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.

A GENERAL CON∣FESSION OF THE TRVE CHRI∣STIAN FAITH AND RELIGION, ACCOR∣ding to Gods word and actes of our Parliaments, subscri∣bed by the Kings Maiestie and his household, with sun∣drie others. To the glory of God, and good example of all men. At Edinborough the 28. day of Ianuarie. The yeare of our Lord. 1581. And in the 14. yere of his Maie∣sties Raigne. (Book Scotland)

WE all, and euerie one of vs vn∣der written protest, that after long & due examination of our owne consciences, in matters of true and false Religion, are now throughlie resolued in the truth by the word and spirit of God. And therefore we beleeue with our hartes, confesse with our mouthes, subscribe with our handes, and constantlie affirme before God and the whole world, that this onelie is the true Christian faith and religion, pleasing God, and bringing saluation to man, which is now by the mercie of God reuealed to the world by the preaching of the blessed Euangell, and is receaued, beleeued, and defended by manie and sundrie notable Churches & realms▪ but chiefely by the Church of Scot∣land, the Kings Maiestie, & three Estates of this Realm, as Gods eternal trueth, & onely ground of our saluation, as more particularlie is expressed in the confession of our Faith, established and publikelie confirmed by sundrie actes of Parliaments, and now of a long time hath beene

openlie professed by the Kinges Maiestie, and wholl bo∣die of this Realme, both in burgh and land. To the which confession and forme of Religion, we willinglie agree in our consciences in all pointes, as vnto Gods vndoubted trueth and veritie, grounded onelie vpon his written word. And therefore we abhorre and detest all contrarie religion & doctrine, but chiefelie all kinde of Papistrie in generall, and particular heades, euen as they are now damned and confuted by the word of God & Church of Scotland, but especiallie we detest andrefuse the vsurped authority of that Romane Antichrist vpon the Scriptures of God, vpon the Church, the ci••••ll magistrate and conscience of men: all his tyranous Lawes, made vpon indifferent things, against our Christian libertie: his erronious do∣ctrine against the sufficien•••• of the written word, the per∣fection of the lawe, the office of Christ, and his blessed E∣uangell: his corrupted doctrine concerning original sinne, our naturall inab••l••ti•• and rebellion to Gods law: our in∣stification by faith onelie: our imperfect sanctificati∣on and obedience to the lawe: the nature, number, and vse of the holie Sacraments, his fine bastard sacraments, with all his rites▪ ceremonies, and false doctrine added to the administration of the true Sacraments, without the word of God: his cruell iudgement against Infants de∣parting without the Sacrament, his absolute necessitie•• Baptisme, his blasphemous opinion of transsubst antiatio•• or reall presence of Christes bodie in the elements, and re∣ceiuing of the same by the wicked, or bodies of men: his dispensations with solemne othes, periuries, and degrees of mariage forbidden in the word, his crueltie against the Innocent diuorced, his deuilish Masse, his blasphemous Priesthood, his prophane sacrifice for the sinnes of the dead and the quick: his Canonization of men, calling

vpon Angells, or Saintes departed, worshipping of Ima∣ges, reliques, and crosses, dedicating of Churches, Altars, Daies, Vowes to creatures: his Purgatorie, praiers for the dead, praying or speaking in a strange language, with his processions and blasphemous Letany, and multitude of Aduocates, or Mediatours: his manifolde orders, Au∣ricular confession, his dispersed & vncertaine repentance, his generall and doubt some faith, his satisfactions of men for their sinnnes, his iustification by workes, Opus Ope∣ratum, woorkes of supererogation, merites, pardons, pe∣regrinations and stations, his holie water, Bapti••••ng of Belles, Coniuring of spirites, Crossing, Sa••ing, An∣nointing, coniuring, Hallowing of Gods good Creatures, with the superstitious opinion ioyned therewith, his world∣lie Monarchie, and wicked hierarch••e, his three solem∣ned vowes, with all his sha••eli••gs of sundrie sortes: his erronious bloodie decrees made at Trent, with all the subscribers and approouers of that cruell and bloody band coniured against the Church of God. And finallie ••e de∣test all his vaine allegories, rites, signes, and traditions brought in the Church without, or against the worde of God and doctrine of this true reformed Church: to the which we toyne our selues willinglie, in doctrine, faith, re∣ligion, discipline, and vse of the holie Sacraments, as liue∣lie members of the same in Christ our head, promising and swearing by the great name of the Lord our God, that we shall continue in the obedience of the doctrine and disci∣pline of this Church, and shall defend the same according to our vocation and power, all the daies of our liues, vn∣der the paines contained in the law, and danger both of bodie and soule, in the date of Gods fearefull iudgement. And seeing that manie are stirred vp by Satan, and that Romane Antichrist, to promise, s••••are, subs••r••••••, and

for a time vse the holy Sacraments in the Church deceit∣fully against their owne conscience, minding hereby, first vnder the externall cloake of Religion, to corrupt and subuert secretlie Gods true Religion within the Church, and afterward when time maie serue, to become open ene∣mies and persequuters of the same, vnder vaine hope of the Popes dispensation deuised against the word of God, to his greater confusion, and their double condemna∣tion in the daie of the Lord Iesus; We therefore willing to take away all suspition of hypocrisie, and of such double dealing with God and his Church, protest and call the s••archer of all heartes for witnes, that our mindes and heartes do fully agree with this our confession, promise, oth, and subscription. So that we are not moo••ed for anie worldlie respect, but are persuaded onelie in our consci∣ence, through the knowledge and loue of Gods true re∣ligion, printed in our heartes by the holie spirit, as we shall answer to him in the daie, when the secrets of all heartes shall be disclosed. And because we perceiue, that the quietnes and stabilitie of our religion and Church doth depend vpon the safetie and good behauio••r of the Kings maiestie, as vpon a comfortable Instrumen•• of Gods mercie, graunted to this countrie, for the mantei∣ning of his Church, and ministration of Iustice amongst vs, we protest and promise with our heartes, vnder the same oth, hand writ, and paines, that we shall defend his person and authoritie with our goods, bodies, and liues, i•• the defence of Christes Euangell, Libertie of our coun∣trie, ministration of iustice, and punishment of iniquity, against all enemies within this realme or without, as we desire our God to be a strong and mercifull defender to vs in the daie of our death, and comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. To whome with the father and the holy spirit, b•• all honour and glory eternallie.

Amen.