The Confession of Faith of English People in Exile, Title page – Introduction
THE CONFESSION of faith of certayn English people, living in exile, in the Low countreyes.
Together with a brief note of the special heads of those things wherin we differ frō the Church of Englād.
2 Cor. 4, 13.
We beleev: therefore have we spoken.
Harmony of Confess. in the preface set before it, in the Name of the French & Belgick Churches.
The Prelates & Priests alway cry out, that we are Hereticks, Schismaticks, and Sectaryes. Howbeit let them know that the crime of Heresy is not to be imputed to them whose faith doth wholly rely vponupon most sure grounds of the Scripture; That they are not Schismaticks, who entierly cleave to the true Church of God, such as the Prophets & Apostles do describe vntounto vsus; Nor they to be coūted Sectaryes, who embrace the truth of God which is one and alwayes like it self.
Reprinted in the yeare. 1607.
To the reverend and learned men, Students of holy Scripture, in the Christian Vniversities, of Leyden in Holland, of Sanctandrewes in Scotland, of Heidelberg, Geneva, and other the like famous schooles of learning in the Low countreys. Scotland, Germany, & France.
The English people exiled, in the Low coū treys, wish grace and peace in Iesus Christ.
THis true Confession of our fayth, in our iudgment wholly agreable to the sacred Scripture, we here exhibit vntounto al to be discussed: and vntounto you (reverend Sirs) we dedicate it for two causes. First, for that we know you are able in respect of your singular knowledg in the Scriptures, and hope you are willing in respect of your syncere piety, to convince our errours by the light of Gods word, if any where we erre out of the way. Secondly, that this testimony of Christian faith, if you also fynd it to agree with the word of truth, may by you be approved, eyther in silence or by writing, as you shal think best.
It may be, we shal be thought very bold, that being despised of all, yet doubted not to sollicite you so many and so great learned men. But this we did, partly at the request of others to whom we would not deny it; partly with desire to have the truth through your help more defended & furder spread abroad; partly constreyned by our exile & other calamities almost infinite; partly also moved with love of our native countrey, and of these wherein now we live and others else where; wishing that al may walk with a right foot to the truth of ehe G…sspel, & praying daily vntounto God, that the great work of restoring religion & the Church decayed, which he hath happily begun in these latter tymes, by our Gracious Soveraigne and the other Princes of these countreyes & ages (his servants) he would fully accomplish, to the glorie of his name & …ternal salvation in Christ of his elect in al places of the earth.
Touching the causes which moved vsus to publish this Confession of faith, & to forsake the Church of Eugland as now it standeth, we have truly & as briefly as we could related them, in the Preface to the Reader, hereafter following: & therefore thought here to omit the repetition of them. The Lord Iesus alway preserve you & your Vniversityes to the prayse of his name, the ornament of good learning, th… propagation & maintenance of his pure Religion.
From Amsterdam in the low countreyes. The yeare of the last patience of the saints, 1598.