First Helvetic Confession

1 Of the Holy Scrypture

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The Canonycall or holy Scrypture, whiche is the Worde of God, taught and gyven by the Holy Spryte, and publyshed unto the worlde by the prophetes and holy apostles, which also is the moost perfyte and auncient science and doctryne of wysdome, it alone contayneth consumatly all godlynes and all sorte and manor of facyon of lyfe.

2 Of the Exposicion of Scrypture

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The interpretacion, or exposicion of this holy wrytte, ought and shuld be sought out of it selfe, so that it shulde be the owne interpretour, the rule of charite and faythe hauynge gouernaunce.

3 Of Mannes Tradicions

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As to other thynges, of Tradicions of men, howe bewtifull and how moch receyued soeuer they be, what so euer tradicions withdraweth us and stoppeth us fro the Scripture, of such do we answere the sayenges of the Lord, as of thynges hurtfull and unprofytable, "They worshippe me in vayne, teachying the doctrynes of man."

4 Of the Holy Fathers

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For the whiche sorte of interpretacyon so farre as the Holy Fathers hathe not gone fro it, not onely do we receyue them as interpretours of the Scripture, but also we honour and worshyp them as chosen and beloued instrumentes of God.

5 The Ende and Entent of the Scrypture

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The pryncypal entent of al the Scripture canonicall is, to declare that God is beniuolent and frendly mynded to mankynde; and that he hathe declared that kyndnes in and throughe Jesu Chryste his onely sone; the which kyndnes is receyuyd by fayth; but this fayth is effectuous through charitie, and expressed in an innocent lyfe.

6 Of God

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Of God we byleue in this sorte: that he is almyghtie, beynge one in substance and thre in persones: which euen as he hathe created by his Worde, that is his Sone, all thynges of nothynge; so by his Spirite and prouydence gouerns he, preserues and norysheth he, most truly, ryghtously, and wysely all thynges.

7 Of Man

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Man, whiche is the perfectest image of God in earthe, and also is the chefe dignite and honoure amonge all creatures visible, beynge made of soule and body; of the whiche twayne the body is mortall, the soule immortall; whan he was creat of God holy, by fallynge in vyce and synne throughe his owne fal, drew with hym in that same ruen and fal, and so subjected all mankynde to the same calamitie and wretchydnes that he fell in.

8 Of Originall Synne

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And so this pestiferous infection whiche men calleth Originall, hathe infecte and ouerspred the whole kynde of man, so far that by no helpe (he beynge the sone of wrathe and vengaunce and enemye of God) coulde be healed by any meanes but by the helpe of God onely: for yf there be any good that remayneth in man after the fall, that same beynge joyntelie made weaker and weaker by our vyce tournes to the worse; because the strengthe and power of euyll ouercometh it, and nother suffereth it us to folowe reason nor yet to exersyse the godlynes of our mynde.

9 Of Frewyll

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Wherfore we attribute so free wyll to man as we whiche wyttynge and wyllynge to do good, fele experience of euyll. Also euyll trewly we maye do of oure owne wyll, but to enbrace and folowe good (except we be elluminat, styred up and mounted, by the grace of Chryst) we maye not: for, "God is he whiche worketh in us bothe to wyll, to performe, and to accomplyshe for his owne good wyll sake;" and of "God commeth our helth and saluacion, but of our selfe commeth perdicion."

10 Of the Eternall Mynde of God to Restore Man

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And howbeit that through his fault man was subjecte unto dampnacion, and also was runne under the juste indingnacion of God to take vengeaunce of hym, yet God the father neuer seaced to take a mercyfull cure ouer hym: The whiche thynge is manifest not onely of the fyrst promyses and the whole lawe, whiche as it is holy and good, teaching us the wyll of God, ryghtuousnes, and truthe, so worketh it wrath and storeth up synne within us, and slacketh it not, and that not through any faulte of it selfe, but through our vyce, but also clerely appereth it through Christ, whiche was ordayned and geuen for that purpose.

11 Of Jesus Christ and That Is Done by Hym

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This Christ, the very Sone of God, and very God and very man also, was made our brother, at the tyme appoynted he toke upon him whole man, made of soule and body, hauynge two natures unpermyxte and one deuyne person, to the intent that he shoulde restore unto lyfe us that were deed, and make us aryse of God annexte with hym selfe. He also after that he had taken upon him of the immaculate Virgin, by operacion of the Holy Goost, fleshe, whiche was holy bycause of the union of the Godhed, which is, and also was lyke to our fleshe in all thynges excepte in synfulnes: And that bycause it behoued the sacrefice for synne to be cleane and immaculate, gaue that same fleshe to death for to expell all our synne by that meanes. And he also, to the entent that we shuld have one full and perfecte hope and trust of our immortalitie, hath raysed up agayne fro death to lyfe his owne fleshe, and hathe set it and placed it in heauen at the ryghte hande of his Almyghty Father. And there he sytteth our victorious champion, our gyder, our capitayne, and heed, also our hyghest bysshop in dede, synne, death, and hell, beynge victoriously ouercome by him, and defendeth oure cause, and pleadeth it perpetually untyll he shall reforme and fascion us to that lykenes to whiche we were create, and brynge us to be partakers of eternall lyfe. And we loke for hym, and beleueth that he shall come at the ende of all ages to be our trewe ryghtuous just Judge, and shall pronounce sentence agaynst all fleshe, whiche shal be raysed up before to that judgement, and that he shall exalte the godly aboue the heauens, but the ungodly shall he condempne bothe body and soule to eternal distruction. And as he oncly is oure mediatour and entercessour, hoste and sacrifice, bysshop, lorde, and our kynge; also do we acknowlage and confesse hym onely to be our attonement and raunsome, satisfaction, expiacion, or wysdome, our defence, and our onely deliuerer: refusyng utterly all other meane of lyfe and saluacion, excepte thus by Chryst onely.

12 The Ende of the Preachynge of the Gospell

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And therefore in the whole doctryne of the Euangelystes annunciat and shew to be the fyrste, and chefely to be inculcated and taught, that we are safe onely by the marcie of God, and merite of our Sauiour Christ. And that men may perceyue and understande the better, howe necessary is the mercie of God and Christes merites for them, theyr synnes shuld be clerely shewed to them by the lawe, and remission by Christes death.

13 Of Fayth and of the Power of It

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And these so godly benifites, with the very sanctificacion of the Holy Spirite, do we optayne by fayth, the very trewe gyfte of God, and not throughe any other power or strength of oureselues or merytes. Whiche faythe is one certayne and undouted substance and aprehensyon of all thynges that we hope for to come of the kyndnes of God, and it cometh firste out of the selfe charitie, it worketh noble frutes of al vertues: yet notwithstandynge we attribute no thyng to the dedes, althoughe they be godly, yet be they mennes workes and actes; but the helthe and saluacion that is optayned, we attribute to the grace of God onely: And truely this worshypynge alone is the very trewe worshypynge of God; faythe I meane mooste pryngnaunt and plentifull of good workes, without any confydence in the workes.

14 Of the Congregacion or Churche

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Also we holde, and beleue, that the Churche, whiche is the congregacion and eleccion of all holy men, whiche also is the spouse of Christ, whom he shall presente without spot unto his Father, washynge it in his owne blode, is of suche lyuely stones aforesayd layde upon this lyuely rock on this maner. The whiche Churche, howbeit it be euydently knowne onely to the eyes of God, yet be certayne externall rytes, institute by Christ, and be one publyke and lawful teachynge, teachynge of the Worde of God, not onely is it spyed and knowen, but it is also so constituted by them, that without the cerimonies there is no man reconed to be of it, excepte it be by a synguler preuilege of God.

15 The Ministers of the Word of God

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And for this cause we graunte the Ministers of the Church to be cooperators of God, as Paule calleth them, by whome God geueth and ministreth both knowledge of our selfe, and remission of synne, and conuerteth men to hym selfe, rayseth them up and comforteth them, affrayeth them also, and judgeth them; but so that the vertue and efficacie therof we ascrybe also to the Lorde, and the ministracion of the sacramentes. For it is manifest that this efficacie and powre is not bounde nor knytte to any creature, but is dyspensed lyberally and frely, whosoever, and whensoever, he shall please, for, "He that watereth is nothyng, nor yet is he that planteth any thynge, but he that geueth the encreasment, whiche is God."

16 The Power of the Churche

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The aucthoritie to preache Goddes Worde, and to feede the Lordes flocke, the whiche properly is the Power of the Keyes, prescribynge and commaundyng all men, bothe hye and lowe, all lyke, shulde be holy and inuiolat; and shulde be committed onely to them that are mete therfore: and chosen other by the eleccion of God, or elles by a sure and aduysed eleccion of the Churche; or by theyr wyll, to whom the Churches depute and apoynt that offyce of chosynge.

17 The Chosyng of Ministers or Officers

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This ministracion and offyce shulde be graunted to no man but to him whom the ministers of the Churche, and they unto whom the charge is gyuen by the Churches, and found judged to be of knowlage in the law of God and of innocent lyfe. The whiche seynge it is the very eleccion of God, it is well and justlye approued by the voyce of the Churche, and the imposicion of handes of the heedes of the preestes.

18 The Heed and Sheperd of the Churche

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Christe, verely, hym selfe is the very trewe heed of his churche and congregacion, and the onely pastor and heed; and he also geueth presydentes, heedes, and teachers, to the entent that in the externall administracion they shulde use the power of the churche well and lawfully: Wherfore we knowe not them that are heedes and pastors in name onely, nor yet the Romenishe heedes.

19 The Dutie of Ministers or Officers

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The chefe and pryncypall offyce of this ministracion is to preache repentaunce and remission of synne through Jesu Christe; to praye continually for the people; to geue diligence wholy to holy stodyes and to the Worde of God, and resyst and pursue the deuyll alway with the Word of God, as with the sworde of the Spirite, and that with a deadly hatered, and by all meanes to chasten him awaye; to defende the holy citezens of Christe. And by all meanes compell and reproue the fautie and vicious; and to exclude from the churche them that stereth to farre, and that by a godly consente and agrement of them whiche are chosen of the ministers and magistrates for correcyon, or to ponyshe them by any other waye conuenient and profytable meanes, so longe untyll they come to a mendement, and so be safe: for this is the returnynge of the churche agayne, for one suche citezen of Chryst, yf he acknowlage and confesse his erroure with conuerted mynde and lyfe, for all this doctryne seketh and wylleth, that we requyre wyllynge and helthefull correccion, exhilarite, or comforte all godly by a newe studdy of godlynes.

20 Of the Power or Strengthe of Sacramentes

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There is twayne whiche are named in the Church of God Sacramentes, Baptyme, and Howslynge: these be tokens of secrete thynges, that is, of godly and spirituall thynges, of whiche thynges they take the name, are not of naked sygnes, but they are of sygnes and verities together. For in Baptisme the water is the sygne, but the thynge and verytie is regeneracyon, and adopcion in the people of God. In the Howslynge and Thankes gyuynge, the bread and the wyne are sygnes, but the thynge and veritie is the communion of the body of our Lorde; helthe and saluacion founde, and remyssyon of synnes; the which are receyuyed by faythe, even as the sygnes and tokens are receyued by the bodely mouth. Wherfore, we affyrme the Sacramentes not onely to be badges and tokens of Christian societie, but to be also sygnes of the grace of God, by the whiche the ministers worketh withe God, to the ende that the promyse bryngeth the worke to passe; but so as is aforesayde of the ministracion of the worde, that all the same powre be ascribed to the Lorde.

21 Of Baptym

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We affyrme Baptym to be by the institucion of the Lorde, the lauer of regeneracion, the whiche regeneracion the Lorde exhibiteth to his chosen by a visible sygne by the ministracion of the congregacion, as is aforesayde. In the which holy lauer we wasshe oure infantes, for this cause, because it is wyckednes to rejecte and cast out of the felowshyp and company of the people of God them that are borne of us, whiche are the people of God, excepte them that are expressely commaunded to be rejected by the voyce of God; and for this cause chefely, bycause we shulde not presume ungodly of theyr election.

22 Of the Sacrament of the Aulter

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But the misticall supper is in the whiche the Lorde offereth his body and his blode, that is, his owne selfe, verely, to his owne, for this entent he myghte lyue more and more in them, and they in hym. Not so that the body and blode of the Lorde are communed naturally to the bread and wyne, or closed in them as in one place; or put in them by any carnal or meruelous presence; but bycause the body and blode of oure Lorde are receyued verely of one faythful soule, and because the bread and the wyne by the institucion of the Lorde, are tokens be whiche the very communion or participacyon of the Lordes body and blode are exhibited of the Lorde himselfe, through the mynistracion of the churche, not to be a meat corruptible of the belly, but to be a noryshemente and meat of eternal lyfe. And this holy meat do we use ofte for this cause, for when through the monicion and rememberaunce of it, we beholde withe the eye of our fayth the death and blode of hym that was crucified, and remember oure saluacyon and helthe, not without a taste of heauenly lyfe, and very trewe felynge of eternall lyfe; when we do this we are wonderfully refreshed throughe this spiritual lyuynge and eternall foode. And that with an unspeakeable swetnes we exulte and rejoyce with a myrth unexpressable in wordes, for the saluacion that is founde; and we all and whole are effused with all our power and strength, utterly in doynge of thankes for so wonderful a benefyte of Christ toward us. Therefore, it is greatly without oure deseruynges, that some aleges and sayeth of us, that we attrybute lyttell to the Holy Sacramentes; for they are holy thynges and honorable, bycause they are institute and ordayned by our hye preest Christ, and receyued; exhibiting the thinges that they syngnifie in theyr owne maner as is aforesayd; beynge wytnes to the thinge that is done in dede; representynge so hye and harde thynges, and bryngeth by wonderfull corespondence and lykenes of similitude, a lyght and a clerenes to the mynysters that they syngnifie: so wholy is oure beleue and estimacion of the Sacramentes, but verely appropriattynge the vertue of quickenynge and sanctifienge to hym onely whiche is lyfe, to whom be all honoure and prayse for ever. Amen.

23 Of Comynge to Churche

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We beleue and thynke the holy conuencions and gatherynges shulde be holden on this maner and sorte; so that fyrst, chefely, and before all thynges, the worde of God be preached to the people openlie in an open and publyke place, and that daylie; and the secrete and the obscure places of the Scripture be opened and declared by mete and competent men: And that by the Holy Supper of thankes, called Howselynge, the faithe of the godly be ofte exercysed, and that they shulde be contynually in prayer for all men, and for the necessities of all men. But the rest of ceremonies which, as they are unprofitable, so are they innumerable, as vescels, garmentes, waxe, lyghtes, alters, golde, sylver, in so moch as they serue to subuerte the trewe relygion of God: and chefely Idols and Images, that stande open to be worshyped, and geue offence and slaunder, and all suche prophane and ungodly thynges do we abandon, rejecte, and put awaye from the holy congregacion and conuencion.

24 Of Heretyckes and Sysmattyckes

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We also abandon and rejecte from our holy conuencions, all them that departeth from the societie and fellowshyp of the holy Churche, and bryngeth in straunge or ungodly sectes and opinions: With the whiche euyll the Anabaptistes are chefely infecte this tyme; the whiche we judge shuld be constrayned and punished by the majestrates and hye powers, yf they obstinatly do resyst and wyll not obeye the monission of the Church, and that for the entent that they shulde not infecte and corrupte the flocke of God throughe theyr wycked euyll.

25 Of Thynges Indyfferent

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The thynges that are called, and in dede also are indifferent, howbeit a godly man may use them frely, and in euery place, and at all tymes, yet not withstandynge, he shulde use them with knowlage, and of charitie, to the glory of God trewly, and the edification of the churche and congregacion.

26 Of Magistrates or Gouernours

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And seynge euery magistrate and hyghe powre is of God, his chefe and pryncipall office is, (excepte he wolde rather use tyranny,) to defende the trewe worshipinge of God from all blasfemy, and to procure trewe religion, and, as the prophete dothe teache of the voyce of God, to execute for his power. In whiche part a trewe and syncere preaching of the worde of God remayneth with a ryghte and diligent institucion of the discipline of citezens, and of the scooles; just correccion, and nurture, with liberalitie towarde the mynysters of the churche, with a solicitat and thoughtfull charge of the poore, to the whiche ende all the rychesse of the churche is referred. This, I saye, hathe the fyrst and chefe place in the execucion of the magistrat. Then after to judge the people by equall and godly lawes, to excersyce and mayntayne judgement and justice, to defende the commune welthe, and punyshe transgressours accordynge to theyr faulte, outher in goodes, theyr bodies, or theyr lyues. And when the majestrate executeth these thynges he honoreth God as he shuld in his vocacion, and we (howebeit we be free bothe in our body and all oure goodes, and in the studies of oure mynde and thought also with a trewe faythe) knoweth that we shulde be subjecte in holynes to the majestrate, and shulde kepe fydelitie and promes to hym, so longe as his commandementes, statutes, and imperes evidently repungneth not with Him for whose sake we honour and worshyp the majestrates.

27 Of Holy Matrimony

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We judge Mariage, whiche was instytute of God for all men apte and mete therfor, whiche are not called from it by any other vocacion, to repugne to holynes of no ordre; the which mariage as the Churche auctoriseth it and celebrates, and solempniseth it with orison and prayer. And, therefore, we rejecte and refuse this monckely chastite, and all hole this slouthful and slouggishe sorte of lyfe of supersticious men, as abominablye invented and excogitat thynge, and abandon it as a thinge repugnant bothe to the comune weale and to the Churche. And so confyrmeth and stablissheth it, so it belongeth to the magistrate to se that it be worthely bothe begonne and worshypped, and not broken but for a just cause.

28 A Declaracion or Wytnessynge of Our Mynde

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It is not our mynde for to prescribe by this breefe chapters a certayne rule of the Faythe to all churches and congregacyons, for we knowe no other rule of faythe but the Holy Scripture: and, therefore we are well contented with them that agreeth with these thynges, howebeit they use an other maner of speakynge, or Confession dyfferent apartly to this of ours in wordes, for rather shulde the matter be consydered then the wordes. And therfore we make it free for all men to use theyr owne sorte of speaking as they shall perceyue most profitable for theyr churches, and we shall use the same libertie. And yf any man wyll attempte to corrupte the trewe meanynge of this oure Confession, he shall heare bothe a confession and a defence of the veritie and truth. It was our pleasure to use these wordes at this present tyme, that we myght declare our opinion in our religion and worshypenge of God.