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

“In his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” 1 John 5:20,21. Rom. 9:5.

ARTICLE XV.

Of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, God and man in one person, and the necessity of believing it. Of this we confess: That it is necessary for all Christians to believe that the knowledge of the only Son of the Father, is, as one of the principal articles of our faith, in the highest degree essential unto salvation. It is therefore not sufficient to know Christ only after the flesh, or his humanity; as, that he was born of Mary, and became like unto us in all things, except sin; but we must also (which is the most important) know him after the Spirit, and his eternal Godhead; that is, that he before all time, in eternity, in an unspeakable manner, was born of or proceeded from the true God his Father, and that he is the true real Word and Wisdom, which proceeded from the mouth of the Most High, and which for this reason, was equal with his Father in brightness, glory, power, might and eternal Godhead, before the foundation of the world. And that this only Son of God, for our justification, became a visible man, that by his present, visible humanity—which is not of this tabernacle or sinful substance, but in essence far different from sinners—he might give us a holy, unblamable example in doctrine and conversation, in order thus to incite all men to follow him.

And that according to his divine power and might he was able to deliver us from the captivity of sin, hell, the devil, and death, and save us forever; seeing no other means or name in heaven or on earth is given unto men for salvation. To this end, Christ was made unto us, of God, wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. Hence neither Moses with his threatening and punishing law of commandments, nor Aaron with the entire Levitical priesthood, and all their sacrifices and offerings, which were made only for remembrance of sins, and consequently, passed by polluted mankind without affording them any help (for no corruptible man could redeem his brother, and reconcile him with God; as all human, sinful substance was not able to redeem the soul from eternal death); but this was fulfilled and accomplished by the slain Lamb, which was foreordained and was manifest in these last times. He restored that which he had not taken away. He, the innocent one, took the guilt of us all upon him, and only he was found worthy in heaven and earth, to open the book with its seven seals. And by his coming into this world (which can never be sufficiently praised), he opened the entrance to the kingdom of God, which was closed by sin, not by the blood of bulls and goats, or of any corruptible man, nor by corruptible silver or gold; but Christ paid and accomplished this by his own dear and precious blood, thereby obtaining an eternal redemption.

And as the sun in the heavens is endowed by God with a glorious splendor, so that it is the eye of the world, which illuminates the darkness, and spreads its beautiful light over all visible things, and receives nothing from any of them; so also Christ Jesus, the true Sun of righteousness, and what is still more, the Creator and Ruler of the sun, and of all things, did not take to his assistance any created substance, by which to accomplish the work of our salvation; but came with his most praiseworthy light from God out of heaven, and shone into this dark world, where he was received, and arose, as the beautiful day-star, in the hearts of many men; and was thus a Giver, but not a recipient. Hence, the praise and honor for this redemption must be ascribed to the only God of heaven and earth, and not to any created man; otherwise we would rob the Creator of his proper honor, and ascribe the same to sinful, created flesh like unto ourselves; thereby making flesh our arm, Redeemer, God and Savior; and thus departing with our hearts from God our Salvation, we should fall into damnable idolatry, seeking life from the dead, where it cannot be found.

Herein we are to know the love and goodness, and also the severity of God, and how greatly the Almighty God hates sin;—his severity and justice, from the fact, that through the one sin of the first man, the whole human race became corrupted; and that this could be paid and atoned for by no other means than through the death and blood of God’s own, only begotten Son. God’s goodness and everlasting love are known from this, that he, the Blessed, so graciously looked upon and recognized, the weakness and nothingness of man; and, hence, as he often sent angels, as his faithful messengers, in human form to men, upon the earth, knowing that this sinful, mortal, earthly flesh and blood is not able to behold the immortal, heavenly glory of the angels; much less can man with his sinful and mortal eyes behold the immortal, eternal, holy splendor and glory of the eternal Creator of all things; therefore the eternal, invisible and immortal Son of God, through his unfathomable love, had himself to become a visible, mortal man, for a little while lower than the angels, and to appear in the form of a servant, like unto his brethren; so that the glory of the eternal and only begotten Son of God was felt and seen in human form, that he might be a true example for us to follow his footsteps. Herein we may especially know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge: that the holy heavenly, only begotten, blessed Son of God, Jesus Christ, became man, died and rose for us, when we were yet ungodly and his enemies.

And though Christ suffered for us in the flesh, and was crucified, and died; yet it was not possible that he should be held by death, or that his holy flesh should see corruption. But he had himself the keys of death and hell, and the power to open and to shut, to lay down his life, and to take it again; and he it is that liveth, and was dead, and, behold, he is alive forevermore.

Hence all true believers must believe that the true knowledge of Jesus Christ, both of his true divinity, and pure, immaculate humanity, is necessary to salvation. And to this, life and eternal salvation are promised by the Holy Ghost; and that Christ would build his church upon this foundation, and that the gates of hell should not prevail against her. On the other hand: that all unbelievers, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh (that is, that the Son of God became man, and thus coming, appeared in the flesh), are not of God, but of the spirit of antichrist, who began already in the days of the Apostles, and is to exalt himself still more in the last times.

Of the necessity of this knowledge of Jesus Christ, read: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3; Hosea 13:4.

“If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also,” etc. John 14:7.