Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	body_n	church_n	union_n	1,510	5	9.6741	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53386	The opinions of certaine reverend and learned divines concerning the fundamentall points of the true Protestant religion, and the right government of reformed churches Wherein is declared the plaine path-way to a godly and religious life. Published by authoritie.; Good counsells for the peace of reformed churches.	T. I.; Davenant, John, ca. 1572-1641.; Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.; Morton, Thomas, 1564-1659.; Ussher, James, 1581-1656.	1643 (1643)	Wing O356; ESTC R216583	49,936	153

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 Maldonat 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 and readily professe without any doubt or scruple O what enimies are we to Peace if we will yet needs quarrell amongst our selves ● In all this I wish we would carefully remember that usefull distinction of John Gerson esse quaedam de necessitate fidei quadam verò de fidei devotione that there are some things essentiall and necessary to Faith other some things which shee piously and devoutly beleives but yet they are not of such necessity as the other the former are such as may not so much as bee once doubted of but these latter may admit of an {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} we may safely either suspend our assent unto them or positively dissent from them The second Article wherein they differ is concerning the manner of receiving Christ in the Eucharist Both agree that Christ's body is truly and really given taken and eaten in this Sacrament together with the outward Elements All the question is concerning Vnworthy receivers An unworthy Question truly it is that the publike Peace should any way be disturbed about it We willingly grant both of us that even such as are Vnworthy doe eat that which by a sacramentall Union is Christ's body and that therefore they are guilty of the body and blood of Jesus Christ What doe wee now making any more adoe about the manner of their eating whether it be Orall or not Let Christians make this their care that they thēselves may be found worthy Communicants and let them not trouble themselves to knowe how those which are unworthy are partakers of Christ How farre the vertue of that Sacramental Union extends it selfe and whether the manner of this eating be Orall or Spirituall let the Schools dispute it Christians need not be too curious in enquiring after it nor is it fit wee should disquiet the Churche's Peace by refusing to indulge mutually one another a liberty of Opinion in such nice Points The third Article is that fatall Point of Praedestination about which Divines of both sides expresse themselves variously but yet modestly and discreetly In many things and such as are of most moment their judgements on both sides are the same as that election is most free proceeding from the meere

that this Union of the Reformed Churches we speake of is not a thing impossible is confirmed further from that agreement amongst the Polonian Churches begun of late at Sendomire ever since carefully by them kept and observed it is true they could not bury all controversies but they could banish all contentions and establish so perfect a peace as that they refused not to admit of each other into their publike Congregations to the preaching of the word and Administration of the Sacraments Which holy brotherly concord of those Churches that most wise Prince Lodowick Electour and Count Palatine did not only by his letters to them congratulate but desired of Almighty God in his prayers that the Germane Churches also might be blessed with it What therefore was long since said to that blessed peace-maker King Solomon concerning the building of the Temple at Jerusalem the same say I to all moderate and peaceable Divines concerning the uniting of the Reformed Churches arise yee Worthies and be doing and the Lord will be with you Never despaire but that may be now effected which all men will grant hath been done heretofore But least this groundlesse bugbeare of a fancied impossibility should yet slacken the endeavours either of Princes or Divines or any other pious and well affected Christians and deterre them from proceeding herein I will recount all those lets and hinderances which render the peace and union of Churches utterly impossible to be obtained from whence it will easily appeare that there 's no one of them here to hinder why the Germane Churches notwithstanding some points of difference amongst them may not setle a firme peace amongst themselves and being once setled preserve it inviolable Now the first and maine Obstacle that hinders those Churches which agree not in all points of Religion from entertaining a Communion amongst themselves is the usurping and exercising of a tyrannicall power and authority one over another For if any one Church will take upon her to domineer and lord it over the faith of other Churches so as not to acknowledge any for her brethren nor admit of any into her fellowship and Communion but such onely as will be content to beleive and speak just as shee will have them all hope is then taken away of ever obtaining or preserving any agreement in any differences or disputes whatsoever For the sacred Scriptures forbid us thus to enslave our selves to any humane authoritie and our sole Lord and Master Christ Jesus forbid's us to acknowledge any upon earth for a Lord over our Faith and Conscience and that Church which enter's into a Communion with another upon these termes doth not hereby purchase a Peace but rather resigne's up her selfe to a most unjust slavery Onely the Church of Rome is come to that height of pride madnesse that she will take upon her to exclude from the communion of Saints damne to the pit of Hell all such Churches as will not submit their necks to that Antichristian yoake of absolute and blind obedience God of his goodnes ever keep off this Popish folly and fury from setting foot in the Protestant Churches which if it should once take place that union of our Churches which we are all bound to pray for would bee no longer either to be hoped or wisht for But blessed be God for it it is well known there 's not any of the Reformed Churches but doe from their soules detest and abhorre all such Antichristian ambition and desire of Soveraignety And thus have I removed out of the way the maine Obstacle which usually occasion's a perpetuall division rent betwixt such Churches as differ in some points and thereby make's an union of those Churches to become impossible A second let or hinderance which may render the said union of different Churches for example the Saxon and Helvetian Churches impossible is the approbation and practice of Jdolatry in the one the utter detestation of it in the other That of the Prophet Hosea is well knowne though Israel play the harlot yet let not Judah offend come yee not unto Gilgal neither goe yee up to Beth-aven Likewise also that of the Apostle what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols And a number of places more to the same purpose Neither is that saying of Tertullian touching this matter unworthy our observation Idolatry saith he is become the grand and generall sin of whole mankinde the Epidemicall disease of the whole world Since therefore God so severely chargeth us to keepe our selves from Idols all kinde of Idolatry though never so speciously colour'd over wee may well call that morally impossible which cannot be performed without some staine and tincture of Idolatry and without a high and 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

reall not imaginary onely the strife betwixt us is ended At that very same time c Bucer his Adherents granted that the very body and blood of our Lord is offered given and received together with the visible signes of bread and wine Iacobus Andreae saith we neither hold with the Capernaites nor admit of Popish Transubstantiation nor maintaine we any Physicall or locall presence and inclusion of Christs body and blood in the blessed Sacrament nor doe we by those words substātially corporally orally understand any thing else but only a true reall presence and participation of his body and blood in this Sacrament Now let us heare the judgement of the Helvetians herein Although they deny that there 's any Transubstantiation of the Elements or any locall inclusion of Christ's body in the bread or any Conjunction of his body and blood with the outward elements remaining after the Sacrament is ended yet they willingly grant that by vertue of a mysticall sacramentall union the bread is Christ's body that his body is truely present and received together with the bread J doe not knowe what two things can possibly be more like than is this Opinion of the Helvetians with that of the Lutherans But if any man suspect that there may privily lurke a diversity of meanings under these so-concording expressions yet are we still to urge and enquire whether that diversity be such and so great as to render the Peace and Union of those Churches utterly impossible and to give just occasion for a perpetuall rent and division amongst them I assure my selfe learned judicious Divines when they are out of the heat of Controversy and look indifferently into the matter will think farre otherwise of it Now as for those other Controversies concerning the ubiquity of Christ's body the Communication of Properties other such like all springing from that former touching the Sacrament he that doth seriously ponder with himselfe what is granted and what denied of each side will easily perceive that neither the one nor the other doth so much as call in question much lesse oppose or overthrow any necessary and fundamentall point of Faith since both sides hold and professe whatsoever the Church Catholike in her Creeds and Generall Councells hath declared to be beleived in these points and whatsoever hath been by her in like manner condemned as erroneous is equally rejected by both But yet notwithstanding all this that we see now and then some men catching at consequences and taking advantage from thence to charge Heresy one upon another it is a matter that deserve's not so much our wonder as our pitty we all of us know 't is the common custome of hot and eager disputants especially when through long agitation of the matter they are inflamed with choller and passion and besides I have already showne in breife what we are to think of such Heresies as are fastned upon men meerely for such consequences as they themselves neither apprehend nor grant For the present this alone may suffice to show the Possibility of a Reconciliation that there 's no one Opinion expresly maintained by either side which is directly contrary to the substance of Faith or destructive of Salvation salutis devoratorium to make use of Tertullian's expression nay whatsoever is such is plainly and expresly condemned by both If of later times any new Differences have been raised amongst those Churches touching Predestination Freewill and the like these can no way be made a sufficient ground of Schisme and separation betwixt them For in all these there is nothing of fundamentall and necessary beleife save onely this that the free grace goodnesse of God in the Predestination of miserable men in the conversion of sinfull men in the freeing of their captivated wills in a word in the finall Perseverance and Salvation of his Elect be so farre forth acknowledged and extoll'd as that whatsoever makes any way for the enstating of them in grace and glory and whatsoever is done by them in reference thereunto all must be ascribed to the speciall grace and mercy of Almighty God on the contrary whatsoever concerne's the corruption of man's nature his obstinacie in sinne the pravitie and servitude of his corrupt will in short whatsoever praecipitate's plunge's wretched men into Hell and everlasting perdition all this we must thank our selves our sins for by no meanes impute any part of it to God So long as these things stand firme and unshaken as without doubt they doe though in the meane time their manner of apprehensions and expressions yea though their Opinions be different in other points which are onely superstructions and belong not to the foundation yet are not these of such moment as 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

mercy of God that God found not any cause or occasion in those whom hee elected the sight whereof might move him to chuse them rather than others but that he did from all eternity reprobate and praedestinate to eternall damnation such as persevere and persist in their sinnes and infidelity not by any rigid and absolute decree without having any respect or regard to sin but out of his most just judgement so as all the cause the blame of it ought to be sought for in the men themselves In this they are at a stand that the foresight of Faith and Perseverance is by the reverend Divines of Saxony placed before the act of God's Election so as God did from everlasting foreordaine such as he fore-saw would in time beleive c. Certainly of all the Questions about Praedestination this concerning the order of his Decree is least materiall seeing we know assuredly that the infinite all-wise disposer of things performes all this with one single most simple act There is nothing more certain than that God did foresee who would beleive and that he did praedestinate such as should be saved let but this then be granted which they of Saxony willingly professe that Faith is the sole gift of God and that whatsoever good there is in the Elect all of it doth originally proceed from the free grace meere mercy of God which was bestowed on them in Jesus Christ from all Eternity I say let this be granted and doubtlesse there can be no danger in that Opinion of Praevision or fore-sight God from everlasting fore-saw that which he himselfe from everlasting decreed to bestow in time upon such as should beleive All this is sound and safe nor is there any cause why any further strife contention should be made here about In all this I embrace and applaud this Christian and brotherly moderation and holy desires of Peace thus it becomes Christians thus it becomes Divines I am much deceived if this modest and seasonable appeasing and calming of men's minds doe's not promise a firme and perpetuall Peace to God's Church Thou God of Peace in thy good time accomplish it give eare to the prayers of thy People and grant that all Christians may be of one heart and one way till at length we come by Thee who art the Way to Thee who art the Life Amen Amen From the Palace at Exceter Febr. 25. 1634. Which is the humble daily and devout prayer of JOS EXON Afterwards the same Mr John Dury sent unto the Ld Bishop of Exceter a Coppy of a certaine pious and peaceable Decree made published by a generall vote at a publike Meeting of the States in Franckfort requesting his Opinion concerning the meanes and manner how this good worke might be advanced where unto he had returned him this Answer TO HIS MOST FAITHfull learned and loving freind Mr JOHN DURY all happinesse SIR IHave read over with a great deale of delight the Transcript you sent me of that Decree for Peace which was lately signed by all the Protestant States and Delegates assembled at Franckfort than which Decree nothing in my Opinion could possibly have been devised more full of prudence and religion nor doe I see as the case now stand's what more could be once hoped for or what could possibly have beene proposed and resolved upon that might more conduce to the advancement of the publike Peace which all good men so much wish and desire Thus it was meet that the holy Citizens of God's Church that pious Princes and Peeres should thus carefully provide for the Peace and safety of Christendome And blessed be God the bestower of every good gift the Author of Peace who did put into their noble hearts those holy desires and purposes may the same good God be pleased at length to finish this his owne work so hopefully begun and crowne it with successe And truely neither our prayers nor our utmost endeavours shall ever be wanting hereunto neither know I well upon what hopes it is but methinkes my mind doth confidently promise and praesage a happy issue to this holy enterprise For indeed what a small and slender hedge is it which now divide s and part 's us We doe all of us of the Reformation receive and approve the same Scriptures the same Creeds the same Augustane Confession onely in one Article the sense is so doubtfully expressed that the Author himselfe did not thinke it safe to adhere to the letter of it The foundation of the Christian Faith is amongst us all one and the same entire and unshaken there 's not so much as one stone in it or the least peice of coement about which any question either is or can be made Upon this Foundation there are built certain Points of Schoole-divinity about which alone we so hotly contend but what are these to a Christian What are these to Salvation In what a safe and quiet state might the affaires of Christendome have been if such nice Disputes of curious and over-busie heads had never been heard of if learned men could have contented thēselves with some generall formes of expressing the Trueth and not presently to have sifted Divinity so over-nearly as they have done But seeing these strifes which are not onely unprofitable but very hurtfull and prejudiciall to both sides are thus unfortunately raised what better advice can be thought upon for the setling and composing of these stirres than that the Faith be brought back againe to its primitive simplicitie and plainenesse by the publike authority and joynt consent of the Christian Church And that in this confused mixture and multiplicity of matters of beleife the Christian world be taught warily to distinguish betwixt the genuine and proper Articles of Faith and the lesse necessary additions of Schoole-conclusions which truely in this very businesse is a matter of no great difficulty to performe This especially is fundamentall Christ is both God and Man and so likewise this Christ God and Man is truely omniscient omnipotent omnipresent now if any shall adde further Jesus Christ according to his humane nature is omniscient omnipotent omnipresent truely that word according seemes to be farre off from the Foundation 't is a Scholasticall notion and to be turned over to profest Divines but it is not fit the Salvation of plaine and illiterate Christians should be made to hang and depend upon such a subtle and nice Point as this is Can these knowe or are they bound to know how farre the vertue of the hypostaticall Union extend's it selfe or what the bounds are either of those faculties or operations which flow from that union of the two natures Certainely if God had intended this for a necessary Point to be knowne by all men he would not so sparingly and obscurely have revealed unto his Church a mystery so fundamentall and important I dispute not the trueth of the Point nor is this pertinent to my purpose onely I question whether it