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 CONFSSION OF SVEVRLAND.

Of the Office, dignitie, and power of Ecclesiasticall Persons.

* 1.1 TOuching the ministery, and dignitie of the Ecclesiasti∣calorder, we do thus 〈…〉〈…〉 that there is no power in the Church, but that which tendeth to edifying, •• Cor. 10. Secondlie that we must nor thinke otherwise or any man in this state, then Paull would haue men to esteeme, either of him selfe, or of Peter and Apollo and others, As of the seruantes of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God, in ••••ome this is chiefelie required, that they be faithfull For these be they which haue the keies of the kingdome of God, and the power to binde and loose 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••o remit or retaine sinnes▪ yet that power is so limited, that they be neuerthelesse the ministers of Christ, to whome alone the right and authori∣tie to open heauen, and forgiue sinnes, doth properlie per∣taine. For neither he which planteth, nor he that watereth, is anie thing, but God that giueth the increase. 1. Cor 3. Neither is anie man of himselfe fitte to thinke anie of those thinges as of himselfe, but if anie man be found fitte thereunto, he hath it all of God. VVho giueth to whome it pleaseth him, to be the ministers, and preachers of the new Testament, to wit, so farre forth as he giueth them a minde, faithfullie to preach the mea∣ning and vnderstanding of the Gospell, & vseth them here∣unto▪ that men maie be brought by a true faith to his new couenant of grace. Furthermore these be they, which doe minister vnto vs the dead letter (that is, such a doctrine of trueth, as pearceth no farther then to humane reason) but

the spirit which quickneth, and doth so pearee into our spi∣rit and soule, that it doth throughlie perswade our heart of the trueth. These are the true fellow▪labourers of the Lord, 1. Cor. 3. opening in deed heauen, and forgiuing sinnes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 those, to whome they declare the doctrine of faith, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 meanes of the grace and spirit of God. Whereupon Christ sending out his Apostles to exercise this duetie, he brea∣thed vpon them, saying, Take yee the holie Ghost. And further more he addeth, whose sinnes ye remit, &c.

Hereof it is manifest, that the true and fit ministers of the Church (such as be bishops, Seniors, annointed and conse∣crated (can doe nothing but in respect of this, that they be sent of God. For how shall they preach (saith Paull) except they be sent? That is, except they receiue of God both a minde, and power to preach the holie Gospell aright and with fruit, and to feede the flocke of Christ. And also, ex∣cept they receiue the holie Ghost, whoe maie worke toge∣ther with them, and perswade mens hearts. Other vertues wherwith these men must be endued are rehearsed, 1. Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Therfore they which are in this sort, sent, anointed▪ consecrated and qualified▪ they haue an earnest care for the flocke of Christ, and doe labour faithfullie in the worde and doctrine, that they maie feed the people more fruitfullie▪ and these are acknowledged and accounted, of our prea∣chers for such Bishops, as the Scripture euerie where spea∣keth of: and euery Christian ought to obey their commaun∣dements. But they which giue them selfes to other things they place them selfes in other mens seats, and do worthe∣lie take vnto them selues other names. Yet notwithstanding the life of any man is not so much to be blamed, as that ther∣fore a Christian should refuse to heare him, if peraduenture he teach somthing out of the chaire of Moses or Christ (that is, either out of the law of God, or out of the holie gospell) that maie serue for edification. They which bring a diuers or a staunge voice, whatsoeuer they be, they are in no ac∣count or estimation, with the sheepe of Christ. Ioh. 10. * 1.2Yet they which haue a seculare power and soueraigntie, they haue it of God him selfe, howsoeuer they be called: there∣fore he should resist the ordinance of God, whosoeuer should oppose him-selfe to that temporall gouernment▪

These things doe our Preachers teach, touching the au∣thoritie of Ecclesiasticall persons: so that they haue great iniurie offered to them in that they are blamed, as though they sought to bring the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall prelats to nothing, whereas they neuer forbad them that worldlie gouernement and authoritie, which they haue. But they haue often wished, that they would come nearer to the Ec∣clesiasticall commaundements, and that either they them selues would instruct and faithfullie feede the consciences of Christians, out of the holie Gospell, or that at the least wise they would admit others hereunto, and ordeine such as were more fitte for this purpose. This is it, I saie, that out Preachers haue oftentimes requested of the Prelates them selues, so faire haue they beene from opposing themselues at anie time to their spirituall authoritie.

But wheras we could not either beare anie longer the do∣ctrine of certaine Preachers, but beeing driuen thereunto by necessitie, we haue placed others in their roome: or els haue reteined those also, which haue renounced that Ec∣clesiasticall superioritie; We did it not for anie other cause but for that these did plainlie and faithfullie declare the voice of our Lord Iesus christ, the other did mingle therwith all mans inuentions. For so often as the question is, concer∣ning the holie Gospell, and the doctrine of trueth, Christi∣ans must whollie turne them selues to the Bishop of their soules the Lord Iesus Christ, and not admit the voice of a∣nie straunger by any meanes, wherein notwithstanding nei∣ther we, nor they do offer violence to anie man: for Paull saith, All thinges are yours, whether it be Paull, or Apollos, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Cephas, or the worlde, or life, or death, whether they be thinges present or thinges to come, euen all are yours, and ye Christes, and Christ Gods. Therefore seeing that Peter and Paull are ours, and we are not theirs, but Christes, and that after the same manner, that Christ himselfe is his Fathers, to witte, that in all thinges, which we are, or maie be, we might liue to him alone. Furthermore, seing to this ende we haue power to vse all thinges (yea euen men themselues of what sorte soeuer they be) as though they were our owne, and are not to suffer that anie man, or anie thing should hinder vs therein, no Ecclesiasti∣call

persons maie iustlie complaine of vs, or obiect to vs, that we are not sufficientlie obedient to them, or that we doe de∣rogate any thing from their authority, suing that the thing it selfe doth witnes, that we haue attempted and done all those thinges according to the will of God, which we haue attempted against the will of Ecclesiasticall persons. These therefore be those thinges, which we teach, touching the office, dignitie, and power of the Ministers of the Church, whome they cal Spirituall: the which that we maie credit, wee are mooued thereunto by those places of Scripture, which for the moste part we rehearsed before.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Artic. 13.
• * 1.2

  Looke be∣fore the 3. obseru. vpō the August confes. Also after sect. 17 3. obsern. vp on the same coufess. of August.