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 mans fall, sinne, and the cause of sinne. CHAP. 8.

MAN was from the beginning created of God afer the Image of God, ••n righteous∣nes and true holines, good, and vpright: but by the instinct of the serpent and his owne fault, falling from goodnes and vp∣rightnes, become subiect to sinne, death, and diuers calamities, and such an one as he became by his fall, such are all his ofspring, euen subiect to sinne, death, and sundrie calamities. And we

take sinne to be that naturall corruption of man, deriued•• spread from those our first parents vnto vs al, through wh•••••• we being dorwned in euil concupiscenses, and cleene turn•• awaie from God, but prone to all euill, full of all wicked∣nes, distrust, contempt, & hatred of God, can do no good•• our selues, no not so much as thinke of any. And th at m•••• * 1.1is, euen as we do grow in yeares, so by wicked thoughts wordes, and deedes committed against the law of God, we bring forth corrupt fruites, worthie of an euill tree: in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 respect, we through our owne desert, being subiect to th•• wrath of God arein daunger of iust punishments: so th•• we had all beene cast awaie from God, had not Christ the deliuerer brought vs backe againe.

By death therfore, we vnderstand not onlie bodily death, which is once to be suffered of all vs for sinnes, but also e∣uerlasting punishmentes due to our corruption and to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sinnes. For the Apostle saith, we were dead in trespasses & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 * 1.2and were by nature the children of wrath, as well as others. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 God which is ••itch in mercie, euen when we were dead by sinn••, * 1.3quickened vs together in Christ. Againe, As by one man sinne••∣tred into the world, and by sinne death, and so death went 〈◊〉〈◊〉 men, for as much as all men haue sinned, &c.

We therefore acknowledge that originall sinne is in all men: we acknowledge, that all other sinnes, which spring hereout, are both called, and are in deede sinnes, by wh•••• name soeuer they be termed, whether mortall or veniall, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 also that which is called sinne against the holy Ghost, whi•••• is neuer forgiuen: we also confes that sinnes are not equall, * 1.4although they spring from the same fountaine of coruptio•• and vnbeliefe, but that some are more greeuous then other, euen as the Lord hath said, that It shall be easier for Sodo•••• then for the Citie that despiseth the word of the Gospell we therefore condemne all those that haue taught thinges contrarie to these, but especiallie Pelagius and all the Pela∣gians, together with the Iouinianistes, who with the Stoikes count all sinnes equall▪ we in this matter agree fullie with •• Augustine, who produced and mainteined his sayings out of the holie scriptures. Moreouer we condemne Florinus and Blastus (against whome also Iraeneus wrote) and al those that make god the author of sinne: seeing it is expressely written,

Thou art not a god that loueth wickednes, thou hatest all them that worke iniquitie, and wilt destroy all that speak lies. And againe, when the Deuill speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his owne, because he is a * 1.5lier, & the father of lying. Yea there is euen in our selues sin & corruption enough, so that there is no need that god should infuse into vs eyther a new or greater measure of wickednes. Therefore when God is saied in the scripture, to harden, to blinde, and to deliuer vp into a reprobate sense, it is to be vnder∣stoode, that God doth it by iust iudgement, as a iust iudge & reuenger. To conclude, as often as god in the scripture is saide and seemeth to doe some euill, it is not thereby meant, that man doth not commit euill, but that god doth suffer it to be done, and doth not hinder it, and that by his iust iudge∣ment, who could hinder it, if he would: or because he ma∣keth good vse of the euill of men, as he did in the sinnes of Iosephes brethren: or because himselfe ruleth sinnes, that they breake not out and rage more violentlie then is meete. Saint Augustine in his Enchiridion saith, After a wonderfull and vnspeakeable manner that is not done beside his wil, which is done contrarie to his wil▪ because it could not be done, if he should not suffer it to be done, and yet he doth not suffer it to be done vnwilling∣lie, but willinglie: neither would he being God suffer any euil to be done, vnles being also almightie he could make good of euill. Thus farre Augustine. Other questions, as, whether god would haue Adam fall, or whether he forced him to fall, or why he did not hinder his fall, and such like, we account amongst curious questions▪ (vnlesse perchance the frowardnes of he∣retikes, or of men otherwise importunate, doe compell vs to open these points also out of the word of God, as the godly Doctours of the Church haue often times done) knowing that the Lord did forbid that man should not eate of the forbidden fruite, and punished his transgression: and also that the things done are not euill in respect of the proui∣dence, will, and power of God, but in respect of Sathan, and our will resisting the will of God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Math. 12.
• * 1.2

  Eph. 2.
• * 1.3

  Rom. 5.
• * 1.4

  Mar. 3. 1. Ioh. 5. Math. 10. ••1.
• * 1.5

  Psa 8. 44. Ioh. 8. 44.