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 SVEVELAND.

Of praiers and fastinges. CHAP. 7.

* 1.1 VVE haue among vs praiers and Religious fastes, which are moste holie workes and such as doe ve∣rie much beseeme Christians: whereunto our Preaehers do most diligentlie exhorte their hearers. For true fasting is as it were a renouncing of this present life, which is alwaies subiect to euill lustes and desires, and a meditation of the life to come, which is free from all perturbation. And praier is a lifting vp of the minde vnto God, and such a familiar speach with him, as no other thing can so greatlie set a man on fire with heauenlie affections, & more mightelie make the minde comformable to the will of God. And though these exer∣cies be neuer so holie, and necessarie for Christians, yet see∣ing that a mans neighbour is not so much benefited by them, * 1.2as man is prepared, that he maie with fruit and profit haue regarde of his neighbour, they are not to be preferred before holie doctrine, godlie exhortations and admonitions, and also other dueties, whereby our neighbour doth presentlie receiue some profit. Whereupon we reade of our Sauiour, that in the night time he gaue him selfe to praier, and in the daie time to doctrine, and to heale the sicke. For as loue is greater then faith and hope, so to beleeue those thinges, which come neerest vnto loue, to wit, such as bring assured profit vnto men, are to be perferred before all other holie functions: whereupon S. Chrysostome writeth, that Among * 1.3the wholl companie of vertues, fasting hath the last place.

Of the Commaunding of Fastes. CHAP. 8.

BVt because that no mindes, but these that be ardent, and peculiarlie stirred vp by the heauenlie inspiration, can either praie, or faste aright, and with profit, we beleeue that it is farre better, after the example of the Apostles, and the former & more sincere Church, by holie exhortations to inuite men hereunto, then to wring them out by preceptes,

such especiallie, as doe binde men vnder paine of deadlie sinne: the which thing the Priestes that were of late toke vpon them to doe, when as then the order of Priestes had not a litle degenerated. But we had rather leaue the place∣time, and manner, both of praying, and also of fasting, to the arbitrement of the holie Ghost, then to prescribe them by certaine lawes, especiallie such, as maie not be broken without some sacrifice of amends. Yet for their sakes that be the younger, and more imperfect sorte, our Preachers doe not dislike, that there should be an appointed time and meanes, both for prayer, and also for fasting, that as it were by these holie introductions to exercises they might be pre∣pared hereunto, so that it be done, without bynding of the conscience. We were induced thus to thinke, not so much for that all compulsion being against a mans will, is repug∣nant to the nature of these actions, but rather, because that neither Christ himselfe, nor anie of his Apostles, haue in a∣ny place made mentiō of such kinde of precepts: & this doth * 1.4Chrysostome also witnes, saying: Thou seest that an vpright life doth helpe more then all other thinges. Now I tearme an vpright life not the labour of Fasting, nor the bed of haire, or ashes, but if thou doest despise monie, no otherwise then it becommeth thee, if thou burne with charitie, if thou nourish the hungrie with thy bread, if thou ouercome thy anger, if thou dost not desire vaine glorie, if thou be not possessed with enuie: for these be the thinges that he teacheth▪ for he doth not saie, that he will haue his fast to be followed, howbeit he might haue proponed those 40. daies vnto vs: but he saith, Learne of me, because I am meeke, and lowlie in heart. Yea rather on the contrarie side, saith he, eate all that is set before you.

Moreouer, we doe not read, that anie solemne or set faste was enioyned to the auncient Church, but that faste of one daie. For those fastes, which as the scripture doth witnes, were ordeyned of Prophets, and of Kinges, it is certaine, that they were no set fastes, but enioyned onelie for their time, to wit, when as euident calamities, either hanging ouer their heads, or presentlie pinching them, did so require it. Seeing therfore that the Scripture, as S. Paull doth af∣firme, doth instruct a man to euerie good worke, and yet is ignorant of these fastes which are extorted by precepts, we doe not see, how it could be lawful for the successours of the

Apostles, to ouercharge the Church with so great and so daungerous a burthen. Truelie, Irenaeus doth witnes, that in times past the obseruation of faste in Churches was diuers, and free, as it is reade in the Ecclesiasticall historie, lib. 8. cap. 14. In the same booke Eusebius maketh mention, that one Apol∣lonius, an Ecclesiasticall writer among other arguments vsed this for one, to confute the doctrine of Montanus the heretike, Because he was the first that made lawes for fastes. Ther∣upon Chrysostome saith in a vertaine place, Fasting is good, but let no man be compelled thereunto. And in another place he ex∣horteth him that is not able to faste, to absteyne from deinties, and yet affirmeth, that it doth not much differ from fasting, and that it is a strong weapon to represse the furie of the Deuill. Moreouer, ex∣perience also it selfe doth more then prooue, that these pre∣cepts concerning fastes, haue bin a great hinderance to god∣lines.

Therefore when we saw it verie euidentlie, that the chiefe men in the Church, did beside the authoritie of the Scrip∣ture, take vpon themselues this power, so to enioyne fastes, as to binde mens consciences vnder paine of deadlie sinne, we did loose the consciences out of these snares, but by the Scriptures, and chiefely by Pauls writinges, which doe with a singular endeauour remooue these rudiments of the world from the necks of Christians. For wee ought not lightlie to account of that saying of Paull: Let no man condemne you in meate and drinke, or in respect of an holie daie, or of the new Moone, or of the Sabbath daies. And againe, Therefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the worlde, why, as though ye li∣ued in the worlde, are ye burdened with traditions? For if S. Paull, then whome no man at any time did teach Christ more cer∣tainelie, doe earnestlie affirme, that through Christ wee haue obteined such libertie in outwarde thinges, that he doth not onelie not giue authoritie to anie creature, to bur∣den those which beleeue in Christ, no not so much as with those ceremonies and obseruations, which notwithstanding God himselfe appointed, and would haue to be profitable in their time; but also denounceth, that they be fallen awaie from Christ, and that Christ shall nothing at all profitte them, who suffer themselues to be addicted thereunto; what shall wee then thinke of those commaundements, which men haue

deuised of their owne braine, not onelie without anie oracle, but also without anie example worthie to be followed, and which are therefore made vnto manie not onelie beggerlie and weake, but also hurtfull, not elements, that is, rudi∣ments of holie discipline, but also impediments of true god∣lines? How much more vniustlie shall anie man take vnto himselfe authoritie ouer the inheritance of Christ, to op∣presse him with such kinde of bondage? and how farre shall he remooue vs from Christ, if we submit our selues vnto him? For who doth not see the glorie of Christ, to whom we ought whollie to liue, whome he hath whollie redeemed to himselfe, and restored to libertie, and that by his blood, to be more obscured, if beside his authoritie, we doe binde our conscience to those lawes, which are the inuentions of men, then to those which haue God for their author, although they were to be obserued, but onelie for their time? Cer∣tainelie it is a lesse fault to play the Iewe, then the Heathen. Now it is the manner of the heathen; to receiue lawes for the worship of God, which haue their beginning from mans inuention onelie, God neuer being asked counsell of in the matter. Wherefore if in anie matter at all, certainlie here that saying of Paull taketh place: Ye are bought with a great * 1.5price, be not made the seruants of men.

Of the choise of meates CHAP. 9.

FOr the same cause was that forbearing and chusing of meates enioyned and tyed to certaine daies, which S. Paull, writing to Timothie, calleth the doctrine of Deuils. Nei∣their is their answere sufficient. Who saie that these thinges be spoken onelie against the Manichies, En••ratites, Tatians, and Marcionites, who did whollie forbid certaine kindes of meates and mariage. For the Apostle in this place hath condemned those, which commaund to abstaine from meates, which G••d hath created to be taken with thank••giuing, &c. Now they also which do but forbid to take certaine meates, on certaine daies do neuertheles commaund men to abstaine from those meats, which God hath created to be taken, & are cosin germanes to the doctrine of the Deuils, the which also is euidentlie

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seene by the reason, which the Apostle addeth. For, saith he, Whatsoeuer God hath created, it is good, and nothing is to be refu∣sed, that is receiued with giuing of thankes. Here he doth not take exception against anie times, although no man fauou∣red frugalitie, temperance, and also choise chastisments of the flesh, and lawfull fasting, more greatlie then he did, Certainlie a Christian must be frugall, and sometime the flesh must be chastised by diminishing the dailie and accu∣stomed portion or diet, but base meates, and a meane, doth serue better to this purpose, then anie kinde of meates: to conclude, it is meete for Christians, now and then to take vpon them a lawful faste, but that must not be an abstinence from certaine, but from all meates, nor from meates onelie, but also from all the deinteis of this life whatsoeuer. For, what kinde of fast is this? what abstinence? onlie to chaunge the kinde of deinties, (the which thing at this day they vse to doe which are counted more religious then others) seing that Saint Chrysostome doth not account it to be a faste, if we continue whollie without meates, euen vnto the euening, except together with absteining from meates, we doe also conteine our selues from those thinges which be hurtfull, and bestow much of that leisure vpon the studie and exercise of spirituall thinges.

That by praiers and fastes we must not looke to merit anie thing. CHAP. 10.

MOreouer, our Preachers haue taught, that this fault is to be amended in praiers and fastes, that com∣monlie men are taught to seeke to obtaine, I know not what merit, and iustification by these workes. For, As we are sa∣ued by grace, through faith, so also are we iustified. And tou∣ching the wotkes of the law (among the which praiers and fastes are reckoned) Paull writeth thus: For we through the * 1.6Spiritwaite for the hope of righteousnes through faith. There∣fore we must praie, but to this ende, that we maie receiue of God, not that wee maie hereby giue anie thing vnto him. VVe must faste, that we maie the better praie, and keepe the flesh within the compasse of it duetie, and not before God to deserue anie thing for our selues. This one∣lie

ende and vse of prayers, both the Scripture, and al∣so the writinges and examples of the Fathers doe pre∣scribe vnto vs. Moreouer, the case so standeth with vs, that although wee coulde praie and faste so religiouslie, and so perfectlie doe all those thinges which God hath inioyned vs, that nothing coulde more be required of vs (which hitherto no mortall man hath at anie time perfourmed) yet for all this wee must confesse, that we are vnprofitable seruantes. Therefore what meritte can wee dreame of.

Notes

• * 1.1

  These thinges which are mingled in this 7. & after in the 10. c. touch∣ing Praiers, did apper∣teine to the 15. Sect if they might fitlie haue beene se∣parated.
• * 1.2

  1. Cor. 13.
• * 1.3

  In Math. Hom. 48.
• * 1.4

  In Math. hom. 47.
• * 1.5

  1. Gor. 7.
• * 1.6

  Gal▪ 5.