and through a more sharp viewing of the vice and otherwise most just hatred of the abuse to be carried and fall unawars even into a detestation of the very thing it self Which that it may be plain it will be worth our labour to premise some what of the nature necessity utility and right use of Confessions or Declarations For from thence it will most clearly appear and become manifest both how greatly they are mistaken who are wholly averse from them and reject them one with another and what is our end and scope in the putting forth of this As for Confessions then or Declararations in general they are nothing but clear and manifest expositions of our Faith propounded and laid down in a certain method wherein more or fewer eitheir by word or writing discover their judgment concerning points of Christian Religion and make it known to the Christian World for the clearing up of Divine Truth the cutting off Calumnies where with innocent persons are oppressed and the edifying of Churches in true Faith and peace This at length is the proper true and genuine nature and genius of Confessions and Declarations from which we are to make judgment of their true both necessity and utility and no ways from the disposition and design of those who have oftentimes abused Confessions and Declarations to far other different ends For those things have not been the faults of the Declarations but of the Declarers and not the uses but abuses of Confessions and they such as might easily but for our selves be severed from the Forms of Confessions themselves That these kind of Forms indeed are not precisely and absolutely necessary we willingly grant and therefore do we not like of their opinion whom we mention'd in the fourth place who account them at least for secondary Symbols of Faith and who determine or maintain that they are precisely necessary if not to the being yet at least to the well-being of a Christian Church For where a right and concordant or unanimous understanding of the Scriptures hath its place there simply is no need of other Forms of belief or expressions but what are in the Scriptures themselves and those Forms which are in the Scriptures they are sufficient unto Faith and Salvation and if one bring with him an honest and docile mind and studious of Divine Truth for the discerning of them and withall use those means which he ought to use and which become a Reader earnestly desirous of so great things they are so clear and perspicuous that they may and ought at all times abundantly to suffice every Christian to draw from thence both for himself and others a most perfect Declaration of Divine meanings For verily it cannot be justly doubted but that those Forms and Phrases wherein God himself and our Lord Jesus Christ were pleased long since to express and declare the meanings of their mind to private and ordinary and unlearned men are also at this day sufficient for us to understand and declare those very same meanings since to that end they are no less left of God and delivered by the Scripture to us than unto them that from them we might draw and fetch those things which concern the Worship of God and our own and others everlasting Salvation From whence it follows that it is altogether possible that the Church of Christ may not only be but that it may also well be without such like humane Forms In the mean time though such Forms are not precisely necessary yet are they not therefore also to be judged unprofitable and consequently unlawful and hurtful For if Prophesyings or Interpretings of the Scriptures are not unprofitable yea rather if they be some-times in certain respects necessary which several Teachers and Pastours propose in Universities and Churches or which otherwise are performed in Christian Assemblies when for the informing of the ignorant the reducing of them that go astray into the right way the relieving the doubting and convincing gainsayers they declare illustrate the meaning of the Scriptures as far as may be by familiar and clear withal usual forms of speaking be-besides the very express words of the Scriture it cannot verily seem unprofitabe much less unlawful or hurtful if more Ministers of Jesus Christ do by mutual consents joint studies and endeavours for the greater illustration or clearing up of divine Truth removing of slanders the edifying of the generality or the most of men or other holy and pious ends publickly open and declare their judgment upon the same meanings of Scripture and that in certain composed Forms Yea further if you shall duly consider the matter without affection and prejudice we shall find that those times may happen wherein such Declarations ought to seem not only profitable but also very necessary For iâ— foul and gross errours noxious to Christian Religion and piety should seize on our age if necessary heads of belief should be neglected or be minded but by the by or those that are not necessary be earnestly urged as necessary as also profitable doctrines not be distinguished from those that are necessary as they ought lastly if mens consciences shall be bound up by humane inventions or devices and every thing though never so false be palliated and cloathed with Scripture words and expressions there is certainly a necessity laid upon all and every Christian espesially upon Pastours of Churches seriously to consider and advise among themselves by what means they may withstand so many and great evils and if they shall perceive that those blind miserable mortals may profitably and prudently be holpen by a more clear proposal and elucidation or discovery of the Divine meanings than hath been formerly made as it were by a Torch lighted in the dark unanimously and as it were with joint forces to agree and conspire how they may discover and set before their eyes those divine senses and meanings in certain Forms now long since with profit received and familiar if peradventure by the help of these they that err may be delivered out of the said deep darkness and be reduced into the right way of everlasting Salvation In the next place if it fall out that those who perform this profitable service to the Christian Common-wealth should notwithstanding as it usually comes to pass be loaded with Calumnies be soyled with foul and dishonest suspicions and as it were overwhelmed with a certain deluge of false accusations as the Patrons of all the wicked opinions in the World who hang out as it were upon new posts old Heresies either all or some of them dig up again out of Hell or their Grave Errours long since condemned who hold nothing firm nothing solid in Religion and are divided and severed among themselves by so many and so monstrous Opinions that they may justly seem rather Monsters of men then Christians who is there who will not think them like to do a work worth their pains yea that
absolutely bind the Consciences of Men before God and therefore none should depart from it even in the least to wit neither in Matter nor in Words nay nor in method or manner of Teaching Far be so proud a vanity from us who know that this honour agreeth not with any Writings of Men how accurate soever and diligently and long and much considered but only with the Word of God contained in the Holy Scriptures and who both know that from the abuse of such Writings which is too frequent and too common new Schisms Sects Condemnations Persecutions and other Scandals of that kind have more often arisen and do seriously bewail the same And this was our principal aim To satisfie the often earnest requests of those who judged that we owed this Service both to the Church and Common-Wealth and indeed for to promote the Publick good that is both for the more ample illustrating the Truth of God and for the the more happy procuring and on every side propagating of Peace in them both Another end is that we might by this means the more commodiously vindicate the truth of our Opinions and our Innocency against the inique accusations of those who when as themselves hold grievous and very hurtful errours among others that in the first place concerning fatal Predestination and other points annext thereto as also concerning the killing of Hereticks yet will be thought the only Orthodox Men and the altogether pure Reformed and stick not to fasten upon us not only Errours but also Heresies and Blaspemies yea who while themselves exercise new dominion in the Church and do not only cause Schisms and Sects but do also every where raise up direful Persecutions and Banishments against harmless Men do nevertheless complain of us whom having in part indeed cited in their Conventicle of Dort they very lately condemned yet unheard and without making our defence more than Calumniously as of the true Authors forsooth of all the Scandals and Disturbances that have been hitherto made in the Belgick Churches For the fuller conviction therefore of these Men before God and the whole Christian World of their manifest calumnie and manifold injustice hitherto used against us and withal for the truer information of all that are pious and lovers or studious of the Truth of God and the Churches Peace we have thought not without weighty and just cause that we were bound to set forth this publick and unanimous Declaration of our judgment touching almost the whole Christian Religion In the sraming indeed whereof we have first of all diligently endeavoured that there might not be omitted therein any Opinion or Doctrine either necessary or very useful and that there might not be any thing either false or confused or lastly any thing idle and superfluous contained in the same But that it might comprehend in it the very form of sound or rather of healing words which abundantly express unto us Christian Faith and Piety both briefly and plainly and no less methodically and as it were in a brief survey hold forth the whole thereof to be viewed of all and that by the unanimous consent of all the Brethren not so much as excepting those who are held shut up in Goals all which jointly and severally diligently read it before and in the fear of the Lord examined it by the rule of the Holy Scripture as far as they might by reason of the iniquity of the times and at length with one Heart and one Mouth did all approve of it And indeed we have called it not only a Confession of our Faith but also a Declaration of our Mind and Judgment for that such a Declaration promiseth somewhat more full and pregnant than a bare Confession of Faith alone doth For indeed we were willing to satisfie the hope and expectation of those who desired a more copious full and clear exposition or unfolding of our Judgment concerning for the most part all the Articles of the Christian Religion and withal also to put a bolt upon the mouth of those who having nothing justly to carp at in us would perswade the people that we would never agree together upon any common clear and uniform Judgment touching the chief heads of Religion that we did conceal some things of which we were ashamed to give our judgment in publick and that they were such which did overthrow the very chief heads and as it were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tenths or chief of the Spoils of Christianity or if we did sometimes also publish or utter these that we did hide and cover them by obscure doubtful and uncertain expressions or some general and deceitful coverings of words This false accusation of theirs although long since elsewhere often detected and sufficiently refuted by us yet had we rather obviate it even by a publick and general Declaration of our Belief than by other means more lyable to calumnie So secure is a good Conscience and the Confidence of a good Cause which we have thought worth our while even upon this occasion publickly to declare And this among others was a cause why we conceived or framed it not in meer Scripture-Words lest we should indeed nourish that suspition to wit that we sought lurking Holes and hid as some indeed think mischievous and prophane meanings under an equivocal covering of the words of the Sacred Scripture and that we might by this means cut off all new matter of calumniating from those whose solemn study and chief labour it is to blu◠and stain under any pretence or colour whatsoever the credit and good name of the Remonstrants with heinous reproaches or at least with sinister suspicions As to thorny and too subtile questions which are proper to your Universities and Schools and which neither advantage the knower nor prejudice the ignorant we have purposedly waved them leaving them to idle and to curious Wits and which are troubled with an incurable evil habit of disputing to whom it is matter of pleasure to make shew of their acuteness and from this kind of paste made to comfort the stomach with to seek or purchase to themselves the petty Garland of Victory We have bestowed our time and service on that Truth alone which is according to Godliness and indeed in conjunction with an ingenuous and open simplicity the which even the Unlearned may understand and the Learned ought not to disdain Lastly we have thought it best and safest to keep within the bounds of things necessary and in our judgment profitable waving and passing all other things of set purpose and that indeed the more commodiously to avoid both the extreams towit the excess and the defect For neither do we like their Opinion who will have nothing contained in Consessions and Declarations but what is precisely necessary to be known and believed We have thought it meet to have a regard o◠those things that are profitable also especially of those which in this kind excel the rest
and as it were lead and guide the Family For these like Spurs and Goads mightily excite and put forward the will the more freely and cheerfully to mind and endeavour after a love and observation of those things that are necessary From hence wee se it sometimes come to pass that some things which are not indeed precisely necessary to Salvation do nevertheless draw after them strong motions of minds and do strongly incline and bow by their weight our affections and whole will to this side or part or to the other so that he who sets his foot less aright or less firmly in them is upon a light occasion put by the staydness of a right mind and easily like a restless wave driven this way and that way Wherefore although it be not absolutely necessary for all to know them yet to be willing not to know or sometimes to be simply ignorant of them is dangerous and often times very hurtful And we have directed all things to the practice of Christian Piety For we believe that true Divinity is meerly practical and not either simply or for its greatest or chiefer part speculative and therefore whatever things are delivered therein ought to be referred thither only that a man may be the more strongly and fitly inflam'd and encouraged to a diligent performauce of his duty and keeping of the Commandments of Jesus Christ. For it is a dry decayed barren and consequently spurious Divinity which consists within the bounds of an empty speculation and meer contemplation and which after it hath a long time greatly wearyed the diligence of every the most vigilant and with pain exercised his wit only doth not yet reach to his will and beget therein a due obedience unto God and therefore worketh not in us a true and saving knowledg of God and Christ. For he that saith that he knows God and 〈◊〉 keepeth not his Commandments he is a lyer and the Truth is not in him The first therefore and chiefest praise of Theologie consists in this that it bows the Heart of Man unto an Obedience toward God and so inclines or bends that part of us which God hath endowed with a natural liberty and made as it were to be at its own pleasure and dispose that it do again of its own accord subject it self wholly unto God and abandoning the former abuse of its own liberty doth only follow the ducture of the will of God All other things unless they be directed to this mark are before God vain and frivolous and of themselves of the least price and consequently in a manner nothing to be esteemed The knowledg therefore of them is neither necessary nor profitable farther than so far as it may and is wont to serve unto this principal scope or design For this very cause also those things which pertain to the five Articles as they call them to wit of Predestination and the heads annext thereto we have somewhat more largely expounded them and here and there diligently intermingled with other things For if there be any Articles of our Faith which are very profitable and in a manner absolutely necessary unto practice or for the inculcating and begetting in us an observation or keeping of the Commands of Jesus Christ these at least are to be accounted such For these are every where and diversly scattered or spread abroad through out the whole body of Divinity as certain nourishments yea as it were Sinews small strings Arteries and Veins whereby our Spirit is effectually moved unto the exercise of Piety and kept nourished and cherished yea continually carryed and put forward in the same and so consequently strongly engaged unto a continual progress therein Which also was the cause why we have every where here and there where the matter so required with reasons also added openly rejected the contrary Articles unhappily established in the Synod of Dort as some unhappy cockle-weed and tares that are very hurtful to true Piety and Holiness yea as the foul blots and spots of the Christian Religion which all pious people ought no otherwise to detest then botches and imposthumes wholy sucking up the whole juice bloud and vigour of Goodness and Honesty and drawing them out of our souls to nourish themselves For there is nothing so much an Enemy to Religion as that fictitious fate of Predestination and unavoidable necessity of obeying and offending We had yet another cause of this our doing to wit that by this means we might testifie and declare to the whole Christian World how just and weighty causes moved us why we impugned their Opinion who obstinately and stiffly urged the said fatal Predestination as the chief basis as indeed it is or pillar and ground of their Religion and refused to tolerate in our Netherlands their brethren that dissent with them about the same to wit because if indeed it be considered by its self and according to its genuine disposition and tendency we saw that it was greatly hurtful to Religion and Piety and then that we might leave it to all godly Men to judg whether we any way deserved upon that account to be so unworthily and ignominiously dealt with by the Synod of Dort to be dismist with reproach to be put out of our places to be taken and violently haled from our Churches though never so much against their wills and furthermore afterward by the most Illustrious Lords the Lord States General which were but a little before every where after an unusual manner for a great part altered and changed to be cast out of our Country and Banished for ever for that being moved only with Religion and Conscience we could not promise that we would keep in everlasting silence that our Opinion and that we would no where whether privately or publickly whether directly or indirectly whether upon occasion sought or offered disseminate the same or inculcate it upon our Churches being in other respects ready to perform and discharge all the duties of good Citizens and Subjects together with our Country-Men concerning both which proceedings both Ecclesiastical and Civil no doubt but God and his Church in their due time will judg far otherwise than our adversaries desire or expect Lastly we have no where added to this our Confession the direful Anathema's i. e. cursings of mens persons and that a sorrow it is to speak it too thread-bare worn Damnamus We condemn but have every-where only barely or simply spoken our Opinion or Mind or with a moderate rejecting of certain errours added thereunto Not that we religiously fear to denounce an Anathema there where the holy Spirit of God goeth before us by his own example For with the Apostle Paul we doubt not to bid Anathema to Angels and Men if they preach any other Gospel than what hath been preached Yea further with the same We bid Anathema Maran-ath◠unto all that love not the Lord Jesus Christ that is to ungodly prophane and Atheistical persons
THE CONFESSION OR DECLARATION OF THE Ministers or Pastors Which in the UNITED PROVINCES are called REMONSTRANTS Concerning the chief Points of Christian Religion LONDON Printed for Francis Smith at the Elephant and Castle in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1676. THE CONTENTS OF THE CHAPTERS   Page Chap. 1. OF the Sacred Scripture and its Authority Perfection and Perspicuity 59 Chap. 2. Of the Knowledg of the Essence of God or of the Divine Nature 78 Chap. 3. Of the Holy and Sacred Trinity 93 Chap. 4. Of the Knowledg of the Works of God 96 Chap. 5. Of the Creation of the World of Angels and of Men. 98 Chap. 6. Of the Providence of God or his Preservation and Government of things 105   Page Chap. 7. Of the Sin and Misery of Man 117 Chap. 8. Of the Work of Redemption and of the Person and Offices of Jesus Christ. 128 Chap. 9. Of the Knowledg of the Will of God revealed in the New-Covenant 138 Chap. 10. Of the Precepts or Commandments of Jesus Christ in general and of Faith and Repentance or Conversion unto God 141 Chap. 11. Of Faith in Jesus Christ. 145 Chap. 12. Of good Works in particular and of the exposition of the Decalogue 155 Chap. 13. Of directing and denying of our selves and bearing of the Cross of Christ. 170 Chap. 14. Of Prayer and Thanksgiving and in particular of the Lord's Prayer 181 Chap. 15. Of special Callings and of the Precepts and Traditions of Men. 193 Chap. 16. Of the Worship and Veneration    Page  of Jesus Christ the only Mediator and of the Invocation of Saints 196 Chap. 17. Of the Benefits and Promises of God and first of Election unto Grace or Calling unto Faith 200 Chap. 18. Of the Promises of God that are performed in this Life to those that are already converted and are Believers that is of Election unto Glory of Adoption Justification Sanctification and of Obsignation or Sealing 209 Chap. 19. Of the Promises of God pertaining to the Life to come or of the raising again of the Dead and eternal Life 216 Chap. 20. Of the Divine Threatnings and Punishments of the wicked pertaining both unto this Life and unto the Life to come to wit of Reprobation Hardening Blinding and of Eternal Death and Damnation 218   Page Chap. 21. Of the Ministry of the Word of God and of the Orders of Ministers 222 Chap. 22. Of the Church of Jesus Christ and its Marks or Notes 230  Of the Marks or Notes of a visible Church 224 Chap. 23. Of the Sacraments and other Sacred Rites 237  Of Baptism 238  Of the Sacred Supper of the Lord. 240  Of other Sacred Rites but yet such as are indifferent 242 Chap. 24. Of Church Discipline 246 Chap. 25. Of Synods or Councels and of their manner and use 254  The Conclusion 260 ERRATA PAge 29. line 14. read are so tied P. 35. l. 18. r. the very said P. 37. l. 12. r. by God for disturbing P. 38. l. 9. for those r. these P. 39. l. 2. r. use a thing well P. 55. l. 12. r. for such P. 80. l. 25. r. state and relation of each to other Ibid. l. 27. for of r. by P. 88. l. 5 6. r. no ways sworn to any P. 91. l. 19. r. of any other Enemies P. 124. l. 1. r. now long since P. 140. l. 2. for assent â—r assert P. 151. l. 10. r. come to P. 182. l. 18. r. both these parts P. 185. l. 5. r. and in whom P. 186. l. 8. r. to forsake P. 202. l. 14 to 18. r. nor for that thereby the will of him that is called is by an irresistible power or by some omnipotent force which is neither more nor less than Creation or raising from the dead so effectually determined to believe P 223. l. 27. for in r. to P. 242. l. 4. add after themselves as coverts of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. P. 243. l. 10. r. as also P. 250. l. 19 20 21 22. unto the Word Sin to be expunged and to read And also withal there is even in the first place an exact regard to be had of the diversity or difference of Sins P. 256. l. 24 25. add after brought in that they be taken away or removed THE PREFACE TO THE Christian Reader THERE is no doubt pious Reader but that this Declaration of Faith which is published by us will be liable to the various and different judgements of men For as every one stands perswaded in his own mind touching both the necessity profit form and manner of such-like Declarations so is he like also to pass judgment upon this of ours There are some who think we ought to abstain altogether from all Confessions or Declarations and judg that they are not only not necessary nor profitable for the Christian Weal-publick but that they are also unlawful dangerous and hurtful in the Church There are some who do not indeed think it altogether unadvised to publish Confessions or Declarations much less do they think it unlawful or hurtful but they judge they ought to be conceiv'd and framed onely in meer pure Scripture-words There are some who indeed do not altogether disallow of Confessions though conceiv'd in other than bare Scripture-words but will have them to be so general and brief that they shall contain and comprehend nothing but what is absolutely and precisely necessary to be known and believed unto Salvation There are lastly others far different from these who judge particular Confessions and Declarations even of several most minute and small Controversies not only so far profitable but also necessary that without them a Christian-Society can neither have being nor well-being The so various diverse and differing judgments of all these this our Declaration is doubtless like to undergo and these indeed severally have specious and noâ— altogether improbable grounds for their opinions whereon they build and relie Those who judg that we ought altogether to abstain from Confessions or Declarations or that they ought not to be conceived but in meer and plain Scripture words of which sort of men in this â—ge there are found not a few otherwise pious and good men they as far as we can gather pretend for the most part three things for their opinion 1. For that by reason of them there is done no â—ight prejudice to the Majesty and Authority of the Scriptures 2. For that â—y occasion of them there is mighty dammage and detriment done to the liberty of Churches or Conscience and Propheâ—y 3. For that by the same a wide gap is open'd for Factions and Schisms in the Church And first indeed they think that by â—his very means the Majestie of the Scriptures is not a little derogated and detracted from for that both their sufficiency and perspicuity seem to be suspected and doubted of to wit as if they either did not fully and sufficiently contain all things
will not think them by some necessity constrained hereunto by a publick and solemn Declaration to obviate so atrocious and enormous slanders and by an ingenuous Confession of their judgment to testifie to the Christian World what and what manner of Persons they are in Religion and what in very â—eed they think touching the chief heads of belief and by this unblamable means â—s by a bolt bar firmly set against those â—nfamous revilings and slanders to vindicate and approve or commend to all good men the integrity of their good â—ame and esteem and the innocency of their lives Especially if they see that unless they do it all good men even the best will be estranged from them the weak will be turned aside from the love of the Truth or else that no light scruples will be cast into their minds that an occasion will be given to many in other respects in no wise bad men to continue in their errours or to return as it were to their vomit to their former filthiness which they had left that their Friends will be withdrawn from all affection of good-will towards them and violently deparated from their fraternity that more â—lenteous matter will be ministred to their Enemies and Foes to calumniatc and consequently that through the side of their wronged reputation the Truth of God will be wounded and all their labour â—are industry and pains hitherto spent or further to be spent in the promoting of the same will be rendred unprofitable and fruitless Certainly he that iâ— toucht with any desire of the publick good any care of the glory of God anâ— desire of the truth and peace of thâ— Church he cannot but believe and certainly conclude that in such a case theâ— is some kind of necessity laid upon those men if they can with a good conscience and men of highest degree and lowest degree require it even in conceived Form of Declarations to purge themseves from those false reports and calumnies and to testifie to the whole Christian World their innocency Nor indeed can it seeâ— sufficient for the washing away of thâ— said Calumnies if they contain themselves within the meer and bare expressions of the Scripture and deliver their Opinions or Judgments in so man Scripture-Words and Phrases For seeing that this very thing is charged up on them as a crime that under Scripture-words they in their Bosom cherish their worst meanings and most prejudicial to the Glory of God and the Salvation 〈◊〉 Men that they do upon occasion either readily sought after or offered by others disseminate or spread the same â—hen they perceive it is for their advantage verily they are reduced to that necessity whether they will or no as for the Glory of the Truth of God the edifying of the weak and the detection of Calumnies by that means which seems â—est and most profitable that is by some publick Declaration of their Judgment â—o purge themselves and to maintain and defend the sincerity of their belief Which things being so so far is it that Confessions or Declarations of Faith ought to seem hurtful or unprofitable of themselves that they are sometimes to be accounted of in the Church of Jesus Christ for useful vindications of the Truth and â—n a manner necessary remedies of the greatest evils Howbeit because such is either the â—nconsiderateness or sloth or malice of the most of Men that those things which of themselves might be useful and pious documents of our duty or most present remedies of great evils they suffer them by reason of their additional corruption and abuse by degrees to become superstitious bands of Consciences and insensibly to degenerate into idols and hurtful Poysons yea often they themselves turn them to the dammage and detriment of the best things we ought diligently to beware and endeavour with the greatest care that may be to vindicate such forms from all manner of abuse and corruption and to inculcate and assert at all times their right and true use which we indeed believe may be commodiously done if we have always these three things before our eyes and carefully observe them First if in the Church there be no Authority that is unquestionable that is irrefragable and beyond all exception under any title pretence or show whatsoever either directly or indirectly in things pertaining to Religion given to these Forms nor suffered to be given them to wit in such sort as that the Consciences of any should be tied or obliged to the same as Rules of Faith either primary or secondary Which indeed that it may be easily provided against is beyond all doubt if they be only had in that esteem and place as indeed they ought to be had to wit for bare expositions of our belief or for such Forms which do not define or determine what is to be held for true or false what is to be believed or not to be believed after what manner any thing is to be expressed or uttered but which only may make known and testifie what they hold for true and false what they believe or do not believe how they express the meanings of their Mind whose own those Forms and Declarations are For if they be had in no other account or greater esteem there is no danger that their Authority we say not should be equalled much less be preferred before the Scriptures but that they find not indeed any place though the lowest in the Church For doubeless as we have already said before they will not then be held for Squares and Rules of Faith whereby Truth or Falshood Heresie or Errour may and ought to be known and which are published for that end that by them what is true or false may be known and discovered or sound but only for bare Signals and Symbols or Tokens which only show and declare what the Authors believed and judged of those and the other Articles and Meanings of Christian Religion And truly if we consult the ancient Annals of the Church they who first put forth such Symbols Ecclesiastical Canons Confessions and Declarations had no other design aim or end but thereby to testifie not what was to be believed but what they themselves believed and that these Symbols c. should be even instead of Watch-Towers to declare shew to the unwary and imprudent the Shelves and Quicks of Errours that were hurtful to Piety and Salvation or also to serve against Calumniators for Apologies whereby every one might understand how far they were from those Errours Blasphemies and Crimes which through Calumny were by men ill-imployed fastened upon them And certainly if all Declarations and Confessions had at all times kept within these bounds they had not indeed at any time obtained any Dictator-like Dignity or Authority much less greater than or equal to the Scriptures in the Church Wherefore that the Church may in the first place alway hold this firm unalterable we are to endeavour again and again and
Forms flows from the first if to wit there be not contrived of such Forms of Confessions and Declarations certain Spiritual Bonds Stocks and Fetters whereunto the Consciences Tongues and Pens of the Declarers be not so tied and fastned that none may recede from the phrases thereof manner of speaking order method c. but that he is also forthwith suspected and accused of Heterodoxie who is found to expound the Divine Scripture and sentiments of his own mind in other expressions or other order or method then what are expressed in them i. e. in those Forms of Confessions For by this means that liberty which so long as the truth of the Sences or Meanings themselves remain safe ought to continue whole and entire to all Believers in their expounding the Scriptures as they shall judg meet for the greatest furtherance of the Truth and edifying of Churches iâ— not only cast out of doors and banished out of the Church but also the authority of the Word of God is secretly and aâ— it were by mines supplanted and overthrown by the same For it can hardly otherwise be but that where the expressions of such Forms begin to be of morâ— account than those of the Word of God it self there the Authority of the Word of God should by degrees grow vile and sinâ— in estimation beneath those Forms And indeed if we will but mind it the chief and haply first step whereby humanâ— Forms ascended to the height of an usurped Authority and Majesty almost Divine was this that at the first they at tributed to the phrases words order and method thereof more than was meet a if in them all sences to be believed hoped and practised were more clearly briefly and substantially exprest thaâ— in those which we meet with in the Scriptures For from hence hath the esteem of them by little and little been encreased and that of the Scriptures lessened insomuch that according to the words phrases yea almost syllables and letters of the said Forms and according to the method and peculiar order of the same they began to determine and declare touching the truth and falseness of almost all Opinions and Meanings as if that could not be true which did not exactly and in every thing agree with them and as if he could not be free from Herisie or at least from errour and falshood who should though never so modestly contradict them or go but a straws breadth from them yea that should not almost swear unto the words thereof The which pernicious abuse and so manifest a corruption and inconvenience to withstand and prevent we ought at all times earnestly and almost only to inculate or repeat that such Forms of Declarations are not made for that end for to teach that the Sences or Meanings of Christian Religion may or ought most commodiously to be expressed in this order in this method in these phrases or manners of speaking and not in others but that in or by them they may be expressed rightly and commodiously enough or that in the judgment of those very Men that make such Confessions they are very exactly and truly contained in them For so to use them will not be a matter of absolute necessity but of meer liberty and he that useth them will indeed do well and yet he will not be judged to do ill that useth them not especially if he receive the sum of saving doctrine delivered in them and do not condemn those who in this point dissent The third thing which flows from those things that have been already spoken of necessary unto the right use of Forms is this That these Forms be not at any time held for limits and bounds within which Religion and the saving knowledg of God is believed in such manner to consist as if they who cannot in conscience assent to them or give their voice for them were therefore excluded from Salvation and shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven Far be that from us who firmly believe that Christians may unwittingly err in many things without the loss of Salvation and who judg that there are very few things that are precisely necessary to be known and believed for the obtaining Eternal Life Wherefore that we may demonstrate that this proud cruelty is exceeding far from us we do openly shew and declare that Forms of Confessions and Declarations are to be had in no other respect or account than for certain Ensigns and Standards set up whereby they declare who set them foâ—th that they judg that those Sences which are contained in those Forms do come very near the Truth and therefore unless they were taught better do heartily desire and wish that all others that are desirous of Truth and Peace would embrace them not indeed properly for this end that so at length they might be saved but that they might withdraw themselves from the danger of erring to the greatest distance may be For neither ought it to seem enough to a Christian to make towards Eternal Salvation by every means and in every way whatsoever the safest and surest is to be chosen except haply a just fear of some greater danger or scandal in the Church hinder the same For the good of Eternal Hapiness and of an immortal life ought to be of so great price with him that he ought to hate and carefully to shun all dangers which may turn away or withdraw his mind from imbracing the same Nor hath he any reason to fear that he doth therefore abet and patronize Schisme which the Apostle calleth a work of the flesh For if he haply depart from some Congregations to others he doth not forthwith contemn those which he leaveth or judg them as excluded from the hope of Salvation but only goes from those that are more impure to those that are more pure that he may shew that he hath a care and tender regard of every truth any ways serving to his own Salvation and approve his Conscience unto God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless in the mean while he does his endeavour sedulously to maintain Peace and Concord with all that are truly pious as faâ— as is possible and to testifie his moderation or aequanimity to all that are good And indeed if Forms of Confessions and Declarations be drawn up with these bounds and as it were sacred limits oâ— their right use they will be judged noâ— only not unlawful or hurtful but on thâ— contrary most peofitable and wholsome to the Christian Common-Wealth yea and also sometimes necessary From whence they who would have them not only not necessary but unprofitable and consequently unlawful and hurtful are worthy to be thought to cast an uncivil reproach upon them For so far are they â—f themselves from derogating any thing from the Majesty of the Scriptures that is from their perfection and clearness that on the contrary the true authority thereof is no less confirmed and established by them than by Prophesyings or Expositions
But where we have not the Spirit of God going before us there we upon good right demuâ—â— and with-hold our assent and do both beg and grant pardon by course remembring that which our Saviour adviseth us Judg not that ye be not judged and which the Apostle Judg not any thing before the time untill the Lord come who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the Councils of Mens Hearts and then shall every Man have praise of God Hence we do not easily denounce an Anathema to him who we believe is held with a pure meer errour if he be otherwise pious fearing God and studious of a good Conscience and Divine Truth that is if he seem to us to love the Lord Jesus and highly to prize his Gospel by which alone he is willing to maintain his errour through which he ignorantly errs For we know how ready a matter it is in so great a multitude of Opinions so great a company of those that err so great a variety of wits or dispositions so great a plenty of hinderances and scruples so great weakness of judgments in such to slip and err and how easy it is by arguments true in appearance to be deceived and mistaken how harmless also it is in it self to err and to mistake in many things how great also clemency and kindness God is like to use towards such as simply err who pardoneth and remitteth even willful sins themselves to those that repent and how aliene or far from the gentle and meek disposition of our Lord Jesus it is not to pittie those that stray Lastly how sad and tragical disturbances that both rash and proud confidence of condemning hath at all times occasioned and made For Anathema's are wont to provoke Anathema's and where this chance is once cast all 's past and there is an end of all hope of remedy For the direful hatreds of parties suceed and the reins of hatreds being let loose they commonly at length with deadly and spiteful minds rush upon the slaughtering and Butchering of one another and the last fruit of these Condemnings and Anathematizings is an everlasting despair of cure That we might therefore avoid these mischiefs we have carefully and purposely forborn Anathema's deeming it sufficient ingenuously to have spoken the Truth and to have shewed the errour leaving in the mean time unto others a free judgment touching every errour and the greatness of the errour but chiefly to him who alone judgeth righteously and searcheth the Hearts and Reins of Men. We have already sufficiently sacrificed to unseasonable Anathema's and to those direful forms of sentencing to punishment each other we condemn we execrate and curse c. It is now time that we sacrifice to Christian Concord Meekness and Charity After so many sad and dismal cursings whereby on every side the fiercenâ—is of hatreds and mortal fallings out hath been irritated and exasperated let us lay aside such Enemy-like and exulcerated Minds and by gentleness by long-suffering by kindness by the Holy Spirit of Christ by love unfeigned by the word of Truth by the power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the right hand and on the left after the example of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his Apostles let us fight against Errours that to our utmost power we may save those that err and deliver them out of the danger of Eternal Perdition Let us not be many masters for one is our Master Let us assent to or approve of the wholsome words of our Lord Jesus Christ and that doctrine which is according to Godliness Let us shun vain questions and strifes of words from which arise envy strife railings evil surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth supposing that gain is godliness Let not us condemn or shut out of the Communion of the Church those that Christ doth not condemn nor shut out of his Kingdom Again let us not become the Servants of Men but withal neither let us be Lords over the Faith of others Let our moderation appear unto all and in modesty and mutual charity bear with one another being certainly perswaded that none is lightly to be condemned or blotted out of the register of Christians that holds fast his Faith in Christ and in hope of the good things promised by him doth seek from the heart to obey his Commands though in the mean time he err in many things that in some sort or other concern Religion the which holy and worthily to be praised moderation or equanimity when the best and greatest God shall have inspired the hearts either of all or at least of the most of those who bear rule in Churches and Commonwealths with then at length the Truth of the Gospel will every where flourish and an holy peace in the Lord and Concord will set up a settled place of abode among all that are truly Godly The which that it may shortly come to pass in the whole World especially in the Christian but most of all in the Reformed we humbly beseech of God through Jesus Christ in Spirit and Truth These things thus premised we shall now come directly to the heads of our Declaration as those which we would have alwayes joyned by an indissoluble tye with this very Preface The Confession or Declaration of the Ministers or Pastours which in the United Provinces are called Remonstrants concerning the chief points of Christian Religion CHAP. I. Of the Sacred Scripture and its Authority Perfection and Perspicuity I. WHosoever desireth to worship God aright and certainly and undoubtedly to be everlastingly saved he must of necessity first of all believe that God is and that he is a bounteous rewarder of those that seek him and therefore must conform himself according to that Rule and Square which it is undoubtedly manifest was delivered and prescribed by the true God himself the supream Law-giver and established upon the promise of Eternal Life 2. That God is and that he hath at sundry times and in divers manners spoken in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets and that he hath at length in the last times most fully declared and manifested his last Will by his only-begotten Son hath been a thing confirmed by so many and great Proofs Signs Wonders mighty Deeds or Works Gifts or Distributions of the Holy Ghost and other wonderful Effects and certain Events of several Prophesies and Testimonies of Men worthy of belief that any more certain more substantial and more compleat cannot be given or justly desired 3. The whole Declaration of the Divine Will which pertaineth unto Religion is contained in the Books of the Old and New Testaments and indeed authentically only in those which are called Canonical or which it can upon no just ground be doubted but that they were written or approved of by those Men who were inspired with and
indirect and seceret Theft in the sight of God 12. The ninth Commandment is that we bear not false Witness against our Neighbour that is that we do not only forbear Lies Slanders Backbitings and rash Censures of others especially if they may bring any Prejudice or Dammage to them but also that we hearken not unto the Lies and Slanders and False Testimonies of others concerning them nor suffer our Neighbour by our silence as by a mute Testimony or silent assent to be burdened by them but on the contrary that we do maintain and defend his Honour Credit and Good Name both in publick and in private to our outmost power Lastly that we diligently and carefully pursue follow after and exercise Candor Truth and sincere Faithfulness in our Words Contracts Doings and Testimonies every where either in places of Judicature or out of them 13. The tenth Commandment is that we do not Covet either our Neighbour's Wife or his House or any other thing of his that is that we do not only do our Neighbour no outward Wrong but also that we covet none of his Goods that are necessary or profitable or delightful to him to his loss and wrong or at least by any unjust way or means though never so secret desire to usurp them to our selves and make them our own but that we turn away our Minds Cogitations Desires and Longings from all those things which the most good and most wise God would have subject unto the right or use of another and so in Godly sort always keep our Affections within those Bounds and Limits of Righteousness which God hath prescribed or set them ever and anon thinking of these two sayings 1. That it is our Duty to love our Neighbour as our selves 2. That we do not unto another what we would not have done unto our selves Unto all which ought to be added as the Colophon end or complement of all that ultimate act of Charity which Christ himself inculcates by his Apostle John that we stick not even to lay down our Lives for our Brethren CHAP. XIII Of directing and denying of our selves and bearing of the Cross of Christ. 1. BEside the Precepts we have already spoken of there is this also required that we direct and order or diligently compose and frame our selves according to the Rule and Prescript of the Divine Will Which indeed may two ways especially be effected 1. If we wholly deny our selves and all things that are ours 2. If we do in no wise love this present World and the Lusts thereof but rather for God's sake do freely forsake all even those things which are most dear unto us and to that end and purpose continually following Jesus Christ and treading in his steps we refuse not nor shun to bear his Cross. 2. Now we deny our selves aright in this manner First when in the worship of God we do not in the least take counsell of our own carnal Reason and worldly Prudence or Policie but in all things follow the guidance and command of him alone and that willingly and without any scruple who alone cannot err himself and will not deceive others In the next place when we wholly subject our corrupt Affections to the Will of God and chiefly that particular Affection whereby we are more easily and readily enclined and swayed unto some certain Vices or sometimes unto some one and when by contrary Vertues and those works of the Spirit which the Apostle reckons up Gal. 5. we do as it were crucifie them and reduce them into order suppose Anger by Gentleness and Meekness Morosness by Courteousness Sloth by Zeal and Fervour Sadness by Joy Litigiousness by Facility and Peaceableness c. Last ly we deny our selves most of all and indeed most properly when we are ready for Christ's sake to put off that first and most natural Love whereby we are wholly enclined to favour our Lives and the Happiness or Accommendation thereof and refuse not to forsake our lives themselves yea to lose them with or by the greatest pain and torment rather than endure to commit any thing unworthy of our Profession and the glorious Religion of Christ. 3. We then deny this World and the Lusts thereof or love them not when we do not only cordially and sincerely renounce those gross and foul Vices such as have been condemned by the better sort of Heathens themselves to wit which are contrary to civil Honesty and Justice and are for the most part manifestly injurious to God and our Neighbour and those things which in respect of our Animal or Natural Life in this World are good and pleasing and delightsome to our Flesh we do not desire or covet after them so as to be induced in any way or by any meanes whatsoever possible to the Prejudice likewise and Detriment of our Health and the Injury and Hurt of our Neighbour to pursue and possess or enjoy them but also love and long after no good things of that kind more immoderately or further than we ought or is meet to wit to the hindrance of our duty which is enjoyned us of God or to the loss and prejudice of better and heavenly Cares The which indeed doth then usually come to pass when true heavenly and eternal good things we either wholly neglect them or at leastwise coldly or lukewarmly perfunctorily or occasionally upon some other Account or by reason of some violent motion or sudden pang of passion we mind them only by the by or when we stick so fast fettered and intangled with a continual sollicitousness about the concerns of this Life and with Thoughts and Cares for our Animal Life as if we either placed our whole or chiefest Happiness in them and as if our Hearts were scarce nay not so much as scarce at all touched or affected with a love and care of things of an heavenly import and nature 4. And indeed we then love not the good things of this World too immoderately when we neither desire to enjoy the World it self nor those good things which are in the World so as if we placed any true and solid or stable and lasting Good in them but on the contrary do only desire to use them and that only so far as is sufficient to satisfy natural necessity and our leading a life worthy of a Christian. to wit without the hurt or grieving of another and transgressing of the Commands of Jesus Christ. Lastly when we are contented with necessary Food and Rayment and do not sollicitously seek or desire any thing further 5. The good things of the World of this kind according to the Apostle John are these unto which all other may fitly enough be reduced to wit Riches Honours and Pleasures the immoderate desiring or too much love whereof is called the Lust of the Eyes the Pride of Life and the Lust
one indeed whose duty it is after the example of Godly Kings and Princes under the old Testament chiefly or after the manner of Master-builders to moderate the outward order and government of the Church and to preserve the Worship of God whole and entire therein and therefore as oft as need requires himself to convocate or call Synods together and in his place to preside in them to propound together with Ecclesiastical Persons those things that are to be debated or treated of peaceably and softly to hear the Judgments of all in general even of Dissenters themselves to enquire diligently into the Truth out of God's Word himself to collect the free votes of others to give or declare his own Judgment and Sence together with them and to his utmost power to provide and take care that all things be managed and carryed on in them according to God as of right he may so of duty he ought 4. And yet is it not his right or duty to put in execution the Decrees of Synods by any secular power and force and to repress and keep under those who in Conscience refuse or think much to subscribe unto them either by Threats or Fines much less by Banishments Imprisonments Bonds finally by Death or other such like cruel Punishments Furthermore neither ought he nor of right can he trouble or molest those who modestly and always preserving inviolate the Reverence that is due to Superiors do only for Religion and Conscience sake desire to assemble and meet together without or out of those publick places which always remain subject to the Magistrates right or power to wit by Edicts Proscriptions Incursions of Soldiers and other violent ways of acting but is bound to preserve unto them whole and untoucht their liberty of worshiping God in publick and to take care and endeavour that the Truth of God and Religion be maintained only by spiritual weapons and perswaded unto only by arguments and reasons lest otherwise he seem to desire to offer violence to the Consciences of his Subjects and to suppress Christian liberty and lastly to usurp the Power and Authority that is proper unto God and unto our Lord Jesus Christ. The Conclusion And this at length is our judgment of all or at least of the chief Articles of Christian Religion whereby Christian Reader whoever you are you may easily understand and most clearly see that we are free and clear from all those Heresies Schismes and other noisom and ungodly Opinions which have been hitherto by our Adversaries slanderously fastened upon us And that we do not dig up again or as they say hang up upon a new Post or Pole any erroneous Opinious and such as have been condemned by the ancient and first Professors of Christianity also that we do not shake nor subvert those things which have been at any time established by the Church of Christ by universal consent that we do not define nor obstinately and proudly decide in those things which have long since been dubiously controverted to and fro and which make not greatly either for the promoting of the Glory of God or of our own Salvation or our Neighbour's finally that we do not operously subtilly seatch into those things which are not revealed to us lest indeed we intrude our selves into those things which the most wise God would have to be kept secret But that we make this our only and sole endeavour that we may preserve whole and entire that Truth which is according to Godliness and which it concerns us all solidly for to know and that we every where pursue and as much as in us lyeth promote those things which make both for the maintaining or cherishing and promoting of mutual Peace and Concord amongst Christians always remembring that advice of the Apostle's Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou constantly affirm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they which have believed in God be careful to maintain or go before or excel others in good Works For these are good excellent and profitable to for Men and that which the Apostle elsewhere exhorteth unto Follow ye peace with all Men and Holiness without which no Man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. In these two is placed the chiefest Glory of the Christian Religion With these therefore hitherto we are wholly taken up But about things unnecessary and not greatly profitable to Salvation we are loth to draw to and fro the Saw of Contention and the Mysteries indeed that are sublime abstruse we receive with a simple Faith and free from all scrupulous subtilness of Wit and Reason nor but soberly and sparingly and as one of the Ancients is reported not unfitly to have said we handle not the burning Iron without Tongs And as for unprofitable Speculations and vain Niceties we keep at the farthest distance from them for that they rather gender or produce strifes and questions than godly edifying which is by Faith 1 Tim. 1. 4. Concerning things indifferent as also Rites and Ceremonies we lightly trouble no Man so that the offending of the Weak be diligently avoided on the one hand and Superstition carefully provided against on the other Finally we direct all our studies to this mark that we may hold forth those things which are either necessary or very profitable to substantial Piety and our own everlasting Salvation and that in other things we may willingly and readily tolerate and bear with all that dissent from us and heartily follow maintain and cherish peace and concord in all the Churches of Jesus Christ although in our opinion or judgment they are out of the way Which things being so we earnestly entreat and beseech you by the Lord Christian Reader whoever you are that you would not give any room with your self unto any suspicions to the contrary nor admit of the unjust Accusations Calumnies and Slanders of our Enemies or easily harken unto those whose chiefest interest it is that we should be evil spoken of lest they should seem to have condemned and banished us undeservedly and as innocent but that having a careful regard to Right and Equity you would pass judgment of us according to this our Confession and publick Declaration of our Belief If in any thing haply you suppose or believe us to err instruct us in the Spirit of Gentleness and Meeekness which most highly becometh the Servants of Jesus Christ. We are ready in all places and at all times to yeild to those who shall shew us better and give place to the Truth of God which is more precious to us than all things else If at any time notwithstanding or in any place we dissent and differ in things not necessary to be known let us bear with one another in the Lord and being mindful both of Christian Charity and Prudence let us study to keep the unity of the Spirit through or in the bond of Peace