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 WIRTEMBERGE.

Of wedlocke. CHAP. 21

VVE confesse that wedlock is a kinde of life, institu∣ted and approoued of God, and that it is * 1.1a my∣sterie, that is, as commonlie it vseth to be expounded, a great Sacrament, in Christ and his Church, as Paull saith. And be∣cause Christ doth euidentlie affirme, that wedlock doth per∣teine to this present life and the administration of the things of this life doe consist of publique lawes being made vpon right and probable reason, therfore we teach that it is lawful to marry in these degrees of consanguinity & affinity which * 1.2the politique lawes, which are the ordinances of God, do permit. Also we teach, that those which be young ought not to marie without the authoritie of their parentes, and that the marriage which is contracted by a rash and vnlaw∣full consent of young parties without the authoritie of them, in whose power they are, is not to be counted as ratified▪ For although there be certaine cases, wherein it is lawfull to marrie without the consent of parentes, yet it seemeth not good to make a generall rule thereof, as though euery con∣sent of young parties, should ratifie the contract of mariage, and as though priuie mariages were to be approoued. For not onelie the commaundement of God doth require, that children should honour their Parentes, but also natural rea∣son doth commaund, that the consent of parentes should be requested in making a marriage: hitherto also are children called by the politique lawes. And there is a decree of Pope Euarastus extant, the wordes whereof be these: Marriage as we heaue hard of our Fathers & haue found it deliuered vnto vs of the Apostles, and their successours, is not otherwise made lawfull, but when a wife is sought for at their handes, and affianced by the neerest Parentes, whoe seeme to haue authoritie ouer the maide or woman, and in whose custodie shee is.

Morouer we do not dout, but that they which are in deed louers of honestie, do thinke that it is not free for the laie men onlie, as they call them, but also for the ministers of the Church, to marrie. For the Epistle to the Hebrewes saith, Marriage is honourable in all men, and the bed that is vndefiled. And Paull aloweth of Marriage in a Bishoppe, and affirmeth that the forbidding of Marriage is a spirit of errours, and a doctrine

of Deuilles. For though this saying of Paull is commonlie ex∣pounded of the Tatians and Eucratians, whoe thought that Marriage doth nothing at all differ from whoredome, yet notwithstanding seeing that marriage is forbidden in the popish decrees, it is forbidden by the same reasons, by the which mariage is wholie condemned, and not in one kinde of men onelie. For that saying is alledged out of Leuiticus▪ Be ye holie, because I am holie: and that of Paull, Not in chamberings and wantonnes: And againe, They which are in the flesh, cannot please God, But seeing that these sayings of the Scripture doe perteine to all men, certainelie they might driue all godlie men from mariage, if they were fitlie applied to for∣bid marriage vnto Priestes. But we hope that all good men doe thinke more honestlie of marriage, and that they do not dislike of that in the ministers thereof, which they did ap∣prooue in the Church it selfe, especiallie seeing that there be manifest examples of the Church, when as yet it was but fresh and more pure, wherein it was lawfull, both for the A∣postles, which was the highest degree in the Church, and also for Bishops, to haue their wiues. And we thinke that this thing is so to be vnderstood, that it was not onelie lawful for the ministers of the Church to be married, before they were ordained ministers, but also to marrie after theirordina∣tion. For which opinion there be very euident argumentes.

Neither ought the vowe of chastitie to be any hinderance herin, because that such a vow beingtaken vpon a man by hu∣mane superstition, without the authoritie of the word of god, and against faith, is not acknowledged of God, and wed∣locke also hath it chastitie, that he which before had vowed chastitie, and marrieth a wife in the Lord, doth indeed full∣fill the vowe of chastitie. Seeing therefore that the worde of God is euident, touching th e honestie of wedlocke, the examples of the Apostles and Bishoppes of the primitiue Church be euident, the weakenes of mans nature is eui∣dent, daungers of single life be euident, and seeing that the offences, which vnchaste Priestes doe giue▪ are euident, we doe verily hope that it will come to passe, that they which haue the gouernment of the Church, will not goe forward seuerelie to maintaine and defend this constitution touch∣ing the marirage of Priestes, but fauourablie to interpret it.

For so it shal come to passe, that there may be both fewer and lesse offences in the Church, and that manie good mens consciences maie be relieued. Also we hope that it will come to passe, that all good Bishoppes and princes will per∣mit them, whoe, by a lawfull diuorce▪ are separated from their adulterous wiues or husbandes, to vse that libertie of marrying againe in the Lord, which the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ hath graunted to them, Math. 5. and 16.

Hitherto also pertaineth the 26. Article, Of Monasticall vowes.

THere is no doubt but that godlie, iust, and lawfull vowes are to be kept and paied, & that wicked vowes are to be disanulled. But it is not without cause made a mat∣ter of controuersie, in what kinde of vowes monasticall vowes, touching virginitie or single life, pouertie and obedi∣ence, are to be placed. For it is euident, that single life, is not commaunded by the word of God: also it is euident, that al∣though the estate of single persons be in publique daungers quiet, and more fit and commodious to execute the publike Ministeries of the Church, then is theirs, which vse it not, yet we must not thinke, that this kinde of life is of it selfe be∣fore the tribunall seat of God more excellent, and more ho∣ly, then is marriage. For as in Christ there is neither Iew, nor Grecian, neither seruant nor free man, as Paull saieth, so in Christ, there is neither married, nor vnmarried. And as, In Christ Iesus circumcision auaileth nothing, but the keeping of the commaundementes of God, and a new creature: so also doth single life auaile nothing, and wedlocke auaileth nothing, but to be renued in Christ Iesus, and to obeie the calling of Christ. In the Councell held at Gangrum there was this Canon: If any of those, who for the Lordes sake doe keepe virginitie, is lifted vp against those that be married, let him be accursed. And another Canon saieth, If any man, for continencie, as it is thought, doeth weare a cloake, as beleeuing that hereby he hath righteousnes, and doth despise others, who with reuerence doe weare other common and vsual kindes of garmentes, let him be accursed. And Augustine De bono coniugali, Cap. 21. dareth not preferre the virginitie of the Baptist, before the wedlocke of Abraham.

Therefore he that doth vowe virginitie or single life, doth either vowe it, as a singular worshippe of God (And then, be∣cause

cause the state of single life is not commaunded by the word of God, this vowe perteineth to the commaundementes of men, whereof Christ, saieth, In vaine doe they worshippe r, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 teaching for doctrines the preceptes of men.) Or else he worketh it, as a merit of remission of sinnes, and of life eternall, and then it is euidently a wicked vowe, whereunto no man is bounde. It is to no better purpose to vowe pouertie. For ei∣ther thou art poore by condition or estate, and possessest no earthly substance: (And then this crosse, which God hath laid vpon thee, thou must beare it patientlie, which more∣ouer if thou do vowe, thou doest nothing else, then if in thy sickenes thou shouldest vowe, that thou woulded alwaies be sicke, or that in thy infamie, thou shouldest alwaies vowe to be infamous: which kinde of vowe is rather a madnes, then godlines.) Or else thou doest possesse substance, and vowest that, forsaking thy substance, thou wilt alwaies leade a poore life, and get thy liuing by begging, and obteine, by the me∣rit of this vow, eternal life: and then this vow is first of all re∣pugnant to the loue of thy neighbour, which requireth, that by thy begging thou be not troublesome to anie, further then necessity compelleth: secondly it is contrary to faith in Christ, because that he alone is the merit of eternall life. Therefore it is euident, that this kinde of vowe is vnlawfull & wicked. But so to forsake thy substance, as to giue it to a common vse, is not to follow after pouertie, but to prouide a more certeine and bountifull liuing for thy selfe: the which what manner of worship it is before God, it can∣not be vnknowne. And as for obedience, it is either referred to God, and then it is not an arbitrarie vowe, but of due ne∣cessitie, of which obedience it is saide, Obedience is better then sacrifice: Or else it is referred to man, and then of their owne accord they are to performe those dueties, which the sub∣iect oweth to the Magistrate, children to the Parentes, ser∣uantes to their Lords, and schollers to their schoolemasters. These thinges doth God looke for at mens handes, whether they be vowed, or not vowed: but yet with this condition, that we doe alwaies rather obeie God, then men. But to vowe obe∣dience vnto man, without a speciall calling of god, that by the workes of such obedience, a man maie not onelie per∣forme a singular worship vnto God, but also purge his sinnes

before god, it is altogether superfluous (because that Christ saieth, They worshippe me in vaine with the traditions of men) and also wicked, because the obedience of Christ alone, which he performed to god his Father, hath purged our sins, and reconciled vs with god. By all these things it is manifest, that the kinde of vowing single life, pouertie, and obedi∣ence, doeth not agree with that doctrine which is indeede Catholique, especiallie seeing that certaine men are not a∣fraid, to make this kinde of vowing equall with Baptisme.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Looke the 1. obseru.
• * 1.2

  looke the 2. oseru.