ence adore the righteous judgements of God which are hid from us, contenting ourselves that we are difciples of Chrift, to learn only thofe things which he has revealed to us in his word, without tranf greffing thefe limits. This doctrine affords us unspeakable confolation fince we are taught thereby, that nothing can befal us by chance, but by the direction of our most gracious and heavenly Father; who watches over us with a paternal care, keeping all creatures fo under his power, that not a hair of our head (for they are all numbered) nor a fparrow can fall to the ground without the will of our Father, in whom we do entirely truft; being perfuaded that he fo reftrains the devil and all our enemies, that without his will and permiffion, they cannot hurt us. And therefore we reject that damnable error of the Epicurians who fay that God regards nothing but leaves all things to chance,

XIV.

Of the creation, and fall of man, and his in capacity to perform what is truly good.

We believe that God created man out of the duft of the earth, and made and formed him after his own image and likenefs, good, righteous, and holy, capable in all things to will, agreeable to the will of God. But being in honour, he understood it not, neither knew his excellency, but wilfully fubjected himself to fin, and confequently to death,

and the curfe, giving ear to the words of the devil. For the commandment of life which he had received, he tranfgressed; and by fin feperated himself from God, who was his true life, having corrupted his whole nature; whereby he made himself liable to corperal and spiritual death. And being thus become wicked, perverse, and corrupt in all his ways, he hath loft all his excellent gifts, which he had received from God, and only retained a few remains thereof, which however are fufficient to leave man without excufe; for all the light which is in us is changed into darkness, as the fcriptures teach us, faying: the light shineth in darkness, aud the darkness comprehended it not : Where St. John calleth men darkness. Therefore we reject all what is taught repugnant to this, concerning the free will of man, since man is but a flave to fin; and has nothing of himself, unless it is given him from heaven. For who may prefume to boast, that he of himself can do any good, fince Chrift faith, no man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me, draw him? Who will glory in his own will, who understands that to be carnally minded is enmity against God? Who can speak of his knowledge, fince the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God? In fhort who dare fuggeft. any thought, fince he knows that we are not fufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but that our fufficiency is of God? And therefore what the apostle C.

faith ought justly to be held fure and firm, that God worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. For there is no will nor understanding, conformable to the divine will and understanding, but what Chrift hath wrought in man, Which he teaches us, when he faith without me ye can do nothing.

XV.

Of Original Sin.

We believe that thro' the disobedience of Adam, original fin is extended to all mankind; which is a corruption of the whole nature, and an hereditary difeafe, wherewith infants themselves are infected even in their mothers womb, and which produceth in man all forts of fin, being in him as a root thereof; and therefore is fo vile and abominable in the fight of God, that it is fufficient to condemn all mankind. Nor is it by any means abolished or done away by baptifm; fince fin always iffues forth from this woeful fource, as water from a fountain; notwithstanding it is not imputed to the children of God ento condemnation, but by his grace and mercy is forgiven them. Not that they fhould reft fecurely in fin, but that a fenfe of this corruption fhould make believers often to figh, defiring to be delivered from this body of death. Wherefore we reject the error of the Pelagians, who affert that fin proceeds only from imitation.

XVI.

Of eternal Election.

We believe, that all the pofterity of Adam, being thus fallen, into perdition and ruin, by the fin of our first parents, that God then did manifeft himself fuch as he is; that is to fay merciful and juf Merciful, fince he delivers and preferves from this perdition all whom he in his eternal and unchangeable council of mere goodnefs hath elected in Chrift Jefus our Lord, without any respect to their works, Juft in leaving others; in the fall and perdition wherein they have involved themselves.

XVII.

Of the recovery of fallen Man.

We believe that our most gracious God in his admirable wifdom and goodnefs, feeing that man bad thus thrown himfelf into temporal and fpiritual death and made himself wholly miferable was pleafed to feek and comfort him when he trembling fled from his prefence, promifing him that he would give his Son, who fhould be made of a woman to bruise the head of the ferpent and make him happy.

XVIII.

Of the Incarnation of Jefus Chrift.

We confefs therefore that God did fulfil the promife which he made to the fathers, by the mouth of

his holy prophets, when he fent into the world, at the time appointed by him, his own, only begotten and eternal Son. Who took upon him the form of a fervant and became like unto man, really affuming the true human nature, with all its infirmities, fin excepted, being conceived in the womb of the bleffed Virgin Mary, by the power of the Holy Ghost, without the means of man. And did not only affume human nature as to the body, but also a true human foul, that he might be a real man. For fince the foul was loft as well as the body, it was neceffary that he should take both upon him to fave both. Therefore we confefs (in oppofition to the herefy of the anabaptifts, who deny that Chrift affumed human flesh of his mother) that Chrift is become a partaker of the flesh and blood of the children: that he is a fruit of the loins of David after the flesh; made of the feed of David according to the flesh, a fruit of the womb of the Virgin Mary : made of a woman; a branch of David; a fhoot of the root of Jeffe; fprung from the tribe of Judah; defcended from the Jews according to the flesh; of the feed of Abraham, fince he took upon him the feed of Abraham, and became like unto his brethren in all things, fin excepted; fo that in truth he is our Immanuel, that is to fay God with us.