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.

THE FIFT SE∣CTION. OF ETER∣NALL PREDESTINATION. (Book 5)

THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA.

Of the Predestination of God, and the election of the Saints. CHAP. 10.

GOD hath from the beginning freelie, and of his meere grace, without anie respect of men predestinated or elected the Saintes, whome he wil saue in Christ, according to * 1.1the saying of the Apostle, And he hath cho∣sen vs in him before the foundation of the world. * 1.2And againe. Who hath saued vs, and called vs with an holie calling, not according to our workes, but according to his owne purpose and grace, which was giuen vnto vs thorough Christ Iesus before the world was, but is made manifest by the appea∣rance of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Therefore though not for any merit of ours, yet not without a meanes, but in Christ, and for Christ did God choose vs, & they who are now engrafted into Christ by faith, the same also were elected. But such as are without Christ, were reiected, according to that of the * 1.3Apostle, Prooue your selues whether you be in the faith. Knowe you not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you? except you be reprobates. To conclude, the Saints are chosen in Christ by God vnto a sure ende, which ende the Apostle declareth,

when he saith, He hath chosen vs in him, that we should be holie, * 1.4and without blame before him thorough loue, who hath predestinated vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe, for the praise of his glorious grace. And although God knoweth who are his, & now & then mention is made of the small number of the e∣lect, yet we must hope wel of al, & not rashlie iudge any man to be a reprobate: for Paul saith, to the Philippians, I thank * 1.5my God for you all (Now he speaketh of the wholl Church of the Philippians) that you are come into the fellowship of the Gos∣pell, and I am perswaded, that he that hath begon this worke in you, will performe it, as it becommeth me to iudge of you all. And when the Lorde was demaunded, whether there were few that should be saued? he doeth not answere and tell them, that fewor more should be saued, or damned, but rather he ex∣horteth euerie man, to Striue to enter in at the streight gate. As * 1.6if he should saie, it is not for you rashlie to inquire of these matters, but rather to endeuour that you maie enter into heauen, by the straight way. Wherfore we do not alow of the wicked speeches of some, who saie, Few are chosen, and se∣ing I know not whether I am in the number of those fewe, I will not defraud my nature of her desires. Others there are which saie, If I be predestinated and chosen of God, no∣thing can hinder me from saluation, which is alreadie cer∣tainelie appointed for me, whatsoeuer I doe at anie time. But if I be in the number of the reprobate, no faith or repen∣tance wil help me, seeing the decree of god cannot be chan∣ged. Therefore all teachings and admonitions are to no purpose. Now against these men, the saying of the Apostle maketh much. The seruant of God must be apt to teach, instru∣cting * 1.7them which are contrarie minded, prouoing if God at any time will giue them repentance, that they may know the trueth, and that they maie come to amendment out of the snare of the deuill, which * 1.8are taken of him at his pleasure. Beside Augustine also teacheth, that both the grace of free election & predestination, and also hol∣some admonitions and doctrines are to be preached.

We therefore condemne those, who seeke other where, then in Christ, whether they be chosen from all eternity, and what God hath decreed of them before all beginning. For men must first heare the Gospel preached, and beleeue it: If thou beleeue, and be in Christ, thou maist vndoubted∣lie

recken of it, that thou art elected. For the father hath reucaled vnto vs in Christ his eternall sentence of predesti∣nation, as we euen now shewed out of the Apostle, 2. Tim. 1. This is therfore aboue all to be taught and well waied, what great loue of the Father towards vs in Christ is reuealed▪ we must heare what the Lord doth dailie preach vnto vs in his * 1.9Gospell, how he calleth, and saith, Come vnto me all ye that la∣bour & are burthened, and I will refresh you. And, So God loued the world, that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne for it, that al which be∣leeue * 1.10in him should not perish, but haue life euerlasting. Also, It is not the will of the Father, that any of these litle ones should perish. L••t Christ therefore be our looking glasse, in whome we maie beholde our predestination. We shall haue a moste e∣uident & sure testimonie that we are written in the booke of life, if we communicate with Christ, and he be oures, and we his by a true faith. Let this comfort vs in the temptati∣on touching predestination, then which there is none more daungerous, that the promises of God are generall to the * 1.11faithfull, in that he saith, Aske, and ye shall receiue: Euerie one that asketh, receiueth: and to conclude, in that we praie with all the Church of God, Our father which art in heauen: and for that in baptisme we are ingrafted into the bodie of Christ, and are fedde in his Church, often times with his flesh and bloode vnto euerlasting life. Thereby we being strengthned, we are commaunded to worke our saluation with feare and trembling, according to that precept of Paul.

OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BASILL.

* 1.12 HEreupon we confesse, that God, before he had crea∣ted the worlde, had chosen all those, to whome he would freelie giue the inheritance of eternall blessednes.

OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION.

WE beleeue that out of this vniuersall corruption & damnation, wherein by nature all men are drow∣ned, God did deliuer and preserue some, whome by his e∣ternall and immutable counsell, of his owne goodnes and mercie, without anie respect of their workes, he did chuse, in Christ Iesus, and others he left in that corruption and damnation, in whome he might as well make manifest his

iustice, by condemning them iustlie in their time, as also declare the riches of his mercie in the others. For some are not better then others, til such time as the Lord doth make a difference, according to that immutable counsell, which he had decreed in Christ Iesus before the creation of the worlde: neither was anie man able by his owne strength to make an entrance for himselfe to that good, seeing that of our nature we can not haue so much as one right motion, affection, or thought, till God do freelie preuent vs, and fa∣shion vs to vprightnes.

OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF BELGIA.

* 1.13 WE beleeue that God (after that the wholl ofspring of Adam was cas••e headlong into perdition and destruction, thorough the fault of the first man) hath de∣clared and shewed himselfe to be such a one, as he is in∣deed, namelie, both mercifull and iust. Mercifull by deliue∣ring and sauing those from condemnation and from death, whome in his eternall counsell, of his owne free goodnes, he hath chosen in Iesus Christ our Lord, without any regard at all of their worke: but Iust, in leauing others in that their fall and perdition, whereinto they had throwen themselues headlong.

OVT OF THE CONFESSION OF AVSPVRGE.

THe confession of Auspurge doth so mention predestina∣tion in the 20. article, the title wherof is, De fide, Of faith, that it affirmeth it to be a needles thing, to dispute of predestination in the doctrine of iustification by faith. Which in what sorte it may be said, we haue declared in the. 6. obseru. vpon this confess. sect 9. where these wordes of the confess. are rehearsed.

Also the SAXON CONFESSION Doth in the same sense, by the way make mention of Predestination and Electi∣on, about the end of the third Article, where it treateth of faith, which parte we haue therefore placed in the 9. section.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Eph. 1. 4.
• * 1.2

  2. Tim. 1. 9.
• * 1.3

  2. Cor. 13. 5.
• * 1.4

  Ephes. 1. 4▪
• * 1.5

  Phi. 1. 3. &c.
• * 1.6

  Luc. 13.
• * 1.7

  2. Tim. 2. 24. &c.
• * 1.8

  Li. de bono pr••seueran∣tiae. Cap. 14.
• * 1.9

  Mat 11. 18. Iohn. 3. 16.
• * 1.10

  Mat. 18. 14.
• * 1.11

  Luc. 11.
• * 1.12

  Arti••. ••ss. 3.
• * 1.13

  Art. 16.