An harmony of the confessions of the faith of the Christian and Reformed Churches which purelie professe the holy doctrine of the Gospell in all the chiefe kingdomes, nations, and prouinces of Europe: the catologue and order whereof the pages following will declare. There are added in the ende verie shorte notes: in which both the obscure thinges are made plaine, & those thinges which maie in shew seeme to be contrarie each to other, are plainelie and verie modestlie reconciled, and if anie points doe as yet hang in doubt, they are sincerelie pointed at. All which things, in the name of the Churches of Fraunce and Belgia, are submitted to the free and discrete iudgement of all other Churches. Newlie translated out of Latine into English. Also in the end is added the confession of the Church of Scotland. Alowed by publique authoritie.

Of the adoring, worshipping, and inuocating of God, through the onelie Mediator Iesus Christ. CHAP. 5.

WE teach men to adore and worship the true God a∣lone: this honour we impart to none, according to the commaundement of the Lorde, thou shalt adore the Lorde * 1.1thy God, and him alone shalt thou worship, or, him onelie shalt thou serue. Surelie all the Prophets inueighed earnestlie against the people of Israell; whensoeuer they did adore and worship straunge Gods, and not the one onelie true God. But we teach that God is to be adored and worshipped, as himselfe hath taught vs to worship him, to weere in spirite and true••h, not * 1.2with any superstition, but with sinceritie, according to his worde, lest at any time he also saie vnto vs, who hath required these thinges at your handes? For Paull also saith, God is not wor∣shipped * 1.3with mans hands, as though he needed any thing, &c. We in all daungers, and casualties of our life, call on him alone, and that by the mediation of the onelie Mediatour, and our intercessour Iesus Christ. For it is expressely commaun∣ded vs, Call vpon me in the daie of trouble, and I will deliuer thee, * 1.4and thou shalt glorifie me. Moreouer the Lord hath made a moste large promise, saying, whatsoeuer ye shal aske of my fa∣ther, * 1.5he shall giue it you. And againe, Come vnto me all ye that * 1.6labour and are heauie loaden, and I will refresh you. And seeing it is written, How shall they call vpon him, in whome they haue not beleeued? and we doe beleeue in God alone, therefore we * 1.7call vpon him onelie, and that thorough Christ. For there is one God (saith the Apostle) and one Mediatour, betweene * 1.8God and men, Christ Iesus. Againe, If anie man sinne, we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous, &c. There¦fore we doe neither adore, worshippe, nor praie vnto the Saints in heauen, or to other Gods: neither do we acknow∣ledge them for our intercessours or Mediatours, before

the father in heauen. For God and the Mediatour Christ do suffice vs, neither do we imparte vnto others the honour * 1.9due to God alone and to his sonne, because he hath plainlie said, I wil not giue my glorie to another: and because Peter hath * 1.10said, There is no other name giuen vnto men, whereby they muste be saued, but the name of Christ. In which doubtles they that rest by faith, doe nor seeke aniething without Christ.

Yet 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all that we doe neither despise the Saints, nor th••nke bas••lie of them. For we acknowledge them to be the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 members of Christ, the friends of god, who haue glo∣r••ouslie ouercome the flesh and the world. We therfore loue them as ••••••th••en, and honour them also, yet not with any wo••sh••, 〈…〉〈…〉 an honourable opinion of them, and to conclude, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their iust praises. We also doe imitate them. For we desire w••••h most ea••nest affections and praiers to be followers of their faith & vertues, to be▪ partakers also with them of euerlasting siluation, to dwell together with them euerlastinglie with God, & to reioyse with them in Christ. And in this point we approoue that saying of Saint Augu∣stine, in his booke De vera relig. Let not the worship of men de∣parted be any religion vnto vs. For if they haue liued holily, they are not so to be esteemed, as that they seek such honours, but they wil haue vs to worship him, by whose ill••minatiō, they reioice that we are fel∣low seruant••, ••s touching the reward. They are therefore to be honou∣red for imitation, not to be worshipped for religions sake▪ &c. And, we muchlesse beleeue that the reliques of Saints are to be adored or worshiped. Those auncient holie men seemed sufficientlie to haue honoured their deade, if they had ho∣nestlie committed their bodies to the earth, after that the soule was gone vp into heauen: and they thought that the moste noble reliques of their ancetours were, their vertues, doctrine, & faith▪ which as they commended with the praise of the dead, so they did endeuour to expresse the same so long as they liued vpon earth. Those auncient men did not swear b••t by the name of the only Iehoua, as is it commaun∣ded in the lawe of God. Therefore as we are forbidden * 1.11To sweare by the names of strange Gods, so we do not sweare by Saints, although we be requested thereunto. We therefore in all these things doe reiect that doctrine which giueth too much vnto the Saintes in heauen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Math. 4.
• * 1.2

  Ioh. 4.
• * 1.3

  Isa. 66. Iere. 7. Acts. 17.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 50.
• * 1.5

  Ioh. 16.
• * 1.6

  Math. 11.
• * 1.7

  Rom. 10.
• * 1.8

  1. Tim. 2. 1. Ioh. 2.
• * 1.9

  Isa. 42:
• * 1.10

  Act. 4.
• * 1.11

  Deut. 10. Exod. 23▪