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 Baptisme. CHAP. 10.

WE acknowledge that Baptisme is to be ministred, as well to infants, as to those that are growne to full age, and that it is to be vsed in the Church, euen to the end of this worlde, in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holie Ghost, according to Christ his in∣stitution.

Also we beleeue and confesse, that Baptisme is that sea, into the bottome whereof, as the Prophet saith, God doth cas•• all our sinnes, and forgiue them for Christ his Sonnes sake, tho∣rough faith. But whereas some affirme, that sinne remai∣ning in man after baptisme, is not indeed sinne of it owne nature, we think it to be a more pernitious errour, then the common sort of men doth iudge it to be: For, although wee doe not doubt, but that sinne which remaineth after bap∣tisme, is forgiuen to the faithfull for Christ, and, by the free mercie of God, is not imputed anie longer before the tri∣bunall seate of God; yet if a man weigh and consider the nature thereof, it is in deede in it selfe sinne, by reason wherof, as Augustine saide before, No man liuing is iustified in the fight of God▪ and, there is not a iust man in the earth, which doth good,

and sinneth not. Rom. 7. I see another law in my members, rebel∣ling against the law of my minde, and leading me captiue vnto the lawe of sin, which is in my members. Here Paull speaketh of sin, which remaineth after baptisme, & he affirmeth, that it doth rebell against the law of his minde, that is, against the af∣fection of the holy Ghost. Now, that which rebelleth against the holy Ghost, vndoubtedly it is necessary, that it be very sin indeede. For this is the nature of sinne, that it striue against the holie Ghost. And Galat. 5. it is said: The flesh lusteth a∣gainst the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and these are con∣trarie one to the other, so that ye cannot doe the same thinges that ye would. Here againe Paull speaketh of sinne remaining af∣ter baptisme: and doth manifestlie attribute to it the nature of sinne, to wit, to lust against the Spirit, to be contrarie to the Spirit, and to hinder, that righteousnes maie not be perfect in man. Therefore sinne remaining after baptisme, of it nature is indeed sinne, although it be not imputed to him that beleeueth, but is forgiuen for Christ. And there∣fore Augustine in his booke, De Nupt. & Concup. ad Valer. Lib. 1. Cap. 25. saith, It is answered, that the concupiscence of the flesh is forgiuen in Baptisme, not that there should be no concu∣piscence, but that it shoulde not be imputed to sinne. For although the guilt be alreadie discharged▪ yet the sinne remaineth, till all our infirmitie be healed, &c. And againe, De Baptis. paru••lorum, & de Cons. Dist. 4. Cap. Per Baptismum: Through Baptisme it is brought to passe, that the flesh of sinne be made voide, yet it is not so made voide, that ingendered concupiscence should not remaine in the flesh, but that it should not hurte.

Moreouer wee teach, that he which is baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holie Ghost, is sprinckled with a spirituall anointing, that is, is made a member of Christ through faith, and endued with the holie Ghost, that the eares of his minde maie be ope∣ned, and the eies of his heart lightened, to receiue and vn∣derstand heauenlie things. And it is euident, that the vse of outwarde annointing was lawfull in that gouernement which Moses instituted, and that outward annointing was vsed also in the Church, after that the Gospell was publi∣shed. But it is also euident, that in the law of Moses, there

was a time for shadowes, but now, Christ being reuealed, it is the time of truth, and the vse of externall annointing per∣taineth to the rudiments of the world. Concerning the ab∣rogating of these rudiments, Paul saith, Col. 2. If ye be de••d with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though ye 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the worlde, are ye burdened with traditions. And Dyoni••i••••, * 1.1whome they call Areopagita, and whom they thinke to haue written out the ceremonies, which the Apostles deliuered to the Church, doth insinuate, that an outward anointing was vsed in the Church, but with all he doth insinuate, and that not obscurelie, that this ceremonie was taken, partlie from the heathnish annointings which wrestlers did vse, & partlie out of the law of Moses. But by what authoritie, or with what profitte, we maie take examples of the Heathen, how to worship God, and to administer his Sacraments, that saying of Moses, Deut 12 doth witnes, Take heede that thou do not imitate the heathen, and enquire after their ceremonies, saying, As these nations worshipped their Gods, so will I doe like∣wise. Ye shall not doe so vnto the Lorde your God. And that say∣ing of Christ, Mat. 15. In vaine doe they worship me, teaching for doctrine, the precepts of men. And it is not to be doubted, that the ceremonies of Moses, whereof one parte is the vse of externall anointing, doe pertaine to the rudiments of this world, to whose decrees Paull said before that we are not tied: and whereof he saith in another place, Seeing th•••• ye know God, yea, rather are knowne of God, how turne ye againe vnto impotent and beggerlie rudiments, whereunto, as from the beginning, ye will be in bondage againe? Furthermore, how can it truelie be affirmed, as Fabianus writeth, that the making or ceremonie of the outward anointing, should be taught of the Apostles, seeing that the Acts of Councells doe wit∣nes, that this Ceremonie was instituted of Syluester? And the Ecclesiasticall hystorie doth sh••we, that the Apostles had no purpose to make lawes concerning holie daies, but to teach men true godlines, and an vpright conuersation: how muchlesse did they purpose, to institute externall an∣nointings in the Church, and to bring in shadowes, where the sunne doth shine most clearely.

There were added vnto Baptisme certaine other cere∣monies also, of salte, durte, apparell: but because these

are not thought necessarie, no not of themselues, amongest whome they are vsed, and are in some sort an idle imitation of those ceremonies, which Christ sometime vsed in doing miracles, there is no cause why we should take anie care for them, whilest we are conuersant in so manie necessarie thinges.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In Caelest. Hi∣erar. De Bap∣tis.