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
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
so great ungodlinesse For we at no hand offer up our prayers trusting to our own worthinesse but resting upon the only worthinesse and excellencie of the Lord Iesus Christ whose righteousnesse is ours by faith whereupon the Apostle for good cause to exempt us from this vaine feare or rather distrust saith that Christ was in all things made like unto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest in those things that were to be done with God for the cleansing of the peoples sins For in as much as he being tempted hath suffered he is also able to help those that are tempted And that he might encourage us to come the more boldly to this high Priest the same Apostle addeth Having therefore a great high Priest who hath entred the heavens even Iesus the Son of God let us hold fast this profession For we have not an high Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but he was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sin Let us therefore with boldnesse approach unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercie and finde grace to help in time of need The same Apostle saith that we have libertie to enter into the holy place through the blood of Iesus Let us therefore draw neer with a constant perswasion of faith c And againe Christ hath an everlasting Priesthood Wherefore he is able also to save them that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them What need many words when as Christ himself saith I am the way the trueth and the life No man commeth to the father but by me Why should we seek unto our selves any other Advocate especially seeing it hath pleased God himself to give us his own son for our advocate there is no cause why forsaking him we should seek another lest by continuall seeking we never finde any other For God undoubtedlie knew when he gave him unto us that we were miserable sinners Whereupon it is that according to Christs own commandement we onely call upon the heavenly Father by the self same Iesus Christ our onely Mediatour even as he himself also hath taught us in the Lords Prayer For we are sure that we shall obtaine all those things which we aske of the Father in his name Out of the Confession of AUSPURGE CHAP. 3. THE Churches with common consent among us doe teach Artic. 1. that the Decree of the Nicene Councell concerning the unitie of the Divine Essence and of the three persons is true and without all doubt to be beleeved To wit that there is one Divine Essence which is called and is God eternall without body indivisible of infinite power wisdome goodnesse the Creator and preserver of all things visible and invisible and that there be three persons of the same essence and power which also are coeternall the Father the Son and the holy Ghost And they use the name of person in that signification in which the Ecclesiasticall Writers have used it in this cause to signifie not a part or qualitie in another but that which properly subsisteth They condemne all heresies sprung up against this Article as the Manichees who set down two beginnings Good and Evill they doe in like sort condemn the Valentinians Arrians Eunomians Mahometists and all such like They condemn also the Samosatenes old and new who when they earnestly defend that there is but one person do craftily and wickedly dally after the manner of Rhetoricians about the Word and the holy Ghost that they are not distinct persons but that the Word signifieth a vocall word and the Spirit a motion created in things Artic. 21. We have found this 21. Article set forth three divers wayes The first Edition 1559. goeth thus INvocation is an honour which is to be given onely to God Almightie that is to the eternall Father and to his Son our Saviour Iesus Christ and to the holy Ghost And God hath proposed his Son Iesus Christ for a Mediatour and high Priest that maketh intercession for us He testifieth that for him alone our prayers are heard and accepted according to that saying Whatsoever you aske the Father in my name he shall give it to you Againe There is one Mediatour betweene God and men Therefore let them that call upon God offer up their prayers by the Son of God as in the end of prayers it is accustomed to be said in the Church through Iesus Christ c. These things are needfull to be taught concerning Invocation as our men have else-where more at large written of Invocation But contrariwise the custome of invocating Saints that are departed out of this life is to be reprooved and quite throwne out of the Church because this custome transferreth the glory due to God alone unto men it ascribeth unto the dead an Omnipotencie in that Saints should see the motions of mens hearts yea it ascribeth unto the dead the office of Christ the Mediatour and without all doubt obscureth the glory of Christ Therefore we condemne the whole custome of invocating Saints departed and thinke it is to be avoided Notwithstanding it profiteth to recite the true Histories of holy men because their examples doe profitably instruct if they be rightly propounded When we heare that Davids fall was forgiven him faith is confirmed in us also The constancie of the ancient Martyrs doth now likewise strengthen the mindes of the godly For this use it is profitable to the recite the Histories But yet there had need be discretion in applying examples The second Edition is thus Artic. 21. COncerning the worship of Saints they teach that it is profitable to propose the memory of Saints that by their examples we may strengthen our faith and that we may follow their faith and good works so farre as every mans calling requireth as the Emperour may follow Davids example in making warre to beate backe the Turks for either of them is a King we ought also to give God thanks that he hath propounded so many and glorious examples of his mercie in the Saints of his Church and that he hath adorned his Church with most excellent gifts and vertues of holy men The Saints themselves also are to be commended who have holily used those gifts which they employed to the beautifying of the Church But the Scripture teacheth not to invocate Saints or to aske help of Saints but layeth onely Christ before us for a Mediatour Propitiatour high Priest and Intercessour Concerning him we have commandements and promises that we invocate him and should be resolved that our prayers are heard when we flie to this high Priest and Intercessour as Iohn saith Chap. 16. Whatsoever ye shall aske the Father in my name he will give it you c. and Iohn 14. Whatsoever ye shall aske in my name that I will doe These testimonies bid us flie unto Christ they command us to beleeve that Christ is the Intercessour and Peace
that the Lord God for sin doth permit and bring all kinds of afflictions miseries and vexations of minde in this life upon all men such as are heate cold hunger thirst care and anguish sore labours calamitie adversitie dolefull times sword fire diseases griefs and at the last also that intollerable and bitter death whereby nature is overthrowne as it is written Thou shalt die the death Again Cursed is the earth for thy sake Gen. 2. Gen. 3. in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the daies of thy life thornes also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee And yet it is taught that men must and ought to bear all these punishments patiently seeing that they owe unto God and have deserved a farre more cruell punishment Yet they must not be so perswaded as though they deserved any thing by suffering this punishment or should receive from God any grace or reward in recompense for the merit of these punishments seeing that Paul speaking of a much more worthy crosse and sufferings which the true beleevers take upon them for Christs sake saith that they be not comparable to the glory which shall be shewed unto us And these punishments are layed upon us and are patiently to be borne that we may acknowledge the greatnesse of our sin and how grievous a thing it is and there withall our own weaknesse needs and miserie and that by experience we may know how wicked foule and bitter a thing it is even above all that we are able to conceive for a man to forsake the Lord his God as saith the Prophet And moreover that they which being plunged in these miseries and oppressed with these burthens may again be stirred up to repentance and to seeke for favour and help from God which is a Father full of mercie and compassion Howbeit this is also expressely added that the labours and torments which holy men doe suffer for the name of Christ that is in the cause of eternall salvation for the holy truth of Christ are an acceptable and pleasant sacrifice to God and have great and large promises especially in the life to come the which thing also did even so fall out with Christ our Head of whom the Epistle to the Hebrews speaketh thus that for the ioy that was set before him he endured the crosse who also by himself consecrated and hallowed the crosse to them even to this end that those sufferings which we indure for Christ his names sake might be pleasant and acceptable unto God Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that man being created pure and upright and Artic. 9. conformable to the image of God through his own fault fell from that grace which he had received and thereby did so estrange himselfe from God the fountaine of all righteousnesse and of all good things that his nature is become altogether defiled and being blind in spirit and corrupt in heart hath utterly lost all that integritie For although he can somewhat discerne betweene good and evill yet we affirme that whatsoever light he hath it straightwayes becommeth darknesse when the question is of secking God so that by his understanding and reason he can never come to God Also although he be endued with will whereby he is mooved to this or that yet insomuch as that is altogether captivated under sin it hath no libertie at all to desire good but such as it hath received by grace and of the gift of God We beleeve Artic. 10. that all the off-spring of Adam is infected with this contagion which we call Originall sin that is a staine spreading it self by propagation and nor by imitation onely as the Pelagians thought all whose errors we doe detest Neither doe we thinke it necessary to search how this sin may be derived from one unto another For it is sufficient that those things which God gave unto Adam were not given to him alone but also to all his posteritie and therefore we in his person being deprived of all those good gifts are fallen into all this miserie and curse We beleeve that this staine is indeed sinne because that it maketh Artic. 11. all and every man not so much as those little ones excepted which as yet lie hid in their Mothers wombe guiltie of eternall death before God We also affirme that this staine even after baptisme is in nature sinne as concerning the fault howbeit they which are the children of God shall not therefore be condemned because that God of his gracious free goodnesse and mercy doth not impute it to them Moreover we say that this frowardnesse of nature doth alwaies bring forth some fruits of malice and rebellion in such sort that even they which are most holy although they resist it yet are they defiled with many infirmities and offences so long as they live in this world Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE say also that every person is borne in sinne and leadeth Artic. 18. his life in sinne that no body is able truly to say His heart is cleane That the most righteous person is but an unprofitable servant That the Law of God is perfect and requireth of us perfect and full Obedience That we are able by no meanes to fulfil that Law in this worldly life that there is no mortal creature which can be justified by his own deserts in Gods sight Ou of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve that God of the slime of the earth created man Artic. 14. Gen. 1. 26. Ephes 4. 24. after his Image that is to say good just and holy who had power by his owne free will to frame and conforme his will unto the will of God But when he was advanced to honour he knew not neither did he well understand his excellent state but wittingly and willingly did make himselfe subject to sinne and so Gen. 3. 17. consequently unto eternall death and malediction whilest that giving eare to the words and subtilties of the devill he did transgresse that commandment of life which he had received of the Lord and so did withdraw and alienate himselfe from God his true life his nature being altogether defiled and corrupted by sin Rom. 5. 12. whereby it came to passe that he made himselfe subject both to corporall and to spirituall death Wherefore being made wicked and perverse and also corrupt in all his wayes and endeavours he lost those excellent gifts wherewith the Lord had adorned him so that there were but a few little sparkes and small steps of those gracesleft in him the which notwithstanding are sufficient to leave men without excuse because that what light soever we Acts 14. 16. Rom. 1. 20 21 Joh. 1. 5. have is turned into palpable darkenesse even as the Scripture it selfe teacheth saying The light shined in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not For there Iohn doth manifestly call men darkenesse Therefore * Look the 1. observ upon this Confession Joh. 3. 27. whatsoever
cover our great and unspeakable miseries Thus for the Mediatours sake both the person is received and also our works doe please God that in either of them our faith may shine Therefore Peter saith 1 Pet. 2. Offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Iesus Christ This comfort is set forth Rom. 8. Now there is no condemnation to them which doe walke in Christ Iesus And Rom. 3. Ye are not under the law but under grace In that place this question is asked whether our obedience doe please God seeing it doth not satisfie the law Paul answereth that it doth please God Because we are not under the law that is condemned by the law but we are under grace reconciled or received into favour Rom. 8. Who shall condemâ—e Christ hath died for us and is risen againe and sitteth at the right hand of God and maketh request for us that is holy men doe please God for the Son his sake who also offered his obedience for us and maketh request for us We must oppose these sayings to doubting lest faith and invocation be extinguished for doubting doth weaken our invocation Seeing therefore that we know both that new obedience as necessary and that helpe is certainly given us and that this obedience doth please God although it be unperfect and needie let us acknowledge the infinite mercie of God and give thanks for it and have a great care how to governe our actions because we know that we are both helped and that this obedience is acceptable to God for the Sons sake And let this necessitie be alwaies in our eyes that if the benefits of God to wit Iustification and Regeneration be shaken of we loose eternall life according to that saying We shall be cloathed if so be that we be not found naked And Rom. 8. If any have not the Spirit of Christ he is not his And alwaies in Iustification let there be also a beginning of newnesse of life The theefe hanging on the crosse hath good works and those both internall and externall it grieveth him that he had sinned and he confesseth that he is justly punished then by faith he doth acknowledge the Saviour and desireth salvation of him and therefore he heareth expresse absolution and the preaching of eternall life and the promise and resteth in this voice of the Messias and submitteth himselfe to God and doth not beare the punishment impatiently but is eased by acknowledging the Messias and by the hope of eternall life and giveth thanks to God Moreover to give an evident token of his confession he found fault with the other which cursed Christ These things are done by him because this very Messias being partner with him in his punishment in a word doth teach his minde and by the same comfort the Word is effectuall in him and through him the eternall Father doth poure the holy Ghost into the heart of this hearer that he may kindle in him joy love invocation hope of eternall life and other vertues Of Rewards PAul saith Rom. 6. Eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord and they that are reconciled or justified Are heires annexed with the Sonne of God and that for his sake not for their own merits Faith receiving remission of sins and justification and the hope of eternall life doe relie upon the Son of God the Mediatour as it is said Joh. 6. This is the will of the Father that every one that beleeveth in him should have eternall life And Rom. 5. Being iustified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have accesse through faith unto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce under the hope of eternall life He joyneth faith and hope together and affirmeth that either of them doth relie upon the Mediatour And it is manifest that hope ought not to relie on our works because it is said Psal 142. No man living shall be iustified in thy sight But as they which repent are accounted just by faith for the onely Sonne of God his sake and for him and through him are quickned so for him and not for our merits is eternall life given unto us as the thiefe on the crosse heareth this promise To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luk 23. Neither must we dreame that the Sonne of God did merit or give unto us a preparation onely to eternall life but let that most comfortable saying of Hosea be alwaies in our sight O death I will be thy death O hell I will be thy destruction For by the Son of God and through him we are delivered from eternall death and translated into life eternall as he saith I give unto them eternall life And 1 Joh. 5. He that hath the Son hath life And let hope be sure and firme as Peter saith 1 Pet. 1. Hope perfectly that is looke for eternall life not with doubtfull opinion in an assured hope to wit for the Mediatours sake And Augustine saith well in his booke of Meditations The certaintie of our whole confidence consisteth in the blood of Christ Let us hold both these points assuredly that he which repenteth doth freely by faith receive remission of sins and justification for the Sonne of God his sake and that he is an heire of eternall life as Paul saith Rom. 8 As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God And if they be children they are also the heires of God Yet notwithstanding this also is true * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession in the 4. Sect. that they which doe shake of the holy Ghost falling from faith or sinning grievously against their conscience and doe not returne unto God by repentance are not heires as it is said Galat. 5. They which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God And 1 Tim. 2. Fight a good fight having faith and a good conscience which some have put away and as concerning faith have made shipwracke And Matth. 25. I was hungry and ye gave me not to eate And These shall goe into everlasting punishment but the righteous shall goe into life eternall Now although life eternall is given to the regenerate for the Sonne of God yet withall it is also a reward of good works as it is said Your reward is plentifull in heaven as a patrimonie is the reward of the labours of a sonne although it be given to the sonne for another cause Moreoever God hath added unto good workes certaine promises of his and therefore even for the good works of holy men God doth give spirituall and corporall gifts even in this life and that diversly as it seemeth good to his unspeakable wisdome 1 Tim. 4. Godlinesse hath the promises of the life present and of that that is to come Mark 10. They shall receive a hundred fold in this life but with tribulation and after this life eternall life Matth. 10. Whosoever shall give unto one of
the sects and opinions of other nations Iohn assembled his flock at Ephesus and taught the Gospel and by the use of the Sacraments the whole companie did declare that they imbraced this doctrine and did invocate this God who delivered the Gospel and that they were separated from the worshippers of Diana Iupiter and other Idols For God will bee seene and have his Church heard in the world and have it distinguished by many publique signes from other nations So no doubt the first Fathers Adam Seth Enoch Noe Sem Abraham had their meetings and afterward the civill government of Israel had many rites that their separation from the Gentiles might be more evident Also God gave a peculiar promise to his congregation Matth. 18. Wheresoever two or three be gathered together in my name I will be in the middest of them Also Whatsoever they agreeing together shall desire it shall be done to them And in the 149. Psalme His praise is in the Church of the Saints And the promises wherein God doth affirme that he will preserve his Church are so much the sweeter because we know that he doth preserve and restore the publique ministerie in well ordered meetings as also in the very words of the Supper this promise is included where he commandeth that The death of the Lord should be shewed forth and this Supper distributed till he come c. Hitherto also pertaineth the last part of the 12. Article of this Confession where these things are found touching the revenues of Monastories IN many places the Churches want Pastours or else Pastours want living These men ought chiefly to be relieved out of the revenues of rich Monasteries then the studies of those which be poore must thereby be furthered and in some places Schooles may be erected especially seeing that it is necessary that the Church should discharge the expences of many poore that they might learne that so out of that number Pastours and Ministers may be chosen to teach the Churches Also hospitals are thence to be relieved wherein it is necessary that the poore which have beene sick a long time should be nourished A great part of the revenues in these countries is by the goodnesse of God transferred to such uses which are indeed godly to wit to nourish Pastours the poore and Schollers to erect Schooles and to relieve Hospitals that which remaineth is bestowed in every Monasterie upon the guiding and ordering of things pertaining to their houses and to think that this is not very sumptuous it is but foolishnesse As for the richer Abbots in these dayes upon what uses they lavish out the revenues the examples of many doe declare whom we could name who do both hate learning Religion and vertue and do waste these almes ravenously and either set no Pastours over their Churches or if they have any they suffer them to starve Out of the Confession of WIETEMBERGE Hitherto pertaineth first the 11. Article Of this Confession VVE think that it is most profitable that children and young men be examined in the Catechisme by the Pastors of their Church and that they be commended if they be godly and well instructed and that they be amended if they be ill instructed The rest is to be seene in the 14. Sect. where the confirmation used in Papisticall Baptisme is handled Hitherto also pertaineth the 16 Art ss 2. Of Prayer BY Prayer God is invocated and true invocation is a worke of faith and cannot be done without faith Now faith doth behold Christ and relie upon his merits onely Wherefore except thou shalt apply unto thy selfe the merit of Christ by faith prayer will stand thee in no stead before God Now prayer is necessarily required for this purpose that by a due consideration of the promises of God faith may be stirred up and kindled in us Therefore it is not absurdly said that sins are cleane taken away by prayer yet must it not so be understood as though the very worke of prayer of it own merit were a satisfaction for sins before God but that by prayer faith is stirred up and kindled in us by which faith we are made partakers of the merit of Christ and have our sinnes forgiven us onely for Christ his sake For before that we doe by prayer invocate God it shall be necessarie to have the merit of Christ applied to us and received by faith Therefore it cannot be that prayer should be such a worke as that for the merit thereof we might obtaine remission of our sins before God Psalme 108. Let his prayer be turned into sinne But it is not possible that prayer should be turned into sinne if of it selfe it were so worthy a worke as that sinne thereby should be purged Isa 1. When you shall stretch out your hands I will turne my eyes from you and when you shall multiply your prayers I will not heare you But God would not turne away his eyes from prayer if of it owne worthinesse it were a satisfaction for our sins Augustine upon the 108. Psal saith That prayer which is not made through Christ doth not onely not take away sinne but also it selfe is made sin Bernard de Quadrages Ser. 5. saith But some peradventure doe seeke eternall life not in humilitie but as it were in confidence of their own merits Neither doe I say this let grace received give a man confidence to pray but no man ought to put his confidence in his prayer as though for his prayer he should obtaine that which he desireth The gifts which are promised doe onely give this unto us that we may hope to obtain even greater things of that mercie which giveth these Therefore let that prayer which is made for temporall things be restrained in these wants onely also let that prayer which is made for the vertues of the soul be free from all filthy and uncleane behaviour and let that prayer which is made for life eternall be occupied about the onely good pleasure of God and that in all humilitie presuming as is requisite of the onely mercie of God Of Almes CHAP. 18. VVE do diligently commend almes and exhort the Church that every man help his neighbour by every dutie that he may and testifie his love But whereas it is said in a certaine place That almes doe take away sinne as water doth quench fire we must understand it according to the analogie of faith For what need was there to the taking away of our sins of Christ his passion and death if sins might be taken away by the merit of almes And what use were there of the ministerie of the Gospell if almes were appointed of God for an instrument whereby the death of Christ might be applied to us Therefore that Christ his honour may not be violated and the ministerie of the Gospell may retaine it lawfull use we teach that almes doth thus take away sinne not that of it selfe it is a worthy worke whereby sinne may either be purged or the