Confession of the Christian Religion, Confession · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of the creation of the worlde, of Angells, and of mans firſt eſtate.
I. All things were made by god, Gen. 1. & 2.and that exceeding good.
WE beleeue, that God the Father, Col. 1.16.by the Sonne, together with the holie ghoſt, in the ſpace of ſixe daies created of nothing all things viſible & inuiſible, which the holie ſpirite in the holie ſcriptures comprehendeth vnderunder the name of heauen & earth; and the ſame all exceeding good: Pro. 16.4. Heb. 1.10. Luc. 1.35.and appointed the ſame, for mans vſe, and for his owne glorie: ſo that wee acknowledge aſwell the Sonne, and holie ghoſt, for creator of the world, as the Father, ſith they are all one & the ſelfe ſame god.
II. That heauen is diſtinguiſhed from earth, and the Saintes heauen doth differ from the other heauens.
Neither doe we mingle heauen with earth, or confound the heauens among themſelues, 2. Cor. 12.2. Mat. 6.10.but with the holie ſcriptures wee diſtinguiſh them: euen as we ſee the elements, and al the kindes of liuing creatures, & of other things, to be diſtinguiſhed. And therefore wee confeſſe this heauen likewiſe, wherein the ſoules of the bleſſed doe liue with Chriſt, & where all the bodies of the faithfull ſhall be, & which Chriſt calleth his fathers houſe and paradiſe, and the Apoſtle calleth a cuie hauing a foundation, the maker and builder whereof is god: Ioh. 14.2. Luc. 23.43. Heb. 11.16.to differ frō the other heauēs, but much more, from earth and the deepes. Whereunto alſo Paule alludeth, 2. Cor. 12.2.where he ſaieth, he vvas taken vp into the third heauen: namely aboue the heauen which we ſee, and aboue all the viſible and moueable ſpheares.
III. The Angells vvere all created good, though ſome of them continued not in the trueth.
We beleeue alſo, that all the Angells were created good and righteous, ſpirituall & immortall ſubſtances, indewed with an intelligence and free will: although all of them did not abide in that goodnes and righteouſnes, and (as the Lord Ieſus ſpeaketh) in the trueth: but we are taught by the Scriptures, that manie of them, of their owne will, euen from the beginning ſinned, beeing made enimies to god and all goodneſſe, yea and of mankinde eſpeciallie of the church of god; liers, & ſpeaking lies of their owne, menkillers, diuells, & euill ſpirites, and for this cauſe, were thruſt downe from heauen into hell, and deliuered to the chaines of darkeneſſe, and reſerued to condemnation.
IV. Cauſes, vvhy manie of thoſe celeſtiall ſpirites were ſuffered to ſinne, and to become euill.
And that this alſo was not ſuffered of the diuine wiſedome without cauſe, we learne by the Scriptures. For beſides, that he ment in this to ſet forth his iudgemēts, and his wrath againſt ſinne in all kindes of creatures: he decreed alſo to vſe their labour, to tempt & exerciſe vsus in faith, in ſpirituall fight, in patience, and ſo to help forward our ſaluation: Eph. 6.12.& laſtlie, he would hauehave them the executors & miniſters of his iudgements againſt mens offences: that, 1. Reg. 22.21they which will not imbrace the louelove of trueth, wherby they might be ſaued, 2. Theſ. 2.12might followe the doctrines of diuells, and might beleeue in their lies and ſo periſh.
V. The good Angells were ſaued by the fauour of God, that they might be Gods miniſters and ours.
Againe we beleeue, that innumerable manie of thoſe celeſtiall ſpirites were ſaued by the fauour of god for Chriſt, that they ſhould not ſinne with the reſt, Dan. 7.10.but ſhould abide in the trueth and in obedience: and that theſe are made the meſſengers & miniſters of god, which doe their ſeruice for helpe of the elect, Heb. 1.7. Pſ. 103.20.and doe defend them againſt the diuell, and ſet forward the kingdome of Chriſt: who do ſo louelove vsus, and awaite vponupon vsus, that they greatly reioyce at our welldoing: yet will they not bee worſhipped of vsus, Luc. 15.7. Apo. 22.9. Mat. 22.30.but doe inſtruct vsus, that god alone is to be worſhipped, and call themſelues our fellow-ſeruants: with whome alſo vve ſhall liue an eternall and bleſſed life in heauen.
VI. Man was created after the image of god.Gen. 1. & 2.
Wee beleeue, that after all other thinges were created, man alſo at the laſt was created to the image and likeneſſe of God, his bodie being faſhioned of earth, and his ſoule, being a ſpirituall and immortall ſubſtance, made of nothing, and inſpired into that body: and that ſhortly after woman was giuen him, made (concerning the bodilie partes) of his bones, and formed to the ſame image of God.
VII. That image of god, in what things it eſpecially conſiſteth.
But we beleeue that this image of god, eſpecially conſiſted herein: both in that as god is the abſolute Lord ouer all thinges, Gen. 1.28. Pſ. 8.7.8.9.ſo vntounto man were all thinges ſubiect, the foules of the aire, the fiſhes of the ſea, and beaſtes of the earth: ſo as he ſhould bee king of the whole world: & moſt eſpeciallie, that as god is moſt holie, and moſt iuſt, Eph. 4.24.ſo man alſo was created righteouſſe, in iuſtice and true holineſſe, as the Apoſtle interpreterh.
VIII. Adam vvas meerelie free before his fall.
Hereuppon wee beleeue, that man in that firſt eſtate, was not onelyonly indewed with ſuch a libertie, that he could not will anie thing without conſent of his will: Eccl. 7.30. Sirac. 15.18(which libertie euer was and is remaining in man) but alſo was furniſhed with ſuch ſtrength, that hee might, if he woulde, not hauehave ſinned, and not hauehave died, but hauehave continued in righteouſneſſe, and eſchewed death: ſo that deſeruedlie it is to be imputed to himſelfe and no other, that he loſt both.
IX. Errors.
We condemne therfore, the Valentinians, Marcionits, Maniches, and whoſoeuer either taught or left anie thing in writing againſt this article of faith: faininge either that all thinges were made of ſome other god, then the father of Chriſt, or that good things were made of one God which was good, and euill things, of another which was euill: ſith none can be god, but he which is chieflie good, and onelyonly maker of al things. We condemne likewiſe, all thoſe which either teache that the ſoule of man is of the ſubſtance of God: or which denie the immortalitie and perpetuall action of the ſame: or which referr the image of God in man, onelie to his power and rule ouer creatures; or laſtly which doe denie that man was created meerelie free.