we deteste we haue made mention of them almost in euery Chapiter briefly recitinge reiecting them Men shall easely gather this also that we doo not by any wicked Schisme seuer or cut of our selues from Christ his holie Churches of Germany France Englande and other Christian Nations but that we well agrée with all and euery one of them in the truthe of Christe whiche here we haue acknowledged For albeit there is some varietie in diuers Churches aboute the vtteringe and settinge foorthe of their doctrine and aboute rites or Ceremonies Varietie of Ceremonies and dissent in trifels whiche they receaue as a meane to edifie their Churches yet that varietie neuer seemed to minister cause of dissention and Schisme in the Church For in suche matters the Churches of Christe haue alwaies vsed their libertie as we may Reade in the Ecclesiasticall Historie The Godly in time past thought it sufficient if they agreed Agrement in the chiefe pointes of their faith in the true meaninge thereof and in brotherly loue wherefore we truste that Christes Churches when they shall perceaue and finde that we consente in all Articles of our holy and eternall Gods doctrine in the true vnderstandinge thereof in brotherly loue with theim and chiefely with the auncient Apostolike Churche will likewise willingly agree with vs in those matters for the chiefest cause whiche moued vs to publish this Cōfession was to séeke obtaine and once obtayned to keepe peace concorde and mutuall loue with the Churche of Germany and other foraigne Countries who be as we throughly perswade our selues so kind so sincere and perfect that if any of our doinges haue perhaps not bene well vnderstoode hetherto of diuers they will herafter hearing this our plaine Cōfession not count vs Heretikes nor condemne our Churches whiche are true Christian Churches as impious But in especiall we professe that we are alwaies readie if any man require it more at large to declare all and eche particular thinge that here we haue proposed yea and to yeelde and giue them most hartie thankes and to obey them in the Lorde which can teach vs better doctrine by the woorde of God to whome be prayse and Glorie The firste of Marche 1566. All the Ministers of all Christe his Churches in Heluetia subscribed their names whiche be at Tygur Bern. Scaphonse Sangall the Court of Grisons and they whiche be ioigned in leage with them on this side and beyonde the Alpes Milhous and Bienne To whome the Ministers of the Churche of Geneua haue associated them selues also A briefe and plaine confession and declaration of true Christian Religion c. ¶ Of the holy Scripture and of the true woorde of God Cap. 1. WE beleue and confesse The Canonical Scripture is the vvoorde of God that the Canonical Scriptures set foorth in the olde new Testament by holie Prophetes and Apostles is the verse true woorde of God and that thei haue sufficient authoritie not of men but of them selues For God himselfe spake to our forefathers the Prophets and Apostles and speaketh yet to vs The Scripture is sufficiēt to instructe vs in al godlines by his holy Scriptures wherin the catholike Churche of Christe hath at full set foorth what so euer may truely instructe vs bothe how we should beleue to be saued and what life we shoulde leade to please God for the which cause he hath expresly commaunded that nothinge be added to his woorde or diminished from the same We thinke therfore that in these Scriptures we ought to séeke true wisedome and godlines reformatiō and gouernment of Churches instruction to gouerne our selues in all godlines to be shorte the proufe of doctrine reproufe or confutation of al errours with good admonitions accordinge to that sayinge of the Apostle The holy Scripture is geuen by the inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improue c. 2. Timoth. 3. And againe these thinges I wryte to thée sayeth he 1. Timoth. 3. that thou mayst know how thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the house of God and 1. Thes 2 when you receaued of vs the woorde of the preachinge of God ye receaued it not as the woorde of mē but as it is in déede the woorde of God The Lord himselfe saide in the Gospell you are not they which speake but the spirite Mat. 10. Luc. 10. Ioan. 13. of my father speaketh in you therfore he that heareth you heareth me but he that dispiseth you dispiseth me Wherfore when this woorde of God The preach ynge of Goddes voorde is the vvorde of God is preached in the Church by preachers lawfully therto called we beleue that the very true woorde of God is taught and receaued of the faithfull and that we ought not to imagine or to looke for frō heauē for any other woorde of God nor consider the preacher so muche as the woorde it selfe whiche is preached For albeit the preacher be euell sinfull The preachers sinne maketh not Gods vvorde the vvorse The invvard vvorkinge of the holye ghost disanulleth not the outvvarde preachyng Ier. 31. 1. Cor. 3. Ioan. 6. yet the woorde of God remayneth still true and good Neither doo we thinke that the outwarde preachinge is therefore to be compted vnprofitable because the true Religion dependeth of the inwarde lightninge of the holy Ghost or bicause it is written no man shall teache his neighbour for all men shall knowe me he is nothinge whiche watereth or planteth but God which geueth the sucrease For albeit no man come to Christe excepte he be drawen of his heauenly father and illuminated with the holy Ghoste yet we know that God wil haue his woord preached by some outwarde meanes also For he could haue faught Cornelius by his holy spirite or by an Angel without Peters ministerie yet not withstanding he sent him to Peter of whome the Angell speakinge sayeth He shall tell thée what thou muste doo For he whiche inwardly illuminateth by geuinge his holy spirite to men cōmaundeth also his Disciples sayinge Goe ye into all the world and preache the Gospel to euery creature as Paule preached the outward woorde to Lydia a sellar of purple at Philipie but inwardly the Lorde opened the womans harte And the saide Paule speakinge elegantly by degreese as it were Rom. 10. at the length inferreth Then faith is by hearinge hearinge by the woorde of God Howbeit we acknowledge that God can illuminate whom when he will euen without the outwarde ministerie suche is his omnipotent power but we speake of the ordinary waye showed to vs by Gods commaundement and declared by examples We detest therefore the Heresies of Artemon of the Maniches of Heresies the Valentinians of Cerdo and the Marcyonites who eyther denied the Scriptures to be of the holy Ghoste or els disalowed some part therof or māgled and corrupted them Not withstanding we plainely affirme that certaine bookes of the old Testament are called of some anncient writers
this Decree as though it were godlie for immediately he addeth As Elders knowe by the custome of the Churche that thei are subiecte to hym who is their ouerseer so let Bisshops knowe that thei more by custome thā by the Lordes ordinaunce are in greater auctoritie then the elders and that the Churche ought to bee ruled in comen by other as well as by thē Thus muche Ierome Therefore no man by right maie lette vs to retourne to that olde gouernement of God his church and to receiue it before the custome of manne There are sundrie dueties belōging to ministers whiche notwithstanding what the dueties of ministers are for the most part maie be restrained to twoo wherein all other dueties are comprehended The one is preachyng of Christe his Gospell the other is ministeryng the Sacramentes For it is the ministers duetie to assemble the holy congregacion in it to expounde the worde of God and to applie all his doctrine to the cōmoditie of his churche that those thynges whiche are taught maie profitte the hearers and edifie the faithful It belongeth to ministers to teache the vnlearned to exhort them and to pricke forward those that geue ouer or walke slowlie in the waie of the Lorde It is also their partes to comfort and confirme those that are weake harted to arme thē against the sunderie temptacions of Sathan to rebuke sinners to call into the right waie those that goe a straie to lift vp those that fall to conuince gainsaiers to driue Wolfes frō the lordes shepefolde to reproue synne and synners with wisedome and grauitie not to winke at or to conceile wickednesse to minister the Sacramentes to commende the right vse of theim and to prepare all menne with wholsome doctrine to the worthie receiuyng therof to kepe the faithfull in holie vnitie to forbidde Schismes and Heresies to instruct the rude to declare to the congregacion the necessitie of the poore to visite the sicke and those that be troubled with sundrie temptacions to informe and keepe theim in the waie of life Furthermore to prouide for publike praier in the tyme of necessitie and for fasting that is to saie holie abstinence and with all diligence to loke to all thynges that belongeth to the trāquilitie peace and sauegard of the Churche That the minister maie accomplishe all those thynges the better and with more ease it is required chiefly that be feare God praie earnestlie geue his mynde to the readyng of the scripture In all thynges bee alwaies watcheful shew a good example to all other of purenes of life And seyng that there ought to be discipline in the Discipline Churche and our auncitours vsed excommunicaciō and the people of God Excommunication had Ecclesiasticall Indgementes the whiche Discipline was exercised by wise and Godlye men it hath also belonged to ministers for better edifiynge to measure this discipline as the time the common state and necessitie required Where alwaies this rule is to be kepte that all thynges ought to doen to edifie comely decētly honestly or without tyrānie or sediciō For tha postle witnesseth that he had ii Cor. x. power geuen hym in the Churche of God to edifie and not to destroie The Lorde hymself saieth that the Darnell Math. xiii in the Lorde his lande should not bee rooted out whē there is daunger least the Wheate also be plucked vp therewithall But wee deteste the Donatistes errour Ministers albeit they be euill shoulde be hearde who thincke preachyng and ministerynge the Sacramentes to bée of efficacie and vertue or not of efficacie accordyng to the good or euill life of ministers For we knowe that the voice of Christ is to be beard euen out of the mouthe of euill ministers seing the Lord himself hath saied What soeuer thei bid you obserue that obserue and dooe but after their workes dooe Math. xxiii not We knowe that the Sacramentes by the institucion and by the wordes of Christe bee sanctified and are fruitefull to the godlie although thei be offered of vnworthie ministers Of this matter Augustine the blessed seruaunte of God reasoned muche allegyng the scriptures againste the Donatistes But there muste bee also due discipline emong ministers For diligent Disciplines for ministers Synodes inquisition must be made in Sinodes of ministers learnyng and maner of liuyng Offenders ought to bée corrected of the Elders and broughte into the right waie againe if thei bee curable Orels beyng paste amendemente thei should bée deposed and as wolfes thruste by true shepherdes out of the Lorde his flocke For if thei bee false teachers thei are in no wise to be suffered Neither doe we disalowe generall Councels counsailes if thei be holden according to the example of the Apostles to saue and not to destroie the church Furthermore al faithfull ministers as good workemen are worthy of their rewarde Thei synne not then when The true minister is worthie his rewarde thei take a stipēde and all thinges necessarie for them and their familie For the Apostle declareth that these thynges are lawfully giuen of the churche and receiued of the ministers in j. cor ix and j. Tim. v. other places wherby the Anabaptistes are cōfuted who disalowe and raile at those ministers Anabaptistes that liue by their ministerie ¶ Of the Sacramentes of Christe his Churche Chapi 19. GOd from the beginnyng annexed Sacramētes or Sacrament Sacramentall signes to the preaching of his word For so plainely witnesseth al the holie scripture Sacramentes what sacraments are are misticall signes or holie Rites or Ceremonies ordained by God hymself consistyng in the woorde of God in signes and in thynges signified whereby he kepeth in mannes memorie and somtymes renewcth his large benefites bestowed vpon his churche Wherby also he sealeth or assureth his promises and sheweth outwardlie as it were laieth before our yies those thynges to beholde whiche inwardly he worketh in vs yea by thē he strēgtheneth and increaseth our faithe by the holie ghoste workyng in our hartes And to be short by his Sacramētes he separateth vs frō all other people from all other religions consecratyng vs and bindyng vs to hym onely and signifieth what he requireth of vs to bée dooen There are some Sacramētes of the old Testament and other some belonging The Sacraments of the olde and new testament are not all one to the people of the newe Testamente The Sacramentes of the olde lawe were Circumcision the Pascall lambe whiche was offred vp For the whiche cause it is referred to the Sacrifices whiche were offered from the beginning of the worlde The Sacramentes of the newe Testamente are Baptisme and the Lordes Supper two Sacraments of the new testamēt Some recken seuen Sacramentes of the newe Testamente of the whiche we acknowledge Repentaunce makyng of Ministers yet not after the Popishe sorte but accordyng to the Apostles maner and Matrimonie to bée profitable ordinaunces of God but no Sacramentes Confirmacion and
and are no more called onely water bread and wine but also regeneracion or the wasshyng of renouacion also the bodie and bloude of the Lorde or sacramentes of the bodie and bloude of Christ Not that the signes are chaunged into the thynges signified and that thei cease to be that whiche thei are by their owne nature for then thei should not be Sacramētes nor signes but onely the thynges signified but therfore the signes beare the names of the thinges because thei are misticall tokens of holie thynges and the signes and thynges signified are ioigned together sacramentallie I saie thei are ioigned or vnited by a misticall significacion by the will and counsaille of hym who ordained Sacramētes For water bread and wine are not common but holie signes and be that instituted water of Baptisme did not institute it to the intent that the faithfull should bée wasshed with the water of Baptisme onely And he that commaūded in his supper to eate bread and drinke wine ment not that the faithful should take the bread and wine onely without a misterie as thei eate breade at home in their houses but also that they shoulde spiritually bee partakers of the thynges signified and be in déede by faithe wasshed from their synnes and fedde in Christ through faithe Therfore we allowe not those who attribute the sanctifiyng of the Sacramentes Heresies to I knowe not what Caracters and to the recityng or to the vertue of woordes promised of the consecrater or of him that hath an intent to consecrate or els to accidentall thynges which are deliuered to vs neither by woorde nor by example of Christe nor his Apostles Nether dooe wée allowe their doctrine who speake of the Sacramentes as though thei wer cōmō signes not signifiyng som weightie matter or not of greate vertue or efficacie Neither allow we those who so muche regard the inuisible thynges ment by the Sacrament that thei despise the visible thynges in the Sacramentes beleuyng that it is superfluous for them to receiue the signes because thei imagine that thei enioie alreadie the thinges ment by thē Such heretikes the Messalians are named to bee Neither doe we allowe their doctrine who teache that grace and the thynges signified are so tied to the signes and encluded in them that whosoeuer receiueth the signes outwardlie bee partakers also what maner of man soeuer he bee of the inwarde grace and spirituall thinges signified by the Sacramentes Notwithstandyng as wée dooe not ponder the worthinesse of the Sacramentes The Sacrament is not the worse for the vitiousnes of the receauer by the worthinesse or vnworthinesse of the ministers so we compte theim not better or worse for the vertue or vice of the receiuers For we acknowledge that the worthinesse of the Sacramentes doe depende of faithe and of the mere goodnes of God For as the woorde of God remaineth the true worde of God wherein not onely the bare wordes are rehersed while it is preached but all thinges signified by the wordes are offered of God Albeeit wicked and Infidelles heare the wordes and vnderstande them but yet enioye not the thynges ment thereby because thei receiue theim not with a true faithe Euen so the Sacramentes consistyng in the worde the signes and thynges signified remaine true perfect Sacramentes not onely signifiyng holie thynges but also God offeryng them the thynges signified althoughe vnbeleuers receiue not the thynges offered This cometh to passe not through the defaulte of the geuer or of God the offerer but of men receiuyng without faithe and vnworthely Whose incredulitie maketh not Roma iii. the faith of God of none effect or force Furthermore seyng that in the beginnyng where it was declared what sacramentes were wée brieflie shewed to what ende thei were instituted wée neede not tediouslie to reporte that whiche wee haue ones saied It followeth therefore that wee seuerallie treate of the Sacramentes of the new Testamente ¶ Of holie Baptisme Chapi 20. BAptisme was firste inuented Christ ordained baptisme and sanctified of GOD Ihon beeyng the firste that baptised Christe with water in the riuer of Iordane Afterward this office was committed to the Apostles who Baptised also with water The Lorde in plaine woordes commaunded them to preache the Gospell Math. 28. Actes ii and to Baptise In the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost Peter also answered in the Actes to the Iewes demaundyng of him Act. ii what thei should doe Let euery one of you bée baptised in the name of Iesus Christe for the remission of your synnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the holie ghoste Wherefore Baptisme is called of many the firste signe of gods people because by it his electe begin to retaine to the liuyng Lorde There is but one Baptisme in the Churche of God wherewith it is sufficient once to be Christened For Baptisme once One baptisme receiued doeth indure all our life lōg beyng a perpetuall sealyng of our adoptiō For to be Baptised in the name of Christ is to be written to be entred what it is to be baptised and receiued into the couenaunte and familie yea and into the inheritaunce of God his children yea euen now to be named by the name of God that is to be called the child of God to be purged also from the dregges of our synnes and to haue frely sundrie graces of God to leade a newe and innocente life Baptisme dooeth kéepe in memorie and renewe God his benefites bestowed on mankinde For wee all are borne in the filthines of sinne and are the children of wrathe but God who is riche in mercie dooeth clense vs from oure sinnes frelie by the bloud of his soonne in whom he maketh vs by adopcion his soonnes knitteth vs to him with an holie couenaunte enricheth vs with sundrie giftes that wee maie be able to liue a newe life Al these benefites are sealed with Baptisme for inwardlie our soules and myndes are regenerate purified and made newe of GOD by the holie ghoste but outwardlie wee receiue the seale of his large giftes in water by the whiche those greate benefites are represented and as it were laied before our yies to beholde Therefore wée are Baptised that is we are wasshed and sprinckeled with visible water For as water maketh cleane our filthe doeth refresh we are baptised with water and coole our fainte and burnyng bodies so the grace of God doeth purge our soules from stinkyng synne after an inuisible sorte or spiritually God also separateth vs by the Sacraments of Baptisme from all other religions and from all other people and dooeth consecrate vs a peculier people to him and as his owne proper gooddes whē therefore we are Christened wée confesse what we are bonde to doe by baptisme our faithe and are bound to God to obeye hym to mortifie our fleshe and to leade a newe life and are inrolled in the holie roule of Christe his souldiers to fight
all the daies of our life againste the worlde Sathan and our owne fleshe We are Baptised also into one bodie of the Churche that we maie well agrée with al the members thereof in one Religion dooyng one for another We beleue that the maner of Baptisme whereby Christe hym self was The forme of baptismge Baptised and his Apostles did Baptise is moste perfect Wherfore what soeuer was after by mannes inuencion added and vsed in the Churche we thinke not to be necessarie to the perfection of Baptisme As the coniuracion Popish bapt the vse of burning lightes of oile of Salte of spittle and the like with this custome to cōsecrate twise in the yere Baptisme For wee beleue that one Baptisme of the churche in Gods firste Institucion was sanctified and consecrated by his worde and is now also of efficacie and vertue by reason of that firste blessyng of God We teache that women or midwiues wemē should not baptise ought not to Baptise in the churche For Paule secludeth women frō Ecclestasticall offices but Baptisme partaineth to Ecclesiasticall dueties We condemne the Anabaptistes who Heresies deny that yong children newly borne ought to bee Baptised of the faithfull accordyng to the doctrine of the Gospell The kyngdome of God belongeth to children And séeyng thei are included in God his couenaunte why should not the signe of the couenaunte be giuen to them Wée condemne the Anabaptistes in other poinctes also of their doctrine whiche thei alone holde particulerlie and defende against the worde of God We are not then Anabaptistes neither dooe wée take parte with them in any matter of theirs ¶ Of the holy Supper of the Lord Chap. 21. THe Supper of the Lorde whiche is also called the table of the Lorde the Euchariste that is thankes geuinge is therfore cōmonly named a Supper because it was instituted of Christ in his last Supper and nowe representeth the same the faithful spiritually fedynge and drinkynge in it for the aucthor of the Lord his Supper is The aucthor of the Lords Supper not any Angell or man but the sonne of GOD him selfe our Lorde Iesus Christe who firste consecrated it for his Churche that consecration blessinge dureth as yet amonge all those that celebrat none other Supper but the selfe same whiche the Lord instituted recitynge his wordes and in al thinges looking on Christ only with a true faith of whose handes as it were they receaue that which they take by It is a remembraunce of gods benefites the seruice of the ministers of the churche The Lorde wyll kepe by this holy Sacramente in freshe remembrāce his chiefeste benefite bestowed vppon mākynde namely that when he gaue his bodie to be betraied and his bloud to be shedde he forgaue vs all our sinnes and redemed vs from eternall death and from the power of the Deuill and now fedeth vs with his flesh and giueth vs his bloudde to drincke whiche beyng with a true faithe spiritually receiued nourisheth vs to life euerlastyng And this so greate a benefite is renewed so ofte as the supper of the Lorde is celebrated For he said dooe this in the remembraunce of me It is also confirmed vnto vs in this Supper leaste wee should wauer in faithe that the Lordes bodie in deede was deliuered for vs and his bloude shedde for the remission of our sinnes And truely that to the outwarde yies is by the minister represented in the Sacramente and as it were laied before our face which inwardly is doen after an inuisible sorte by the holie ghoste Outwardlie breade is offered by the minister the wordes of Christ The signe the thinge signified are heard Take eate this is my body take deuide it betwixt you Drinke ye all of this this is my bloud Therfore the faithfull taketh that whiche is offred what the faithfull receaue by the lordes minister Thei eate the Lorde his bread and drinke of the Lordes Cuppe but inwardlie by the helpe of Christ through the holy ghost thei receiue the fleshe also the bloud of the Lorde and are fedde with them to life euerlastyng For the fleshe and bloud of Christ is true meate drinke to eternall life And Christe hym self in that he was deliuered for our sakes and is our sauiour is that principall chiefe thyng of the supper neither suffer we any other thyng to be put in his stede But that it maie the better and more plainly bee perceiued how the Howe the fleshe blode of Christe is meat drīke indede fleshe and bloud of Christ is the meate and drinke of the faithfull receiued of them to life euerlasting we will adde these fewe woordes There bee diuers kindes of eating For there is a bodily eatyng whereby meate is receiued into mannes mouth is chewed with the Two kindes of Eatinge with the bodelie mouth tethe and swallowed into the beailie After this kind of eatyng the Capernites in tyme paste vnderstoode that thei should eate the Lorde his fleshe But thei are confuted by Christe hym Heresies self For Christe his fleshe can not bée eaten corporally without an heinous Aug. de doct Christ cruell acte It is not then meate for the beallie as al menne are cōpelled to confesse We disalowe the Popes Canons in the decrees of the bisshops of Rome Ego Berēgarius de cōse dist 2. For neither the godlie in tyme passe nor wée doe now beleue that Christe his bodie is eaten with the mouthe of the bodie corporallie or essenciallie There is also a spirituall eatyng of Christ his bodie not that wherby we Christe his bodie is not eaten with the bodelye mouth 2. A spiritual eatinge by fayth thinke that the verie meate is chaunged into the spirite but whereby the bodie and bloud of the Lorde kéepyng still their essence and propertie we receiue theim not after a corporal but after a spirituall sorte by the working of the holie ghoste who doeth bestowe vpon vs those giftes whiche wer purchased by the flesh and blud of Christ who was deliuered and put to death for vs grauntyng vs remission of our synnes deliueraunce from Sathan and life euerlastyng so that Christe liueth in vs and we in him For he bringeth it to passe that wee receiue hym Christ is spirituall meate and drinke with a true faithe and that he is spirituall meate and drincke to vs that is to saie our life For as bodilye meate and drincke dooeth not onely refreshe and strengthē our bodies but also preserueth our life so the fleshe of Christ betraied for vs and his bloude shedde for our sakes dooe not onely refreshe and strengthen our soules but also preserueth them a liue not in that thei are corporally eaten or dronken but in that thei are giuen vnto vs by the spirite of God spiritually accordyng to the Lord his saiyng The bread which I wil giue is my flesh which I wil giue for the life of the worlde Also the