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 vnitie of the diuine essence, and of the three persons. CHAP. 3.

OVt of this fountaine of holie scripture, and Christian instruction, according to the true and sound vnder∣standing and meaning of the holie ghost, our men teach by faith to acknowledge, & with the mouth to confesse, that the holie Trinitie, to wit, god the father, the sonne, and the holie ghost, are three distinct persons: but in essence one onelie, true, alone, eternall, almightie, and incomprehen∣sible * 1.1God: of one equall indiuisible diuine essence, Of who••••, thorough whome, and in whome are all things: who loueth and re∣wardeth righteousnes and vertue, but hateth and punish∣eth all iniquitie and sinne. According to this faith men are taught, to acknowledge the wonderfull workes of god, and those properties which are peculiar to each person o•• the holie Trinitie, and of the diuine vnitie, and to acknow∣ledge the soueraigne and infinite power, wisedome, and goodnes of the one onelie God: out of which also ariseth & proceedeth the sauing knowledge as wel of the essence, as of the wil of god. One kinde of works or properties of the three persons of the godhead (by which they are discerned one from the other) are the inward, eternall, and hypostaticall proprieties, which alwaies remaine immutable, and are onelie apprehended by the eies of faith, and are these.

That the father, as the fountaine & welspring of the god∣heade, from al eternity begetteth the son, equal to himselfe, and that himselfe remaineth not begotten, neither yet is he the person of the sonne, seeing he is a person begitting not begotten. The so••ne is begotten of the eternall father from all eter••itie ••••ue god of god: and as he is a person, he is not the father, but the sonne begotten of the essence o•• nature of the father, and consubstantiall with him: which sonne in the fulnes of time, which he had before appointed

for this purpose, himselfe alone (as he is the sonne) tooke vnto him our nature of the blessed Virgine Marie, & vnited it into one person with the godheade, whereof we shall speak afterward. But the holie Ghost proceedeth from the father and the sonne, & so he is neither the father, nor the sonne, but a person distinct from them, eternal▪ and the sub∣stantiall loue of the father and of the sonne, surpassing all admiration: these three persons are one true God, as is a foresaid.

The other kinde of works in these persons, & in the vnitie of the godhead is••ueth as it were into opē sight out of the di¦uine essēce & the persōs therof, in which being distinct they haue manifested themselues: & these are three. The first is the wonderfull worke of creation, which the Creedes doe attribute to the father. The second is the work of redempti∣on, which is proper to Christ. The third is the worke of san∣ctification, which is ascribed to the holie Ghost, for which cause he in the Apostles Creede is peculiarlie called holie. And yet all these are the proper workes of one true God, & that of him alone, & none other: to wit, the father, the sonne and the holie Ghost. This true and absolute faith, and dif∣ficulte knowledge of God, as well concerning ••••s nature, as his will, is comprehended, and con••eyned in the afore∣named Catholike and Apostolike Creede, and in the de∣cree of the Nicene Councell, agreeing therewith, and in manie other sound decrees, and also in Athanasius his confession. All which we iudge and professe to be true. But it hath euerlasting & sure groundes on which it rel••••th, and moste waightie reasons, by which it is out of the holy scrip∣ture conuinced to be true: as by that manifestation wherein the whol Trinitie shewed it selfe, when Christ the Lord was * 1.2baptized in lordane▪ by the commaundement of Christ, be∣cause in the name of the persons of the same holie Trinitie al people must be baptized and instructed in the faith. Also * 1.3by Christes words, when he saith, the holy ghost the comforter whome the father will sende in my name, shall teach you all these thinges: and before these wordes he saith: I w••l pray the fa∣ther, and he will giue you an other comforter, who shallbe with you for euer, euen the spirit of trueth. Besides we teach, that this onelie true God, one in essence and in diuine nature, and

three in persons, is aboue all to be honoured with high wor∣ship, as chiefe Lord and King, who ruleth and raigneth al∣waies and for euer, and especiallie after this sorte, that we looke vnto him aboue al, and put all our confidence in him alone, and offering vnto him all subiection, obedience, feare, ••l faith, loue, and generallie the seruice of the wholl inward and outward diuine worship, do indeed sacrifice and performe it, vnder paine of loosing euerlasting saluation: as * 1.4it is written Thou shalt worship the lord thy god, & him onely shal•• thou serue: and againe, thou shalt loue the lord thy god with all thy heart, with all thy soule, with all thy minde, & to be short▪ with a•• thy might, as well of the inward as outward powers, to whom be glorie from this time forth for euermore.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rom. 11. Exod. 20.
• * 1.2

  Math 3. Math. 28.
• * 1.3

  Ioh. 14.
• * 1.4

  Deut. 6. Deut. 6. Math. 22. M••r. 12. Luc. 10.