THE Other Creed, or Confeffion, may be expreffed in our language thus, "WE believe in one God, three in one; Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft: And that the Son of God took our flefli, was baptized in Jordan, fafted in the defart, preached our falvation, fuffered, was dead, and buried, continued in the state of the dead, rose the third day, afcended up into heaven; fent the Comforter on the day of Pentecoft; fhall come in the day of judgment to judge the quick and the dead; when all fhall arife. We know, that what we believe with the heart, we ought to confefs with the mouth. We believe, that he is not faved who does not eat the body of Christ: And that the body of Chrift ought not to be confecrated but in the Church, and by a minifter, whether he be good or evil; neither does its efficacy depend more on a good one than a bad one. We believe, that men and women are not faved unlefs baptized, and little children are faved by baptifm; and both men and women are faved, although they be married; and every one ought to repent with the heart, profefs with the mouth, and to be baptized in the church by the priest: And if any other thing can be fhewed by the Gofpel we ought to believe it *." THERE is alfo a Confeffion of Faith to be found in PETRIE'S Hiftory of the fixteenth USHER ut fupra, p. 294, 295. century, century, presented unto King VLADISLAUS, anno 1508. And there is yet another' Creed to be found in USHER's account of the Western Churches, which is too long to be here inferted: It was offered to the King of France in the years 1544, and 1551. The truth is, part of the Waldenfes who feem to have emigrated from the vallies, fettled in Bohemia, and became of the number of the followers of Hufs. Thefe, immediately after the murder of their leader, in like manner formed a Confeffion of their Faith, or a Covenant, to be fubfcribed by all the members of their fociety*, My fcarcity of books, and diftance from a pu blic library, has precluded me from making fuch a fcrutiny, on this part of my fubject, as it merits at my hand: Yet I find fuch evidence. as, to me, is decifive, that Foederal Tranfac tions obtained among the followers of Hufs from An anonymous hiftorian, of the Popish religion, declares, That, immediately after the death of Jerom and Hufs, they extracted a formula of faith from their writings, in oppofition to that of the Romish: "De nom. nier des perfones capables de drefler un Formulaire de Foy tire mot a mot des ecrits de Jean Hus et de Jerome de Prague, de fe feparer entierement de la Communion des Catholiques," &c. "La fubftance du Formulaire confiftoit en ces propofitions que le Pape n'avoit rien de plus que les autres Eveques," &c. And, after giving a fummary of the contents of this Confeffion, he adds, Apres que le FORMULAIRE EUT ESTE SIGNE LES HU SITES leverent une Armee," Hiftoire de L'Herefie de Jean Hus, et Jerome de Prague, Part II. p. 4, 9. From the fragment of John a Lafce's history of the United Bre thren from the very beginning; and the farther they advanced in reformation, their Covenants af fumed a more regular form. Their Foederal Tranfactions were alfo folemnly fworn, univerfally fubfcribed, and frequently renewed, For a specimen, I fhall infert that which was fworn anno 1571. "MEANWHILE, the reader must neceffarily remark, in this place, the facred communion which prevailed at that period, and even at this time ftill prevails, between the Churches of the Waldenfes and the Proteftants of Germany. He must likeways regard, with admiration, that bond of union which was drawn up and ratified in their affembly on the 11th of November 1571; and expreffed in the fol lowing articles: I. THEY all bind themselves, under the fanction of an oath, to maintain inviolably the ancient union, continued from father to fon, between all the faithful of the evangelic reli thren, we may fee, that the Renovation and Subfcription of. Covenants were no strange thing among that body of peo ple. And VOETIUS, who had good opportunities of knowing, affures us, That both the Waldenfes of Tholouse and the Huílites of Bohemia, ratified their Federal Tranfactions with, folemn oaths: "Poteft autem a civibus in Foedus Religionis jurari. Exemplum, vide 2 Paralip, 15. Talia Federa et juramenta fecerunt Ziska et Bohemorum pro defenfione Hufitarum; in Gallia ante fæcula aliquot Comitis. Tholofiani, akorumque pro Albigenfibus." De Juramento Religionis, apud Difput. Select, Tom. III. p. 1105. gion of the Waldenfes, down to their own time, and in no refpect to deviate fron: that facred connection; and this they do under the following conditions and promifes. II. THEY bind themfelves to perfevere in the profeffion of the true Chriftian Reformed Religion, hitherto obferved by them; confifting in the belief and worthip of one God, and of one Head of the Church, and Mediator between God and Man, Jefus Chrift:-To adhere to the only rule of faith and manners, contained in the canonical books of the Old and New Teftament, to which are joined the facraments of Baptifin and the Lord's Supper, inftituted by our Saviour:-In conformity to the fame word of God, they promife to fubmit to the good external regulation and ecclefiaftic difcipline already eftablished, and, to this period, maintained among them. They exprefs their abhorrence of all herefies, and doctrines inconfiftent with the word of God, as held forth to us in the books of the Old and New Teftament. II. THEY promife to be faithful and obedient to S. A. S. and to the authority of the magiftrates eftablifhed by her, in fo far as their power fhall be employed in a manner not incompatible with the rights of confcience and divine authority. IV. SEEING there are always fome who, in oppofition to the capitulations and conceflions. obtained from the clemency of the Sovereign, endeavour endeavour to disturb the peace of the Churchi and of its members, and to infringe the said conceffions; they engage themfelves to employ, each according to his ability, every mean that they fhall judge neceflary for maintaining the faid Churches in general, and each of its members in particular, in the undisturbed enjoyment of the faid conceffions, by continual recourfe to S. A. fo long as fhall be neceffary, and by every other conftitutional method; and fuch as are not prohibited by the word of God: And that all the Churches, in general, fhall afford every legal protection and defence, proportioned to their abilities, to each Church, or particular member of them, who fhall be molefted on account of their religion; aiding them with their counfel, eftate, and perfons, as need may require. V. AND, as queftions may occur in regard to religion, application fhall be made to the Churches in general, and an unanimous opinion be returned: For inftance, if any particular Church is confulted in regard to a matter of religion, or touching the conceffions, the faid Church fhall not give any opinion till they have taken fufficient time to communicate the bufinefs to the other Churches, and members of the Union: In fhort, they are to deliberate in common, to answer, and to act, common advice; with all that modefty, candour, and fincerity which is fuited to the fpirit of good Chriftians. VI. ALL |