Wishart’s translation of the First Helvetic Confession (1536), made from the Latin during his exile and printed posthumously about 1548 - virtually his only surviving written work. Text from David Laing’s reprint in the Wodrow Society Miscellany (1844), original spelling. The account of Wishart’s martyrdom is in Knox’s History of the Reformation, Book One, in this collection.
burned in Scotlanly the
pearve of oure [orbe fft xIbí
[Pla a. ff.]
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The Confession of Faith of the Churches of Switzerland. I. Of the Holy Scrypture.!
THE Canonycall or holy Scrypture, whiche is the Worde of God, taught and gyven by the Holy Spryte, and publyshed? unto the worlde by the prophetes and holy apostles, which also is the moost perfyte and auncient science? and doctryne of wysdome, it alone contayneth consumatly all godlynes and all sorte and maner of facyon of lyfe.
Of the Exposicion of Scrypture
The interpretacion, or exposicion of this holy wrytte, ought and shuld be sought out of it selfe, so that it shulde be the owne interpretour,! the rule of charite and faythe hauynge gouernaunce.
III. of Mannes Tradicions
As to other thynges, of Tradicions of men, howe bewtifull and how moch receyued soeuer they be, what so euer tradicions withdraweth us and stoppeth us fro the Scripture, of such do we an-
[! The Articles are not numbered philosophy, doth alone perfectly con-]
[in the original: the numbers are here tain all piety and good ordering of life.”]
[added for the convenience of refer- —‘Omninm perfectissima et antiquis-]
[ence. sima Philosophia, pietatem omnem, om-]
[3 Puplyshed,” in the original. nem vite rationem sola perfecte conti-]
[3 In the Harmony of Confessions, net.” Coll. Confess.]
[these words are thus rendered: ‘ Of 4 ‘““Theinterpreterof herself.” Harm.]
[all others the most perfect and ancient of Confess. p. 4.]
swere the sayenges of the Lord, as of thynges hurtfull and unprofytable, They worshippe me in vayne, teachying the doctrynes of man.” Mathi. xv.
Of the Holy Fathers
For the whiche sorte of interpretacyon so farre as the Holy Fathers hathe not gone fro it, not onely do we receyue them as interpretours of the Scripture, but also we honour and worshyp them as chosen and beloued instrumentes of God.!
The Ende and Entent of the Scrypture
The pryncypal entent of al the Scripture canonicall is, to declare that God is beniuolent and frendly mynded to mankynde; and that he hathe declared that kyndnes in and throughe Jesu Chryste his onely sone; the which kyndnes is receyuyd by fayth; but this fayth is effectuous through charitie,? and expressed in an innocent lyfe.
Of God
Of God we byleue in this sorte: that he is almyghtie, beynge one in substance and thre in persones: which euen as he hathe created by his Worde, that is his Sone, all thynges of nothynge; so by his Spirite and prouydence gouerns he, preserues and norysheth he, most truly, ryghtously, and wysely all thynges.
VII. Of Man
Man, whiche is the perfectest image of God in earthe, and also is the chefe dignite and honoure amonge all creatures visible, beynge made of soule and body; of the whiche twayne the body is mortall, the soule immortall; whan he was creat of God holy, by fallynge in vyce and synne throughe his owne fal, drew with hym in that same ruen and fal, and so subjected all mankynde to the same calamitie and wretchydnes that he fell in.
[1 Utorgana Deielecta veneramur.” —? Effectual through love.” Harm.]
[Collectio Confess. p. 106. of Confess. p. 5. 3 Pregerue,” in orig.]