commaunded of God euen as God commaundeth when he saith Teach them to obserue all thinges which I haue commaunded you Now these good workes or holie actions are not certaine affections deuised of flesh and bloode for such the Lorde forbiddeth but they are expresselie shewed and propounded vnto vs by the spirit of God to do the which God doth binde vs the rule and chiefe square whereof God himselfe is in his word for so he saith by the Prophet Walke not in the commaundements of your Fathers and keepe not their iudgements and defile not your selues with their Idoles I am Iehouah your God walke ye in my commaundementes and keepe my iudgements and doe them Likewise Christ saieth Teach them those thinges which I haue commaunded you Therefore the 10. commaundements and loue which by faith workeâ—h righteousnes on the right hand on the left hand as well toward God as toward our neighbour is a certaine summe a most streight square a most artificiall shaping or description of all good workes Now an example of this square is the moste holie life of Christ whereof he himselfe saith Learne of me because I am meeke and humble in heart And what other thing would he teach by vttering those eight sentences of happines then to shewe what manner of life the true children of God ought to lead and what be the works which God hath commaunded Therefore according to these thinges they reach with all care and diligence touching the difference which is to be knowen and kept betwixt those works which are deuised and taught of men and those which are commaunded of God Those workes which are commaunded of God ought not to be interrmitted for humane traditions For Christ doth grieuoslie reprehend this in them that doe otherwise in the Pharises saying Why doe you transgresse the commaundements of God for your traditions And
which are required vnto our saluation be not in Christ or if all be in him that then he which by faith possesseth Iesus Christ hath also perfect saluation Therefore it is an horrible blasphemie against God to affirme that Christ is not sufficient but that we haue need of other meanes besides him For thereupon it should follow that Christ is onelie in parte our Sauiour Wherefore we doe iustlie say with Saint Paull that we are iustified by faith alone or by faith with out the workes of the law Yet to speak properly we do not meane that faith by it selfe or of it selfe doth iustifie vs which is but onelie as an instrumnet whereby we apprehend Christ which is our iustice Christ therfore himselfe is our righteousnes which imputeth all his ments vnto vs faith is but the instrument whereby we are coupled vnto him by a participation and communion of al his benefittes and whereby we are kept in that fellowshippe So that all those our effects are euen more then enough vnto vs for our absolution from all our sinnes We beleue that al our felicitie doth consist in the remission of our sins which we haue by Iesus Christ that in it alone al our righteousnes before God is conteined as S. Paul teacheth out of the Prophet Dauid who declareth the happines of those men to whom God imputeth righteousnes with out workes And the same Apostle saith that we are iustified by the redemption made in Christ Iesus We therfore leaning vpon this as a sure foundation doe yeald all glorie vnto God hauing a moste base and humble opinion of our selues knowing full well who and what manner of creatures we be in deede Therfore we doe not presume of our selues or of any of our owne merites but being vpholden by the onelie obedience of Christ crucified we doe rest altogether in it and to the intent it may become ours we beleeue in him This righteousnes alone is all sufficient both to couer all our iniquities and also to make vs safe and secure against all temptations For it doth driue from our consciences all feare all horrour and dread whereby we might be hindred from approching to God and neede not to imitate the example of our first father who for feare flying from the presens of god went about to hide and couer himselfe with figge leaues And truelie if we trusting vnto our selues neuer so litle or to any other creature should present our selues before the Maiestie of God it is certaine we should by and by be ouerwhelmed with it Therefore euerie one of vs must rather crie out with Dauid and saie Lord enter not into iudgement with thy serâ—â—nt for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified We beleeue that this true faith beeing bestowed vpon euerie one of vs by the hearing of the word of God and the operation of the holie spirit doth regenerate vs and make â—s as it were new men raising vs vp vnto newnes of life and setting vs free from the bondage of sinne Wherefore this iustifying faith is so farre from withdrawing men from a right and holie kinde of liuing or from making them more faint in godlines that on the contrarie side no man without it can performe any good thing to this ende that God may haue the glorie but men doe all things either in regard of themselues or els for feare of iust condemnation Therefore it cannot be that this holie faith should be idle in a man Neither doe we speake of a vaine and dead faith but onlie of that which in the Scripture is said to worke by loue and which mooueth a man to exercise himselfe in those workes which God himselfe hath commaunded in his word But these workes which doe come from the sincere roote of faith are therefore good and acceptable vnto God because they be sanctified by his grace but are nothing auaileable to iustifie vs. For we are iustified by faith in Christ yâ—â— euen before such time as we could bring forth any 〈◊〉 worke for our works before faith can no more be good the the fruite of a good tree before that the tree it selfe be gooâ— Therefore we doe good workes yet not to merit any thiâ—â— by them For what is it possible for vs to merit Nay 〈◊〉 we by reason of the good workes which we doe if we doe â—ny are more bound vnto God then God vnto vs For 〈◊〉 he which worketh in vs both the will and the deede of his owne 〈◊〉 mercie Whereupon it is our duties alwaies to haue a regarâ— vnto that which is written When ye haue done all that is commaunded you say that we are vnprofitable seruants for we haue 〈◊〉 that which we ought to doe Furthermore we doe not hereupon denie that God doth recompence good works in those 〈◊〉 be his but we affirme that this recompense commeth of his meere grace because he crowneth his owne gifts in vs. Yea although we doe good workes yet we doe not put any hoâ—â— of saluation in them For we are not able to bring forth any workes which are not polluted with the corruption of 〈◊〉 flesh and for that cause be worthie of punishment If it weâ— graunted that we were able to bring forth any such worke yet the bare rememberance of our sinnes were sufficient tâ— remooue that worke out of the sight of God Therefore we should alwaies stand in doubt staggering as it were this way and that way and our miserable consciences should be iâ— continnall torment vnles they should relie vpon the onely merite of our Sauiour Christ his death and passion and rest in it alone OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGE THat we might obteine these benefits of Christs namely remission of sinnes iustification and life euerlasting Christ hath giuen his Gospell wherein these benefits are laied forth vnto vs as it is written in the last of Luc. that repentance should be preached and remission of sinnes in his name among all nations For whereas all men borne after a natural manner haue sinne in them and cannot truelie satisfie the law of God the gospell bewraieth our sinne sheweth â— Christ the Mediator so instructeth vs touching remission of sinnes When as the Gospell doth conuict vs of sinne oâ— hearts thereby terrified must firmelie beleeue that there is giuen vnto vs freely for Christs sake that remission of sinnes and iustification by faith by the which we must beleeue and confesse that these things are giuen vs for Christs sake who was made an oblation and hath appeased the fathers wrath for vs. Notwithstanding therefore that the Gospell doe require repentance yet to the ende that the remission of our sinnes maie be certaine and vndoubted it teacheth vs that remission is giuen vs freelie that is that it doth not depend vpon the condition of our owne worthines nor is giuen for any works that went before nor for the worthines of such as follow after For then should remission be vncertaine if
our obedience doth please god euen in this our so great infirmitie Now for any man to dispise or mislike this doctrine whereby both the honour of Christ is extolled and most sweete sure comfort offered vnto godlie mindes and which conteineth the true knowledge of gods mercie and bringeth forth the true worship of God and eternall life it is more then Pharisaicall blindnes Before time when as this doctrine was not set forth many fearefull consciences assaied to ease themselues by workes some fled to a monasticall life others did chuse out other workes thereby to merit remission of sinnes and iustification But there is no sure comforte without this doctrine of the gospell which willeth men to beleeue that remission of sinnes and iustification are freelie giuen vnto vs for Christs sake and this wholl doctrine is appointed for the true conflict of a terrified conscience But we will adde some testimonies Paull Rom. 3. We are iustified freelie by his grace through redemption that is in Christ Iesus whome god hath set forth to be a reconciliation thorough faith in his bloode Rom. 4. But to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodlie his faith is counted for righteousnes Ephes 2. By grace ye are saued through faith and not of your selues In these and such like sentences Paull doth plainlie teach that remission of sinnes and iustification are giuen vs freelie and not for the worthines of our workes And in the 4 to the Rom. he disputeth at large why this consolation is needefull for vs for if the promise did depend vpon the worthines of our works it should be vncertaine Wherefore to the end that we may haue sure and firme comforte against the feares of sinne and death and that our faith maie stand fast it is needefull that it leane onelie vpon the mercie of God and not vpon ouâ— worthines Therefore Paul saieth Therefore it is by faith according to grace that the promise might be sure For our works cannot be set against the iudgement of God according to that saying If thou markest our iniquities who shall indureâ—t And therefore Christ is giuen for a Mediatour to vs and this honour is not to be transfered vnto our workes When therefore we doe saie that we are iustified by faith we do not meane that we are iust for the worthines of that vertue but this is our meaning that we doe obteine remission of sins and imputation of righteousnes by mercie shewed vs for Christs sake But now this mercie can not be receiued but by faith And Faith doth not here signifie onelie a knowledge of the historie but it signifieth a beleefe of the promise of mercie which is graunted vs through our Mediatour Christ Iesus And seeing that faith is in this sorte vnderstoode of a confidence or trust of mercie Saint Paull and Saint Iames doe not disagree For where as Iames saith The Deuills beleeue and tremble he speaketh of an historicall faith now this faith doth not iustifie For the wicked and the deuill are conning in the historie But Paull when he saith Faith is reckoned for righteousnes he speaketh of a trust and confidence of mercie promised for Christs sake and his meaning is that men are pronounced righteouse that is reconciled through mercie promised for Christs sake whome we must receiue by faith Now this noueltie of this figuratiue speach of Saint Paull We are iustified by faith will not offend holie mindes if they vnderstand that it is spoken properlie of mercie and that herein mercie is adorned with true and due praises For what can be more acceptable to an afflicted and fearefull conscience in great greefes then to heare that this is the commaundement of God the voice of the bridgrome Christ Iesus that they should vndoubtedlie beleeue that remission of sinnes or reconciliation is giuen vnto them not for their owne worthines but freelie through mercie for Christs sake that the benefite might be certaine Now Iustification in these sayings of Saint Paull doth signifie remission of sins or reconciliation or imputation of righteousnes that is an accepting of the person And herein we doe not bring in a new found opinion into the Church of God For the scripture doth set downe at large this doctrine touching faith and Saint Paul doth especially handle this point in some of his epistles the holie fathers also doe teach the same For so saith Ambrose in his booke de â—â—at Gent. If so be that iustification which is by grace were due vnto former merittes so that it should not be a gift of the giuer but a â—warde of the worker the redemption by the bloode of Christ would growe to be of small account and the prerogatiue of mans works would not yeald vnto the mercies of God And of this matter there be many disputations in Saint Augustine And these are his wordes Forsomuch as by the law God sheweth to man his infirmitie that flying vnto his mercie by faith he might be saued For it is saide that he carieth both the law and mercie in his mouth The law to â—onuict the proude and mercie to iustifie those that are humbled Therefore the righteousnes of God through saith in Christ is reuealed vpon al that beleeue And the Mâ—leuitan Synode writeth Iâ— not this sufficientlie declared that the Law worketh this that sinne should be knowen and so against the victorie of sinne men should flie to the mercie of god which is set forth in his promises that the promises of God that is the grace of God might be sought vnto for deliuerance and man might beginne to haue a righteousnes howbeit not hiâ—â—â—ne but Gods Of good works WHen as we do teach in our Churches the most necessary doctrine and comforte of faith we ioyne therewith the doctrine of good workes to wit that obedience vnto the law of God is requisite in them that be reconciled For the Gospell preacheth newnes of life according to that saying I will put my lawes in their heartes This new life therefore must be an obedience towardes God The Gospell also preacheth repentance and faith cannot be but onlie in them that doe repent because that faith doth comfort the heartes in contrition in the feares of sin as Paul saith Being iustified by faith we haue peace And of repentance he saith Rom. 6. Our olde man is crucified that the bodie of sinne might be abolished that we might no more serue sinne And Esaie saith Where will the Lorde dwell In a contrite and humbled spirit c. Secondly among good works the chiefest that which is the chiefest worship of God is faith which doth bring forth manie other vertues which could neuer be in men except their hearts had first receiued to beleue How shall they call 〈◊〉 him in whome they doe not beleeue So long as mens mindes are in doubt whether God heareth them or not so long as euer they thinke that God hath reiected them they doe neuer truelie call vpon God But
when as once we doe acknowledge his mercie through faith then we flie vnto God we loue him we call vpon him hope in him looke for his helpe obeie him in afflictions because we doe now know our selues to be the sonnes of God and that this our sacrifice that is our afflictions doth please God These seruices doth faith bring forth Verie well therefore saide Ambrose Faith is the mother of a good wil and of iust dealing Our Aduersaries wil seâ—e verie honourablie to set out the doctrine of good workes and yet concerning these spirituall workes to wit faith and the exercises of faith in praier and in all matters counsells and daungers of this life they speake neuer a worde And in deede none can euer speake wel of these exercises if the consciences be left in doubt and if they know not that God requireth faith as a speciall worship of his And when as that huge shew of outward works is cast as a myst before mens eies the mindes especiallie such as be not well instructed are led aware from beholding these inward exercises Now it is verie requisite that men should be taught and instructed concerning these inwarde workes and fruites of the spirit For these they be that make a difference betweene the godlie and hypocrites As for externall worship externall ceremonies and other outwarde workes the verie hypocrites can performe them But these seruices and duties belong onelie to the true Church true repentance feare faith praier c. These kindes of worship are especiallie required and commended in the Scripture Psal 49. Offer vnto God the sacrifice of praise and Call on me in the day of trouble c. Thirdlie by this faith which doth comforte the heart in repentance we doe receiue the spirit of God who is giuen vs to be our gouernour helper that we should resist sinne and the deuill and more and more acknowledge our owne weakenes and that the knowledge and feare of God and faith maie increase in vs wherefore our obedience to God and a new life ought to increase in vs as Saint Paull saith We must be renued to the knowledge of God that the new lawe maie be wrought in vs and his Image which hath created vs be renued c. Fourthlie we teach also how this obedience which is but begunne onelie and not perfect doth please God For in this so great infirmitie and vncleannes of nature the Saints doe not satisfie the law of God The faithfull therefore haue neede of comforte that they maie know how their slender and imperfect obedience doth please God It doth not please him as satisfying his lawe but because the persons themselues are reconciled made righteous through Christ and doe beleeue that their weaknes is forgiuen them as Paull teacheth There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ c. Albeit then that this new obedience is farre from the perfection of the Lawe yet it is righteousnes and is worthie of a rewarde euen because that the persons are reconciled And thus we must iudge of those works which are indeed highlie to be commended namelie * that they be necessarie that they be the seruice of God and spirituall sacrifices and doe deserue a rewarde Neuertheles this consolation is first to be held touching the person which is verie necessarie in the conflict of the conscience to weere that we haue remission of sinnes freelie by faith and that the person is iust that is reconciled and an heire of eternall life through Christ and then that our obedience doth please God according to that saying Now ye are not vnder the law but vnder grace For our workes maie not be set against the wrath and iudgement of God But the terrours of sinne and death must be ouercome by faith and trust in the mediatour Christ as it is written O death I will be thy death and Iohn 6. Christ saith This is the will of the Father which sent me that euerie one which seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him should haue life euerlasting and S. Paull Being iustified by faith we haue peace with God and the Church alwaies praieth forgiue vs our trespasses And thus do the fathers teach concerning the weaknes of the saints and concerning faith Augustine in his exposition of the 30. Psalm saith Deliuer me in thy righteousnes For there is a righteousnes of God which is made ours when it is giuen vnto vs. But therefore is it called the righteousnes of God lest man should thinke that he had a righteousnes of himselfe For as the Apostle Paull saith To him that beleeueth in him that iustifieth the â—â—ked that is that of a wicked maketh a righteous man If God should deale by the rule of the law which is set forth vnto vs he must needs be condemned If God should as it were deale by the rule propounded in the law whom should he deliuer for he findeth al men to be sinners So saith Paul Al haue sinned stand in need of the glory of god What is this to stand in need of Gods glorie That he should deliuer thee not thou thy selfe For thou canst not deliuer thy selfe Thou hast need of a Sauiour Why doest thou vaunt thy selfe what maketh thee to presume of the law and of righteousnes Seest thou not that which doeth fight within the doest thou not heare one that striueth and confesseth his weaknes and desireth aide in the battell O miserable man that I am c. Now it may easilie be perceiued how needefull this doctrine is for the Church that men may know that they doe not satisfie the law of God and yet may haue true comforte knowing how their imperfect obedience doth please God This doctrine hath beene horriblie darkened and suppressed heretofore by certeine fond perswasions wherein vnlearned men haue imagined against the authoritie of the scripture that they can fullfill the law of God and that they are iust through the fullfilling of the law c. And that Monkes are perfect and doe performe more notable worthie workes then the law doth require In the meane while there is not a worde how the Mediatour Christ is to be apprehended by faith but they willed man to doubt or else to trust in his own workes But as touching this obedience we doe teach that they which commit mortall sinnes are not iust because god requireth this obedience that we should resist sinnefull lusts They then which striue not against them but obeie them contrarie to the commaundement of God and doe things against their consciences they are vnrighteous and doe neither retaine the holy spirit nor faith that is confidence and trust of gods mercie For confidence which seeketh remission of sinnes cannot so much as be in such as are delighted with their sinnes and remaine without repentance Fiftlie this point is needfull also to be taught by what meanes men maie doe good workes We shewed a litle before how our workes doe please God In this
God his sake that is laying holde by faith vpon Christ himselfe who 〈◊〉 our righteousnes as Ieremie Paul do saie because that by his merit we haue remission and God doth impute his righteousnes to vs and for him doth account vs iust and by giuing his holie spirit doth quicken and regenerate vs as it is saide Ioh. 5. This is life in his Sonne He that hath the Sonne hath eternall life he that hath not the Sonne of God hath not life And. Rom. 3. That he may be iust and a iustifier And although newnes is withall begunne which shall be perfect in the life eternal wherunto we are redeemed yet neither for the new qualities nor for any workes is any man in this life made iust that is acceptable to God and heire of eternall life but onelie for the Mediatours sake who suffered rose againe reigneth and praieth for vs shadowing and quickning vs. For although vertues are here begunne yet be they still imperfect the reliques of sinne do sticke in vs. Therefore we must holde this comfort that the person is accepted for the Sonne of God his sake his righteousnes beeing imputed to vs as it is said Rom. 4. Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes Also Blessed are they whose inicâ—ities be forgiuen and whose sinnes be couered Therefore this saying must be vnderstood correlatiuelie We are iustified by faith that is we are iustified by confidence in the Sonne of God not for our quality but because he is the reconciler in whom the heart doth rest in confidence of the promised mercie for his sake Which confidence he doth raise vp in vs by his holie Spirit as Paull saith Ye haue receiued the Spirit of the aâ—â—ption of the sonnes by whom we crie Abba Father Here also we must speake of the exclusiue member Paull doth often repeat the word Freely by which it is moste certaine that the condition of our merites is excluded Therefore it is saide in our Churches We are iustified by Faith alone which we so vnderstand and declare Freely for the onelie Mediatours sake not for our contrition or other our merites we haue our sinnes forgiuen vs and are reconciled to God For although contrition and many other vertues are together with Faith or with this confidence kindled in vs yet these vertues are not the cause or the merit of the Remission of sinnes neither doth the person please God in regarde of them according to that saying No man liâ—ing shall be iustified in thy sight but the person hath remission and doth certenlie please God by reason of the Mediatour who must be apprehended by faith as it is saide Eph. 3. Bâ— whome we haue boldnes and entrance with confidence by Faith in him This wholl doctrine is more manifest in the true conuersion and dailie inuocation of the godlie When we are in great feare by the knowledge of the wrath of God this one comfort is fâ—rme and sure to flie to the Sonne of God who saith Come vnto me all ye that labour and are loaden and I will refresh you Also As I liue I will not the death of a sinner but that he returne and liue Also Grace aboundeth more then sinne In these griefes if man be taught to doubt of the remission of sinnes sorrow will haue the vpper hand and then follow moste greeuous murmurings against God and desperation and eternall death but if man be taught that doubting is to be ouercome by faith then shall he vnderstand that by the worde Faith is not onelie signified the knowledge of the storie he shall know that confidence doth relie vpon the onelie Mediatour and he shall perceiue what is meant by these wordes Freely for the Mediatour sake remission is receiued by faith alone and so the person is made acceptable This wrastling hath at all times instructed some For though Origen manie other â—ritâ—â—s 〈◊〉 sententiaries haue brought forth an impuâ—e kinde of doctrine yet in Augustine and certaine others we â—eede diuers sentences which shew that they also receiued comfort out of th se true fountains Who although they dâ—e 〈◊〉 speake vnproperlie of thinges vnlike because they were 〈…〉 negligent in speaking yet we maie 〈…〉 what was their perpetuall iudgement if we will iudge 〈◊〉 Augustine â—â—on the Psal 31. saith Who be happieâ— not they â—n whome god shall not sinde sinnes for those he findeth in all men For all men haue sinned and are destitute of the glorie of God Therefore if sinnes be found in 〈◊〉 men it is euident that none are happie but those whose sinnes it forgiuen This therefore the Apostle did thus commend Abraâ—aâ— beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes Here certainlie Augustine by faith doth vnderstand confidence which receiueth remission of sinnes and that which is said in Genesis and in Paull he doth altogether vnsterstand it as we expound it And in his booke De spiritu litera he saith By the law we feare God and by faith we flie to his mercie Bernard in his Sermon De 〈◊〉 saith First of all it is necessarie to beleeue that thou canst not haue remission of sinnes but by the mercie of God But aâ—â—â— thereunto that thou maist also beleeue this that through him thy sinnes be forgiuen thee This is the witnes which the holie Ghost doth â—iâ—e in our heart saying Tâ—y sinnes be forgiuen thee For so doth the Apostle thinke that a man is iustified freelie by faith In this sentence the iudgement of our Churches is plainlie and properlie alledged and like testimonies are to be sound in this author Basill also in his sermon of Humilitie doth most properly set forth our iudgement in these wordes He that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lorde saying that Christ is maie vnto vâ— of God wisedome and righteousnes and sanctification and 〈◊〉 aâ— it is written He that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lorde For this is perâ—â—ct and sound reioycing in God when as a man is not puffed vp by reason of his owne righteousnes but doth acknowledge that he doth stand in neede of the true righteousnes and that he is iustified by faith alone in Christ Seeing therefore that by this which hoth bin spoken it is manifest what the worde Faith doth signifie in this proposition We are iustified by Faith herereupon we maie vnderstand that the Monkes and others doe daungerouslie erâ—e which doe commaund those that are turned to God to doubt whether they doe please God This common errour of doubting is euidentlie refuted by these wordes Being iustified by Faith we haue peace with God Also Therefore is righteousnes of faith that the promise might be sure For so long as mens hearts are tormented with doubting they flie from God they doe not rest in God nor call vpon him and the promise becommeth vnto them but a vaine sound because they giue not consent vnto it To conclude it is the eternall and immutable commaundement of God that we should
we teach that such as would be saued must in no wise separate themselues from the true Church of Christ But yet we do not so strictlie shut vp the Church within those markes before mentioned as thereby to exclude al those out of it which either doe not communicate in the sacraments by reason that they want them or else not willinglie nor vpon contempt but being constrained by necessitie do against their willes â—bstaine from them or in whome faith doth sometimes faile though not quite decaie nor altogether die or in whome some slippes and errors of infirmitie maie be found for we know that God had some friendes in the worlde that were not of the common wealth of Israell We know what befull the people of God in the captiuitie of Babylon where they wanted their sacrifices seuentie yeâ—es We know verie well what hapned to S. Peter who denied his Master and what is wont daylie to fall out among the faithfull and chosen of God which go astraie and are full of infirmities We know moreouer what manner of Churces the Churches at Galatia and Corinth were in the Apostles time in which the Apostle Paull condemneth diuers great and hevnous crimes yet he calleth them the holie Churches of Christ Yea and it fulleth out sometimes that God in his iust iudgement suffereth the trueth of his worde and the Catholique Faith and his owne true worship to be so obscured and defaced that the Church seemeth almost quite rased out and not so much as a face of a Church to remaine as wee see fell out in the daies oâ— Eliah and at other times And yet in the meane time the Lorde hath in this world euen in this darkenes his 〈◊〉 worshippers and those not a few but euen seuen thousand and more For the Apostle crieth The foundation of the Lord standeth sure and hath this seale the Lorde knoweth who are his c Whereupon the Church of God maie be termed inuisible not that the men whereof it consisteth are inuisible but because it being hidden from our sight and knowne onelie vnto God it cannot be discerned by the iudgement of man Againe not all that are reckoned in the number of the Church are saintes and the liuelie and true members of the Church for there be manie Hypocrits which outward lie doe heare the worde of God and publiquelie receiue the Sacramentes and beare a shew to praie vnto God alone through Christ to confesse Christ to be their onelie righteousnes and doe seeme outwardlie to worshippe God and to exercise the dueties of charitie to the bretheren and for a while through patience to indure in troubles calamities And yet they are altogether destitute of the inward illumination of the spirit of God of faith and sinceritie of heart and of perseuerance or continuance to the ende And these men are for the most part at the length laid open what they be For the Apostle Iohn saieth They went out from among vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue taried with vs. Yet these men whilest they doe pertend religion they are accounted to be in the Church howsoeuer indeed they be not of the Church Euen as traitours in a commonwealth before they be detected are counted in the number of good Citizens and as the cockell and darnell and chaffe are founde amongst the wheate and as wennes and swellinges are in a perfect bodie when they are rather diseases and deformities then true members of the bodie And therefore the Church is verie well compareed to a drawnet which draweth vp fishes of all sortes and to a fielde wherein is founde both darnell and good corne We are to haue a speciall regarde that we iudge not rashlie before the time nor go about to exclude cast of and cut awaie them whom the Lord would not haue excluded nor cut of or whome without some damage to the Church we cannot separate from it Againe we must be verie vigilant lest that the godlie falling fast a sleepe the wicked grow stronger and doe some mischiefe to the Church Furthermore we teach that it is carefully to be marked wherein especiallie the trueth and vnity of the Church consisteth lest that we either rashlie breede or nourish schismes in the Church It consisteth not in outward rites and ceremonies but rather in the trueth and vnity of the Catholike faith This Catholike faith is not taught vs by the ordinancesor lawes of men but by the holie scriptures a compendious short summe wherof is the Apostles creed And therfore we reade in the auncient writers that there was manifolde diuersities of ceremonies but that was alwaies free neither did any man think that the vnity of the church was therby broken or dissolued We saie then that the true vnitie of the Church doth consist in seuerall points of doctrine in the true and vniforme preaching of the gospell in such rites as the Lord himselfe hath expresly set downe and here we vrge that saying of the Apostle verie earnestly As many of vt therefore as are perfect let vs be thus in minded If any man thinke otherwise the Lord shall reueale the same vnto him And yet in that whereunto we haue attained let vs all follow one direction and all of vs be like affected one towardes another OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of the Church THis we holde that of such liuelie stones beeing by this meane built vpon this liuelie rocke the Church and the holy gathering together of al the Saints the Spouse of Christ which beeing clensed by his blood he shal once in time to come present without blot before his Father is founded The which Church though it be manifest to the ties of God alone yet is it not onelie seene and knowen by certaine outwarde rites instituted of Christ himselfe and by the worde of God as by a publique and lawfull discipline but it is so appointed that without these marks no man can be iudged to be in this Church but by the special priuiledge of God OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASILL Of the Church WE beleeue a holie Christian Church that is a communion of Saints a gathering together of the faithfull in spirit which is holie and the Spouse of Christ wherein all they be Citizens which doe truelie confesse that Iesus is the Christ the Lambe that taketh away the sins of the worlde and doe shew forth that faith by the workes of loue And a little after This Church of Christ doth labour all that it can to keepe the bondes of peace and loue in vnitie Therefore it doth by no meanes communicate with Sectes and the rules of orders deuised for the difference of daies meates apparell and ceremonies OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA Of the holie Church and of the godlie institution and gouernement thereof and of Discipline Also of Antichrist CHAP. 8. IN the eight place it is taught touching the acknowledging of the
for that they maie haue a competent liuing and such thinges as are needfull for the mantinance of the bodie according to the Lordes ordinance whereof Paull speaketh after this sorte The Lord hath so appointed that they which preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell And to the end that the daunger of an idle secure and Sodomiticall life maie be auoided and so they maie be an example to the flocke whereof they haue charge and that by a feeling of the burdens of this common life they maie learne to vnderstand the miserie of men and may by this meanes be touched and haue compassion on the miseries of others for these causes I saie this is taught that they whose abilitie of strength is such especiallie those on â—â—â—me as yet the greatest and painfullest charge of the people is not laide should themselues with their owne handes get their liuing that they be not a burden to the Churches especiallie in the beginning of their buildinges and reparations or also intimes of long persecution or otherwise by reason of the weaker sorce and that they giue not place to vaine volâ—ptuâ—us and riotous sloth as those who faithfullie follow Saint Pauls doctrine and who haue the Lords speach before their â—â—es saying it is a more happie thing to giue then to take And if so be that some one of these Pasâ—ors slip into sin or errors or be somewhat negligâ—nâ— in looking to this charge hé ought by the ordinarie lawfull discipline of the Church to be brought into the ware againe and to be chastised but if he will not repente nor be healed then he ought first to be remooued from the executing of his charge and from the ministerie and afterward as an vnprofitable seruant as a member which causeth offence a dâ—â—e braunâ—h and vnsauotie salt to be cast out or banished from the fellowship of the Church and inioying of saluation of whome the Lord saith that this salt is henceforth good for nothing that which Paull also teacheth when he saith Those that offend meaning those that are elders reprooue or chastise before al men that the rest also mâ—ie stand in feare But the people ought so to be haue themselues toward such teachers either grown out of kinde or entangled with errors or toward other elders also not repenting and excommunicated as the holie scripture sheweth and first Christ saith Take ye heede of false Prophers which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardlie are raâ—ening wolues ye shall know ahem by their fruites and Paull Now I beseech you breethren marke those diligentlie which cause diuision and offences contrarie to the doctrine which ye haue learned and auoid them for they that are such serue not our Lord Iesu Christ but their owne bellies Of the keies of Christ CHAP. 14. THe fourteenth Chapter of Ecclesiastical doctrine is of the Lords keies of which he saith to Peter I will giue thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen and these keyes are the peculiar function or ministerie and administration of Christ his power and his holie spirit which power is committed to the Church of Christ and to the ministers thereof vnto the end of the world that they should not onelie by preaching publish the holie gospel although they should do this especiallie that is should shew forth that word of true comfort and the ioyfull message of peace and new tidings of that fauour which god offereth but also that to the beleuing and vnbeleeuing they should publikelie or priuatelie denounce and make knowen to wit to them his fauour to these his wrath that to al in general or to euery one in particular that they may wisely receiue some into the house of God to the communion of saintes and driue some out from thence and maie so through the performance of their ministerie holde in their hand the scepter of Christ his kingdome and vse the same to the gouernment of Christ his sheepe Therfore the condition and proper office of the keies is 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 vnto them that their sins be forgiuen to strengthen theÌ„ in a sure hope of saluation by this meanes to open the kingdome of heaué vnto them to giue them courage against all temptations to stirre vp stedfastnes and chearefullnes in them And all these thinges are done by the faithfull Shepheards of soules in the Lords stead not dooing this of them selues but vpon Christ his commaundement not by their owne and proper vertue but by Christes and by the efficacie of his word and sacraments as those that are stewards and dispensers of the mysteries of God and ministers onelie In the administration of which thinges they maie vse some semelie and indifferent ceremonies that is which are no waie necessarie such as are to lay on hands or to reach out the right hand or els they maie omit them On the other side the office and proper work of the keies of Christ is to shut and binde that is by the commaundement of Christ and the authoritie of this office giuen by him to the Church which is his power and scepter to denounce against all stubborne impenitent vnbeleeuing and other such like sinners Gods horrible iudgement and his intollerable wrath which no nature can abide and his seuere sentence and so by the word of Christ according to the qualitie of the offence to reprooue sinne to seuer them from the fellowship of Christ our sauiour and from the fruit and participation of the sacraments and to cast them out of the christian Church and in a worde to shut the kingdom of heauen vpon them and at the length to deliuer them to Sathan This power of his scepter and spirit hath the Lord graunted and deliuered to the holie Apostles and in them to all ministers of Churches lawfullie ordained that they might exercise it in his stead and he graunted it to them by these words As the Father hath sent me so do I send you also And by by he addeth these words Recâ—â—ue ye the holie Ghost If ye forgiue anie men their sins they are forgiuen them and if ye 〈◊〉 any mans sinnes they are retained Moreouer a manifest example of vsing the power of the keies is laied out in that sinner of Corinth and others whome Saint Paull together with the Church of that place by the power and authoritie of our Lord Iesâ— Christ and of his spirit threw out from thence and deliuered to Sathan and contrariwise after that God gaue him grace to repent he absolued him from his sinnes he toke him againe into the Church to the communion of saints and sacraments and so opened to him the kingdome of heauen againe By this we maie vnderstand that these keies or this diuine function of the Lordes is committed and
graunted to those that haue charge of soules and to each seuerall Ecclesiastic all societies whether they besmal or great Of which thing the Lord saith to the Churches Verely I saie vnto you whatsoeuer thinges ye binde on earth shal be bound in heauen And straight after For where two or three be gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Moreouer this is likewise taught that euerie Christian so often as he needeth these keies of the Lord ought to require them particularly for himselfe of the pastors of soules of that Church or fellowship of which himselfe is a parte to which he belongeth that he vse them with full confidence no other wise then if he receiued them of Christ himselfe seeing that Christ hath deliuered them vnto the Pastours and that he by no meanes doubt that by the ministerie of these keies through the vertue and power of Christ his sinnes are forgiuen him and that he is freed from them according to Christ his owne saying whose sinnes you forgiue c. And He that heareth you heareth me and he that receiueth you in the be halfe to wit of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and in his time of neeed receiueth me and contrarilie He that despiseth you despiseth me This is also taught and handled * that the Priests ought not to vse these keies of the Lord otherwise then according to the meaning and will of Christ which is declared expresselie in his word and according to the sure flat and expresse determinations of his iudgement and that they doe not any manner of waie according to mens opinions much lesse after their owne minde or lust abuse these keies for so it would come to passe that the keies should swaâ—ue 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 Lorde hath saide by the Prophet For you saith he is this commaundement O ye Priestes if you will not heare it nor consider it in your heartes to giue glorie to my name saith the Lorde of hoastes I will send a curse vpon you and will curse your blessings as I haue cursed them alreadie because you regarde not in your heartes the feare of the Lorde OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION SEeing that we are not made partakers of Christ but by the Gospell we beleeue that that good order which by the authority of the gospel is confirmed ought to be kept sacred and inuiolable and that therefore Pastours are necessarilie required in the Church vpon whose shoulders the burden of teaching the worde and administring of the Sacraments doth lie whome also we ought to honour and reuerentlie to heare if so be that they being lawfullie called doe discharge their duetie not as though God did stand inneed of such staies inferior helps but therfore rather because that so it seemeth good to him to gouerne vs as it were by vsing this bridle Therefore we detest all those fanaticall spirites who as much as in them lieth desire that both this sacred ministerie or preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacramentes were vtterlie abolished We beleeue that this true Church ought to be gouerned by that 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 maie be retained vices repreâ—sed the poore and others that be in miserie according to their necessitie maie be prouided for and that there maie be holie meetinges for the edifying both of small and great We beleeue that all true Pastours in what place soeuer they be placed haue the same and equall authoritie among themselues giuen vnto them vnder Iesus Christ the onelie heade and the chiefe and alone vniuersall Bishop and that therefore it is not lawfull for anie Church to challenge vnto it selfe Dominion or soueraigntie ouer anie other Church We beleeue that it is not lawfull for anie man vpon his owne authoritie to take vpon him the gouernment of the Church but that euerie one ought to be admitted thereunto by a lawfull election so neere as maie be and so long as the Lorde giueth leaue And this exception we doe expresselie adde because that sometime as it fell out also in our daies the state of the Church being disturbed it was necessarie that some should be raised vp of the Lorde extraordinarily which should repaire the ruines of the decaied Church Neuertheles howsoeuer it be we beleeue that this rule is Iwaâ—es to be followed that all Pastours and Elders should haue a testimonie of their calling OVT OF THE ENGLISH CONFESSION FVrthermore we beleeue that there be diuerse degrees of Ministers in the Church whereof some be Deacons some Priests some Bishops to whom is committed the office to instruct the people and the wholl charge and setting forth of Religion Yet notwithstanding we say that there neither is not can be any one man which may haue the wholl superioritie in this vniuersall state for that Christ is euer present to assist his Church and needeth not any man to supplie his roome as his onelie heire to all his substance and that there can be no one mortall creature which is able to comprehend or conceiue in his minde the Vniuersall Church that is to wit all the partes of the world much lesse hable rightlie and duelie to put them in order and to gouerne them For al the Apostles as Cyprian saith were of like power among themselues and the rest were the same that Peter was And that it was saide indifferentlie to them all Feede yee indifferentlie to them all Goe into the whole worlde Indifferentlie to them all Teach yee the Gospel And as Hierome saith All Bishoppes wheresoeuer 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 Bishoprike and a peeâ— thereof is perfitlie and wholly holden of euery particular Bishop And according to the iudgement of the Nicene Councell we saie that the Bishop of Rome hath no more iurisdiction ouer the Church of God then the rest of the Patriarkes either of Alexandria or of Antioche haue And as for the Bishop of Rome who now calleth all matters before himselfe alone except he doe his duetie as he ought to doe except he minister the Sacraments except he instruct the people except he warne them and teach them we saie 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 haue preeminence not to profit maie vnderstande himselfe to be no Bishop And that neither the Pope nor any other wordly creature can no more be head of the wholl Church or a Bishop
Discipline neither they which haue behaued themselues more stubbornelie haue bin excommunicated those Sacraments which they doe administer maie be receiued of them if so be that they do administer them according to the will minde and institution of Christ the which thing also the constitutions of the auncient Church doe confirme For the vertue and efficacie of the Sacraments doth neither consist in him nor depend on him who doth either administer them whosoeuer he be or doth receiue them but it consisteth in the institution and in the commaundement that was moste absolute and mightie in authoritie and in the worde of the author of the Sacraments to wit of our Lorde Iesus Christ on which one thing they doe relie and haue from thence whatsoeuer they are able to doe Neuertheles the ministers must throughlie looke to it and take good heede lest whilest by their labour they be seruiceable to others They themselues become reprobates or worthie to be reiected and also lest they giue holie thinges to dogges or cast pearles before swine Also the people must endeuour by all meanes to take heede that they doe not in anie case receiue the Sacraments with the offence of the Church and the proper daunger of the saluation of their soules that is to there own fault and iudgement wherof we made mention before OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION WE beleeue that there be Sacraments adioyned to the word for the more ample confirmation therof to wit that they may be pledges tokeÌ„s of the grace of god wherby our weake rude faith may be helped For we confesth at these outwarde signes be such that God by the power of his holie Spirit doth work by them that nothing may there be represented to vs in vaine yet we thinke that the wholl substance and truth of them is in Christ Iesus from whome if they be separated they be nothing else but vaine shadowes and smokes Also Artic. 35. We acknowledge that there be onelie two Sacramentes common to the wholl Church c. That which followeth pertaineth to the 13. Sect OVT OF THE ENGLISH CONFESSION MOreouer we allow the Sacramentes of the Church that is to saie certaine holie signes and Ceremonies which Christ would we should vse that by them he might set before our eies the Mysteries of our Saluation and might more strongly confirme the Faith which we haue in his bloode and might seale his grace in our hartes And these Sacramentes together with Tertullian Origen Ambrose Augustine Hierome Chrysostome Basill Dionysius and other Catholike Fathers we do call Figures Signes Markes Badges Prinâ—s Copies Fourmes Seales Signettes Similiuâ—des paternes Representations Remembrances and Memories and we make no doubt together with the same Doctoures to saie that these be certaine visible words Seales of Righteousnes and Tokens of Grace And we doe expresselie pronounce that in the Lordes Supper there is truely giuen vnto the Beleeuing the bodie and blood of our Lord the Flesh of the Sonne of God which quickeneth our Soules the meate that commeth from aboue the Food of Immortalitie of Grace Trueth and Life and that the same Supper is the communion of the Body and Bloode of Christ by the partaking whereof we be reuiued strengthned and fed vnto Immortalitie and whereby we are ioyned vnited and incorporated vnto Christ that we maie abide in him and he in vs. Besides this we acknowledge that there be two sacraments which we iudge properlie ought to be called by this name that is to saie Baptisme and the Sacrament of thankesgiuing For thus manie we see were deliuered and sanctified by Christ and well allowed of the olde Fathers Ambrose and Augustine and such others OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BELGIA WE beleeue that God hauing regard to our dulnes and infirmitie did institute Sacramentes for vs that by them his promises might be sealed to vs and that they might be moste certaine pledges of his heauenlie loue towards vs and of his giftes bestowed vpon vs for the cherishing and sustaining of our faith These Sacraments he added to the worde of the Gospel that he might more liuelie set before our externall senses both those thinges which he declareth vnto vs in his worde and those also which he worketh inwardlie in our hartes and to confirme more and more in vs that saluation which he vouchsafeth to communicate vnto vs. For the Sacraments are signes and visible tokens of internall and visible thinges by the which as by certaine meanes God himselfe worketh within vs by the power of the holie Ghost Therefore they be not vaine or idle signes neither yet ordeined of God to deceiue or frustrate vs of our hope For the trueth of our Sacraments is Iesus Christ without whome they are of no value Moreouer that number of Sacraments sufficeth vs which Christ himselfe our true and onelie Doctor hath instituted and those are onelie two to wit the Sacrament of baptisme and the Sacrament of the holie supper of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGE SEeing that in this life manie euill ones and hypocrites are mingled with the Church and haue fellowshippe with it in the outward signes and pleadges the Sacraments administred by such as are euill maie lawfullie be vsed according to the saying of Christ The Scribes and Pharisies sit 〈◊〉 Moses chaire c. For the sacramentes and the word of God are effectual by reason of the institution and commaundement of Christ though they be deliuered by wicked and euil men They condemne the Donatists and such like whoe saide it was not lawfull for the people to vse the minister of euill men in the Church and helde opinion that the ministerie of euill men was quite without fruit and effect The beginnining of this 8. Article is else where thus set downe THough the Church to speake properlie be a congregation of Saintes and true beleeuers yet seeing that in this life manie hypocrites and euill men be mingled with it it is a lawfull thing to vse the sacramentes ministered by the hands of euill men c. Touching the vse of the sacraments they teach that they were instituted not so much to be notes of profession amongst men as to be signes and pleadges of Gods good 〈◊〉 towardes vs set before the eies to sturre vp and confirme faith in them which vse them Therefore we must vse sacramentes so as we must ioyne faith with them which maie beleeue the promises that are offered and declared vnto 〈◊〉 by the Sacramentes By this faith we receiue both the grace promised which is represented by the sacraments and also the holie Ghost Therefore they condemne that Pharisaicall opinion of the Papistes which suppresseth the doctrine of faith and doth not teach that faith which beleeueth that grace is freelie giuen vs for Christes sake is necessarie in the vse of the sacraments but imagineth that men are iust for the verie vse of the sacraments euen by the worke done and
at anie time perfourmed yet for all this wee must confesse that we are vnprofitable seruantes Therefore what meritte can wee 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 olde time were giuen certaine ceremonies as a kinde of schooling or pedagogie to those which were kept vnder the law as vnder a Schole master or Tutor but Christ the deliuerer being once come and the law taken awaie we which beleeue are no more vnder the law the ceremonies are vanished worne out of vse And the Apostles were so far from reteining them in the Church of Christ or reparing them that they witnessed plainelie that they would not laie any burden vpon the Church Wherefore we should seeme to bring in and set vp Iudaisme againe if so be we should multiplie Ceremonies or Rites in the church according to the manner of the old church Therefore we are not of their iudgement who would haue the Church of Christ kept in with many and diuerse Rites as it were with a certaine schooling or pedagogie For if the Apostles would not thrust vpon the Christian people the ceremonies and rites which were appointed by God who is there I praie you that is well in his wiâ—tes that will thrust vpon it the inuentions deuised by man The greater that the heape of ceremonies is in the Church so much the more is taken not onelie 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 onelie Sonne of God Iesus Christ through faith Wherefore a few moderate simple rites that are not contrarie to the word of God do suffice the godly And that there is found diuersitie of rites in the Churches lâ—t no man saie therefore that the Churches doe not agree Socrates saith That it were not possible to set downe in writing all the ceremonies of the Churches which are thoroughout Cities and Countries No Religion doeth keep euerie where the same ceremonies although they admitte and receiue one and the selfe same doctrine touching them for euen they which haue one and the selfe same faith doe disagree among them selues about ceremonies Thus much faith Socrates we at this daie hauing diuerse rites in the celebration of the Lordes Supper and in certeine other things in our Churches yet we doe not disagree in doctrine and faith neither is the vnitie and societie of our Churches rent a sunder For the Churches haue alwaies vsed their libertie in such rites as beeing things indifferent which we also doe at this daie But yet notwithstanding we admonish men to take heede that they count not among things indifferent such as indeed are not indifferent as some vse to count the Masse the vse of Images in the Church for things indifferent That is indifferent saith Ierome to Augustine which is neither good nor euill so that whether you doe it or doe it not you are neuer the more iust or vniust thereby Therefore when things indifferent are wrested to the confession of faith they cease to be free as Paull doth shew that it is lawfull for a man to eate flesh if no man doe admonish him that it was offered to Idolls for then it is vnlawfull because he that eateth it doeth seeme to approoue Idolatry by eating of it OVT OF THE FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA Of things indifferent THose things which be called are properlie things indifferent although a godlie man may in al places at all times vse them freelie yet he must onely vse all things according to knowledge and in charitie to wit to the glorie of God and to the edifying of the Church and his neighboures OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASIL IN this Section also may the tenth Article of this confession be placed which we haue partlie referred to the first Section where mention is made of humane Traditions partlie to other Sections as occasion serued OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA Of accessories or things indifferent to wit of Ecclesiasticall traditions constitutions rites and ceremonies and of Christian libertie CHAP. 15. TOuching this accessorie kinde humane traditions constitutions and ceremonies brought in by a good custome men are taught that these be things inferior in degree and lesse necessarie then are the gifts of the ordinarie Ministerie yea that they be instituted and appointed in regard of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and to serue thereunto and yet that they are with an vniforme consent to be reteined in the Ecclesiasticall assemblies of Christian people at the common seruice of God according to the doctrine of the holy Apostles Let al things be done in your meeting to wit in the Church decently in order Also God is not the author of Confusion but of peace But they must alwaies be kept with this caueat within these boundes that they be not taken for foundations whereupon saluation must stey it selfe or for a worship which is appointed of God without any difference that they doe not rather or more straigthly binde the consciences of men then the commaundements of God doe and that they be not lifted vp or preferred before them but that they be taken for an ornament decency honest shew and laudable discipline and so that they doe not violate the Christian libertie of the Spirit of God and of faith nor disturb charitie and on the other side that no man by pretending a shew of Christian libertie doe withdraw himselfe from such constitutions as be godly serue to a good vse Now by the name of Christian libertie is chiefly vnderstood that libertie wherby through Christ we are freed from sinne and the curse and the yoke of the law secondlie the receiuing of the Spirit of a readie will or of the voluntarie Spirit of the Sonnes of God whereby they doe earnestlie and with pleasure and of their owne accord exercise the works of faith toward God and charitie towards their neighbour and by the law of charitie the minde is stirred vp to performe these things rather of loue then of debt or any compulsion Also whereby we are made free from all bond of conscience to any humane traditions that a man may not be tied in such sorte or rather more strictlie vnto these then to the commaundements of God And lastlie that no man may fuffer his conscience to be seared thereby as with an hot iron Therefore according to these things al those humane traditions and ceremonies which do obscure or take awaie the glorie honour worship and grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and doe withdraw the people from true and sincere faith and in a worde in respect whereof the commaundements of God are broken neglected and lightlie regarded the word of God is not exercised or handled according to it owne sinceritie and trueth they are not onelie not
sound and pure doctrine of Iesus Christ we doe not onelie not receiue but as abominations and blasphemies reiect condemne those strange and erroneous doctrines which the spirits of hurleburlie among other damnable opinions do bring forth saying c. that Magistrates can not be Christians And in the margent The Magistrate doth then shew himselfe to be a good Magistrate when he is a true Christian THE CONCLVSION LAst of all we submit this our Confession to the iudgement of the holie Scripture of the Bible and therefore we promise that if out of the foresaide Scriptures we may be better instructed we will at all times obey God and his holie word most thankefully OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA Of the ciuill power or ciuill Magistrate CHAP. 16. FVrthermore it is taught out of the holie Scripture that the ciuill Magistrate is the ordinance of God and appointed by God whoe both taketh his originall from God and by the effectuall power of his presence and continuall aide is mainteined to gouerne the people in those things which appertaine to the life of this bodie here vpon earth whereby also he is distinguished from that spirituall state whereof is that worthie sentence of Paull There is no power but of god the power that is is ordeined of god Then according to these points all they that beeing indued with this authoritie doe beare publique offices of what kinde soeuer they be beeing in the degree of Magistrates necessarilie must know acknowledge and remember this that they are Gods deputies and in his steade and that God is the Soueraigne Lord and King euen of them all as well as of other men to whome at length in the last daie they must giue an account of the degree wherein they were placed of their dominions and of the wholl administration of their gouernment whereof it is expresselie written in the booke of Wisdome and else where And seeing they doe gouerne in stede of God vpon earth and are his Lieuetenants it is meete that they frame themselues to the example of the superior Lord by following and resembling him and by learning of him mercie and iustice As touching these therefore such an instruction hath beene deliuered that they who are in authoritie ought to doe good vnto others according to that which Christ saith They that are mightie are called gratious or bounteous Lords and that in regard of their duetie they are especiallie bound thereunto and that this is their speciall charge that they cherish among the people without respect of persons iustice peace and all good things that are appertaining vnto the time that they protect and defend their peaceable subiects their rightes their goodes their life and their bodies against those that wrong and oppresse them or doe any waies indammage or hurt them also against the vniust violence of the Turkes together with others that doe the like to succour and defend them and so to serue the Lorde God herein that they beare not the sword in vaine but valiantlie couragiouslie and faithfully vse the same to execute the will and workes of God therewith Hereof in the holie Scripture such are called Gods and of Saint Paull the Ministers of God The Magistrate saith he is the Minister of God for thy good who is sent as Peter saith to take vengeance on those that doe euill and to giue honour vnto those that doe good But for as mueh as the Magistrate is not onelie the power of God in that sort as the scripture doth ascribe that title euen to an heathen Magistrate as Christ said vnto Pilate Thou couldest haue no power ouer mee vnles it were giuen thee from aboue but the Christian Magistrate ought also to be a partaker and as it were a minister of the power of the Lambe Iesus Christ whome God hath in our nature made Lord and King of Kings that Kings of the earth who in times past had beene heathen might come vnder the power of the Lambe and giue their glorie vnto the Church and become nources thereof which then began to be fulfilled when they receiued Christian religion and made them nestes vnder the tree of mustard seed which is faith Then for this cause the Christian Magistrate is pecularlie taught to be such a one that he should well vsâ— this glory and portion of his authority which he hath common with the Lamb and that he betray it not to Satan and to Antichrist vnles he will be transformed into that beast and hideous Monster which carieth the beast and that he be not ashamed of the name of Iesus Christ our Lord and that by this authoritie of his he set forth the truth of the holie gospell make waie for the trueth whersoeuer be a defender of the ministers and people of Christ suffer not so farre as in him lieth Idolatrie or the tyrannie of Antichrist much lesse follow the same although he be driuen to sustein some harme therefore and so lay downe his crowne before the Lambe and serue him together with the spirituall Kings and priests of the holie Church that is with all the faithfull and Christians that are called to eternall life Whereunto also the second psalme doth exhort Magistrates which it is profitable often to remember where it is thus read And now ye Kings vnderstand and be ye learned that iudge the earth serue the Lord with feare reioyce vnto him with trembling Hereupon it followeth and is concluded by force of argument namelie that whosoeuer doth vse in such sort as hath beene said this ordinarie power of God and of the Lambe with patience in their aduersities as well on the right as on the left hand they shall receiue for this thing and for their labour a large and infinite reward and blessing of God vpon earth and also in the life to come through faith in Christ and contrariwise vpon the wicked cruell and bloodthirstie that repent not shall come the paines of fearfull vengeance in this life and after this life euerlasting torment Moreouer the people also are taught of their duety and by the word of god are effectuallie therto inforced that al and euerie of them in all things so that they be not contrary vnto God performe their obedence to the superior power first to the Kings Maiestie then to all Magistrates and such as are in authoritie in what charge soeuer they be placed whether they be of themselues good men or euill so also to al their ministers and such as are sent with commission from them to reuerence honour them and yeald vnto them all things whatsoeuer by right are due vnto them and to performe and paie vnto them honour tribute custome and such like whereunto they are bound But in thinges perteining to mens soules to faith and eternall saluation of those the people is taught that they ought to obey no man more then God but God onelie and his holy word aboue al things and
WE beleeue that the most gratious and mighty God did appoint Kings Princes and Magistrates because of the corruption and deprauation of mankinde and that it is his wil that this world should be gouerned by laws by a certein ciuill gouernment to punish the faults of mâ—n and that all things may be done in good order among men Therefore he hâ—th armed the Magistrates wiâ—h the sword that they may punish the wicked and defend the good Moreouer it is their duetie not onelie to be carefull to preserue the ciuil gouernment but also to endeuour that the ministerie maie be preserued that all Idolatrie and counterfeit worship of God maie be cleane abolished that the kingdom of Antichrist maie be ouerthrowne and that the kingdome of Christ maie be enlarged To conclude it is their dutie to bring to passe that the holie word of the gospell maie be preached euerie where that all men maie serue and worship God purelie and freelie according to the prescript rule of his word Moreouer all men of what dignitie condition or state soeuer they be ought to be subiect to their lawful Magistrates and paie vnto them subsidies and tributes and obey them in all thinges which are not repugnant to the word of God Also they must poure out their praiers for them that God would vouchfafe to direct them in all their actions and that we maie lead a peaceable and quiet life vnder them with all godlines and honestie Wherefore we condemne the Anabaptists and all those troublesome spirites who doe reiect higher powers and magistrates ouerthrow all lawes and iudgements make all goods common and to conclude doe abolish and confound all those orders and degrees which God hath appointed among men for honesties sake OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGE COncerning ciuill affaires they teach that such ciuill ordinances as be lawfull are the good workes and ordinances of God As Paull witnesseth The powers which are be ordained of God They teach therefore that it is lawfull for Christians to beare offices to sit in iudgement and to determine of matters by the Princes lawes or by the lawes of the common wealth to appoint punishmentes according to lawe to make lawfull warres to goe to warre to deale in bargaines and contractes by lawes to holde his owne to take an othe at the request of the Magistrates to contract lawfull marriage and to follow such craftes and sciences as are approoued by law They condemne the Anabaptistes which forbid Christians these ciâ—ill offices They likewise condemne them which haue placed perfection vnder the Gospell in the renouncing of ciuill offices whereas it is spirituall that is it consisteth in the motions of the heart in the feare faith loue and obedience of God For the Gospell speaketh of a certeine eternall righteousnes of the heart yet doth it not take awaie Ciuill or domesticall gouernement but requireth most of all to haue them preserued in this bodelie life as the ordinances of God and that we should exercise loue and charitie in such ordinances Wherefore Christians most of necessitie obeie the magistrates lawes that now aâ—e saue onelie where they commaund and set forth anie sinne For in such case they must obeie god rather then men Act. 4. These thinges are thus found in another edition COncerning ciuill thinges they teach that such ciuill ordinances as are lawfull arâ— the good works of god that christians may lawfully beare office sit in iudgements determine matters by the Princes or countrie lawes lawfullie appoint punishmentes lawfullie make warre be souldiours make bargaines and contractes by law holde their owne take an oth when the magistrates require it marrie a wife or be giuen in marriage They condemne the Anabaptistes which forbid Christians to meddle with ciuil offices as also those that place the perfection of the Gospell not in the feare of God and saith but in forsaking ciuill offices For the gospel teacheth an euerlasting righteosnes of the heart In the meane time it doth not dissalow order and gouernement of common wealths or families but requireth especiallie the preseruation and maintenance thereof as of Gods owne ordinance and that in such ordinances we should exercise loue and charitie Christians therefore must in anie wise obeie their Magistrates and lawes saue onelie then when they commaund anie sinne For then they must rather obeie God then men We condemne the Anabaptistes which doe spread Iewish opinions a fresh They imagin that the godlie before the resurrection shall possesse the kingdomes of the world and the wicked and vngodlie in all places be destroied and brought vnder For we are sure that seeing the godlie must obeie the Magistrates that be ouer them they must not wring their rule and authoritie out of their handes nor ouerthrow gouernmentes by sedition forasmuch as Paul willeth euerie soule to be subiect to the Magistrates We know also that the Church in this life is subiect to the crosse and that it shall not be glorified till after this life as Saint Paull saieth We must be made like to the image of the Sonne of God And therefore we doe condemne and detest the follie and deuilish madnes of the Anabaptistes THE CONCLVSION THese are the principall articles that seeme to haue anie doubt or controuersie in them For though we might haue spoken of manie more abuses yet to auoid tediousnes we haue onelie set downe the chiefest by which it is easie to iudge of the rest There haue bin great complaints of Indulgences and Pilgrimages and of the abuse of excommunication Parishes haue beene diuerse waies molested by Catchpoles therehaue beene manie braules and bickerings berweene parish Priestes and Monkes about this whoe had greater right to the parish and about commissions burials extraordinarie sermons other innumerable things such like matters we haue pretermitted that fuch as are the principall in this cause being shortlie set downe might the better be vnderstood Neither haue we here spoken or written anie thing to anie mans reproch Onelie we haue rehearsed such thinges as seemed necessarie to be spoken to the ende that it might be seene that nothing is receiued among vs in doctrine or ceremonies contrarie to the scripture or the Catholique Church For it is euident that we haue moste diligentlie taken heede that no new or wicked opinions should creepe into the Church These articles aboue written we thought good to exhibit according to the Emperours his highnes edict wherein our confession might be extant and the summe of that doctrine which our teacher doe deliuer among vs might be seene and knowen If any thing be wanting in this confession we are readie if God permit to yeald a more full information thereof according to the scriptures Another edition hath it thus VVE haue set downe the summe of the doctrine of the Gospell that is needfull for the Churches And wee are out of doubt that this our iudgement in these pointes is in deede the doctrine set forth in the writinges of of the
Prophetes and Apostles and whereunto the vniuersall Church of Christ doth agree and consent and whereto the best learned writers of the Church do giue testimonie in manie places And we offer our selues to make a more large and ample explication of these thinges when neede shall require Now we beseech God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ that he will vouchsafe to rule preserue purge and increase his Church which he hath purchased and redeemed by the bloode of his sonne Amen The faithfull subiects to the Emperours Maiestie Iohn Duke of Saxonie Elector George Marques of Brandembrough Ernest Duke of Luneborough Philip the Lantgraue of the Hesses Iohn Frederick Duke of Saxonie Frances Duke of Luneborough VVolfgang Prince of Anhalt The Senate and Magistrats of Nurnborough The Senate of Reutling OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF SAXONIE Artic. 23. Of the ciuill Magistrate BY the benefit of God this part also of doctrine of the authoritie of the Magistrate that beareth the sword and of the authoritie of Lawes and Iudgements and of the wholl ciuill state is godâ—ily set forth and by great trauell and many writings the manifold and great furies of the Anabaptists and other fantasticall men are refuted We teach therefore that in the wholl doctrine of God deliuered by the Apostles and Prophets the degrees of the ciuill state are auouched and that Magistrates Lawes order in iudgements the lawfull societie of mankinde are not by chance sprong vp among men And although there be many horrible confusions which grow from the Deuill and the madnes of men yet the lawfull gouernment and societie of men is ordained of God and whatsoeuer order is yet left by the exceeding goodnes of God it is preserued for the Church sake as it is said Rom. 13. and Psal 126. Except the Lords keâ—pe the Citie in vaine he watcheth that keepeth it c. Therefore in themselues they are thinges good to beare the authoritie of a Magistrate to be a Iudge to be a minister to execute iudgements to make lawfull warres and to be a soldiour in lawfull warres c. And a Christian man may vse these thinges as he vseth meate drinke medecines buying and selling Neither doth he sinne that is a Magistrate and dischargeth his vocation that exerciseth iudgement that goeth to warre that punisheth lawfullie those that are condemned c. And subiects owe vnto the ciuill Magistrate obedience as Paull saith Rom. 13. Not onelie because of wrath that is for feare of corporall punishment wherewith the rebellious are rewarded by the Magistrate but also for conscience sake that is rebellion is a sinne that offendeth God and withdraweth the conscience from God This heauenly doctrine we propound vnto the Churches which establisheth lawfull authoritie and the wholl ciuill state and we shew the difference of the Gospell and the ciuâ—lâ— gouernment God would haue all men to be ruled and kept in order by ciuill gouernment euen those that ate not regenerate and in this gouernment the wisdome iustice and goodnes of God toward mankinde is moste clearelie to be seene His wisdome is declared by order which is in the discerning of vertues and vices and in the societie of mankinde vnder lawfull gouernment and in contracts guided and disposed by maruelous wisdome Then the iustice of God appeareth in ciuill gouernment in that he will haue open sinnes to be punished by the Magistrates and when they that are in authoritie doe not take punishment on offenders God himselfe miraculouslie draweth them vnto punishment and proportionablie doth lay vpon grieuous sinnes grieuous punishment in this life as it is said Mat. 26. Whosoeuer taketh the sword shall perish with the sword Heb. 3. Whoremongers and adulterers God will iudge In these punishments God will haue to be seene the differences of vertues and vices and will haue vs learne that God is wise iust true and chaste The goodnes of God also toward mankinde is seene in that he preserueth the societie of men after this order And for that cause doth he maintaine it that from thence his Church may be gathered he wil haue common wealthes to be places for the enterteinment of his Church And the ciuill gouernment is one thing which keepeth in order all men euen those that are not regenerate and forgiuenes of sinnes and righteousnes in the heart which is the beginning of life and of eternall saluation which by the voice of the gospell is effected in the hearts of them that beleeue is another thing Both these benefits god hath bestowed vpon mankinde and will haue vs to vnderstand the difference of ciuill iustice and light in our hearts Neither doth the gospel condemne or ouerthrow common welthes or families And although it belong not to those that teach in the Church to giue particular lawes of politique gouernment yet the worde of God doeth generallie teach this of the power of the Magistrate First God would that the Magistrate without all doubt should sound forth the voice of the morall law among men touching discipline according to the 10. commaundements or the law naturall that is he woulde haue by the voice of the Magistrate first soueraigne and immutable lawes to be propounded forbidding the worship of Idols blasphemies periuries vniust murders wandring lustes breach of wedlock theft and fraude in bargaines contracts and iudgements The second dutie Let the Magistrate be an obseruer of these diuine and immutable lawes which are witnesses of God and chief rules of manners by punishing all those that transgresse the same For the voice of the law without punishment and execution is litle auaileable to bridle and restraine men Therefore it is said by S. Paull Rom. 13. The Magistrate is a terrour to him that doth euill and giueth honour to them that doe well And well hath it beene said of olde The Magistrate is a keeper of the Law that is of the first and second Table as concerning discipline and good order The third dutie of the ciuill Magistrate is to adde vnto the law naturall some other lawes defining the citcumstances of the natural law and to keepe and maintaine the same by punishing the transgressours but at no hand to suffer or defend lawes contrarie to the law of God or nature as it is written Esai 10. Woe be to them that make wicked lawes For kingdoms are the ordinance of God wherein the wisdome and iustice of God that is iust lawes ought to rule euen as the wise King and one that feared God Iosaphat said 2. Chron. 19. Ye exercise not the iudgement of men but of God who is with you in iudgement Let the feare of God be with you and doe all things diligentlie For although manie in kingdoms doe despise the glorie of God yet notwithstanding this ought to be their especiall care to heare and imbrace the true doctrine of the Sonne of God and to cherish the Churches as the 2. Psalme speaketh And now yee Kings vnderstand and be learned ye that iudge the
aboue all to be honoured with high worshippe To wit with religious worship and such as properlie respecteth the conscience which is all wholie due to God alone as it is in plaine tearmes afterwades set downe lest anie man should thinke that that false and impious distinction of Latria dulia and hyperdulia if so be that it be referred to religious worshippe should here be confirmed For otherwise as for ciuill honour which is due to the higher powers and to some other for honestie and orders sake we are so farre from reiecting it that we teach that seeing it is commaunded of God it cannot be neglected of vs without some wounde of conscience Vpon the same SHe was made a deare companion of Christ by the holy Ghost through faith Vnderstand this of that peculiar grace mercie which was bestowed vpon Marie alone whereby she was made the Mother of God that bare him and was also indued with an excellent faith and not as though anie duties of the onely Mediatour Christ either of redemption or of intercession were to be attributed to her as afterwardes in plaine wordes is expresselie declared Vpon the same MVch lesse their images The meaning of this is that we are bounde to honour in the Lord both the saintes that are aliue and also the memory of them that are dead But to their images we are not to giue any shew of worship whether religious or ciuil for as much as that cannot be attempted without abominable superstition Vpon the Confession of Auspurge OFfer vp their praiers by the Sonne of God as in the ende of the praiers it is accustomed to be said Through Iesus Christ our Lorde c. These wordes doe not excuse the popish praiers vnto Saintes which they conclude with this tearme of wordes for that he speaketh here of godlie praiers vnto God and not of Idolatrous and superstitious praiers to saintes Vpon the Confession of Saxony THere is no dout but such as are in blisse praie for the Church c. Looke the first obseruation vpon this confession aboue in the 1. Section Vpon the same VVAsting Gods gifts in vaine Concerning wasting and losing of the spirit and of the gifts of the same looke the first obseruation vpon this confession in the 4. Section following IN THE 4. SECTION Vpon the Confession of Bohemia THey teach also that we must acknowledge our weakenes The termes of imbecillitie difficultie which this confession vseth in many places must be referred either to the regenerate in whom the spirit struggling with the flesh can not without a wonderful conflict get the vpper hand or else vnto that strife between reason the affections wherof the Philosophers speake in which not the spirit with the flesh for the spirit is through grace in the regenerate only but the reliques of iudgement conscience that is of the Image of God which for the moste parte are faultie doe striue with the will whollie corrupted according to the saying of the Poet I see the better and like it well but follow the worse c. Which thing is largely and plainlie set forth in the latter Confession of Heluetia Vpon the same IT could not rise againe or recouer that fall This is thus to be taken not as though the first grace doth finde vs only weake and feeble before regeneration whereas we are rather starke dead in our sinnes and therefore wee must be quickned by the first grace and after we be once quickned by the first be helped by the second following and confirmed and strengthned by the same continuing with vs to the end of our race Vpon the Confession of Belgia THerefore whatsoeuer things are taught as touching mans free will c. This generall worde Whatsoeuer wee take to appertaine to those things onely which either the Pelagians or Papists or any other haue taught touching this point contrarie to the authoritie of the Scripture Vpon the Confession of Auspurge THat which in this confession is saide touching the libertie of mans nature to performe a ciuill iustice and cited out of the 3. booke hypognosticon which is fathered vpon Augustine wee are taught it out of another place of the same Father namelie in his booke de gratia ad Valentinum Cap. 20. whose words are these The holie Scripture if it be well looked into doth shew that not onely the good willes of men which God maketh good of euill and hauing made them good doth guid them vnto good actions and to eternall lfie but also those which are for the preseruation of the creature in this life are so in gods power that he maketh them bend when he will and whether he will either to bestow benefits vpon some or to inflict punishments vpon others according as he doth appoint in his moste secret and yet without doubt moste iust iudgement Vpon the same THis spirituall iustice is wrought in vs when we are helped by the holie Ghost And a little after In these sure we had need to be guided helped of the holie Spirit according to that saying of Paull The Spirit helpeth our infirmities c. Vnderstand this not of anie naturall facultie which vnto anie good thing in deed is none at all but of the will regenerated which is verie weake except it be aided by another grace euen vnto the end And so also must it be vnderstood which is said a little after that The lawe of God can not be fullfilled by mans nature to wit though it be chaunged and renewed according as we haue declared in the former obseruations vpon the confession of Bohemia which we aduise you to looke ouer Vpon the same MAns nature can by it felfe performe c. By it selfe that is by it owne proper and inward motion yet so as the working and goodnes of God who vpholdeth the societie of men is not excluded which doth not indeed renew a man but preserueth that reason which is left in him though it be corrupt against the vnbridled affections and disperseth the darkenes of the minde lest it ouerspread the light that remaineth represseth the disorder of the affections lest they burst forth into act Vpon the Confession of Saxonie THat which is both here and elsewhere in this Confession and now and then in the Confession of Auspurge repeated touching the shaking of and losing the holie Spirit we take it thus that it is chiefly meant of the gifts which are bestowed euen vpon those also which pertaine nothing to the Church as in Socrates Aristides Cicero and some others there shined certaine sparkes of excellent vertues Secondlie of those gifts also which are bestowed vpon those that are so in the Church that yet they are not of the Church nor trulie regenerated by the Spirit of adoption as may be seene in the examples of Saull Iudas and such others For as concerning the spirit of sanctification which is onelie in those that are trulie regenerated
the iudgeing of controuersies not any iudges whatsoeuer do take vnto them selues the name of the Church but that as the matter and importance of the cause doth require iudges lawfullie chosen whether more or fewer whether in an ordinarie assemblie of a particular Church or in a more generall meeting ordinarie or extraordinarie prouinciall or generall be appointed to iudge of the matter Secondlie that there be free obedience and free giuing of voices Thirdlie that all controuersies be determined out of the word of God alone yet so as the fathers iudgements be not condemned but laid to the onelie rule of Gods word according as they themselues would haue vs to do Now the Church is said to iudge of doctrine not that it is aboue the truth of the doctrine or that the doctrine is therfore true because the Church hath so iudged but in as much as the Church beeing taught and confirmed out of the word by the holie Ghost doth acknowledge and hold fast the true doctrine and teach men to holde it fast and condemneth and reiecteth and teacheth to reiect all other strange doctrines IN THE 11. SECTION Vpon the latter confession of Heluetia ANd such are found among vs c. To wit interpreters of the Scriptures that were indued with a speciall gift of the spirit thereunto For as touching the visions of Prophets and those extraordinarie motions and inspirations of the holie spirit this gift as also the gift of tongues and of healings being fitted for the confirmation of the church when it was beginning is now long since ceased after that the wholl Counsell of God touching our saluation was plainlie reuealed howbeit God yet can when he will raise it vp againe Vpon the same And were also Preachers of the Gospell Such as the Apostles did ioyne vnto themselues as helpers and sent them now to this place now to that and these also are no more in vse since the Churches were setled in good order Of which sort diuers are mentioned in the Acts and in the Epistles of the Apostles Vpon the same Bishops were the ouerseers and watchmen of the Church which did distribute c. Taking this name for those which in a more strict signification are called Deacons and are distinguished from them which attend vpon the preaching of the word Vpon the same Prouide thinges necessarie for it To wit spirituall things by teaching reproouing correcting instructing both all in generall and man by man particularlie yet tied to their speciall flocks and charges Vpon the same Now the power giuen to all the ministers To wit of the word that is the Pastours and Doctours whose diuerse functions are afterward more fullie set forth Vpon the former Confession of Heluetia BY the voice of God As namelie if at any time the lawfull ordinarie vocation being quite abolished as it hath fallen out vnder the Papacie God by his spirit hath extraordinarilie raised vp certein men Which thing when it appeareth by their fruits then the liking and approbation of the Church reformed being added thereunto they are confirmed in their calling For otherwise while the lawfull order of calling standeth in the Church no man may enter into the ministerie but by that dore Vpon the same By the laying on of hands of the Priest By Priest take that they meane him that is appointed out of the Colledge and companie of the Pastours for to set him that is lawfullie chosen as it were into the possession of his ministerie in the fight and presence of the wholl Church Now as touching the very rite of this ordination euerie Church hath it owne libertie so that both alike superstition and occasion of superstition be auoided Vpon the Confession of Bohemia BY laying on of handes Looke before the 2. obseruation vpon the former Confession of Heluetia and looke after in the 14. chap. of this same Confess and the 1. obser vpon this Confess in the 13. Sect. Vpon the same Hereof speaketh the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrues Yet not properlie for he disputeth of the Leuiticall Priesthood which was abrogated by Christ and not of the ministerie vnder Christ Vpon the same Are a long time c. Let the reader thus take these words not as though this same order were prescribed vnto all and singular Churches or were obserued of all seing we neither haue any commmaundement touching that matter neither can it euery where be performed But that this is verie carefullie to be looked vnto that none but he that is furnished with learning and an approoued integritie and vprightnes be aduanced to anie Ecclesiasticall functions Vpon the same And Sodomiticall life That is of an vncleane life giuen to riot and excesse as Ezech. cap. 16. ver 49. chargeth the inhabitants of Sodome Vpon the same Especiallie those c. Once againe this is to be taken as that wee must know that this law of working with their owne handes is not prescribed to the Churches Vpon the same Such as are to lay on handes Touching this riâ—e looke before in the 2. obseru vpon the former Confession of Heluetia Vpon the same To each seuerall Ecclesiasticall societies That is to Presbyteries or consistories which stand of Pastours and Elders and vnto whome properlie the dispensing and ordering of the Keies and Ecclesiasticall Censures doe belong As afterwarde is taught in the fift obseruation vpon the Confess of Auspurge Vpon the same That euery Christian so often as he needeth these Keyes c. ought to require them This is to be interpreted by those things which we spake of priuate absolution in the eight Section in the 1. obseruation vpon this Confession and the first vpon the Confession of Saxonie Vpon the same That the priestes ought not Whom they meane by the name of Priests it hath bin alreadie shewed before in the 2. obser vpon the former Confession of Heluetia shall straight after be repeated in the 3. obseruation vpon 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 growne to a custome to call Satan Lucifer the Prince of Deuills vpon a place of Esaie misunderstood of some of the aunciet Fathers Vpon the same By open excommunication There is also a certaine kinde of excommunication which is not publique or open and is vsed onlie for a triall of repentance Againe this is so to be taken that as we haue oft before admonished all and singular Churches may keepe their holie libertie both in orâ—aining 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 dogges and swine Vpon the same Vnto the vnbeleeuing a sauour of death This must be vnderstoode to be the accidentall and not the proper end of
the Ministerie of the Gospell arising not of the Gospell it selfe but of the contempt of the Gospell But this application of the similitude of the keies for the opening of all mens consciences which this Confession doth often vse seemeth to be somewhat farre from the meaning of Christ Vpon the same That the Priest in deede Touching the name of Priestes looke the 2. obseruation vpon the former Confession of Heluetia Againe it must be vnderstood that when the question is of Ecclesiasticall Censures the lawful intelligence of the Sâ—â—gniorie muste goe before the Priestes iudgeing That which is said touching power or authority must be vnderstood of ciuill power which Ecclesiastical functions haue not at all or else of the authority of making lawes to mens consciences which resteth whollie in Christ the onely lawgiuer according to whose prescript and appointment his ministers ought to iudge and determine in the Churches Vpon the same Yea and the Bishop of Rome a litle after except he go to worke By Bishop vnderstand not him that now sitting Pope at Rome is called of other and termeth himselfe vniuersall Bishop but such a Pastor as being lawfully called in the Church of Rome if there were anie true Church to be found did with his fellowe laborers discharge a Christian ministerie Vpon the Confession of Auspurge No more then doth the skill of Musick namely because it hath a diuerse scope not that there is no more affinite or agreement betweene the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and the ciuill gouernment then between a musition and a magistrate when as they do both tend directly vnto the selfe same onely though by means distinct and diuerse one from the other and also both the Ministers in matters ciuill be subiect to the Magistrate and the Magistrate in matters belonging to conscience is subiect to the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and one doth leane and stay it selfe vpon the other and one aid and succour the other Von the same The Magistrate is to defend not the minde but the bodies This also is to be vnderstood as that notwithstanding this the Magistrate is the keeper and defender of both tables of this lawe Vpon the same If so be the Bishops haue c. This do we also acknowledge to be most true but we saie that it was neither lawfull for the Princes to deriue this power vnto Bishoppes nor for the Bishops to take it when it was offered because the Lord hath so distinguished these two as he hath also seuered them the one from the other And the Apostle doth expresly forbid ministers to entangle themselues in the things of this life yea and the Apostles them selues did cast of euen the care of the almes from themselues vnto the Deacons that they might attend vpon the word and praiers Vpon the same To debarre the wicked c. To wit by the iudgement and verdict of the Presbyterie lawfullie gathered together and not by the will and determination of anie one man as was noted before in the third obseru vpon the English Confession Vpon the same The Churches must performe vnto them To wit to the Ministers of the word and to the Elders and not to such alone as now by the law of man carie the name of Bishops as proper and peculiar to themselues alone which is common to all Pastors equallie as Hierome can testifie Vpon the same If so be they haue anie other power c. they haue it by mans law It seemeth the band of marriage should be excepted the knowledge whereof by Gods law belongeth to the Pastors and namelie in this respect that it can not be iudged firme and sure or voide and frustrate but by the worde of God according to that That which God hath coupled let not man put asunder touching which point looke the 1. obseru vpon the former confession of Heluetia and the 2. vpon the Confess of Wirtemb in the 18. Section Vpon the same Christ Though Christ would also be the Minister of the circumcision yet we would not haue him raunged 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 Looke the 2. obseru vpon the Confession of Saxonie in the 1. Sect. Vpon the same That except a Priest be ordained To wit when question is of such Elders or Priests as did attend vpon the preaching of the word For there was also another fort of Elders whom the Apostle calleth gouernours 1. Cor 12. IN THE 12. SECTION Vpon the latter Confession of Heluetia THe thing signified is regeneration That is the bloode of Christ by vertue whereof we are regenerated washed from our sinnes For to speake properlie the thing signified by the water is the bloode and by sprinkling the washing from sinnes and regeneration is signified Vpon the former Confession of Heluetia THe thing it selfe is regeneration Looke the Obseruation that went next before vpon the latter Confession of Heluetia But the thinge is the communication of the bodie c. that is the bodie and blood of Christ communicated to vs spirituallie by faith to the remission of sinnes and to eternal life Vpon the declaration of the said former Confession of Heluetia Visiblie shew that is shew by setting forth visible signes Vpon the same The Minister doth conuert To wit as the instrumentall outward cause which the holie spirit vseth to work those things inwardlie which are preached to vs outwardlie Vpon the confession of Basill TO testifie our faith Hereunto adde also the other endes and effectes which are more fullie set forth in other confessions Vpon the confession of Bohemia EIther entirelie Entire that is lawfull libertie such as â—oth agree with Christ his institution Vpon the same They doe alwaies exercise their vertue This must warilie be vnderstood For properlie the sacramentes doe witnes seale or confirme no other thing but grace and saluation The condemnation of such as vse them vnworthelie doth not flow from anie vertue or power of the sacraments which doth auaile onelie to saluation but onelie from the fault of the vnworthe themselues whereby it commeth to passe and that by an accident that whilest they receiue the signes alone and that vnworthely they depriue themselues of the vertue of the sacramentes and yet for all that they cease not on gods behalfe to be perfect sacraments whether they be giuen to the worthie or to the vnworthie touching which point loke after in the 14. Section the 1. and 2. obseruations vpon the confession of Auspurge IN THE 13. SECTION Vpon the lattter Confession of Heluetia THat is the most perfect forme of Baptisme c. Vnderstand by forme the externall ceremonie whether it be of dipping or of sprinkeling Vpon the same We thinke them nothing necessarie c. Yea we haue vtterlie reiected some of them as meere superstitious some as beeing manifestlie brought
Saints being transformed into Idolls the worship which is due to God alone be againe transferred vnto them Howbeit they truelie seeme to be the wiser who doe not suffer any thing to be either taught or sung in the Church of God beside the word of God interpreted in a tongue peculiar to the people and in singing doe keepe this meane that the greatest parte of the time may be spent rather in hearing then in singing of the word of God and that which is sung may so be sung that the mindes may rather be instructed then the eares delighted with any broken musicke Vpon the Confession of Auspurge ANd meritorious workes Although we are perswaded that such meritorious workes be not meant in this place as by their owne worthines doe deserue any thing but that they be acceptable to God and are crowned not according to debt but according to grace yet we can not approoue this improper speach by what interpretation soeuer it be qualified as we haue alreadie in certaine places noted before Sect. 8. obser 7. vpon this confess Also Sect. 9. obse 2. vpon the same obser 1. vpon the Confess of Wirtemb Vpon the same The order of lessons in the Masse c. Also we haue declared before Sect. 14. obser 2. vpon the same Confess of Auspurge why we do worthely detest euen the very name of the Masse and as touching holidaies or fasts we spake thereof in the Confess of the Waldenses or Bohemia going next before this Vpon the Confession of Wirtemberge ANd to comfort them as wel by the preaching of the Gospell as by the dispensing of the Lords Supper c. We doe also vnderstand this without any preiudice to the liberty of other Churches wherein the Supper vseth not to be administred but in the publique assembly lest that saluation might seeme to be tied to the Sacraments or the fruit of the Supper of the Lord be bound to that time onely wherein it is receiued Vpon the same We thinke it is a profitable thing c. In this point also the Churches doe vse their liberty to edifying howbeit we think it the safer way once to lay aside funerall orations with honest simplicitie to burie those that are departed godlily seeing that it is a very hard thing to keepe a meane therein and we ought very carefully to take heede that not so much as the least entrance be opened to the reuoking of the opinion of praiers to be made for the dead then the which nothing can happen more pernitious in the Church of God as the lamentable experience of so many ages hath taught IN THE 17. SECTION Vpon the French Confession WE thinke it to be necessarie In all the French and Belgian Synodes it was decreed that it is necessarie for this people plainly to reprooue those that be vnrulie or impenitent and not to leaue them to the discretion of their owne conscience but whereas the lawfull intelligence of the Presbyterie goeth before so long to exclude them from the Supper of the Lord till they doe testify their amendment By which custome notwithstanding they meane not to preiudicate those brethren who thinke that they can auoid the prophanation of the Supper of the Lord although they doe not so farre extend the authoritie of the Ecclesiasticall Censure Vpon the Confession of Belgia ANd hereunto excommunication is chiefly necessary c. Looke the obseruation which goeth next before this vpon the French Confession Vpon the Confession of Auspurge THe Bishops might easilie c. Three kindes of Bishops may be reckoned vp One which is in deed the Apostles Bishop and is a Bishop in order not in degree and is common to all Pastours that is to the Ministers of the word An other is not onelie in order but also in degree whereby the wholl cleargie of some Dioces is subiect to some one man and is euen by the testimony of Ierome himselfe an olde inuention of mans appointment and not of Gods ordinance limited and hedged in by verie many auncient Canons But as for the third kinde which roueth farre and wide not onely beyonde the worde of god but also beyond the most iust Canons and is in deed Satannical and Tyrannicall and as yet florishing in the Romane false named Church we doe detest it as a most certaine pestilence of the Christian Church Vpon the same It were for the chief Bishops gentlenes We suppose that this is not ment of the Popes gentlenes whom all the purer churches doe at once detest as that Antichrist but of that kinde of Bishops which in the obseruation next before this we called the second sort Which though it be so yet it seemeth to be against the old Canons that that should here â—e hanged vpon the Bishops gentlenes which after lawfull intelligence they are rather bound to doe both by Gods lawes and by mans or else they are to be remooued from their Bishopprick Vpon the same To haue rule taken from Bishops It is without al controuersie that Christ did not onelie distinguish but also both by word and his owne example seuer the ciuill rule and iurisdiction from the Ecclesiasticall Besides that is also a plaine case that the goods purposed and appointed to the vses of the Churches were in olde time giuen not to the Bishops owne persons but to the Church it selfe Now how fare it is expedient that the Bishops should carie the shew and apperance of any ciuill rule and iurisdiction it is the duetie of Godlie Magistrates to consider Vpon the same The Apostles decree touching things offered to Idolls to wit touching that sorte of things offered to Idolls which is eaten at the tables of deuills or by the eating whereof men sinne against their weake brethren Like as the decree of the Apostles is expounded of Paul 1. Cor. 9. 10. Vpon the confession of Saxony NOt lawfull for Kings nor Bishops to make lawes or rites that can not stand with the word c. And therefore no mysticall rites that is which carie some mysterie or hid signification in them though not otherwise impious as namelie such as should be parts of Gods doctrine or kindes of Sacraments but onlie such lawes as pertaine to order and decencie as is said in the end of this Article that not vpon their priuate will and aduise but by the iudgement of a lawfull assemblie IN THE 18. SECTION Vpon the former Confession of Heluetia BVt vpon iust cause c. to wit taken from the word of God For we do not think that it is lawfull for men at their pleasure tomake lawes concerning diuorcements in marriages permitted and alreadie contracted according to the word of God as they may do in contracts which are meerelie ciuill for the Lord hath said That which God hath ioyned together let not man separate But the matter being diligentlie weighed by them of whome it is profitable for the Church that