which is the saving power of God no man shall Rom 1. wittingly attaine unto faith and salvation according to that saying of Paul Therefore faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word Rom. 10. of God And againe How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Therefore herein our Preachers endevour themselves most earnestly that in our Ecclesiasticall meetings they may propound unto the people the sincere word of God without all mixture or inventions of men For which cause also they doe by an ancient custome recite in the mother and vulgar tongue which may be understood of all not onely those Chapters which are appointed to be read out of the Gospel at certaine times but also all other parts of holy Scripture and do exhort the people with an earnest desire to heare the word of God and to frequent those Ecclesiasticall meetings that by the diligent teaching of the Gospel and by often repeating it in their Sermons they may first teach the people repentance and faith and then the use and administration of the Sacraments and by this meanes prepare them to the right receiving of the Sacraments and afterwards also both whilest the Sacraments be administred and after they be administred they doe conveniently instruct them in all those things which the Lord commanded and chiefly in those things which do appertaine to the leading of an honest life and such a one as beseemeth a Christian profession as Christ saith Teach them to keep Matth 28. all things which I have commanded you In this place also is taught very diligently and as the matter requireth touching the difference which is to be observed betwixt the word or doctrine and worke of the law and betwixt the word and force of the holy Gospel The word or ministerie of the law and of the old Testament is the word of death feare and of the letter also the word of wrath and the word of malediction but the word of the New Testament that is of the holy Gospel is the ministerie of saith and the spirit of clearenesse or glory through our Lord Iesus Christ the word of grace of the new covenant the word of comfort and the messenger of peace Of them both the Apostle writeth thus The letter killeth but the spirit quickneth And Christ saith The words which I speake are spirit and life Also there is mention made of the use of the morall law in the fourth Chapter of this Confession beginning with these words This doctrine of the true knowledge of sinne c as is to be seene before 2 Cor. 3. Iohn 6. in the fourth Section whereunto all that Chapter appertaineth Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that all the figures of the law are taken away by the coming of Christ howbeit we are assured that the truth and substance of them doth abide in him in whom they are all fulfilled Yet we must use the doctrine of the law and the Prophets both to frame our life aright and also that we may so much the more be confirmed in the promises of the Gospel Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve that all the ceremonies figures and shadowes of the law have ceased at the coming of Christ so that now even the use of them ought to be taken away and abolished among Christians Yet in the meane time the truth and substance of them doth remaine to us in Christ in whom they are all fulfilled And therefore we doe still use the testimonies of the Law and the Prophets to confirme our selves in the doctrine of the Gospel and to leade an honest life unto Gods glory according to his will THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGE doth by the way mention the doctrine of the Gospel and of the end thereof in the fourth and fifth Articles which we have placed in the ninth Section wherein iustification and remission of sinnes by faith in Christ is handled Out of the Confession of SAXONY ANd that the benefits of this Mediatour might be knowne unto mankinde and applied unto us there was a promise given straight in the beginning after the fall of our first parents and afterwards often times repeated and by voyce of the Prophets declared but most cleerely was it recited by the very Son and after wards by the Apostles And there was a ministery instituted to teach and to spread abroad that promise also there was a Church made and often renued by the same very voyce touching the Sonne of God our attonement By this Ministery the Sonne of God alwaies was is and shall be effectuall in the beleevers as it is said Rom. 1. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that beleeveth And he doth renue this ministerie when he saith As my Father sent me so doe I send you also Goe and preach repentance and remission of sinnes in my name He will that sinne should be reproved in all mankinde as he saith The spirit shall reprove the world of sinne because they beleeve not in me And Rom. 1. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men God will have his wrath to be acknowledged against all sinne and chiefly against the contempt of the Sonne as he saith in the Psalme Kisse the Sonne lest he be angrie and so ye perish from the way c. He will have us truely to be put in great feare by the knowledge of our darkenesse of our horrible wickednesse and our stubbornnesse And truely God himselfe doth amaze our hearts with the sense of his anger as Ezekiah saith Like a Lion he brake all my bones And to this judgement he doth not onely use the voyce of the ministery of the Law and of the Gospel but also all calamities be as it were the voyce of the law admonishing us of the wrath of God and calling us to repentance Now when the minde is terrified by this voyce that reproveth sinnes then let it heare the peculiar promise of the Gospel touching the Sonne of God and let him be assured that his sinnes are freely remitted for the Sonne of God his sake our Lord Iesus Christ who is our attonement and that of mercy not for any contrition or love of ours Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of the Law CHAP. 6. VVE acknowledge that the Law of God whereof the Tenne Commandements are an abridgement doth command the best the most just and most perfect workes and that man is not onely bound to obey the morall precepts of the Law but also if he should doe the workes of the Tenne Commandements in such perfection and integritie as the Law requireth that he should indeed be counted just before God for his workes and should obtaine eternall salvation by his merits But whereas some men doe thinke that man can come to that state in this life as to be able by his workes not onely to fulfill the tenne Commandements but also to do more and greater works then are
come into condemnation but by making a way through Joan. 5. it they shall passe from death into life The Epistle to the Hebrews to stirre us up to use such exhortations saith Exhort your selves among your selves exhort ye one Heb. 4. another daily so long as it is said to day Let no man among you be hardned by the deceit of sin For we enter into the rest which have beleeved that is which have obeyed the voice of God while we had time given us On the other side we must also hold this most assuredly that if any man being polluted with sins and filthy deeds manifestly contrary to vertue doe in dying depart out of this world without true repentance and faith that his soule shall certainly goe into hell as did the soule of that rich man who wanted faith in the bottomlesse pit whereof there is no drop of grace and that in the day of judgement that most terrible voice of the Son of God sounding in his eares shall be heard wherein he shall say Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire which is prepared Matth. 29. Joh. 5. for the Devill and his Angels for they which have done evill shall come forth to the resurrection of judgement Therefore in teaching they doe continually urge this that no man deferre repentance and turning unto God till he come to be old or till he lyeth sicke in his bed and in the meane time doe boldly practise his wantonnesse in sinnes and in the desires of the flesh and the world because it is written Doe not say The aboundant mercie of the Lord will purgo my sins for mercie and wrath do basten with him and his indignation shall lye upon the sinners Make no tarrying to turn unto the Lord put not off from day to day For suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord breaâ—e forth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroyed and thou shalt perish in time of vengeance But that especially is a most dangerous thing if any man after he hath received the gift of the grace of God and that in the testimonie of a good conscience doth of set purpose and wantonly sinne and contemne and make no account of all those exhortations and allurements proceeding out of a loving heart and that to this end that he may in time think on that which is for his health and repent and moreover doth persist in a bold and blind perswasion of the mercie of God and trusting thereto doth sinne and doth confidently abuse it and goeth forward in that sort without repentance even unto the last pinch and then beginneth being forced thereunto by the terrours of death and the feare of infernall punishments so late to convert himselfe and to call for the mercie of the Lord as when the severe and intollerable anger of the Lord waxeth hot and punishments rush and breake forth as doth the great violence of floods which cannot be resisted Therefore of such a man which thing we speake with sorrow it is hard to beleeve that he can truly repent and therefore it is to be doubted lest that be fulfilled in him which the Lord doth threaten by the Prophet Micheas That instead of grace he shall feele the wrath of God and that it will come to passe that the wrath of God shall slay him For in a fearefull speech doth he say thus Then shall they cry unto the Lord but Mich. 3. he will not heare them but he will hide his face from them at that time because they have continually lived wickedly Yea the Lord himselfe saith Although they cry in mine eares with a loude Ezech. 8. Ier. 7. and 11. Isa 65. and 66. voyce yet will I not heare them seeing they would not heare my voyce when as all the day long I spread out my hands unto them and gave them large time and space for grace For the which cause the holy Ghost cryeth out and saith To day if ye will heare his Psal 95. Heb. 3. voyce harden not your hearts as in the grieving in the day of that tentation in the wildernesse Therefore according to all these things our men doe diligently and out of the grounds of the Scripture exhort that every man doe in time use and follow this faithfull counsell and necessary doctrine that so he may turne away the feare of this most heavie danger yea that he doe not betray the health of his own soule For undoubtedly this horrible danger is greatly to be feared lest whatsoever he be that doth rashly or stubbornly condemne or neglect this time of grace so lovingly granted of the Lord he doe receive and that worthily that reward of eternall punishment which is due thereunto even as Saint Ambrose also amongst many other things which he handleth diversly to this Lib 3. de poenit qui Augustini esse putatur purpose doth thus write and in these words If any man at the very point of death shall repent and be absolved fo this could not be denied unto him and so departing out of this life dieth I dare not say that he departeth hence in good case I doe not affirme it neither dare I affirme or promise it to any man because I would deceive no man seeing I have no certaintie of him Doe I therefore say that he shall be damned neither doe I say that he shall be delivered For what other thing I should say I know not Let him be commended to God Wilt thou then O brother be freed from doubting repent whiles thou art in health If thou wilt repent when thou canst not sin thy sins have left thee and not thou thy sins Yet that no man may despaire they teach this also that if any man in the last houre of his life shew our signs of true repentance which thing doth fall out very seldome for that is certainly true which is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews And this will we also doe so that God Heb. 6. give us leave to doe it that such a one is not to be deprived of instruction comfort absolution or remission of sins For the time of grace doth last so long as this life doth last wherefore so long as we live here it is meet that we should thinke of that Propheticall and Apostolicall sentence To day seeing ye have heard his Heb 3. voyce harden not your hearts Now herein doe our men labour and endeavour themselves most earnestly that all men may obey this loving commandement and counsell and that they speedily repent before the Sunne be darkened after a strange manner and the hils be overwhelmed with darknesse and that laying sinne aside they would turne themselves to God by flying unto him in true confidence and with a constant invocation from the bottome of the heart and that they doe their faithfull indeavour that they be not repelled from the glory of eternall life but that they may live with Christ and his Church in this life
able to bring forth any works which are not polluted with the corruption of our flesh and for that cause be worthy of punishment If it were granted that we were able to bring forth any such works yet the bare remembrance of our sinnes were sufficient to remoove 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 in continuall torment unlesse they should relie upon the onely merit of our Saviour Christ his death and passion and rest in it alone Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE THat we might obtaine these benefits of Christs namely remission of sins iustification and life everlasting Christ hath given his Gospel wherein these benefits are layed forth unto us as it is written in the last of Luke that repentance should be preached and remission of sinnes in his name among all nations For whereas all men borne after a naturall manner have sinne in them and cannot truely satisfie the Law of God * Locke the 1. Observat upon this confession the Gospell bewrayeth our sinne and sheweth us Christ the Mediatour and so instructeth us touching remission of sinnes When as the Gospell doth convict us of sinne our hearts thereby terrified must firmely beleeve that there is given unto us freely for Christs sake that remission of sinnes and justification by faith by the which we must beleeve and confesse that these things are given us for Christs sake who was made an oblation and hath appeased the Fathers wrath for us Notwithstanding therefore that the Gospell doe require repentance yet to the end that the remission of our sinnes may be certain and undoubted it teacheth us that remission is given us freely that is that it doth not depend upon the condition of our owne worthinesse nor is given for any works that went before nor for the worthinesse of such as follow after For then should remission be uncertaine if we should thinke that then onely we obtaine remission of sins when we had deserved it by our former works or when our repentance were well worthy of it For in true terrours the conscience findeth no worke which it may oppose against Gods wrath but Christ is given and set forth unto us to appease the wrath of God This honour must not be transferred from Christ unto our own works therefore Paul saith Ye are saved freely Againe Therefore by faith freely that the promise might be sure that is thus shall remission be certaine when we know that it dependeth not upon the condition of our unworthinesse but is given us for Christ his sake This is a sure and necessary comfort to all godly mindes that are terrified with the conscience of their sins And thus doe the holy fathers teach and there is a notable sentence in Saint Ambrose worthy the remembring in these words This God hath appointed that he which beleeveth in Christ should be saved without any worke by faith alone receiving the remission of sinnes Now this word Faith doth not onely signifie a knowledge of the History of Christ but also to beleeve and assent unto this promise that is proper unto the Gospel wherein remission of sinnes justification and life everlasting are promised untous for Christs fake For this promise also doth pertaine to the History of Christ even as in the Creed unto the History is added this article I beleeve the remission of sins And unto this one the other articles touching the History of Christ are to be referred For the benefit is the end of the Historie therefore did Christ suffer and rise again that for him remission of sins and everlasting life might be given unto us These things are found thus in another Edition ALso they teach that men cannot be justified before God by Artic. 4. their owne power merits or works but are justified for Christs sake through faith when they beleeve that they are received unto favour and their sins forgiven through Christ who by his death hath satisfied for our sins This faith doth God impute for righteousnesse unto them before himselfe Rom. 3. and 4. For this cause Christ hath appointed the ministerie of teaching Artic. 5. the Gospel which preacheth repentance and remission of sins and the preaching of either of these is generall and layeth open the sinnes of all men and promiseth remission of them unto all that beleeve for to the end that remission might not be doubted of out that all distressed mindes might know that they ought to beleeve that remission of sinnes is undoubtedly granted unto them for Christ and not for their owne merits or worthinesse All these doe certainly obtaine remission of sinnes And when as we doe in this sort comfort our selves by the promise of the Gospell and doe raise up our selves by saith therewithall is the holy spirit given unto us For the holy spirit is given and is effectuall by the word of God and by the Sacraments When as we doe heare or meditate of the Gospel or doe receive the Sacraments and comfort our selves by faith therewithall the spirit of God is effectuall according to that of Saint Paul Gal. 3. That the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve And to the Corinthians The Gospel is the ministerie of the spirit And to the Romanes Faith cometh by hearing When as then we doe comfort our selves by faith and are freed from the terrours of sin by the holy spirit our hearts doe conceive the other vertues acknowledge truly the mercie of God and conceive the true love and the true feare of God trust and hope of Gods helpe prayer and such like fruits of the spirit Such therefore as teach nothing concerning this faith whereby we receive remission of sinnes but will have mens consciences stand in doubt whether they obtaine remission or no and do adde further that this doubting is no sinne are justly condemned And these also doe teach that men may obtaine remission of sinnes for their own worthinesse but they doe not teach to beleeve that remission of sinnes is given freely for Christ sake Here also are condemned those phantasticall spirits which dreame that the holy Ghost is given or is effectuall without the word of God Which maketh them contemne the ministerie of the Gospel and Sacraments and to seek illumination without the word of God and besides the Gospel And by this means they draw away mens mindes from the word of God unto their own opinions which is a thing very pernicious and hurtfull Such were in old time the Manichees and Enthusiasts And such are the Anabaptists now adaies These and such like frensies we doe most constantly condemne For they abolish the true use of Gods word and do falsely imagine that the holy spirit may be received without the word and sticking too much to their own fancies they invent wicked opinions and are the cause of infinite breaches These things
c. that many grave men have doubted whether these states of life did please God or no. Therefore our Preachers have with great care and studie set forth these both kindes of doctrine teaching the Gospel concerning faith and adjoyning therewith a pure and holy doctrine of works Of Faith FIrst touching Faith and Iustification they teach thus Christ hath fitly set downe the summe of the Gospel when as in the last of Luke he willeth that repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name For the Gospel * Looke the 5. observation upon this consession reproveth and convinceth sinnes and requireth repentance and withall offereth remission of sinnes for Christ sake freely not for our owne worthinesse And like as the preaching of repentance is generall even so the promise of grace is generall and willeth all men to beleeve and to receive the benefit of Christ as Christ himselfe saith Come unto me all ye that are laden And Saint Paul saith He is rich towards all c. Albeit therefore that contrition in repentance be necessary yet we must know that remission of sins was given unto us and that we are made just of unjust that is reconciled or acceptable and the sonnes of God freely for Christ and not for the worthinesse of our Contrition or of any other workes which either goe before or follow after But this same benefit must be received by faith whereby we must beleeve that remission of sinnes and justification is given us for Christs sake This knowledge and judgement bringeth sure consolation unto troubled mindes and how necessary it is for the Church consciences that have had experience can easily judge There is in it no absurditie no difficultie no craftie deceit * Looke the sixt observat upon this confession Here needeth no disputations of predestination or such like for the promise is generall and detracteth nothing from good workes yea rather it doth stirre up men unto faith and unto true good workes For remission of sinnes is removed from our workes and attributed unto mercy that it might be an undoubted benefit not that we should be idle but much more that we should know how greatly our obedience doth please God even in this our so great infirmitie Now for any man to despise or mislike this doctrine whereby both the honour of Christ is extolled and most sweet and sure comfort offered unto godly mindes and which containeth the true knowledge of Gods mercy and bringeth forth the true worship of God and eternall life it is more then Pharisaicall blindnesse Before time when as this doctrine was not set forth many fearfull consciences assaied to ease themselves by workes some fled to a monasticall life others did chuse out other workes whereby to merit remission of sinnes and justification But there is no sure comfort without this doctrine of the Gospel which willeth men to beleeve that remission of sinnes and justification are freely given unto us for Christs sake and this whole doctrine is appointed for the true conflict of a terrified conscience But we will adde some testimonies Paul Rom. 3. We are iustified freely by his grace through redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Rom. 4. But to him that worketh not but beleeveth in him that iustifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Ephes 2. By grace ye are saved through faith not of your selves In these and such like sentences Paul doth plainly teach that remission of sinnes and justification are given us freely and not for the worthinesse of our workes And in the 4. to the Romans he disputeth at large why this consolation is needfull for us for if the promise did depend upon the worthinesse of our works it should be uncertain Wherefore to the end that we may have sure and firme comfort against the feares of sinne and death and that our faith may stand fast it is needfull that it leane onely upon the mercy of God and not upon our worthinesse Therefore Paul saith Therefore it is by faith according to grace that the promise might be sure For our workes cannot be set against the judgement of God according to that saying If thou markest our iniquities who shall indure it And therefore Christ is given for a Mediatour to us and this honour is not to be transferred unto our workes When therefore we doe say that we are iustified by faith we doe not meane that we are just for the worthinesse of that vertue but this is our meaning that we doe obtaine remission of sinnes and imputation of righteousnesse by mercy shewed us for Christs sake But now this mercy cannot be received but by faith And Faith doth not here signifie onely a knowledge of the history but it signifieth a beliefe of the promise of mercy which is granted us through our Mediatour Christ Iesus And seeing that faith is in this sort understood of a confidence or trust of mercy Saint Paul and Saint James doe not disagree For where James saith The Devils beleeve and tremble he speaketh of an historicall faith now this faith doth not justifie For the wicked and the devill are cunning in the historie But Paul when he saith Faith is reckoned for righteousnesse he speaketh of a trust and confidence of mercy promised for Christs sake and his meaning is that men are pronounced righteous that is reconciled through mercy promised for Christs sake whom we must receive by faith Now this noveltie of this figurative speech of Saint Paul We are iustified by faith will not offend holy mindes if they understand that it is spoken properly of mercy and that herein mercy is adorned with true and due praises For what can be more acceptable to an afflicted and fearefull conscience in great griefes then to heare that this is the commandement of God and the voyce of the Bridegroome Christ Iesus that they should undoubtedly beleeve that remission of sinnes or reconciliation is given unto them not for their owne worthinesse but freely through mercy for Christs sake that the benefit might be certaine Now Iustification in these sayings of Saint Paul doth signifie remission of sinnes or reconciliation or imputation of righteousnesse 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 holy Fathers doe also teach the same For so saith Ambrose in his booke de vocat Gent. If so be that Justification which is by grace were due unto former merits so that it should not be a gift of the giver but a reward of the worker the redemption by the blood of Christ would grow to be of small account and the prerogative of mans workes would not yeeld unto the mercies of God And of this matter there be
George conquests as of Mars of Sebastian and Paul freedome from the Plague of Anthony savegard for swine although the adversaries say they like not these things yet they keepe them still for gaine sake as plainly appeareth Now let us adde the third reason it is expressely written there is one Mediatour betweene God and men the man Christ Iesus on him ought we in all prayer to cast our eyes and to know the doctrine of the Gospel concerning him that no man can come unto God but by confidence in the Mediatour who together maketh request for us as himselfe saith No man cometh to the Father but by the Sonne And he biddeth us flie unto himselfe saying Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy loaden and I will refresh you and he himselfe teacheth the manner of Invocation when he saith Whatsoever ye shall aske the Father in my name he will give it you He nameth the Father that thou mayest distinguish thy invocation from heathenish and consider what thou speakest unto that thou maist consider him to be the true God who by sending his Sonne hath revealed himselfe that thy minde may not wander as the heathenish woman in the tragedy speaketh I pray un-unto thee O God whatsoever thou art c. But that thou maist know him to be the true God who by the sending crucifying and and raising up again of his Son hath revealed himselfe and maiest know him to be such a one as he hath revealed himselfe Secondly that thou mayest know that he doth so for a certaintie receive and heare us making our prayers when we flie to his Sonne the Mediatour crucified and raised up againe for us and desire that for his sake we may be received heard helped and saved neither is any man received or heard of God by any other meanes Neither is the praying uncertaine but he biddeth those that pray on this sort to be resolved through a strong faith that this worship pleaseth God and that they who pray on this manner are assuredly received and heard therefore he saith Whatsoever ye shall aske in my name that is acknowledging and naming or calling upon me as the Redeemer high Priest and Intercessour this high Priest alone goeth into the holiest place that is into the secret counsell of the Deitie and seeth the minde of the eternall Father and maketh request for us and searching our hearts presenteth our sorrowes sighes and prayers unto him It is plaine that this doctrine of the Mediatour was obscured and corrupted when men went to the Mother Virgin as more mercifull and others sought other Mediatours And it is plaine that there is no example to be seen in the Prophets or Apostles where prayer is made unto men heare me Abraham or heare me O God for Abrahams sake but prayer is made unto God who hath revealed himselfe to wit to the eternall Father to the Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ and to the holy Ghost that he would receive heare and save us for the Sonnes sake It is also expressely made to the Son as 2 Thess 2 Our Lord Iesus Christ himselfe and God and our Father who hath loved us strengthen you c. And Gen. 48. Iacob nameth God and the Sonne the Mediatour when he saith God before whom my fathers walked and the Angel that delivered me out of all troubles that is the promised Saviour blesse these children Therefore we use these formes of Invocation I call upon thee O Almighty God eternall Father of our Lord Iesus Christ maker of heaven an earth together with thy Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ and thy holy Spirit O wise true good righteous most free chaste and mercifull God have mercy upon me and for Iesus Christs sake thy Sonne crucified for us and raised up againe heare and sanctifie me with thy holy Spirit I call upon thee O Iesus Christ the sonne of God crucified for us and raised up againe have mercy on me pray for me unto the everlasting Father and sanctifie me with thy holy Spirit In these formes we know what we pray unto And seeing there are testimonies of Gods word to be seene which shew that this praying pleaseth God and is heard such praying may be made in faith These things are not to be found in that invocation which is made unto men Some gather testimonies out of Augustine and others to shew that the Saints in heaven have care of humane affaires This may more plainly be shewed by Moses and Elias talking with Christ And there is no doubt but that such as are in happinesse pray for the Church but yet it followeth not thereupon that they are to be prayed unto And albeit we teach that men are not to be prayed unto yet we propound the histories of those that are in blessed state unto the people Because it is necessary that the history of the Church be by some meanes known unto all by what testimonies the Church is called together and founded and how it is preserved and what kinde of doctrine hath beene published by the fathers Prophets Apostles and Martyrs In these histories we command all to give thankes unto God for that he hath revealed himselfe that he hath gathered together his Church by his Son that he hath delivered this doctrine unto us and hath sent teachers and hath shewed in them the witnesses of himselfe we command all to consider of this doctrine and to strengthen their faith by those testimonies which God hath shewed in them That they like wise consider the examples of judgement and punishments that the feare of God may be stirred up in them we command them to follow their faith patience and other vertues that they learne that in God is no respect of persons and desire to have themselves also received heard governed saved and helped as God received David Manasses Magdalene the thiefe on the Crosse We also teach how these examples are to be followed of every man in his vocation because error in imitation and preposterous zeale is oft times the cause of great evils We also commend the diligence of the Saints themselves who took heed of * De essusione S p sancti vide observat 1. ad hanc Confess Sect. 4. wasting Gods gifts in vaine And to conclude they that are most fooles may gather great store of doctrine out of these histories which doctrine is profitable to be published to the people so that superstition be set aside Out of the Confession of WITTEMBERGE CHAP. 1. VVE beleeve and confesse that there is one onely God true eternall and infinite almightie maker of all things visible and invisible and that in this one and eternall Godhead there are three properties or persons of themselves subsisting the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost As the Propheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures teach and the Creedes of the Apostles of Nice and of Athanasius declare Of the Sonne of God CHAP. 2. VVE beleeve and confesse that the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ was
unto us through Iesus Christ before the world was but is made manifest by the appearance of our Saviour Jesus Christ Therefore though not for any merit of ours yet not without a means but in Christ and for Christ did God choose us and they who are now engrafted into Christ by faith the same also were elected But such as are without Christ were rejected according to that of the Apostle Prove your selves whether you be 1 Cor. 13. 5. in the faith Know you not your owne selves how that Iesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates To conclude the Saints are chosen in Christ by God unto a sure end which end the Apostle declareth when he saith He hath chosen us in him that we should Ephes 1. 4. be holy and without blame before him through love who hath predestinated us to be adopted through Iesus Christ unto himselfe for the praise of his glorious grace And although God knoweth who are his and now and then mention is made of the small number of the elect yet we must hope well of all and not rashly judge any man to be a reprobate for Paul saith to the Philippians I Phil. 1. 3. c. thinke my God for you all Now he speaketh of the whole Church of the Philippians that you are come into the fellowship of the Gospel and I am perswaded that he that hath begun this worke in you will performe it as it becommeth me to iudge of you all And when the Lord was demanded whether there were few that should be saved he doth not answer and tell them that few or more should be saved or damned but rather he exhorteth every man to Strive Luke 13. to enter in at the streight gate As if he should say it is not for you rashly to enquire of these matters but rather to endeavour that you may enter into heaven by the streight way Wherefore we doe not allow of the wicked speeches of some who say Few are chosen and seeing I know not whether I am in the number of those few I will not defraud my nature of her desires Others there are which say If I be predestinate and chosen of God nothing can hinder me from salvation which is already certainely appointed for me whatsoever I doe at any time But if I be in the number of the reprobate no faith or repentance will helpe me seeing the decree of God cannot be changed Therefore all teachings and admonitions are to no purpose Now against these men the saying of the Apostle maketh much The servants of 2 Tim. 2. 24 c. God must be apt to teach instructing them that are contrary minded proving if God at any time will give them repentance that they may come to amendmennt out of the snare of the devill which are taken of him at his pleasure Beside Augustine also teacheth Lib. de beno perseverantiae Cap. 14. that both the grace of free election and predestination and also holsome admonitions and doctrines are to be preached We therefore condemne those who seeke other where then in Christ whether they be chosen from all eternitie and what God hath decreed of them before all beginning For men must heare the Gospel preached and beleeve it If thou beleeve and be in Christ thou mayest undoubtedly reckon of it that thou art elected For the Father hath revealed unto us in Christ his eternall sentence of predestination as we even now shewed out of the Apostle 2 Tim. 1. This is therefore above all to be taught and well waied what great love of the Father towards us in Christ is revealed we must heare what the Lord doth daily preach unto us in his Gospel how he calleth and saith Come unto me all ye Matth. 11. 18. Iohn 3. 10. that labour and are burthened and I will refresh you And So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne for it that all which beleeve in him should not perish but have life everlasting Also Matth. 18. 14. It is not the will of the Father that any of these little ones should perish Let Christ therefore be our looking glasse in whom we may behold our predestination We shall have a most evident and sure testimonie that we are written in the booke of life if we communicate with Christ and he be ours and we his by a true faith Let this comfort us in the temptation touching predestination then which there is none more dangerous that the promises of God are generall to the faithfull in that he saith Aske and ye Luk. 11. shall receive Every one that asketh receiveth and to conclude in that we pray with all the Church of God Our Father which art in heaven and for that in baptisme we are ingrafted into the body of Christ and are fed in his Church oftentimes with his flesh and blood unto everlasting life Thereby we being strengthned we are commanded to worke our salvation with feare and trembling according to that precept of Paul Out of the Confession of BASILL HEreupon we confesse that God before he had created the Artic. 1 ss 3. world had chosen all those to whom he would freely give the inheritance of eternall blessednesse Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that out of this universall corruption and damnation wherein by nature are men are drowned God did deliver and preserve some whom by his eternall and immutable counsell of his owne goodnesse and mercy without any respect of their workes he did choose in Christ Iesus and others he left in that corruption and damnation in whom he might as well make manifest his justice by condemning them justly in their time as also declare the riches of his mercy in the others For some are not better then others till such time as the Lord doth make a difference according to that immutable counsell which he had decreed in Christ Iesus before the creation of the world neither was any man able by his owne strength to make an entrance for himselfe to that good seeing that of our nature we can not have so much as one right motion affection or thought till God doe freely prevent us and fashion us to uprightnesse Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve that God after that the whole off-spring of Artic. 16. Adam was cast headlong into perdition and destruction through the default of the first man hath declared and shewed himselfe to be such a one as he is indeed namely both mercifull and just Mercifull by delivering and saving those from condemnation and from death whom in his eternall counsell of his owne free goodnesse he hath chosen in Iesus Christ our Lord without any regard at all of their workes but Iust in leaving others in that their fall and perdition whereinto they had throwne themselves headlong Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE THe Confession of Auspurge doth so mention predestination in the 20. Article the title whereof is
according as Saint John saith The Word was made flesh John 1. And thus of these two natures their properties not being changed nor confounded yet by a wonderfull communication thereof there is made one indivisible person one Christ Immanuel our King and Priest our Redeemer our Mediatour and perfect Reconciler full of grace and truth so that of his fulnesse we all doe take grace for grace For the Law was given by Moses but grace and truth was given and exhibited by Iesus Christ being God and man in one person This grace and truth are our men taught to acknowledge and by faith to behold in all those saving and wonderfull works or affections of Christ which according to the meaning of the holy Scripture are by a stedfast faith to be beleeved and professed such as are his coming down from heaven his conception birth torments death buriall resurrection ascension unto heaven sitting at the right hand of God and his coming again from thence to Iudge both the quicke and the dead In these principall affections as in a chest wherein treasure is kept are all those wholsome fruits of our true justification laid up are taken out from thence for the Elect and those which doe beleeve that in spirit and conscience they may be partakers thereof through faith which all hereafter at the day of our joyfull resurrection shall be fully and perfectly bestowed upon us And towards the end of that sixth Chapter these words are added In this Chapter also particularly and for necessary causes to shun and avoyd many pernicious and Antichristian deceits it is taught concerning Christ his * Looke the first obsâ—rvat upon this confession presence namely that our Lord Christ according to his bodily conversation is not amongst us any longer in this world neither will be unto the end of the world in such sort and manner as he was here conversant amongst us in his mortalitie and wherein he was betrayed and circumcised nor yet in the forme of his glorified body which he got at his resurrection and in the which he appeared to his disciples and the fortieth day after his resurrection departing from them ascended manifestly into heaven For after this manner of his presence and company he is in the high place and with his Father in heaven where all tongues professe him to be the Lord and every faithfull one of Christ must beleeve that he is there and worship him there according to the Scriptures as also that part of the Catholike Christian faith doth expressely witnesse which is this He ascended into heaven he sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almightie Also that other Article from thence shall he come that is from an higher place out of heaven with his Angels to iudge both the quicke and 1 Thes 4. the dead So doth Paul also say The Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a shoute and with the voice of an Archangel and with the trumpet of God And Saint Peter saith Whom heaven must containe Act 3. Mar. 16. untill the time that all things be restored And the Evangelist Marke But whâ—n the Lord had spoken with them he was taken up againe into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God And the Angels which were there present when he was taken Acts 1. up into heaven said This Iesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come againe as you have seene him goe into heaven Furthermore this also doe our men teach that the selfe same Christ very God and very man is also with us here in this world but after a diverse manner from that kinde of presence which we named before that is after a certaine spirituall manner not object to our eyes but such a one as is hid from us which the flesh doth not perceive and yet it is very necessary for us to our salvation that we may be partakers of him whereby he offereth and communicateth himselfe unto us that he may dwell in us and we in him and this truly he doth by the holy Ghost whom in his own place that is instead of his own presence whereby he was bodily amongst us hee promised that he would send unto his Church and that he would still abide with it by the same spirit in vertue grace and his holesome truth at all times even untill the end of the world when he said thus It is good for you that I goe Matth. 28. Iohn 16. Iohn 14. hence for except I goe hence the Comforter will not come unto you but if I goe away I will send him unto you And againe I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that is another kinde of comforter then I am that he may abide in you for ever even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth in you and shall be in you I will not leave you comfortlesse but I will come to you namely by the selfe same spirit of truth Now then even as our Lord Christ by his latter kinde of presence being not visible but spirituall is present in the Ministers of the Church in the Word and in the Sacraments even so also by the selfe same Ministers Word and Sacraments he is present with his Church and by these meanes doe the Elect receive him through inward faith in their heart and doe therefore joyn themselves together with him that he may dwell in them and they in him after such a sort as is not apparant but hidden from the world even by that saith spiritually that is to say in their souls and hearts by the spirit of truth of whom our Lord saith He abideth with you and shall be in you And I will come againe unto Iohn 14. you This judgement and declaration of our faith is not new or now first devised but very ancient Now that this was commonly taught and meant in the Church of old it is plaine and evident by the Writings of the ancient Fathers of the Church and by that Decree wherein it is thus written and they are the words of S. Augustine Our Lord is above untill the end of the world but the Iâ— Io. Tract 30. truth of the Lord is here also for the body of the Lord wherein he rose againe must of necessitie be in one place but his truth is dispersed every where Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that whatsoever is requisite to our salvation Artic. 13. is offered and communicated unto us now at length in that one Iesus Christ as he who being given to save us is also made unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption in so much as whosoever doth swarve from him doth renounce the mercie of the Father that is our onely refuge We beleeve that Iesus Christ being the wisdome and eternall Artic. 14. Son of the Father tooke upon him
us For the Lord saith to him whom he had healed of the palsie Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee Likewise to the adulteresse Iohn 5. Iohn 8. woman which was delivered he said goe thy way and sinne no more By which words he did not meane that any man could be free from sinne whiles he lived in this flesh but he doth commend unto us diligence and an earnest care that we I say should endevour by all meanes and beg of God by prayer that we might not fall againe into sinne out of which we are risen after a manner and that we may not be overcome of the flesh the world or the devill Zacheus the Publican being received into favour by the Lord he cryeth out in the Gospel Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I give Luke 9. to the poore and if I have taken from any man any thing by forged cavillation I restore him foure fold After the same manner we preach that restitution and mercy yea and giving of almes are necessary for them which doe truely repent And generally out of the Apostles words we exhort men saying Let not sinne reigne in Rom. 6. your mertall body that you should obey it through the lusts thereof Neither give ye your members as weapons of unrighteousnesse to sin but give your selves unto God as they that are alive from the dead and give your members as weapons of righteousnesse unto God Wherefore we condemne all the ungodly speeches of certain which abuse the preaching of the Gospel and say To returne unto God is very easie for Christ hath purged all our sinnes For givenesse of sinnes is easily obtained What therefore will it hurt to sinne And we need not take any great care for repentance c. Notwithstanding we alwaies teach that an entrance unto God is open for all sinners and that this God doth forgive all the sinnes of the faithfull onely that one sinne excepted which is committed against Mar. 3. the holy Ghost And therefore we condemne the old and new Novatians and Catharines and especially we condemne the Popes gainfull doctrine of penance and against his Simonie and Simonaical indulgences we use that sentence of Simon Peter Thy Acts 8. money perish with thee because thou thoughtest that the gift of God might be bought with money Thou hast no part or fâ—llowship in this matter for thy heart is not upright before God We also disallow those that thinke that themselves by their owne satisfactions can make recompende for their sinnes committed For we teach that Christ alone by his death and passion is the satisfaction propitiation and purging of all sins Neverthelesse we cease not to urge as was before said the mortification of the flesh and yet we adde further that it must not be proudly thrust upon God for a satisfaction Isa 53. 1 Cor. 1. for our sins but must humbly as it becometh the sonnes of God be performed as a new obedience to shaw thankefull mindes for the deliverance and full satisfaction obtained by the death and satisfaction of the Sonne of God Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA CHAP. 5. NOw that we know what sinne is in the next place we are taught concerning holy repentance which doctrine doth bring great comfort to all sinners and generally it is very profitable and necessary to salvation for all men as well for Christians which begin to learne as for those which have profited yea even for sinners that have fallen yet such which by the grace of God being converted doe repent Of this repentance Iohn Baptist did preach and after him Christ in these words Repent for the kingdome Matth 3. Mar. 1. of God is at hand Afterward also the Apostles preached therof throughout the whole world for so it is written And thus it behoved that repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached Luke 24. in his name among all nations Now this repentance doth wholly arise out of a true knowlege of sinne and the wrath of God And to attaine unto this knowledge we must use the full and entire helpe of the Ministerie by preaching to lay open unto us both the doctrine of repentance or the law touching that righteousnesse which is due unto God and the sentence of God pronounced against sin and also of faith in Christ Iesus and of that holy satisfaction which he hath made for us by suffering most grievous torments This repentance and saving conversion doth our mercifull God by his peculiar gift offer and bestow and he writeth the same in the hearts of the faithfull even as he saith I will give you Ezech. 36. Heb. 8. Ezech. 36. Ierem. 31. a new heart and I will put nay spirit in the midst of you I wil cause you to walk in my waies Again That you may repent of your sins and of your Idolatry And again When I was converted I did repent This saving repentance which doth differ very much from the repentance of Esau and Judas taketh it true and right beginning from this gift of God who bestoweth it and from the Sermons of the word of God whereby sin is reprooved and it hath this in order first that it is a feare and terrour of the secret heart before God and that by repenting and sorrowing it doth tremble at this just and severe judgement and revengement whereupon ariseth a heavie trembling and unquiet conscience a troubled minde a heart so sorrowfull carefull and bruised that a man can have no comfort with himselfe and of himselfe but his soule is full of all griefe sadnesse anguish and terrour whereby he is much troubled because of the feare of that burning wrath which he seeth in the severe countenance of God We have an example in David when he saith There is nothing sound in my flesh because Psal 38. of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinnes I am become miserable and crooked very sore I goe mourning all the day Such a terrour and true sense of sin doth worke in the faithfull an inward change of the minde and the soule and a constant detesting of sin and the causes and occasions thereof Hereunto it is streight way added by ditigent teaching of the troubled terrified and repentant that such men ought in a sincere affection of the heart with repentance and an humble submission of the minde by their confession and invocation to turne unto the Lord and by faith in Iesus Christ our Lord to conceive sure and undoubted trust in his mercie to hold fast the apprehended promise and to relye wholly thereon and seeing they have no righteousnesse of themselves earnestly and faithfully to desire of the Divine grace that God would have mercie on them and vouchsafe of his grace to forgive them their sins for the Son and his precious merits sake who was made an attonement or reconciliation for sin 1 Joh. 2. Gal. 3.
another place He that beleeveth Acts 13. in him is made righteous And this righteousnesse or justification is the remission of sinnes the taking away of eternall punishment which the severe justice of God doth require and to be clothed with Christs righteousnesse or with imputation thereof also it is a reconciliation with God a receiving into favour whereby we are made acceptable in the beloved and fellow heires of eternall life For the confirming of which things and by reason of our new birth or regeneration there is an earnest added to wit the holy Ghost who is given and bestowed freely out of Ephes 1. that infinite grace for Christ his death bloud shedding and his resurrection All these things hath Paul described very excellently in his Epistle to the Romanes where he bringeth in Rom. 4. Psal 32. David speaking in this wise Blessed are they whose iniquitie is forgiven whereof he speaketh in that whole Chapter And to the Gal. 4. Rom. 8. Galathians he saith God sent forth his Son that we might receive the adoption Now because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son crying in your hearts Abba Father For whomsoever God doth justifie to them he doth give the holy Ghost and by him he doth first regenerate them as he promiseth by the Prophet saying I will give them a new heart and I will put my spirit Ezech 11. and 36. Rom 5. in the middest of them that as before sinne had reigned in them to death so also then grace might reigne by righteousnesse unto eternall life through Iesus Christ And this is the communion or participation of the grace of God the Father of the merit of Iesus Christ our Lord and of the sanctification of the holy Ghost this is the law of faith the law of the spirit and life written by the holy Ghost But the lively and never dying spring of this justification is our Lord Iesus Christ alone by those his saving works that is which give salvation from whom all holy men from the beginning of the world as well before the law was published and under the law and the discipline thereof as also after the law have and doe draw have and doe receive salvation or remission of their sins by faith in the most comfortable promise of the Gospel and doe apply and approper it as peculiar to themselves onely for the sole death of Christ and his blood-shedding to the full and perfect abolishing of their sinnes and the cleansing from them all whereof we have many testimonies in the Scripture Holy Peter before the whole countrey at Hierusalem doth proove by sound arguments that Salvation is not to be found in any other then in Act. 4. Christ Iesus alone and that under this large cope of heaven there is no other name given unto men whereby we may be saved And in another place he appealeth to the consenting voyces and testimonies of all the Prophets who spake with one minde and by one spirit as it were by one mouth and thus he said As touching this Iesus Act. 10. all the Prophets beare witnesse that through his name all that beleeve in him shall receive remission of sins And to the Hebrews it is written He hath by himselfe purged our sins and againe We Heb. 1. Eph. 1. 1 Jâ—h 2. have redemption through his blood even the remission of sins And St. John saith We have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation or attonement for our sinnes and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world And againe to the Hebrews We are sanctified by the offering of the body Heb. 10. of Iesus Christ once made and a little after he addeth with one only offering hath he consecrated for ever them that are sanctified namely of God by the spirit of God Therefore all sinners and such as are penitent ought to flie incontinently through their whole life to our Lord Iesus Christ alone for remission of their sins and every saving grace according to that in the Epistle to the Heb. 4. Hebrews Seeing that we have a great high Priest even Iesus the Son of God which is entered into heaven let us hold fast this profession which is concerning Christ our Lord and straight-way he addeth Let us therefore goe boldly unto the throne of grace that we may receive mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of need Also Christ himselfe crying out saith He that thirsteth let him come to Joh. 7. me and drinke And in another place He that cometh unto me shall not hunger and he that beleeveth in me shall never thirst Now they Joh. 6. that attaine to this justification by Christ our Lord are taught to take unto themselves true and assured comfort out of this grace and bountie of God to enjoy a good and quiet conscience before God to be certaine of their owne salvation and to have it confirmed to them by this means that seeing they are here the sons of God they shall also after death in the resurrection be made heires In the meane time they ought both to desire to be brought Rom. 8. Gal. 4. to this that they may receive the fruit of perfect salvation and also cheerefully to looke for it with that confidence according to the promise of the Lord that such shall not come into judgement Joh. 5. but that by making away they have already passed from death into life Of all other points of doctrine we account this the chiefest and weightiest as that wherein the summe of the Gospell doth consist Christianitie is founded and the precious and most noble treasure of eternall salvation and the onely and lively comfort proceeding from God is comprehended Therefore herein our Preachers doe labour especially that they may well instruct the hearts of men in this point of doctrine and so sow it that it may take deepe root Of goods works and a Christian life CHAP. 7. IN the seventh place we teach that they who are made righteous and acceptable to God by faith alone in Christ Iesus and that by the grace of God without any merits ought in the whole course of their life that followeth both altogether joyntly and every one particularly according as the order condition age place of every one doth require to performe and exercise those good works and holy actions which are commanded of God even as God commandeth when he saith Teach them to observe all things which I have commanded you Now these good works or holy actions are not certaine affections devised of flesh and blood for such the Lord forbiddeth but they are expressely shewed and propounded unto us by the spirit of God to doe the which God doth binde us the rule and chiefe square whereof God himselfe is in his word for so he saith by the Prophet Walke not in the Ezech. 20. commandements of your Fathers and keepe
can he doe that is precious and acceptable to God how shall he give himselfe to prayer Secondly for this cause that we may profit and increase more and more in this grace and that we may gaine unto the Lord by occupying those talents which are committed to our trust whereof Saint Paul saith Now we 2 Cor. 3. all beholding as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord with open face are changed into the same Image from glory to glory that is we behold Christ who is the Image and glory of the Father and herein we indeavour that we may be conformed to the likenesse of this Image by the holy Ghost which doth kindle us thereunto till this Image doth get her perfection by the blessed resurrection Thirdly we must doe and exercise our selves in good works as well for the promises of this life as also for the reward of eternall life whereof mention is made very often and at large in the holy Scripture and that by faith in Christ we may have a more easie entrance to the attaining of those rewards and to the eternall kingdome of heaven as Saint Peter testifyeth saying If 2 Pet. â— ye doe these things ye shall never fall For by this meanes an entring shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ But chiefely we must doe the works of mercie whereby we may benefit our neighbour whereby we provide and doe for him and whereof he standeth in need such as these be to give almes to visite the sicke to have a care of them or to be at hand to doe them service to teach the simple by counsell and labour to helpe others to pardon offences and such like which all have the promises of the bountifulnesse of God and of rewards to doe the which Christ our Lord doth exhort in these words Be ye mercifull as your Father is mercifull Give and it shall be given to you forgive and ye shall Luk. 6. be forgiven And in another place Sell your goods and give almes Luk 12. get you bags which waxe not old a treasure that cannot faile in heaven where â—o theefe commeth and where the moth corrupteth nothing Also When thou makest a feast call the poore the maimed the lame the blind â—nd thou shall be blessed because they cannot recompence Luk. 14. thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the iust Also I was an hungred I thirsted I was a stranger naked sicke and in prison and in all things ye helped me by your service Verily I say unto you In as much as you did these things to one of the least of my brethren ye did them to me Come hither ye blessed of my Father inherit the king dome prepared for you before the beginning of the world By these it is plaine and manifest that those works which proceed of faith doe please God and are rewarded with aboundant grace to wit with the recompence of all kinde of good things and blessings both in this life and in the life to come Lastly this doctrine is shut up with this or such like exhortation that no man can perfectly doe these works of Christian godlinesse or fully performe the commandements of God and that no man can be found who doth not faile in any part hereof and who is cleane without sinne as it is written There is not a man Eccles 7. so iust on the earth who doth uprightly and not sinne and that therefore every one ought to seeke and to enjoy his perfection in Christ Iesus in his grace precious sacrifice and merit by that faith and his justification which consisteth in the remission of sins if he will not have any thing in himself that may deserve damnation For Christ alone is our perfection and fulfilling of the law our life and righteousnesse and whosoever receive him by faith and doe wholly trust in him these men have all their sins washed away in the blood of Christ so that afterward they need not to feare condemnation For thus Paul writeth Therefore now there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus which doe not Rom. 8. walke according to the flesh but according to the spirit For to these men Christ is made of Godwisdome righteousnesse sanctification 1 Cor. 1. and redemption Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that our whole righteousnesse doth consist in Artic. 13. the remission of our sins which is also as David doth testifie our onely felicitie Therefore we doe utterly reject all other means whereby men doe thinke that they may be justified before God and casting away all opinion of vertues and merits we doe altogether rest in the onely obedience of Iesus Christ which is imputed to us both that all our sins may be covered and also that we may obtaine grace before God To conclude we beleeve that we cannot finde where to rest our selves if we decline never so little from this foundation but rather we shall be alwaies unquiet because we are not at peace with God till we be certainly perswaded that we are loved in Iesus Christ because that in our selves we are worthy of all hatred We beleeve that by faith alone we are made partakers of this Artic. 10. righteousnesse as it is written He suffered to purchase salvation for us That whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish And this is therefore done because the promises of life offered to us in him are then applyed to our use and made effectuall to us when we doe imbrace them nothing doubting but that we shall enjoy those things whereof the Lord by his owne mouth hath assured us Therefore that righteousnesse which we obtaine by faith doth depend upon free promises whereby the Lord doth declare and testifie that we are beloved of him We beleeve that by the secret grace of the holy Ghost we Artic. 21. are indued with the light of faith which is the free gift of God and is proper to them alone to whom it pleased God to give it so that the faithfull have not whereof to boast in themselves seeing that rather they are more then double debters because they are preferred before others And further we beleeve that faith is given to the Elect not that they might once onely be brought into the right way but rather that they may goe forward therein unto the end because that as the beginning is of God so is also the accomplishment We beleeve that we who by nature are the servants of sin Artic. 22. are regenerated unto a new life by meanes of this same faith and by this faith we receive grace to live holily whiles we doe imbrace that Evangelicall promise that the Lord will give unto us the holy Ghost Therefore it is so farre that faith should extinguish the desire to live well and holily that it doth rather increase and kindle it in us whereupon good workes doe necessarily
these little ones to drinke a cup of cold water onely in the name of a disciple he shall not loose his reward Luk. 6. Give and it shall be given to you Exod 20. Honour thy father and thy mother that thou maiest live long upon earth Isa 33. Bread shall be given him and his waters shall be sure they shall see the King in his glorie that is for obedience and good works God doth give quiet Common-weales an honest and meeke government c. Isa 58. Breake thy bread to the hungry and thou shalt be as a garden that is watered c. The example of the widow at Sarepta is well knowne and the Psalmist saith Substance and riches are in his house For seeing that God in this mortall and miserable life doth gather his Church and will have it to be an honest congregation he giveth thereunto many places of entertainment he giveth nests to godly poore families for the bringing up of their children and for the spreading abroad of doctrine to conclude he will preserve the societie of mankinde housholds and common weales and that to this end that a Church may be gathered Therefore he giveth sometime a government not troublesome peace a fruitfull land and other good things for the prayers of holy men for their diligence and for common necessities sake as for Joseph Naaman and Daniel those kingdomes wherein they lived flourished the more And Jerem. 19. The Banished in Babylon are commanded to pray for the peace and wholsome government of that place where they were intertained So also oftentimes punishments are heaped up for the sins of the Church as is to be seene in the punishment of the tribe of Beniamin David and others Now God will have us to understand that these benefits are necessary for the body and to know that they be given of God in asking of them he will have our faith to be exercised as we shall declare more at large in a fit place At this time we have therefore added these few things that in this confession there might be also a Testimonie in our Churches that this true and necessarie doctrine touching good works is faithfully laid open Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of Iustification CHAP. 5. VVE beleeve and confesse that to doe and practice such righteousnesse as is acceptable to God these vertues be necessary Faith hope and love and that man cannot of himselfe conceive these vertues but doth receive them of the favour and grace of God and that faith doth worke by love But we thinke that their judgement doth farre disagree from the Apostolike and Catholike doctrine who teach that man is made acceptable to God and accounted just before God for those vertues and that when we come to stand before God in judgement we must trust to the merits of these vertues For man is made acceptable to God and counted just before him for the onely Son of God our Lord Iesus Christ through faith and when we appeare before the judgement seat of God we must not trust to the merit of any of those vertues which we have but onely to the merit of our Lord Iesus Christ whose merit is ours by faith And because that before the tribunall seat of God where the question is of true and eternall righteousnesse and salvation there is no place at all for the merits of men but onely for the mercie of God and the merits of our Lord Iesus Christ alone who is received of us by faith therefore we thinke that the ancient Fathers our Elders said truly that we are justified before God by faith alone Rom. 3. All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood Galat. 3. The Scripture hath concluded all under sinne that the promise by the Faith of Iesus Christ should be given to them that beleeve And Chap. 5. We through the spirit waite for the hope of righteousnesse through faith For in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Hilarie saith It offendeth the Scribes that man should forgive sinne for they behold nothing but man in Iesus Christ and that he should forgive that which the law could not release For faith alone doth iustifie Ambrose saith They are iustified freely because that working nothing nor requiting any thing by faith alone they are iustified by the gift of God And againe They are evidently blessed whose iniquities are forgiven without any labour or worke and whose sins are covered no helpe of repentance being required of them but onely this that they beleeve Many places might be alleadged as well out of the writings of the Prophets and Apostles as out of the holy Fathers whereby it is prooved that not onely in the beginning through the free mercie of God these vertues to wit Faith hope and love are given unto us but also afterward throughout our whole life and that in our extreame necessitie we are not able to stand before the severe tribunall seat of God but in the confidence of the onely free favour of God shewed unto us in Christ the Son of God For this is that both which Paul teacheth and the Ecclesiasticall writers doe interpret That we are justified before God by faith alone Of good works CHAP. 7. VVE say that good works commanded of God are necessarily to be done and that through the free mercie of God * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession they doe deserve certaine their own either corporall or spirituall rewards But we must not thinke that in the judgement of God where the question is concerning the purging of our sins the appeasing of the wrath of God and the merit of eternall salvation we should trust to those good works which we doe For all the good works which we doe are unperfect neither can they sustaine the severitie of the judgement of God but all our confidence is to be placed in the onely mercie of God for his Son our Lord Iesus Christ his sake Psal 142. Enter not into iudgement with thy servant for no flesh living shall be iustified in thy sight Gal. 5. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that ye cannot doe those things that ye would Rom. 7. I know that in me that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good Dan. 9. We doe not present our supplications before thee for our own righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies Augustine saith Woe to the life of man be it never so commendable August confess lib. 9. cap. 13. In Monuali cap. 22. if thou examine it setting thy mercie aside And againe All my hope is in the death of my Lord. His death is my merit my refuge salvation life and my resurrection The mercie of the
water baptizing of Bels Conjuring of spirits Crossing Sauing Anointing Conjuring Hallowing of Gods good creatures with the superstitious opinion joyned therewith his worldly Monarchy and wicked Hierarchy his three solemned vows with all his shavelings of sundry sorts his erronious bloody decrees made at Trent with all the subscribers and approvers of that cruell and bloody band conjured against the Church of God And finally we detest all his vain allegories rites signes and traditions brought in the Church without or against the word of God and doctrin of this true reformed Church to the which we joyne our selves willingly in doctrin faith religion discipline and use of the holy Sacraments as lively members of the same in Christ our head promising and swearing by the great name of the Lord our God that we shall continue in the obedience of the doctrine and discipline of this Church and shall defend the same according to our vocation and power all the daies of our lives under the pains contained in the law and danger both of body and soule in the day of Gods fearefull judgement And seeing that many are stirred up by Satan and that Romane Antichrist to promise sweare subscribe and for a time use the holy Sacraments in the Church deceitfully against their own conscience minding hereby first under the externall cloake of Religion to corrupt and subvert secretly Gods true Religion within the Church and afterward when time may serve to become open enemies and persecuters of the same under vain hope of the Popes dispensation devised against the word of God to his greater confusion and their double condemnation in the day of the Lord Iesus We therefore willing to take away all suspition of hypocrisie and of such double dealing with God and his Church protest and call the searcher of all hearts for witnesse that our mindes and hearts do fully agree with this our confession promise oath and subscription So that we are not moved for any worldly respect but are perswaded onely in our conscience through the knowledge and love of Gods true Religion printed in our hearts by the holy Spirit as we shall answer to him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed And because we perceive that the quietnesse and stabilitie of our Religion and Church doth depend upon the safetie and good behaviour of the Kings Majestie as upon a comfortable Instrument of Gods mercie granted to this Countrey for the maintaining of his Church and ministration of Iustice amongst us we protest and promise with our hearts under the same oath hand writ and pains that we shall defend his person and authoritie with our goods bodies and lives in the defence of Christs Evangell Libertie of our countrey ministration of justice and punishment of iniquitie against all enemies within this Realme or without as we desire our God to be a strong and mercifull defender to us in the day of our death and comming of our Lord Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and glory eternally Amen THE ESTATES OF SCOTLAND WITH THE INHABITANTS OF the same professing Christ Jesus and his holy Gospell To their naturall countrey-men and to all other Realmes and Nations professing the same Christ Jesus with them wish grace mercy and peace from God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ with the spirit of righteous judgement of salvation LOng have we thirsted deare brethren to have notified unto the world the summe of that doctrine which we professe and for the which we have sustained infamie and danger But such hath been the rage of Sathan against us and against Christ Iesus his eternall veritie lately borne amongst us that to this day no time hath been granted unto us to cleare our consciences as most gladly we would have done For how we have been tossed at times heretofore the most part of Europe as we suppose doth understand But seeing that of the infinite goodnesse of our God who never suffereth his afflicted utterly to be confounded above expectation we have obtained some rest and libertie we would not but set forth this briefe and plaine confession of such doctrine as is proponed unto us and as we beleeve and professe partly for satisfaction of our brethren whose hearts we doubt not have been and yet are wounded by the despitefull railing of such as yet have not learned to speake well and partly for stopping of the mouthes of the impudent blasphemers who boldly damne that which they have neither heard nor yet understood Not that we judge that the cankred malice of such is able to be cured by this our simple confession No we know the sweet savour of the Gospell is and shall be death to the sonnes of perdition but we have chief respect to our weake and infirme brethren to whom we would communicate the bottome of our hearts lest that they be troubled or carried away by diversitie of rumours which Satan spreads abroad against us to the defacing of this our most godly enterprise protesting that if any man shall note in this our confession any article or sentence repugning to Gods holy word and doe admonish us of the same in writing we by Gods grace doe promise unto him satisfaction from the mouth of God that is from his holy Scriptures or else reformation of that which he shall prove to be amisse For God we take to record in our consciences that from our hearts we abhorre all sects of heresie and all teachers of erronious doctrine and that with all humilitie we imbrace the puritie of Christs Gospell which is the onely food of our souls and therefore so precious unto us that we are determined to suffer the extremitie of worldly danger rather then that we will suffer our selves to be defrauded of the same for hereof we are most certainly perswaded that whosoever denieth Christ Iesus or is ashamed of him in the presence of men shall be denied before the Father and before his holy angels And therefore by the assistance of the Almightie the same our Lord Iesus we firmly purpose to abide to the end in the confession of this our faith as by articles followeth Of God VVE confesse and acknowledge one onely God to whom Deut. 6. Isa 44. Deut. 4. onely we must cleave whom onely we must serve whom onely we must worship and in whom onely we must put our trust who is eternall infinite unmeasurable incomprehensible omnipotent invisible one in substance and yet distinct in three Matth. 28. Gen. 1. persons the Father the Son and the holy Ghost By whom we confesse and beleeve all things in heaven and earth as well visible as invisible to have been created to be retained in their being and to be ruled and guided by his inscrutable providence to such end as his eternall wisdome goodnesse and justice hath appointed Prov. 16. them to the manifestation of his glory Of the creation of Man VVE confesse and knowledge this