true, when the Spirit beareth witness with our spirit. Now I believe that this testimony consisteth in three things: For first of all it is necessary to believe, that thou canst not have remission of sins, but through the favour of God: Secondly, that thou canst have no good work at all, except He also give it to thee: Lastly, that thou canst not deserve eternal life by any works, except that also be given thee freely.' In Serm. 1. de Annunciat. Beata Maria.

XII. FROM THE CONFESSION OF SUEVeland.

Chapter 3. Of Justification, and of Faith.

Our preachers do somewhat differ from the late received opinions about those things which the people were commonly taught; concerning the mean whereby we are made partakers of the redemption wrought by Christ, and touching the duties of a Christian man. Those points which we have followed, we will endeavour to lay open most plainly to your sacred Majesty; and also to declare very faithfully those places of Scripture, by which we were forced hereunto. First, therefore, seeing that we were taught of late years, that works were necessarily required to justification, our preachers have taught, that this whole justification is to be ascribed to the good pleasure of God, and to the merit of Christ, and to be received by faith alone. To this they were moved especially by these places of Scripture. 'As many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name; which are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John i. 12, 13. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born again anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John iii. 3. "No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him." Matt. xi. 27. "Blessed art thou, Simon, the son of Jonas; for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Matt. xvi. 17. "No man can come to me, except my Father draw him.” John vi. 44. "By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast himself. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath ordained, that we should walk in them." Eph. ii. 8-10. For seeing it is our righteousness and eternal life, to know God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ; and that is so far from being the work of flesh and blood, that it is necessary to be born again anew; neither can we come to

the Son, except the Father draw us, neither know the Father, except the Son reveal him unto us; (and Paul doth write so expressly, "Not of yourselves, not of works;" Eph. ii. 8, 9.) it is evident enough, that our works can help nothing at all, that of unjust, such as we are born, we may become righteous: because that, as we are by nature the children of wrath, and therefore unjust, so we are not able to do any thing that is just, or acceptable to God. But the beginning of all our righteousness and salvation must proceed from the mercy of the Lord; who, of his only favour, and the contemplation of the death of his Son, did first offer the doctrine of truth, and his Gospel, sending those that should preach it and secondly, seeing that "the natural man cannot," as Paul saith, “perceive the things that are of God," 1 Cor. ii. 14. he causeth also the beam of his light to arise in the darkness of our heart, that now we may believe the Gospel preached, being persuaded of the truth thereof by the Holy Spirit from above, and then forthwith, trusting to the testimony of this Spirit, in the confidence of children to call upon God, and to say, "Abba, Father;" Rom. viii. 15. obtaining thereby true salvation, according to that saying, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved." Joel. ii. 32. Rom. x. 13.

Chapter 4. Of Good Works, proceeding out of Faith, through Love.

These things we will not have men so to understand, as though we placed salvation and righteousness in the slothful thoughts of men, or in faith destitute of love, (which they call faith without form ;) seeing that we are sure, that no man can be justified or saved, except he do chiefly love, and most earnestly imitate, God. "For those which he knew before, he also predestinated to be made like to the image of his Son;" Rom. viii. 29. to wit, as in the glory of a blessed life, so in the cultivation of innocence and perfect righteousness: for "we are his workmanship created unto good works." Eph. ii. 10.* But no man can love God above all things, and worthily imitate him, but he which doth indeed know him, and doth assuredly look for all good things from him. Therefore we cannot otherwise be justified, that is, become righteous as well as safe, (for righteousness is even our salvation,) than by being endued chiefly

• The latter portion of this sentence, as it stands above, may be mentioned as one of various instances of omission occurring in both the old editions of the Translation, and now supplied in conformity with the original Latin of the Harmony.-EDITOR.

with faith in him: by which faith we, believing the Gospel, and therefore being persuaded that God hath taken us for his adopted children, and that he will for ever shew himself a loving Father unto us, let us wholly depend upon his pleasure. This faith St. Augustine doth call, in his book De Fide et Operibus, EVANGELICAL; to wit, that which is effectual through love. By this faith we are born again, and the image of God is repaired in us. By this faith, whereas we are born corrupt, (our thoughts, even from our childhood, being altogether bent unto evil,) we become good and upright. For hereupon, we, being fully satisfied with one God, (the spring of all good things, that is never dry, but runneth always most plentifully,) do forthwith shew ourselves, as it were, God's, towards others, that is, toward the true sons of God; endeavouring by love to profit them, so much as in us lieth. For, "He that loveth his brother, abideth in the light, 1 John ii. 10. and "is born of God," iv. 7. and is wholly given to the new, and, at the same time, to the old commandment, touching mutual love. And this love is the fulfilling of the whole law, as Paul saith, "The whole law is fulfilled in one word, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Gal. v. 14. For whatsoever the law teacheth, hitherto it tendeth, and this one thing it requireth, that at length we may be reformed to the perfect image of God, being good in all things, and ready and willing to do men good; the which we cannot do, except we be adorned with all kinds of virtues. For who can purpose and do all things (as the duty of a Christian doth require, 1 Cor. x. 31-33.) to the true edifying of the Church, and the sound profit of all men, (that is, according to the law of God, and to the glory of God,) except he both think, speak, and do every thing in order, and well, and therefore be very familiarly acquainted with the whole company of virtues ?

Chapter 5. To whom Good Works are to be ascribed, and how Necessary they be.

But seeing that they which are the children of God, are rather led by the Spirit of God, Rom. viii. 14. than do work anything themselves; and that "of him, and through him, and for him, are all things;" Rom. xi. 36. therefore whatsoever things we do well and holily, are to be ascribed to none other, than to this one only Spirit, the Giver of all virtues. Howsoever it be, he doth not compel us, but doth lead us being willing; "working in us both to will, and to do." Phil. ii. 13. Whereupon St. Augustine writeth very well, 'That God doth reward his works in us.' And yet we are so far from

rejecting good works, that we do utterly deny that any man can fully be saved, except he be thus far brought by the Spirit of Christ, that he find no want at all in him, touching those good works whereunto God hath created him. For there be divers members of the same body: therefore every one of us hath not the same office. 1 Cor. xii. 12. It is so necessary that the law should be fulfilled, that " Heaven and earth shall sooner pass away, than any one iota, or the least point thereof, shall be remitted." Matt. xxiv. 35. Yet, because God alone is good, hath created all things of nothing, and doth by his Spirit make us altogether new, and doth wholly lead us, (for in Christ nothing availeth but a new creature,) none of all these things can be ascribed to man's strength; and we must confess, that all things are the mere gifts of God, who, of his own accord, and not for any merit of ours, doth favour and love us. By these things it may sufficiently be known, what we believe justification to be, by whom that it is wrought for us, and by what means received of us: also by what places of Scripture we are induced so to believe. For although of many we have alleged a few, yet, by these few, any one that is but meanly conversant in the Scriptures, may fully perceive, that they which read those Scriptures shall find everywhere such kind of sentences, as do attribute unto us nothing but sin and destruction, (as Hosea saith,) and all our righteousness and salvation to the Lord. Hos. xiii. 9.

Chapter 6. Of the Duties of a Christian Man.

Now it cannot be doubted of, what be the duties of a Christian man, and to what actions he ought chiefly to give himself: namely, to all those, whereby every one, for his part, may profit his neighbours; first, in things pertaining to life eternal, that they also may begin to know, worship, and fear God; and then in things pertaining to this life, that they may want nothing which is necessary to the sustenance of the body. For as the whole law of God, which is a most absolute commandment of all righteousness, is briefly contained in this one word, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;" Rom. xiii. 9. so, in the performance of this love, it is necessary that all righteousness should be comprised and perfected. Whereupon it followeth, that nothing at all is to be reckoned among the duties of a Christian man, which is not of force and effect to profit our neighbour; and that every work so much the more belongeth to the duty of a Christian man, by how much his neighbour may the more be profited thereby. Therefore, next after Ecclesiastical

P

functions, among the chief duties of a Christian man, we place the government of the common-weal, obedience to Magistrates, (for these be referred to the common profit ;) the care which is taken for our wife, children, family, and the honour which is due to parents, (because that without these the life of man cannot consist;) and lastly, the profession of good arts and of all honest discipline; (because that, except these be had in estimation, we shall be destitute of the greatest good things, which are proper to mankind.) Yet in these, and all other duties pertaining to man's life, no man must rashly take any thing to himself, but with a right conscience consider whereunto God doth call him. To conclude, let every man account that his duty, and therein so much the more excellent a duty, the more he shall profit other men thereby.

THE TENTH SECTION.

OF THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH.

I. FROM THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA. Chapter 17. Of the Catholic and Holy Church of God, and of the One Only Head of the Church.

Forasmuch as God from the beginning would have men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth; 1 Tim. ii. 4. therefore it is necessary that there always should have been, and should be at this day, and to the end of the world, a Church: that is, a company of the faithful, called and gathered out of the world; a communion (I say) of all saints, that is, of them who do truly know, and rightly worship and serve, the true God, in Jesus Christ the Saviour, by the word and the Holy Spirit, and who by faith are partakers of all those good graces, which are freely offered through Christ. These all are citizens of one and the same city, living under one Lord, under the same laws, and in the same fellowship of all good things for so the Apostle calleth them, "fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;" Ephes. ii. 19. terming the faithful upon the earth, Saints, 1 Cor. vi. 1. who are sanctified by the blood of the Son of God. Of these is that article of our Creed wholly to be understood, I believe the Catholic Church, the communion of saints.' And seeing that there is always

: