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A86143 The heads of reasons, for vvhich a generall councell of Protestants ought to be called together in England. Published by authoritie. 1641 (1641) Wing H1287; Thomason E206_14; ESTC R9046 6,264 24

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THE HEADS OF REASONS FOR VVHICH A Generall Councell of PROTESTANTS ought to be called together in England Published by Authoritie LONDON Printed by E.P. for Nicolas Bourne and are to be sold at his shop at the South entrance of the Royall Exchange 1641. THE HEADS OF REASONS for which a generall Councell of Protestants ought to be called together in England IT may be made good first That a generall Councell of Protestants will be not onely most usefull unto the whole Church of God but even very necessary both to the same and to all Protestants States and most of all to the Church and State of England at this present time Secondly That the wavof calling it together in Great Brittaine will be easie Thirdly And that the manner of proceeding therein towards the redressing of publicke evils will be safe and sure without all apparent difficulties Therefore it must be concluded that the purpose of calling such a meeting at this time ought to be taken to heart by the Church and State of Great Brittaine And to make the former propositions good that the latter may be inferred let us consider the particulars thereof Of the first First the great usefulnesse of such a Councell will be that on the one side the Gospell of Iesus Christ considered in it selfe then the Churches of God professing that Gospell and with these all the publicke States wherein these Churches dwell will receive thereby incredible advantages and on the other side the superstitions and errors of Popery the heresies of other Sects which more secretly undermine the truth and the open scandals and disputes which disturbe the peace of many mens consciences which trouble and divide the Churches and breed in end all these confusions and disorders which shake publike States will be abolished and taken out of the way And to make this more plaine it may in due time by Gods grace be made apparent to the full that The Gospell of Christ in it selfe considered will by such a meeting receive these advantages 1. Matters of chiefe doubt necessary to be decided lest Atheisme and Libertinisme increase more and more still as they begin in many parts may be cleared 2. Fundamentals of Christian truth and faith may be fully and invincibly setled by common consent 3. The publicke profession of Divine worship may be brought to some Religious uniformity so farre as is expedient for the amiable correspondency of severall Churches one with another and is sit for the edification of all Christians 4. The meanes of propagating the Gospell and Kingdome of Christ towards those that are yet in darknesse and destitute of true and sufficient helpes to attaine assuredly to salvation may be agreed upon and set a foot for the advancement of Gods glory The Churches making profession of the Gospell may by this meanes receive these advantages 1. All the evill intelligences which now are betweene the Churches by reason of mistakings and superfluous disputes will be taken away when parties shall come to understand one anothers meaning rightly 2. The brotherly affections of mutuall love and care for one anothers edification preservation in the feare of God which is the true badge of Christs Disciples will be taken up begotten in the hearts of upright Divines who now are at a dolefull distance by reason of misunderstandings and evill surmises risen amongst them 3. The Churches will increase in number and all the members thereof being taught by their Leaders to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and love after this meeting will grow in knowledge and in godly zeale to all vertue 4 A spirituall correspondency for mutuall communion of Holy things belonging to the publike good of Religion may be by this meanes setled betwixt the Churches and afterward entertained from whence incredible comforts will arise to every one in particular and to all an generall which truely professe Religion The States wherein the united Churches doe dwell may receive from hence these advantages 1. Within themselves they will be more setled in quietnesse then heretofore they have beene and in all likelihood attaine to a full and constant peace one towards another 2. Together with inward peace all the blessings attending the same in plenty and prosperity will follow 3. In respect of those that are without they will be in safety from the practices of evill instruments which have beene sent amongst us and set a worke or have set themselves for their owne ends politickly a worke to worke the division of Protestants and by their division their overthrow 4. If they be assaulted as now they have beene a long while agoe more for their Religion then for any other cause they will receive strength and assistance one from another and not be so farre divided in Councels as hitherto they have beene to their owne overthrow These are the advantages on the right hand which by this Councell will clearely redound unto the Gospell to the Churches and to the States Protestants The advantages on the left hand are no lesse if not farre more apparent for by this meanes The superstitious fooleries and errors of Popish Religion together with the tyrannicall practises usurpations and pretentions of Papists against Protestans will be brought to nought and loose clearely all the advantages which hitherto they have had against the Churches and so the greatest blow that ever was yet given unto Popery will by this meanes be given to it Which is a thing so cleare that no rationall man can doubt of it if he but a little consider that although the meeting should not yet as it needeth not be called to condemne Popery yet if it but sheweth forth the truth of God in that wherein it is fundamentally professed by Protestants and setteth their Churches in some kind of union amongst themselves and bringeth their intentions to some good and easie correspondency for the future manifestation and advancement of the Gospell towards those that are kept in ignorance and spirituall slavery by the Pope it will make him fall from his usurped Throne to the ground and his whole imaginary Religion with him into contempt even as Satan fell from heaven like lightning when Christ sent forth his seventy disciples which preached the Gospel As for the Heresies of other Sects which secretly undermine the fundamentals of saving truth and sound government these doe as much harme in corrupting the minds of simple ones in the darke as the Papists doe openly by violence and other practices upon the affections of men that are wise after this world Therefore to cut these short of the advantages which they now take from our distractions this meeting may greatly serve For if the truth of fundamentals once be evidently cleared then a course may besettled to deal both by authority with those that are impudently blasphemous scandalous and refractory against the clearely fundamentall truth of Gods word and likewise by treaties in all lenity and long-suffering with carefull instruction
and Councell to give satisfaction to the scrupulous consciences of the weaker sort by which meanes the force of their seduction will come to an end For now they prevaile onely because no such course is taken by common consent And no such course can be taken by common consent except it be done with common advice and this cannot be done except a Generall Councell of Protestants be called to consult upon the matter The last advantage of the left hand redoundeth to the Gospell to the Churches to the States and to every particular person therein all at once For the removing first of needlesse disputes which upon this meeting will infallibly if it be well ordered follow will prevent contentiousnesse and strife of parties And if this be prevented publicke scandals will of themselves cease so farre as they proceed from that licenciousnesse and inordinate course which men take to offend one another in the way of partiality and contradiction Which way being once stopped the wel-spring of a thousand publicke evils will be dryed up and if there were none other motive to induce his Majestie and the Church and State of England to call such a meeting of Protestant Divines but this alone namely that the fountaine of such bitter waters of strife may be dryed up it would be sufficient to draw them to this resolution whether they looke in particular to themselves at this time or in generall to the whole States of Protestants wherein their safety is involved And from hence ariseth if not an absolute yet a very urgent necessity of making use of this councell at this time because if now it be either absolutely or at least very urgently necessary not onely by reason of Gods expresse and generall Commandement to this effect but also by reason of publicke and private calamities distractions and scandalously pernitious disorders more frequent now then at others times to aime at the seeking of peace in the profession of his Gospell And if this peace cannot truely be sought for or any wayes obtayned or hoped for without such a meeting of Protestants then it followeth that such a meeting is at this time if not absolutely yet very urgently necessary But this may easily be made manifest that without such a meeting a true and settled peace of Protestant Divines and Churches cannot be obtained according to Gods Commandement for the advantage of the Gospell and the safety of their publicke States therefore it must also be concluded that the aime of calling such a meeting is not onely most usefull but also either absolutely or at least very urgently necessary Much could be said of this either absolute or at least very urgent necessity of procuring peace and unity as well amongst Protestants in generall as in particular amongst the Churches of Great Brittaine and of the peculiar advantages which those of Great Brittaine should gaine more then others by calling a meeting of Protestants to that effect but now I will surcease from this subject and leave the matter to the more serious consideration of the judicious and pious Reader who can discerne what the true causes and remedies of publicke evils are and how the safety of the Church and State of England at this time cannot be procured without some especiall relation which it must have towards other Protestant Churches and States Of the second To shew that in England such a meeting may easily be called together I must in the first place presuppose that the State will be free from troubles and dangers of warre and that there is a willingnesse in the King and Clergy to have it called and then in the second place it must be made apparent 1. That the minds and dispositions of the chiefe of all Protestant parties are now sufficiently prepared to embrace and entertaine with gladnesse such a motion if it should be proposed unto them in a convenient way by any one of eminent Authority which is able to be at some extraordinary charges to that effect 2. That the most judicious Protestant Divines and Statesmen in every party doe judge such a meeting to be not only usefull but necessary to make an end of our divisions 3. That not onely the most judicious but even almost all such as are of any note have given already their consent and advice towards such a meeting and amongst these all the truely peaceable and godly wish earnestly for the calling of it together ever since the Evangelicall States of Germany have made a Decree in the yeare 1634 that at some time convenient when the affaires of the Empire should settle a little such a meeting should be called Now seeing that time is not yet come in Germany nor like to come in hast and neverthelesse on all sides the necessities of such a remedy to cure publicke evills grow daily greater and greater Therefore the Church and state of England is to be entreated for its owne safety and peace and for the love of Gods glory to helpe the publicke good in this behalfe 4. That the further preparatives namely to call 1. Those that are to be called 2. To deal particularly with them that they may be preinformed of the scope manner of treating intended And 3. To order and preconceive the whole way of proceeding towards a full and happy conclusion of the treaty such as may be without exception on all sides will not require above a years space after the resolution is once taken to call the Counsell together All which may be made palpably and particularly manifest in a very short space if it once appeare that this motion is not slighted And if it be slighted I doe hereby declare that I have washed mine hands in innocency and cleared my conscience from that guilt which will lye heavie upon those who are incendiaries of strife or accessory thereunto or being able will not helpe to redresse and to heale the breaches of Sion which strife and ambition have made and augment daily Of the third To shew that the manner of proceeding in such a meeting of Protestanes may be such as will certainly without all apparent difficultie reach the ends wherefore it ought to be called Wee must conceive what the properanddirect scope of the comming together of this Counsell should be How the Divines should be brought together how when they are come together he that calleth them should deal with them to oblige them to the scope for which they meet What they should treat off how they should severally conceive and joyntly conferre their thoughts how the generall conclusion and consent of all their resolutions is to be taken up and ratified and lastly Low the same is to be introduced into all the Churches for their mutuall union peace and edification Of these heads to speake but a word conceive thus of each 1. First the scope for which the Councell should be called should not be directly to decide matters of particular controversie or to make determinations and Decrees whereunto