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 CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERGE

Of the lawe. CHAP. 6.

WE acknowledge that the l••w of God (whereof the 10. commaundementes are an abrigedment) doth commaund the best, the most iust, and moste perfect workes, and that man is not onelie bounde to obeie the morall pre∣cepts of the lawe, but also if he should doe the workes of the 10. commaundements, in such perfection and integritie as the lawe requireth, that he should indeed be counted iust before God for his workes, and should obtaine eternall sal∣uation by his merites. But whereas some men doe thinke, that man can come to that state in this life, as to be able by his works not onelie to fullfil the 10. commaundements, but also to doe more and greater workes, then are commaun∣ded in the lawe, which they call works of supererogation, it is contrarie to the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles, and it is repugnant to the iudgement of the true Catholike Church. For the lawe was not giuen to this end, to signifie, that man might perfectlie fullfill the commaundements thereof in this life, but to shew to man his imperfection, & to testifie of the vnrighteousnes of man, and of the wrath of God against all men, & to stirre them vp to seke remission of their sinnes, righteousnes, and saluation by faith in the on∣ly

Sonne of God, our Lorde Iesus Christ. Rom. 3. By the lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne. And, Rom. 7. The law is spirituall, but I am carnall, solde vnder sinne. And, Rom. 8. The wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God. For it is not subiect to the lawe of God, neither indeede can be. And, Galat. 3. Curssed is euerie man, that continueth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of * 1.1the lawe, to doe them. Augustine saith, This first commaunde∣ment of iustice, wherein we are commaunded to loue the Lorde, with all our heart, with all our soule, and with all our minde, whereupon followeth that other commaundement, of louing our neighboure, we shall fullfill in that life, where we shall see him face to face. But ther∣fore it is euen now also commaunded vnto vs, that we might be admo∣nished, what it behoueth vs to require by faith, whether to send our hope before hand, and by forgetting those thinges which are behinde, what fore thinges we should stretch our selues vnto. And hereby, so far as I can iudge, he hath profited much in this life, in that righ∣teousnes which is to be perfited, who by profiting doth knowe, how far he is from the perfection sf righteousnes. And againe. Charitie is a vertue, whereby that is loued which is to be beloued. This is in some * 1.2greater, in others lesser, and in some none at all. But the moste ab∣solute loue, which now cannot be increased, so long as a man liueth here, is not to be founde in anie man. For so long as it may be increa∣sed, that which is lesse then it ought to be, commeth of our corrupti∣on: by reason of which corruption there is not a iust man in the earth, that doth good and sinneth not: by reason of which corruption no flesh liuing shall be iustified in the sight of God: for which corruptions sake, If we saie that we haue no sinne, we deceiue our selues, and the trueth is not in vs: for the which also, though we profit neuer so much, yet it is necessary for vs to saie, Forgiue vs our debtes, although all our wordes, deedes, and thoughtes are alreadie forgiuen vs in baptisme. And againe, All the commaundements of God are counted * 1.3as done, when as whatsoeuer is not done, is notwithstanding pardo∣ned. And Ierome saith, This is onelie perfection vnto men, if they know that they are vnperfect. This is the true wisedome of man, to know that he is imperfect, and (that I maie so speake) the perfection of all iust men in the flesh, is imperfect.

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, * 1.4saith 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, * 1.5That 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

  De Spirit•••• & litera. cap. 36.
• * 1.2

  August. Ieron••m. e••. 29.
• * 1.3

  Lib. 1. Re∣tract. cap. 19.
• * 1.4

  Luc. 4.
• * 1.5

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