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.

These thinges are thus found in another edition,

* 1.1 ALso they teach that after Adams fall all men begot∣ten after the common course of nature are bo••e with sinne, that is, without the feare of God, without 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in him, and with concupiscence, And that this disease or o∣riginall blot is sinne indeed, condemning and bringing e∣ternal death euen now vpon all that are not borne aga•••••• by baptisme and the holie Ghost.

They condemne the Pelagians and others, that deny this originall blotte to be sinne in deede, and that they maie ••••∣tenuate the glorie of the merit and benefits of Christ, they do reason that a man maie by the strength of his owne rea∣son, be iustified before God.

* 1.2 Concerning free will, they do teach, that mans will hath some freedome to * 1.3performe a ciuill iustice, and to mal•• choise of things that are within the reach of reason: but i•• hath no power to performe a spiritual iustice, without the ho∣lie spirit, because Paul saith, The naturall man perceiueth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the things which are of the spirit of God: and Christ saith, with∣out me ye can do nothing. Now this spiritual iustice is wrought in vs, when we are * 1.4helped of the holie Ghost. And we re∣ceiue the holy Ghost, when we assent vnto the word of God, that we maie be comforted through faith in all terrours of conscience, as Paul teacheth, when he saith, That ye maie re∣ceiue the promis of the spirit through faith. These things almost in as manie words saith Saint Augustine lib. 3. Hypog••ess.

We confesse that there is in all men a free will, which hath indeed the iudgement of reason, not that it is thereby apt without god either to begin, or to performe anie thing, in matters pertaining to God, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 only in works belonging to this present life, whether they be good,

or euill. In Good works I affirme those to be, which arise of the goodnes of nature, as to be willing to labour in the fielde, to desire meate or drinke, to desire to haue a friend, to desire apparell, to desire to build an house, to marie a wife, to nourish cattell, to learne the art of diuerse good things, to desire any good thing pertaining to this present life, all which are not without Gods gouernment, yea they now are, and had their beginning from God. In euill thinges I account such as these, to desire to worship an image, to desire manslaughter. This sentence of Augustine doth notablie teach what is to be attributed to free will, and doth put a plaine difference betweene ciuill discipline or the exercises of humane reason, and spirituall motions, true feare, patience, constancie, faith, inuocati∣on in moste sharpe tentations, in the middest of Satans subtill assaultes, in the terrours of sinne. In these surelie we had great neede to be guided and * 1.5helped of the holie spirit, according to that saying of Paull, The spirit helpeth our infirmitie.

We condemne the Pelagians & all such as they are, who teach that by the onelie powers of nature without the holie spirit, we may loue God aboue all, and fullfill the law of god, as touching the substance of our actions. We doe freelie and necessarilie mislike these dreames: for they doe obscure the benefits of Christ. For therefore is Christ the Mediatour set forth, and mercie promised in the Gospell, because that the lawe cannot be satisfied by mans nature, as Paull witnesseth, when he saith, Rom. 8. The wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God. For it is not subiect to the law of God, neither in deede can be. For albeit that mans nature by it selfe can af∣ter some sort* performe externall workes (for it can con∣teine the handes from theft & murther) yet can it not make * 1.6those inward motions, as true feare, true faith, patience, and chastitie vnlesse the holie ghost doe gouerne and helpe our hearts. And yet in this place also doe we teach, that it is also the commaundement of God, that the earnall motions should be restrained by the industrie of reason and by ciuill discipline, as Paul saith, The law is a schoolemaster to Christ: Also, The law is giuen to the vniust.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Art. 2.
• * 1.2

  Artic. 18.
• * 1.3

  looke the ••obseruat. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.4

  looke the ••••••••eru.
• * 1.5

  looke the 2. obseruat.
• * 1.6

  Looke the 3. obseru. v∣pon this confess.