hainous offence against the sacred Majestie of God Here then we may behold that grand let whereby the Reformed Churches to their great greife of heart are forced to shunne a Communion with the Church of Rome For so farre in love is shee with her Idolls and so rigorously doth shee impose the worshipping of them upon all her children that no man can be admitted into her Communion at least not continue in it unlesse he will become a notorious and down-right Idolater If the case so stood that the Germane Churches could not enter into and enjoy a blessed Unity and Peace one with another except they must be required and bound either to practise an Idolatrous worship or at the least to beleive and professe that such practice is not unlawfull I would not stick to affirme that a Communion which cannot be had but upon such hard conditions is indeed impossible to bee had since as Lawyers use to speake wee can doe onely so much as may lawfully be done by us And here we have just cause to blesse God that the Reformed Churches although they have not the happinesse to agree in all matters of lesser moment yet doe they all of them by his grace unanimously conspire joyne together against Idolatry so as not onely to condemne but also to beat downe and abolish it insomuch that if at this very houre they were all disposed and desirous to joyne hands and strike a league of amity and union it might be done without any the least danger of Idolatry Away then with that pretended impossibility of a Reconciliation grounded upon the perill of Idolatry nor let any such false surmises weaken the heart or hands of any religious Christian from going on with so good a worke The third last Obstacle which doth block up the way to an union render's it impossible is the differing of severall Churches about some fundamental point of Faith necessary to be knowne and beleived by every christian upon paine perill of eternall damnation so as that the one side doth solidly hold and maintaine it the other heretically denie's and oppose's it For to be at peace with Heretickes who goe about to undermine and subvert the foundation of our Christian faith what is it else but to revolt from Christ the rocke on which the Church is founded built Of this last Obstacle because it is of speciall use and moment I shall treate somewhat more at large In the first place therefore I conceive that to be a Fundamentall point which by the ordination of God revealing such a truth is of such necessity unto salvation to be knowne and assented unto as that a bare Ignorance much more a wilfull Opposition of it carries with it a certaine perill of exclusion from the kingdome of heaven Divines now-adaies have no Commission to invent or coine any new Articles of this nature and obtrude them on Gods Church that which was not fundamentall in the Apostolicall and Primitive times all our assertions and altercations and Anathema's will never bee able to make it such These first and fundamentall Trueths collected out of the whole body of the Scriptures put together in the Apostles Creed make up that Rule of Faith which S. Austin terme's pusillis magnisque communem a commom Rule for all men both great small and which is by him accounted necessary to bee beleived constantly by all Concerning the which that speech of Hilary also is much to the same effect 't is our safest and best course to hold fast that first onely-Evangelicall Faith which we made confession of at our Baptisme And to these fundamentall Trueths the Apostle I beleive had an eye when he stiled Titus his owne sonne {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} after the common Faith This common Faith laid downe in the Apostles Creed proposeth to all Christians to be beleived by them the wonderfull Production of all creatures out of nothing the unsearchable mysterie of the glorious Trinitie the fruit benefit that redound's to miserable sinners from the Incarnation Passion Resurrection and Glorification of Christ what follow's thereupon the Redemption of mankind the Sanctification of the Elect the Communion of Saints the Remission of sins the Resurrection of mens bodies and the Glorifying of the Faithfull He that beleive's all which wee have here comprised in this short Creed and endeavour's to lead his life according to the Commandements and Precepts of our Saviour Christ cannot justly be denied the title of a Christian nor expelled the fellowship and communion of any Christian Church whatsoever On the other side He that shall deny or oppose any one of the said Articles although he arrogate to himselfe the name of a Christian yet is he to be excluded and banished the society of all orthodoxe and sound Christians Besides these there are I confesse many other Trueths contained in the Scriptures and deducible from thence by good and solid consequence which are very profitable to be knowne and of singular use to further us in the knowledge of Divinity but they are then only and not otherwise necessary to be beleived under paine of forfeiture of our salvation or communion with the Church when 't is clearely evidenced unto us that they are contained in Gods word or may necessarily be inferred from it In these points therefore if any particular Church cannot make the Trueth which she her selfe beleive's so cleare and manifest to other Churches as thereby to winne them over to the same beleife shee must forsake them in their Errours but by no meanes may she because of such errours deny them her charity and Communion I adde further that if it should happen that two Churches should vary about some particular place of holy Writ the one conceiving that it confirme's a fundamentall point of Faith and the other thinking that it doth not so yet is not such a difference as this a sufficient cause why they should fall at odds and separate one from another so long as they agree both of them in the Point it selfe and acknowledge it to have cleare solid foundation in other places of God's word And last of all this may be added yet further that 't is not a thing impossible nor any way contrary to the duety of good Christians to entertaine a communion with those Churches which hold such a doctrine as seemes to us inconsistent with some fundamentall Trueth so that in the meane while they doe expresly beleive professe that fundamentall Trueth it selfe For 't is utterly against all Charity yea and Reason too that a man should be thought meerely for some consequences which he neither apprehend's nor grants to deny and reject a fundamentall point which yet he strongly beleives expresly affirme's yea and if need so required would not stick to seale the trueth of it with his dearest blood How much truer and more charitable is that opinion of a grave and moderate Divine
that a perpetuall Breach and Division should be made and continued betwixt whole Churches for such petty matters If therefore this were but once agreed upon amongst Divines that their jarres and contentions are not nor ever were about any fundamentall points and such as are of absolute necessity to be known and beleived by all that will be saved then must it also be granted for a manifest trueth that 't is no way impossible but an agreement and Communion may be established this dangerous Schisme utterly rooted out and a blessed Peace setled and preserved amongst the German Churches And thus having proved that a Reconciliation is possible it remaine's that in the next place we consider whether or no Princes Doctors and Pastors of Gods Church and in generall all Christians bee not bound in duty by the law of God every man to endeavour according to his utmost power and ability that such an union may with all convenient speed be setled and established amongst the Reformed Churches 1 And that all men are so bound seeme's to be intimated by that of S. Paul which I alledged before if it be possible as much as in you lie's live peaceably with all men If so great care and diligence must be had to maintaine a civill and externall peace with all sorts of men then surely a spirituall Ecclesiasticall peace amongst Christians is much rather to be sought after and preserved where therefore there is no utter impossibility to hinder why such an Union may not be obtained such men can in no wise be excused who either out of negligence or wilfulnesse disobey the Commandements of God herein Nor can any man justly here pretend that Discords and diversities of Opinions cannot as yet be composed and setled for if it be possible that the Schisme it selfe the Rent betwixt these Churches may be taken away as without all question it may I had rather that a mil-stone were hanged about my neck and that I were drowned in the depth of the Sea than that I should willingly be any hinderance to so good a work so well-pleasing to God and so necessary to the removall of Scandall nay than that I should not with my whole minde and might promote and further it 2 To this may be further added what must necessarily be confes't by all men that a true and right order'd Charity is of as great necessity for the attaining of Salvation to all Churches and to every particular member in any Church as is the true and entire Profession of sound and saving Faith our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus make's this the badge and cognizance whereby to distinguish and discerne betwixt his true Disciples and such as are spurious and counterfeit by this shall all men know that yee are my Disciples if yee love one another Now I leave it to every man's conscience to judge what manner of Charity that is which see's and suffer's Christian Churches without all just cause and necessity to stand still at distance and defiance one with another and perpetually to shunne a Reconciliation and Union Is it not enough for us to separate from the hay and stubble I meane from the Errours of other Churches but must we by a voluntary separation forsake the Churches themselves which as yet have not forsaken Christ or his Truth 3 Further yet we see how that both Zuinglians and Lutherans as they are usually termed confesse that those Churches which hold with either side doe notwithstanding still remaine true Christian Churches true members of the Church Catholike whereof Christ is the head The renowned Princes in their Preface prefixt to the Forme of Agreement plainly professe that it was farre from their thoughts and intentions to condemne such persons as erred through the weaknesse of their judgement provided that they did not defame and blaspheme God's Trueth much lesse to condemne whole Churches living either under the Romane Empire or elsewhere nay they did not doubt but that there were many pious religious men living in those Churches though they agreed not with them in all Points of Religion Moreover when it was objected to Lucas Osiander how that he had sometimes termed Calvinists the Divel's Martyres hee forthwith purged himselfe from that aspersion thus They that have heard my Sermons will say that they never heard from me any reproachfull termes against the blessed Martyrs of Christ yea my owne writings publisht to the world will witnesse for me that I termed those which were massacred in France on S. Bartholomewe's day holy Martyres This then would be seriously thought upon whether or no it will stand with the Policy Piety and the duty of Christian Churches for every petty errour to deny the right hand of fellowship and brotherly love to those Churches who in the mean time notwithstanding such errours may continue Christ's blessed Martyrs and holy Brethren They who acknowledge Christ for their elder brother must of necessity whether they will or no have all Christs brethren joyned to them in a most sure and fast knot of consanguinity and communion 4 Besides I am very confident that both the Saxon and Helvetian all other Churches which joyne with either of those two will professe that they desire to have and to retaine a brotherly Communion and Peace with this our Church of England as also with the Scottish Irish and all other forraigne Churches of the Reformation And truely we for our parts although we doe not assent to them in all points of controverted Divinity yet doe we account of them as our Brethren in Christ and doe solemnely protest that we entertaine a holy and brotherly Communion with them And if they be like affected towards us with what reason then and equitie doe the German Churches deprive themselves of that brotherly Communion one with another which yet they are not afraid to entertaine with forraigne Churches What therefore Moses said long since to the two Israelites that were striving together the same may truly be said to the Germane Churches quarrelling and contending one with another but cannot so truely be disproved Sirs yee are brethren why doe yee wrong one to another 5 Last of all that which all good men are bound to beg of Almighty God in their prayers to him questionlesse they are bound likewise to imploy their best care and endeavours for the procuring of it Now who is there that doe's not daily solicite God for the flourishing and peaceable estate of his Church Who is there that make's it not a part of his daily prayers that God would be pleased to remove out of the way whatsoever doth disquiet and disturbe her peace or any way let and hinder her spirituall growth and edification This was King David's wish it should be the wish of all good Princes and Divines and generally of all Christians Neither did David wish onely the happinesse and prosperity of Gods Church but hee carefully sought to doe
agreed upon maintained no matter though in some other Points the judgements of the Faithfull be various and different That this is lawfull both the thing it selfe loudly proclaimes it and S. Paul confirmes it who doe's not only permit but command us more than once to beare with such as differ from us in their Opinions and 't is the common and generall Opinion of all such Divines as have been of any note and esteem in the Church ever since our Saviour Christ's times downe to this present age Yet is not this so to be understood as if all manner of Differences in Religion were to be tolerated for even the same Apostle denounceth an Anathema against such as shall preach any other Gospell than that which he had preached and the most moderate amongst the Fathers of the Christian Church have alwaies constantly held that we are to shunne and avoid the company of Hereticks For there bee some Opinions of those men who differ about Religion which overthrow the very foundation of our Salvation destroy either that Piety or that Charity which wee are commanded by God's word to practise towards God and men such are the erroneous Doctrines of Romanists who will have that religious worship given to creatures which God hath reserved peculiar to himselfe who make our Faith to rely upon the judgement and authority of men who severall waies overthrow the Preistly office of Jesus Christ in a word who have with their own inventions so stained and deformed the whole Christian Religion that they have left no one part in it sound and untainted Such likewise are the Opinions of Socinians who to let passe their other Positions deny our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus to be truely God and if once you take away his Divinity it will necessarily follow that either wee worship a creature or else that we doe not worship the sonne of God both of which are manifestly repugnant to those Trueths which are delivered to us in holy Writ as absolutely necessary to Salvation We conceive therefore that no Peace in way of Religion can be had with these men nor with any others who maintaine any Errours of this nature till they shall renounce these their private Doctrines But for those who hold some erroneous Opinion which yet may consist with Piety Charity and all Christian duties belonging thereunto we think as S. Paul seeme's to have determined a Communion may be held with them Wee may mildly admonish such and when opportunity is offered discreetly reprove and instruct them but to cast them out of the Church and for no other cause to curse and excommunicate them as men in a desperate and damnable estate this in our opinion is neither fitting nor lawfull to be done Now to apply this to the matter in hand we conceive that to this latter sort all those Controversies doe belong which are agitated amongst Protestant Divines touching Christ's presence in the Sacramentall signes touching divine Praedestination and some few other Points For they doe agree in all such Points as conduce either to Piety towards God or Charity towards men they maintain on both sides that the Scriptures are of divine inspiration that they are perfect perspicuous and authenticall they detest with one heart mouth the Tyranny and pernitious Doctrines of the Pope and they equally keep off from entertaining a Communion with him they have the same Sacraments they worship the same Christ they professe the same righteousnesse and holinesse in this life and they expect the same glory in the life to come in a word so great and so wonderfull an agreement is there betwixt them about all saving and necessary Doctrines that did not the history of their affaires and those bitter contentions which have hitherto more is the pitty been fomented amongst them witnesse the contrary there 's no man but would thinke they had a meeting at the beginning and by common counsell consent agreed upon the same Confession of Faith In such a multitude of mysteries who can chuse but admire that there should not be above one or two Points wherein they did not fully agree For even about the Eucharist which is the maine matter of this woefull Division they both of them grant that 't is a Sacrament not a Sacrifice that it is to be eaten not worshipped both the two kindes instituted by our Saviour Christ to wit bread and wine are neither transubstantiated nor divided one from the other by either side they both acknowledge the same use and end of this holy Rite to wit the commemorating of Christ's death the partaking of his body which was crucified and of his blood which was shed for us There is onely one thing about which they disagree namely the manner how Christ's body is given to us and received by us in that Sacrament the thing is the same on both sides onely the manner of it is divers This Difference though it be but small yet is it not wee confesse altogether of no moment but that it should be of so great moment as that it ought to make a breach of charity and affection amongst Brethren a duty so useful and necessary to the Christian world and so miraculously wrought amongst them by the hand of Heaven this we utterly deny Neither doe We alone deny it to say nothing of our Brethren in Poland and almost all the Germans which hold with us who as it is well knowne to all men ever did and at this day doe make the same reckoning and account of that Controversy as we but now did to say nothing likewise of those famous Divines of both sides in Saxony and Brandenburge who as we have been informed were lately of the very same opinion concerning these Points when they had fairely discussed them at Lipswich whither they were come with their Princes But one thing there is which we cannot here omit to mention a matter perhaps not so well knowne to forraine nations yet such a matter it is as we confidently beleive will be most welcome and acceptable to all good peaceable men to wit that the Reformed Churches here in France whereof there are good store have alwaies been of that same Opinion touching these Controversies they have given testimony of this their Opinion both heretofore sundry waies and likewise now very lately by an expresse Decree made in a generall Synod held here at Charenton neare Paris in the yeare 1631. For when upon occasion of a citizen of Lions unto whose daughter a certaine young German of the Augustane Confession as they call it was a suiter it was questiond how we are to account and esteeme of such as are commonly termed Lutherans all the Brethren which were there met out of all the Provinces of France and sent thither from their several Churches did unanimously vote thus That seeing the Churches of the Augustane Confession doe agree with the other Reformed Churches in all the Principles and fundamentall
GOOD COVNSELLS FOR THE PEACE OF REFORMED CHURCHES BY SOME REVEREND AND LEARNED BISHOPS and other DIVINES Translated out of Latine OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD for WILLIAM WEBB 1641 CVM PRIVILEGIO K. JAMES OUR LATE MOST learned Soveraigne in the Epistle of Is. CASAUBON to Cardinall PERRON upon the 3d Observation THe King thinketh that the number of things absolutely necessary to salvation is not great Wherefore his Majesty is of opinion that there is no readier way to a generall accord than diligently to sever necessary points from unnecessary and so that there be a consent in the necessary articles in the other unnecessary place may be given to Christian Liberty The King judgeth those Points simply necessary which are either expresly in the word of God commanded to be beleived or done or collected out of the word by the ancient Church by immediate consequence If this distinction were well applyed to the deciding of Controversies at this day and divine Lawes fairely severed from positive or Ecclesiasticall Constitutions it is very likely that godly and moderate men would not long be at any variance in things absolutely necessary For they are but few as we said before and they are already almost agreed upon among all that call themselves Christians And further his Majestie doth so approve of the former distinction and esteemes it to be of such moment for the lessening and setling of Controversies which at this day so much vex the Church of Christ that in his judgement it is the duty of all godly men that love truth and peace most diligently to teach presse and urge it Mr HOOKER in his Answer to Mr TRAVERS at the end SIth there can come nothing of contention but the mutuall wast of the parties contending till a common Enimy dance in the ashes of them both J doe wish heartily that the grave advice which Constantine gave for reuniting of his Clergy so many times upon so small occasions in so lamentable sort divided or rather the strict commandment of Christ unto his that they should not be divided at all may at the length if it be his blessed will prevaile so farre at the least in this corner of the Christian world to the burying and quite forgetting of strife together with the causes which have either bred it or brought it up that things of small moment never disjoyne them whom one God one Lord one Faith one Spirit one Baptisme bands of so great force have linked that a respective eye towards things wherewith we should not be disquieted make us not as through infirmity the very Patriarchs themselves were full gorged unable to speake peaceably to their own Brother finally that no strife may ever be heard of againe but this who shall hate strife most who shall pursue Peace and Unity with swiftest paces Sr EDWIN SANDYS in his book entitled Europae Speculum or A Veiw of the state of Religion in the Westerne parts of the World PAG 173. THE end of these unhappy differences in Religion betwixt the Protestant Churches will bee that their enimies shall laugh when themselves shall have cause to weep unlesse the graciousnesse of God stirre up some worthy Princes of renowne and reputation with both sides to interpose their wisedome industry and authority for the uniting these Factions or at leastwise for reconciling and composing these differences in some tolerable sort a work of immortall fame and desert and worthy of none other but of them of whom this wicked base world is not worthy THE OPINION OF THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD IOHN DAVENANT Bishop of Sarisbury To his learned and worthy friend Mr IOHN DURY T IS well worthy the consideration of all pious Divines which God speakes by his Prophet Zachary love the Truth and Peace With which that of the Apostle also suite's well {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} speake the truth in love Wee may not so hotly pursue after Trueth as that in the mean time we wholly neglect Peace nor may we desire such a Peace as will not consist with the Trueth Those Divines therefore who quarrell and contend so much for the Faith and Religion they may talke what they list but hee that love's not both Trueth and Peace love's indeed neither nor hath he any true affection or desire to either of them who desire 's them not both For if it be true which Philosophers tell us that each naturall body doth no lesse desire it's unitie than it 's being I see no reason why the spirituall and mysticall body the Church Catholique should not with as great a zeale study to preserve her unitie seeing if that be once dissolved and lost shee is so farre from being a Church that she cannot so much as be imagined one Let us then on God's name be as earnest and eager in desiring defending the Trueth as the best but withall let us not forget that of Saint Paul that if it be possible and as much as in us lie's we live peaceably with all men J say with all men in an externall and civill but with all Christian men in a spirituall and Ecclesiasticall peace This is the earnest desire of our Saviour Christ and 't is the joynt wish prayer of his whol Church that all they who professe themselves beleivers in Christ might be united and knit together into one body that they might be all of one heart and of one soule This being so surely those pious and peacemaking Divines are highly to bee commended who of late have imployed themselves and their endeavours about the reconciling of the Reformed Churches For my owne part I would to God I were able to contribute any thing that might further and promote so good and godly a worke What I can I shall willingly at your request Sir doe it and shall impart unto you what my thoughts were when J lately meditated with my selfe hereupon In the first place therefore it would bee considered whether or no it be possible to establish such an union amongst all the Reformed Churches so as that they shall account of one another not as friends only but as Brethren and exhibit mutually each to other the signes fruites and effects not onely of an outward and generall freindship but of a more intimate spirituall amity and communion For if this fraternall spirituall union we so much desire cannot be had we may then desist things impossible doe not binde us to the having or seeking of them but if it may possibly be procured 't were a great pitty and a shame that so good a worke and so well-pleasing to God as this is should be either opposed or delayed Now when I say that it would first be considered whether or no this Union we treate of be possible my meaning is whether or no such an Union may stand with a diversity of Opinions amongst private Doctors in these severall Churches touching those much-controverted points which have of a
it good and as much as in him lay he did procure and effect it All this was but duty in him to doe and can it be lesse then dutie in us And here I should but trifle away the time should I goe about to play the Oratour and expresse at large to the Germane Churches the blessings that accompany Peace Unitie the many miseries calamities of a long-continued Schisme and Division That speech of Prudentius is a most certaine trueth scissura domestica turbat Rem populi titubatque foris quod dissidit intùs civill and intestine broiles alwaies prove the undoing of a people nor doe things ever goe right abroad when there is dissention at home What may make most for the good and advantage of their Churches let it be their care to consider and resolve this with themselves that what ever it be it is not onely to be sought after with their prayers but with the utmost diligence and endeavours of every one of them in particular Neither let any unexperienced men amongst them thinke or hope that they shall ingratiate themselves with Papists and so live more peaceably by them and suffer lesse harme from them by refusing to enter into freindship and fellowship with Calvinists as they terme them What is to be hoped for expected from them we may learne from Osiander Papists saith he spare neither Lutherans nor Zuinglians but condemne both of them to fire and faggot in all those places where the Pope that raging and ravenous beast of Rome beare's rule and sway They that are most in favour with them can at best but hope for that kindnesse from them which Vlysses in Homer obtained of Polyphemus {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to be devoured last after he had lookt on and seene all his freinds and companions devoured before him They will perhaps destroy the Calvinists first but the Lutherans must look to follow after them none are like to escape in the end if once the Papists have them at their mercy What hitherto hath been said is to show that a Communion and Reconciliation of the Germane Churches is a thing not only possible but in obedience to Gods commandement a necessary duty It now remaine's that J proceed to set downe the way and meanes whereby such a Reconciliation may be compassed and the rents and distractions of the said Churches may with most conveniencie and speed bee made up which I shall doe rather to testifie that vehement desire zeale which I have to so good a work than out of any opinion that those famous Churches which alwaies have abounded with store of learned and pious Divines can any way stand in need of advice herein from me or any other forraigne Divine whatsoever Seeing therefore that the fore-mentioned Controversies may be agitated either betwixt severall and distinct Churches whereof one is no way subordinate to the other or else betwixt such particular men as are members of the same Church and subjects to one the same Prince J will speak first of divers Churches independent one upon another and afterwards of particular men in one the same Church and show how Peace and Unitie may be made and preserved amongst them For the first I conceive there 's no readier and better way for reducing of two different Churches to the same Communion than is that usuall one of procuring a faire and peaceable Conference amongst Divines of both sides authorised and appointed thereunto by their Princes For if any one imagine that a Councell being once held of all the Reformed Churches there will out of hand within the compasse of some few moneths or yeares yea or in one age an end be put to all disputes whatsoever which have of a long time troubled and busied the Learned so as that they shall all joyne and agree in the same opinion about all such points of controversie this with submission to better judgements seemes to me very unlikely For so dull and dim-sighted is the eye of our understanding that it can hardly peirce into the depth of such subtle and intricate Questions no not when it is alone free and undisturbed in it's contemplations but being distracted by the stirs tumults of disputation so far unable are we to penetrate into the quick of them that many times we cannot so much as discerne and perceive them no not when we look upon them with a fixt and steddy eye And to speak plainly what I conceive in this matter the cheife use of Councells especially of Generall Councells is to maintaine and defend those necessary and plaine points of Faith against the oppositions of Hereticks rather than to discusse or determine nice controversies of lesser moment and use To returne then to that faire freindly Conference which but now I commended for the likeliest and fittest meanes of obtaining an Union if it could be undertaken with such an intention mannaged in such sort as it ought to be wee have good cause to hope that we shall in a short time see a blessed Peace and Union established amongst the Germane Churches This therefore must carefully be remēbred by all such as shall be present parties to such a Meeting that the end why they are called together is not that like Adversaries they should strive for the mastery but rather that they should like Brethren search out and make use of all lawfull and warrantable meanes for the setling of Peace and Unitie For if once they fall a crossing and contending one with another they will never be able to perswade much lesse to procure any agreement betwixt such Churches as are at ods and opposition Let them therefore carefully keep off and forbeare to enter the intricate Labyrinths of ordinary disputes let their meeting aime at this one end to make it appeare to their Churches how that there 's no just cause why they should any longer stand out and refuse to joyne hands and be united To effect this let it in the first place be set downe how farre the Church Catholike hath declared herselfe in each Controversie what hath been by her defined and required to be beleived generally by all sub Anathemate For about points fundamentall there may sometimes arise such doubts and disputes as are no way fundamentall and such as that the ancient Fathers of the Church had they been raised in their times would never have attempted a decision of them to the hazard of breeding or fostering a Schisme betwixt severall Churches For instance that God is One in Essence and Three in Persons distinguished one from another that the Sonne is begotten of the Father that the holy Ghost is the Spirit of both Father and Sonne that these three Persons are coeternall and coequall all these are fitly determined and reckoned in the number of Fundamentalls but now if any man should peremptorily affirme and maintaine that all those Schoole-nicities touching the manner of the Sonne
Peter Martyr and Zanchy all which sometimes shined in the Church of Christ like starres of the first magnitude First then there are to be seene in Calvin's workes many excellent Elogies of Luther even then when Luther did inveigh most bitterly against all our men in the Point of the Sacrament and provoked them farre to repay him in his owne language Whose passions thereby moved enflamed Calvin with admirable prudence supprest kept from breaking out but I desire saith he you would consider first what a worthy man Luther is and with what excellent gifts qualified with what courage constancy with what dexterity with what successe and efficacy of his Doctrine he hath hitherto bent and bestir'd himselfe to lay wast the Kingdome of Antichrist maintaine the Doctrine of our Salvation I have many times said that should he call me Divel yet neverthelesse I would still have so reverent an esteem of him as to acknowledge him for a worthy servant of God Thus Calvin a saying so full of sweetnesse and moderation as if not a man but humanity it selfe had spoken it Not long after he made use of the Apostle's argument to containe keep in our Divines least waxing too hot and passionate they should break out into revilings it become's us saith he so to reprove what we finde amisse in him as that we remit something out of an honourable respect to his rare endowments let not therefore that befall us which is denounced by S. Paul that by biting and devouring one another we be consumed Though he have provoked us yet are wee rather to keep us quiet than to teare the wound wider to the publike danger and dammage of God's Church But now how did Luther carry himselfe was he so farre possest with prejudice and passion as to disdaine all commerce and societie with our men Nay he refused not to enter into freindship with Calvin himselfe though he knew him to be a stout Champion of our Sacramentary Cause Let Calvin himselfe speake if you please Notwithstanding Luther saith he in private was so farre from accounting me his enimy that though he well knew my Opinion ye refused he not to salute mee with reverence by letters writ with his owne hand for the dishonesty of Westphalus forceth mee to speake thus foolishly so as to relate it in the very same expression which he himselfe used Afterwards when the Agreement was halfe finished at Marpurge and they were not yet departed from that meeting he affirme's that he retained the same esteeme of Oecolampadius and Zuinglius as he formerly had done and he did there solemnly promise to account and respect them henceforth as Brethren Secondly what an intimate freindship familiarity there was betwixt Melanchthon Iacobus Andreae Brentius and our Divines the mutuall Salutations which passed betwixt them can abundantly witnes Melanchthon writing to Calvin begins his Letter after this manner Reverend and Christian Brother I trust we shall have a time to meet and conferre together And afterwards concluding I beseech the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ the Guardian and keeper of his Church that he would guide and protect Thee and us All Farewell most deare Brother Besides what was observed concerning Melanchthon others by our Sturmius he himselfe will by no meanes conceale from us as though saith he Philip Melanchthon did not impart his Opinion touching the Sacrament to Peter Martyr afterwards to divers others with whom he still continued in love and freindship Further Iacobus Andreae and Brentius did unanimously adhere to the Opinion of Luther concerning the Eucharist of whom notwithstanding Calvin thus speaks your Letters worthy Sir and my much honoured Brother speaking to Iacobus Andreae were not a litle welcome to me for as much as I understand by them how that amids these sad and unhappy contentions wherein I am most unwillingly engaged you still continue like affected towards me as heretofore you have been Againe this your moderation of mind I embrace highly applaud Farewell worthy Sir and my much respected Brother I wish all happinesse to Brentius God Almighty ever guide and direct you by his blessed spirit strengthen and sustaine you by his power and shower downe his blessings in abundance upon you And againe in another Letter Brentius salute's you Thus were matters carried amongst thē and why should not We putting on bowells of meeknesse tread the steps of these Worthies Shall they breath out nothing but mildnesse and sweetnesse and wee nought but rage and fury God forbid I have done with the first Thesis I now proceed to the second The second THESIS That 't is possible for the most hot and rigorous spirits to be reconciled and agreed GIve mee leave to make use of that Maxime of Aristotle so frequently used in the Schooles but in a sense somewhat different Quae conveniunt in codem Tertio inter so conveniunt such two things as agree in any one third agree likewise betwixt themselves In like manner I conceive that though we differ much in our Opinions about the Eucharist yet there are still remaining amongst us some common Principles and certaine notes or notions out of which any one who is not blinded with prejudice may draw an assertion One is the authority of Scripture sufficient of it selfe to challenge a beleife a second is the cleare light of Antiquity as cleare as the Sunne at mid-day But this is no fit place to discourse at large upon these Three other there are which in no wise may bee passed over seing they are such as are more proper and peculiar to the two adverse parts I wil begin with the first of thē The Augustane Confession is by the Divines of Saxony esteemed as an Oracle of undeniable and unquestionable authority now if our men allow and approve of that Confession J doe not see what can possibly make more for the obtaining of a Reconciliation And for certaine Calvin herein agrees with them I desire saith hee as much as any man a sincere and true union so it be such as God hath approved in his word nor doe I reject the Augustane Confession whereunto I did once wittingly and willingly subscribe according to that interpretation which the Author thereof himselfe put upon it Againe I affirme saith hee that in that Confession as it was printed at Ratisbon there 's not so much as one word which is contrary to our Doctrine and if there be any ambiguity to be met with in the sense none is more fit to be the Interpreter of it than the Author himselfe whose worth will easily obtaine him that honour with all pious and learned men So He. Neither is he singular in this but others there are though of the same Opinion with him concerning the Eucharist who will grant as much (a) I am of the number of those saith Iohn Sturmius who concerning the receiving of the body blood of
cannot stand Let us learn to be wise from the examples of others the Guelphi and Gibellini those two implacable and irreconcileable Factions did agree together and joyne their forces when the common Enimie came against them and shall not We rowse our selves up to save defend our selves As for the gaine and advantage I mentiond can there be any greater gaine than Salvation and yet even this too the more common the greater and better it is Let us then I beseech you for the love of God set before our eyes the Greek Church which now seeme's to sue and wooe to us for a brotherly union and agreement as appeare's from that Confession of Faith lately set forth in the name of all the Easterne-Churches by the right Reverend Father Cyrill Patriarch of Constantinople which agrees exactly with our Protestant Confessions in every Article set forth and published by him Me thinks I see this most ample farre spreading part of the Christian world ready to fly into our armes embraces presently upon the first newes of our unity and agreement amongst our selves which hope of ours should Christ be pleased to crowne with successe this alone would farre outvie and surpasse in glory all the triumphs and trophies of all the Emperours in the world But I hasten to your other Question The other CONTROVERSY Concerning that unfathom'd mystery of Praedestination upon the foresight of Faith and Workes THis is that other Question as I gather from your Letter whereon as on a rock divers men otherwise desirous of Peace have dasht and split themselves That therefore men may knowe I have not of my owne accord sought after and catcht at this opportunity to dispute but rather am cast upon it against my will my proceeding herein shall be not by way of disputation but as the Times rather require by way of exhortation advice I hope therefore the learned Divines of Saxony will take this my advice in good part wherein I earnestly pray and beseech them first that they would be reconciled to their owne Luther in this Point who as it did well become a child of Grace did constantly hold and maintaine that the Grace of God is every way free and gratuitous Next that they would not in the patronizing and vindicating of Divine Grace suffer themselves to be outstript by Papists nay Jesuites and the prime Doctors too of that sect Bellarmine Tolet Pererius Suarez Salmeron Maldonaâ—â— who have all of them exploded this Doctrine of Praedestination upon the foresight of Faith and Workes as pure Pelagianisme Last of all it is some wisdome for a man to profit by his enimy there came out a book two yeares agon written by Will de Gibieuffe of the Oratorian Order Priest and Doctor of the Sorbon dedicated to the present Pope Vrban wherein are inserted the words of Pope Clement the eighth concerning the Auxilia Gratiae the summe whereof is this that this whole Doctrine ought to be squared and conformed to S. Austin's judgement in the Point of Grace that the same S. Austin ought be acknowledged and followed as a guide and leader for asmuch as that good Father seeme's to have omitted nothing which concernes the said Controversies and because saith he many of our Praedecessours have stood up so stoutly for that Doctrine of S. Austin concerning Grace as if they desired to have it continued in the Church as her right of inheritance it is not meet I should suffer her to be deprived of this her patrimony Thus farre that Pope unto whose judgement J will not say for the authority but the trueth of it I nothing doubt but Calvin himselfe were he now living would subscribe And he that shall read Calvin's writings will quickly grant that in these Controversies he had more than an ordinary share of S. Austin's Legacy Thus you see Sir how that partly your importunity who are such an earnest Factour for Peace and partly my own zeale in so necessary a Cause have made me exceed the accustomed bounds of a Letter wherein if you finde not much judgement yet may you behold my care desires for Christian Peace The author of all true peace our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and enable you by the power of his holy spirit cheerefully to goe thorough with this so waighty an employment for the publike Peace of his Church Farewell THOMAS DURHAM Postscript That we should thus first seek and sue for brotherly love unity is so farre from being any prejudice to our cause as that it is rather to be counted an honour to us in that we herein follow the precept and practice of God himselfe of whom the Evangelist saith 1. Joh. 4.10 He first loved us THE OPINION OF THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD IOSEPH HALL Bishop of EXCETER THose Articles of Religion wherein the Divines of both sides doe fully agree are abundantly sufficient both for a Christian man's salvation and likewise for the establishing of a firme lasting Peace in the Churches of God As for the rest I would not have them reckoned amongst the Apostle's {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} foolish Questions doubtlesse they are such as may perhaps not unfitly bee sent to the Divinity-Schooles there to bee throughly discussed but by no meanes ought they to disquiet the Peace either of any Christian soule or of God's holy Church What doe we professing Christian Charity and love if we still obstinately refuse to indulge our Brethren this litle liberty of dissenting from us in doubtfull difficult Schoole-questions Seeing wee know very well that our good and gracious Saviour passed over with silence and toleration great and greivous Errours in comparison of these if it be granted that these are Errours and that too even in such as were of his owne houshold and retinue There are but three things about which the reverend Divines of both sides professe themselves to differ THE first is whether or no our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be truly omniscient omnipotent and omnipresent not only according to his Divinity but also according to his humane nature by vertue of the personall Union That the Lord Jesus to wit God and Man is in both his natures omniscient omnipotent and omnipresent is confest on each side this being granted the word according is a meere Schoole-nicity How farre the vertue of that hypostaticall union extend's it selfe the holy ghost is silent and a Christian may safely be ignorant of it Let the Doctors if they list dispute and busie their braines as much as they please about this matter it will be enough for a Christian to knowe that he hath a Saviour who is both God and man to whom all these attributes truely belong and appertaine Nay even Divines themselves have enough wherein they may rest satisfied so long as this be granted on both sides that even the humane nature considered personally is omniscient omnipresent omnipotent which wee all of us roundly
unto Salvation 2. that none were elected by God nor shall be saved who doe not beleive in Jesus Christ and persevere in this Faith 3. that none can beleive in Christ save onely they whom God is pleased to enable hereunto and to worke it in them by the effectuall grace of his Spirit 4. that God did not damne no nor reprobate any man but with an eye to sin so that all the cause the blame of men's Damnation lie's in themselves but the cause of Election and Salvation is in the meere grace and mercy of God Now all this is confest on both sides J know right well there are infinite Questions Controversies raised about this Point Let every man on God's name enjoy his owne Opinion I will not prescribe to any man For my selfe if any man be desirous to know what my Opinion herein is I freely professe my selfe to adhere to the Articles of the Church of England and to the judgement of our English Divines who voted in the Synod at Dort wherein my selfe was present But what is there in this profound Point about which vulgar and illiterate Christians need to trouble themselves save onely that plaine obvious Trueth confest by all For the rest let Divines dispute them in the Schooles but it were well if they would forbeare to medle with them in the Pulpit How are the very same Controversies and others of greater waight and moment still on foot in the Church of Rome and yet so warily and wisely doe they carry the matter that the publike Peace is notwithstanding preserved amongst them Let vs learne wisedome from them who professe nought but enmity towards us Would but Christian Princes by their Authority decree Divines fairely and moderately containe and keep themselves within these bounds of Disputation and Controversie bounds indeed larg and spatious enough wee should have a lasting firme Agreement the Church would flourish in Peace and Tranquillity and lastly Trueth would bebome victorious and triumph over the common Enimy That this may be brought to passe as we all wish and desire it should the honourable States and Delegates did very wisely propose and advise that a publike Meeting of peaceable Divines should be summoned and sought for by Invitatory Letters that the freindly laudable Conference which was begun at Lipswich should be reassumed and prosecuted with like modesty as it had formerly been begun that all such Divines of note eminence as cannot be present at that meeting should send over their Opinions and advice that all the Fundamentalls of Religion necessary for Salvation should be determined and all other Points laid aside and turned over to the Schooles if need should require that in the meane time men's tongues and pens should be enjoyned moderation or else silence that lastly publike Prayers should be solemnly made in the Churches of both sides for the successe of this good worke Let but these things be done with an upright heart in the feare of God and wee need not doubt of a happy issue it is God's own Cause he will not be wanting to himselfe For you Mr Dury who have hitherto with such zeale such unwearied paines so many dangers so great charges prosecuted this Designe so well pleasing to God his Angells and men truly you have deserved so well of the whole Church as that all good men must acknowledge themselves much indebted to you Goe on worthy Sir with your great undertakeings and put a period to this good worke or rather may the great God of Heaven Earth doe this for you and us all and may he still preserve and prosper you in these travailes and labours of yours Farewell from Your loving freind JOS EXON THE OPINION OF THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD IAMES USHER Lord Arch-Bishop of ARMAGH and Primate of Ireland with some other Reverend Bishops in IRELAND REverend and much respected Brother in Christ Wee had long since by common consent made ready an Answer to your former Letters which you writ unto us severally some Moneths agon but being desirous to have likewise a generall Subscription to it according to that agreement which should be betwixt fellow-brethren of the Clergy we deferred the sending of it somewhat the longer in hopes of a meeting You desire us now in your second Letter dated from London March 20. that we would give you our Opinion concerning the Conference at Lipswich the rather because that Conference is likely to have some effect and influence upon the busines you have in hand Thus therefore that meeting though it was called for other ends and reasons yet seeing it was holden with such good successe and that the cheife Divines of both sides had so faire freindly a Conference heard one another with such patience parted with such love and brotherly affection it is a very good signe that this matter is from the Lord and from this good beginning who can chuse but hope for a happy and successefull issue But yet notwithstanding they parted differing about three Points it is well that they differd but in three 't is better yet that even in those three Points they agreed in most things and such as are of greatest moment nor was their difference so much about the thing it selfe as about some Formes of expression which for the most part we cannot so easily forget and cast off after we have been long accustomed to them For seeing it is confest on both sides that Christ hath two natures in one person so inseparably united that neither can they be divided nor are they confounded but still remaine distinct and severall without all mixture or aequality so much as of their Properties to what end is it to quarrell about improper and figurative Propositions so likewise in the Eucharist seeing they both agree that the Faithfull doe eat not only the fruit and benefit but the very essence or Substance of Christ's body and that on God's part the Sacraments are exhibited entire perfect the thing signified together with the sign what doe they contending about Hypocrites and unbelievers 't is all one as if Physitions should fall a disputing about a dead man whether or no the Potion he tooke hath any operation upon him There remaines yet that other much controverted Question touching Praedestination and yet even in this too it would be no hard matter for them to be reconciled were but spleen and partiality laid aside and in the roome thereof a reverent and modest feare how we pry too farre-into God's secret Counsells placed and planted seeing the best and ablest Divines of both sides acknowledge that in many Questions about this Mystery we must be faine to take up St Paul's exclamation O the depth and that 't is both lawfull sufficient for them to rest and hold together in those cleare undoubted Trueths namely that the Election of such as shall be saved was made in Christ that the destruction of all such as
perish is from themselves that Salvation is from God that Faith yea even foreseen Faith is not from our selves it is the gift of God that we may not boast of any thing seeing we have nothing of our own all must be ascribed to God as S. Cyprian of old devoutly and pithily spake Thus you have both what we hope conceive of the Conference at Lipswich But the most principall and speciall thing which should be earnestly prest and inculcated is this that in Divine matters especially in such high and difficult mysteries as these are which are rather to be adored than pried into we ought to have a certaine and set Rule to speake by as S. Austin sometimes prudently and piously counselled therefore it would be a very safe and good course for us to refraine from all novell and new-fangled expressions and to confine the liberty of Prophecying to such Formes and Phrases as the holy Scriptures doe furnish us withall It remaines that wee earnestly beseech the God of Peace to bruise Satan under our feet that shortly unto which God we heartily recommend you Reverend Brother rest May 14. Anno 1634. Your most affectionate freinds JAMES ARMAGH WILLIAM KILMORE JOHN ARDAGH THE JUDGEMENT OF THE same right Reverend Father the Lord Arch-Bishop of ARMAGH delivered in a Sermon of his preached before K. IAMES at Wansted Iune 20th 1624. IF at this day wee should take a survay of the severall Professions of Christianity that have any large spread in any part of the world as of the Religion of the Romane and the Reformed Churches in our Quarters of the Aegyptians and Aethiopians in the South of the Grecians other Christians in the Easterne parts and should put-by the Points wherein they differ one from another and gather into one body the rest of the Articles wherein they doe all generally agree wee should finde that in those Propositions which without all Controversie are universally received in the whole Christian world so much trueth is contained as being joyned with holy obedience may be sufficient to bring a man unto everlasting salvation Neither have we cause to doubt but that as many as doe walke accorto this rule neither overthrowing that which they have builded by superinducing any damnable heresies thereupon nor otherwise vitiating their holy Faith with a lewd and wicked conversation peace shall be upon them and mercy and upon the Israel of God THE OPINION OF SOME FAMOUS DIVINES OF the FRENCH Church THat which hath been the constant and earnest wish of all good men for these hundred yeares past and which by all wise men hath been esteemed worthy to be purchased at any rate and with any paines though never so great this we heare to the exceeding great joy of our hearts is at this day endeavoured by some worthy servants of Christ with singular zeale and not without good hopes of a happy successe to wit that the Protestant Churches which differ one from another about some Points of Religion laying aside or at least moderating on both sides their over-tenacious adhering to their own Opinions may now at length be united and made up into one body We being much joyed with this welcome newes first of all we render all possible praise and thankesgiving to almighty God the giver of all good things that he hath been pleased to put such good thoughts and intentions into the hearts of his servants and wee most earnestly beseech him that his blessing may goe along with this good designe crowne it with successe next we returne many thanks to those our reverend and worthy Brethren and fellow-Ministers who have put their hands to this worke and we doe highly applaud and admire their faithfulnesse zeale charity and singular magnanimity courage herein What a brave and noble spirit doe's it argue in them that they could once hope for an Unity and Peace of our Churches in these desperate and distracted times Or that they durst venter upon a matter of such difficulty which had so often been attempted heretofore by men of great abilities but could never be brought to passe What the event of this so great and good a designe will be is in the sole power pleasure of almightie God but surely the very endeavouring and intending of so good a worke deserve's no litle commendation for the bare purpose or having in one's heart and thoughts matters of great concernment and such as may make for the good of Christ's Church is a great and good worke never faile's of its reward from our bountifull God although there be good cause to hope that the paines which learned men take hereabout shall even with men too have its fruit effect For now that they have spent their spirits and heat of contention wearied themselves with long strife and variance it is more than probable that they will now at last entertaine those Counsells of Peace which they have hitherto out of spleene and passion rejected and set light by Besides that most sharp plowshare of God's judgement wherewith for almost these foureteene yeares he hath furrowed and plowed up the French and German Churches hath so subdued broken up men's minds on each side that never was there a more fit and seasonable opportunity for sowing and casting in the seeds of Unity and Peace than now Wee cannot chuse therefore but greatly approve commend and admire the purposes and endeavours of those worthy men who have imployed their paines in so necessary a worke but since we understand how that they are desirous to knowe more particularly what our Opinion is of this whole businesse let us proceed to set downe as breifly and plainly as we can our judgement herein Indeed it were much to be wished that they who professe themselves Christ's Disciples and followers would all think and speake alike of matters spirituall and Divine perfectly joyned together in the same minde and in the same judgement as S. Paul exhorts his Corinthians But since there is so much weaknesse in man's understanding and so great difficulty in Points of Divinity that this perfect and absolute agreement betwixt pious men is a thing not to be had or hoped for in this world in the next place it were to be wished that they would agree and be of the same beleife about the maine principall Heads of Religion and for other matters which are of lesse moment and use and such as do not any way make either for holinesse of life or comfort of men's consciences consequently doe not necessarily pertaine to Christ's kingdome which consists in those two things that they would in such wise beleive them as to beare with others who dissent frō them about such Points For as we see in civill saecular matters the best States-men are not alwaies of the same Opinion concerning the affaires of the Commonwealth so likewise in the Church so long as the summe and substance of Religion is