hitherto the unwilling and above what what can be expressed sorrowful Church of Christ by a severe but yet legitimate Judgment had dissinherited exauthorized proscribed voluntary Exiles as degenerate Sons renegade Soldiers rebellious Citizens but now at last by our voice it speaks to the dissinherited the exauthorized the proscribed and lovingly sollicits them who have already too long sustained the Punishment of a bitter Exile and with a Maternal affection and desire treats with them of correction of Return of Concord which if they would have retained then when they departed from us she for her common Piety to all her Children would never have broken Wherefore we admonish and exhort with all the weight of Charity inclining to the Reconciliation of Peace that they return to us We ask again and again why they have departed why they have forsaken Catholick vnity we give them to understand how easie it will be the wound of Schism once healed to cure the rest which shall seem to want a Medicine And we farther promise if they will seriously grow wise again they shall be received by us even with some as it were inconvenience to our Mother the Church And least peradventure they may take an occasion of flattering themselves and their adherents with a vain Hope of future Dissunion amongst us for that there have lately risen some Differences between the Roman and Gallican Church we thought fit to advertise them first That it is not about the Doctrine of Faith which ever was one and the same in both places nor about the institutions of manners which both Churches in each place will have most pure and refined but about some Matters of Discipline alterable by time concerning which we contend with the Ministers of the chief Bishop the Peace of fraternal Charity still remaining Besides things may be disputed by Catholicks against Catholicks without danger of harm so it be done after a Christian way and manner within the Bowels of the Church and not renting her Womb. And lastly this very dispute which we have undertaken ought to be a Motive â—o them of flying Schism by our Example and to us of inveighing against the same For by how much the more moderate and amicable our Contest shall be with so much the more confidence may we reprove Schismaticks and denounce them guilty of breaking Unity throughout the whole Church Because seing we are often though unwillingly brought to that exigence that we must act sometimes in making complaints to the Roman Bishop sometimes in vindicating the Rights of the Kingdom or Priviledges of our Church we have hitherto comported our selves with that Moderation Reverence Religion in debating and deciding any matter that we have not caused even the least suspicion of infringing Charity much less have we afforded a place for deceit or given Occasion for divorce And this is the whole Model of our Design for recalling of Schismaticks to Concord and the same drawn according to the Pattern of the Affrican Church For as those Fathers received from our Ancestors the means whereby they more easily overthrew the Hersies of old growing up amongst them so we by their Example at this time reassume the means whereby we may defend our Sanctions against the Hereticks of these Days which that it may be perfected according to our as well as your desire we again and again beseech you and for that Ardor of Charity wherewith together with us you are enflamed towards the Church of Christ we expect you will as soon as you shall receive these Letters and a Copy of this Admonition to Schismaticks take care immediately to have it notified to all and singular the Consistories of Calvins Sect which are any where in your Diocesses and publick Fasts Almesdeeds Supplications being appointed you will furthermore ordain Catechyzings Sermons Exhortations pacifick Discourses and other things of this sort proper for uniting the differences of minds And thus we hope it will be effected that God by his infinite Goodness assisting our Counsels for the Peace and Reconciliation of the whole Christian world there may at length be made as formerly one fold and one shepherd Given at Paris in the General Assembly of the Gallican Clergy the First of July 1682. Franciscus Archiepiscopus Parisiensis Praeses By the Command of the most Illustrious and most Reverend Arch-Bishops Bishops and whole Ecclesiastical Synod in the General Assembly of the Gallican Clergy congregated at Paris Courcier Theol. Eccl. Paris à secretis Mancroix Canonicus Rhemensis à secretis The GALLICAN-CHURCH by the Kings Authority congregated at PARIS To the BRETHREN of CALVINS Departure wisheth CORRECTION RETURN CONCORD THe Universal Church of Christ Brethren doth continually lament and with most intense grief a Parent full of holy and sincere Piety beholds you by a Voluntary divorse abstracted from her Womb from her Breasts from her Bosome and still wandring in a Wilderness For can a Mother forget the Children of her Womb or the Church not remember her Charity towards you unmindful though you are yet still her Children whom the contagion of Error from Catholick verity and the Tempest of Calvins defection hath drawn from the Sanctity of the antient Faith and torn from the Head of Christian Unity Hence it is Brethren that she groaneth and as well most heavily as lovingly complaineth of her divided Bowels She seeketh her lost Children She calleth as a Partridge She is busie to gather as an Hen She provoketh to fly as an Eagle And anxious with maternal Pangs she labours O little Children to bring you forth again till truly and Catholickly Christ may be reformed in you We then the whole Gallican Clergy whom the Holy-Ghost hath placed to govern the Church in which you were born and who by an uninterrupted Inheritance hold the same Faith and the same Chair which the holy Bishops held who brought the Christian Religion into France do summon you and in virtue of the Embassage which for Christ we exercise as God exhorting by us we enquire of you why you have made a Schism For verily as your Affairs stand whether you will or no you are our Brethren whom formerly one Father of us all who is Heaven had received into the Adoption of Sons and whom one Mother the Church had brought up unto the hope of an eternal Heritage Yea even he himself who first bewitched you not to obey the Gospel of Truth The Ringleader of your Profession did he not formerly live with us a Brother of one mind did he not converse in the same House did he not eat the same spiritual Meat did he not practise the mutual Offices of Christian fraternity with us Excuse if you can to your Father to your Mother to your Brethren the infamy of so flagitious so abrupt and precipitate a flight The dividing of Christ the Rescinding the Sacraments of Christ the impious War against the Members of Christ the criminating the Spouse of Christ the denying the
only by Faith That after Consecration it is still Bread That there is no Purgatory That we merit nothing by our good works And it may be added that of all the passages which they set down in the margent of their confession of Faith There is not so much as one which avers either in express or equivalent terms or in the same sense the thing which they would have believed This is the Method of Monsieur Veron which he took from St. Austin who saith to the Maniches Shew me that this is in the Scripture And in another place Let them shew me that this is to be found in the holy Scripture We may therefore confidently assert that they can neither prove any of their Articles contested nor oppugn any of ours by Scripture either in express terms or by consequences sufficient to make their Doctrin be received as of Faith and ours rejected as an Error The fifth is a Method pacifick and without dispute grounded on the Synod of Dort which all the pretended reformed Churches of France have received and which hath defined by the holy Scipture that when their is a contest concerning any Atricle controverted between two Parties who are of the true Church they ought to refer themselves to the Judgment of it under penalty to him who therein refuseth submission of being guilty of Schism and Heresie But now recurring to the time when the Dispute about some Article For example concerning the Real Presence first begun the two contesting Parties who were the Ancestors of those of the pretended reformed Religion and of us were both of the same Church which was the true because it was the only one before the separation which was not as yet made Their Ancestors therefore who would not submit to its Judgment and who did not seperate from it but because it condemned their Tenents were Schismaticks and Hereticks and so by consequence are these also because they follow their Sentiments To which they can answer nothing but what might have been answered by all Hereticks who have been condemned in all Ages This Method is made good as to all its parts in the small Treatise composed for that End The sixth Method is to shew them that the Roman Church or that which throughout the Earth acknowledgeth the Pope or Bishop of Rome Successor of St. Peter for Head is the true Church because there is none but that which hath the unquestionable mark of it viz. A visible continuance without interruption from Christs time to this present day This is a Method common to all Catholicks and is very well and briefly explain'd in the little Treatise of the true Church annexed to that of the pacifick Method T is the same which St. Austin frequently make's use of against the Donatists and chiefly in his Book of the Unity of the Church and in his Epistles whereof the prime passages relating to this Subject are alledged by Monsieur Arch-Bishop of Roan in the first Book of his Apology De l'Evangile where he excellently treats of this matter To this Method may be added the Maximes of which Tertallian serveth himself in his Treatise of Prescriptions against Hereticks and Vincentius Lyrinensis in his Advertisements It may suffice here to advertise that those two Treatises are enough to any one that will read them without Prejudice rightly to discern the true Church of Jesus Christ from all Societies which would usurp that Name The seventh Method is to let them see that those who first pretended to reform the Church in which they were with us had not nor could have any Mission neither ordinary nor extraordinary to convey to us another Doctrin than what was there taught and by consequence none was obliged to believe them seing they had not any Authority to preach as they did How shall they preach unless they be sent This is the usual Method which puts the Ministers on a necessity to prove their Mission A thing they will never be able to do This cuts of all disputes and is also one of the Methods of Monsieur the Cardinal de Richelieu The eighth Method is to tell them You do not know that such and such a Book of Scripture is the word of God otherwise than by the Church wherein you were before your Schism You cannot then likewise know which is the true sense of controverted passages otherwise then by the same Church which delivers it to us This is the Method of St. Austin in many places In his Book de Vtilit Credendi throughout And in his Book Contra Epistolam Fundamenti where he saith I would not believe the Ghospel unless the Authority of the Church obliged me to it this Method is handsomely laid open in the Treatise of the true word of God annexed to the pacifick Method The ninth Method is to shew them that the Church wherein they were before their seperation from it being the true One because it was the only One they could not reform it in its Doctrine so as to frame another for then it must have fallen into Error and consequently the Gates of Hell must have prevail'd against it which is directly opposite to the promise of Jesus Christ which cannot fail The Gates of Hell shall never prevail against it The tenth Method is that of Monsieur the Bishop of Meaux formerly Bishop of Condom in his Book entitled An exposition of the Doctrin of the Catholick Church Whereby distinguishing in every Article that which is precisely of Faith from that which is not so He makes it appear There is nothing in our Belief which may stagger a rational Judgment unless by taking for our Belief the Abuse of some particulars which we condemn or some Errors which they most falsly impute to us or the Explications of some Doctors which are neither received nor authorized by the Church This method is drawn from St. Hillary in his Book of Synods Let us saith he joyntly condemn vitious interpretations but let us not destroy the certainty of Faith The word consubstantial may be ill understood let us determine how it may be well understood we may settle amongst our selves the true State of Faith yet so as what hath been well establish'd may not be abolished And false conceptions may be retrenched The eleventh Method is taken from general arguments which Divines call motives of credibility It is of Tertullian in his book of prescriptions and of St. Austin who reckens up the motives which kept him in the Catholick Church The twelfth Method most brief and most easie is to press them with this Dilemma Before Wicleff Luther and Calvin and as much may be said of the Waldenses who were in the Twelfth Century The Church of those of the pretended reformed Religion was in a small Number of the Faithful or it was not at all If it was not at all then is it a false one because it was not perpetual as
by a manifest Dissobedience In the second the Pastor seperateth from the Flock him who making a band apart refuseth to submit himself to the Orders of the Church The one is a Fault the other a Punishment the one is a voluntary Departure the other an Abstision by sentence So the Judge pronounceth Condemnation against him who hath taken away from himself his own Life The proof of these two different seperations may be seen in the thirty eighth letter of St. Cyprian where he speaks of one called Augendus who had betaken himself to the party of Felicissimus the Deacon and it appeared that this great Saint had suspended and excommunicated him for having subtracted himself from his obedience and engaged others in the same seperation Let him who shall follow his opinions and faction learn That he shall have no more communication with us for his having voluntarily seperated himself from the Church He saith the same thing of Novatian in his seventy sixth Epistle and of those who had followed him in his Revolt For that rending the Church by their Rebellion and breaking the Peace and Vnity of Jesus Christ they were forced to Authorize their particular Doctrin To be independent and to usurp a power of baptizing and of offering the Sacrifice This Distinction is clearly expressed in the fourth Article of the Council of Calcedon where those two ancient Canons of the Council of Antioch taken out of the Canons of the Apostles are rehearsed the first concerning those who were seperated the second concerning those who voluntarily seperated themselves The Greek expresseth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is believed it would be to the purpose here to transcribe these two Canons which are as it were the fundamental Laws of the practice of the Church in regard to Hereticks and Schismaticks whom she casts out of her Bosom and who seperate themselves from her These Canons are the fourth and fifth of the Council of Antioch and the twenty seventh and thirtyeth of the Appostolick Canon And our pretended reformed cannot reject their Authority seeing they keep amongst them the same Discipline when any particular Persons either Ministers or others of their Communion will not submit to the Decisions of their Synods These two Canons were read and reported in the fourth Act of the Council of Calcedon in the case of two Monks Carozius and Dorotheus who made a Schism and adhereing to Eutyches seperated themselves from the Church as Luther and Calvin and those that have followed them are seperated from it in these later times To all these precedent Methods may be added a fifteenth in making known to our pretended Reformed that in their confession of Faith in their Catechisms in their Articles of Discipline in the Resolutions of their Synods and in the Books of their chief Ministers who have writ upon Controversy's are found several Articles from whence arguments may be drawn to prove against them by their own confession the truth of our belief For Example their Discipline allows the Communion vnder one sole kind to those who cannot drink Wine from whence it may be concluded that Communion under both kinds is not a necessary Article and that they are to blame to alledg it as a lawful ground of their Seperation The Minister Daille and many others confess that at the time of St. Gregory Nazianzen of St. Chrysostom and of St. Jerome the Invocation of Saints was in use in the Church as also the Veneration which we render to Reliques John Forbese adds that Tradition is Vniform in the Church concerning Prayer for the Dead And being he denys that the Books of the Maccabe's are canonical He saith that the Scripture speaks nothing of it But without entring into that difficulty which regards the Books of the Maccabees wherein they have no more reason than in the rest It is easy to conclude from their own Principles that it was no wise allowable for them to seperate on account of Points which are established according to themselves by so considerable an Authority and by so constant an Accord of all Ages Finally whe may solidly impugn these Novellists by the contradiction of their tenents of Faith In shewing the changes which they have made from the Confession of Ausburg as also by all the different Professions of Faith which they have received and authoriz'd since that time A thing which maketh appear that their Faith being doubtful and wavering It could not have the character of a Divine Revelation which ought to be certain and constant There is nothing but Faith which will suffer no Reformation Tertullian served himself of this argument in most of his Books and St. Hillary most excellently applyed it against the Emperor Constance on the occasion of the new Creeds which the Arrians publish'd every day changing continually their Faith whilst the Catholick Church remained firm in that of Nice We may yet make use of one Method more which consists in shewing the conformity of the Roman Church with the Greek Church in the chief Articles of Faith debated between us and the pretending Reformed and also with those Societys which are seperated from the Church by Errors which our pretended reformed condemn with her as are the Nestorians and the Eutychians To these Methods we must add particular conferences solid writings Sermons and Missions and apply all these means in the Spirit of Charity without sharpness andabove all without injuries being mindful of that lovely saying of St. Austin I do not abuse those against whom I dispute thereby to get an advantage over them I only seek to convince them and save them And of the Canon of the Concil of Africa which requires That although the Donatists were cutt off from the Church of our Lord by their Schism nevertheless they should be sweetly treated withal To the end that correcting them with Mildness as the Apostle saith God may grant them the grace of Repentance to know the truth and to withdraw themselves from the Snares of the Devil of whom they are Captives 2 Cor. v. 14 Ephes 2. v. 14 John 10. v. 16 * viz. By spiritual Excommunications Ecclesiastical Censures c. * Through Schism 1 Cor. 12 v. 25 As in the next Page Isa 49. V. 15. Lam. 2. V. 11. Math 23. V. 37. Dout. 32. V. 11. Gall. 3. V. 1 Psal 55. V. 13. c. Apul 5. August Lib 1. contr Crescon cap. 66. * The Sacrifice of Mass Gen. 28. V. 12. Psal 84. V. 3. 1 Cor. 1. V. 10 Exod. 16. V. 7. c. 1 Sam. 3. c. 2 Cor. 11. V. 13. 2 Cor. 12. V. 14. Phil. 2. V. 21. Ephes 5. V. 26. Math. 5. V. 9. Luke 15. V. 17. c. Isa 65. V. 2. 2 Cor. 4. V. 6â— Isa 33. V. 7. Luke 13. V. 23 Math. 10. v. 13 Ezec 3. V. 19. 1 Method Calvin de vera participatione corporis Christi in caena Con. Carth. sub Anast Can 36. Juxta collellionem Can. Concilii vulge diâ—â—i Affricani 69. in Grec Cod. Affrican Can. 2. Method Mesirerat â— The 3d. Method Lib. 2. cont Julian Cap. 1. The 4th Method Contra Epist Fundamenti Lib de Vnit. Ecclesiae Cap. 13. The 5th Method The 6th Method From 151 to 174. The 7th Method Rom. 10. 15. The 8th Method Cap. 5. The 9th Method Math. 16. v. 18 The 10th Method Page 394 and 396. The 11th Method Cont Ep Fund Cap 4. and 5. The 12th Method Math. 16 v. 18 Chap 28. v. 30 The 31 Article of their Confession of Faith The. 13th Method Math. 13. v. 25. Verse 28. Verse 41. Verse 29. Epis 162. Ibidem The 14th Method Austin Lib. 3. de Bapt. Cont Don. Cap. 2. Ibidem Con. Calced Actione 4. 10. Can. 83. Si quis Episcopus à Synodo depositus aut Presbiter aut Diaconus aut omninò qui est sub Regulâ aproprio Episcopo ausus fucrit ampliùs aliquid sacri Ministerii gerere five Episcopus juxta superiorem consuetudinem five Presbiter five Diaconus postea non liceat ei ne in alter â quidem Synodo spem Restitutionis nec Desensionis locum habere Sed omnes qui ei communicant ejioiantur ex Ecclesiâ Et maximè si postquam cognoveruut sententiam in praedictos latam ils communicare ausi fuerint Can. 84. de ils qui scipsos seperant Si quis Presbiter aut Diaconus contempto propriâ— Episcopo se ab Ecclesiâ segregaverit ac scorfim congregationem habucrit Altare constituerit Si commonenâ—e Episcopo non acqueverit nec consentire vel obedire voluerit semel iterùm ac tertiùm vocanti is omninò deponatur nec vltra remedium consequi nec proprium honorem recipere Possit Quod si perseveraverit tumultuari Ecclesiam perturbare per potestatem externam tanquam seditiosâ—â— corrigatur The 15th Method Regulâ quidem fides vâ—â— omninò est sola immobilâ— irreformabilis Catera jam Disciplina conversationis admittuus novitatem correctionis Tertullde virgiâ—ib vel and. c. 1. advers Mare l. 1. c. 21. Lib. 3. Contr. Litt. Peul Cap. 1. 1 Cor. 4. V. 21.
been upon the very place where these Tragedies were said to be acted Besides I was really ashamed of the Kings Evidence as they call them against the Papists the Infamy of their Lives The Exorbitance the Nonsence the Inconsistency of their Oaths The Severities vsed on their sole Testimony the Reflections hereupon made by other Nations gave me some trouble and I almost wished for the Vindication of my Native Country to find a solid Proof of any thing done by the Papists in other places might seem to counterpoize our late Transactions and look like the sad Catastrophes practised by us against them here but I laboured in vain the more I sought the less I found of truth in these pretended dismal French Cruelties nothing appeared to me abating the forementioned efforts could give the least vmbrage of ground for such rueful Stories Yet I would not though well I might rest here I heard there had been a general Assembly of the Clergy of France convened at Paris I knew very well the said Clergy lay under no restraint which could hinder them from venting their malice if they had any against Protestants on the contrary the rigours and cruelties which they should express might seem the only means to ingratiate them into the Favour of the King and Pope according to the vsual Idea and Character we have of both They had now a fit opportunity if their Principles led them to it to establish or promote sanguinary Laws and retaliate the Wrongs done as they conceive to their fellow Members the Roman-Catholicks of England Wherefore now thought I now if ever is the time for me to find out the springhead and original of these French Persecutions So then I immediately sent to Paris for all the Resolves made and Directions given by that Assembly in matters relating to Protestants And in this I succeeded very fortunately for just as my Letters arrived there were printed and published by the express Authority and Command of the King and Clergy the Acts of the said general Assembly concerning Religion These Acts therefore coming to my hands I not only read them for my own satisfaction but have here rendered them into English for the use of others who not understanding the Latine and French Tongues might yet have the same thoughts and curiosity with me If to the more literate the Original 〈◊〉 by this Translation to have lost much of its Lustre and Eloquence in point of stile It must be imputed partly to my acknowledged Inability of doing better and partly also to the precise Exactness and even nicety I observed in keeping close not only to the substance but to the very words and manner of expression as near as I could bring our English to the Propriety of these Languages Thus much for a preface now to the work TO ALL THE Bishops in France The Assembly of the GALLICAN-CHURCH congregated at PARIS by Authority Royal GREETING WHat was long since by the Fathers in the first Council of Arles well and wisely ordained and accomplished That the business for the performing of which they chiefly convened being compleated they should then apply their minds to other things which they might understand to be advantagious to the good of the Christian Republick The same also we in the Name of the Gallican-Church and and by Authority Royal congregated at Paris have determined to practice and in this to adhere to the footsteps of our Ancestors Wherefore the affairs for which we judged it necessary to meet being constituted and transacted we thought good that those things should be next procured which might seem beneficial to the encrease and defence of the Christian Name And because in these three heads as solid foundations are wholy contained the peace and strength of the Church Faith Manners Discipline And in establishing of them the Father 's of the Council of Arles placed their endeavors We therefore to the same end have bent all our study that we might contribute our care and sollicitude in illustrating of Faith regulating of Manners and corroborating the force of sacred Discipline in France least by any Contrivance hereafter that triple Cord by the firm and wonderful context of which the Catholick verity is consistent may by any one be weakned or dissolved And seing amongst these Faith is the chief and nothing brings a greater help to the defence of it then if by the light of Truth Heresies and by the Ardor of Charity Schisms be overcome we esteemed it worthy our labour presently to set upon Calvin's heresy and to impugn it as the main and strongest fortress of Schism In this truly the Charity of Christ inclined and vrged us For when we beheld not without a most sharp sense of grief there was of one Church of Christ by the Schismaticks made two contrary to what Christ himself taught by his Example who of Two had made One we begun wholy to burn with desire of Vnity especially seeing every one of us was daily more and more enflamed with these voices of Christ Other sheep I have which are not of this fold and them must I bring and there shall be made one fold and one shepherd Moreover the life and manners of Innocent the 11th Bishop of Rome excited us which are so composed to the Form of the Antient and more austere Discipline that the Adversaries of our Faith ought not to refuse to agree with him in Judgment whose deeds they confess if they will speak true they must wish to imitate Lastly Lewis the Great man his daily Merits towards the Church yea rather his wonders of Royal Fortitude and Christian piety hath stirred up and augumented our courage who as many Heretical Cities as within the Limits of France he hath reduced to the antient Faith of our Forefathers so many unbloody Victories hath he purchased to his Mother Church a Son as well in Birth as Virtue the Greatest his Brethren after a long divorse being partly by entreaty partly by good deeds reconciled to the common Parent of all Moved by these Examples and only not conscious to our selves of negligence in performing our pastoral Charge we have at length applyed our selves to the impugning of Heresie But seing we understood this Warr to be such as ought to be waged with the weapons of charity to be managed in the sole Peace of Christ our Lord we determined not to use Threats not to cast Terrors not to strive with Contumelies but by Exhortations Wishes Prayers to invite our Adversaries and bring them to concord For although we are not ignorant it hath sometimes happened that those who had refused to be drawn by the Lenity of Mercy were compelled as it were by the wholesome Rigour of Charity yet we thought it both more proper and agreeable to the Christian Society which is amongst us and to the Affection of our Catholick Mother that those who have fled from the Bosome of Apostolical Peace should by Paternal admonitions be recalled And truly
Promises of Christ excuse wash off if you can And because you are not able confess your selves condemned by the Oracle of the Scripture The evil Son calleth himself just but his departure he doth not wash off Why therefore brethren have you not with the whole World remained in the stock why have you together with the Altars violated the Vows and desires of the Faithful why have you cutt off the way to Mediation There was the Ascert to God why have you laboured to take away and by a sacrilegious Hand to withdraw the Ladder from the Stone least after the accustomed manner Prayer might be made to God The other Sectarys hitherto had attempted not to subvert the Altar of Christ but to erect their own such as it was against the same Altar You that there might be no more a Christian Sacrifice have dared by a Wickedness unheard off till these times to pull down the Altars of the Lord of Hosts wherein Christ the Sparrow had chosen himself a Dwelling-place and the Turtle the Church a Nest to herself where she might place her young ones But these last and whatever afterwards ensued either of Outrage against the Church or of Errour against the antient Belief was an effect of Schismatical Fury We desire it may be attributed not so much to your Will as to the genious of Schism This one thing we particularly expostulate with you this we incessantly demand of you why have youmade a Schism Unless you shall answer to this whatsoever you say or write in other things your Talk is superfluous Nor do we doubt but against these things you will use that old and wonted Plea of all Schismaticks Having learnt by Experience it is no wise possible to shake the Doctrine of our Faith you make it your Business to carp at the Manners of all those amongst us with whom pious Men and Lovers of exact Discipline have esteemed it neither consonant to Fame nor safe in Conscience to converse Are these then the things Brethren for which the Unity of Christ is rent asunder by you Fraternal Inheritance slandered the Virtue and truth of the Sacraments of the Church divided See how much you have erred from the Gospel These things which you object and which were by much either fewer and less important or peradventure unkown or indeed not all had they been true and manifest and worse yet Christians ought to spare Cockle of this sort for the wheat 's sake to witt because the Vices of Evil Men are to be tolerated for the society of the good Moses endured so many thousands of men murmuriug against God Samuel endured the Sons of Hely and his own wickedly acting Christ our Lord himself endured Judas and the Devil and the Thief and him that sold him The Apostles endured false Brethren false Apostles who resisted them and their Doctrine Lastly Paul not seeking his own but the things of Jesus Christ conversed with an exceeding patience amongst men that sought their own and not the things of Jesus Christ Yet you beloved Brethren not only have not endured the Church your Mother the Spouse of Christ but have rent but have torn but have violated her Unity And that you might rend that yon might tear that you might violate you have laid the Blemishes of private Men to the charge of her whom Christ washed by the Laver of Water in the word of life that he might present her to himself glorious not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing What remains now Brethren but that for your sakes we obey the Council of the Holy-Ghost Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Sons of God And that by the Bowels of Mercy which you have hitherto rent By the Womb of your Mother the Church which you have torn By the Charity of Brother-hood which you have so often violated By the Sacraments of God which you have contemned By the Altars of God which you have demolished By whatever Holy and Divine is worshipped either in Heaven or in Earth we exhort you with fraternal minds to Correction to Return to Concord Yea verily what now remains but that forgetful of Schism and mindful of plenty you return home where so many hired Servants abound with Bread whilst now wandring in an arid and desert Land you gather not so much as crums even to sustain your spiritual Famine why do you demurr why do you resist What then do you blush at the Name of Sons amongst whom the first born Lewis daily erects new Trophys to the Church the best Mother Lewis in this thing alone through your obstinacy not happy enough That although he daily establish many things religiously and piously for Defence of the Christian Name yet he see 's some of his own Subjects who have wilfully faln from theit Countreys worship and apostatized to strange rites Renegadoes of Religion and Deserters of the antient Warfair still persisting in their contracted Error This most Christian Prince who in our hearing lately said he desired with so much earnestness the dispersed and faln parts might be recalled to the Unity of the Church that he should esteem it glorious to deserve the same even with the effusion of his Royal Blood and the very loss of that most redoubted Arm wherewith he hath happily accomplished so many Wars Will you then Brethren To a Prince most august to your King To the Vanquisher of many and most potent Enemies to the Conquerer of most strong Cittys To the Subduer of mighty Provinces To one renowned in all kind of Triumphs Envy that Palm which he prefers before all the rest But Brethren whilst we thus speak to you and exhort to thoughts of Peace do not say Seek us not For this Iniquity suggests by which we are divided not Charity by which we are Christians Remember we are so commanded by the Prophet from the Spirit of Truth and Peace that we do not desist to tell them who deny they are our Brethren You are our Brethren Now what time more opportune can be offered unto us of recalling you to the Roman Communion then when Innocent the Bishop Govern's the Roman Church whose Life and Manners regulated according to the Form of antient and exact Discipline exhibit a perfect Patern of Sanctity to the Christian World That to adjoyne your selves to him so worthy a Professor of all virtue will be in you a grand work of virtue redounding as well to safety as glory Wherefore you who need a Physitian the Members and truly noble Members of Christ redeemed with the same Price but by the wicked Fraud of the Common Enemy of us all divorced from the Head and Body of the Church suffer your selves for the immortal God's sake to be healed Admit the address of our Admonition yea we may confidently say such is our Benignity and Compassion towards you of our Supplication and at length brotherly accept this occasion