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 Iustification. CHAP. 5.

WE beleeue and confesse, that to do and practize such righteousnes, as is acceptable to God, these vertues be necessarie, Faith, hope, and loue, and that man can not of him-selfe conceiue these vertues, but doth re∣ceiue them of the fauour and grace of God, and that faith doth worke by loue. But we think that their iudgement doth farre disagree from the Apostolike and Catholike doctrine, who teach, that man is made acceptable to God, and ac∣counted iust before god, for those vertues, and that when we come to stand before god in iudgement, we must trust to the merittes of these vertues. For man is made acceptable to god, and counted iust before him, for the onelie sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ, through faith: and when

we appeare before the iudgement seate of God, we must not trust to the merit of anie of those vertues, which we haue, but onelie to the merit of our Lorde Iesus Christ, whose merit is ours by faith. And because that before the tribunall seat of God, where the question is of true and e∣ternal righteousnes and saluation, there is no place at al for the merites of men, but onelie for the mercie of god, and the merites of our Lord Iesus Christ alone, who is receiued of vs by faith, therefore we think that the auncient Fathers our Elders said truelie, that we are iustified before god by faith alone. Rom. 3. All haue sinned, and are depriued of the glo∣rie of God, and are iustified freely by his grace, through the redemp∣tion that is in Christ Iesus, whome God hath set forth to be a reconci∣liation through faith in his bloode. Galat. 3. The Scripture hath concluded al vnder sinne, that the promise by the Faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue. And, Cap. 5. We tho∣rough the spirit waite for the hope of righteousnes through faith. For in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision auaileth any thing, nor vncir∣cumcision, but faith which worketh by loue. Hilarie saieth, It of∣fendeth the Scribes, that man should forgiue sinne (for they beheld•• nothing but man in Iesus Christ) and that he should forgiue that, which the law could not release. For faith alone doth iustifie. Am∣brose saith, They are iustified freelie, because that workeing no∣thing, nor requitting any thing, by faith alone they are iustified, by the gift of God. And againe, They are euidentlie blessed, whose in∣iquities are forgiuen, without any labour or work, and whose sins are couered, no helpe of repentance beeing required of them, but onelie this, that they beleeue. Manie places might be alledged as well out of the writinges of the Prophettes and Apostles, as out of the holie Fathers, whereby it is prooued, that not one∣lie in the beginning, through the free mercie of god, these vertues, to wit, Faith, hope, and loue, are giuen vnto vs, but also afterward throughout our wholl life, and that in our extreame necessitie, we are not able to stand before the seuere tribunal seat of god, but in the confidence of the one∣lie free fauour of god, shewed vnto vs in Christ the Sonne of god. For this is that, both which Paul teacheth, and the Ecclesiasticall writers doe interpret, That we are iustified before god by faith alone.

Of good workes. CHAP. 7.

WE saie that good workes, commaunded of god, are necessarilie to be done, and that, through the free mercie of god, * 1.1they do deserue certaine their own, ei∣ther corporal, or spiritual, rewardes. But we must not think, that in the iudgement of god, where the question is, concer∣ning the purging of our sins, the appeasing of the wrath of god, and the merit of eternall saluation, we should trust to those good works which we do. For al the good works which we do, are vnperfect, neither cā they susteine the seuerity of the iudgement of god: but al our confidence is to be placed in the onelie mercie of god, for his Sonne our Lord Iesus 〈…〉〈…〉 his sake. Psalm. 142. Enter not into iudgement with 〈…〉〈…〉 no flesh liuing shallbe iustified in thy sight. Galat. 5. 〈…〉〈…〉 lu••••eth against the Spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrarie one to the other, so that ye cannot doe those 〈…〉〈…〉 ••e woulde. Rom. 7. I know, that in me, that is, in my flesh, there dwelleth no good. Don. 9. We doe not present our sup∣plications before thee, for our owne righteousnes, but for thy great * 1.2tender mercies. Augustine saith, Woe to the life of man, be is neuer so ••omm••ndable, if thou examine i••▪ setting thy mercie aside. And againe: All my hope is in the death of my Lorde. His death is my meri••te, my refuge, saluation, life, and my resurrection. The mercie of the Lorde is my meri••te. I am not without merit, so long as the Lorde of mercies is not wanting. And if the mercies of the Lorde he manie, I abound in merittes. Gregorie saith, Therefore * 1.3our righteous Aduocate shall defend vs in the daie of iudgement, because we know, and accuse our selues to be vniust. Therefore let vs not trust to our teares, nor to our actions, but to the alledgeing of our Aduocate. Bernard saith, Our reioycing is this, the testimo∣nie of our conscience, not such a testimonie, as that proude Pharisie had, his thought being seduced, and seducing him, giuing witnes of himselfe, and his witnes was not true. But then is the witnes true, when the spirit beareth witnes with our spirit. Now I beleeue that this testimonie consisteth in three thinges: For first of all it is necessarie to beleeue, that thou canst not haue remission of sinnes, but through the fauour of God: Secondlie, that thou canst haue no good worke at all, except the also giue it to thee: Lastlie, that thou canst not

deserue eternall life by anie workes, except that also be giuen thee freelie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Looke the 1 obseruat. vpon this confess.
• * 1.2

  〈…〉〈…〉 22.
• * 1.3

  Gr••••. ••ib. 1. 〈…〉〈…〉 Eze••ch. 〈…〉〈…〉 7. in ••i••e. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in Se••••. 1. ad∣nu••••iat. Beatae Marciae.