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.

Out of the declaration of the same confession.

Of holie signes.

SAcraments are visible paterns, instituted of god, of the grace, good will, and promises of God towardes vs, sure testimonies, and holie remembrances, the which vn∣der earthlie signes doe represent vnto vs, and set before our eies heauenlie giftes, and doe withdrawe the minde from earthlie to heauenlie thinges: moreouer, they be tokens of Christian brotherhood and fellowshippe. Therefore a sacra∣ment is not onelie a signe, but it is made of two thinges, to wit, of a visible or earthlie signe, and of the thing signified, which is heauenlie: the which two although they make but one Sacrament, yet it is one thing which is receiued with the bodie, another thing which the faithfull minde, being taught by the spirit of god, doth receiue. For the signes and the thinges signified by the signes doe cleaue together onlie by a certaine mysticall meane, or, as others speake, by a Sa∣cramentall vnion: neither be they so made one, that one in nature is made the other, or that one is contained in the other. For either of them (the which thing also holie Ge∣lasius did acknowledge) doth keepe it owne proprietie. Therefore the outward signes are not the selfe same thing, substantiallie and naturallie, which they doe signifie, nei∣ther do they giue it of themselues, and by their owne power, no more then the minister doth, but the Lord vseth the mi∣nister, and the signes, and the word, to this ende, that of his meere grace, when, and so much as pleaseth him, he maie represent, declare, * 1.1visibilie shew, and set before our eies his heauenlie giftes, and all this according to his promise.

Now, as it doth derogate nothing from the ministerie of the worde, when it is saide, that the outwarde preaching of

the worde doth profit nothing, except the inwarde husband man giue the increase, (for Paull saith, He that planteth, and he that watereth, is nothing, but god that giueth the increase,) so he doth not make the Sacraments of no effect, which saith, that not they, but God himselfe doth purge vs, that is, which doth attribute the force of the sacrament to the Creator. For Pe∣ter saide, Baptisme doth saue vs: but he addeth, Not whereby the filth of the flesh is washed away, but in that a good conscience maketh request vnto God. For as in other creatures, as in the Sunne, the Moone, the Starres, fire, pretious stones, hearbes, and such like things, which God doth vse as instrumentes to∣warde vs, we ought not to put any confidence, nor admire them as the causes of any benefit: so our trust ought not to rest in outwarde signes, nor the glorie of God be transferred vnto them, as they be outwarde signes (howbeit the Lord doth vse their helpe toward vs, and they be holie ordinan∣ces) but by them our trust must lift vp it selfe to him, beeing both the author of the sacramentes, and the Creator of all thinges. And seeing that the Sacraments are the instituti∣on and worke of the Lord himselfe, the faithfull doe re∣ceiue them, not as certaine superfluous inuentions of men, as at the hand of men, but as his heauenlie giftes, and that at the hand of the Lorde. For as touching the word of the Gospell, which he preached, the Apostle writeth thus▪ When yee receiued of vs the word, whereby ye learned God, yee did not receiue it as the word of men, but, as it was indeed, as the worde of God, who also worketh in you that beleeue. The like reason is there of the Sacramentes. Therefore as a little before we testified, that we doe, and alwaies did receiue these senten∣ces and speaches of Scripture, touching the Ministerie of the worde, * 1.2the Minister doth conuert, remit sinnes, open the eies and heartes of men, giue faith and the spirit▪ so, be∣ing well vnderstood, we doe acknowledge also these spea∣ches, touching the Sacramentes, the Minister through Baptisme doth regenerate, and wash awaie sinnes: he doth distribute, and giue the bodie and bloode of the Lord: For Ananias saide to Paull, Arise and be baptised, wash awaie thy sinnes, by calling on the name of Iesus. Also, Iesus tooke breade, gaue it to his Disciples, and said, this is my bodie. Also it is mani∣fest, that the auncient Fathers, did vse such kinde of spea∣ches,

because that by this meanes they would propound and commend more royallie the giftes of God. Moreouer, seeing that the institution and worke of the word and of the Sacraments proceedeth not from men, but from God, we do here reiect the errour of the Donatistes, and of the Anabap∣tists, who esteemed the holie giftes of god according to the worthines, or vnworthines of the minister.

Now in that heauenlie giftes are represented vnto vs by earthlie things, it commeth so to passe by a certaine singu∣lar goodnes of God, who by this meane would helpe our weakenes. For the weakenes of mans wit doth vnderstande all things the better, if they be resembled by visible things. Therefore the Lord would by Sacramentes set before the eies of mortall men his heauenlie gifts and his promises, as it were a linelie picture in a certaine table: that is, those things, which are perceiued by the minde, he deliuered to vs in sensible things.

Whereupon we doe gather, that the Sacramentes doe apperteine to them which are in the Church. For pro∣phane men do scoffe at our Sacramentes, insomuch as they esteeme them according to the externall things onely. But they which haue faith, vnderstand the mysteries of the Sa∣craments: and they which receiue them in a true and liuely faith, receiue them with fruit: if they be receiued without faith, they doe hurt: not that the good giftes of God doe hurte of themselues, but because that they being not recei∣ued aright, doe hurte, through our default. Furthermore, the Sacraments are badges of the people of God. For by these we are gathered together into a holie companie, and we professe our faith. For it pleased the Lord by this meane to gather his people to himselfe, and as it were to marke them with this signe, whereby also he might put euerie one in minde of his duetie.

Now of this kinde there be two Sacramentes in the Church of Christ, Baptisme, which is called the font of regene∣ration: and the supper of the Lord, which is called the bodie and blood of the Lord, or the communion of the bodie and blood of the Lord. And now we will speake seuerallie of them: for hitherto we haue discoursed of the Sacraments in generall, as before God we do beleeue, and wherein we hope that Luther will

not think anie thing wanting.

Notes

• * 1.1

  looke the 1. obseru. vpon this confess.
• * 1.2

  Looke the 2 obseruat. vpon this confess.