FRENCH Confession THis one God hath revealed himselfe to be such a one unto men first in the creation preservation and governing of his workes secondly farre more plainly in his word which Artic. 2. word in the beginning he revealed to the fathers by certaine visions and oracles and then caused it to be written in these bookes which we call holy Scripture All this holy Scripture is contained in the Canonicall books Artic 3. of the old and New Testament The Catalogue whereof is this The five bookes of Moses namely Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomie Iosua Judges Ruth two bookes of Samuell two bookes of the Kings two bookes of Chronicles or Paralipomenon one book of Esdras Nehemiah Ester Iob the Psalmes Solomons Proverbs Ecclesiastes the Song of Songs Esay Ieremie with the Lamentations Ezechiel Daniel the 12. small Prophets namely Ose Ioel Amos Abdiah Ionah Michea Nahum Abacuc Sophon Haggaie Zacharie Malachie the holy Gospel of Iesus Christ according to Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn the Acts of the Apostles Pauls Epistles namely one to the Romanes two to the Corinthians one to the Galathians one to the Ephesians one to the Philippians one to the Collossians two to the Thessalonians two to Timothie one to Titus one to Philemon the Epistle to the Hebrews the Epistle of Iames two Epistles of Peter three Epistles of Iohn one Epistle of Iude Iohns Revelation We acknowledge these bookes to be Canonicall that is we Arâ—ic 4. account them as the rule square of our faith and that not only for the common consent of the Church but also much more for the testimonie and inward perswasion of the Holy Ghost by whose inspiration we are taught to discerne them from other Ecclesiasticall bookes which howsoever they may bee profitable yet are they not such that any one article of faith may be builded upon them We beleeve that the word contained in these books came Artic. 5. from one God of whom alone and not of men the authority thereof dependeth And seeing this is the summe of all truth conteining whatsoever is required for the worship of God and our saâ—vation we hold it not lawfull for men no not for the Angels themselves to adde or detract any thing from that word or to alter any whit at all in the same And hereupon it followeth that it is not lawfull to oppose either antiquitie custome multitude mans wisedome and judgement edicts or any deerees or Councels or visions or miracles unto this holy Scripture but rather that all things ought to be examined and tried by the rule and square thereof Wherefore we doe for this cause also allow those three Creeds namely the Apostles the Nicen and Athanasius his Creed because they be agreeable to the written Word of God Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE receive and embrace all the Canonicall Scriptures Artic. 10. both of the Old and New Testament giving thankes to our God who hath raised up unto us that light which we might ever have before our eyes lest either by the subtiltie of man or by the snares of the devill we should be carried away to errors and lies Also we professe that these be the heavenly voyces whereby God hath opened unto us his will and that onely in them mans heart can have setled rest that in them be abundantly and fully comprehended all things whatsoever be needfull for our helpe as Origen Augustine Chrysostome and Cyrillus have taught That they be the very might and strength to attain to salvation that they be the foundations of the Prophets and Apostles Whereupon is built the Church of God that they be the very sure and infallible rule whereby may be tried whether the Church doe swerve or erre and whereunto all Ecclesiasticall doctrine ought to be called to account and that against these Scriptures neither law nor ordinance nor any custome ought to be heard no though Paul himselfe or an Angel from heaven should come and teach the contrary Out of the Confession of BELGIA HE hath revealed himselfe much more plainly in his holy Aâ—tic 2. Sub fiâ—em Word so farre forth as it is expedient for his owne glory and the salvation of his in this life We confesse that this Word of God was not brought or delivered Artic 3. by any will of man but that holy men of God inspired by Gods holy Spirit spake it as S. Peter witnesseth but afterward God himself for that exceeding teÌ„der carefulnes which he hath of his and of their salvation gave in Commission to his servants the Apostles and Prophets that they should put those oracles in writing and he himselfe also wrote the two Tables of the Law with his own finger which is the cause why we call such writings sacred and divine Scripture And we comprehend the holy Scripture in those two books of the Old and New Testament which are called the canonicall Artic. 4. bookes about which there was never any adoe And of them this is the number and also the order received of the Church of God The five bookes of Moses the book of Iosua of the Iudges of Ruth two books of Samuel two of the Kings two of the Chronicles which are called Paraâ—ipomena the first of Esdras Nehemiah Ester Iob also Davids Psalmes three books of Solomon namely the Proverbs Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs the foure great Prophets Esay Ieremie Ezekiell and Daniel and further more also the 12. small Prophets moreover the Canonicall bookes of the New Testament are the foure Evangelists namely Saint Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn the Acts of the Apostles the 14. Epistles of Saint Paul and seven of the other Apostles the Revelation of Saint Iohn the Apostle These books alone doe we Artic. 5. receive as sacred and canonical whereupon our faith may rest be confirmed and established therfore without any doubt we beleeve also those things which are contained in them and that not so much because the Church receiveth and alloweth them for Canonicall as for that the holy Ghost beareth witnes to our consciences that they came from God and most of all for that they also testifie and justifie by themselves this their owne sacred authoritie and sanctitie seeing that even the blinde may clearely behold and as it were feele the fulfilling and accomplishment of all things which were foretold in these writings We furthermore make a difference betweene the holy Artic. 6. bookes and those which they call Apocriphall for so much as the Apocriphall may be read in the Church and it is lawfull also so farre to gather instructions out of them as they agree with the Canonicall bookes but their authoritie and certaintie is not such as that any doctrine touching faith or Christian Religion may safely be built upon their testimonie so farre off is it that they can disanull or impaire the authoritie of the other We beleeve also that this holy Scripture doth most perfectly Artiâ— 7. containe
all the will of God and that in it all things are abundantly taught whatsoever is necessary to be beleeved of man to attaine salvation Therefore seeing the whole manner of worshipping God which God requireth at the hands of the faithfull is there most exquisitely and at large set downe it is lawfull for no man although he have the authoritie of an Apostle no not for any Angel sent from heaven as Saint Paul speaketh to teach otherwise then we have long since beene taught in the holy Scriptures For seeing it is forbidden that any one should adde or detract any thing from the Word of God thereby it is evident enough that this holy doctrine is perfect and absolute in all points and parcels thereof and therefore no other writings of men although never so holy no custome no multitude no antiquitie nor prescription of times nor personall succession nor any councels and to conclude no decrees or ordinances of men are to be matched or compared with these divine Scriptures and bare truth of God for so much as Gods truth excelleth all things For all men of their owne nature are lyars and lighter then vanitie it selfe therefore we doe utterly refuse whatsoever things agree not with this most certaine rule as we have beene taught by the Apostles when they say Trie the spirits whether they be of God And If any come unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not to house c. Out of the SAXONS Confession Of Doctrine SEeing it is most undoubtedly true that God out of mankinde doth gather together unto himselfe a Church unto eternall life for and by his Sonne through preaching of that doctrine which is written in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles we plainly avouch before God and the whole Church in heaven and in earth that we doe with a true faith embrace all the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and that in that very naturall meanning which is set downe in the Creeds of the Apostles of Nice and of Athanasius And these selfe same Creedes and the naturall meanning of them we have alwaies constantly embraced without corruption and will by Gods helpe alwaies embrace and in this faith doe we call upon the true God who sending his Sonne and giving cleare testimonies hath revealed himself in his Church joyning our prayer with all Saints in heaven and in earth and our Vide obseru 1. adhaac confâ—ss tum in hac sâ—ct tum in sâ—ct secunda declarations upon the Creeds are abroad containing the whole body and ground of doctrine which shew that this our protestation is most true We doe also very resolutely condemne all brainesicke fantasies which are against the Creeds as are the monstrous opinions of heathen men of the Iewes of the Mahometists of Marcion the Manichees of Samosatenus Servetus Arrius and those that deny the person of the holy Ghost and other opinions condemned by the true judgement of the Church Out of the Confession of WIRTEMBERGE Of the holy Scripture CHAP. 30. THe holy Scriptures we call those Canonicall books of the Vide obseru 1. in hanc Confess old and new Testament of whose authoritie there was never doubt made in the Church This Scripture we beleeve and confesse to be the Oracle of the holy Ghost so confirmed by heavenly testimonies that If an Angel from heaven preach any other thing let him be accursed Wherefore we detest all doctrine worship and Religion contrary to this Scripture But whereas some men thinke that all doctrine necessary to be known of us to true everlasting salvation is not contained in this Scripture and that the right of expounding this Scripture lyeth so in the power of chiefe Bishops that what they according to their owne will give out is to be embraced for the meaning of the holy Ghost it is more easily said then proved The whole Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable 2 Tim. 3. to teach to improve to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect being throughly prepared to every good worke And Iohn 15. I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my father have I made knowne to you And those things which the Apostles received of Christ those have they by their preaching published in the whole world and by their writings delivered them to posteritie It is a plain case therefore that all things which are needfull to be knowne to salvation are contained in the Prophets Chrysost ad Titum hom â— and Apostles writings He hath revealed his owne word in due season by preaching which is all committed to me this is the preaching For the Gospel containeth things both things present and things to come as honour piety and faith yea and all things he hath ioyntly comprised in this one word preaching Againe Ierome ad Tit. Cap. 1. August super Joan. Cap. 11. Tract 40. Without authority of the Scriptures babbling hath no credit For seeing the Lord Iesus did many things al are not written as the same holy Evangelist himselfe witnesseth that the Lord Christ both said and did many things which are not written But those things were selected to be written which seemed to suffice for the salvation of those that beleeve For wheras they say that the right of expounding the Scripture lyeth in the power of cheif Bishops it is evident that the gift of expounding the scripture is not of mans wisedome but of the holy Ghost To every man saith Paul is given the manifestation of the spirit to profit withall for to one is given by the spirit the word of wisedome c. But the holy Ghost is altogether at libertie and is not tied to a certain sort of men but giveth gifts to men according to his own Num. 11. good pleasure Oh that all the people had power to prophecie and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them Debora a woman Iud. 4. the wife of Lapidoth is raised up to be a Prophetesse Againe I am Amos. 7. no Prophet nor Prophets sonne but I am a heard man and a gatherer of wilde figs. And yet Amos received the holy Ghost and was made a Prophet All these things worketh one and the 2 Cor. 12. same spirit distributing to every man as he will Many examples also do witnesse that chiefe Bishops have been often and very foulely deceived wherfore the gift of expounding the Scripture is not so tied to the Popes that whosoever shall be Pope must needs rightly expound the Scripture but the true meaning of the Scripture is to be sought in the Scripture it selfe and among those that being raised by the spirit of God expound Scripture by Scripture CHAP. XXXIIII Of Councels VVE confesse that Councels ought to have their judgements in the Church concerning the holy doctrine of Religion and that the authoritie of lawfull Councels is great but the authoritie of Gods Word must
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
onely inspiration of the lying spirit Vpon the same Do agree with the Canon law c. We would have it declared Obser 2. pag. 446. unto us what manner of law this Canon law is seeing that there be many things both in certaine ancient and especially in the Canons of the Popes flat repugnant to the word of God and to equitie Vpon the same As mortall sins and such as expell the holy Ghost c. why we Observ 3. 446. do think that this also hath need to be more diligently expounded we have shewed not once before Looke the 4. Sect. observ 1. and 2. upon this same Confess Also Sect. 8. observ 4. upon the Confession of Auspurge Vpon the same Where as the words of Christ did speake c. If so be that we Obser 4. pag. 448. should admit that Gospell according to the Egyptians wherein those words be attributed to Christ Vpon the Confession of Wirtemberge ANnd that it is a mysterie c. to wit a spirituall marriage Observ 1. 451. between Christ and his Church and not this carnall or corporall and humane marriage which is not appointed to represent that other which is spirituall Vpon the same The politique laws which are the ordinances of God c. we Obser 2 pag. 451. also do approve the politique laws touching these things so that the consciences be not snared and that which in this contract is meerely divine be administred according to the true word of God being distinguished from civill controversies which fall out in marriage Looke before observation 1. upon the former Confession of Helvetia IN THE NINETEENTH SECTION Vpon the latter Confession of Helvetia VVIth good laws made according to the word of God that is Obser 1. pag. 458. with such as doe not forbid that which God doth command in the morall law and by the voice of nature it selfe nor command that which he forbiddeth For otherwise by the name of the word of God the Iudaicall civill law might also be understood to the which not withstanding we are not bound in so much as it is civill but onely so farre forth as it is grounded upon a generall and perpetuall rule of justice Vpon the former Confession of Helvetia ACcording to iust and divine Laws c. That is agreeable to Observ 1. pag 400. equitie and righteousnesse and to conclude to the law of nature whereof God himselfe is the Author Vpon the same And the oath which we made to him c. That is an oath whereby Obser 2. pag. 460. subjects are bound to their Magistrates Vpon the Confession of Basil IN the number whereof we also desire to be c. These things are Obser 1. pag. 461. spoken in the person of the Magistrates themselves and not of the Pastours of the Church at Basil in so much as this Confession was published in the name of the Magistrates themselves Vpon the Confession of Bohemia THe people is taught that they ought to obey no man more then Obser 1. pag. 464. God This is so farre to be extended as that we must understand that we ought not to obey any in these things which pertaine to the conscience and to salvation but God alone seeing that the Apostle doth not except so much as the Angels themselves Gal. 1. The end of the Harmonie and of the Observations A GENERALL CONFESSION OF THE TRVE CHRISTIAN FAITH and Religion according to Gods Word and Acts of our Parliaments subscribed by the Kings Majestie and his Houshold with sundry others To the glory of God and good example of all men At Edinborough the 28. day of Ianuary The yeere of our Lord 1581. And in the 14. yeere of His Majesties Raigne WE all and every one of us under written protest that after long and due examination of our owne consciences in matters of true and false Religion are now throughly resolved in the truth by the Word and spirit of God And therefore we beleeve with our hearts confesse with our mouthes subscribe with our hands and constantly affirme before God and the whole world that this onely is the true Christian faith and religion pleasing God and bringing salvation to man which is now by the mercie of God revealed to the world by the preaching of the blessed Evangell and is received beleeved and defended by many and sundry notable Churches and Realms but chiefly by the Church of Scotland the Kings Majestie and three Estates of this Realm as Gods eternall truth and onely ground of our salvation as more particularly is expressed in the Confession of our Faith established and publikely confirmed by sundry Acts of Parliaments and now of a long time hath been openly professed by the Kings Majestie and whole body of this Realm both in burgh and land To the which confession and form of Religion we willingly agree in our consciences in all points as unto Gods undoubted truth and verity grounded onely upon his written word And therefore we abhorre and detest all contrary religion and doctrin but chiefly all kinde of Papistry in generall and particular heads even as they are now damned and confuted by the word of God and Church of Scotland but especially we detest and refuse the usurped authoritie of that Romane Antichrist upon the Scriptures of God upon the Church the civill Magistrate and conscience of men all his tyrannous Laws made upon indifferent things against our Christian liberty his erronious doctrin against the sufficiencie of the written word the perfection of the law the office of Christ and his blessed Evangell his corrupted doctrin concerning originall sin our naturall inabilitie and rebellion to Gods law our justification by faith onely our imperfect sanctification and obedience to the law the nature number and use of the holy Sacraments his five bastard sacraments with all his rites ceremonies and false doctrin added to the administration of the true Sacraments without the word of God his cruell judgement against infants departing without the Sacrament his absolute necessitie of Baptisme his blasphemous opinion of transubstantiation or reall presence of Christs body in the elements and receiving of the same by the wicked or bodies of men his dispensations with solemn oathes perjuries and degrees of marriage forbidden in the word his crueltie against the innocent divorced his devilish Masse his blasphemous Priesthood his prophane sacrifice for the sins of the dead and the quick his Canonization of men calling upon Angels or Saints departed worshipping of Images reliques and crosses dedicating of Churches Altars Daies Vows to creatures his Purgatory prayers for the dead praying or speaking in a strange language with his processions and blasphemous Letany and multitude of Advocates or Mediatours his manifold orders Auricular confession his dispersed uncertain repentance his generall and doubt some faith his satisfactions of men for their sins his justification by works Opus Operatum works of supererogation merits pardons peregrinations and stations his holy
And even as they declined from those things which had perversly crept into the doctrine of Christ so they were more and more confirmed in those things which are altogether agreeable thereunto Of which sort are the Articles which the Christian Church hath hitherto steadfastly beleeved touching the holy Trinitie to wit that God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are one essence and three persons and admit no other division or difference then the distinction of persons Of Invocating and worshipping of Saints Artic. 11. MOreover that abuse also was reproved and confuted by which some thinke they can so by fastings and prayers winne and binde unto themselves both the blessed Virgin Mary that bare God and other Saints that they hope by their intercession and merits they may be delivered from all adversities as well of soule as of body and be enriched with all kinde of good things For our Preachers have taught by the commandement of Christ the Saviour that that heavenly Father alone is by the same Christ in the holy spirit to be prayed unto as he who hath promised that he will never deny us any of those things which we by a true faith aske of him through his Sonne And seeing the Scripture it selfe setteth before us one onely Mediatour between God and men to wit the man Iesus Christ 1 Tim. 2. who both loveth us more entirely and can by authoritie doe more with the Father then any other they rightly thinke that this onely intercessour and advocate ought to suffice us Yet they doe therewithall teach that the most holy mother of God and Virgin Mary and other beloved Saints are with great diligence to be honoured But that that thing cannot otherwise be done then if we studie to be conversant in those things to which they especially gave themselves namely to innocencie and sanctification and of which they set before us so worthy examples For sith they with all their heart and soule and with all their strength doe love God we can in nothing please them better then if we also with them love God from the heart and by all meanes possible to make our selves conformable to him so farre off are they from ascribing their owne salvation to their merits how therefore should they presume to help any other with their merits Nay rather every one of them while they lived here said with Paul the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Sonne of God who loved me and gave himselfe for me For I despise not the grace of God Seeing therefore they themselves attribute whatsoever they either be or have to the goodnesse of God and to the redemption of the Lord Iesus Christ we can please them no way better then if we also wholly rest in the same things alone which very thing Saint Augustine also teacheth toward the end of his Booke De vera religione Of Images CHAP. 22. AS touching Images our Preachers reproved this especially out of the holy Scriptures that adoring and invocating of of them is so openly granted to the simple people against the expresse commandement of God Secondly that so great cost is bestowed for their worship and ornament by which rather the hungry thirsty naked fatherlesse sick and those that are in bonds for Christ ought to have been relieved Lastly because the most part are so perswaded that with such worship and cost bestowed upon Images both which things God abhorreth they deserve much at Gods hands and that they obtaine speciall helpe by this means Contrariwise the same men doe teach that the ancient writers so long as Christian faith remained some what pure understood the Scriptures which forbid worshipping and praying to Images in this sense that they thought it an abominable thing to admit any Images either graven or painted in the Church although they were not otherwise ignorant what our liberty is as in all externall things so likewise in Images For they nothing doubted but that it was flat contrary both to the commandements of Scripture and also to the holy religion Which may especially be proved even by those things which blessed Epiphanius in times past Bishop of Salaminium in Cyprus writeth of himselfe in an Epistle to John Bishop of Ierusalem which also Saint Ierome turned out of Greeke into Latine because he thought it both Christian and profitable to be read and these are Epiphanius own words When we went together to the holy place which is called Bethel that there I might make a collection with thee after the custome of the Church and was come to the village which is called Anablotha and passing by saw there a Lamp burning and had asked what place it was and had learned that it was a Church and was gone in to pray I found there a vaile hanging at the entrie of the same Church stained and painted and having the Image as it might be of Christ or some Saint for I doe not well remember whose picture it was when therefore I had seene this in Christs Church contrary to the commandement of the â—cripture that there hung a mans picture I cut it and moreover I counselled the keepers of that place that they should winde and burie some poore body in it And a little after when he had brought an excuse for his delay in sending another vaile that he had promised he addeth And now I have sent that I could finde and I pray thâ—e bid the Elders of the same place take the vaile that we have sent of the bearer and bid that henceforth such vailes as bee contrary to our religion be not hanged up in the Church of Christ Loe this godly Bishop writeth that it is against the holy Scriptures and Christian Religion to have even Christs owne picture in the Church and that in so plaine words that it may appeare to them that as well the Bishop of Ierusalem himselfe and Ierome as all other men of that age throughout the same and that that faith and custome of detesting Images hath beene alwaies of old in the Church of Christ and brought in by the Apostles themselves Whereas some say further that Images be profitable for the instruction of the Lay people it appeareth first of all that almost all Images were set up for pompe and superstition rather then for any other use Secondly neither is that reason very sound For although the Lord would instruct and bring to the knowledge of his goodnesse the Iewes farre more dull then becometh Christians to be by divers outward ceremonies and pedagogies yet he was so farre from thinking that the use of Images was fit and convenient for that purpose that he did even by name forbid it unto them For whosoever is not instructed and stirred up to the worship of God by the word of God and by so excellent workes of his which he layeth before us both in heaven and earth and which are continually before our eyes and at hand and which to conclude
yet so as they doe all things in the Church as he hath prescribed in his word which thing being so done the faithfull doe esteeme them as done of the Lord himselfe but touching the keies we have spoken somewhat before Now the * Looke the 5. observation upon this confession power that is given to the Ministers of the Church is the same and alike in all and in the beginning the Bishops or Elders did with a common consent and labour governe the Church no man lifted up himselfe above another none usurped greater power or authoritie over his fellow Bishops for they remembred the words of the Lord He which will be the chiefest among Luc. 20. you let him be your servant they kept in themselves by humility and did mutually aide one another in the governement and preservation of the Church Notwithstanding for orders sake some one of the ministers called the assembly together propounded unto the assembly the matters to be consulted of gathered together the voyces or sentences of the rest and to be briefe as much as lay in him provided that there might arise no confusion So did Saint Peter as we read in the Acts who yet for all that was neither above the rest nor had greater authority then the rest Very true therefore is that saying of Cyprian the Martyr in his booke De simpl Cler. The same doubtlesse were the rest of the Apostles that Peter was having an equall fellowship with him both in honour and power but the beginning hereof proceedeth from unitie to signifie unto us that there is but one Church Saint Jerome upon the Epistle of Paul to Titus hath a saying not much unlike this Before that by the instinct of the Devill there was partaking in religion the Churches were governed by the common advice of the Priests but after that every one thought that those whom he had baptised were his owne and not Christs It was decreed that one of the Priests should be chosen and set over the rest who should have the care of the whole Church laid upon him and by whose meanes all schismes should be removed Yet Jerome doth not avouch this as an order set downe of God For straight way after he addeth Even as saith he the Priests knew by the continuall custome of the Church that they were subiect to him that is set over them So the Bishop must know that they are above the priests rather by custome then by the prescript rule of Gods truth and they should have the government of the Church in common with them Thus farre Jerome Now therefore no man can forbid by any right that we may returne to the old appointment of God and rather receive that then the custome devised by men The offices of the ministers are divers yet notwithstanding most men doe restraine them to two in which all the rest are comprehended to the teaching of the Gospel of Christ and to the lawfull administration of the Sacraments For it is the dutie of the Ministers to gather together a holy assembly therein to expound the Word of God and also to apply the generall doctrine to the state and use of the Church to the end that the doctrine which they teach may profit the hearers and may build up the faithfull The Ministers dutie I say is to teach the unlearned and to exhort yea and to urge them to goe forward in the way of the Lord who doe stand still or linger and goe slowly forward moreover to comfort and to strengthen those which are faint-hearted and to arme them against the manifold temptations of Satan to rebuke offenders to bring them home that goe astray to raise them up that are fallen to convince the gainsaiers to chase away the wolfe from the Lords flocke to rebuke wickednesse and wicked men wisely and severely not to winke at nor to passe over great wickednesse and besides to administer the Sacraments and to commend the right use of them and to prepare all men by wholesome doctrine to receive them to keepe together all the faithfull in an holy unitie and to meete with schismes To conclude to catechise the ignorant to commend the necessitie of the poore to the Church to visit and instruct those that are sicke or intangled with divers temptations and so to keepe them in the way of life Lastly to looke diligently that there be publike prayers and supplications made in time of necessitie together with fasting that is an holy abstinencie and most carefully to looke to those things which belongeth to tranquillity safety and peace of the Church And to the end that the Minister may performe all these things the better and with more ease it is required in him that he be one that feareth God pray diligently giveth himselfe much to the reading of the Scripture and in all things and at all times is watchfull and doth shew forth a good example unto all men of holinesse of life And seeing there must needs be a discipline in the Church and that among the ancient fathers excommunication was in use and there were Ecclesiasticall judgements amongst the people of God wherein this discipline was exercised by godly men it belongeth also to the Ministers dutie for the edifying of the Church to moderate this discipline according to the condition of the time and publike estate and according to necessitie whereas this rule is alwaies to be holden that All things ought to be done to edification decently honestly without any oppression or tumult For the Apostle witnesseth that power was given to him of God to edifie and not to destroy 2 Cor. 10. And the Lord himselfe forbad the cockle to be plucked up in the Lords field because there would be danger lest the wheate also should be plucked up with it But as for the errour of the Donatists we doe here utterly detest it who esteemed and judged the doctrine and administration of the Sacraments to be either effectuall or not effectuall by the good or evill life of the Ministers For we know that the voyce of Christ is to be heard though it be out of the mouthes of evill Ministers forasmuch as the Lord himselfe said Doe as they Matth. 22. command you but according to their workes doe ye not We know that the Sacraments are sanctified by their institution and also by the word of Christ and that they are effectuall to the Godly although they be administred by ungodly Ministers Of which matter Augustine that blessed servant of God did reason diversly out of the Scriptures against the Donatists yet notwithstanding there ought to be a streight discipline amongst the Ministers For there must be diligent enquirie in the Synods touching the life and Doctrine of the Ministers Those that offend are to be rebuked of the Seniours and to be brought into the way if they be not past recovery or else to be deposed and as wolves to be driven from the Lords flocke by the true Pastors if
ought rather to obey God then men Whereof also is to be Causa 11. â—â—â—est 3. Cap. St Domiâ—â—â— seene the judgement of the old fathers and of the Canon law where they thus write and these are the words of St. Ierome If the Lord or Magistrate command those things that are not contrary to the holy Scriptures let the servant be subiect to the Lord but if he command any thing contrary let him rather obey the Lord of his spirit then of his body And a little after If it be good which the Emperour commandeth doe the will of him that commandeth if it be evill answer we ought rather to obey God then men The Conclusion ANd hitherto have been informed and shewed unto your Majestie in this writing the reasons and causes of our faith and doctrine and Christian religion such doctrine as the Ministers of our Churches all and singular every one according to the gift of God granted unto him doe with one consent of judgement hold talke of and preach and doe constantly maintaine and fight for the same not with the power of this world but by holy Scriptures against those that impugne it or by teaching do spread abroad contrary errours thereunto Neither yet without that modestie that becometh the profession of Christians doe they stubbornly rather then rigorously persist in this doctrine or have at any time heretofore persisted but if any thing be found herein not well taken by them and that by certaine grounds out of the word of God which ought to be the rule of judgement unto all men peaceably and with a meeke spirit as it ought to be done be shewed unto them they are ready and forward and thereunto as alwayes heretofore so now they offer themselves that after due consideration and true knowledge of the truth had they will most gladly and thankfully receive that doctrine which shall have better foundations and willingly reforme whatsoever shall have need to be amended Wherefore most excellent King and gracious Lord may it please your Majestie to examine this our confession and after diligent and due consideration had to way and consider whether any man worthily and for just cause may reject and condemne this doctrine as not agreeable to the holy Scripture nor Christian Verily we are of opinion that if any man presume to despise or condemne this doctrine he must of necessitie also condemne the holy Scripture from whence it was taken and the ancient and true Christian Doctors with whom it agreeth and also the holy Church it selfe which from the beginning and that constantly so hath and doth teach And hereby your Majestie may graciously perceive and determine whether the complaints and accusations of our Adversaries and such as favour not us and our Teachers be just or no. Wherefore most humbly we pray that your sacred Majestie will give no place or credit to our Adversaries in those matters which divers wayes without any ground they charge us withall when as without all humanitie they accuse us our Ministers and Preachers as if we had another religion and taught another doctrine then that which at this present we offer unto your Majestie or that we presume stubbornly to take in hand or do attempt any other thing against God and your Majestie and contrary to the institutions of this Common-wealth and to the publique law of the kingdome of Bohemia And your Majestie may well call to your remembrance that we have every way and at all times behaved our selves obediently and peaceably and in all things which may turne or belong to the preservation of your Majesties person and to the publique good and commoditie of the whole Realme in all such things I say we have indeauoured not to be behinde others and hereafter also we offer our selves most ready to performe the same according to our allegiance and dutie Neither doe we thinke it onely a point of vertue and to appertaine unto honesty alone and the good estate of the Common-wealth to yeeld our selves subject and faithfull to your Majestie for peace concord and the rewards of this life but much rather we acknowledge that it pleaseth God and that so is his will that every one for conscience sake should be obedient to the Magistrate and should reverence love honour and highly esteeme him even as our Teachers also doe deale both with us and with the people to performe this and oftentimes by teaching out of the word doe inforce it upon us both Here we commend our selves unto your Majestie as to the fatherly and liberall tuition care and protection of our most gracious Lord and doe most humbly beseech of your Majestie that unto these things which on the behalfe of Christian religion we have tendred unto your Majestie we may receive a courteous answer and such as God may be pleased withall The Almightie and everlasting God graciously preserve your Majestie in continuall health to the profit benefit and increase of his holy Christian Church Amen Proverb 20. Mercie and truth preserve the King for his throne is established with mercie Out of the FRENCH Confession VVE beleeve that God would have the world to be governed Artic. 39. by laws and by civill government that there may be certaine bridles whereby the immoderate desires of the world may be restrained and that therefore he appointed kingdomes Common-wealths and other kindes of principalitie whether they come by inheritance or otherwise And not that alone but also whatsoever pertaineth to the state of righteousnesse as they call it whereof he desireth to be acknowledged the author Therefore he hath also delivered the sword into the hands of the Magistrates to wit that offences may be repressed not onely those which are committed against the second table but also against the first Therefore because of the Author of this order we must not onely suffer them to rule whom he hath set over us but also give unto them all honour and reverence as unto his Embassadours and Ministers assigned of him to execute a lawfull and holy function Also Art 40. THerefore we affirme that we must obey the Laws and Statutes that tribute must be paid and that we must patiently endure the other burdens to conclude that we must willingly suffer the yoke of subjection although the Magistrates be infidels so that the soveraigne government of God doe remaine whole or entire and nothing diminished Therefore we detest all those which doe reject all kinde of dominion and bring in a communitie and confusion of goods and who to conclude doe goe about to overthrow all order of law Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve that the most gracious and mightie God did Artic. 36. appoint Kings Princes and Magistrates because of the corruption and depravation of mankinde and that it is his will that this world should be governed by laws and by a certaine civill government to punish the faults of men and that all things may be done in good order among
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.
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
importance may be knowne diligently weighed and discussed as the honour which we doe chiefely owe to God in whose chiefe matter it behoovethus to be conversant with feare and trembling doth require Secondly it is a thing worthy of your sacred Majestie which is so much commended for the name of religion and clemencie To conclude the very meane to attaine to that certain and sound peace which your sacred Majestie goeth about doth require it which peace seeing that we doe varie about Faith and Religion can no other waies be obtained then when as before all other things the mindes be plainly instructed concerning the truth But peradventure it might seeme needlesse that we in these matters should use so many words seeing that the most famous Prince Elector of Saxony and others have very largely and soundly declared unto your sacred Majestie those things which at this day are in controversie in our holy Religion But because that your sacred Majestie hath desired that all they who have any interest in this businesse should declare unto you their judgement concerning Religion we also thought it our dutie to confesse those things unto your sacred Majestie which are taught among us Howbeit this matter is so large and comprehendeth so many things that even those things which we have declared on both sides are as yet fewer and more briefly declared then that we may hope presently to have some certaintie determined in the controversies and that such as may be approved not of all but at the least of a good part of Christian people So few is the number of those that doe subscribe to the truth Therefore seeing that this matter is so weightie so divers and manifold and cannot fruitfully be decided except it be well knowne and sifted of many we beseech your sacred Majestie and most humbly request you by God and our Saviour whose glory without doubt you doe chiefly seek that you would procure as speedily as may be that a generall free and a Christian Councel in deed may be summoned which hitherto hath seemed so necessary a thing both to your sacred Majesty and also to other Princes of the sacred Empire for the setting of Ecclesiasticall affaires at a stay that almost in all assemblies throughout the Empire which have been gathered together since the beginning of this variance about Religion both your sacred Majesties commissioners and other Princes of the Empire have openly witnessed that there was no other way in these matters to bring that to passe which might be wholesome Whereupon in the last assembly held at Spire your sacred Majestie gave occasion to hope that the Bishop of Rome would not withstand it but that such a Councel might with speed be summoned But if so be that in time we may not have opportunitie for a a generall Councell yet at the least your sacred Majestie may appoint a Provinciall assemblie as they call it of the learned men of every degree and state whereunto all for whom it is expedient to be present may freely safely resort every man may be heard and all things may be weighed and judged by such men whom it is certain as being indued with the feare of God to make the chiefest account of the glory of God For it is not unknown how gravely and diligently in times past both Emperors and Bishops behaved themselves in the deciding the controversies of Faith which notwithstanding were oftentimes of much lesse moment then those which doe presently trouble Germanie so that they thought it not an unworthy thing for them to examine the selfe same things the second the third time Now he that shall consider how things stand at this present he can not doubt but that at this day there is greater need then ever was heretofore of greater faithfulnesse gravitie meeknesse and dexteritie to this end that the Religion of Christ may be restored into her place For if so be that we have the truth as we doe undoubtedly beleeve how much time and labour I pray you is requsite that they may know the truth without whose consent or patience at the least sound peace cannot be obtained But if we doe erre from the which we doe not doubt but we be farre againe the matter will not require slothfull diligence nor a short time that so many thousand men may be called into the way againe This diligence and time it shall not be so unseemely for your Majestie to bestow as it is meet that you should expresse his minde toward us in whose stead you doe governe over us to wit the minde of Iesus Christ the Saviour of us all who seeing that he came with this minde to seeke and to save that which was perished so that he vouchsafed also to die that he might redeeme them which were lost there is no cause why your sacred Majestie should thinke much although you should undoubtedly beleeve that we are fallen from the truth to leave the nintie nine sheepe in the wildernesse and to seeke for the hundreth and to bring it back into the sheepfold of Christ that is to preferre this businesse before all other things that the meaning of Christ in every of these things which at this present are in controversie may out of the Scriptures be plainely and certainely laid open unto us though we be but a few in number and of the meaner sort and we for our parts will shew our selves willing to be taught onely let all obstinacie be removed so that it may be lawfull to heare the voyce of our Shepheard Iesus Christ and let all things stay and rest upon the Scriptures which teach whatsoever is good whereunto we shall be called For if it should so fall out that the care of teaching us being rejected there should compendious formes of Edicts be sought which we do nothing feare whilest the matter is in the hand of your sacred Majestie it cannot be said into what straights innumerable thousands of men should be brought to wit of those whom as being perswaded that God is chiefly to be heard and then that those things which follow as opinions must stay upon the undoubted oracles of God these sayings of our Saviour doe alwaies appale Feare not them which kill the bodie He that shall loose his soule shall finde it He that shall not hate father and mother c. yea even his owne soule he cannot be my Disciple He that shall be ashamed of me before this froward and adulterous nation of him will I be ashamed before my Father and his Angels And such like Many men being moved with these thundering speeches have resolved with themselves to suffer all extremity and many for feare of death doe rather seek delayes but yet waiting for a fit opportunitie if they should be dealt withall in this matter by authoritie before they be dealt withall by doctrine and by force before their errour should be made known unto them For of what force a sound perswasion of Religion is and how
it maketh men to make no account not onely of their goods but also of their lives it hath been seen more then sufficiently in very many even within this 10. yeeres that we may say nothing of the former ages who have willingly suffered not onely banishments and proscriptions but also torments and death it selfe rather then they would suffer themselves to be withdrawne from that judgement which they had conceived and which they beleeved to be true If now a dayes when as there is contention of those lighter matters there be but a few to be found whom a man may bring to unfeigned concord except they may bee perswaded of the law or the equitie of conditions how when as the controversie is of Religion shall we look for true peace and an undoubted tranquility in these matters to wit such a one as your sacred Majestie goeth about to establish except that on both sides it be agreed upon what things they be that God doth approve and what things be agreeable to the Scriptures For as Religion by right and by the custome of all nations is preferred before all other things so there never was any more vehement or sharpe fight among men then that which is undertaken for Religion But we seeing that your sacred Majestie hath used such an unspeakable clemency toward your enemies and those such as have pretermitted no kinde of hostilitie that we may let passe other things have not without cause received great hope that you will so moderate all things even in this matter also that you will much more seeke for the praise of goodnesse and courtesie in us who are most desirous of your safetie and honour as we have in deed testified and do from the bottome of our hearts desire yet farther to testifie For we have dealt so moderately in all points that we have made it evident enough to all good men that it was never in our minde to hurt any man or deceitfull to increase our commodities by the discommodities of other men Indeed we have sustained dangers for this cause spent exceeding much but we have not gained no not so much as a little thereby this one thing excepted that we being better instructed touching the goodnes of God shewed unto us through Christ we have begun by the grace of God to hope better of those things which are to come and of that we do by right make so great account that we do not think that we either have done or suffered any thing as yet worthy thereof seeing that it is an inestimable thing and to be preferred above all things which are in heaven or in earth We have been so far from emparing the riches of Ecclesiasticall men that when the husbandmen were in an uproar we to our great costs and dangers defended them to their uses The Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ as surely as we would that he should love us is the onely thing that enforceth us and hath caused us to doe all these things which we seeme to have altered Therefore let it please your sacred Majestie rather to follow the examples of these most mighty and indeed happy Emperors Constantine Jovinian Theodosius and such like who both by doctrine daily taught in all meeknesse by most holy and vigilant Bishops and also by Councels lawfully assembled and by a wise discussing of all things did deal with them that erred and assayed all means to bring them again into the way before that they would determine any thing more sharply against them then to follow those who it is certain had such counsellers as were most unlike to those ancient and holy Fathers indeed and received an event nothing answerable to the godlinesse of those Fathers In consideration hereof let not your sacred majestie be withdrawn with this that the chiefest matters which are now in controversie were decided long since and chiefly in the Councel held at Constance especially seeing you may see that of those innumerable no lesse holy then necessary decrees of the former Councels there is not so much as the least point observed of our Ecclesiasticall men and that they have so degenerated in all things that no man which is but endued with common sense doth not cry out that there is need of a Councel to restore Religion the holinesse of the Ecclesiastical order But if that doth like them so wel which was decreed at Constance how cometh it to passe that by no meanes at all that decree eversince took place that Christian Councels should be assembled every tenth yeer the which thing was at that time decreed For by this mean much godlinesse and faith might either be recovered or preserved But what is he that will not confesse that so often as the discase waxeth fresh so often the remedie is to be used and they which have the truth indeed doe never think it much both that good men should teach it and also defend it against the evill sort where any fruit therof may be hoped for Now when as so many thousand are so miserably intangled in the opinions of our Religion who can deny that there is hope of most plentifull fruit and such as hath justly inforced all those that are governed by the spirit of Christ that omitting all other things what soever contemning all kind of labour and cost they may give themselves wholly to this one thing that the doctrine of Christ which is the mother of all righteousnes salvation may be worthily weighed or considered purged from all errors offered in it natural colour to all those that love godlines and the true worship of God to the end that a peace such as may be firme for ever a true setting of all holy things at a stay may be restored confirmed to the sheep of Christ for whom he hath shed his blood which are now too much troubled and wavering The which peace can by no other meane as we have said be restored and confirmed unto them as being certain that in other things they are in some sort to yeeld or to give place but in the matter of godlines they are so to stick and bend themselves to the word of God that if they had a thousand lives they should offer them to be tormented rather then to yeeld one jot or in the least point which they are perswaded to be the word of God Now if one onely soule be of more value then the whole world what ought we to doe for the salvation of many thousands Certainly seeing we are allured by so great a hope both by this that they which are accused to your sacred Majestie of errour doe desire nothing else but that they may be taught and have wholly addicted themselves to the holy Scriptures which are fully sufficient to confute every errour and also thereby that Christ our Saviour hath made so large a promise that where even two or three be gathered together in his name there he will be in the
middest of them and grant unto them any thing whereupon they shall agree These things most godly Emperour we doe here rehearse for no other cause then to shew our selves obedient to your sacred Majestie which would have us also to declare what is our judgement concerning the reforming of Religion For otherwise we have good hope that your sacred Majestie hath of late very well considered and doth sufficiently perceive what necessitie doth enforce us thereunto what fruit doth allure us and to conclude how worthy a thing this is for your sacred Majesty which is so much praised for Religion and clemencie that all the best learned and most godly men being called together they may finde out of the divine Scriptures what is to be thought of every point of doctrine which are at this time in controversie and then that it be expounded by the fit Ministers of Christ with all meeknesse and faithfulnesse to them which are thought to be detained in errours Notwithstanding herewithall it is to be feared that there will not be men wanting who will doe their endeavour to withdraw your sacred Majestie from this unto these men it seemed good to us in this sort to make answer as it were before your Majestie Let it please your sacred Majestie according to your most excellent clemencie for which you are renowned to take and interpret in good part both this same and all other things which we have here expounded and confessed for no other respect then to defend the glory of Christ Iesus our God as our dutie requireth and as it is meet we should to obey your sacred Majestie and to account us among those who truely doe from our hearts desire to shew our selves no lesse obedient and addicted to your Majestie in all humble subjection then were our blders being ready in this point so farre as is lawfull to spend both our goods and our lives The King of glory Iesus Christ grant unto your sacred Majestie both in this and in all other matters to doe all things to his glory and preserve it long and advance it happily both in health and in flourishing estate to the safetie of all Christendome Amen VERIE BRIEFE OBSERVATIONS VPON ALL THE FORMER HARMONY Wherein the doubtfull sayings of every Confession are made plaine the darke speeches opened and besides such as in outward shew seeme to be contrarie one to the other are with modestie reconciled And to be briefe such things wherein there is yet any controversie which indeed are very few are favourably marked and noted that they also may at length through Gods assistance come to be agreed upon by a common consent of all the Churches 1 Cor. 14. 32. The spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets Phil. 3. 15. Let us therefore so many as be perfect be thus minded and if ye be otherwise minded God shall reveale even the same unto you Neverthelesse in that whereunto we are come let us proceed by one rule that we may minde one thing VERY BRIEFE OBSERVATIONS VPON THE FORMER HARMONIE ACCORDING TO THE ORDER of the Sections IN THE FIRST SECTION Vpon the Confession of Bohemia ACcording to the ancient custome This ancient custome Obser 1. pag. 8. we doe thus farre allow that libertie be be left to every Church to use or not to use those Postils as they call them yet so as we advise them to beware lest this culling out of some parts of the Scripture bring in a neglect of the other parts Vpon the Confession of Saxonie IOyning our Prayers with all Saints in heaven We learne in Obser 1. pag. 13. many places of the holy Scripture that the Angels according to the nature of their ministery which they are sent to performe doe further the salvation of the godly and it is evident by that saying Love doth not fall away and by the 6. Chap. vers 10. of the Apoc. that the spirits of the Saints taken up unto Christ do with their holy desires in some sort help forward the grace and goodnesse of God touching the full deliverance of the Church And thus we acknowledge that as well this and other places of the same Confession as also that place in the 23. Chap. of the Confession of Wirtemberge which followeth after the 2. Section pag. 45. are to be interpreted And we acknowledge no other intercession or intreating either of the blessed Angels or of the spirits of holy men that are now departed from us Vpon the Confession of Wirtemberge OF whose autho itie there was never doubt made What books Obser 1. pag. 13. these be may be seen out the French and Belgian Confessions where they are a Ireckoned up one by one And though that in the Catalogue of the bookes of the New Testament there are some to be found of which there hath beene some doubt made sometimes by the ancient Doctors of the Church yet at length by the common consent of the whole Catholique Church even they also were received and acknowledged for Canonicall And therefore there is no cause why they should now be refused for the scruples that some make about them IN THE SECOND SECTION Vpon the latter Confession of Helvetia FOr as touching their nature and essence they are so ioyned together Obser 1. pag. 19. Lest any man should slander us as though we did make the Persons all existing together but not all of the same essence or else did make a God of divers natures joyned together in one you must understand this joyning together so as that all the persons though distinct one from the other in properties be yet but one and the same whole Godhead or so that all and every of the Persons have the whole and absolute Godhead Vpon the same VVE reiect not the gods onely of the Gentiles but also the Images Obser 2. pag. 20. of Christians By Christians understand such as call themselves Christians in deed but yet do retain the use of images for the service of religion against the expresse commandement of God Vpon the former Confession of Helvetia REiecting herein all meanes of life and salvation save Christ alone Obser 1. pag. 24. Vnderstand it thus that here are excluded and condemned all those meanes that use to be matched with or made inferiour unto Christ by such as be superstitious and not instrumentall means ordained by the word of God whose help God doth so use that the whol force of the outward ministery is to be ascribed to God alone as is plainly set down afterward in the 12. Sect. in the declaration of this selfe same Confession where it intreateth of the ministerie and sacrifices Vpon the Confession of Bohemia IS above all to be honoured with high worship To wit with religious Obser 1. pag. 26. worship and such as properly respecteth the conscience which is all whole due to God alone as it is in plain tearmes afterwards set down lest any man should think that that false and