or vaine unmooveable rotten and dead pictures of all men whatsoever of which the Prophet spake truly They have eyes and see not c. Psal 115. Therefore we approove the judgement of Lactantius an ancient writer who saith Vndoubtedly there is no religion wheresoever there is a picture And we affirme that the blessed Bishop Epiphanius did well who finding on the Church doores a vaile that had painted in it the picture as it might be of Christ or of some other Saint he cut and tooke it away For that contrary to the authoritie of the Scriptures he had seene the picture of a man to hang in the Church of Christ and therefore he charged that from thence forth nosuch vailes which were contrary to our religion should be hanged up in the Church of Christ but that rather such scruple should be taken away which was unworthy the Church of Christ and all faithfull people Moreover we approove this sentence of S. Augustine Cap. 55. de ver a relig Let not the worship of mesn works be a religion unto us For the workmen themselves that make such things are better whom yet we ought not to worship Of the adoring worshipping and invocating of God through the onely Mediatour Jesus Christ CHAP. V. VVE teach men to adore and worship the true God alone this honour we impart to none according to the commandement of the Lord thou shalt adore the Lord thy God and Matth. 4. him alone shalt thou worship or him onely shalt thou serve Surely all the Prophets inveighed earnestly against the people of Israel whensoever they did adore and worship strange gods and not the one onely true God But we teach that God is to be adored and worshipped as himselfe hath taught us to worship him to weete in spirit and truth not with any superstition but with sinceritie Iohn 5. Isa 66. Ier. 7. Acts 17. according to his word lest at any time he also say unto us who hath required these things at your hands For Paul also saith God is not worshiped with mans hands as though he needed any thing c. We in all dangers and casualties of our life call on him alone and that by the mediation of the onely Mediatour and our intercessour Iesus Christ For it is expresly commanded us Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50. Moreover the Lord hath made a most large promise saying whatsoever ye shall aske of my Father he shall give it you And againe Iohn 16. Matth. 11. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavie laden and I will refresh you And seeing it is written How shall they call upon him in Rom. 10. whom they have not beleeved and we doe beleeve in God alone therefore we call upon him onely and that through Christ For there is one God saith the Apostle and one Mediatour betweene 1 Tim. 2. 1 Iohn 2. God and men Christ Iesus Againe If any man sinne we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous c. Therefore we doe neither adore worship nor pray unto the Saints in heaven or to other Gods neither doe we acknowledge them for our intercessours or Mediatours before the Father in heaven For God and the Mediatour Christ doe suffice us neither doe we impart unto others the honour due to God alone and to his Sonne because he hath plainly said I will not give my glory to another and Isa 42. Acts 4. because Peter hath said There is no other name given unto men whereby they must be saved but the name of Christ In which doubtlesse they that rest by faith doe not seeke any thing without Christ Yet for all that we doe neither despise the Saints nor thinke basely of them For we acknowledge them to be the lively members of Christ the friends of God who have gloriously overcome the flesh and the world We therefore love them as brethren and honour them also yet not with any worship but with an honourable opinion of them and to conclude with their just praises We also doe imitate them For we desire with most earnest affections and prayers to be followers of their faith and vertues to be partakers also with them of everlasting salvation to dwell together with them everlastingly with God and to rejoyce with them in Christ And in this point we approve that saying of Saint Augustine in his booke De verarelig Let not the worship of men departed be any religion unto us For if they have lived holily they are not so to be esteemed as that they seeke such honours but they will have us to worship him by whose illumination they reioyce that we are fellow servants as touching the reward They are therefore to be honoured for imitation not to be worshipped for religions sake c. And we much lesse beleeve that the reliques of Saints are to be adored or worshipped Those ancient holy men seemed sufficiently to have honoured their dead if they had honestly committed their bodies to the earth after that the soule was gone up into heaven and they thought that the most noble reliques of their ancestours were their vertues doctrine and faith which as they commended with the praise of the dead so they did endevour to expresse the same so long as they lived upon earth Those ancient men did not sweare by the name of the onely Iehova as it is commanded by the Law of God Therefore as we are forbidden To sweare by the name of strange Gods so we doe not sweare by Deut. 10. Exod. 23. Saints although we be requested thereunto We therefore in all these things doe reject that doctrine which giveth too much unto the Saints in heaven Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA VVE thus thinke of God that he is one in substance three in Artic. 6. persons and almightie Who as he hath by the word that is his Sonne made all things of nothing so by his spirit and providence he doth justly truely and most wisely governe preserve and cherish all things Who as he is the onely Mediatour intercessour and sacrifice Artic. 11. also our high Priest Lord and King so we acknowledge and with the whole heart beleeve that he alone is our attonement redemption satisfaction expiation wisedome protection and deliverance simply rejecting herein all meanes of life and salvation besides this Christ alone Out of the Confession of BASILL VVE beleeve in God the Father in God the Sonne in God Artic. 1. the holy Ghost the holy divine Trinitie three Persons and one eternall Almightie God in essence and substance and not three Gods And in the marginall note is added This is proved Artic. 10. by many places of the whole Scripture of the old and new Testament Therefore we mislike the worship and invocation of dead men the worshipping of Saints and setting up of Images with such like things And in
the use of the keyes which Christ spake of private admonition betweene private persons to wit Thou hast gained thy brother Vpon the same Those ancient customes were in time worne out of use Be it that Obser 6. pag. 132. those painfull punishments and satisfactions which cannot especially at these times be brought into use againe but that they will doe more hurt then good be worne out of use yet notwithstanding this doth nothing hinder but that every Church as it knoweth what is expedient may appoint a certaine kinde of Censure or Ecclesiasticall discipline which it may use where need so requireth that the Church may be satisfied as we have noted before in the first observation upon the Confession of Bohemia and hereafter in the 10. Section and in the third observation upon the Confession of Bohemia Vpon the same We give men warning of this also c. How temporall punishments Obser 7. pag. 132. may be said sometime to be deferred and sometime to be mitigated by good works we have declared a little before to wit in the third observation upon this confession Moreover the word merit both in the words which follow Repentance deserved that God should alter his purpose touching the destruction of Ninive and also in other places wheresoever either this or other Confessions doe use it it is without doubt thus to be taken for that which we say to obtaine and to get as it is often times used among the ancient Latine divines And whereas God here is said to have changed his minde we doe not doubt but that our brethren doe understand it as spoken after the manner of men as when he is said to repent him of some thing or else it is to be referred to the outward preaching of Ionas For as concerning God himselfe it was onely a threatning and not a sentence decreed Vpon the confession of Saxonie VVE affirme that the Ceremonie of private absolution is to be Observ â— page 134. retained in the Church How farre we thinke that this private confession and absolution is to be retained in the Church we have declared a little before to wit in the first observation upon the Confession of Bohemia Vpon the same In true Confession there must be these changes a mortification Observ 2. pag. 134. and a quickning Rom. 6. c. This is most truly said but in a divers sense For neither is contrition or a sense of sinne which is a fruit of sinne common to all signified by the name of mortification insomuch as it is a gift of the holy Ghost proper to the Elect but an abolishing of the old man or of the flesh or of that naturall corruption which taking it beginning of that contrition or sorrow which is according to God whereof that place Psal 5. 19. and Esa 66. 2. is understood is by little and little perfited in the elect and is the beginning of true conversion whereunto on the other side quickning is answerable that is a certaine restoring as it were from death unto life of the minde which was before in a manner dead in that corruption and being perswaded of the free remission of sinnes in Christ by faith it beginneth to hate sinne wherewith it was delighted to love God whom it hated and to conclude to will well and to do uprightly Vpon the same To shake of God and againe to loose c. Looke those things Observ 3. page 136. which are noted in the first observation of the 4. Section upon this Confession Vpon the same This whole custome was appointed for examples sake and is politicall Observ 4. page 137. c. We doe thinke that this custome of publique satisfaction before the Church is in such sort politicall that notwithstanding it may be referred to the Ecclesiasticall order and may altogether be distinguished from those punishments which are meerely civill and from those which are to be inflicted by the civill Magistrate For although such a publique kinde of acknowledging and detesting of sinnes being made in the Church is in no case to be thought to be of any value before God for the ransome of our sinnes much lesse that it should be a Sacrament yet we doe not doubt but that this abasing is both acceptable to God and commodious for the edifying of the Church and that in such places wherein it may be fruitfully used Vpon the same Hath no commandement to inioyne such punishments c. But it Obser 5 pag. 137. hath a commandement lawfully to binde and to loose and to try by diligent search which is true repentance Concerning which thing looke what we have spoken a little before in the 2. observation upon the confession of Auspurge and is hereafter taught more at large in the 11. Section where we doe expressely intreat of the power of the Keyes Vpon the same Are chiefly mitigated for the Sonne of God c. Where the Obser 6. pag. 138. question is of the Church of God we say that all blessings without any exception are bestowed upon it and the members thereof not chiefly but onely for the Sonne of God his sake And these words Even for the very conversions sake our punishments are mitigated because that in the Saints the legall promises being added to their works are not without their effect but have their rewards c. ought as they seeme to be thus taken by adding to them this interpretation They are not without their effect but that must be of meere grace and in respect of Christ alone in whom God doth vouchsafe even to reward both the Saints themselves and also good works having no regard to the blemishes of their works as we have said before in the 3. and 7. observations upon the confession of Auspurge Vpon the same It doth onely pronounce this sentence c. To wit according to Obser 7. pag. 138. the Ecclesiasticall judgements and censures whereof we made mention before and not by any civill authoritie as Officials as they be tearmed in Papacie use to doe Vpon the Confession of Wirtemberge ALthough we thinke that it is not necessary to salvation to râ—ckon Obser 1. pag. 141. up sins c. yet we endeavour that a generall confession of sins may be retained in our Churches c. Seeing that these things pertaine not to the Doctrine of faith but unto the use of Ecclesiasticall discipline of the libertie whereof in particular Churches we have oftentimes spoken else-where we doe not thinke it good that this law should be brought into our Churches being made and received in other places beside the word of God and the custome of the ancient pure Church which did never require private confession of every one of those which did professe the Christian Religion but onely of them of whose sins knowledge was taken in the assembly IN THE NINTH SECTION Vpon the Confession of Bohemia BVt such works as are taught of men what shew soever they have
very word of God is preached and received of the faithfull and that neither any other word of God is to be fayned or to be expected from heaven and that now the word itself which is preached is to be regarded not the Minister that preacheth who although he be evill and a sinner neverthelesse the word of God abideth true and good Neither do we think that therefore the outward preaching is to be thought as fruitlesse because the instruction in true religion dependeth on the inward illumination of the spirit because it is written No man shall teach his neighbour For all Jer. 12. 1 Cor. 3. John 6. men shall know me And he that watreth or he that planteth is nothing but God who giveth the increase For albeit no man can come to Christ unlesse he be drawn by the heavenly Father and be inwardly lightned by the holy Ghost yet we know undoubtedly that it is the will of God that his word should be preached even outwardly God could indeed by his holy spirit or by the Ministery of an Angel without the Ministery of Saint Peter have taught Cornelius in the Acts but neverthelesse he referreth him to Peter of whom the Angel speaking saith he shall tell thee what thou must doe For he that illuminated inwardly by giving men the holy Ghost the self same by way of commandement said unto his Disciples Goe ye into the whole world and preach the Gospell to every creature And so Mark 16. Acts 16. Paul preached the word outwardly to Lydia a purple seller among the Philippians but the Lord inwardly opened the womans heart And the same Paul upon an elegant gradation fiâ—ly placed in the 10. to the Romanes at last inferreth therefore faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God We know in the meane time that God can illuminate whom and when he will even without the externall Ministery which is a thing appertaining to his power but we speake of the usuall way of instructing men delivered unto us of God both by commandement and examples We therefore detest all the heresies of Artemon the Manichees Valentinians of Cerdon and the Marcionites who denied that the Scriptures proceeded from the holy Ghost or else received not or polished and corrupted some of them And yet we do not deny that certain books of the old Testament were of the ancient authors called Apocriphall and of others Ecclesiasticall to wit such as they would have to be read in the Churches but not alleadged to avouch or confirme the authoritie of faith by them As also Austin in his 18 Book De civit Dei C. 38. maketh mention that in the books of the Kings the names and books of certaine Prophets are reckoned but he addeth that they are not in the Canon and that those books which we have suffice unto godlinesse CHAP. II. Of interpreting the holy Scriptures and of Fathers Councels and Traditions THE Apostle Peter hath said That the holy Scriptures are 2 Pet. 2. not of any private interpretation therefore we do not allow all expositions whereupon we do not acknowledge that which they call the meaning of the Church of Rome for the true and naturall interpretation of the Scriptures which forsooth the Defenders of the Romane Church do strive to force all men simply to receive but we acknowledge that interpretation of Scriptures for authenticall and proper which being taken from the Scriptures themselves that is from the phrase of that tongue in which they were written they being also wayed according to the circumstances and expounded according to the proportion of places either like or unlike or of moe and plainer accordeth with the rule of faith and charitie and maketh notably for Gods glory and mans salvation Wherefore we do not contemne the holy Treatises of the Fathers agreeing with the Scriptures from whom notwithstanding we do modestly dissent as they are deprehended to set down things meerely strange or altogether contrary to the same Neither doe we thinke that we doe them any wrong in this matter seeing that they all with one consent will not have their writings matched with the Canonicall Scriptures but bid us allow of them so farre forth as they either agree with them or disagree and bid us take those things that agree and leave those that disagree and according to this order we doe account of the Decrees or Canons of Councels Wherefore we suffer not our selves in controversies about Religion or matters of faith to be pressed with the bare testimonies of Fathers or Decrees of Councels much lesse with received customes or else with multitude of men being of one iudgement or with prescription of long time Therefore in controversies of religion or matters of faith we cannot admit any other Iudge then God himself pronouncing by the holy Scriptures what is true what is false what is to be followed or what to be avoided So we do not rest but in the judgements of spirituall men drawn from the word of God Certainly Ieremie and other Prophets did vehemently condemne the assemblies of Priests gathered against the Law of God and diligently forewarned us that we should not heare the Fathers or tread in their path who walking in their own inventions swarved from the Law Ezek. 20. 18. of God We do likewise reject humane Traditions which although they be set out with goodly titles as though they were Divine and Apostolicall by the lively voice of the Apostles and delivered to the Church as it were by the hands of Apostolicall men by meane of Bishops succeeding in their roomes yet being compared with the Scriptures disagree from them and by that their disagreement bewray themselves in no wise to be Apostolicall For as the Apostles did not disagree among themselves in doctrine so the Apostles Schollers did not set forth things contrary to the Apostles Nay it were blasphemous to avouch that the Apostles by lively voice delivered things contrary to their writings Paul affirmeth expressely that he taught the same things in all Churches And againe We 1 Cor. 4. 2 Cor. 1. saith he write no other things unto you then which ye read or also acknowledge Also in another place he witnesseth that he and his Disciples to wit Apostolicall men walked in the same 2 Cor. 12. way and ioyntly by the same spirit did all things The Iews also in time past had their traditions of Elders but these traditions were severely confuted by the Lord shewing that the keeping of them hindereth Gods Law and that God is in vain worshipped Mat. 15. Mar. 7. with such Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA THe Canonicall Scripture being the Word of God and delivered Artic. 1. Scriptura by the holy Ghost and published to the world by the Prophets and Apostles being of all other the most perfect and ancient Philosophie doth alone perfectly contein all piety and good ordering of life The interpretation hereof is to be Artic 2.
and life everlasting through faith in Iesus Christ Now the fathers had not onely outward or earthly but spirituall and heavenly promises in Christ For the Apostle Peter saith that the Prophets which prophesied of the grace that should come to us have searched and inquired of this salvation Whereupon the Apostle Paul also saith that the Gospel of God was promised before by the Prophets of God in the holy Scriptures Hereby then it appeareth evidently that the fathers were not altogether destitute of all the Gospel And although after this manner our fathers had the Gospel in the writings of the Prophets by which they attained salvation in Christ through faith yet the Gospel is properly called that glad and happie tidings wherein first by Iohn Baptist then by Christ the Lord himselfe and afterward by the Apostles and their successours is preached to us in the world that God hath now performed that which he promised from the beginning of the world and hath sent yea and given unto us his onely Sonne and in him reconciliation with the Father remission of sinnes all fulnesse and everlasting life The history therefore set downe by the foure Evangelists declaring how these things were done or fulfilled of Christ and what he taught and did and that they which beleeved in him had all fulnesse this I say is truely called the Gospel The preaching also and Scripture of the Apostles in which they expound unto us how the Sonne was given us of the Father and in him all things pertaining to life and salvation is truely called the doctrine of the Gospel so as even at this day it looseth not that worthy name if it be sincere The same preaching of the Gospel is by the Apostle tearmed the spirit and the ministerie of the spirit because it is living and 2 Cor. 3. working through faith in the eares yea in the hearts of the faithfull thorough the illumination of the holy Spirit For the letter which is opposed unto the spirit doth indeed signifie every outward thing but more specially the doctrine of the Law which without the spirit and faith worketh wrath and stirreth up sinne in the mindes of them that doe not truely beleeve For which cause it is called by the Apostle the ministery of death for hitherto pertaineth that saying of the Apostle The letter killeth but the spirit giveth life The false Apostles preached the Gospel corrupted by mingling of the law there with as though Christ could not save without the law Such also were the Hebionites said to be which came of Hebion the heretike and the Nazarites which before time were called Myneans All which we doe condemne sincerely preaching the word and teaching that the beleevers are justified by the spirit onely and not by the law But of this matter there shall follow a more large discourse in the title of justification And although the doctrine of the Gospel compared with the Pharisees doctrine of the law might seeme when it was first preached by Christ to be a new doctrine the which thing also Ieremy prophesied of the New Testament yet indeed it not onely was and as yet is though the Papists call it new in regard of Popish doctrine which hath of long time beene received an ancient doctrine but also the most ancient in the world For God 2 Tim. 1. from all eternitie fore-ordained to save the world by Christ and this his predestination and eternall counsell hath he opened to the world by the Gospel Whereby it appeareth that the Evangelicall doctrine and religion was the most ancient of all that ever were are or ever shall be Wherefore we say that all they erre foully and speake things unworthy the eternall counsell of God who tearme the Evangelicall doctrine and religion a new start up faith scarce thirty yeeres old to whom that saying of Isaiah doth very well agree Woe unto them that speake good of evill and evill of good which put darkenesse for light and light for darkenesse that put bitter for sweet and sweete for sowre Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA THerefore in the whole Evangelicall doctrine this ought first and chiefly to be urged that we are saved by the onely mercy and grace of God and by Christ his merits whereof that men may know how much they stand in need their sinnes must be verie cleerely laid open unto them by the law and by Christ his death Out of the Confession of BOHEMIA Of the word of God or the holy Gospel CHAP. 10. ANd seeing that the administration of the New Testament and also the Word and Sacraments are lawfully committed to the Ministers of the Church and their lips ought to preserve 1 Cor. 4. 2 Cor. 3. knowlege that the law might be sought at their mouth therefore in this Chapter it is further taught what the word of God and the holy Gospel is Now the Preaching of the word of God and Malac. 2. of the Gospel is the true ministery of grace instituted and commanded of Christ our Lord wherein the full and perfect will of God touching eternall reconciliation necessarie to salvation and made manifest in the holy Scripture is declared and preached unto all people This doctrine did Christ give in charge unto his disciples in the words of this sentence Goe ye into all the world Mark 16. and preach the Gospel to every creature This doctrine doth Peter professe before Cornelius when he saith He commanded us to Acts 20. preach unto the people and to testifie that this is he that is ordained of God to be the Iudge of the quicke and the dead To him also give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name all that beleeve in him shall receive remission of sinnes This ministery is more honourable greater and more necessarie to salvation then are the sacraments the which is proved by that sentence of the most excellent Apostle Saint Paul For Christ 1 Cor. 2. sent me not to Baptize that is not chiefly to doe this but to preach the Gospel For onely through the pure Gospel and the preaching thereof is saith sowed inwardly in the heart by the holy Ghost and from thence also must we conceive and seeke the true meaning of God and Christ touching all things necessary to salvation and also touching the sacraments themselves Amongst those who by reason of their age are able to use their understanding it is of necessitie that the preaching of the Gospel goe before the receiving of the Sacraments Whereof we may see an evident proofe in those three thousand which were converted by Peter Acts 2. Acts 8. also in Cornelius and in the Chamberlaine we may see that according to the example of Philip the question is thus to be made Doest thou beleeve with all thy heart Then it may be that thou who hast true faith grafted in thy heart mayest receive profit by the participation of the Sacraments For without the hearing of the word of God
of that thing which by Christs owne words is assigned to this age and is imparted unto it For so Christ in generall and without exception giveth in charge not touching some but touching all Teach ye all nations and baptize them in the name Matth. 28. Act. 4. of the Father the Son and the holy Ghost And so over children this most holy name is called upon in which alone there is salvation This is further also taught that they who are once lawfully and truely baptized when they come to yeeres ought to do their endeavour that they may learn to acknowledge and know what holy Baptisme is and therewithall the Catholike and Christian faith without which Baptisme availeth nothing to the end that afterward when they doe desire to be partakers of the Lord his Supper they may with their owne mouthes and of their owne accord make profession of their faith and may renew their sanctification by which they were consecrated to the Lord. And such that is which are thus instructed our ministers receive unto this covenant of holy baptisme and * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confession by the laying on of hands do testifie to them that grace is conteined in baptisme to strengthen them to the warfare of faith and so after a convenient and godly manner with use of pure ceremonies and such as are profitable to edifying they bring them to the sacrament of the L. Supper without any reiteration of baptisme as there are evident tokens and examples to be seen of this matter in the Primitive Church which is the true and best maistresse of the posteritie and going before leadeth us the way For if so be that a man should even after a true manner enjoy the Baptisme of Christ and should by meanes here of be buried with Christ into his death to newnesse of life if afterward his life being prolonged he should not according to the doctrine of the holy Gospel shew forth a true and lively faith in Iesus Christ brotherly love towards all those that are consecrated to the Lord and so should leade a life unworthy his place or calling and unworthy of God and his neighbour and should not in baptisme conceive a lively hope of life everlasting such a one should assuredly give certain testimonie of himselfe that he had in vaine received grace in holy Baptisme wherein the name of the holy Trinity was called on over him the which thing God the Lord as his word declareth suffereth Exod. 20. by no meanes to escape unrevenged or unpunished Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE acknowledge that there be two onely Sacraments Artic. 35. common to the whole Church whereof the first is Baptisme the which is given to us to testifie our adoption because that therein we are ingrafted into Christs body that being washed in his blood we may also be renued to holinesse of life by his Spirit This also we say Although we are baptized but once yet the fruit of baptisme doth pertaine to the whole course of our life that this promise to wit that Christ will be alwaies unto us sanctification and justification may be sealed up in us with a sure and firme seale Furthermore although Baptisme be a Sacrament of faith and repentance yet seeing that God doth together with the Parents account their posteritie also to be of the Church we affirme that infants being borne of holy parents are by the authoritie of Christ to be baptized We say therefore that the element of water be it never so Artic. 38. fraile doth notwithstanding truely witnesse or confirme unto us the inward washing of our soules in the blood of Iesus Christ by the vertue and efficacie of the holy Ghost Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE say that Baptisme is a Sacrament of the remission of Artic. 12. sinnes and of that washing which we have in the blood of Christ and that no person which will professe Christs name ought to be restrained or keept backe therefrom no not the very babes of Christians forsomuch as they be borne in sinne and pertaine unto the people of God Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve and confesse that Iesus Christ which is the end of the law hath by his owne bloud sheading made an end of all other propitiatorie sacrifice for sinnes Also that Circumcision which was done by blood being abolished he hath instituted Baptisme in the place thereof whereby we are received into the Church of God and separated from all other nations and all kinde of strange religions being consecrated unto him alone whose badge and cognisance we weare Finally Baptisme is a token unto us that he will be our God for ever who also is our gracious Father Therefore the Lord hath commanded all his to be baptized with pure water In the name of the Father the Sonue and the holy Ghost To signifie that the blood of Christ doth internally through the operation of the Spirit performe and effect that in the soule which water doth externally worke in the bodies For as water being poured upon us and appearing in the body of him that is baptized moistning the same doth wash away the filthines of the body so the blood of Christ washing the soule doth cleanse it from sinne and doth make us the sonnes of God which before were the children of wrath Not that this materiall water doth these things but the sprinckling of the precious blood of the Son of God which is unto us as the red sea wherethrough we must passe that we may depart from the tyranny of Pharaih that is the Devill and enter into the spirituall land of Canaan Therefore the ministers verily doe deliver unto us the Sacraments and the visible thing but it is the Lord himselfe that giveth it unto us that is represented by the Sacrament namely the gifts and invisible graces washing purifying and cleansing our soules from all spots and iniquities renuing in like manner and filling our hearts with all comfort and to conclude giving unto us a certain perswasion of his Fatherly goodnesse cloathing us with the new man and putting off the old man with all his deeds For these causes we do beleeve that every one that desireth to obtaine eternall life ought to be baptized with one baptisme and that once alone which never afterwards is to be itcrated seeing that we cannot be borne twise Neither doth this Baptisme profit us onely at that moment when the water resteth upon us and when we are sprinckled with it but it is available throughout the whole time of our life Therefore here we doe detest the errour of the Anabaptists who are not onely content with one onely Baptisme and that once received but doe also condemne the Baptisme of infants yea of those that be borne of faithfull parents but we by the same reason doe beleeve that they ought to be baptized and sealed with the signe of the covenant for the which in times past the infants amongst
they set their mindes upon the body of Christ when they see the cup they set their mindes upon the blood of Christ when they see the bread broken and the wine poured out they consider how that the body of Christ was tormented and his blood poured out for their sakes as by bread the bodies are nourished and strengthened as by wine the mindes are made merry so the godly doe beleeve that by the body of the Lord delivered unto death for them they are fed to everlasting life also that by his blood poured out upon the crosse their consciences are renewed to conclude they doe feele the quickning power of Christ which doth confirme them In this sort is the Supper of the Lord accomplished spiritually thus are the bread and wine a Sacrament unto us and not bare and naked signes Hereupon now ariseth a very great rejoycing and thanksgiving for so great benefits also a praising and confessing of the name of God here those works which the Lord once finished are renued and represented but especially the death of the Lord is repeated which although it once hapned and now is past yet unto the faithfull it is as yet fresh and present For the remembrance of the death of Christ which we make in the Supper is farre more noble and holy then theirs who in some prophane banquet are mindfull of their companion when they drinke the wine that he gave them For among these he that is absent worketh nothing but in this holy Supper of the faithfull the Lord is present and doth worke effectually by the spirit in the hearts of them as he who according to his promises is in the middest of them By these things it is most evident that in the holy Supper we doe not take away our Lord Christ from his Church not deny that his body and blood is there received to be our nourishment unto life eternall but we together with our predecessours and the chiefe Prelates of our Religion did and as yet to this day doe deny that the very body of Christ is eaten carnally or that it is present every where corporally and after a naturall manner For we doe openly confesse according to the Scriptures and with all the holy Fathers that Iesus Christ our Lord left this world and went to his Father and that he now sitteth at the right hand of his Father in heavenly glory from whence he shall never descend or be drawne downe into this earthly and transitory world For the true presence of Christ in the Supper is heavenly not earthly or carnall Also we denie that the bread is turned into the body of Christ miraculously so that the bread should become the very body of Christ naturally and substantially yet after a spirituall manner To conclude we denie that the body of Christ is united with the signes by any other then a mysticall meane whereof we have spoken sufficiently in the generall consideration of a Sacrament Seeing therefore we have expressely said and written with the holy Fathers Tertullian Hâ—erome Ambrose and Augustine that the bread is a figure token and signe of the body of Christ and also that by bread and wine the body and blood of the Lord are signified This is it which we would make manifest to wit that the bread is not the very body of the Lord but a token or a Sacrament of his body And yet we do not therefore speake these things as though we did simply deny all kinde of the presence of Christ in the Supper for that kinde of presence which now we have confessed doth remaine true without any prejudice to these kinde of speeches Moreover the word This in this sentence This is my body doth not onely shew bread unto our corporall eyes but therewith also it she weth the very body of Christ unto the eyes of our minde Also we confesse that this use of the Supper is so holy and profitable that whosoever shall worthily that is with a true faith eate of this bread and drinke of this Cup of the Lord he doth receive heavenly gifts from the Lord but Whosoever shall eate of this bread and drinke of this cup unworthily that is without faith by which alone we are made partakers of the Lord and of salvation He doth eate and drinke iudgement unto himselfe as Paul wrote to the Corinthians Wherefore we doe often put this diligently into the heads of our people that they take heed that none of them abuse the Lords table but that every one examine himselfe and then eate of that bread and drinke of that cup. Also the Lords Supper is a badge unto us for as one loafe and one wine are made of many graines and grapes so we being the whole multitude of the faithfull are gathered together to be one bread and one body By this we testifie in an outward profession that we are redeemed by the blood of Christ and made the members of Christ to whom we give thanks in whom we are confederates and doe promise to performe mutuall duties one toward another Out of the Confession of BASILL Of the Supper of the Lord. VVE confesse that the Lord Iesus did institute his holy Supper Artic. 6. that his holy passion might be remembred with thanksgiving his death declared and Christian charitie and unitie with true faith testified And as in Baptisme wherein the washing away of our sins is offered by the Minister of the Church and yet is wrought onely by the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost true water remaineth so also in the Supper of the Lord wherein together with the bread and wine of the Lord the true body and the true blood of Christ is offered by the Minister of the Church bread and wine remaineth Moreover we doe firmely beleeve that Christ himselfe is the meat of faithfull soules unto life eternall and that our soules by faith in Christ crucified are fed and moistned with the flesh blood of Christ so that we being Joh. 11. Eph. 1. 4. 5. Col. 1. members of his body as of our onely head doe live in him and he in us wherein at the last day through him and in him we shall rise againe to eternall joy and blessednesse And in the marginall note upon these words Our soules For it is a spirituall meate and therefore it is received of a faithfull soule that is the soules are made full strong mightie peaceable quiet merrie and lively to all things as the body is by the corporall meate Also upon those words The members of the head And so man is made a spirituall member of the spirituall bodie of Christ And in the margent upon these words To be present to wit Sacramentally and by a remembrance of faith which lifteth up a mans minde to heaven and doth not pull down Christ according to his humanitie from the right hand of God Now we doe not include into the bread and drinke of the Lord the naturall true and substantiall body
moment is prone and ready to offend the Majesty of God But the Spirit of God which giveth witnessing to our spirit Rom 3. that we are the sonnes of God maketh us to resist filthy pleasures and to grone in Gods presence for deliverance from this bondage of corruption And finally so triumpheth over sinne that it reigneth not in our mortall bodies This battell have not the carnall men being destitute of Gods Spirit but doe follow and obey sinne with greedinesse and without repentance even as the Devill and their corrupt lusts doe pricke them But the sonnes of God as before is said doe fight against sinne doe sob and mourn when they perceive themselves tempted in iniquitie and if they fall they rise againe with unfained repentance and these things they doe not by their owne power but by the power of the Lord Iesus without whom they were able to doe nothing Iohn 15. What workes are reputed good before God VVE confesse and acknowledge that God hath given to man his holy law in which not onely are forbidden all Exod. 20. Deut. 5. such workes as displease and offend his godly Majestie but also are commanded all such as please him and as he hath promised to reward And these workes be of two sorts The one are done to the honour of God the other to the profit of our neighbours and both have the revealed will of God for their assurance To have one God to worship and honour him to call upon him in all our troubles to reverence his holy name to heare his word to beleeve the same to communicate with his holy Sacraments are the workes of the first Table To honour father mother Princes Rulers and superiour powers to love them to support them yea to obey their charges not repugning the commandement of Ephes 6. God to save the lives of innocents to represse tyranny to defend the oppressed to keep our bodies cleane and holy to live in sobernesse and temperance to deale justly with all men both in word and deed and finally to represse all appetite of our neighbours Ezâ—ch 22. Ier. 22. Esa 50. 1 Thess 4. Luke 2. hurt are the good workes of the second Table which are most pleasing and acceptable to God as those workes that are commanded by himselfe The contrarie whereof is sinne most odious which alwaies displeaseth him and provoketh him to anger As not to call upon him alone when we have need not to heare his word with reverence to contemne and despise it to have or to worship Idols to maintaine and defend idolatrie lightly to esteeme the reverent name of God to prophane abuse or contemne the Sacraments of Christ Iesus to disobey or resist Rom. 11. Ez ch 22. any that God hath placed in authoritie whilest they passe not over the bounds of their Office to murder or to consent thereto to beare hatred or to iuffer innocent blood to be shed if we may withstand it and finally the transgression of any other commandement in the first or second Table we confesse or affirme to be sinne by the which Gods hate and displeasure is kindled against the proud and unthankfull world So that good works we affirme to be those onely that are done in faith and at Gods commandement who in his law hath expressed what the things be that please him And evill works we affirme not onely those that expresly are done against Gods commandement but those also that in matters of religion and in worshipping of God have no other assurance but the invention and opinion of man which God Esa 26. Mat. 15. from the beginning hath ever rejected as by the Prophet Esay and by our Master Christ Iesus we are taught in these words In vaine doe they worship me teaching the doctrines and precepts of men The perfection of the Law and imperfection of man THe Law of God we confesse and acknowledge most just most equall most holy and most perfect commanding those things which being wrought in perfection were able to give Rom. 7. Psal 19. Deut. 5. Rom. 10. 1 Iohn 1. Rom. 10. Gal 3. Deut. 26. Ephes 1. Rom 4. light and able to bring man to eternall felicitie But our nature is so corrupt so weak and so unperfit that we are never able to fulfill the works of the Law in perfection Yea if we say we have no sinne even after we are regenerated we deceive our selves and the veritie of God is not in us And therefore it behoveth us to apprehend Christ Iesus with his justice and satisfaction who is the end and accomplishment of the law by whom we are set at this libertie that the curse and malediction of God fall not upon us albeit we fulfill not the same in all points For God the Father beholding us in the body of his Sonne Christ Iesus accepteth our imperfect obedience as it were perfect and covereth our works which are defiled with many spots with the justice of his Sonne we do not mean that we are so set at libertie that we owe no obedience to the law for that before we have plainly confessed but this we affirme that no man in earth Christ Iesus onely excepted hath given giveth or shal give in work that obedience to the law which the law requireth But when we have done all things we must fall down and unfeinedly confesse that we are Luke 10. unprofitable servants And therefore whosoever boast themselves of the merits of their own works or put their trust in the works of supererogation boast themselves of that which is naught and put their trust in damnable Idolatrie Of the Church AS we beleeve in one God Father Son and the holy Ghost so doe we most constantly beleeve that from the beginning there hath been and now is and to the end of the world shall be Matth 3. 8. one Church that is to say a companie and multitude of men chosen of God who rightly worship and imbrace him by true faith in Christ Iesus who is the onely head of the same Ephâ—s 1. Col. 1. Ephâ—â— 5. Church which also is the body and spouse of Christ Iesus which Church is Catholike that is universall because it containeth the Elect of all ages of all realmes nations and tongues be they of the Iewes or be they of the Gentiles who have communion and society Apoc. 7. with God the Father and with his Son Christ Iesus through the sanctification of his holy spirit therefore it is called the coÌ„munion not of profane persons but of Saints who as Citizens of the heavenly Ierusalem have the fruition of the most inestimable benefits to wit of one God one Lord Iesus one faith and of one Ephâ—s 2. Baptisme out of the which Church there is neither life nor eternall felicity And therefore we utterly abhor the blasphemie of those that affirme that men which live according to equitie and Ioâ— 5. 6. justice shall be saved what religion
soever they have professed For as without Christ Iesus there is neither life nor salvation so shall there none be participant thereof but such as the Father hath given unto his Sonne Christ Iesus and those in time to come unto him avow his doctrine and beleeve in him we apprehend the children with the faithfull parents This Church is invisible known only to God who alone knoweth whom he hath chosen and comprehendeth as well as is said the Elect that be departed commonly called the Church triumphant as those that ye live and sight against sinne and Satan and shall live hereafter The immortalitie of the soules THe Elect departed are in peace and rest from their labours Apâ—c 14. Apoc. 7. not that they sleepe and come to a certaine oblivion as some phantastikes doe affirme but that they are delivered from all feare and torment and all temptation to which we and all Gods Elect are subject in this life and therefore doe beare the name of the Church militant as contrariwise the reprobate and unfaithfull departed have anguish torment and paine that cannot be expressed So that neither are the one nor the other in such sleep that they feele not their torment as the parable of Christ Iesus in the 16. of Luke his words to the thiefe and these words of the Luke 16. soules crying under the Altar O Lord thou art righteous and Apoc. 6. iust how long shalt thou not avenge our blood upon these that dwell in the earth doe testifie Of the notes by which the true Church is discerned from the false and who shall be iudge of the doctrine BEcause that Satan from the beginning hath laboured to deck his pestilent Synagogue with the title of the Church of God and hath inflamed the hearts of cruell murderers to persecute Gen. 4. 21. 17. trouble and molest the true Church and members thereof as Caine did Abel Ishmael Isaac Esau Jacob and the whole priesthood of the Iewes Christ Iesus himselfe and his Apostles after Mat. 23. Iohn 11. Acts 3. hiw It is a thing most requisite that the true Church be discerned from the filthy Synagogues by cleere and perfect notes lest we being deceived receive and imbrace to our condemnation the one for the other The notes signes and assured tokens whereby the immaculate spouse of Christ Iesus is knowne from the horrible harlot the Church malignant we affirme are neither antiquitie title usurped lineall descent place appointed nor multitude of men approving an errour for Cain in age and title was preferred to Abel and Seth Ierusalem had prerogative above all places of the earth where also were the Priests lineally descended from Aaron and greater number followed the Scribes Pharisies and Priests then unfainedly beleeved and approved Christ Iesus and his doctrine and yet as we suppose no man of sound judgement will grant that any of the forenamed were the Church of God The notes therefore of the true Church of God we beleeve confesse and avow to be first the true preaching of the word of God in the which God hath revealed himselfe unto us as the writings of the Prophets and Apostles doe declare Ioh 1. 20. Secondly the right administration of the Sacraments of Christ Iesus which must be annexed unto the word and promise of Rom 4. God to seale and confirme the same in our hearts Lastly Ecclesiasticall discipline uprightly ministred as Gods word prescribeth 1 Cor. 5. whereby vice is repressed and vertue nourished Wheresoever then these former notes are seene and of any time continue be the number never so few above two or three there without all doubt is the true Church of Christ who according to his promise is in the middest of them Not in the universall of which we have before spoken but particular such as was in Corinthus Acts 16. 18. 1 Cor. 2. Acts 20. Gallacia Ephesus and other places in which the Ministerie was planted by Paul and were of himselfe named the Churches of God and such Churches we the inhabitants of the Realme of Scotland professours of Christ Iesus professe our selves to have in our Cities townes and places reformed For the doctrine taught in our Churches is contained in the written word of God to wit in the Books of the Old and New Testaments in those Books we mean which of the ancient have been reputed Canonicall In the which we affirme that all things necessarie to be beleeved for the salvation of mankinde are sufficiently expressed The interpretation whereof we confesse neither appertaineth to private nor publique person neither yet to any Church for any preheminence or prerogative personall or locall which one hath above another but appertaineth to the Spirit of God by the which also the Scripture was written When controversie then happeneth for the right understanding of any place or sentence of scripture or for the reformation of any abuse within the Church of God we ought not so much to looke what men before us have said or done as unto that which the holy Ghost uniformely speaketh within the body of the Scriptures and unto that which Christ Iesus himselfe did and commanded to be done For this is one thing universally granted that the Spirit of God which is the spirit of unitie is in nothing contrary to himselfe 1 Cor. 1â—â— If then the interpretation determination or sentence of any Doctor Church or Councel repugne to the plaine word of God written in any other place of the Scripture it is a thing most certaine that there is not the true understanding and meaning of the holy Ghost although that Councels Realmes and Nations have approved and received the same For we dare not receive or admit any interpretation which repugneth to any principall point of our faith or to any other plaine text of Scripture or yet unto the rule of charitie The authoritie of the Scriptures AS we beleeve and confesse the Scriptures of God sufficiently to instruct and make the man of God perfect so doe we 1 Tim. 3. affirme and avow the authoritie of the same to be of God and neither doe depend on men nor Angels We affirme therefore that such as alledge the Scripture to have no other authoritie but that which he hath received from the Church are blasphemous against God and injurious to the true Church which alwaies heareth and obeyeth the voyce of her own spouse and Pastour Iohn 10. but taketh not upon her to be maistresse over the same Of the generall Councels of their power authoritie and causes of their convention AS we do not rashly damne that which godly men assembled together in generall Councel lawfully gathered have proponed unto us so without just examination we doe not receive whatsoever is obtruded unto men under the name of a generall Councel for plain it is as they were men so have some of them manifestly erred and that in matters of great weight and importance So farre then as the Councel proveth