Confession of the Christian Religion, Confession · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Of the goſpell, and of the abrogation of the lawe by the goſpell.
SEing, firſt the goſpell, and then the Sacraments, Baptiſme, and the Lords Supper, are the outward inſtrumentes, whereby our redeemer the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, vſeth to offer and beſtowe the grace of redemption, & remiſſion of ſinnes, vppon the worlde, and to communicate himſelfe vntounto vsus his elect, and to incorporate vsus likewiſe into himſelfe, & ſo to make vsus indeed partakers of that ſaluation and life, which we hauehave in him; Therefore wee hauehave purpoſed, briefly and plainely to declare vntounto Gods church, what our faith is concerning the ſame.
I. The goſpell what it is.
Concerning the goſpell therefore, according to the ſignification receiued and vſed in the church, we beleeue, that it is nothing elſe, but the heauenly doctrine concerning Chriſt, preached by Chriſt himſelfe, and the Apoſtles and contained in the bookes of the newe Teſtament, bringing the beſt and moſt gladſome tidings to the world: namely, that mankinde is redeemed by the death of Ieſus Chriſt the onelyonly begotten ſonne of God: ſo that there is prepared for al men, Mat. 3.2if they repent, & beleeue in Ieſus Chriſt, a free remiſſion of al their ſinns ſaluation, and eternall life. Wherefore it is fitlie called of the Apoſtle, Eph. 1.13.The Goſpell of our ſaluation.
II. The goſpell was promiſed by the Prophets, but publiſhed by the Apoſtles.
For albeit, that this miſterie, euen from the firſt beginning of the world, was reuealed vntounto the fathers, and that the Prophetes ſpake of the ſame: yet that which they preached, was rather Euangelical promiſes, and thoſe reſerued among the Iewes, then the goſpell it ſelfe, which was to be publiſhed to all nations: ſith they foretold of a thing which was to come, but did not declare the thing preſent, or that was paſt: Rom. 1.2 1. Pet. 1.10as the Apoſtle teacheth to the Romaines, and Peter in his firſt epiſtle.
III. Aſwell the fathers were ſaued by faith which they had, in the promiſes concerning Chriſt the redeemer, as wee which beleeue in the goſpell.
Meane while we doubt not but aſwell the fathers, Rom. 4.3who beleeued in thoſe Euangelicall promiſes, of Chriſt which was to come, and ſhould bruiſe the ſerpents head, were ſaued, Heb. 1.10as we alſo by our faith in the goſpell, telling vsus that Chriſt is come, and that he hath redeemed the world, are ſaued: as the Apoſtle, both in other places and in the epiſtle to the Romaines doth largely teach vsus, concerning Abraham: & to the Hebrues, concerning all the other ſo that it is a foule blaſphemy, to ſay, that only earthly matters were promiſed to the fathers, and that they receiued onelyonly ſuch, and not heauē lie, as remiſſion of ſinnes and eternall life. For looke what the goſpell is vntounto vsus, properly receiued: the ſame were the Euangelicall promiſes to them: Rom. 1.16namely the power of God to ſaluation vntounto euerie beleeuer.
IV. The doctrine of the goſpell, touching the ſubſtance, is moſt auncient, and eternall.
Whereby wee knowe, that the doctrine of the goſpell, touching the ſubſtance thereof, is not new, but moſt auncient, and preached vntounto the Fathers, euen from the worlds creation: ſo as Iohn not vnfitly called the goſpell, Apo. 14.6an euerlaſting goſpell.
V. The parts of the goſpell, how many, and what.
Furthermore, there ar three eſpecial points in the goſpell, which wee are called vppon to performe: Repentance towardes God, Faith in our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, Act. 20.21 Mar. 1.4 Mat. 28.10and a care to obſerue whatſoeuer Ieſus Chriſt hath willed and commaunded.
VI. A declaration of the former opinion.
The Goſpell therefore, which ſetteth out vntounto vsus Chriſt with the whole fauour and mercy of God, with the purging & forgiuenes of ſinnes, and with the whole ſaluation and eternall life, laid vp in him, requireth onelyonly theſe three things. Firſt that being touched with an earneſt griefe of our whole life ledd amiſſe, wee might deſire from our heart to hauehave our mindes, and ſo all our affections chaunged & renued into the obedience of the diuine will: and that we might earneſtly pray and doe our beſt endeuour, that it might be ſo: Secondlie that, imbracing Chriſt by a true faith, withall his treaſures, wee might beleeue firmely, and without any wauering, that all our ſinnes are for euer pardoned, of the fauour and merciemercy of god through Chriſt alone, and we receiued into grace, made the children of God, and heires of euerlaſting life: Laſtly, that beeing thus perſwaded of the free and eternall ſaluation through Ieſus Chriſt, wee ſhould thence foreward labour by all meanes, to obſerue whatſoeuer Chriſt hath commaunded, to the glorie of God, and profite of our neighbour: ſo, as faith do euermore accompanie vsus to the ende, whereby we beleeue, that howſoeuer in this new obedience, we err or do offend, yet for Chriſts ſake it ſhall not be imputed to vsus: but contrariewiſe, by the perfect obedience, iuſtice, and holineſſe of chriſt imputed vntounto vsus, our imperfect obedience ſhalbe perfected, and ſhalbe taken and reputed for moſt perfect in the ſight of God. And to three thinges are all the preceptes of chriſt referred, namely, that renouncing all vngodlines & worldly deſires, wee ſhould liue in this world, (in reſpect of our ſelues) ſoberlie, (in reſpect of our neighbour) iuſtly, (in reſpect of God) godlie: Tit. 2.12.looking for that bleſſed hope, and the comming of the glorie of the great God. This wee beleeue to bee the ſumme of thoſe thinges which chriſt requireth of vsus in the doctrine of the goſpell: and therefore that they bee true goſpellers, and chriſtians indeede, that bende their whole ſtudie and care hereunto.
VII. Jn what thinges eſpecially the Goſpell differeth from the Law.
And nowe of that which is alreadie ſaide, it appeareth, that we do not confound the Law with the Goſpell. For albeit wee confeſſe that God is author aſwel of the Law as of the goſpell, and that of it ſelfe, it is as well holie, iuſt, Exo. 20and good, as the goſpell: Rom. 7.12yet we hold that ther is no ſmale difference betwixt them both: not onelyonly becauſe the Lawe was deliuered to the Iſraelites alone, and the goſpell pertaineth to al people and nations: and alſo, not onelyonly becauſe that was for a time, and to continue but till chriſt, and the goſpell is euerlaſting: and alſo not onelyonly becauſe, that was deliuered by Moſes, and declared by the Prophets, and the goſpell was brought by chriſt, and publiſhed to the whole world by the Apoſtles: But indeed and moſt eſpecially for theſe cauſes: Firſt, becauſe the matter of the law, is onelyonly commandementes with irreuocable curſes thereunto ioyned, if they bee broken neuer ſo little: It hath alſo promiſes, not onelyonly of earthlie but alſo of heauenly bleſſings: but al of them with the condition of perfect obedience, and none merely free. But the goſpell is properly a happie meſſage, ſetting before vsus gratis chriſt the redeemer, forgiuing ſinnes and ſauing vsus: yea and requiring nothing at our handes for the obtaining of life euerlaſting, but a true faith in chriſt, which faith cannot bee without true repentance, nor without a care to doe the will of God, that is, to liue ſo berly, iuſtly, and godly, as is aboue declared. Moreouer becauſe the law did not performe, that which it required; nether had it power whereby to ſaue, & therefore was vnſufficient, and a killing letter, the miniſter of wrath and death, more prouoking then taking away ſin: But the Goſpell, what it requireth, the ſame it performeth, and therefore, whatſoeuer it offereth, the ſame alſo it truely imparteth vntounto vsus: For as much as the holy ghoſt is by it powerful in the elect, at the preaching of the Goſpell: ſtirring vp in them that true faith, wherby they apprehend chriſt offred, and with him eternall life: For faith is by hearing of the Goſpell: Rom. 10.17but obedience is not by hearing of the Lawe: becauſe the holie ſpirite giueth no man ſtrength to the hearing of the Lawe, by which hee might obſerue the ſame, as he ſtirreth vp faith in the elect, to the hearing of the goſpell. For which cauſe, as the Lawe is called a killing letter, ſo is the Goſpell called a quickning ſpirite: and therefore is a true and forcible inſtrument to ſaluation, vntounto euerie beleeuer. Whereon alſo followeth the third difference: namely, that the Law was not written in their hearts, but remained written onelyonly in tables, and therfore did not chaunge men: But the Goſpell is written by the holie ghoſt in the hearts of the elect, & therefore it chaungeth and renueth them, 2. Cor. 3.18becauſe it is the inſtrument of the holie ghoſt, to ſanctifie and to ſaue vsus.
VIII. The Law of Moſes is partly taken away, and partly not taken away by the Goſpell.
Of this which we hauehave ſaid, it alſo plainelie appeareth, what our faith is of the abrogation of the law by the goſpell. Firſt wee beleeue, that in the goſpell (ſo farre forth as it declareth all things, which in the old Teſtament did figuratiuely foreſhew of Chriſt, to bee fullfilled in this Ieſus, as is ſaide before in the 11. chapter) we are taught, that the law of Moſes concerning cerimonies, ſacrifices, and all Moſes outward worſhip are ſimply abrogated: according to that ſaying of the Apoſtle, Heb. 9.10 Ioh. 1.17that all theſe things vvere inioyned vntill the time of reformation: and that, The Law was giuen by Moſes but the trueth came by Jeſus Chriſt. Moreouer ſo farre forth as the goſpell is the inſtrument of the holy ſpirit, whereby we are ingrafted and vnited to Chriſt, & made partakers of redēption and ſaluation (as is ſaid before in the 12. chapter.) So far alſo we confeſſe that the morall law, touching the curſſe againſt the tranſgreſſors, is abrogated by the goſpell of Chriſt: according to that of the Apoſtle: Rom. 8.1There is no condēnation to them that are in Ieſus Chriſt: where of this is a token, that they walke not after the fleſh, but after the ſpirit. But now ſo farre forth as the doctrine of the Goſpell requireth our repentance, and the holineſſe of life, and that we liue ſoberly, righteouſly, and godly: therein it taketh not away the law concerning māners: for it is wholy conſonant and agreeable with the doctrine of the goſpel of eſchewing vices and following vertue. Laſtlye, in as much as Chriſt in his goſpel did not take away the politicke lawes of the nations, which were not contrarie to the law of nature: Therefore wee thinke it lawfull and free for any gouernors to bringe among their ſubiectes ſuch politick lawes as were deliuered to the people of Iſraell, and by the ſame, (then which none are more iuſt) to rule and gouerne the people. Therefore they do exceeding great iniurie to the Goſpell of Chriſt, that ſaye it troubleth or ouerthroweth common-wealthes. This is our faith concerning the goſpell of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
IX. Errors.
We condemne therefore the Antinomi, & whoſoeuer diſallow the morall law, and caſt the ſame out of their churches as contrarie to the goſpell, or nothing appertaining to chriſtians, and do reproue thoſe magiſtrats which labour to bring in Moſes politicall precepts among their people.