A briefe and piththie summe of the Christian faith , made in forme of a confession , with a confutation of all such superstitious errours , as are contrary therevnto . Made by Theodore de Beza ▪ Translated out of Frenche by R. F.

PRINTED AT LONDON by Richard Serll , dwelling in Flete lane , at the sygne of the halfe Eagle and the Key .

AMong the errours whiche raigne at thys daye in the worlde about faith and Christian religion , there be two which me thinketh bee as the springs & fountaines of al the others . The first is , that all which is done of a good intent is well done . The second is , that those which liue onely vpon the trafick or marchaundise of other mens soules , haue persuaded the simple people that they neede not read the scriptures , nor particularly enquire of euery poinct of that which they are bound to beleeue for to be saued . But that it is sufficient to beléeue confusedly and in a generalitie as the church of Rome beléeueth , and the rest to commit to the Diuines or to the conscience of his curate . Touching the first , it is néedfull to defyne what intent is good & what euill . But to speak after their owne maner , for as much as they beleue that all those which think they do well haue a good entent ▪ if it so were what woulde haue let sainct P●ule to haue bene saued in his pharisaicall ●i●ing , seyng that he was an earnest folower of the law of god giuen by Moises ? And as for that he persecuted the members of Iesus christ , it was of ignoraunce , supposing to haue done god good seruice , as hee himselfe wytnesseth . Yet this notwithstanding he saith he was a persecutour and a Blasphemer , so that God saued him of his singular grace and mercy . The lyke case was of many of those which crucified Christ and stoned sainct Steuen , thinkinge they did verye good seruice , bicause they estemed them to be false prophets & enimies to God . Neuertheles did their good meaning kepe them that they wer not horible murderers ? But if God gaue forgiuen them , then it foloweth that they sinned . And who shal assure those of the lyke mercye which do as they did ? I omitte the manifest textes , where such good ententes or meaninges be cursed of god , consydering where no fayth is , ther is nought but sinne , and where there is no word of God , there is no fayth , but a lyinge and deceyuable opinion . I would fai●● knowe whether there be any Creditour that would be content and satisfied for his full payment , that his dett●ur shoulde alledge , that he had dreamed that hee had payed him . Or if a Mayster had geuen by writinge hys whole mynde and wyll to one of hys seruauntes , and had gyuen hym in charge and commaundement , neither to ad to it , nor to diminish it : whether hee woulde bee content with his seruaunt that woulde not vouchesafe to read his remembraunce , but trusting in his owne witte woulde doe al thinges after his owne will and mynde . And neuerthelesse , Christendome is thus led that to reade the Scriptures for to know the will of their Maister , is heresye at this daye . And if they aledge further that the common people haue no iudgement for to vnderstand that they do read , howe happeneth it then that they teach not the Scriptures to the people to remedy that ? For the self same inconueniences haue bene in all ages ▪ And neuertheles the prophetes . Iesu Christ , nor the Apostles , neither spake nor writ but in the common vulgar tonge , which was then vnderstanded of all the people where they vsed . And when wee saye that hee is not a Christian which knoweth not what he beleueth , nor why and wherfore he beleueth it : doo we saye that he muste read the scriptures without hearinge them syncerelye expounded of those whiche haue the charge & office to doe it ? No , but contrariwise , we saye and also practyse it , that the Pastours are bounde to feede theyr flockes with the worde of lyfe , and that the flocke on their parte muste vnderstande and learne that whiche they teache them to be edified and comforted ther by . Also they must take heede and beware of the false Prophets and wolfs . And certeinly if this Lampe hadd alwayes burned cleare in the Churche of God , they whiche at these dayes feare nothinge more then this lighte , and whiche woulde take it from the common people to leade them still in their blindnes , had not so muche preuailed as they haue . For the kingdom of God is not a kyngedome of ignorance , but of fayth , and consequently of knowledge : consyderynge that a man cannot beléeue that whiche hée knoweth not .

Briefelye , for as muche as all Christians bee expresselye warned of Sainct Peter , to bée in a readynesse to make aunswere to all those whyche demaunde a reason of theyr hope : So it appeareth by this , that the duetye of a true Chrystian , is to haue ready , and with him some briefe resolution and summe of the principall pointes of hys Religion , and also some principall reasons , whereby hee maye on the one parte confyrme and strengthen himselfe therein , and on the other parte , repell accordinge to his callinge , the enemies of the truth , and be ready to communicate his spirituall ryches with all men .

Wherevppon , I bein● already of that mynde , and besyde the s●me beinge required to render a reason of my faythe , by a personage to whome nexte vnto God I am moste bounde to obey : I haue of late composed and made this Treatyse which I haue intytuled A confession of the faith , wherin I haue comprehended after the best order I coulde , those thinges whych I haue learned in the Christian Religion by the reading of the Byble , with the conference of the moste faythefull Expositours .

At the first I made this but for mine own vse , and to satisfie him who required of me . But since partly by the aduyse of certayne good and learned men , and also being moued with certayne reasons whiche mee thought were of importance , I was easely persuaded to haue it set abroade .

For fyrste , I knowe , that among those whiche persecute the Gospell of God in his members , there be many that offende thorough ignoraunce whom it is very hard to make vnderstand how muche they be deceyued , except before they be put to the reading of the textes of the scripture , they haue some brief instruction which may open the matter playn vnto them , and accustome them with the maner of speach of the holy ghost for to gather oute the true sence and meaning , & referre the whole to the right vse and end . Moreouer , euen amonge those whiche haue some vnderstandinge of gods truth , I knowe that there be many verye negligent and slow to read the scriptures , because they knowe not the treasures which therin be contained . And many also , although they read the scripturs diligently , as al christians ough● principally to doe , and can after a sort discerne ●●e true exposition from the false , yet neuertheles haue not so ready iudgment and such capacitie , that they can aptly set & agree together those textes which they fynde dispersed in diuerse places of one mater for to comprehend them w●ll , to their edifyinge and instruction . And this is the cause why in the church of Christ so long as it was well gouerned , ther was euermore an instruction called a Cathechisme , for those that were lately comme to the knowledge of the eternall god . But this very woorde Cathechisme declareth that thys Instruction was rather by worde of mouth then otherwyse ▪ And I thinke that from thence dyd procéede the symbole of the Apostles as we call it , the exposition wherof was declared by mouth in the church . After this when it pleased god to erect ●p againe the banner of his Church , ●hich had bene long tyme ouerthro●en : this custome not one the moste ●audable , but also moste necessarye ●as erected vp agayne , yea to more e●ification then euer it was , as me thin●eth , and as in verye deede experience and time must needes teache the ●ysest sorte of men some thinge . For ●hey haue not onely sette forth the an●ient maner to cathechise , that is to ●ay , to instruct by mouth those that are ●ately entred into the church of god , y ● ●rncipall poinctes of Christian rely●ion orderly and briefely , but also too ●uoyde many inconueniences , those Cathechismes were sette foorth and writtten for a singular profyte , bothe ●● greate and small . And although ●n these beginninges of the resto●inge and repayringe of the decayes ●f the Churche , the synceritie of doc●rine and familiar manner of tea●hinge was not in all pointes suche as was to bée wyshed , yet no●● withstandinge these maners and form●s teachinge bée verye meete for to remedy and helpe those inconueniences which I haue spoken of heretofore . And this I dare well say that ther shal not ●● found eyther in times past or to come any suche worke published and sette abroade wherby to haue a briefe and perfecte knowledge of the wholle Christian religion as is the Cathechisme of this Church of Geneua ▪ god bee praysed therefore , and his faithful ser●antes labour acknowledged , which hath so happely and profitablye trauayled in this worke Although ther be I knowe dogges both farre of and neare whiche barke after him , and except for barking they woulde bee as domme , as domme Fys●hes : but when as they meete with beasts of their own kinde then they be at libertie to prate and bable withoute knowledge . But to returne to my purpose , I confesse that it was not greatly néedefull to set for the this confession after that Cathechisme wherof I haue spoken . Neuertheles because men are geuen in heauenlye foode euen lyke as they be in bodelye meats to weete that one and the same meate , shal please some in one kind of dressing , and other in an other kynde or waye : I haue enforced my selfe somthyng more to dilate and declare matters at large : as one that wold not so much teache the auditors which are alreadye bente and willyng to heare and learne in the church of God ▪ as also to aunswere those which do with stand the truthe of GOD , or at the leaste those whyche bée in dowte in whyche syde to turne themselues . I hope wyth the grace of hym whose honoure I haue regarded in this little worcke , that my laboure shall not bée wythoute profite , neyther for those whiche suffer theym selues to be par●wa●ed in anye thynge that maye ●ee inuented agaynste vs eyther in ●yfe or doctryne , nor for those whyche haue alreadye some taste and féeling to encorage and sturre them vp to the viligent Reading of the seripturs , and to resorte and draw water as it were out of the very head spring or fountayn from whence these brokes do run , not yet to establish and resolue them whiche haue néede therof . True it is the among other faults I confesse that I haue not bene so briefe as were requisit in such an argument wherein men ought only to declare and open the determination of matters without disputing , yet I hope at the length , considering the property of the enemies with whome we haue to do , it shall not be so troublous but it shall serue to some purpose , bycause I haue endeuored my selfe to speake of nothing but that which belongeth to the very pith of the matter , and which is necessary to resolue him which should come read this treatise with some preiudise to the contrary .

And this was my entent and mynde not to prescibe to anye man lyuynge a forme of confession of his fayth , but fyrst to declare myne owne to al those whiche are mynded to vnderstande it to the glory of my God . And then also to helpe according to my 〈…〉 power those that a●e leaste of the Churche of God . I hope also that at the least I shal geue occasion to those which without comparison haue wherew●th better then I to furnishe and set out so profitable a worke in Christendome : to compile and make som more absolute and perfect worke , whose iudgements I am so farre ●●●m refusinge , that on the contrarye I desyre that all those which shall see this confession wil conferre it diligently with the Scripturs whiche are the onely true touchestone to proue true doctrine by . But i● there be any thinge herein which is worthy of reprehension , which I hope shall not befounde in the substaunce of the doctrine , I am one whiche desyreth with all my hart to vnderstande it , to amende the fault thereof . If one the other syde , there founde anye goo● thyng in it , as I would be sory if the● were not , his be the praise which hath reueled to mée his holye trueth , and shall reuele it yet more fully when wée shall haue the accomplishement of that which we looke for .