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 Gospell of Christ. CHAP. 8.

ALthough manie preceptes of the law of God be con∣teined in the writings of the Euangelistes and Apo∣stles, and Christ himselfe doth teach, that we must not rend•••• euill for euill, nor looke vpon a woman wantonlie, and such like: yet we must not think that the Gospel of Christ is a new law: whereby, as the fathers in times past were saued vnder the olde testament by the olde law, so now men vnder the new testament should be saued▪ by a new law. For except a man take the name of the law generallie for doctrine, as the Pro∣phets now and then do vse the name of the law, certainlie the Gospell of Christ, is not properlie a law, as Paull doth commonlie vse the name of the law, but it is a good and ioy∣full message, touching the sonne of God, our Lord Iesus Christ, that he onelie is the purger of our sinnes, the ap∣peaser of the wrath of God, and our redeemer and sauiour.

Neither are the commaundements of the law, which are conteined in the Apostles writings, any new law, but they are an interpretation of the olde law, according to the iudge∣ment of the holie Ghost, which also were to be seene be∣fore, and that not obscurelie, in the writinges of the Pro∣phets. But they are repeated in the preaching of the gos∣pell of Christ, that the seueritie of the law of God, and the corruption of our nature beeing declared, we might be stir∣red vp to seeke and embrace Christ reuealed in his Gospell, and that we maie know after what rule we are to frame our life through faith in Christ. Wherefore if we will speake properlie of the law of God, and Gospell of Christ, as of Christ we are not to make a new lawgiuer, seeing that he neither hath made a new law, nor instituted a new politi••e kingdome in this earth, so must we not make a new law of the Gospell, which by more harde and seuere commaunde∣ments doth bring eternall saluation to the doers thereof. But we thinke it to be most certaine, that the naturall, or morall law of the olde and new Testament is one and the same, and that neither the men which liued vnder the olde Testament, nor those which liue vnder the new Testament,

doe obteine eternal saluation, for the merit of the workes of the law, but onelie for the merit of our Lord Iesus Christ, through faith. Christ out of Isaiah doth recite his office, for the which he was sent into the earth: The spirit of the Lorde, * 1.1saith he, is vpon me, because he hath annointed me: he hath sent me to preach the Gospell to the poore, &c. Here Christ teacheth that his proper office is, not to make a new lawe, which should terrifie and kill miserable sinners, but to preach the Gospell, which might comfort and quicken sinners. Gal. 4. When the fulnes of time was come, God sent his Sonne made of a woman, and made vnder the law, that he might redeeme them which were vnder the law, and that we by adoption might receiue the right of sonnes. And Acts. 15, it is saide, Why tempt ye God, to laie an yoke vpon the Disciples neckes, which neither our fathers, nor wee, were able to beare? but we beleeue through the grace of our Lord Ie∣sus Christ to be saued, euen as they, &c. And Augustine saith, * 1.2That people which receiued the old Testament, was helde vnder certaine shadowes and figures of thinges before the comming of the Lorde, according to the wonderfull and moste orderlie diuision of times. Yet therein was so great preaching and foretelling of the new Testament, that in the Euangelicall and Apostolike discipline (though it be pain∣full and diuine) no commaundements or promises can be found, which are wanting euen in those olde bookes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luc. 4.
• * 1.2

  Contra Ad••∣mantū Ma∣nichaei disci∣pulū. Cap. 3.