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 the difference of meates.

IT hath beene a common opinion, not of the common * 1.1sorte alone, but also of such as are teachers in the Churches, that the differences of meates, and such like humane traditions, are workes auaileable to merit re∣mission both of the faulte, and of the punishment. And that the world thus thought, it is apparant by this, that dailie new ceremonies, new orders, new holie daies, new * 1.2fastes, were appointed: and the teachers in the Churches, did exacte these workes, at the peoples handes, as a seruice necessarie to deserue iustification by, and they did greatlie terrifie their consciences, if aught were omitted. * Of this perswasion of traditions manie discommodities haue fol∣lowed in the Church. For first the doctrine of grace, is ob∣scured by it, and also the righteousnes of faith, which is the moste especiall point of the Gospell, and which it behoueth moste of all to be extant, and to haue the preheminence in the Church, that the merit of Christ maie be well knowen, and faith, which beleueth that sinnes are remitted through Christ, and not for anie workes of ours, maie be exal••ed farre aboue workes. For which cause also Saint Paull labou∣reth much in this point: he remooueth the law and humane traditions, that he may shew that the righteousnes of Christ i•• a farre other thing, then such workes as these be, name∣lie, a faith, which beleeueth that sinnes are freely remitted

through Christ. But this doctrine of Saint Paull is almost wholie smothered by traditions, which haue breade an opinion, that by making difference in meates and such like seruices, a man must merit remission of sinnes and iustifica∣tion. In their doctrine of repentance there was no mention of faith: onelie these satisfactorie works were spoken of: Re∣pentance seemed to stand whollie in these.

Secondlie, these traditions obscured the Commaunde∣ments of God, that they could not be knowne, because that traditions were preferred far aboue the commaundementes of God. All Christianitie was thought to be an obseruation of certeine holie daies, rites, fastes, and attire. These ob∣seruations caried a goodlie title and name, that they were the spirituall life, and the perfect life. In the meane season Gods commaundements touching euerie mans calling, were of small estimation. That the father brought vp his children, that the mother bare them, that the prince gouerned the common wealth, these were reputed worldly affaires, and vnperfect and farre inferior to those glistering obseruations & orders. And these errors did greatly torment good mindes, which were grieued that they were hande-fasted to an vnperfect kinde of life, in mariage, in Magistracy, and in other ciuill functions. They had the Monkes and such like men in admiration, and falselie ima∣gined, that their orders did more deserue remission of sinnes and iustification.

Thirdlie, traditions brought great daunger to mens con∣sciences, because it was not possible to keepe them all, and yet men thought the obseruation of them to be necessarie duties. Gerson writeth, that manie fell into despaire, and some murthered themselues, because they perceiued that they could not keepe the traditions: and all this while they neuer heard the comforte of the righteousnes of faith, or of grace. We see the Summistes and diuines gather toge∣ther the traditions, and seeke qualifications of them; to vn∣burden mens consciences: and yet all will not serue, but som times they bring more snares vpon the conscience. The schooles and pulpits haue bene so busied in gathering toge∣ther the traditions, that they had not leisure once to touch the scripture, and to seeke out a more profitable doctrine, of

faith, of the crosse, of hope, of the dignitie of ciuill affaires, of the comfort of consciences in perilous assaultes. Wherfore Gerson and some other diuines haue made grieuous com∣plaints that they were hindered by braules about traditions, that they could not be occupied in some better kinde of do∣ctrine. And Saint Augustine forbiddeth that mens conscien∣ces should be burdened with such kinde of obseruations, & doth verie wiselie warne Ianuarius to know, that they are to∣be obserued indifferentlie: for so he speaketh: Wherefore our ministers must not be thought, to haue touched this matter vnadui∣sedlie for hatred of the Bishops, as some do falselie surmise. There was great need to admonish the Churches of those errours, which did a∣rise from mistaking of traditions: for the Gospell driueth men to vrge the doctrine of grace, and of the righteousnes of faith, in the Church: which yet can neuer be vnderstord, if men suppose that they can merit remission of sinnes, and iustification, by obseruations of their owne choice. Thus therefore they haue taught vs, that we can neuer merit remission of sinnes and iustification, by the ob∣seruation of mans traditions: and therefore that we must not thinke, that such obseruations are necessarie dueties. Hereunto they adde testimonies out of the scriptures. Christ excuseth his disciples, Math. 15. which kept not the re∣ceiued tradition, which yet seemed to be about a matter not vnlawfull, but indifferent, and to haue some affinitie with the washings of the lawe, and saith, They worshippe me in vaine with the precepts of men. Christ therefore requireth no vnprofitable worship: and a litle after, he addeth, All that entreth in at the mouth de••ileth not the man. Aagine, Rom. 14. The kingdome of God is not meat and drinke. Col. 2. Let no man iudge you in meate, or drinke, in a Sabboth, or in an holie daie. A∣gaine, If ye be dead with Christe, from the rudiments of the world, why, as though yee liued in the world, are ye burdened with ••raditions, Touch not, tast not, handle not? Act. 15. Peter saith, why tempt ye God, laying a yoke vpon the ne••ks of the disciples which neither we, nor our fathers were able to beare? but by the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ, we hope to be saued, as did also they. Here Pe∣ter forbiddeth to burthen the consciences with manie rites, whether they be of Moses, or of anie others appointing: and 1. Tim. 4. he calleth the forbidding of meates, a doctrine of deuills: because that it is flat against the gospel, to appoint or

do such workes, to the end that by them we maie merit re∣mission of sinnes or iustification, or because that there could be no Christianitie without them.

Here our aduersaries obiect against vs, that our ministers hinder al good discipline and mortification of the flesh, as Iouinian did. But the contrarie maie be seene by our mens writings. For they haue alwais taught, touching the crosse, that Chri∣stians must suffer afflictions. This is the true, earnest, and vn∣feigned mortification, to be exercised with diuerse afflicti∣ons, and to be crucified with Christ. Moreouer they teach, that euerie Christian must so by bodilie discipline, or bodely exercises and labour, exercise and keepe vnder himselfe, that fulnes and slouth do not prick him vp to sinne, nor that he maie by such exercises merit such remission of the fault, or of eternall death: and this corporall discipline must alwaies be plied, not onelie in a few, and those sette daies, according to the commaundement of Christ, Take heede that your bodies be not oppressed with surfeting. Againe. This kinde of deuill is not cast out but by fasting and praier: And Paul saith, I chast••••e my bodie, and bring it vnder subiection. Where he plainlie shew∣eth, that he did therefore chastice his bodie, not that by dis∣scipline he might merit remission of sinnes, but that his body might be apt, and fit for spirituall things, & to do his dutie, according to his calling. Therfore we do not condemne fasts themselues, but the traditions, which prescribe certeine daies and certeine meates, with daunger to the conscien∣ces, as though such workes as these were necessary duties.

Yet many of the traditions are obserued among vs, which tend vnto this end, that things may be done orderlie in the Church, as namelie the * 1.3order of lessons in the Masse, and the chiefest holie daies. But in the meane time men are admonished, that such a seruice doth not iustifie before god, and that there is no sinne to be put in such thinges, if they be left vndone, so it be without offence This libertie in humane rites & ceremonies was not vnknowne to the fathers. For in the East Church they kept Easter at another time then they did in Rome: and when as they of the Church of Rome ac∣cused the East Church of schisme for this diuersity▪ they were admonished by others, that such fashions should not be alike euerie where. And Ireneus saith: the dissagreement about fa∣sting

doth not breake of the agrement of faith. Besides, Pope Gre∣gorie in the 12. distinction insinuateth, that such diuersitie doth not hurt the vnitie of the Church: and in the Tripartite historie, lib. 9. many examples of different rites are gathered together, and these words are there rehearsed, The minde of the Apostles was, not to giue precepts of holie daies, but to preach godlines and a good conuersation.

What is then to be thought of the Lords day, and of such like rites vsed in Churches? Hereunto they answer, that it is lawful for the Bishops or Pastors to appoint ordinances, wherby things may be done in order in the Church, not that by them we should merit remission of sinnes, or satisfie for sinnes, or that mens consciences should be bound to esteme them as necessarie seruices, and thinke that they sinne, when they violate any one of them, though it be without the offence of others. So Paull ordeined, that weomen should couer their heads in the congregation, that the Interpreters of scripture should be heard in course or order in the Church.

Such like ordinances it behooueth the Churches to kepe for charitie, and quietnes sake, so farre forth, that one offend not another, that all thinges maie be done in order, and without tumult in the Church: but yet with this caution, that mens consciences be not burdened, so as they should ac∣count them as things necessarie to saluation, and thinke they did sinne, when they break anie one of them with∣out offence of others: as no man would saie that a woman doth offend, if she come abroade with his head vncouered, without the offence of anie.

Of this sort is the obseruation of the Lords day, of Easter, of Pentecost, and such like holie daies, and rites. For they that thinke, that the obseruation of the Lords daie was ap∣pointed by the authoritie of the Church in stead of the Sab∣both, as necessarie, they are greatlie deceiued. The scrip∣ture requireth that the obseruation of it should now be free: for it teacheth that the Mosaicall ceremonies are not need∣ful after ••he gospel is reuealed. And yet because it was requi∣site to appoint a certeine daie, that the people might know when to come together, it seemeth that the Church did for that purpose appoint the Lords daie: which daie for this cause also semed to haue better liked the Church, that in it

men might haue an example of Christian liberty, and might know, that the obseruation, neither of the Sabboth, nor of any other daie, was of necessitie.

There are extant certeine monstrous disputations, tou∣ching the chaunging of the law, and the ceremoies of the new law, and of the change of the change of the Sabboth, which did al spring vp of a false persuasion, that there should be a worship in the Church, like to the Leuiticall worship: and that Christ gaue the charge of deuising new ceremonies, which should be necessarie to saluation, to the Apostles and Bishops. These er∣rors crept into the Church, when as the doctrine of faith was not plainly inough taught. Some dispute, that the obseruati∣on of the Lords daie is not in deed of the law of God, but as it were of the lawe of God: and touching holie daies, they prescribe, how farre it is lawfull to worke in them. What else are such disputations, but snares for mens consciences.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Art. 5.
• * 1.2

  This treatis of ceremo∣nies repea∣ted general¦ly doth prope••••••e pert•••••• vn∣to the 〈…〉〈…〉 here 〈…〉〈…〉 in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 article.
• * 1.3

  Looke the 1. obseru. vp¦pon this confess.