against the Custome and practice of the first Council of Nice of Constantinople of Ephesus of Calcedon where the Bishops who were from the first against the opinions of Arius Macedâ—nius Nestorius and Eutyches did not cease notwithstanding to be their lawful Judges in those sacred Assemblies which represented the Church unto which all Parties owed subjection That if that Protestation were admitted as reasonable it never was The Judgement of the Divines of Hesse nor ever could be possible to assemble a lawful Council for the deciding of Controversies and suppressing of Errors fince the most zealous Pastors and the ablest Divines were alwayes those who either by Word of Mouth or by Writing made chief opposition against such Opinions as they esteemed Heretical That if one upon such grounds must lose his right of assisting at Councils The Judgement of the Divines of Bremen all the Heresies imaginable might be eflablished without refrstance none opposing them for fear of bringing so great a prejudice upon themselves That it cannot be said upon that score that a man is judge in his own cause because in Contests of that nature when it is in question Which is Orthodox Doctrine it is not properly the Cause of every or any particular person but it is in reality the Cause of God and his Holy Church which is in agitation That for the deciding of this The Judgement of the Divines of the Palatinat when Disputes do arise we are not to apply our selves to the Jews and Gentiles who may seem nenters in the case as having no interest in either Opinion but that it ought to be referred to the Pastors and Brethren of the same Church being met together to decide it according the Word of God Optat. Milevit l. 5. advers Parmenian whatever Opinion they happened to be of during the time of the Contest And finally that Sentence being given by the Assembly submission is to be yielded and that if the Remonstrators do refuse to conforme adhering still to their Protestation they do thereby declare that they do renounce Communion with the Reformed Churches and that in that case it belongs to the Soveraign Power to determine what is to be done In these very words did the Divines of Geneva declare themselves Upon this the Deputies of the States General declared against the Protestanon of the Remonstrators that the National Synod was lawful and Soveraigâ— Judge in this Controversy as the same Synod had formerly declared in the 26. Autoritatem ejus non defugerent sed eandem pro legitimo causae judice agnoscerent Session In pursuance hereof they summoned them to renounce their Proteslation and to give in Writing what they had to say in defence of their five Articles which in conclusion they did After this all the Reasons of both sides being fully examined in several Sessions Sess 138.24 Apr. 1619. the Synod Condemned the five Propositions of the Arminians as full of Error and contrary to the Word of God and forbad them to be held or taught in any of the Reformed Churches as also to admit any person to the Minislery who had not subscribed the contrary Doctrine which was approved as onely True and Orthodox by the Decree of the Council 2. Jul. 1619 The States General hereupon sent Orders into all the Provinces forbidding any other Doctrine to be taught but what did punctually agree with the Judgement of the Synod concerning these five Articles with express Command to all Governours and Magistrates to see the said Decrees exactly observed Moreover Barnevelt who had been the Head and chief Protector of the Remonstrators and had endeavoured in their defence to hinder the convocating of the National Synod was seised upon 24. Aug. 1618. and taken Prisoner some three months before the beginning of thâ— said Synod 14 May 1619. and four dayes after thâ— concluding thereof with a Condemnâ—tion of the Arminians was Condemned to dy Merc. Franc. To. 5. pag. 43 and was beheaded Because as is specified in the first and second Article of the Sentence given againâ—â— him he had raised troubles in Religiâ— and contristated as much as in him lay the Church of God in maintaining aâ—â— causing by his Partisans to be maintarxed and instill'd into the minds of maâ—â— people that extravagant and pernicion Maxime That it belongs to every particular Province within their Precinctâ—â— to ordain of matters of Religion withâ—â— any obligation of giving notice thereof 〈◊〉 other Provinces And for having pretested without Commission in the name of thâ— Provinces of Holland Uâ—recht and Overisle that the Deputies of the other Province who did press for and forward the convocation of a National Synod would be thâ— cause and Authors of much danger 〈◊〉 mischief After this who can any longer question but the Protestant Churches 〈◊〉 England rance Germany Swisserland and the Low-Countries do hold as a Fundamental Maxime That in such Controversies as do arise concerning Doctrine in matters of Religion tho True Church of which the dissenting Parties are members has full and Soveraign Power to declare according to the Word of God what is of Faith and that there is an obligation of standing to her Decrees under pain of being Schismaticks We know very well also that in conformity with this priviledge and practise the like Synods have been held in France concerning some other Points wherein the Ministers were 〈◊〉 some variance and that it has been absolutely and authoritatively defined what was to be believed After which The Judge ment of the Divines ofâ— Geneva it has not been held lawful to contest or argue for the contrary without incurring the penalty of being cut off from the Body of the Church and this because the Gospel sayes That he who does not admit of the decisious of the Church is to be accounted as an Infidel and Publican 9. Ordo obfervatur qualem Deus sancivit sanctificavit exemplo Apostolorum omnium aetatum Ecclesiae confirmavit reduetivè ad dictum Christi dic Ecclesiae si Ecclesiam non audierit c. The Divines of Geneva thought good to make use of this passage in the Judgement they gave against the Protestation of the Arminians to proâ—â— that Verity in the Synod of Dort whiâ—â— also confirmed it Wherefore I do now before hand humbly befeech Monsieur Claude thâ—â— he go not about to tell me that according to their Doctrine even the Trâ— Church is not infallible and that shâ— may have het errors Whether Monsieur Claude whom I hold to be â— man of too much Wit and Reason 〈◊〉 be of that opinion does for his partiâ— cular Quare in sententià omninò debent stare judicio corporis repraesentati per Synodum loquentem mandato ore ex sensu totius corporis nec licet ipsis corpus in partes vncare vel sibi adversarium fingere vels sibi jus corporis arrogarâ—â— quod ipsis nullâ lege permiâ—titur really
Communities there are alwayes Courts of Justice which have received full Authority to Judge of Causes and Actions between particular persons When there happens a Sure at Law between two be they of what quality and condition they will even members of the Court it self they are no other than Parties Contesting Plaintiff and Defendant They must also have their Solicitors their Attournies and their Counsil to Plead for them but it is the Judge's business to give Sentence And when Sentence is once given if he who was cast should slight the Decree of the Court and be so bold as to say that he owns it not as legal nor the Court as lawful Judges and that it is He and his Solicitors and Council and those who are his Abettors who constitute a true Court and Seat of Justice I think he would be taken for no better than a Rebel and as Out-law or one that were not in his right wits And those who an hundred years after should dare to say that he had reason to do as he did would be thought to have as little judgement and reason as he Now can it be imagined that God would permit such an irregularity such a fearful disorder in the Government of his Church He has been pleased to give Power and Authority to an Assembly of Pastors who are the Representative of his Church to end all Contests in matters of Faith in such manner as we have already seen It is one this or that may be held or denyed before Judgement given as any one with his Party may think fit But when the Decree is once passed and it comes to be defined by this Church or Representative of the Church what is to be believed concerning the Point controverted he who has lost the cause be he who he will having antecedently to such definition owned that Church to be the True one must not nor cannot now say that it is not the Assembly but that it is he himsef his followers and Disciples who do represent and in reality constitute the True Church He who uses this language and those who take part with him in and at what time soever it does happen can be held for no other than true Schismaticks 8. This is clearly to be seen in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Ecclesiastical History and Protestants themselves will without difficulty grant it as they have already acknowledged it and solemnly professed it in the Synod of Dort The Primitive Church was made up of Jews and Gentile who had received the Holy Gospel It happened as it is recounted in the 15. of the Acts that some of those who had been converted from Judaisme coming to Antioch taught this Doctrine That if those who were of Gentils become Christians were not Circumcised according to the Custome of Moses his Law they could not be saved There fell to be a great Contest and a great disturbance in the Church about the matter St. Paul and St. Barnaby strongly opposing that Opinion and others maintaining it with a great deal of earnestness For the composing the business it was thought fit to send these two Saints and some of those of the contrary perswasion to the Apostles and Priests at Hierusalem to propose unto them the difficulty They failed not in the performance of their charge S. Paul and S. Barnabas relating unto them the favours which it had pleased God to shew to the Gentils by help of their Ministery without the assistance of the Law of Moses and those others especially some of the Pharisees who had been Convertedo urging very hotly Surrexerunt quidam de heresi Pharisaeorum qui crediderunt dicentes quia oportet circuncidi eos c. that it was necessary to oblige them to be Circumcised and to observe the Law of Moses in its full 〈◊〉 Upon this the Apostles assembled a Council at which all those of chiefest note were summoned to be present for the serious examination of the business And having weighed the Reasons on both sides at a large Conference Convenerunt Apostoli Seniores c. Cum autem magna conquisitio fieret c. and St. Peter having first declared himself upon the Point and being seconded by St. Iames with the general consent of the Holy Assembly there passed a Decree which was received by the whole Church in which was defined and declared with the assistance of the Holy Ghost who inspired them for the understanding Scripture that Circumcision was not at all necessary for salvation Visum est Spiritui sancto nobis c. as it had formerly been during the Law of Moses which was now to give place to the Law of Jesus Christ The business being thus concluded this Doctrine became a Point of Faith and those of the Pharisees who remained still obstinate in their opinion and those others who took part with them still pressing for a conformity with the Jews were now indeed true Pharisees in Christianity that is to say people cut of from the True Church however they pretended that she was onely in them and their Party 9. The same may be said of other Councils which have been afterwards held according to the example of that one which is the Model of all the rest Before the Heresie of Arius there was no speech of Consubstantiation That wicked Priest having dared to teach that The Blessed Word though Son of God was not of the same substance with the Father but onely like unto him found many passionate followers of his doctrine even among the Bishops who grounded themselves upon some passages of Holy Writ About which there arose a most desperate Dispute in the Church which caused a general disturbance to the peace thereof For the setling whereof and reaniting mens Spirits in one and the same Doctrine the great Council of Nice was called which did define that The Word was Consubstantial with the Father which was also inserted in the Symbol or Creed When this was done notwithstanding that many Bishops even of those who had assisted at the Council remained still of the Opinion of Arius and had made a strong and numerous Party who stiled themselves the True Church and called Councils amongst themselves they are still held and Protestants generally do even at this day hold them for Hereticks and all those who after so many Ages have followed that Sect are treated with the same stile by them The same is to be said of the Macedonians of the Nestorians Syn. Const Syn. Ephes Sy. Chalced. VI. Synod of the Eutychians of the Monothelites and the like who stand condemned in other Councils For although after their condemnations they protested that they were the True Church slighting the Councils which had Condemned their Opinions yet have they alwayes been accounted Hereticks and are so at this time by Protestants themselves And now if after they had rejected and condemned the Articles of the Arminians in their Synod of Dort those condemned persons should
have made a wilful separation from them and declared themselves new Protestants by a new Protestation that according to and in conformity with Holy Scripture which they onely relyed upon their Doctrine was purely Orthodox and that they were the true Church it is certain they would have either heartily contemned their rashness or commiserated their extreme folly And if they had continued refractory and obstinate in their resolution they would have cut them off as corrupt members from the Body of their pretended Reformed Church And this is not to be wondered at because in this they are agreed as well as we That an Assembly of Pastors convocated by Authority represents that Church of which those persons who were at Debate are members and is acknowledged by them to be the True Church because the only Church before Separation and that it belongs to her to end all Differences it not being in the power of the contestors to refuse submission to her Decrees or to fall off from her calling themselves the true Church at a less rate then being esteemed Schismaticks and people that proceed very irrationally This being so solidly grounded and setled by mutual consent it seems to me we are now in a very ready way to end all our quarrells and reunite our understandings by an application of this undubitable maxime unto the matter in hand according to the Principles of Monsieur Claude himself For he will needs have it as we have already taken notice and in this very knack it is that consists the great Secret of the change he so strongly fancies that there was a time when the True Church had but a confused knowledge of this Mysterie without so much as dreaming of a Real Presence or Real Absence Those who first took upon them as he sayes to maintain a Real Presence were of that Church and those who opposed it were also of the same Church because before Sentence given in the case the Church which was fallen into that confused knowledg had not yet resolved which distinctly and positively Presence or Absence was of obligation to be believed and consequently of what belief soever any one for his particular was there was no separation from her made or intended Afterwards Debates and Disputes increased confiderably and broke out at length into very great heats and violence which forced the said Church to call an Assembly of her Pastors who were her Representatives for the clearing and deciding a Point of so great importance Behold us now in the very same conjuncture of things and upon the self-same terms with the Synod of Dort And it is very certain that that Church in which the followers of Pascasius were and those who according to Monsieur Claude opposed his Doctrine held no Council in the ninth or tenth Age wherein this difference was decided in favour of a Real Absence There is not any one of our adversaries who so much as pretends to this advantage against us I am also satisfied that there was none during that time which did conclude the business by setling the Doctrine of Real Presence We can onely infer from hence that the Church having not as yet declared for either side was in the same state and condition she then was in when both Parties acknowledged her for the True Church And even this gives us sufficiently to understand that those disputes if there were any concerning the Doctrine of Pascasius were not then come to any great height or heat since the Church in which the Parties were did not as yet take any notice of them And certainly it is no easie matter to make it out that there was any considerable Contest concerning this subject during the time of the tenth Age. But when in the eleventh Age those who appeared in opposition to this Doctrine made so much stir and noise as to oblige the Church to prevent the mischief by a seasonable and solemn Judgement then was it that this same Church which before she declared her self was owned for and in reality was lawful Judge in the case did not omit to call a Canonical Council for deciding the matter And which is very remarkable never did hold a more solemn one nor ever did she expresse her self more clearly and more effectually concerning any subject For when Berringarius Arch-Deacon of Angiers who had also wrought upon and gained Bruno Bishop of the same Church unto his Party began to take up and engage for the Doctrine of Iohn Scotus or Bertram which at the first had made no great noise and to maintain it with a great deal of vapouring and busle against the Real Presence two Councils were held in one year Anno 1050. the one at Rome and the other at Vercelles where the Opinion of Berengarius was declared heretical as being contrary to the Word of God and the Book of Iohn Scotus from whence he had taken it raising it a strain higher against the Real Presence was also condemned About some five years after another Council was held at Tours where berengarius himself appeared to give an account of his Doctrine which was examined in his presence and condemned by a Decree made against it to which he subscribed with his own hand abjuring his Error and promising under oath never to defend it more But he breaking his oath and falling again to broach his old Principles another Council of an hundred and thirteen Bishops was solemnly held at Rome where this Arch-deacon was again heard speak for himself also and his Doctrine again condemned not onely by the Council but by himself who publickly renounced and anathematised it according to that famous Formula Ego Berengarius c. de consecr dist 2. which was composed and approved by the whole Council himself having desired it should so be done after he had burnt the Books of Iohn Scotus in full and open Council But he being of a most unsetled spirit and finding much difficulty to quit the honour of being Head of a Party which was highly agreeable to his ambitious humour quickly began again to instruct his Schollers in the old way and that he might make them the more sure to him had the boldness to write against that very Formula which himself had signed with his own hand This was the cause that twenty years after another Council was called at Rome where this poor Relapsed creature being now about fourscore years old did again ask pardon for that miserable relapse he had made into that Error which he now the third time retracted and abjur'd signing a new Formula which did contain in more clear and express terms the Real Presence and the changing of Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of our Lord. And he signed it purposely in that manner because his Disciples following his example had perverted the words of the other Formula into quite another sence This last time he shewed himself by his constancy to be more man than formerly For he
the Senatâ— of Amsterdam notwithstanding the Eloquent Oration which the famouâ— Grotius made in favour of the Remâ—â— strators to encline them to yield unto a Toleration Hereupon the two Patties grew into greater heats and Animosities than ever There is nothing bâ— Writing pro and con for and againâ—â— the Doctrine of Arminius Scand aloâ—â— Libels are cast out against the Magistrates They inveigh outragiously one against another in their Pulpits Each one pretends his doctrine to be the more antient as being more conformable 〈◊〉 the Word of God In private Families in Meetings at Feasts at the Bourse in the Shops you should heâ—â— nothing but discourses of Grace and Predestination Every where disputing every where wrangling From words sometimes they fall to blows and parricular quarrels turn to a kind of civil war Wheresoever one party finds it self the stronger At Amsterdam at Leyden at Utrecht c the other is sure to fare bad enough Nay they go so far as even to levy Souldiers to strengthen their Faction and maintain it where it has got the upper-hand In one word an utter Desolation seems to threaten the whole State and the Union of the United-Provinces is in great danger of being broken by the division of judgements in these points of Controverfie The States General who have the Soveraign Authority in those Provinces applyed themselves in earnest to find some efficacious remedy for so great a mischief which so much Writing so much Disputing so many Conferences could do no good in They had long before judged it necessary to call a National Synod for the final deciding of the business They had caused a Meeting of some Divines and Ministers of every Province for their Opinions and advise in the case Arminius himself who was one of the Company had given his consent with the rest Buâ— it was not then put in execution partly through the cunning shifts of the Aâ—minians partly by the contrivance 〈◊〉 Barnevelt their Protectour and partly by reason of some other affairs 〈…〉 which caused a diversion or rather a suspension of the proceeding at present For when the danger grew greater and the Truce which they had been 〈◊〉 Treaty about with the King of Spain gave them leave to apply themselves more seriously to this business their fell again upon the same design The King of England wrote unto them about it and gave them also his judgement at a publick Audience by his Embassadour that for the setling those troubles and putting an end to those Contests there was but one onely meaâ—â— which the Church had ever madâ—nse of to wit a Nationall Syâ—â—â— which was to be Iudge in the case and 〈◊〉 decide which of the two opinions was morâ— conformable to the Word of God or at leaâ—â— how and in what manner the one orthe other might be tolerated in the Church of God The States of Zealand and those of most of the other Provinces moved for the same The Protestant Princes of Germany and the neighbouring Republicks made the like Remonstrance It was from all parts solemnly declared that it was absolutely necessary for them to refer themselves to the Supreme Authority of that Church of which the two Parties were members Merc. To. 5. 1617. pag. 15 In conclusion the Arminians themselves agreed unto it they were no longer able to withsland that torrent of advise votes which came from all parts to the same effect recommending the Authority of a Synod Upon this the States General put forth a Declaration in which they made a Protestation that they prerended not by the calling a National Synod to derogate from the Rights and Liberties of the Provinces and that their intention was no other but to bring to trial before the Supreme and legal Authority those Points which then were in Contest about matters of Religion that by Judgement therein Peace might be restored to all the Reformed Churches This was done in conformity to the Peâ—ition of the Anti-Remonstrators who demanded a National Synod for the ending of Controversies without pretending for all that Ib. To. 5. p. 35. that new Articles oâ— Faith should be made After this Circular Letters were written to all the Provinces to the eâ— that every one should send unto the Synod six Deputies chosen out of theâ— Ministers and ablest Divines The Wallon Churches had the same invitaâ—on The States did also beseech the King of Great Brittain The Electioâ— Paâ—atine and of Brandebourg the Land grave of Hesse the Cantons of Zurâ—â— of Berne of Bafile and of Schaffoâ—se the Counts of Veteravia the Republicks of Geneva of Bremen and 〈◊〉 Emden to make choice of and depâ—â—â— the ablest Doctors amongst them to be assistant at this Synod which thus became more than National and was begun at Dort a Town of Holland 〈◊〉 the thirteenth of December in the Yea of our Lord 1618. The Protestants of France whâ— were invited among the first would no have failed to have been present as we as those of Geneva But as the King does not permit Ministers of other Countries to come to those Synods which they hold in his Kingdome so does he not also permit that those of his Kingdome go to those of other Nations This notwithstanding did not hinder the Ministers of France from assisting in the best manner they could For not being allowed to go thither in person the chief of them sent their Opinions and that of Monsieur Du Moulin Sess 1434 which was read publickly at the Synod and agrees exactly with the Determination of the said Synod is still to be seen at this day It is further remarkable that the year following all the Protestant Churches of France in a National Synod held at Alez received all those Decrees obliging all the Ministers and Elders deputed for that Assembly to take a solemn Oath and protest in the sight of God that they did admit of and embrase the Doctrine of the Synod of Dort as intirely conformable with the Word of God and that they would maintain the same to the utmost of their power so long as they had breath in their bodies This is what they solemnly swore unto according to the form of the Oath which you may see annexed to the end of this Treatise By which appears that these Gentlemen can now neither in Honour not Conscience refuse submission to the Decisions and Authority of the said Synod 11. Decemb. 1618. In the twenty seventh Session the Remonstrators who were not satisfied with and mistrusted their Judges made solemn Protestation against the Authority of the Synod declaring that they could not acknowledge them for lawful Judges in the case because the greaest part of them consisted of Parties and had already publickly declared against their Doctrine All the Deputies of forreign Churches gave their Opinions in Writing concerning this Protestation The Judgement of the English Divines and all unanimously declared that they judged it null and void most unreasonable and