come whome I will Ioh. 15. sende vnto you from the Father euen the spirite of truthe whiche procéedeth of the Father he shall testifie of me to be shorte we receaue and allow the Apostels Créede whiche teacheth vs the true faith We condemne therfore the Iewes with al blasphemers of the holy Trinitie whiche we ought to honour We condempne also all Heresies and Heretikes teachyng that the Heresies Sonne and the holy Ghoste is God by name onely Also that there is in the Trinitie a thinge created and seruing or subiecte to the other to be short that there is in it any inequalitie of more or lesse or that the Trinitie hath one bodie or is facioned like a bodie differinge in maners or will or confuse or solitarie as though the Sonne and the holy Ghoste were nothinge else but the affections and proprieties of one God the Father as Monarchici the Nouatians Praxeas Patripassians Sabellius Samosatenus Aetius Macedonius Anthropomorphitae Arius and such like did thinke ¶ Of Idolles or Images of God of Christe and of Sainctes Cap. 4. BEcause God is an inuisible spirit Images of God the Father of an infinite essence truely he cānot be expressed or represented by any Image or any māner of Science In consideration wherof we feare not to call the images of God as the Scripture doth mere lies We reiecte therefore the Idols not of the Gentils onely but the Images of Christians also For albeit Christe did take vpon him our humaine nature yet he toke it not Images of Christe for that intent to geue a paterne to caruers and painters He denied that Math. 5. he came to breake the lawe the Prophetes but by the lawe and Prophets Deut. 4. images be forbidden He deuied that his corporal presence should profite his Esay 40. Church he promised that he would be alwaies with vs by his spirite who then would thinke that the shadow or Ioh. 16. image of his bodie shoulde profite the Godly any maner of waies And seing that he abideth in vs by his spirite we 2. Cor. 3. are doubtles the temples of God But what agréemēt hath the temple of God with Idolles And seing that the blessed 2. Cor. 6. Images of Sainctes Act. 3. 14. Apo. 14. 22. spirites heauēly Sainctes would in no wise be woorshipped and were against Images while they liued here vpon earth is it like that they beynge nowe Sainctes in Heauen and Aungelles are pleased with their Images to the which men boowe their knée put of their cappe and otherwise honour To the ende that men might be instructed in Religion and put in minde of diuine matters and their saluaciō Christ hath commaunded that his Gospell should be preached he hath not licensed Marc. 16. Images are not Lay mens bookes vs to painte Images to teach Lay mē with pictures he ordained his Sacramentes also but hath no where appointed Images to be erected Moreouer whether so euer we turne our face the liuely true creatures of God are before our eies whiche beyng well marked as it is meete they shoulde doo much more moue the beholder then all the Images or vaine immoueable rotten and dead pictures of al the men in the worlde Of these the Prophete spake full truely They haue eies and sée not c. Therefore we allowe the Psalm 115. Lactantius iudgement of Lactantius that auncient Doctor saying There is no doubt but that there is no Religiō where so euer an Image is We affirme also that Epiphanius that blessed Bishop did wel Epiphani ' Ierome whiche findinge in a Churche porche a vealle wheron was painted the image as it were of Christ or of some Sainct cut it in péeces carried it away with him because contrary to the auctoritie of the Scripture as he saide he sawe the Image of Christes humaine nature hange on the Crosse wherfore he cōmaunded that no more such vealles should euer after be hāged in Christes Churche as be against our Religion quoth he but rather that that scrupulositie should be taken away whiche is vnwoorthie of the Church of Christe not méete for faithful people Furthermore we approue this sentēce pronoūsed of S. Augustine of true Religion Augustine cap. 55. Let vs not compte it Religiō to woorshippe the woorkes of mens handes for the craftes men that forge such things are muche more excellent then their handie woorkes whome not withstandinge we ought not to adore or woorshippe ¶ Of Adoration seruinge and callinge vppon God by our onely mediator Iesus Christe Cap. 5. WE teache menne to honour and woorshippe the true God God onely is to be adored and vvoorshipped Mat. 4. onely We geue this honour to none other accordinge to the commaundement of the Lorde Thou shalt honour the Lorde thy God and him alone shalte thou serue Verely all the Prophetes haue vehemently inuaide agaynst the people of Israell bicause they woorshipped strange Gods and not the onely true God But we teache that God is to be woorshipped as he himselfe hath taught vs to serue him that is in Spirite and trueth and not with any superstition but with sinceritie of hearte accordynge Esay 66. to his woorde least he saye to vs at Ierem. 7. any time Who required this at your handes Paule auoucheth that God is Act. 17. not woorshipped with mens handes as though he néeded any thinge We call vppon him onely in all daungers and affayres of our life and that by God onely is to be called vppon for Christes sake alone Psalm 50. the intercession of our onely mediator Iesus Christe for we are thus expresly commaunded Call vppon me in the daye of trouble and I will deliuer thée and thou shalte glorifie me Moreouer the Lorde hath moste bountifully promised vs sayinge Whatsoeuer ye Ioh. 16. shall aske of my Father he will geue it you Againe come vnto me all ye that Math. 11. labour and are heauie laden and I will refreshe you And againe How Rom. 10. shall they call vppon him in whome they haue not beleued we then that beleue in God onely call vppon him onely and that for Christes sake onely For there is one God saieth the Apostle and one mediator betwixt God 1. Tim. 3. and man Christe Iesus And againe If any man sinne we haue an Aduacate 1. Io. 2. with the father Iesus Christe the righteous wherfore we neither Adore the Sainctes in Heauen neither woorshippe Sainctes should not be Adored or called vppon neither call vppon them ne yet acknowledge them to be in Heauen as our intercessors or mediators to God For God suffiseth vs our onely Mediatour Iesus Christe wherefore we geue not to any other the honor due to God and his Sonne because he hath plainely saide I will not geue my glorie Esay 43. Act. 4. vnto an other And Peter teacheth Amonge men there is geuē none other name vnder Heauen
minister by the name of priest For our Lorde hymself ordained not Christ made no priestes but Ministers any priestes of the news Testamente in his Churche who beyng aucthorized of the Suffragane might offer daielie Sacrifice I meane the verie fleshe and bloud of the Lorde for the quicke and the dedde But he ordained suche as should teache the people and minister his Sacramētes For Paule simplie and brieflie declaryng what wee ought to thinke of the ministers of the newe Testamente or of the Christian churche and how we ought to esteme theim saieth Let men so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christe and disposers of the secretes of God Therefore i. Cor. iiii the Apostle would that we iudge of ministers none otherwise then as of ministers He verely hath called ministers vnderrowers who haue yte onely to the shipmaister men not liuyng to pleace them selues and to doe what them liste but apoincted to pleasure others that is to saie their maisters at whose commaundement only thei be For a minister of the churche in all thinges belongyng to his office is bidde not to please his owne fantasie but to doe that onely whiche his maister cōmaundeth him And in the saied Chapiter it is expressed Who i. Cor. iiii is the Lord or maister euen Christ to whom ministers are bounde as seruauntes to do all businesse belonging to the ministerie be addeth further to declare more plainlie what the ministerie is that thei are bailifes or disposers of gods misteries Whiche misteries are called in many places chefly Ephe. iij the gospel of Christ as in olde tyme. Christe his Sacramentes why they are called ministers were called misteries wherefore thei are named ministers of the Churche bicause thei should preache the Gospel of Christ to the faithfull and minister the Sacramentes In an other place Luke xii of the Gospell we reade of a faithfull and wise seruaunte whom his Lorde appoincted ouerseer of his household to geue meate to theim in due season Againe wée reade that a man takyng his iourney into a farre countrey cōmitted the gouermente of his house to his seruauntes and gaue them auctoritie to ouersee his gooddes and appoincted euery man his woorke Here haue wée occasion ministered to speake somewhat of the aucthoritie and office of churche ministers wherin The auctoritie of ministers some haue with muche labour disputed and haue made subiecte vnto their power all the chiefest thinges in the yearth cleane contrary to the commaundemente of the Lorde whiche forbad his disciples to striue for chiefe rule and highlie commended humilitie Luke xxii Mat. 18. 20. In déede there is an absolute aucthoritie whiche is called Iuris aucthoritie by right of prescripcion whereby The true auctoritie and powre God kepeth to him selfe Math. 28. Apoc. ii iii. all thynges are subiecte to Christe the Lorde of all as he testifieth saiyng Power is geuen to me in heauen and in yearth And againe I am the firste and the laste beholde I liue worlde without ende and haue the Keyes of hell and of death Also he hath the keis of Dauid whiche openeth and no mā shutteth shutteth and no manne openeth This power the Lorde kepeth to himself and geueth to none other that he might stande idley beholdyng his ministers while thei doe woorke For Esaie writeth I will laye vpon his Esa 9. 22. shoulder the keye of the house of Dauid And againe whose rule shall remaine vpon his shoulders but he reserueth and still vseth his power rulyng all Moreouer there is an other power belongyng to the office or ministerie what powre god geueth to ministers limited of hym who hath full and absolute aucthoritie that power is rather to be likened to seruice then to rule For some lorde geueth to his steward power ouer his house and therwithal A pretie similitude he geueth his keies also wherwith he maie let in or shutte out of the house whom the Lorde will either to be lette in or shutte out Accordyng to this power the minister dooeth by his office that whiche he is commaunded to doe of his Lorde who ratifieth and alloweth his dooynges and will haue his ministers deede to be estemed and acknowledged as his owne And this is the meanyng of those sentences in the Gospell I will geue thée the keies Math. xvi of the kyngdome of heauen what soeuer thou shalt binde or lose in yearth shal be bounde or loosed in heauen Ihon. xx Also whose synnes ye remitte thei are remitted vnto theim and whose synnes ye retaine thei are retained But excepte the minister shall doe all thynges as he is commaunded of his Lorde if he passe the limites of faithe truely God disaloweth his dooynges Therefore the Ecclesiastical power of Churche ministers is that function whereby ministers dooe in deede rule the Churche of God but yet dooe all thinges therein as the Lorde hath appoincted in his woorde And beyng so dooen the faithefull accompte then as doen of the lorde hymself As touching the keyes we haue spoken muche before One equall power or functiō is geuen to all ministers of the Churche Equall power is gyuen to the ministers Doubtles in the beginnyng Bisshops or Elders ruled the churche alike one helping an other none preferring him self before other or vsurpyng greater aucthoritie or dominion ouer their felowe Bisshops For thei were myndfull of their maister his woordes He that will emong you be chief let hym be your seruaunte Thei kepte theim selues in humilitie and helped one an Luke xxii other in gouernyng and preseruyng the Churche Howbeit for order sake Howe whē one minister is preferred before other ▪ some one appoincted of the ministers sommoned their conuocacions and in their assemblies proposed thynges to bee deliberated vpon gathered also other mennes myndes and to be short did what in hym laye to prouide that matters should not be handled confusely and without order So wee reade that sainct Peter did in the Actes of the Apostles who notwithstandyng was not extolled aboue other nor of greater aucthoritie then the residewe For right well Cyprian the martyre affirmeth Cyprian in his booke of the simplicitie of the Clergie Such wer the other Apostles as Peter was of like felowship of like honour and power But the beginnyng betwene theim procedeth of one vnitie to the ende that wee maie knowe that there is but one Churche S. Ierome also writeth not muche vnlike Ierome wordes in his commentarie vpō the Epistle of Paule to Titus saiyng Before that by the Deuils intisemēt there was strief in religion Churches were gouerned by the common counsaile of thelders but after eche maner thought those whom he baptised to bée his owne and not Christes it was decréed that one of the Elders should bée chosen and preferred aboue the other to whom all the care of the Churche should appertain and by whose wisedome all occasions of schismes might bée taken awaie Yet Ierome boasteth not of
A CONFESsion of Fayth made by common consent of diuers reformed Churches beyonde the Seas with an Exhortation to the Reformation of the Churche Perused amd allowed accordinge to the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions Imprinted at London by Henry Wykes for Lucas Harrison Vnto the Christian Reader THe subtill Serpent our deadly enemie Satan laieth many snares to intangeil mankinde to withhold him frō cōming to the truth but especially two whiche be of all other most perilous Wilfull ignorance and Slaūderous reportes wherwith if once man be ensnared say what you liste doo what you please he lieth still in his errours and will not be remoued for wilfull ignorance so blindeth his eyes from readinge slaunderours reportes so stoppe his eares from hearinge the truth that not knowynge the clerenesse of the light he estemeth the darknes of a cloudie night as the brightnes of noone daies and giuinge light credite to false rumors beleueth forged lies as vnfallible truthes Thus many a Christian ketcheth his bane and no maruell For what disease is cured by increasing the corrupt humors whereon the sicknes féedeth howe is it possible that he shoulde be wonne to the Gospell that wittingly wilfully doth blindesielde him selfe dothe stubbernly refuse to Reade the truthe dothe frowardely disdayne to peruse any other bookes then suche as nussell him in his errours What good successe trowe you is that Capitayne like to haue that considereth his owne powre onely and is not desirous to know his enemies strength also what wise and trustie Lawier will harken to his Clientes tale alone and would not gladly if opportunitie were offered scanne his aduersaries writinges also If the iudge will giue eare to the first accuser beleue all that he sayeth to be true and either wil not heare the defendant or if he doo estéemeth his woordes as lies howe can he iudge arighte if thou wander in Poperie as in darknes and wilt not walke in the light of the Gospell if thy soule be poisoned with venimous superstitiō and wilte not tast the preseruatiue of God his woorde if thou consider Antichrist his powre onely and wilt not vnderstāde Christe his might and puisance if thou defende thine errours as an euill cause and wilt not regarde thine aduersaries proufes to mayntaine his righte if thou wilt credite the first doctrine that euer thou hardest which is nothinge els but mens Traditions wilt not harken to any other truthe no maruell if thou be blinde if thy soule be poisoned if thou be cōquered if thou lose thy cause if thou iudge wrongefully in weightie matters of Faith and true Religion Suche was the wilfull ignorāce of the Idolatrous Iewes who sayed to Ieremie The woorde that thou haste spoken to vs in the name of the Lorde we will not heare it of thée but we will doo what soeuer thinge goeth out of our owne mouth we will burne incense to the Quéene of Heauen we wil powre out drinke offerings vnto her as we haue done bothe we and our Fathers our Kinges and our Princes for then had we plentie of vitayles and were well and felte no euill so they that now adaies will not heare the Preacher of God his woorde that wil doo what thei liste that will offer to theyr Ladie of heauen that will sence to their worm-eaten Images that will doo as their forefathers their Kinges and Princes haue done bosting that then they had plentie of all thinges that then it was a merie worlde that then they felte no euill doo wilfully as it were hydewinke themselues frō seing the truth No maruell if Iehoiakim runne hedlonge into his destruction when he woulde not vouchsafe so muche as to giue Iehudie the hearyng while he red the booke of the Lorde written by Baruch but cut it with a penknife hurled it into the fier and brente it to Ashes Ahab was content at the length to heare what Michah woulde saye but estemyng his woordes as lesinges and beleuing his flattering false Prophets hasted to his miserable ende And as Michah then saide that a spirite went out was a false spirit in the mouthes of al his Prophetes so in this our age not one but many spirites are broken lose and be false Spirites bothe in the mouthes tounges hartes of our Romishe cole Prophetes For how many lies coyne they howe many slaunderous Sclaunderous reportes reportes forge they to deface the Gospell and the true professours therof Doo thei not laye to our charge as that Iewes did to Christ that our doctrine is newe learnynge that we are Anabaptistes Pelagians Libertines detestable Heretikes that we contemne fastinge neglect prayinge doo no Almes déedes dispraise good woorkes that we denie God his powre beleue not his woordes defie Christe his Image and are enemies to his Crosse that we falcifie the Scriptures refuse the Doctors deface the Councels sette at naught Traditions that we honour not the Sainctes estéeme not the Mother of Christe nor his blessed Martirs that we care not for the dead that we make God the auctor of sinne and man as a stocke or a blocke voide of all goodnes that we passe not for the Churche and rayle against the head therof that we abuse the Sacramentes that we are rebelles and teach subiectes to disobay their Prince inferiours to resist their superiours that we preache nothinge but libertie libertie to be shorte that we cannot agrée amonge our selues about the chiefest pointes of our Religion These and many such like slaunderous reportes haue lyinge spirites put into the mouthes of the Romishe Cleargie and their adherentes which if thou credite to be as true as the Gospell it wil be longe before thou beleue the truth of the Gospell But if thou wilt voutchsafe good Christian Reader diligently to peruse in the feare of the Lord this litle treatise not condemnynge it before thou reade it nor wrestynge euery woorde to an euill sence but with indifferēcie ponder eche thyng and iudge vprightly then then I hope that God will opē thine eies and giue thée grace to sée to acknowledge his truth wil enriche thée with wisedome to discerne the Spirite of truthe from the Spirite of errour light from darknesse Christe from Antichriste To those slaunderous reportes I néede not to answeare particularly bicause they be confuted by this woorke it selfe as by readinge thou maist vnderstande But two pointes I cannot omitte vntouched which are often vrged and neuer proued that we falcifie the Scriptures and agrée not emonge our selues in the weightiest matters of Religion Touchynge the firste we gather the true meaning of the Scriptures Expoundinge of Scripture by the circumstances of the text by reconcilinge it with other places of God his woorde to the confirmation of the truth and not to the establishinge of our owne deuises as some wreste them racke them to maintaine their fonde phantasies inuented of their foolishe braynes We alledge not the Racking of Scripture sayinge of Christe to Peter Ego oraui pro
seates of the scorners the whiche we are commaunded to flie that we may be blessed Moreouer if Doctors and Councels may be called as vvitnesses so that vve do iudge by the vvorde there be any doubte of the interpretation of the woorde writen I doo not refuse thē to be witnesses as I haue said but I suppose that first of all we muste diligently discerne the true Churche from the Synagoge of Satan the Fathers that are not suspected in Faithe nor cōdemned from such as either are mē manifestly without knowledge or Heretikes or otherwise suspected and the lawfull and vndoubted faithfull Councels from the Synodes and conuenticles assembled against Christes truthe finally the true bookes must be warely Iudged from the forged and counterfaite These thinges beinge determined God is only iudge by his vvorde then doo I saye that all these are to be hearde not as iudges for God is only the iudge by his written woorde but as witnesses cited and sworne and that certainely after the same maner as witnesses are heard by skilfull Iudges in publike controuersies euen so verely that they shew the causes reasons of their testimonies causes I say not borowed any where els but foorthe of the same woorde of the interpretation wherof the questiō is moued For Augustine renouncinge humaine reason saith very wel by the holy Scriptures we walke much more safely the which Augustine beinge shadowed with borowed speaches when we wil search them either that cōmeth foorth whiche is without controuersie or if it haue any doubte it may be determined by the same Scripture by the gatheringe and finding of testimonies witnesses of euery side Thus saith he and that very wel For if we must onely haue our wisdome by the onely writen woorde then may not the interpretation of this woorde be fetched any other where For as the same Augustine saith so hath the holy spirite tempered ordered the Scriptures the that thyng which is spoken in some place somethinge darkly in some other place is declared more plainly Finally what other man shal we folow VVho rather to be folovved then Christ and the Apostles Heretikes ouercome by the Scriptures then Christ him self and his Apostles and Christe did confute Satan abusinge the Scriptures by no other meanes but by the same Scriptures The Apostles confirme their doctrine by the writings of the Prophets And the Iewes of Beraea are praysed that whē they had hearde the doctrine taught by Paule they cōpared it with the writinges of the Prophetes to trie whether those thinges were so or no. Certainely the Councels of Nice did with none other weapon cut the throte of Arrius nor that of Cōstantinople Macedonius nor the Ephesine Nestorius nor the Chalcedonian Eutiches nor Augustine Pelagius Donatus wherfore they that counte the Scripture so doubtfull and darke that it standeth néede to haue light brought thereunto some other wayes are woorthie of all good men to be spitted vpō as blasphemers and vtterly to be abhorred Yet doo I not disprayse the writings Doctors allovved of God of the Doctors and their interpretations seinge that he that hath ordeined pastors and doctors to the edificatiō of the bodie hath Authorised them bothe by woorde and by writinges to interpretate the same but I declare howe farre we must sticke vnto them euen so farre as they doo bringe nothinge of their owne no not at that time when as the controuersie is of the sence and interpretatiō of any place of Scripture but that they by the Scriptures doo interpretate the Scriptures accordinge to the proportion of Faithe the whiche who so dothe whether he be newe or olde a Priuate person or Publike officer in the Churche whether he come alone or with many whether he be an olde man or a yong man let hym bee heard For though order Order is necessary but not so that we binde Gods grace to persone place but measure all by the rule of gods word must nedes be kepte in the Churche of God yet are no men so farre deceiued as thei that dooe binde the grace of the holie ghost to certaine places and persones For who murdered the Prophetes Who crucified Christe Thei vndoubtedlie that should haue been the chief pillers of true religion Therfore doeth not the Prophete sende the people of God to those godlesse Priestes but to the Lawe and the Prophettes Neither assuredlie hath the condicion of the Churche a long while béen any otherwaies whiles the corner stone hath been reproued by the verie chiefe builders and Antichrist hath sitten in the temple and place of God hym self What shall we now conclude Verelie that by the woorde of God all controuersies muste bee ended and that it is necessarie that the false and forged The worde of God ende of all controuersies woorde bee iudged from the true like as also the true churche from the false and adulterous and the Synodes and coūcelles gouerned by the holie ghost from those wherein Sathan was presidente Finallie the truthe from lyes and errours by Gods holie woorde For we muste beleue that in thynges concernyng our saluaciō we haue no The want of the word the original of all errours where els the truthe reueiled The whiche thynges beyng true if followeth that that thyng is moste certain whiche I said in the beginning moste noble Prince to bee the originalle whence all these euils did flowe wherwith in our fathers daies the churche was almoste oppressed and therefore that this onelie is the waie and mean to raise it vp again if by the pure word of God these controuersies maie bee decided For so will it come to passe that of the moste parte of those thynges there shal bee no question at all aboute the whiche yet at this daie verie many partly by ignoraunce partly through malice and frowardnesse dooe moste stubbernely contende and striue And those thynges whiche shall seme to be staied by the testimonies of scriptures if thei be iudged not by custome which when it departeth from the woorde hath no aucthoritie at all in matters of religion neither by the bare aucthoritie of certaine menne bee thei newe or olde but by the comparison of the places together all the interpretaciōs beyng examined by the proporcion and rule of faithe then finallie no thyng shal bee founde so harde that shall not easily be vnderstand nothing so darke that shall not be made cleare nothyng so doubtfull that shall not bee made plaine and euidente But who shall binde men to this order who shall directe this action and who finallie shall treate these thynges by common aucthoritie It is not our purpose to prosecute these matters at this presente although whiles I often and many times dooe thinke of this matter some thynges dooe come into my mynde of the whiche it maie be that I shal haue occasion to speake at some other time Now lette vs treate that wee haue in hande Seyng then all these controuersies must be
we deteste we haue made mention of them almost in euery Chapiter briefly recitinge reiecting them Men shall easely gather this also that we doo not by any wicked Schisme seuer or cut of our selues from Christ his holie Churches of Germany France Englande and other Christian Nations but that we well agrée with all and euery one of them in the truthe of Christe whiche here we haue acknowledged For albeit there is some varietie in diuers Churches aboute the vtteringe and settinge foorthe of their doctrine and aboute rites or Ceremonies Varietie of Ceremonies and dissent in trifels whiche they receaue as a meane to edifie their Churches yet that varietie neuer seemed to minister cause of dissention and Schisme in the Church For in suche matters the Churches of Christe haue alwaies vsed their libertie as we may Reade in the Ecclesiasticall Historie The Godly in time past thought it sufficient if they agreed Agrement in the chiefe pointes of their faith in the true meaninge thereof and in brotherly loue wherefore we truste that Christes Churches when they shall perceaue and finde that we consente in all Articles of our holy and eternall Gods doctrine in the true vnderstandinge thereof in brotherly loue with theim and chiefely with the auncient Apostolike Churche will likewise willingly agree with vs in those matters for the chiefest cause whiche moued vs to publish this Cōfession was to séeke obtaine and once obtayned to keepe peace concorde and mutuall loue with the Churche of Germany and other foraigne Countries who be as we throughly perswade our selues so kind so sincere and perfect that if any of our doinges haue perhaps not bene well vnderstoode hetherto of diuers they will herafter hearing this our plaine Cōfession not count vs Heretikes nor condemne our Churches whiche are true Christian Churches as impious But in especiall we professe that we are alwaies readie if any man require it more at large to declare all and eche particular thinge that here we haue proposed yea and to yeelde and giue them most hartie thankes and to obey them in the Lorde which can teach vs better doctrine by the woorde of God to whome be prayse and Glorie The firste of Marche 1566. All the Ministers of all Christe his Churches in Heluetia subscribed their names whiche be at Tygur Bern. Scaphonse Sangall the Court of Grisons and they whiche be ioigned in leage with them on this side and beyonde the Alpes Milhous and Bienne To whome the Ministers of the Churche of Geneua haue associated them selues also A briefe and plaine confession and declaration of true Christian Religion c. ¶ Of the holy Scripture and of the true woorde of God Cap. 1. WE beleue and confesse The Canonical Scripture is the vvoorde of God that the Canonical Scriptures set foorth in the olde new Testament by holie Prophetes and Apostles is the verse true woorde of God and that thei haue sufficient authoritie not of men but of them selues For God himselfe spake to our forefathers the Prophets and Apostles and speaketh yet to vs The Scripture is sufficiēt to instructe vs in al godlines by his holy Scriptures wherin the catholike Churche of Christe hath at full set foorth what so euer may truely instructe vs bothe how we should beleue to be saued and what life we shoulde leade to please God for the which cause he hath expresly commaunded that nothinge be added to his woorde or diminished from the same We thinke therfore that in these Scriptures we ought to séeke true wisedome and godlines reformatiō and gouernment of Churches instruction to gouerne our selues in all godlines to be shorte the proufe of doctrine reproufe or confutation of al errours with good admonitions accordinge to that sayinge of the Apostle The holy Scripture is geuen by the inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improue c. 2. Timoth. 3. And againe these thinges I wryte to thée sayeth he 1. Timoth. 3. that thou mayst know how thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the house of God and 1. Thes 2 when you receaued of vs the woorde of the preachinge of God ye receaued it not as the woorde of mē but as it is in déede the woorde of God The Lord himselfe saide in the Gospell you are not they which speake but the spirite Mat. 10. Luc. 10. Ioan. 13. of my father speaketh in you therfore he that heareth you heareth me but he that dispiseth you dispiseth me Wherfore when this woorde of God The preach ynge of Goddes voorde is the vvorde of God is preached in the Church by preachers lawfully therto called we beleue that the very true woorde of God is taught and receaued of the faithfull and that we ought not to imagine or to looke for frō heauē for any other woorde of God nor consider the preacher so muche as the woorde it selfe whiche is preached For albeit the preacher be euell sinfull The preachers sinne maketh not Gods vvorde the vvorse The invvard vvorkinge of the holye ghost disanulleth not the outvvarde preachyng Ier. 31. 1. Cor. 3. Ioan. 6. yet the woorde of God remayneth still true and good Neither doo we thinke that the outwarde preachinge is therefore to be compted vnprofitable because the true Religion dependeth of the inwarde lightninge of the holy Ghost or bicause it is written no man shall teache his neighbour for all men shall knowe me he is nothinge whiche watereth or planteth but God which geueth the sucrease For albeit no man come to Christe excepte he be drawen of his heauenly father and illuminated with the holy Ghoste yet we know that God wil haue his woord preached by some outwarde meanes also For he could haue faught Cornelius by his holy spirite or by an Angel without Peters ministerie yet not withstanding he sent him to Peter of whome the Angell speakinge sayeth He shall tell thée what thou muste doo For he whiche inwardly illuminateth by geuinge his holy spirite to men cōmaundeth also his Disciples sayinge Goe ye into all the world and preache the Gospel to euery creature as Paule preached the outward woorde to Lydia a sellar of purple at Philipie but inwardly the Lorde opened the womans harte And the saide Paule speakinge elegantly by degreese as it were Rom. 10. at the length inferreth Then faith is by hearinge hearinge by the woorde of God Howbeit we acknowledge that God can illuminate whom when he will euen without the outwarde ministerie suche is his omnipotent power but we speake of the ordinary waye showed to vs by Gods commaundement and declared by examples We detest therefore the Heresies of Artemon of the Maniches of Heresies the Valentinians of Cerdo and the Marcyonites who eyther denied the Scriptures to be of the holy Ghoste or els disalowed some part therof or māgled and corrupted them Not withstanding we plainely affirme that certaine bookes of the old Testament are called of some anncient writers