The Bloody Theatre, or Martyrs Mirror of the Defenseless Christians / who baptized only upon confession of faith, and who suffered and died for the testimony of Jesus, their savior, from the time of Christ to the year A.D. 1660

by Thieleman J. van Braght

OF THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD, ITS ORIGIN, PROGRESS, AND IMMOVABLE STABILITY, THROUGH ALL TIMES.

[As in the following work a survey is given, to some degree, of the succession and establishment of the church, we find it expedient in order that the same may not be misinterpreted, and because some of our good friends have requested and besought us (though we had intended to leave it as it was), to precede, by way of introduction, that which follows, by our exposition of the true and the false church, and of their respective good and evil succession and progress; also, to state the views we hold in regard to the right of succession. We will, therefore, begin here, and, so as not to be tedious, endeavor to be as brief as possible.]

As there are two different peoples, two different congregations and churches, the one of God and from heaven, the other of Satan and from the earth; so there is also a different succession and progress belonging to each of them.[30]

We shall first speak of the divine and heavenly church, and then of the last mentioned one.

The divine and heavenly church, which is the separated holy flock and people of God, originated upon earth at the beginning of the world; has existed through all the ages up to the present time; and will continue to the end of the world.

OF THE DIVINE SERVICE OF THE CHURCH.

The state and divine service of this church have varied from the beginning according to the different periods in which it existed and flourished.

From Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham, from Abraham to Moses, from Moses to Christ, from Christ to the end of the world, God ordained, for each of these periods, different customs, as regards the external divine service of this church; also different signs, seals, and appurtenances; though it is, was and shall be, the same church, the same people, and also the same God whom they served, still serve, and shall serve unto the end.

Before Adam fell, divine service had no respect to Christ; he had not yet been presented to men as a means of salvation, much less as their only Prophet, Priest, and King, or as the only true way, entrance and door to heaven, through whom alone men can be saved; but their happiness depended on their obedience to the command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Gen. 2:16,17.[31]

After the fall, divine service had respect altogether to Christ, Acts 4:12. Truly God promised his Son to men, represented him by types, and finally gave him to them. In the meantime, the fathers who were before the advent of Christ, hoped in him, longed for his coming, and ordered and founded all their divine services, whatever these, according to the time and the command of God, might be, on his only and eternal reconciliation. Compare Gen. 3:15; 22:18; 49:10,18 with John 5:46; 8:56; 1 Peter 1:10,11.

Touching the external mode of divine service, this was not uniform at all periods, but varied very much; for it seems that in the time from Adam to Noah, men followed the implanted light of nature, or, to speak properly, the engraven law of the conscience or the mind; observing no essential and express ceremonial commandments, excepting Abel’s offering, and the commandment that the sons of God, that is, the members of his church, should not marry the daughters of men, that is, those who were not members of the church of God; which was enjoined under a severe penalty. Compare Gen. 4:4 with Gen. 6:3.[32]

In the time from Noah to Abraham, there was added God’s command, not to eat blood, nor to shed human blood. At that time God made a covenant with Noah and every living creature; that he would destroy them no more by a flood; and he set the bow in the clouds as a sign of the covenant. Compare Gen, 9:4,5 with verses 11,12,13.

In the time from Abraham to Moses God instituted the circumcision among his people; which served for the purpose of distinguishing the descendants of Abraham, of whom the church of God consisted, from all other nations, and as a seal of the covenant which God had made with Abraham and his seed, in particular. See Gen. 17:10,11,12, compare with Rom. 4:11.

From the time of Moses to Christ God gave, in addition to circumcision, many laws and commandments, too numerous to mention, which were to be observed by his people. These consisted in manifold sacrifices, oblations, purifications, etc., for the performance of which holy times were set apart, as the Passover, Pentecost, feast of tabernacles, new moons, and fast days; together with sacred places, as the tabernacle of Moses, the temple of Solomon; Shiloh, Mizpah, Moriah, etc.; also holy persons, as prophets, priests, Levites, singers, and door-keepers. See Ex., Lev., Num., and Deut.

From the time of Christ to the end of the world, God, through Christ, has taken away the ceremonies of the Mosaic law as well as the signs by which it was sealed; and, to the acknowledgment of the grace of Christ, commended the observance of other ceremonies and signs, as baptism, supper, etc. These external commandments, together with faith, and true penitence of life, which is the spiritual and moral virtue, the Lord has very strictly enjoined upon all members of the church of Christ. See Matt. 28:18–20; Mark 16:15,16, compared with 1 Cor. 11:2–28; also the entire epistles of the apostles, which treat of the fulfillment of the Mosaic ceremonial law, as Rom. 10:4; Gal, 4:10,11 and 5:1–4; Col. 2:16.

Having now briefly shown the diversity of the external divine service of the church of God, through all the times; it behooves us to state, on the other hand, in what points this church has always continued the same.

IN WHAT POINTS THE CHURCH OF GOD HAS ALWAYS CONTINUED THE SAME.

God has always ordained teachers in his church, and, therefore, always caused his will to be proclaimed to the people; which commenced principally in the days of Enos, the grandson of Adam; for then began men to call upon the name of the Lord. Gen. 4:26.

Enoch, the seventh from Adam, preached of the judgment and the great day of vengeance of the Lord. Jude vs. 14,15.

Abraham, the father of the faithful, preached of the name of the everlasting God. Gen. 21:33.

Moses preached of the faithfulness, goodness, and righteousness of God; so that his doctrine dropped as the rain, and his speech distilled as the dew. Deut. 32:2–5.

David preached of the righteousness of God in the great (God’s) congregation, and would not let his mouth be stopped, that is, he would not be overcome by his adversaries. Ps. 40:10.

Afterwards, all the holy prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, preached of the laws, punishments and promises of God, and prophesied of the blessed and felicitous coming of the Messiah whom God had promised. Read the books containing their prophecies, throughout.

After the time of the Prophets, Christ himself preached of the fulfillment of the time, the coming of the kingdom of heaven, repentance, and faith in the Gospel. Mark 1:15.

The apostles followed the example and the command of their Lord, in proclaiming the will of God; and not that alone, but when their departure was nigh at hand, they appointed others in their stead, as Timothy, Titus, the seven teachers in the seven churches in Asia, who also, especially Timothy, were charged to appoint faithful men, who would be able to teach others also. 2 Tim. 2:2.

In order, moreover, that the church of Jesus Christ might always know, according to what rule persons were to be chosen for the ministry, the Holy Spirit, through the hand of Paul, has written concerning this matter, and transmitted it to posterity. 1 Tim. 3:1–7; Tit. 1:5–9.

Besides the office of preaching, which has always belonged to the church, various other articles, in faith[33] and life as well as in outward worship, which have always obtained, and must still obtain, could be mentioned; however, since we think we have pointed out the chief article, by virtue of which, principally, a church is a church, and through what the same is sustained, we will, so as not to bring too much of the same thing, dismiss the subject here, and proceed to the stability, durability, and visible discernibility of this church, as we have promised in the beginning.

OF THE STABILITY, DURABILITY, AND VISIBLE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHURCH OF GOD.

That this church, from the beginning to the time of David, was always visible, discernible, and distinguished from other nations, is clear and manifest, and, as far as we know, not doubted by anybody. There remains, then, only to be proven, that the same after the time of David, has always been discernible, according to the preceding manner, and will continue to be so to the end.[34]

To show this, the song of David of the city or church of God, Ps. 46:3,4, serves an excellent purpose. “Though the sea rage and roll, so that through its tempest the mountains fall in, Selah! the city of God shall nevertheless remain glad with her fountains, where the holy tabernacles of the Almighty are.” This passage, beginning with the preceding verse reads as follows according to the original text: “Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof, Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.”[35]

Who is there so ill versed in the word of God, as to suppose that he is to understand by the words city of God and the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High, etc., the city of Jerusalem in the land of Palestine, and the temple which was built in that city? for this city and the temple which was in it, were laid waste and totally demolished and destroyed, first by the Chaldeans, in the time of Jeremiah, and subsequently by the Romans, who conquered the land of Canaan and Jerusalem; so that, according to the prophecy of Christ, not one stone was left upon another. We must, therefore, understand this as relating to the church of God, which is called, in holy Scripture, the city of God. Heb. 12:22; for of the same it is said that God is in the midst of her, and that, therefore, she shall not be moved, etc., as shall appear more fully from the following testimonies, Isaiah 2:2: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountains[36] of the Lord’s house shall be established . . . and all nations shall flow unto it.” It is beyond dispute that here, by the words the Lord’s house, we are to understand the church of the Lord, unless there be one who holds, with the Jews, that it must be understood as having reference to the house of stone, which, in former time, Solomon built, to the honor of God, on Mount Moriah; which house is now in ruins, but was to be rebuilt. But this cannot be expected, for the prophet Daniel, with respect to this desolation, says clearly that it shall be poured upon the desolate, even until the consummation (that is, the end of the world). Dan. 9:27 compared with Matt. 24:15.

No small proof of this is furnished by the fact that about forty years after the ascension of Christ, this very house was destroyed, demolished and burned by Titus Vespasian, and has not yet been rebuilt, though about sixteen hundred years have elapsed since; and, on account of the continual quarrels of the Palestinean and other eastern rulers, it is, viewing it from a human standpoint, not likely that it will ever be done.

Since it is true, then, that by the words “the house of the Lord,” we must understand the church of the Lord, there follows also what is said in connection with it namely: that the same shall be firmly, i. e. invincibly, established on the mountain, that is, Christ, the immovable foundation.

Besides the adduced prophecy, Isaiah 2:2, showing the firmness and immovability of the house (or the church) of God, which is founded upon the mountain of the Lord—Christ Jesus—the same prophet treating of the durability, glory and divine dignity of this church, under the type of the New Jerusalem, produces various commendatory testimonies for this purpose, saying among other things, chap. 60, verse 11: “Thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night.”

This is a simile drawn from a peaceful city which has neither fear nor care that enemies will attack her, and, therefore, leaves her gates open by night as well as by day, for the accommodation of the citizens, and the messengers and strangers who are traveling in the night. Thus, he would say, will it also be with the future church of Jesus Christ.

Then, in verse 14, speaking of the enemies of the church of God, and of those who had slandered her, he says: They “shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.”

When a city has become so great that even her deadly enemies who had purposed to lay waste and destroy her, come bending their knees, and, as begging for favor, bow down before her, as is shown here of the enemies of the city and church of God; there is no probability that such city will easily be conquered, laid waste, or subjugated. So it is, in a spiritual sense, with the city and church of Jesus Christ; for it is this to which this prophecy has reference.

Immediately after, in the 15th verse, the prophet declares that God will make this city or church an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.

And, as though by this the durability and excellency of this city, well-beloved of God, were not yet sufficiently expressed, he adds these words, verse 19: “But the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.”

And, lastly, verse 21: “Thy people, O God, also shall be all righteousness: they shall inherit the land forever.” Here no further explanation is required, since the text plainly and clearly expresses our meaning; and we will, therefore let it suffice.

We then proceed to what Christ, the Son of God, himself testifies concerning this matter. Matt. 16:18: “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Christ, in another place, speaking by parable of a man who built his house upon the sand, adds the explanation: that the same was a foolish man; because such a foundation, and, therefore, also the building which is founded upon it, cannot stand before the floods, rains, and storms, which beat against it.

On the other hand, he commends him as wise and prudent, who built his house upon a rock; since the same, being well-founded, is able to withstand all dangers.

But the foundation of which the Lord speaks here, that he will build his church upon it, is much firmer than any material rock, for these must all pass away with time; but the foundation which is Christ himself, remains, shall remain, and shall never decay: for “the foundation of God standeth sure,” 2 Tim. 2:19.

Yet not only the foundation, but also the building of the church shall not decay, though in nature it is otherwise; for a house, church, or tower, resting on an immovable foundation, but being not sufficiently firm or strong in itself, finally decays, yea falls to the ground; but here it stands so that no opposing agencies, not even the devil himself, can prevail against it, which is evident from these words: “And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

In or under the gates councils were wont to be held; and the gates were the strength and power of the cities. Compare Zech. 8:16 with Ps. 147:13. Hence, by the words, “The gates of hell,” etc., we are to understand the council and power of the hellish fiend. Yet, according to the last mentioned place of Scripture, these shall not prevail against the church of Christ;[37] and, consequently, no other opposing agencies; for these are the most powerful and worst enemies.

We pass on to other Scripture testimony written for the same purpose. Matt. 28:20: “And, lo, I am with you all the days, even unto the consummation of the ages.” Nearly all translators, in order to follow therein the Dutch way of speaking, render the last words of this sentence: “unto the end of the world.” But we have, for good reasons, preserved the Greek mode of expression, inasmuch as it serves better and more clearly to the end we have in view. For we have found that, after the common translation, the words, “unto the end of the world,” have been misinterpreted, and stretched beyond their meaning, by some inexperienced persons, so that these expound that which has been spoken of the consummation of time, as referring to the end of locality; even as though Christ had not here promised his apostles, to remain with them till all time should have come to an end; but only until, for the promulgation of the Gospel, they should have traveled unto the uttermost parts of the earth, which, because it is not possible to travel farther by land, are called the end of the world.

This is a great error, for, according to his explanation, this promise would have belonged to the apostles alone, and been limited by their life time, since they traveled everywhere to preach, so that their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.[38] Compare Mark 16:20 with Rom. 10:18.

But, in order that all true followers of Christ and his apostles, to the end of time, might comfort themselves with this promise, the Lord has expressly spoken of the consummation of the ages, and declared that so long (understand: spiritually) he will be with them.

We arrive now at the point we had in view from the beginning, and which we shall now present more plainly and fully. It is certain that the Lord has spoken here of the preaching of the holy Gospel, of faith, of baptism, and of the manner of establishing and building up his church, as it was his will that the same should be built up and maintained through all ages. After saying this, he gave the before mentioned promise.

It is settled, therefore, that the visible church of Jesus Christ (for this is the one in whom the preaching of the holy Gospel, faith, baptism, and whatever there is more besides, have place) shall exist through all time, even unto the consummation of the ages; for, otherwise, the promise, “Lo, I am with you all the days,” etc., can not be fulfilled in her.

Even as, besides preaching and faith, baptism shall continue in the church to the end of time, so also the holy supper. This appears from the words of Paul, 1 Cor. 11:26: “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord’s death till he come.”

Thus, if mention is made here of the eating of the bread, the drinking of the cup, and the shewing forth of the Lord’s death, with the additional clause that this shall be observed, and continue, till the Lord come (that is, in the end of time, to judge the world), it follows: that there will be, throughout all ages to the end of the world, a church which will observe the external ordinances of Christ not only in respect to holy baptism, but also to the holy supper, and the shewing forth of the Lord’s death; unless it can be shown that the words, “till he come,” have another signification, such as we have never yet met with in any commentator, since the text is not only too clear, but also too conclusive.[39] Compare this with Matt. 25:31; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:16; Jude 14; Rev. 1:7; 22:12,20.

THE CHURCH OF GOD OBSCURED AND RENDERED ALMOST INVISIBLE IN SOME PLACES; AND WHAT HAS BEEN THE CAUSE OF IT FROM ANCIENT TIMES.

As the moon, notwithstanding her substance and body never perish, is not always seen in her full light by the human eye, either, because she sinks beneath the horizon, or, being too close to the sun, is obscured by him, or, being far from the sun, is darkened by the shadow of the earth, which is called an eclipse; even so it is with the substance and appearance of the church of God on earth. The latter, though never perishing entirely, does not always show herself in her full form, yea, at times she seems to have vanished altogether, yet not in all, but only in some places, either through the slothfulness of some people, who, from want of regard, or for some other reason, neglect the external, manifest commandments of God, or on account of some misconceptions or errors that have arisen, and whereby sometimes many of the true believers have been perverted, and seduced from the true worship of God; or in consequence of persecution, violence and tyranny, exercised against the faith and the practice of it, on account of which the pious are compelled to hide and, as outcasts from mankind, seclude themselves in forests, wildernesses, and solitary places; so that its characteristics, light and virtue could not be seen, much less, known, by the common world.

When the Church of God of the Old Testament was in Egypt, it could not observe its divine worship, but had to request permission “to go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord.” Ex. 8:26,27, compared with Ex. 10:26.

During the forty years that this same people was in the wilderness, such remarkable events happened that all their children remained uncircumcised, not receiving circumcision until they had become old, and arrived in the land of Canaan, at mount Aralot. Josh. 5:2–8.

In the time of Elijah this church was so greatly obscured on account of persecution, that he thought that he alone was left, though God had reserved to himself seven thousand persons who served him, and had not bowed their knees to Baal. 1 Kings 19:14,18; Rom. 11:3,4.

When this people had been carried away into Babylon, the house of God, at Jerusalem, where divine worship was wont to be made, lay waste, and the stones of the sanctuary were scattered in all the streets; yea, among the people in Babylon, matters were in so bad a condition, in regard to religion and the songs of praise with which they were wont to worship God, that they had hung their harps on the willows that were planted there by the rivers, Ps. 137:1–4; for which reason they were numbered among the dead and among those that go down to the grave. Bar. 3:10–14.

After the Babylonian captivity, in the time of the Maccabees, many of the church of Israel, because of the existing danger, hid themselves in caves, in order that they might keep the Sabbath. 2 Macc. 6:11.

All these obscurations, like sad eclipses in the divine worship, have happened in the church of God of the Old Testament, before the birth and advent of Christ into this world; and much more might be said in regard to this, if it were necessary, but we consider it sufficient to have made simple mention of it from time to time.

The same took place also after the advent of Christ in the church under the gospel, which was composed of Jews and Gentiles; she, too, could not always raise her head with safety, but was ofttimes, like the sun behind clouds, concealed from the common sight of men.

Even in the time when Christ dwelt bodily among men, and had risen from the dead, his disciples, the chief members of his church, sat concealed, with closed doors, for fear of the Jews. John 20:19.

After the ascension of Christ, the very numerous church which was at Jerusalem, dispersed, on account of persecution, through the lands of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles; so that this distinguished church, which, it appears, was the chief one on the face of the earth, had to sojourn secretly in a strange land. Acts 8:1.

Afterwards, when the emperor Domitian had banished John, the holy apostle and evangelist, for the Gospel’s sake, to the island of Patmos, the Holy Ghost revealed unto him the future state of the church of Christ, namely, that she would have to flee into the wilderness, on account of the persecution of Antichrist, and there be fed by God, a thousand two hundred and threescore days, which, reckoned according to prophetic language, means as many years. Rev. 12:6–11.

Whether we begin to reckon these years from the death of the apostles; or with the year 300, when the so-called patriarchs had their origin; or with the year 600; or a little later, when Mohammed rose in the east among the Greeks, and the pope in the west among the Latins, and raised no small persecution against the defenseless and innocent little flock of the church of Christ, so that all who did not wish to be devoured, either in soul or in body, had to hide themselves in deserts and wildernesses; let it be reckoned as it may, say we, a very long period is to be understood by it, which has extended to this, or, about, this time.

Here the rose has blossomed very gloriously among the thorns. Song of Sol. 2:2. Here the dove that was in the clefts of the rock and in the secret places of the stairs, let her sweet voice be heard.[40] Verse 14. Here the Lord said: “A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.” Song of Sol. 4:12. Here the Son of God has fed, sustained and preserved his church against the sentence of worldly and carnal-minded men, who, because they are carnal, cannot comprehend the things of the Spirit of God.

But, lest any should misconstrue our preceding proposition, let it be understood, that when we speak of the obscuration, concealment, or the becoming invisible, of the church of God, we do not mean the church in general, or in all places, for the church in general has never been obscured and hidden in all places at the same time; but we mean thereby some parts of the church in general, namely, some particular societies, belonging to the body of the general church which is spread over the whole earth.

It must be stated, also, that by the term, general church, we do not understand all the churches which bear the Christian name; but only those who express the Christian name by their upright faith and pure observance of the Christian and Evangelical commandments.

Now the question arises, whether our church of the present day, called the Anabaptists, has truly descended, and derived her succession, from the aforementioned church of God which has existed from the beginning, and kept the commandments of God in purity.

But, in order to do this briefly and in the best manner, we shall leave untouched the time and condition of the church from Adam to Christ, as being an undisputed point; and only examine the time and condition of the church after the advent of Christ; for the point of difference relates solely to those who and which, by virtue of true succession, have a right to the same.

THE SUCCESSION OF THE CHURCH OF GOD, PERSONAL SUCCESSION, AND SUCCESSION OF DOCTRINE.

From the Latin word succedo, that is, to go under, or to take the place of one, is derived the word, succession, which we, though improperly, have mixed into our Dutch language. The various branches proceeding from this root, that is, the numerous words taking their origin from it, together with their significations, we leave untouched; in general we understand by it, to follow any one in his place, right, or reign.

There is a twofold succession, natural and spiritual, political and ecclesiastical, or civil and ecclesiastical; but we have to speak here only of the spiritual and ecclesiastical, and not of the natural, political, or civil, succession; for only the former, and, by no means, the latter, belongs here.[41]

Now, as succession is of a twofold nature and kind, so also is each kind of the same twofold and distinct in itself. This will be shown plainly in the spiritual and ecclesiastical succession.

In order to present this in a clear light, we say that the ecclesiastical succession may be considered in two ways: firstly, with respect to the succession of persons; secondly, with respect to the succession of doctrine.

The latter is a sign and evidence of the former, so that the former cannot subsist without the latter. Where the latter is, the former need not be looked for so carefully. But where both are found in truth and verity, it is not to be doubted that there is also the true and genuine church of God, in which God will dwell and walk; which has the promise of an eternal and blissful life; and about which the holy Scriptures glory and teach so much.

PERSONAL SUCCESSION.

As a great building, house, or castle, can be considered, firstly, with regard to it as a whole, and, secondly, with respect to its different parts, so also the whole church of Christ can properly be considered: firstly, in the whole or in general, as comprising all the congregations in the whole world, which have in common the most holy faith, and the practice, which, according to God’s holy Word, must follow therefrom; secondly, in any particular part of the same, as, this or that church which is in accord with it, as for instance, the church at Amsterdam, Harlem, Dort, etc.

Likewise there is also (or, certainly can be) a twofold personal succession; 1. a general, 2. a particular one. By the general is understood that succession, which has been, in general, throughout the whole world, through a succession of true teachers, whether few or many, according to the opportunity of the times; who have rightly taught the truth, and propagated it according to their ability; concerning which (touching their doctrine, especially in regard to holy baptism, etc.) we have shown, which the true succession is, which, together with the observance of all the other commandments of Jesus Christ, is recognized by us, according to the promise of the Lord given to the true teachers, Matt. 28:20.

By the particular succession is understood the succession of teachers, from person to person, in a particular church, at a separate place, and sitting on a throne prepared for this purpose, as for instance, at Constantinople, of which the Greeks boast; but principally at Rome, about which the Latins, that is, the papists, make a great ado. But concerning this there is no promise, law, or commandment to be found in the whole Gospel, and we, therefore, pass on.[42]

SUCCESSION OF DOCTRINE.

Here the words of Tertullian are applicable. He says: “The Christian church is called apostolic not just because of the succession of persons, but on account of the kinship of doctrine, since she holds the doctrine of the apostles.” Lib. de praescript, etc.

This doctrine every one who boasts[43] of the true succession, must prove from the true apostolic writings, as the means by which the church was originally instituted, subsequently established, and maintained through all times (we speak of the Christian and evangelical church). Therefore, this doctrine must necessarily, also in these last times be the mark of the true succession.

Now, if this is united with the common succession of teachers, we have everything that is necessary for the demonstration of the true church. This stands so fast that it cannot reasonably be disputed, much less, refuted.

The question now will be, in what church the true apostolic doctrine has been held from the beginning, and is still held; which is a privilege boasted of by many. We leave it to them, and content ourselves with the testimony of our conscience, compared with the holy Gospel of Christ and the faith of the holy church, of which mention is made, throughout, in the ancient church histories.

To give evidence, then, of the faith professed by us, we declare, that we believe in our heart, and confess with our mouth:

THE APOSTLES’ CREED.

1. I believe in one God, the Father, the almighty Creator of heaven and earth.

2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord.

3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the virgin Mary.

4. Who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

5. Rose from the dead on the third day.

6. Ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the almighty Father.

7. From whence he will come to judge the living and the dead.

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost.

9. I believe in a holy general Christian church, the communion of saints.

10. Forgiveness of sins.

11. Resurrection of the flesh.

12. And an eternal life.

This is the most ancient and simple creed, which, it appears, was confessed already in or about the time of the apostles; and for which many, yea the greater part of the first Christian believers, have sacrificed their lives. But as, in the course of time, the true and simple meaning of the confession set forth was assailed and disputed by the contradiction and perverse interpretation of contentious and, not less, erring persons going under the name of good Christians; the true believers of the church of God were compelled, as often as this happened, and necessity required, to declare how they understood and interpreted this or that article.

Hence it has come that at this day there are found among those who are called Anabaptists, various confessions, which differ in style, but not in faith (we speak of the foundation of the same), in which confessions the creed set forth above is more fully interpreted and explained.

Of these we shall present here principally three, which were acknowledged and adopted without contradiction as a unanimous confession, by a great number of teachers, assembled from various districts, in the year 1649, in the city of Harlem. Two of these had been drawn up at Amsterdam, in 1627 and 1630, and the third at Dort, the 21st of April 1632; all on account of certain church unions which took place subsequently in these years.

First Confession.

Drawn up at Amsterdam, the 27th of September, 1627, called “Scriptural Instruction,” concerning who the people are, on whom the peace of God rests, and how they are bound to peace and unity; given in answer to the following several questions, of which the first is:

What are the fundamental and unmistakable marks by which the children of God and members of Jesus Christ (being the church of God) can and must be known, according to the testimony of the word of the Lord?

In order to answer this question correctly, we must consider what the means are, by which men become children of God, members of Jesus Christ, and the church of God. For although the blessed Lord Jesus Christ is the only meritorious cause of the justification of man, their adoption by God as his children, and the foundation of their eternal salvation (Rom. 3:24,25; 1 Cor. 1:30; Tit. 3:7; Heb. 5:12; Eph. 1:5; Col. 3:11; Acts 4:12); God, the heavenly Father, of whom all things are, 1 Cor. 8:6; and who is the true Father of the whole family in heaven and earth, Eph. 3:14,15, has nevertheless been pleased to impute the merits of his Son Jesus Christ to man, and make him partaker of the same, through the means of faith in his beloved, only, and only begotten Son (Rom. 3:25; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8; John 3:15,36; 6:40); whereby he owns them as children, and adopts them as heirs of everlasting life, according to the testimony of John, who says: “He” (that is, Christ) “came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:11–13. Paul confirms this with these words: “Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Gal. 3:26. Through this means—faith—apprehended from the word of God, and confirmed by the Holy Spirit, men are born of God; hence, the appellation, children of God, truly belongs to them, since they have God for their father, and Christ for their brother. God the Father acknowledges them as his sons and daughters; and Christ, for this reason, is not ashamed to call them his brethren. (Rom. 10:17; 2 Cor. 4:13; Rom. 8:16; John 1:12; 1 John 5:1; James 2:18; 1 Pet. 1:23; Matt. 5:45; John 1:12,13; 3:2; 20:17; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6; Matt. 12:50; 2 Cor. 6:18; Heb. 2:11,12). These children of God and brethren of Jesus Christ, are heirs of God, yea, joint heirs in the inheritance of their brother Jesus Christ, as has been promised to them by God the Father, through the means of faith, all the acquired benefits of our Savior Jesus Christ, which are, chiefly: forgiveness of sins, justification, and peace with God; and, because they are children of the resurrection, they shall not come into condemnation, but are passed from death unto life; they shall enjoy salvation, eternal life, and unspeakable happiness, yea, possess all things that the Lord Christ possesses. Rom. 8:17; Eph. 1:11; John 7:3; Acts 10:43; Rom. 3:26; 4:5; 5:1; Gal. 2:16; Luke 20:26; John 5:24; Matt. 16:16,17; Mark 16:16; Rom. 10:9; 1 Pet. 1:9; John 3:16; 6:47; 17:3; 20:31; 1 John 5:11; 1 Pet. 1:8; Luke 22; Rev. 21:7.

Hence, we reply, in conclusion to the question presented: That the fundamental, certain mark of the children of God and members of Jesus Christ, is that by virtue of which this appellation belongs to them in truth according to the promise of God, namely, the only saving faith which worketh by love; upon which God himself looks with gracious eyes, and which alone avails before him (Gal. 5:6; Jer. 5:3; Hos. 2:2; Jer. 5:1; Acts 8:37; 15:11; Is. 26:2) wherefore we, being one or unanimous with God, must have respect to it alone, seeing that the Lord Christ himself, promising Peter salvation upon his faith and confession, adds: “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matt. 16:18.

We shall now briefly show, what faith in Christ is, what is to be believed, what its design is, and what are the internal and external operations of faith.

This faith in Christ, by which men become partakers of all the acquired benefits of Jesus Christ, is neither an uncertain opinion nor merely a bare confession of the mouth, but a firm and sure confidence of the heart, which doubts not the things promised by God in Christ; but has a firm assurance that he who has promised them is able also to perform them. Heb. 11:13; 3:6; Rom. 10:10; 4:20,21. By this firm and sure confidence the believer in the promises of God is established in Jesus Christ his Savior, because he knows that all the promises of God are yea and amen in him; on which he lays firm hold, as on an anchor of his soul, both sure and steadfast. Acts 10:43; 1 Pet. 1:10,11; John 8:56; Heb. 11:26; 2 Cor. 1:20; Heb. 6:18,19. He believes with his heart that God,—for the fulfilling of his gracious promises, willing to show his great love toward mankind who, through sin, had fallen into death and manifold corruptions, by redeeming them,—sent into this world for this purpose, when the time of all prophecies was fulfilled, his only, dear and beloved Son, who from eternity was with his Father in great glory and beloved by him before the foundation of the world, possessing great riches and being equal with God his Father, by whom all things were made, and without whom not anything was made of all that was made in heaven or upon earth, and in whom they all stand, since he upholds all things by the word of his power. Gen. 22:18; Deut. 8:15; Is. 7:15; 9:6; 11:1; 40:9; Micah 5:2; John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; 9:31; 1 John 4:9,10; Gen. 3:19; Wis. 2:24; 4 Esdr. 7:48; Rom. 4:5,12; 1 Cor. 15:21; Rom. 5:16; 4 Esdr. 3:7; Gen. 3:17; Rom. 1:2; 8:3; Col. 1:13; Eph. 1:7; Gal. 4:4; Mark 12:6; 1:11; Matt. 17:5; 3:17; Heb. 1:8; 7:3; 13:8; 1:3; John 16:28; 17:5,24; 2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 2:6; Rev. 1:18.

He left his divine glory, form, and riches, went out from God, his Father, and came down from heaven into this world, so that he was conceived by a virgin, and she brought forth this Son at Bethlehem, where God brings his first-born Son into the world in the likeness of sinful flesh. John 13:3; 3:13,31; 6:38,51,62; Eph. 4:9,10; Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:23; Luke 2:21; Is. 9:6; Luke 3:6; Gal. 4:4; Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:6; Heb. 1:6; Rom. 8:3. For the Word became flesh; that which was from the beginning, which the apostles saw, which they heard with their ears, and which their hands handled, of the Word of life; for the life was manifested, so that there was seen that eternal life, which was with the Father. John 1:14; 1 John 1:1,2; John 1:9; 20:25,27; Is. 40:5,9. Therefore, all true believers must show and ascribe to their Savior, not as to a creature, but as to the Creator, all divine honor, even as they do unto the Father. John 5:23; 3:30,31; 20:28. For, although, for a little while, he was made lower than the angels, yet all the angels of God must worship him. Phil. 2:10; Matt. 14:33; Heb. 1:6; For he is worthy of this who hath so loved us that he purchased us with his death, and washed us from our sins in his own blood; who died for our sins and rose for our justification; who destroyed the power of the devil, hell, and death; who abolished the sinful hand-writing of the law, and has forgiven all sins, reconciling to God the Father all things that are in heaven and earth, in that he made peace through the blood of his cross; who brought life and immortality to light, and unto whom we are appointed by God, to inherit eternal salvation. Rev. 5:9; 1:5; Rom. 5:10; Acts 20:28; Col. 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:19; Rom. 4:25; 5:6,8; Col. 2:13,14,19,20; Heb. 2:14; 1 Cor. 15:54,55; Rev. 20:14; Is. 25:8; 2 Tim. 1:10; Eph. 1:10; 2:13; 1 Thess. 5:9.

Thus the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, is the true corner-stone, the way and door to eternal life, and there is no other name given unto man, either in heaven or on earth, whereby he can be saved, and become a child or heir of God, than the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is. 28:16; Rom. 9:33; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:6; John 14:6; 10:9; Acts 4:12.

The believer, seeing, by faith, that God in his weightiest and unspeakably great promises is not mutable, but does, in truth, fulfill them through the giving of his only, dear, and beloved Son, feels assured by this, that there is nothing with God, which he shall not also give us with his Son. He, therefore, has firm confidence, that the benefits which God has promised in and through the suffering, death, shed blood, resurrection and ascension of his Son, belong to the believer, and that he shall in truth receive them. Heb. 6:17,18; Ps. 33:4; John 3:16; 1 John 4:9; Eph. 1:6; Col. 1:12–14; 2 Tim. 4:8; Eph. 1:11–13; Rom. 8:32,34,38; 2 Pet. 1:3; Gal. 2:21; Eph. 2:17; 2 Cor. 4:6,7.

This faith begets in the heart of the believer an inward taste of the kindness of God, and of the powers of the world to come; which is followed by gladness, joy, and a firm security of the Father’s favor in the soul, whereby, in every time of need, he is enabled to say, confident that he will be heard, “Abba, Father;” and doubts not, though the thing promised be not apparent to human eyes, nay, seem contrary to nature, and transcends the comprehension, understanding and capability of man (Ps. 34:8; 1 Pet. 2:3; Eph. 2:7; Heb. 6:5,19; 2 Cor. 4:17; Rom. 12:12; 14:17; 2 Cor. 6:10; John 8:56; Rev. 19:7; Rom. 8:31,38; Ps. 32:1; 1 Pet. 5:7; Ps. 55:22; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6; Rom. 4:20; James 1:6; Heb. 11:1; Rom. 4:18,19; Heb. 11:11; Heb. 11:29), for the believer, by faith, looks not only at the things which, through the creation and government of God, exist in nature (which man may comprehend and understand), but to the goodness and omnipotence of the Promiser, unto whom nature and all creatural power in heaven, earth and sea, nay, death itself, must bow. Upon this ground the believer stands fast, even when, with Abraham, the father of the faithful, and with many of the pious, he is tried of God by things seemingly contradictory; for he is assured that God cannot lie. Ps. 52:9; Rom. 4:21; Heb. 11:19; Ps. 135:5; Is. 40:26; 4 Esdr. 3:21,23; Josh. 10:13; Heb. 3:10,11; Matt. 27:44; Is. 40:12; Rev. 20:11; Prov. 8:29; Jer. 5:22; Ex. 14:22; Heb. 11:10,35; 2 Cor. 1:10; Gen. 22:1; 1 Pet. 1:7.

But this faith of the heart is known the very best unto God, who also, being the only discerner of the intents and thoughts of the heart, will judge the internal signs of the faith of the heart, according as he finds it to be upright or dissembling. Jer. 17:10; Acts 1:24; Rev. 2:23; Heb. 4:12. But to man, who has no other way of judging this faith of the heart, than by the fruits of the same, which he hears and sees, there are given as signs by which to distinguish it, the confession of it with the mouth, and the obedience of faith as manifested in outward works. Therefore the believer, according to the command of Christ, must confess openly before men, to the honor of his Creator and Redeemer, what he believes and experiences in his heart, no matter, what sufferings may result to him on that account. He can not do otherwise, for he must hearken unto God more than unto men (Mark 16:16; John 3:36; 1 Cor. 2:11; John 3:11; Rom. 10:10; 1:5,16,25; Acts 4:19,20); for the Lord Christ hath said: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” Matt. 10:32; Luke 9:26. John says: “Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.” 1 John 4:2, and Paul explains: “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken;[44] we also believe, and therefore speak.” 2 Cor. 4:13.

That, therefore, oral confession proceeding from sincere faith conduces to salvation, Paul testifies with these words: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Rom. 10:9,10.

This faith exhibits also its outward fruits of love worthy of the faith; wherefore the believer, according to the teaching of the apostle Peter, must give all diligence to show forth from his faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly love, and charity; and walk in the Spirit, whose fruits, as love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, are seen on them outwardly. 2 Pet. 1:5–7; Gal. 5:16,22,23; 6:1; Eph. 5:9. By these good fruits, and by brotherly love, as external signs of the true faith, they are known as good trees, the salt of the earth, the light of the world, a light which is put on a candlestick, to give light unto all that are in the house, a city set on a hill which cannot be hid. And thus they let their good works so shine before men, that they, seeing them, may glorify God, the heavenly Father. Matt. 7:17,20; 12:35; 5:13–16.

For, as children who in their appearance and deportment show forth their father’s form and qualities, are thereby judged and known to be the children of such parent, even so the believers, having, through the new birth, become partakers of the divine nature (inasmuch as they pattern after God in virtues), are thereby judged or known to be his children; and, in order that they might well express this image, they are abundantly admonished by Christ and his apostles in regard to it. So, for instance, with these words: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;” “And every man . . . purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” Forgive one another, as God hath forgiven you. 2 Pet. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:23; John 3:6; 1 John 4:7; 5:1; James 1:18; John 1:13; Rom. 8:16; Matt. 5:48; 1 Pet. 1:15; 1 John 3:3; Luke 6:36; Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:13.

Again: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Matt. 5:9. The Lord says further: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye (show that ye) are the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Wherever, then, such similarity with God appears, through the putting on of the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, these show forth the image of Christ in their mortal flesh. Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10; Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 5:17. They are an epistle of Christ, in which Christ can be seen, and read by all men; and they are justly called Christians; and, consequently, are true children of God, and members of Jesus Christ: therefore they must be recognized and accepted by all those who truly fear God, as belonging to one body, which is the church of the living God; and as having through this fruitful faith, fellowship with God the righteous Judge, with Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, with the church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, with an innumerable company of angels, and with all the spirits of just men made perfect. 2 Cor. 3:2; Acts 11:26; Rom. 12:5; Eph. 4:4,16; 1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 20:28; 1 Tim. 3:15. Of this church Christ is the foundation, Head, King, Shepherd, Leader, Master and Lord. 1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 4:15; Jer. 33:15; Luke 1:33; John 10:11,14; 13:14. She alone is his body, adorned bride, dove, flock, and people, spiritual flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bones. Rom. 12:5; Rev. 21:2; Sol. Song 2:14; 4:1.

Now, although this fruitful faith is the only certain fundamental mark by which the children of God and members of Jesus Christ shall be known, and through which alone they are also, by grace, made partakers of the (by us unmerited) benefits of Christ, God has notwithstanding been pleased to set forth and confirm to believers, by external, visible signs, the benefits and merits of his Son Jesus Christ, which, as has been said, are received only by faith, and retained by obedience, in order that the things signified (of the promises of the grace of God), might shine forth the more clearly by the external signs, partly to assure the consciences of the believers, in the new covenant of the grace of God, and partly to bind the members of Jesus Christ together in unity, as members belonging to one body. For this purpose he has instituted in the church of the New Testament especially two such ordinances or signs suited to the things signified, in which all true believers find great benefit and comfort. These are the Holy Baptism, and the Holy Supper. Eph. 2:7; John 1:16; Mark 16:16; Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38; 1 Cor. 11:24; Jer. 31:31; 1 Pet. 3:21; 1 Cor. 12:13; 10:17; Rom. 6:5; Matt. 28:19,26.

OF HOLY BAPTISM.

Holy baptism is an external, visible ordinance, the rite of which consists in this: that all those who hear believe, and receive gladly with a penitent heart, the doctrine of the holy Gospel, are baptized, for a holy purpose, with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, according to the institution of Christ, and the usage of his apostles. Acts 2:41; Matt. 3:11; Acts 1:35–38; 10:48.

The benefit which the Lord God, on his part, declares through the sign of baptism, is: The washing away of the sinful corruptions of the soul, through the shedding of the blood of Christ; which signifies the forgiveness of sins, obtained through this blood, to the assurance of a good conscience with God, by which believers comfort themselves with the promise of eternal salvation. Acts 22:16; Col. 1:14; 1 John 1:7; Heb. 1:3; Rev. 1:5.

The obligations which baptism lays upon those baptized, are: That they, burying their sins thereby into the death of Christ, bind themselves to the newness of the life of Jesus, in order to employ, as members of the body of Christ (having put on Christ), each his several gift, for the maintenance and improvement of this body in spiritual and temporal things; and further, that they as the true household of God, and citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, must obey the civil laws of their King by observing all his commandments. Rom. 6:3,4; Col. 2:12; Gal. 3:27; 1 Cor. 12:25; Eph. 2:19; Matt. 28:20.

OF THE HOLY SUPPER.

The holy Lord’s Supper is an ordinance instituted by Christ Jesus in remembrance of himself, to be observed until his coming, by all who are baptized on true faith in Christ to one body, in the church of the New Testament. Matt. 26:26; 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24,26.

This rite consists in this, that a minister of the Gospel, according to the institution of Christ, and the usage of his apostles, takes bread and wine for a holy purpose, breaks the bread, and pours in the wine, and, after preparation and giving of thanks, dispenses both to the believing members. The broken bread is eaten, and the wine drank; Christ’s passion or bitter suffering and death, and the shedding of his precious blood; also the motives for this, together with the benefits of his death, through which man receives the remission of his sins, which is signified by this visible sign—all this is proclaimed thereby, in order that the believing church may give thanks to God for this benefit, and, as behooves members of one body, live and walk together here, as one heart and soul, in peace and love and unity. Luke 22:19,20; Acts 2:42; 20:11; 1 Cor. 10:16,17; 11:23–25; Acts 4:32.

The sum of all that has been said is; 1. that the Lord Christ is the foundation and only meritorious cause of eternal salvation; 2. that true faith in him is the means whereby we become children of God and partakers of his merits; 3. that the children of God are to be known outwardly by the confession and fruits of their faith; 4. that God, through the external signs of Holy Baptism and the Supper, sets before the eyes of his children his gracious benefits, and binds them, as members of Jesus Christ, to one body, that is, to a church of God and Christ, whereby they are also admonished to the obedience they owe.

Here the answer to the first question might be concluded, but, since the Lord God, for the welfare of his church, and the propagation of the truth, as being promotive of the honor of his name and the salvation of mankind, has instituted other ceremonies and laws, besides certain offices, which, according to the circumstances of the case, the true members of the church of God are bound to observe; we shall, as briefly as is possible and proper, subjoin these to what has preceded; and this the more, as our peace presentation to people of the same faith points partly to them; that it may appear the more clearly, whether they agree with us, and we with them, in the order of the Christian household, to live according to it, through Christian obedience, together in love, peace and unity, without thinking for any reason, ever again to separate one from another.

OF THE OFFICE OF TEACHER AND DEACON IN THE CHURCH; ALSO HOW THE ELECTION TO, AND THE CONFIRMATION IN, THESE OFFICES, MUST PROCEED, ACCORDING TO THE ORDINANCE OF GOD.

As a body consists of different members, each of them having its own and special function, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, making increase of the body unto the edifying of itself, even so it is with the church of God; for although each believer is a member of the body of Christ, yet not all are therefore pastors, teachers, elders, or deacons, for these are those who have been properly appointed to such offices. For this reason, the administration of these offices, as: the public preaching of the word of God, the administering of the holy ordinances of baptism and supper, according to the institution of Christ, and the usage of his apostles, appertains to persons thus ordained, and elected thereto—the pastors and teachers; just as it is the province of the deacons, to provide for the necessities of the poor. Rom. 12:4; 1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 4:7; Acts 20:28; Tit. 1:1; Rom. 12:7; 2 Tim. 4:2; 1 Pet. 5:2; Matt. 28; Mark 16; Acts 6; 1 Tim. 3:8; 5:9.

Concerning their calling and election to these offices, regard must be paid to the conditions required in those persons who will worthily fill said offices, according to the requirements of the apostle, 1 Tim. 3; Tit. 1. In order to obtain these, the church must prepare herself by a devout fear, by fasting and prayer, with constant invocation of the name of God, that as the discerner of all hearts he will show through the unanimous vote of the church, whom he counts worthy of such office; trusting that the Lord, who hears the prayers of those who are assembled in his name, and grants the petition of the godly, will, by his Holy Spirit, manifest his co-operation, and bring forth those whom he knows to be fit for this office; whereupon, after having been examined, they are confirmed to this office, before the church, by the teachers, with the laying on of the hands. Acts 1:24; 6; Luke 6:8; Matt. 8; 1 Tim. 3:10; 4:14; 5:22; 2 Tim. 1:6.

OF FEET-WASHING.

Feet-washing we confess to be an ordinance of Christ, which he himself performed on his disciples, and, after his example, commended to true believers, that they should imitate it, saying: “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” Again: “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” John 13:14,15,17.

The purpose for which the Lord has instituted this ordinance is principally this: That we may remember in true humiliation, that by grace, we are washed from sin through the blood of Christ, and that he, our Lord and Master, by his lowly example, binds us to true humility towards one another. John 13:8,10,14. The apostle classes feet-washing among the good works. 1 Tim. 5:10.

OF MARRIAGE.

Marriage we hold to be an ordinance of God, which was first instituted by God in paradise, and confirmed in our first parents, Adam and Eve, who were created after the image of God, male and female, while they both were yet in favor with God. Gen. 2:22; 1:27.

In accordance with this first institution, and agreeably to Christ’s ordinance, Matt. 19:5, the marriage of children of God (who are not too nearly related by consanguinity) must be entered into, after prayer, and kept inviolable, so that each man shall have his own, only wife, and each wife her own husband; and nothing shall separate them, save adultery. Lev. 18; 20; 1 Cor. 5:1; Matt. 19; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:2; Matt. 5:32; 1 Cor. 9:5.

Thus, it is lawful for a brother, to take a sister to wife; a sister, also, may be married to whom she will, only in the Lord, that is, according to the ordinance and pleasure of the Lord, as mentioned before. But we do not find, that God has anywhere, through his word, ordained or instituted, that a believing member of the church should enter into matrimony with an unbelieving, worldly person; on the contrary, we find, that God the Lord was very angry with those who did so, and declared that they were flesh, who would not be led by his Spirit; therefore, we reprove all those who follow herein the lust of their flesh, in the same manner as we do other carnal sinners. 1 Cor. 7:39; Deut. 7:3; Neh. 10:30; 13:25–27; Gen. 6:6.

OF THE OFFICE OF THE MAGISTRACY.

The secular power or magistracy is ordained by God in all countries, and bears the sword not in vain, for it is the minister of God, and a revenger, for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of the good. Rom. 13:2,4; Sir. 17:18; 1 Pet. 2:14.

Every one is commanded to be subject unto the higher powers. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. Rom. 13:1,2.

All true believers are therefore in duty bound by the word of God, to fear the magistracy, to render honor and obedience to the same, in all things not contrary to the commandments of the Lord, and to pay tribute, custom, and taxes to them, without gainsaying or murmuring, seeing that, according to the words of Peter, we must submit ourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, and pray to Almighty God for them; also to give our greatest thanks to the Lord for good and reasonable authorities. Rom. 13:7; Acts 4:19; 5:29; 1 Pet. 2:13; Jer. 29:7; Bar. 1:11; 1 Tim. 2:2.

Yet, we do not find, that the Lord Jesus Christ has ordained this office of secular authority in his spiritual kingdom—the Church of the New Testament—or added it to the offices of his church; nor has he given them laws adapted for such office and government; but he said to his disciples: The kings and lords of the Gentiles, and they that exercise authority among them, are called gracious lords. But it shall not be so among you. Matt. 20:25,26; Luke 22:25,26. Here we leave the matter, as we do not consider it necessary to enter into farther details.

OF THE SWEARING OF OATHS.

For the confirmation of a cause which was just and true in itself, the Old Testament fathers were permitted to swear by the name of God. Deut. 6:13; Matt. 5:33.

But the Son of the living God, the King and Lawgiver of the New Testament, whose command we are bound, through a voice from God out of heaven, to obey, has forbidden Christians all swearing, as does, likewise, the apostle James; therefore, the swearing of oaths is forbidden to the believers of the New Testament. Matt. 3:17; 17:5; 5:34; James 5:12.

OF SEPARATION.

Separation, or the putting away from the church, is a decree or sentence of the same, by virtue and authority of the word of God, against a member, or members, of the church, who, through open sins, a scandalous life, heresy, or stubbornness, have separated themselves from God and the fellowship of Jesus Christ, and no longer belong into Christ’s kingdom, or to his church; therefore, their brotherhood, or sisterhood, is renounced, by virtue of the word of God, in the name of the whole church. 1 Cor. 5:3; Matt. 18:18; 1 Cor. 5:1; Rom. 16:17; Tit. 3; Matt. 18:17; Is. 59; Tit. 1:16; 1 Cor. 6:9; Gal. 5:21; 1 Cor. 5:12; 2 Cor. 2:8.

The reasons for which this is done, and to which the church must have respect in the separation, are principally these: 1. To show that her doctrine does by no means permit such sins, but is wholly opposed to them: that, by so doing, the doctrine may be preserved pure, and the name of God glorified. 1 Tim. 1:20; Tit. 1:13; 2 Tim. 4:15,23; 2. Through separation to prove in fact that she is the enemy of sin, and will in no wise tolerate it, in order that all causes for reproach to the church may be averted. 1 Cor. 5:1,2; Tit. 2:8; 3. That not, by constant intercourse and fellowship with the evil, the good become leavened or corrupted. 1 Cor. 5:7; 2 Tim. 2:17; 4. That the sinner, through excommunication and withdrawal may be convicted in his conscience, and moved to shame and reformation, that he may be saved. 2 Thess. 3; 1 Cor. 5:5, and 5. That others, by hearing and seeing this, may be admonished, so that they will fear to follow such evil.

But when the separated sinner shows genuine fruits of repentance, we must at all times be ready to receive him again in peace to the Christian communion of the church, if he earnestly requests it. 2 Cor. 2.

OF SHUNNING.

Since daily intercourse and mingling with ungodly apostates, in common eating, drinking, buying, selling, and similar unnecessary temporal or worldly transactions, is not only dangerous for the pious, who, thereby, may become contaminated, or be counted as companions of the apostate, but is also hurtful to the apostate himself, since he, through such mingling, may probably harden in sin, and esteem his offense of less consequence, therefore, we understand from the word of God, that—in order to avoid, according to the unction of the Spirit, the dangers of sin, and offenses, and to bring the apostate sinner to shame and repentance—the true members of Christ must withdraw from the daily intercourse and communion with impenitent apostates; must shun them, and have nothing to do with them; and this without respect to persons, as far as they are not bound to the apostate by any command of God; for as one may do anything in the matter of shunning, which is contrary to love, benevolence, Christian propriety and justice, which supreme virtues a Christian is in duty bound to show unto all men, even to his enemies, for which purpose God has given all laws, which may, for no reason, be diminished, much less, broken or transgressed. 1 Cor. 5:5; 2 Tim. 2:21; 2 Thess. 3; Tit. 3; 2 Thess. 3:14; 2 Pet. 1:6; Tit. 2:12; Rom. 13:8; Matt. 5:44; Rom. 13:9,10; 1 Tim. 1:5; Rev. 22:19; Matt. 5:19; James 2:1.

OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, AND THE LAST JUDGMENT.

Finally, we believe, that the Son of the living God, the Lord Jesus Christ, our only Prophet, Priest and King, will visibly, as he ascended, descend from heaven, in the clouds, and all the holy angels of God with him, with power and great glory, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, which shall be heard everywhere. Then all men who have lived upon earth, and have died, good and evil, just and unjust, shall rise from the dead, in incorruption, with their own body, in which they have lived; but those who still live on that day, and have not tasted death, shall be changed, in the twinkling of an eye, to incorruption, at the last sound of the last trumpet. Acts 1:11; Rev. 1:7; 2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Thess. 4:16; Matt. 24:50; Zeph. 1:16; Matt. 25:7; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:11; Jer. 5:29; Acts 24:15; 1 Cor. 15:42; Jer. 26:19; 1 Cor. 15:38,52.

Thus, the whole human family shall be placed before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. For the Lord Jesus Christ shall then, as a shepherd, separate the sheep from the goats. Those who have done good, he shall set on his right hand, but those that have done evil, on the left; and he shall there pronounce the eternal, irrevocable sentence. 2 Cor. 5:10; Matt. 25:32,33,46; Jude 14.

To the true believers, who, through faith, have done works of love and mercy, he shall say: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” These shall be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord, who shall take them away with him into life eternal, in the heavenly glory and splendor, where they shall forever be with the Lord, in the innumerable company of the holy angels, in the society of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the pious, with great, unspeakable joy and gladness. 2 Pet. 1:5; Matt. 25:35; Luke 16:9; 2 Pet. 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:17,14; John 14:3; 17:24; Dan. 12:12; 1 Pet. 1:8,9.

But the unrighteous who have not known God, nor obeyed the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and have done no works of love or mercy, shall then be sentenced to everlasting fire, in these grievous and intolerable words: “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels;” “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 1 Cor. 6:9; 2 Thess. 1:8; Rom. 2:9; Matt. 25:41; 22:13.

These shall go, where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched. There will come upon them tribulation and anguish, displeasure, wrath, and everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. Is. 66:24; Mark 9:46; Mal. 4:1; Rom. 2:9; 2 Thess. 1:9; 4 Esdr. 9:10; Luke 16:24.

May the God of grace and mercy preserve us, through Jesus Christ, his dear and beloved Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit, from this dreadful punishment of the ungodly, and grant us his grace, that we may live holy here on earth, and die happy, to a glad resurrection and joyful appearance in the presence of his glory, Amen.

Here follow two other questions and the answers to the same, which we could adduce, but we deem it unnecessary, since the treatise given embraces the substance or whole sum of the confession of saving faith, if it is only well apprehended.

Added was also a letter, as a preparative for peace, and signed by various persons (elders and teachers).

Given at Amsterdam, the 26th of September, 1627.

Second Confession,

Also drawn up at Amsterdam, on the 7th of October, 1630, called: Confession of Faith, and the principal articles of the Christian doctrine.

[Not divided into separate articles, except the articles of belief in God, and the manner of life in the church.]

We believe with the heart, and confess with the mouth, that there is one only, eternal, incomprehensible, spiritual Being, which, in Scripture, is called God; to whom alone is ascribed omnipotence, mercy, righteousness, perfection, wisdom, all goodness, and omniscience, and who is called a fountain of life, and the source of all good, the Creator of all things, and the Preserver of the same; who in the Old Testament bears various appellations—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God Schadai, the God Jehovah, the God of Israel, I am that I am, the Alpha and Omega, etc.; but who in the New Testament is called by three distinct names—God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, whom we confess to differ thus far, namely: that the Father, as far as he is Father, is an other than the Son; and the Son, as far as he is Son, is an other than the Father, and the Holy Ghost, as far as he is a true Holy Ghost, is an other than the Father and the Son, and that they, although differing in name, are nevertheless in their divine nature and attributes, one only, undivided God, according to the testimony of the Apostle: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. Rom. 10:9; Deut. 6:4; Is. 45:5,21; Rom. 3:30; 1 Cor. 8:4; Eph. 4:6; Gen. 21:33; Ps. 90:2; Is. 49:28; Ps. 145:3; 4 Esdr. 8:21; Gen. 17:1; 2 Cor. 6:18; Ex. 34:6,7; Luke 6:36; Ps. 11:7; Col. 3; Lev. 19:2; Matt. 5:48; 1 Tim. 1:2; Ps. 103:8; Matt. 19:17; Ps. 139; James 1:17; Gen. 1:1; Job 38 and 39; Ex. 3:6; 6:6; 5:1; Rev. 1:8; 22:13; Matt. 28:19; John 14:16; 1 John 5:7.

That this Holy God, by his great power and incomprehensible wisdom, created, in six days, out of nothing, heaven and earth, together with all things visible and invisible; and on the sixth day prepared man a body of the dust of the earth, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and thus made him a living soul, or man; that he exalted this man above all creatures, endowed him with wisdom, understanding and reason, and made him Lord over all creatures; nay, above all this, created him in his divine image, in holiness and righteousness, for immortality, and placed him in the garden of Eden, where he might have been happy forever, yet requiring of him true obedience, saying: “Of every tree of the garden thou mayst freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” From this we see the free will of man. Gen. 1:6,9,14,24; Jer. 32:17; Acts 17:24; Gen. 1:26,28; 2:7; Sir. 17:5; Wis. 2:23; Gen. 2:8,9.

That man, through the subtlety of the serpent and the envy of the devil, was brought to disobey his Creator; whereby he, with all his posterity, fell into death and condemnation, and thus, from the most glorious, became the most miserable creature. Gen. 3:1; Wis. 2:24; 4 Esdr. 7:48; Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:21.

That the Lord God, seeing the fall of his most glorious creature, and that he could neither through himself nor through any other creature be redeemed therefrom, showed that he was a gracious and merciful God, yea, the supreme or only goodness, in that he sought to reconcile unto himself, out of pure grace and without any merit, man and all who had fallen in him. Ps. 49:8; Rev. 5:3; Ps. 33:5; Matt. 19:17; Rom. 5:12; 3:24; 2 Cor. 5:19.

But, as the justice of God required, that the sin committed should not go unpunished, and as no creature could satisfy the former, he not only frequently promised man to send his only beloved Son as a Savior, but prefigured it by various types. Gen. 3:15; 12:3,7; 16:18; 24:19; 7:14; 9:6; 11:10; 53; Jer. 23:5,6; 33:15; Dan. 7:13; 9:24; Micah 5:2; Hagg. 2:23; Matt. 3:1; Ex. 12:3; 25:17; Num. 21:9; Deut. 30:15; Sir. 15:14.

That the Lord, after as well as before the fall, left man his free will to accept, through faith in the promised Savior, the proffered grace of God, or to reject it, is evident not only from the sending out of his prophets, apostles, and disciples, but also from the kind invitation of his beloved Son; and this justly, in order that he, as a righteous judge, might have just cause, on the last day, to punish the despisers with the pains of hell, and reward the obedient lambs with the joys of heaven. Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15; Acts 17:31; Matt. 11:28; 22:9; 1 Tim. 1:15; Tit. 2:11; 2 Thess. 1:8; Acts 3:46; Rom. 2:5; Bar. 3:29; John 3:16,36; 1 Thess. 1:6; Heb. 6:10.

That the Lord, being a true God, who does not repent of that which he has promised, when the time which he, in the secret counsels of his divine will, had determined was fulfilled, sent his only, own and true Son as a redeemer unto the world. 1 John 5:20; Deut. 7:8; Gal. 4:4.

And since there has been for many years, and still is daily, much disputation, concerning this birth of our Savior, according to the flesh; therefore, we believe and confess, that it is a supernatural birth, which cannot be fathomed by human reason. Yet, we believe and confess, by virtue of the Scriptures, that the eternal, not spoken, but itself speaking, real Word, which was before the foundation of the world in great glory with the Father, was before Abraham, was in the beginning with God, and was itself God; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting, and through which all things are created and have their being; that this same, real Word, in the fullness of the time, came forth from the Father, and descended from heaven into the lowest parts of the earth, and, according to the prophecy (Is. 7), was (at Nazareth, that he might be called a Nazarene) conceived in the virgin body of Mary (who, although betrothed to Joseph of the house of David, yet was not known of him) by the power of the most high God, and the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost, and became flesh, remaining what he had been namely, God and the Son of God, and becoming what he had not been, namely, man and the son of man; in this manner, that we confess that the child which Mary bore, and which was born at Bethlehem, grew up, and suffered on the cross, was outwardly and inwardly, visibly and invisibly, as he sojourned here, the only, own, and true Son of God, and the Redeemer of us all. John 1:1; 17:5; 8:58; Micah 5:1; John 1:3; 16:28; Eph. 4:9; Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:31; Matt. 2:23; John 1:14; Rom. 9:5; Ps. 2:7; Matt. 3:17; Luke 2:6,40; Matt. 27; 17:5.

We believe and confess also, that he came to redeem us from the curse, and, therefore, became obedient unto the law, was circumcised on the eighth day, and named after the name announced by the angel before he was born, namely, Jesus, that he might make his holy name to agree with his holy work, namely, to save his people from their sins. Gal. 3:13; 4:5; Gen. 17:12; Gal. 4:4; Luke 2:21; Matt. 1:21; 18:11; Luke 19:10.

We also confess that he is our only true high Prophet, High Priest, and spiritual King, who, in his office as a prophet has proclaimed unto us God’s great, secret counsel of the eternal peace with God, through the holy Gospel, and, moreover, all that is necessary for us to the new life. Deut. 18:15; Ps. 110:4; Heb. 3:1; Jer. 33:15; Matt. 21:5; 13:35; Luke 10:5; John 3:3; Matt. 18:9.

Who, in his office as priest, has not only offered up on the cross a sacrifice for his believing lambs that will avail forever; but, after his glorious resurrection, has entered into the holy of holies, yea, the most holy, namely heaven, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood; by which he has obtained eternal redemption for all those who believe in him, yea, sitteth on the right hand of God his heavenly Father, where, as a high priest, he pours out his holy prayers for the ignorance of his people, and obtains forgiveness for them. Eph. 5:2; Heb. 10:12; 9:12; Col. 3:1; Heb. 5:2,5.

Who, in his office as king, as a victorious prince has vanquished death, the devil, hell, and all our enemies, and has prepared a place for the members of his kingdom; ruling with the scepter of his word, and protecting those who put their trust in him, helping them to triumph till they receive the everlasting kingdom at his hand. 2 Tim. 1:10; Heb. 2:14,15; John 14:2; Ps. 45:6; Eccl. 29:25; 2 Cor. 2:14.

But since his kingdom was not of this world, he did not take possession of it by carnal weapons of iron or steel, but through suffering and fighting in the flesh; to which end he prepared himself for temptation, tribulation and suffering, and took upon him the cursed death of the cross, under Pontius Pilate; we confess, moreover, that this same Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified at Jerusalem, and tasted death on mount Calvary, with exclamation of his groaning Spirit, and amidst the convulsions of heaven and earth, was the only and own Son of God, and that we are reconciled unto God by the blood and death of his Son, who by himself purged our sins. John 18:36; Matt. 4:1; Luke 4:1; Matt. 16:21; Gal. 3:13; Deut. 21:23; 1 Tim. 6:13; Matt. 27; Luke 23; 1 John 3:16; Rom. 8:22; 5:10; Heb. 1:3.

Who, also, as a sign that he was really dead, was taken down from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea; who wrapped him in a clean white cloth, and laid him in a new hewn tomb, before which a great stone was rolled, and a guard placed. Matt. 27:57.

But, since it was impossible that he should be held by the hands of death, or that the Holy One should see corruption, therefore we believe and confess also, that by the glory of the Father, according to the predictions of the prophets, he was raised from the dead on the third day, amidst the convulsions of heaven and earth, and arose bodily; and that he certainly also confirmed his resurrection for forty days by words, signs, and miracles, that he taught, comforted, and admonished his disciples, and finally, on Mount Olivet, was received by a cloud, and in their sight ascended visibly unto heaven, and entered into the holy of holies, seating himself, as a true high priest, mediator, and advocate between God and man, on the right hand of the Majesty on high, where he appears continually before his Father’s face to make intercession for his believers. Acts 2:24; Ps. 16:10; Rom. 6:4; Acts 13:34; Matt. 28:2; John 20:4; Luke 24:36; Acts 1:12; Heb. 9:12; 1 John 2:1; 1 Tim. 2:5; Rom. 8:34.

And since before his precious suffering he taught and comforted them, not to let their hearts be afraid; that when he should have ascended to heaven, he would send them another comforter, the Holy Ghost; therefore, we believe that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, blessed forever, was, as true God, also found true in this particular, and did send, ten days after his ascension, the Holy Ghost in visible form to, or upon, his apostles in Jerusalem; which Holy Ghost is a wisdom, strength, and power of God, that proceeds from the Father through the Son, and, no less than the Father and the Son, is with them an eternal, undivided God; also a teacher, leader and guide to all godfearing and consolation-seeking souls, showing them the way to and into the spiritual Canaan. John 14:1; 15:26; 16:7; Matt. 21:3; Rom. 9:5; John 5:20; Acts 2:2; Luke 1:35; Acts 5:3; John 14:26.

We believe, also, that the Lord God chose, first, the holy angels in heaven, then, two sanctified persons in paradise, and finally, of all the various nations of the earth, a penitent and believing people for his people; which is not only called a general Christian church or congregation of godfearing men; but which the Lord Christ has purchased with his precious blood, and washed and cleansed with the waters of the Holy Ghost, that he might present to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. And since the same is so dear to him, he would, for the prosperity and growth of his kingdom, not leave this holy church unprovided for; but provided her, not only before, but also after his ascension, with faith, love, hope, and other ordinances, and also with two special ministries, namely, the ministry of the holy Word, and the care for the poor, or the office of deacon; and appointed in it, some prophets, pastors, teachers, helpers and rulers, to provide by common counsel wisely for the church of God; and sent them out. Gen. 2:22; 4 Esdr. 5:27; Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:26; 1 Cor. 6:20; Luke 10:1; Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:28; Mark 16:15.

In like manner, the apostles also commanded their followers, to choose such men with fasting and prayer. First, they shall be examined, then let them minister; and the believers shall honor, love and obey these men. Acts 6:3; 16:2; 1 Tim. 3:10; 1 Thess. 5:13; Heb. 13:17; 1 Tim. 5:17,18.

And, inasmuch as this church bears the figure of the true church in heaven, they practice here on earth, externally in the preaching of the Word, of baptism, the supper, and other Christian ordinances, and internally in the spirit, a true communion, here and also in heaven with God and all the sanctified of the Lord, after which, in the last day, the true reality will follow. Acts 4:32; Heb. 12:22.

Matters, whereby those who unite in this church, submit willingly and obediently to the customs, laws and ordinances, which the Lord Christ, as the chief Head of his church, Eph. 5:23, and only Lawgiver of the New Testament, Matt. 28:20, has ordained in his church, and which are also taught and, in our weakness, practiced by us, viz,:

1. The Baptism of penitent and believing adults, which is an external evangelical act, in which the man who truly repents of his sins, who clothes his heart with faith in Christ, and thereby mortifies and buries his earthly members, and arises to a new, penitent life, is baptized by an unblamable minister ordained thereto, with common water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, for the remission of all his sins; and such a man, once baptized upon true repentance and scriptural faith, we do not baptize again. Acts 2:38; Mark 16:15,16; Acts 8:14,34,36,37; 10:43; 1 Cor. 3:5; Rom. 6:4; Matt. 3:11; Acts 10; Matt. 28:19; Eph. 4:5; Heb. 6:2.

2. The holy Supper of the Lord, also called the Christian communion, which is to be held among believers only, not with consecrated, but with common bread and wine; not only in remembrance of the precious, holy, and bitter suffering and death, and the glorious resurrection of our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ, but also of the consolatory fruits thereby prepared for all believers; that they, by virtue of this, may not only be moved to sincerely deplore the bitter suffering and death of Jesus Christ, which he endured for the remission of their sins; but also to praise and bless the Lord, with an internal, spiritual thanksgiving, for the benefits which have sprung therefrom; and, also, to confirm their Christian, brotherly, and spiritual communion by a holy and godly life, to the praise of the Lord. Matt. 26:26; Luke 22:19; Acts 2:46; 20:7; Mark 14:22,23; John 6:51; 1 Cor. 10:16,17; 1 Cor. 11:23,24.

3. Then follows the Washing of the saints’ feet; that is, when our fellow-believers from distant places come to visit us, we wash their feet, according as opportunity offers, after the custom of the Old Testament, and the example of Christ; thereby declaring our humility toward God and our neighbor, with an humble prayer, that the Lord would strengthen us more and more in humility, and that, like as we have washed one another’s feet, he would be pleased to wash and cleanse our souls with his blood and the waters of the Holy Ghost, from every stain and impurity of sin, that we may appear pure and blameless before his Father. Gen. 18:4; John 13:5; 1 Tim. 5:10; Luke 22:26; Phil. 2:3.

4. Likewise, The Works of love, which we divide into three parts: 1. That a believer is bound to bring his alms, according as the Lord has blessed him, to the deacons, that they may have wherewith to properly support the poor believers. 2. To visit, comfort, attend, and nurse, according to the nature of the case, the sick, imprisoned and sorrowing hearts. 3. When we see our fellow-believers in oppressive household cares, bad circumstances, or with an insufficient income, to assist them with advice and in deed, and by giving them our custom in preference to a stranger. Matt. 6:1; Luke 12:33; 16:9; Acts 6:13; Matt. 25:35; Heb. 13:1–3.

5. As Marriage which was good and rightly instituted in paradise, was afterwards abused through lust by the children of the first world and also through hardness of heart by the Jews, the great Lawgiver of the New Testament restored it according to its original ordinance, Matt. 19:4; and the Apostle says, 1 Cor. 7:39: “The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.” By this we understand that a believer is not at liberty to unite in marriage with an unbeliever; but only with one, who, with him, of one heavenly Father, of incorruptible seed, and thus of a spiritual generation, is born anew, heavenly and spiritual; for since they in baptism have offered up their members unto God, and have given them to the obedience of their Head, Christ, they cannot take away these, their members from Christ, their Head, and be yoked together with one who is unregenerated. Gen. 2:24; 6:1,2; Deut. 24:1; Matt. 19:8; 1 Pet. 1:23; John 3:15; Rom. 12:1; 1 Pet. 1:22; Eph. 5:23.

6. The Office of the secular Authority we recognize as an ordinance of God, for the protection of the good, and the punishment of the wicked; we also recognize that we owe unto it honor, obedience, custom, taxes, and tribute, and that we should also pray for it; but we do not find that Paul mentions it among the offices of the church, nor that Christ taught his disciples such a thing, or called them to it; but, on the contrary, that he enjoined them to follow him in his defenseless life and cross-bearing footsteps, prohibiting all revenge, not only that with arms, but also to return railing for railing; and, on the contrary, commanding to pray for one’s enemies, to do good unto them who do us evil; and much of a similar nature which is connected with the office of the magistracy; hence we are afraid to fill such offices in our Christian calling. Rom. 13:2,3; 1 Pet. 2:13; Acts 4:19; Matt. 22:17; Rom. 13:7; Tit. 3:1; Jer. 29:7; 1 Cor. 12:28; Matt. 20:25; Luke 22:25; John 8:12; 10:27; Heb. 12:2; 1 Pet. 2:21; Rom. 12:19; Matt. 5:44.

7. The Swearing of oaths permitted in the Old Testament, and in which many abuses have crept, is prohibited by Christ and James, without any distinction; therefore it is not lawful for a Christian to swear the oath of blasphemy. Deut. 6:13; 10:20; Matt. 5:37; James 5:12.

8. But as in a good government ordinances without penalties lose their force the Lord also has not failed to place penalties to his ordinances; for Paul says: “Them that sin, rebuke before all, that others also may fear.” 1 Tim. 5:20. Christ also, in Matt. 18, has taught us to rebuke sinners. Paul teaches to purge out the old leaven, and to put away from among us those that are wicked; by which we understand the Christian Ban which is instituted for the shaming and conversion of the sinner, and for the purpose of keeping the church pure, lest a little leaven leaven the whole lump (1 Cor. 5:6,13; Deut. 13:5; 2 Thess. 3:14; Gal. 5:9), according to Matt. 16:19: “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven,” and Matt. 18:18: “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. This discipline is used against those who have once been enlightened, and have received for truth the sound doctrine of Christ, but who afterwards fall into false doctrine and heresy. These, after they have been admonished once or twice, but still persist in their evil principles, shall, by Christian Separation, be avoided and shunned, Tit. 3:10. Further, it is also used against persons who are going astray in the gross works of the flesh, upon sufficient confession of such persons themselves, or upon the testimony of other commendable witnesses; for such the church must have, before she may proceed with the separation. Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5; 1 Cor. 5:3; 6:9.

9. We understand, that Marrying out of the Church is sinful, since it is contrary to the command of the Lord, and has at various times been reproved by the Lord and his prophets, through deeds as well as through words; and since it is a sin, arising either from a carnal, sensual life, or from a want of confidence in God, as though he would not provide him with a virtuous spouse; and is, moreover, committed with premeditation, for which reason it cannot be included in Gal. 6:1: “If a man be overtaken in a fault, . . . restore such a one in the spirit of meekness,” but much rather in Num. 15:30: “The soul that doeth aught presumptuously, . . . shall be cut off from among his people,” therefore many godfearing men, who were assembled at different times, have understood, as also we understand, that marriage out of the church, with impenitents and unbelievers, is also to be punished with separation from the church, that they may the more earnestly seek repentance.

But as all sins are not equally great, and do not actually deserve separation without previous admonition, there is observed in the reproving of sin between brother and brother the rule in Matt. 18:15–18. And if any man is overtaken in a fault, then the rule Gal. 6:1 is followed.

Now, since we also understand that there can be no separation where no withdrawing is found, we confess also that we are in duty bound to admonish (1 Thess. 3:15) the one separated, to reconcile himself to the church by true repentance; and if there is in him a willingness to reconcile himself, to make haste with the anointing or reinstating, and not to wait with those who have married out of the church, until he or she bring with him, or her, the spouse married out of the church. 2 Cor. 2:8. But if the good admonition should be heedlessly rejected, since the daily intercourse of the ungodly apostates is unedifying, polluting, offensive, and frequently hardens the sinner in his wicked life; we confess that the person separated, or punished with the ban, is to be avoided and shunned, even without the aforesaid admonition, immediately after the separation, in common, free, worldly transactions, as: In eating and drinking, buying and selling, and such like unnecessary matters; yet with this distinction, that it be done with such moderation and discretion that the word of God may everywhere retain its place, and the higher laws and commandments of the Lord, by which the believer is bound to the separated one, be not broken, but that everywhere necessity, word, promise, love, benevolence, mercy, justice, and Christian discretion be observed. 1 Cor. 5:5; 2 Tim. 2:16–18; 2 Thess. 3:14; Tit. 3:10; Luke 6:36; 2 Pet. 1:6.

Likewise, if one man understand the passage respecting shunning, in 1 Cor. 5, in a higher, and another man, in a lower sense, both men being godfearing in their life, they should, until further enlightenment, be borne with in love, without contention or disputing.

Whosoever seeks, in human weakness, to live according to these, the chief, as well as to other commandments, doctrines, and ordinances of the Lord (more explicitly defined in his holy Word), and thus to accomplish his pilgrimage on this earth, of him we believe that he will not only feel at his departure from earth a sure witness of his conscience, and have a glad hope; but at the resurrection of the dead will indeed find it to be so, that all his sins will be forgiven him through the holy merits and comforting intercession of Christ. Luke 24:47; Col. 1:14; Acts 13:38; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1; Rom. 8:34.

Finally, we believe also, that our Savior Jesus Christ, forever blessed, shall visibly come again in the clouds, like as he ascended before; not so humble, lowly, and serving, as he appeared to the world in his holy incarnation; but glorious and magnificent, with the power and glory of all his angels; not to call the sinner to repentance, but to hold the last judgment; to which end he will not only sit upon the throne of his glory, but, as the natural sun in Spring-time draws forth from the earth, not only flowers, herbs and good fruits, but also nettles, thistles, and thorns, so also, the true Sun of righteousness, Jesus Christ, blessed forever, will then, with the sound of the trumpet call forth and cause to arise from the earth, all the great number of the dead who from the beginning of the world up to the present day have lived, died, and sown their bodies in the earth to corruption, and as the womb her fruit so shall the sea, hell, and death give up their dead; then shall the dead be covered with their own skin, and with their own eyes behold God, yea, be clothed with their own bodies, in or with which they have here served or despised the Lord. And after those who then will be still living, will have been changed to immortality in the twinkling of an eye, the general multitude of all mankind will be placed before the holy throne of God, where the books of conscience shall be opened, and also another book, which is the book of life; and the dead shall be judged according to that which is written in these books, that every one may receive in his own body, either good or evil, according to what they have done, or how they have lived here. Then will the Lord, as a righteous Judge, separate the believers from the ungodly, as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats; and will set the believers, as obedient lambs, on his right hand; but the unbelievers, as wicked, rebellious, stinking goats, on his left hand. He will look upon the lambs with his loving eyes, and say to them in a voice sweet as the honey comb: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” But upon the goats his angry face shall be like the lightning, and his voice sound like the thunder, and he shall say to them: “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Matt. 1:21; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 1:15; Acts 1:11; Rev. 1:7; Matt. 24:30; 2 Thess. 1:7; Matt. 25:31; 16:27; Acts 17:31; Jude 14; Dan. 7:9,13; Mal. 4:2; 1 Thess. 4:16; Matt. 24:31; John 5:29; Dan. 12:2; 1 Cor. 15:42; 4 Esdr. 7:32; Rev. 20:13; Job 19:26; Rev. 1:7; 2 Cor. 5:10; Matt. 16:27; Rom. 2:6; 1 Cor. 15:51; Matt. 25:32; Ezek. 34:17; Matt. 25:33,34,41; 4 Esdr. 16:10; 2 Thess. 1:8; Luke 17:24.

And we also further confess that then the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be changed into blood, the stars shall fall from heaven, and the earth and all that is therein shall be burned with fire; and then shall the irrevocable sentence of the Greatest King be executed. 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 6:12,13.

Then shall the ungodly, like sheep for the slaughter, be driven to hell, and be cast into the great bottomless pit, where there will be no lack of fuel. There they shall not be laid on beds of down, but on biting moths, and be covered with gnawing worms, and tormented with flaming fire, so that their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched, but the torment of their pain shall ascend as the smoke of a fiery furnace, and it shall last forever and ever. But on the contrary, we confess, that the blessed of God shall be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and shall then be led by the Lord Christ, their spiritual bridegroom, into heaven, before the throne of God, where he shall deliver up again to the Father the kingdom and all power, that God may be all in all. Ps. 49:14; Is. 30:33; 14:11; 2 Thess. 1:9; Mark 9:48; Is. 66:24; Rev. 9:2; 14:11; 1 Thess. 4:17; Matt. 25:6; 1 Cor. 15:28.

Then shall the blessed of God be changed through the glory of God from glory to glory, their tears shall be wiped away; the crown of life, of glory, and of gladness, shall be placed on their heads; palms of victory shall be put in their hands, and they shall be adorned with the white robe of the righteousness of the saints. Thus shall they be joined to all the saints of God, and be led to the fountain of living waters, there to be refreshed for everlasting consolation; they shall be fed on the spiritual mount Zion, yea, shall follow the sweet lamb Jesus Christ, who has bought them with his blood and death, in the heavenly pleasure grounds, through contemplation of the holy God in his inestimable throne, the heavens in their beauty, and the angels in their joy. 2 Cor. 3:18; Phil. 3:21; Is. 25:8; Rev. 7:17; James 1:12; 2 Tim. 4:8; 4 Esdr. 2:43,46; Rev. 7:9; 19:8; Matt. 8:11; Rev. 7:17; 14:1,4; 4 Esdr. 8:21; Bar. 3:24.

Then shall the blessed of God abound in heavenly joy, so that with angelic tongues and heavenly voices they will begin to sing with all the saints of God the new song, giving unto him who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, praise, honor, glory, and blessing, for ever and ever. Amen. Rev. 14:3; 7:10,12.

Thus done by us, the undersigned ministers, teachers, and elders of the United Friesic and High German Churches, for ourselves, as well as in the name of our fellow-brethren and ministers, and strangers assembled at these proceedings with us, here at Amsterdam. October the 7th, 1730, new style, and was subscribed to by fourteen persons, heads of the Churches, for themselves as well as in the name of the churches by whom they were sent.

Third Confession.

Drawn up at Dort, at a certain peace convention on the 21st of April, 1632, being a statement of the chief articles of our general Christian faith, as the same are taught and practiced throughout in our church.

I. OF GOD AND THE CREATION OF ALL THINGS.

Since we find it testified that without faith it is impossible to please God, and that he that would come to God must believe that there is a God, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him: therefore, we confess with the mouth, and believe with the heart, with all the pious, according to the holy Scriptures, in one eternal, almighty, and incomprehensible God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and in none more, nor in any other; before whom no God was made or existed, nor shall there be any after him: for of him, and through him, and in him, are all things; to him be praise and honor forever and ever, Amen. Heb. 11:6; Deut. 6:4; Gen. 17:1; Is. 46:8; 1 John 5:7; Rom. 11:36.

Of this same one God, who worketh all in all, we believe and confess that he is the Creator of all things visible and invisible; that he, in six days, created, made, and prepared, heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is; and that he still governs and upholds the same and all his works through his wisdom, might, and the word of his power. 1 Cor. 12:6; Gen. 1; Acts 14:15.

And when he had finished his works, and had ordained and prepared them, each in its nature and properties, good and upright, according to his pleasure, he created the first man, the father of us all, Adam; whom he formed of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that he became a living soul, created by God in his own image and likeness, in righteousness and holiness, unto eternal life. He regarded him above all other creatures, endowed him with many high and glorious gifts, placed him in the pleasure garden or paradise, and gave him a command and prohibition; afterwards he took a rib from Adam, made a woman therefrom, and brought her to him, joining and giving her to him for a helpmate, companion and wife; and in consequence of this he also caused, that from this first[45] man Adam, all men that dwell upon the whole earth have descended. Gen. 1:27; 2:7,17,18,22.

II. OF THE FALL OF MAN.

We believe and confess, according to the holy Scriptures, that these our first parents, Adam and Eve, did not continue long in this glorious state in which they were created, but that they, seduced by the subtlety and deceit of the serpent, and the envy of the devil, transgressed the high commandment of God and became disobedient to their Creator; through which disobedience sin has come into the world, and death by sin, which has thus passed upon all men, for that all have sinned, and, hence, brought upon themselves the wrath of God, and condemnation; for which reason they were of God driven out of paradise, or the pleasure garden, to till the earth, in sorrow to eat of it, and to eat their bread in the sweat of their face, till they should return to the earth, from which they were taken; and that they, therefore, through this one sin, became so ruined, separated, and estranged from God, that they, neither through themselves, nor through any of their descendants, nor through angels, nor men, nor any other creature in heaven or on earth, could be raised up, redeemed, or reconciled to God, but would have had to be eternally lost, had not God, in compassion for his creatures, made provision for it, and interposed with his love and mercy. Gen. 3:6; 4 Esdr. 3:7; Rom. 5:12,18; Gen. 3:23; Ps. 49:8; Rev. 5:9; John 3:16.

III. OF THE RESTORATION OF MAN THROUGH THE PROMISE OF THE COMING CHRIST.

Concerning the restoration of the first man and his posterity we confess and believe, that God, notwithstanding their fall, transgression, and sin, and their utter inability, was nevertheless not willing to cast them off entirely, or to let them be forever lost; but that he called them again to him, comforted them, and showed them that with him there was yet a means for their reconciliation, namely, the immaculate Lamb, the Son of God, who had been foreordained thereto before the foundation of the world, and was promised them while they were yet in paradise, for consolation, redemption and salvation, for themselves as well as for their posterity; yea, who through faith, had, from that time on, been given them as their own; for whom all the pious patriarchs, unto whom this promise was frequently renewed, longed and inquired, and to whom, through faith, they looked forward from afar, waiting for the fulfillment, that he by his coming, would redeem, liberate, and raise the fallen race of man from their sin, guilt and unrighteousness. John 1:29; 1 Pet. 1:19; Gen. 3:15; 1 John 3:8; 2:1; Heb. 11:13,39; Gal. 4:4.

IV. OF THE COMING OF CHRIST INTO THIS WORLD, AND THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH HE CAME.

We believe and confess further, that when the time of the promise, for which all the pious forefathers had so much longed and waited, had come and was fulfilled, this previously promised Messiah, Redeemer, and Savior, proceeded from God, was sent, and, according to the prediction of the prophets, and the testimony of the evangelists, came into the world, yea into the flesh, was made manifest, and the Word himself became flesh and man; that he was conceived in the virgin Mary, who was espoused to a man named Joseph, of the house of David; and that she brought him forth as her firstborn son, at Bethlehem, wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger. John 4:25; 16:28; 1 Tim. 3:16; John 1:14; Matt. 1:23; Luke 2:7.

We confess and believe also, that this is the same whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting, without beginning of days, or end of life; of whom it is testified that he himself is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last; that he is the same, and no other, who was foreordained, promised, sent, and came into the world; who is God’s only, first and own Son; who was before John the Baptist, before Abraham, before the world; yea, who was David’s Lord, and the God of the whole world, the firstborn of every creature; who was brought into the world, and to whom a body was prepared, which he yielded up as a sacrifice and offering, for a sweet savor unto God, yea, for the consolation, redemption, and salvation of all mankind. John 3:16; Heb. 1:6; Rom. 8:32; John 1:30; Matt. 22:43; Col. 1:15; Heb. 10:5.

But as to how and in what manner this precious body was prepared, and how the Word became flesh, and he himself man, in regard to this we content ourselves with the statement pertaining to this matter which the worthy evangelists have left us in their accounts, according to which we confess with all the saints, that he is the Son of the living God, in whom alone consist all our hope, consolation, redemption, and salvation, which we neither may nor must seek in any other. Luke 1:31,32; John 20:31; Matt. 16:16.

We furthermore believe and confess with the Scriptures, that, when he had finished his course, and accomplished the work for which he was sent and came into the world, he was, according to the providence of God, delivered into the hands of the unrighteous; suffered under the judge, Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, was buried, and, on the third day, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven; and that he sits on the right hand of God the Majesty on high, whence he will come again to judge the quick and the dead. Luke 22:53; 23:1; 24:6,7,51.

And that thus the Son of God died, and tasted death and shed his precious blood for all men; and that he thereby bruised the serpent’s head, destroyed the works of the devil, annulled the handwriting and obtained forgiveness of sins for all mankind; thus becoming the cause of eternal salvation for all those who, from Adam unto the end of the world, each in his time, believe in, and obey him. Gen. 3:15; 1 John 3:8; Col. 2:14; Rom. 5:18.

V. THE LAW OF CHRIST, i. e. THE HOLY GOSPEL OR THE NEW TESTAMENT.

We also believe and confess that before his ascension he instituted his New Testament, and, since it was to be and remain an eternal Testament, that he confirmed and sealed the same with his precious blood, and gave and left it to his disciples, yea, charged them so highly with it, that neither angel nor man may alter it, nor add to it nor take away from it; and that he has caused the same, as containing the whole counsel and will of his heavenly Father, as far as is necessary for salvation to be proclaimed in his name by his beloved apostles, messengers, and ministers—whom he called, chose, and sent into all the world for that purpose—among all peoples, nations, and tongues; and repentance and remission of sins to be preached and testified of; and that he accordingly has therein declared all men without distinction, who through faith, as obedient children, heed, follow, and practice what the same contains, to be his children and lawful heirs; thus excluding no one from the precious inheritance of eternal salvation, except the unbelieving and disobedient, the stiffnecked and obdurate, who despise it, and incur this through their own sins, thus making themselves unworthy of eternal life. Jer. 31:31; Heb. 9:15–17; Matt. 26:28; Gal. 1:8; 1 Tim. 6:3; John 15:15; Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; Rom. 8:17; Acts 13:46.

VI. OF REPENTANCE AND REFORMATION OF LIFE.

We believe and confess, that, since the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth, and, therefore, prone to all unrighteousness, sin, and wickedness, the first lesson of the precious New Testament of the Son of God is repentance and reformation of life, and that, therefore, those who have ears to hear, and hearts to understand, must bring forth genuine fruits of repentance, reform their lives, believe the Gospel, eschew evil and do good, desist from unrighteousness, forsake sin, put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness: for, neither baptism, supper, church, nor any other outward ceremony, can without faith, regeneration, change or renewing of life, avail anything to please God or to obtain of him any consolation or promise of salvation; but we must go to God with an upright heart, and in perfect faith, and believe in Jesus Christ, as the Scripture says, and testifies of him; through which faith we obtain forgiveness of sins, are sanctified, justified, and made children of God, yea partake of his mind, nature and image, as being born again of God from above, through incorruptible seed. Gen. 8:21; Mark 1:15; Ezek. 12:2; Col. 3:9,10; Eph. 4:22,24; Heb. 10:22,23; John 7:38.

VII. OF HOLY BAPTISM.

Concerning baptism we confess that all penitent believers, who, through faith, regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, are made one with God, and are written in heaven, must, upon such scriptural confession of faith, and renewing of life, be baptized with water, in the most worthy name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, according to the command of Christ, and the teaching, example, and practice of the apostles, to the burying of their sins, and thus be incorporated into the communion of the saints; henceforth to learn to observe all things which the Son of God has taught, left, and commanded his disciples. Acts 2:38; Matt. 28:19,20; Rom. 6:4; Mark 16:16; Matt. 3:15; Acts 8:16; 9:18; 10:47; 16:33; Col. 2:11,12.

VIII. OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST.

We believe in, and confess a visible church of God, namely, those who, as has been said before, truly repent and believe, and are rightly baptized; who are one with God in heaven, and rightly incorporated into the communion of the saints here on earth. These we confess to be the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, who are declared to be the bride and wife of Christ, yea, children and heirs of everlasting life, a tent, tabernacle and habitation of God in the Spirit, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, of which Jesus Christ himself is declared to be the corner stone (upon which his church is built). This church of the living God, which he has acquired, purchased, and redeemed with his own precious blood; with which, according to his promise, he will be and remain always, even unto the end of the world, for consolation and protection, yea, will dwell and walk among them, and preserve them, so that no floods or tempests, nay, not even the gates of hell, shall move or prevail against them—this church we say, may be known by her scriptural faith, doctrine, love, and godly conversation, as, also, by the fruitful observance, practice, and maintenance of the true ordinances of Christ, which he so highly enjoined upon his disciples. 1 Cor. 12; 1 Pet. 2:9; John 3:29; Rev. 19:7; Tit. 3:6,7; Eph. 2:19–21; Matt. 16:18; 1 Pet. 1:18,19; Matt. 28:20; 2 Cor. 6:16; Matt. 7:25.

IX. OF THE ELECTION, AND OFFICES OF TEACHERS, DEACONS, AND DEACONESSES, IN THE CHURCH.

Concerning the offices and elections in the church, we believe and confess, that, since without offices and ordinances the church cannot subsist in her growth, nor continue in building, therefore the Lord Jesus Christ himself, as a husbandman in his house, has instituted, ordained, enjoined and commanded his offices and ordinances, how every one is to walk therein, and give heed to and perform his work and calling, as is meet, even as he himself, as the faithful, great, chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, was sent, and came into the world, not to bruise, break, or destroy the souls of men, but to heal and restore them, to seek the lost, to break down the middle wall of partition, to make of twain one, and thus to gather of Jews, gentiles, and all nations, one flock, for a church in his name, for which—that no one should err or be lost—he himself laid down his life, thus ministering to their salvation, and liberating and redeeming them, (mark) wherein no one else could help or assist them. Eph. 4:10–12; 1 Pet. 2:25; Matt. 12:19; 18:11; Eph. 2:14; Gal. 3:28; John 10:9,11,15; Ps. 49:8.

And that he, moreover, before his departure, left his church supplied with faithful ministers, apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers, whom he before, through the Holy Ghost, had chosen with prayer and supplication; that they might govern the church, feed his flock, and watch over, protect, and provide for it, yea, do in all things, as he had gone before them, had taught, by example shown, and charged them, to teach to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them. Luke 10:1; 6:12,13; John 2:15.

That the apostles, likewise, as faithful followers of Christ, and leaders of the church, were diligent in this respect, with prayer and supplication to God, through the election of brethren, to provide every city, place, or church, with bishops, pastors and leaders, and to ordain such persons thereto, who would take heed unto themselves, and unto the doctrine and flock, who were sound in faith, pious in life and conversation, and of good report without as well as in the church; that they might be an example, light, and pattern in all godliness and good works, worthily administering the Lord’s ordinances—baptism and supper;—and that they might everywhere (where such could be found) appoint faithful men who would be able to teach others also, as elders, ordaining them by the laying on of hands in the name of the Lord, and provide for all the wants of the church according to their ability; so that, as faithful servants, they might husband well their Lord’s talent, get gain with it, and, consequently, save themselves and those who hear them. 1 Tim. 3:1; Acts 23:24; Tit. 1:5; 1 Tim. 4:16; Tit. 2:1,2; 1 Tim. 3:7; 2 Tim. 2:2; 1 Tim. 4:14; 5:2; Luke 19:13.

That they should also see diligently to it, particularly each among his own over whom he has the oversight, that all places be well provided with deacons (to look after and care for the poor), who may receive the contributions and alms, in order to dispense them faithfully and with all propriety to the poor and needy saints. Acts 6:3–6.

And that also honorable aged widows should be chosen and ordained deaconesses, that they with the deacons may visit, comfort, and care for, the poor, feeble, sick, sorrowing and needy, as also the widows and orphans, and assist in attending to other wants and necessities of the church to the best of their ability. 1 Tim. 5:9; Rom. 16:1; James 1:27.

Furthermore, concerning deacons, that they, especially when they are fit, and chosen and ordained thereto by the church, for the assistance and relief of the elders, may exhort the church (since they, as has been said, are chosen thereto), and labor also in the word and in teaching; that each may minister unto the other with the gift he has received of the Lord, so that through mutual service and the assistance of every member, each in his measure, the body of Christ may be improved, and the vine and church of the Lord continue to grow, increase, and be built up, according as it is proper.

X. OF THE HOLY SUPPER.

We also confess and observe the breaking of bread, or Supper, as the Lord Christ Jesus before his suffering instituted it with bread and wine, and observed and eat it with his apostles, commanding them to observe it in remembrance of him; which they accordingly taught and practiced in the church, and commanded that it should be kept in remembrance of the suffering and death of the Lord; and that his precious body was broken, and his blood shed, for us and all mankind, as also the fruits hereof, namely, redemption and eternal salvation, which he purchased thereby, showing such great love towards us sinful men; whereby we are admonished to the utmost, to love and forgive one another and our neighbor, as he has done unto us, and to be mindful to maintain and live up to the unity and fellowship which we have with God and one another, which is signified to us by this breaking of bread. Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 10:16; 11:23.

XI. OF THE WASHING OF THE SAINTS’ FEET.[46]

We also confess a washing of the saints’ feet, as the Lord Christ not only instituted, enjoined and commanded it, but himself, although he was their Lord and Master, washed his apostles’ feet, thereby giving an example that they should likewise wash one another’s feet, and do as he had done unto them; which they accordingly, from this time on, taught believers to observe, as a sign of true humility, and, especially, to remember by this feet-washing the true washing, whereby we are washed through his precious blood, and made pure after the soul. John 13:4–17; 1 Tim. 5:10.

XII. OF THE STATE OF MATRIMONY.

We confess that there is in the church of God an honorable state of matrimony, of two free, believing persons, in accordance with the manner after which God originally ordained the same in paradise, and instituted it himself with Adam and Eve, and that the Lord Christ did away and set aside all the abuses of marriage which had meanwhile crept in, and referred all to the original order, and thus left it. Gen. 1:27; Mark 10:4.

In this manner the apostle Paul also taught and permitted matrimony in the church, and left it free for every one to be married, according to the original order, in the Lord, to whomsoever one may get to consent. By these words, in the Lord, there is to be understood, we think, that even as the patriarchs had to marry among their kindred or generation, so the believers of the New Testament have likewise no other liberty than to marry among the chosen generation and spiritual kindred of Christ, namely such, and no others, who have previously become united with the church as one heart and soul, have received one baptism, and stand in one communion, faith, doctrine and practice, before they may unite with one another by marriage. Such are then joined by God in his church according to the original order; and this is called, marrying in the Lord. 2 Cor. 7:2; 1 Cor. 9:5; Gen. 24:4; 28:2; 1 Cor. 7:39.

XIII. OF THE OFFICE OF THE SECULAR AUTHORITY.

We believe and confess that God has ordained power and authority, and set them to punish the evil, and protect the good, to govern the world, and maintain countries and cities, with their subjects, in good order and regulation; and that we, therefore, may not despise, revile or resist the same, but must acknowledge and honor them as the ministers of God, and be subject and obedient unto them, yea, ready for all good works, especially in that which is not contrary to the law, will, and commandment of God; also faithfully pay custom, tribute and taxes, and to render unto them their dues, even also as the Son of God taught and practiced, and commanded his disciples to do; that we, moreover, must constantly and earnestly pray to the Lord for them and their welfare, and for the prosperity of the country, that we may dwell under its protection, earn our livelihood, and lead a quiet, peaceable life, with all godliness and honesty; and, furthermore, that the Lord would recompense unto them, here, and afterwards in eternity, all benefits, liberty and favor which we enjoy here under their praiseworthy administration. Rom. 13:1–7; Tit. 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:17; Matt. 22:21; 17:27; 1 Tim. 2:1.

XIV. OF REVENGE.

As regards revenge, that is, to oppose an enemy with the sword, we believe and confess that the Lord Christ has forbidden and set aside to his disciples and followers all revenge and retaliation, and commanded them to render to no one evil for evil, or cursing for cursing, but to put the sword into the sheath, or, as the prophets have predicted, to beat the swords into ploughshares. Matt. 5:39,44; Rom. 12:14; 1 Pet. 3:9; Is. 2:14; Micah 4:3; Zech. 9:8,9.

From this we understand that therefore, and according to his example, we must not inflict pain, harm or sorrow upon any one, but seek the highest welfare and salvation of all men, and even, if necessity require it, flee for the Lord’s sake from one city or country into another, and suffer the spoiling of our goods; that we must not harm any one, and, when we are smitten, rather turn the other cheek also, than take revenge or retaliate. Matt. 5:39.

And, moreover, that we must pray for our enemies, feed and refresh them whenever they are hungry or thirsty, and thus convince them by well-doing, and overcome all ignorance. Rom. 12:19,20.

Finally, that we must do good and commend ourselves to every man’s conscience; and, according to the law of Christ, do unto no one that which we would not have done to us. 2 Cor. 4:2; Matt. 7:12.

XV. OF THE SWEARING OF OATHS.

Concerning the Swearing of Oaths we believe and confess, that the Lord Christ has set aside and forbidden, the same to his disciples, that they should not swear at all, but that yea should be yea, and nay, nay; from which we understand that all oaths, high and low, are forbidden, and that instead of them we are to confirm all our promises and obligations, yea, all our declarations and testimonies of any matter, only with our word yea, in that which is yea, and with nay, in that which is nay; yet, that we must always, in all matters, and with every one, adhere to, keep, follow, and fulfill the same, as though we had confirmed it with a solemn oath. And if we do this, we trust that no one, not even the Magistracy itself, will have just reason, to lay a greater burden on our mind and conscience. Matt. 5:34,35; James 5:12; 2 Cor. 1:17.

XVI. OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL BAN, OR SEPARATION FROM THE CHURCH.

We also believe in, and confess, a ban, Separation, and Christian correction in the church, for amendment, and not for destruction, in order to distinguish that which is pure from the impure: namely, when any one, after he is enlightened, has accepted the knowledge of the truth, and been incorporated into the communion of the saints, sins again unto death, either through willfulness, or through presumption against God, or through some other cause, and falls into the unfruitful works of darkness, thereby becoming separated from God, and forfeiting the kingdom of God, that such a one, after the deed is manifest and sufficiently known to the church, may not remain in the congregation of the righteous, but, as an offensive member and open sinner, shall and must be separated, put away, reproved before all, and purged out as leaven; and this for his amendment, as an example, that others may fear, and to keep the church pure, by cleansing her from such spots, lest, in default of this, the name of the Lord be blasphemed, the church dishonored, and offense given to them that are without; and finally, that the sinner may not be condemned with the world, but become convinced in his mind, and be moved to sorrow, repentance and reformation. Jer. 59:2; 1 Cor. 5:5,13; 1 Tim. 5:20; 1 Cor. 5:6; 2 Cor. 10:8; 13:10.

Further, concerning brotherly reproof or admonition, as also the instruction of the erring, it is necessary to exercise all diligence and care, to watch over them and to admonish them with all meekness, that they may be bettered, and to reprove, according as is proper, the stubborn who remain obdurate; in short, the church must put away from her the wicked (either in doctrine or life), and no other. James 5:19; Tit. 3:10; 1 Cor. 5:13.

XVII. OF SHUNNING THE SEPARATED.

Concerning the withdrawing from, or shunning the separated, we believe and confess, that if any one, either through his wicked life or perverted doctrine, has so far fallen that he is separated from God, and, consequently, also separated and punished by the church, the same must, according to the doctrine of Christ and his apostles, be shunned, without distinction, by all the fellow members of the church, especially those to whom it is known, in eating, drinking, and other similar intercourse, and no company be had with him; that they may not become contaminated by intercourse with him, nor made partakers of his sins; but that the sinner may be made ashamed, pricked in his heart, and convicted in his conscience, unto his reformation. 1 Cor. 5:9–11; 2 Thess. 3:14.

Yet, in shunning as well as in reproving, such moderation and Christian discretion must be used, that it may conduce, not to the destruction, but to the reformation of the sinner. For, if he is needy, hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, or in any other distress, we are in duty bound, necessity requiring it, according to love and the doctrine of Christ and his apostles, to render him aid and assistance; otherwise, shunning would in this case tend more to destruction than to reformation.

Therefore, we must not count them as enemies, but admonish them as brethren, that thereby they may be brought to a knowledge of and to repentance and sorrow for their sins, so that they may become reconciled to God, and, consequently be received again into the church; and that love may continue with them, according as is proper. 2 Thess. 3:15.

XVIII. OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, AND THE LAST JUDGMENT.

Finally, concerning the resurrection of the dead, we confess with the mouth, and believe with the heart, according to Scripture, that in the last day all men who shall then have died, and fallen asleep, shall be awaked and quickened, and shall rise again, through the incomprehensible power of God; and that they, together with those who then will still be alive, and who shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trump, shall be placed before the judgment seat of Christ, and the good be separated from the wicked; that then every one shall receive in his own body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or evil; and that the good or pious, as the blessed, shall be taken up with Christ, and shall enter into life eternal, and obtain that joy, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, to reign and triumph with Christ forever and ever. Matt. 22:30,31; Dan. 12:12; Job 19:26,27; Matt. 25:31; John 5:28; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor. 15; Rev. 20:12; 1 Thess. 4:15; 1 Cor. 2:9.

And that, on the other hand, the wicked or impious, as accursed, shall be cast into outer darkness, yea, into the everlasting pains of hell, where their worm shall not die, nor their fire be quenched, and where they, according to holy Scripture, can nevermore expect any hope, comfort or redemption. Mark 9:44; Rev. 14:11.

May the Lord, through his grace, make us all worthy and meet, that this may befall none of us; but that we may thus take heed unto ourselves, and use all diligence, that on that day we may be found before him unspotted and blameless in peace. Amen.

These, then, as has been briefly stated before, are the principal articles of our general Christian faith, as we teach and practice the same throughout in our churches and among our people; which, in our judgment, is the only true Christian faith, which the apostles in their time believed and taught, yea, testified with their life, confirmed with their death, and, some of them, also sealed with their blood; wherein we in our weakness with them and all the pious, would fain abide, live, and die, that we may afterwards obtain salvation with them through the grace of the Lord.

Thus done and finished in our united churches, in the city of Dortrecht, the 21st of April, 1632, new style.

And was signed by the mutually united:

Dortrecht.
Isaac de Koning, and in the name of our minister. Jan Jacobs.	(On the other side.)
	By me Hans Cobrijsz.
	By me Jacuis Terwen.
	Claes Dircksg.
	Mels Gijsbertsz.
	Adriaen Cornelissz.
Middelburg.
Bastiaen Willemsen.	Jan Winkelmans.
Vlissingen.
Oillaert Willeborts,	by Jacob Pennen.
Lieven Marijnesz.
Amsterdam.
Tobias Govertsz.	(On the other side.)
Pieter Jansz Moyer.	David ter Haer.
Abraham Dircksz.	Pieter Jansz van Singel.
Haerlem.
Jan Doom.	(On the other side.)
Piter Grijspert.	Dirck Wonteresz Kolenkamp.
	Pieter Joosten.
Bommel.
Willem Jansz van Exselt.	Gijsbert Spiering.
Rotterdam.
	(On the other side.)
Balten Centen Schoenmaker.	Israel van Halmael.
M. Michielsz.	Hendrick Dircksz Apeldoren.
	Andries Lucken Jr.
From the Upper Part of the Country.
Peter van Borsel.	Antony Hansz.
Krevelt Do.
Harmen op den Graff.	Weylm Kreynen.
Zeeland.
Cornelis de Moir.	Isaac Claessz.
Schiedam.
Cornelis Bom.	Lambrecht Paeldink.
Leyden.
Mr. C. de Korink.	Jan Weyns.
Blockziel.
Claes Claessen.	Pieter Peters.
Ziericzee.
Anthonis Cornelissz.	Pieter Jansz Timmerman.
Utrecht.
Herman Segers.	(On the other side.)
Jan Hendricksen Hooghvelt.	Abraham Spronk.
David Horens.	Williem van Brœkhuysen.
Gorcum.
Jacob van der Heyde Sebrechts.	Jan Jansz V. K.
Aernhem.
Cornelis Jansz.	Dirck Reuderson.

Besides that the last mentioned confession was received by so many churches, and signed by their leaders, as has been shown, also all the churches in Alsace and in the Palatinate, in Germany, afterwards unanimously adopted and signed it; wherefore it was undertaken to translate the same for their benefit and that of others, into French and into German. This is given as a remembrance. Here is the patience and faith of the saints. Rev. 13:10.