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.

OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION.

* 1.1 WE beleeue, that whatsoeuer is requisite to our sal∣uation, is offered and communicated vnto vs now at length in that one Iesus Christ, as he who beeing giuen to saue vs, is also made vnto vs wisdome, righteousnes, sanctifi∣cation, and redemption, in so much as whosoeuer doth swarue from him, doth renounce the mercie of the Father, that is, our onelie refuge.

* 1.2 We beleeue that Iesus Christ, being the wisdome, and eternall sonne of the father, tooke vpon him our nature▪ so that he is one person, God and man. Man, I saie, that might suffer both in soule and also in bodie, and made like vn∣to vs in all things, sinne onelie excepted, for that his flesh was in∣deede the seede of Abraham and Dauid, howbeit by the se∣cret and incomprehensible power of the holie Ghost, it was conceiued in doe time in the wombe of that blessed Virgin. And therefore we detest, as contrarie to that truth all those heresies wherewith the Churches were troubled in times past: and namelie we detest those deuillish imaginati∣ons of Seruetus, who gaue to our Lord Iesus Christ, an ima∣ginarie deity, whom he said to be the Idea & patterne of al

thinges, and the counterfeit or figuratiue sonne of God: to conclude he framed him a bodie compacted of three ele∣ments vncreated, and therfore he did mingle and ouerthrow both his natures.

We beleeue that in one and the same person, which is * 1.3Iesus Christ, those two natures are truelie and inseperablie so conioyned, that they be also vnited, either of those na∣tures neuertheles retaining it distinct proprietie, so, that euen as in this diuine coniunction the nature of the word re∣teining it proprieties, remained vncreate, infinite, and fil∣ling all places; so also the humane nature remained, and shall remaine for euer, finite, hauing it naturall forme, di∣mension, and also proprietie, as from the which the resurre∣ction and glorification, or taking vp to the right hand of the father, hath not taken awaie the trueth of the humane na∣ture. Therefore we do so consider Christ in his deitie, that we doe not spoile him of his humanitie.

* 1.4 We beleeue that God did declare his infinite loue and goodnes towards vs in this, that he hath sent his sonne, who should die, and rise againe, and fullfill all righteousnes, that * 1.5he might purchase eternall life for vs.

We beleeue that by that onelie sacrifice, which Iesus Christ offered on the crosse, we are reconciled to God, that we maie be taken for iust before him, because we can not be acceptable to him, nor enioy the fruite of our adoption, but so farre foorth, as he doth forgiue vs our sinnes. Therefore we affirme, that Iesus Christ is our entire and perfect wash∣ing, in whose death we obteine full satisfaction, whereby we are deliuered from all those sinnes whereof we are guil∣tie, and from the which we could not be acquitted by anie other remedy.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Art. 13.
• * 1.2

  Artic. 14.
• * 1.3

  Artic. 15.
• * 1.4

  Art. 16.
• * 1.5

  Artic. 17.