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.

Also in the same 7. Art. touching Abuses, this exposition is found thus in another edition.

NOw come I to the question in hand, touching the laws of bishops: concerning which first this most certaine rule is to be holden, That it is not laufull for anie to make lawes repugnant to the commaundement of God. That sen∣tence of Saint Paull is well knowne: If an Angell from heauen teach anie other Gospell, let him be accursed. Vpon this foundati∣on, which is sure and immooueable, the rest maie easilie be reared. Now there be three orders of the decrees of Bishops. Some doe constreine a man to sinne, as the law of single life, the lawes of priuate Mas••es, wherein is made an oblation and application for the quick and the dead. And the opinion of transsubstantiation breedeth a wicked adoration. Also the commaundement of praying to the dead. It is an easy mat∣ter to giue sentence of these lawes. For seeing they doe ma∣nifestlie oppugne the commaundement of God, the Apo∣stles rule is, We ought rather to obeie God then men.

The second order is of those rites, which concerne thinges in their owne nature indifferent, such as are the lawes touching the difference of meates, and daies, and such like thinges. But when false opinions are ioyned vnto these thinges, they are ••o more indifferent. Now our aduersaries doe, some

more, some lesse, tie vnto them absurde and false opinions, for the which both those laws & rites are to be cast of, lest anie corrupt worship should be established. The moste parte do feigne, that the workes of mans traditions, as satisfacti∣ons, & such like, doe merit remission of sinnes. This opinion is apparantlie false: for it remooueth the benefit of Christ vnto mans traditions. And there needeth here no long confutation: we will content our selues with one thundring saying of Saint Paull, Ye are made void of Christ, whosoeuer are iustified by the law: Ye are fallen from Christ. This saying teach∣eth, that men doe not merit remission of sinnes by the pro∣per workes, either of Gods lawe, or of mans traditions. Others being put in minde, what grosse absurditie there is in this first errour, they beginne to talke more modestlie of tra∣ditions. But yet they houlde still an errour, that is not to be borne with all. They saie, That these workes, though they doe not deserue remission of sinnes, yet are they seruices of God, that is, workes, the immediat ende whereof is, that God by them might be honoured. This errour also must be stiffelie withstoode. For Christ saieth plainelie, They worshippe me in vaine with the preceptes of men. And Paull doth expresselie condemne will worshippe to the Coloss. And seeing that the worshippe of God must be done in faith, it is necessarie that we should haue the word of God, that may testifie that the worke plea∣seth God. For how can the conscience offer a worke vn∣to God, vnlesse there be a voice of God, which maie de∣clare, that God will so be worshipped or serued with this honour? But vngodlie men vnderstanding this Doctrine of faith, haue in all ages with damnable boldnes deuised wor∣shippes, without commaundement or word of God, which thing if it be lawfull to doe, you can shew no cause why the heathenish sacrifices, slaing of dogges, sacrifices of∣fered at Lampsacum to Priapus, & such like monstrous wor∣ship should not please God. Whether hath mans foolehar∣dines rushed, not onelie amongst the Ethnicks, in feigning worships, but also among the Popish rout in deuising eftsons new & foolish ceremonies, in praier to the dead, in the worshipping of saintes, and in the babling of Monkes. Here therefore let vs be watchfull, and not suffer lawes to be thrust vpon the Churches, which prescribe workes with∣out

the commaundement of God, as Gods worshippe and mans righteousnes. And whereas all our aduersaries, euen they that speake moste modestlie, doe tie this opinion of worshippe vnto those workes, let vs know, that it is a good worke to withstand them, and by violating such traditions to shew a patterne, by which the godlie may knowe what to iudge of them. As Eusebius writeth of Attalus, That he was commaunded by God to speake vnto a certaine man which ate no∣thing but bread, salte, and water, that he would vse common meat, lest he should bring others into errour. Moreouer this second errour which maketh these workes to be the worshippe of God, brake farther. For manie in the Church were de∣ceiued through a peruerse emulation of the Leuiticall ce∣remonies, and did thinke that there should be some such rites in the new Testament, and that they are the worshipe of God, or things whereby God wil be honoured, yea & that they are righteousnes. And for that cause they gaue autho∣ritie to the Bishops to ordaine such rites and such seruices. This Pharisaicall errour Christ and his Apostles noted, who taught, that the worship of the new Testament is repen∣tance, the feare of God, faith, and the workes of the tenne commaundementes, as Paull saieth, The kingdome of God is not meate and drinke, but righteousnes, and peace, and ioie in the holie Ghost. For he that in these serueth Christ, pleaseth God, and i•• approoued of men. The Monkes fained themselues to be Na∣zarites. The Masse Priestes that sacrifice for the dead, would haue men think that they imitate Aaron offering sacrifices. But these examples doe not agree: the rites of Monkes, and the Priests mercenary Masses, haue no word of god for them, yea there are manie fonde opinions mingled with them, which of necessitie must be reprooued in our Churches.

The third errour is the opinion of necessitie, wherein they imagine that the Church is like vnto other humane go∣uernmentes. For they surmise that it is a kingdome, wher∣in the Bishoppes, as if they were Kinges, haue power to make new lawes, that are besides the Gospell, and that they must of necessitie be obeied (euen as the Princes lawes must necessarilie be obeied) especiallie seeing this life of man can not be without traditions. And this opinion of the necessitie of these things hath stirred vp contentions, whilst

euerie one defendeth his owne rites inuented by man, as simply necessarie. But Christ and his Apostls teach, that such rites set forth without Gods commaundement, are not to be taken for thinges necessarie. Against this libertie enacted and established by Gods authoritie, the opinion which maintaineth that the violating of traditions about thinges indifferent, though it be not in a case where offence maie be giuen, is not to be receiued. Hetherto belongeth the saying of Paull, Let no man iudge you in meat and drinke, and entercourse of ••olie daies, &c. For to iudge signifieth to binde the consciences, and to condemne them that doe not o∣beie. Againe, Gal. 5 Stand in the libertie wherein Christ hath made you free.

Hitherto it hath bin shewed in what respect it is not lawful to appoint traditions, or to approoue them. Now some man may aske whether we would haue this life of man to be with∣out order & rites? No surelie. But we teach that the true Pa∣stors of the churches may ordein publike rites in their chur∣ches, but so, as it be onelie for an end belonging to the bodie, that is, for good orders sake, to wit▪ such rites, as auaile for the instruction of the people: As for example, set daies, set lessons, and such like, and that without anie superstition, and opinion of necessitie, as hath bin said before, so that it maie not be counted anie sinne to violate anie of these ordinan∣ces, so it be not with giuing offence. But if so be that they be broken with offence there, where the Churches are well or∣dered, and there is no error in doctrine, let him that in such place breaketh thē know, that he doth offend, because he di∣sturbeth the peace of the Church wel ordered, or doth with∣draw others from the true ministerie. This reason doth suffi∣cientlie warrant the authority of profitable traditions, & lai∣eth no snare on mens consciences. So the Church in the be∣ginning of it, ordained set daies, as the Lords day, the daie of Christs natiuity, Easter, Pēticost, &c. Neither did the church dispense with the moral precepts, but Gods owne authority abrogated the ceremonies of Moses law. And yet it was meet that the people should know when to come together to the hearing of the Gospel, & vnto the ceremonies which Christ did ordaine. And for that cause certain daies were appointed to that vse, without anie such opinions as were aboue men∣tioned.

And the general equity abideth stil in the moral law, that at certeine times we should come together to these god¦lie exercises: but the speciall daie, which was but a ceremo∣nie, is free. Whereupon the Apostles retained not the seauenth daie, but did rather take the first daie of the weeke for that vse, that by it they might admonish the godlie both of their libertie, and of Christes resurrection. * 1.1The thinges obiected against this maie easelie be taken awaie. The Apo∣stles decree touching thinges offered to Idoles, and fornica∣tion, was moral, and perpetuall: but in that which they ad∣ded, touching blood, and that which was strangled, they had regard of offence giuing at that time. For it was an vse euen before the Apostles time, that such as then were conquered by the Iewes should abstaine from blood and thinges stran∣gled. The Apostles therefore haue laied no new thing vp∣on those, that were ioyned vnto their fellowshippe, but as yet they kept the olde vsual rite, which was pleasing both to the godlie Iewes, and such as ioyned with them in the societie of Christ. As for that which Christ saith, I haue yet manie things to say vnto you: doubtles he meant not those foloish ceremo∣nies that the Popes haue brought in, nor any new articles of faith, but a farther illumination of that gospel, which he had already deliuered. And therfore afterward he addeth touch∣ing the office of the holy ghost, that he should not bring any other kinde of doctrine, but should enlighten the mindes of the Apostles, that they should vnderstand the Gospel touch∣ing the will of God, which before had bin taught. Therefore he saieth; Ioan. 14. He shal teach you all thinges, and shal bring al things to your remembrance, which I haue shewed you. Againe, He shall not speake of himselfe, but what he hath heard, that shall he speake.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Looke the 4. obseruat.