points of their doctrine and Ceremonies to be ereoneous and false and if not directly yet by a necessary consequence repugnant to the word of God and some Articles of faith Neverthelesse if but they who have not the knowledge yet of such consequence account their owne opinions agreeable to Scripture might not impose them or theirs as necessary Articles of faith but let us enjoy therein our liberty of Conscience If they also would leave to our freedome such Ceremonies of theirs as they themselves will have held as free indifferent things and consequently would tolerate and receive us and our teachers as true Christians or at least as weake brethren in faith though we cannot assent to their owne peculiar opinions as some peaceable Divines amongst them Paulus Eberus David Chytraeus Christopherus Donaver Nicolaus Hemmingius and principally Philippus Melanchton besides many others of his Followers yea whole Congregations and Churches especially in the Kingdom of Poland and great Dutchy of Lithuania a great while since have declared themselves Wee should then have no reason at all yea we were rather to be blamed and should be Schismaticks indeed if we of our owne accord should with-draw and separate our selves from them because of such different opinions and Ceremonies Of whom we yet acknowledge and confesse that for the rest if they doe not make their owne opinions to be necessary fundamentall points they retaine with us the true ground of Christs saving Doctrine and are exempted in their Religion from a publick and manifest Idolatrie And for these reasons have our Churches and Divines at all times most faithfully earnestly and zealously sought to procure and settle a Christian reconcilement and Unitie as formerly in Luthers time in the conference at Marpurg An. 1529 in the Concordia at Wittenberg Anno 1536. and in later years the Palatine and others in their Declarations for Ecclesiasticall peace which also were reassumed in the Conference at Leiprig Anno 1631. As likewise at those present times many eminent Divines beyond Sea in England France and Scotland whose opinions and assistance therein as that Reverend and worthy man Mr. Iohn Duray hath solicited with a singular industry and zeale to a peaceable Unitie and Reconcilement faithfully and sincerely wish advise in their publick Writings such an Unanimitie Uniformitie amongst the Churches in Germany Whence it sufficiently appeareth that we for our part are not inclined to judge and to condemne the Lutherans or to continue in the division and separation from them which hath lasted already above a hundred years Againe it is knowne and manifest on the other side that the Lutherans on their part will hearken and condescend not only to no absolute agreement and reconcilement but also to no Christian and brotherly toleration or moderation in this unhappy Ecclesiasticall difference Because the greater part of their Doctors and Divines upom whom also many Lay-men depend especially the vulgar sort though with indiscretion and defend their zeale maintain their different and controverted opinions not only as agreeable with Scripture but impose them also as necessary grounds and principall Articles of Christian faith without which men may not be counted true Christians nor be saved And so in some manner falsifie therwith the ground-work it self by their owne additionall opinions which they lay for a By-ground of salvation And will not let us effectually injoy our Liberty in such ceremonies which they themselves call adiaphora free indifferent things nor consequently receive us or our teachers as fellow-Christians unlesse wee acknowledge and professe with them the Omnipresence of Christs body the carnall eating thereof in the bread and other such like points of doctrine contained in their formula concordiae much lesse admit us to the Ministery but most vehemently condemne us as the worst Hereticks who doe ovorthrow the foundation and exclude us from the Communion of their Churches yea in many places exclude us from civill society from dignities and offices from Senates from priviledges of the Citie from marriages and from honourable burials Moreover they yet daily and most spightfully pervert calumniate and slander the Doctrine of our Church and continually and most unjustly without the least ground against our owne so often reiterated Declarations charge it with dreadfull and abominable Blasphemies which neither Luther himselfe nor other his Ancient followers ever did and for no other reason but that they might pretend so much more cause for to condemne and reject us What is most reprovable in Lutheran Divines And this is that we finde in the said Lutherans most reprovable and damnable not simply the erroneous Doctrine in it selfe but that they make it a necessary fundamentall Doctrine and of their owne particular Opinions make Articles of Faith and that they therefore so uncharitably and un-Christian like judge and condemne us Why the Reformed must separate themselves from the Lutherans Whereby also every one may evidently see that we therefore have not onely good reason but are of necessity constrained to separate our selves in our Religion from those who will by no means tolerate us nor receive us as Christians least we professe and addict our selves against conscience to such Doctrines and acknowledge them as necessary Articles of saving Faith whereof we have not onely no certaine warrant from the word of God but are convinced in our consciences of their repugnancy to it Wherewith we would give a dangerous scandall and offence first to our own Conscience by denying the knowne Truth of God and then to other fellow Christians as well to the true-Beleevers who with us have the knowledge of the Truth that they might by our example proceed against conscience as to the erring that they might be strengthened and confirmed by our example in their errours And here againe we are not those that separate themselves from them but they are those that Separate and reject us and yet not because of the manifest Word of God as they pretend but because of their owne Opinions Interpretations Inferences Formaâ—ls and Expressions Whereby they put a very dangerous stumbling block and occasion to fall both in our and their owne way yea in the way of the Universall Christian Church and though they proceed not against the ground of Faith yet they are against the ground of CHRISTIAN CHARITIE Especially whereas also the Christian Unitie or brotherly toleration which hath been of our side offered to them at severall times both by word of mouth and in writring not onely hitherto hath been utterly refused by them but also by many mis-interpreted to the worst reviled slandered so that the most pernicious Schism and breach of the Church is but grown thereby more dangerous lamentable Which al we ought to beare yet with a Christian Patience committing it to the Soveraigne and highest Judge and therefore not omit to seeke and maintaine the Unitie of spirit in Faith and love with them that are peaceably affected Some Lutheran Divines are
and conversion from sin and without new obedience to Christ Commandments Which all is so plainly and expresly taught in the undoubted Word of God especially in the Five aforementioned principal Points that every Christian may sufficiently understand them unto his salvation and hath been unanimously professed in the Primitive Apostolike Church But whatsoever is not so clearly and expresly taught in the Word of God as a necessary Article of Faith Love and Obedience towards Christ nor hath been understood and taught out of the same in the Primitive Church That very same though it dependeth from it by a necessary consequence and therefore may be true doctrine and agreeable to Scripture yet it cannot be necessary for them who do not understand it as yet and retain onely the Fundamental doctrine it self the saving faith and love towards Christ at least so long till God enlighteneth and bringeth their understanding to a fuller knowledge of the Truth which they in the fear of God ought daily to search into Whereby we do conclude further that We ought also not to judge one another according to the aforesaid rule of the Apostle in these doctrines Especially when the other may produce Motives and reasons to the contrary and such which are taken not from natural reason but from the Word of God and therefore bindeth not onely his understanding but also his conscience that he cannot receive such doctrines for fear of sinning against God and his Word but must at least doubt of them For in such a case we must say Whosoever doubteth if he eateth if he receiveth them is damned by his own conscience And rather according to the Apostle's exhortation in such controversies of doctrines We must receive him that is weak in faith but not to doubtful disputations Who art thou that judgest another mans servant To his own master he standeth or falleth Let us therefore not judge one another any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling-block or offence of conscience in his brothers way CHAP. IV. That the Romane Catholike Church hath no ground to Judge and condemn the Protestant Reformed Evangelical Churches as Heretical HAving laid this ground we may easily and as much as is necessary for every ones conscience unto salvation deliver our Judgement and Opinion concerning the Modern differences and dissentions in matters of Religion which among the Christians that make on all sides profession of the written Word of God contained in the Old and New Testament are fomented and aggravated meerly out of an Unseasonable and Uncharitable judging and condemning with such vehemency and bitternesse yea with such great effusion of blood and lamentable devastation of Countreys that never the like was heard of any other Religion in the world At this present I will make but a short Application to the Three principal divided and dissenting Churches Differences betwixt the Romane Catholikes Lutheran and Reformed Churches which are dispersed in the Occidental Christian World thorowout whole Provinces and Kingdoms As first the said Romane Catholikes or Papists so called who besides the holy Scriptures are grounded upon the traditions of the Church and especially upon the Councel of Trent and generally are altogether subjected and depend on the Pope of Rome as being their Supreme Head and Judge in matters of Religion and Conscience as the Churches in Italy Spain and the greater part in France Germany and Poland Then the Protestant Evangelical Lutherans as they themselves will be called who besides the holy Scripture professe Confessionem Agustanam Saxonicam formulam Concordiae as their Symbolical and Universal Books of doctrine not that they ground principally their Faith and Religion upon them but that they hold the doctrine and opinions of them conformable to Scripture and necessary unto Salvation as in Germany especially in high and lowe Saxony some Churches in Swaben Francony Westphaly Hessen c. and without Germany the Churches in Denmark Sweden and Prussia although there is some difference perceived betwixt them because some have not received hitherto as yet the said formulam Saxonicam and some of them have collected their own peculiar Corpora doctrinae Confessions and Books of Doctrine Thirdly those Evangelical Christian Protestants who because they will not be bound and tied to any man's whether it be Luther's Calvin's Zuinglius or any other's Doctrine or Books and therefore not be named by any man's name but have purged and reformed their Doctrine and Religion from the abuses of Popery onely according to the written Word of God are commonly called Reformed by some Papists they are called Biblists or Scripture-men of which name they need not to be ashamed because they are grounded on and refer themselves wholly to the holy Bible as the Churches in England Scotland Helvetia the United Provinces of the Low-Countreys all the reformed Churches in France with some particular Churches in Germany Poland Hungary c. Which though they have collected and framed also their peculiar Confessions yet not with the intent to binde other Christians consciences even to their word but onely to testifie their Unanimous consent and Uniformitie first and principally in the necessary fundamental Points of salvation out of the manifest Word of God then secondarily in the confutation and rejecting of the erroneous By-doctrines especially those of the Popish Churches which have no ground in the Word of God but are è diametro opposite to it by a necessary consequence And withal to decline and refute all sorts of calumnies and slanders of their Adversaries Wherefore also they by a special Confession of theirs do not reject the Confession of others especially that of Augspourg though there be some difference in words remaining much lesse do presume to condemn other Eastern and Western Churches because of some different opinions or Ceremonies if onely they do agree with them in the fundamental points of doctrine and for the rest withhold themselves from condemning others And even for these very same reasons have I hitherto addicted my self to the Confession of these Reformed Churches and am resolved with Gods assistance to persevere in it even unto death not onely because I acknowledge in the controverted Points the doctrine of these Churches I say Their own doctrine which they themselves Vnanimously professe to be consonant and agreeable to Scripture but especially because besides the Indubitable Universal Fundamental Doctrines and necessary Articles of faith which they with one consent receive they do not maintain or impose upon others any other doctrine as necessary unto salvation which in it self and by Gods command is not but impart and permit to every one the due libertie of Conscience and also do neither deny pervert or mutilate any part or articles of the true Gospel of Christ nor introduce any other By-Gospel or By-articles or judge or condemn others for it Whereas other Churches principally the Papists and partly the Lutherans if they do not quite deny any necessary point of true
Christianitie yet do very much transgresse the true limits and rules both of Gods truth and Christian Charitie seeing they Adde many of their Doctrines and impose them upon others as necessary unto salvation or judge and condemn them therein as Hereticks which neverthelesse in themselves and by Gods command are not necessary yea false and not agreeable to Scripture I do not deny but there be some such sort of people found in our Churches which are too too zealous and obstinate in their own opinions and undertake to judge others who will not altogether give their assent to them Which is not sutable to the unanimous Doctrine of our Churches and therefore may not be imputed to the whole Universal Church But that we may well know which of these three divided and dissenting Churches judgeth the other or is judged by them aright or wrong I will first declare but briefly and onely as much as may conduce to the information of the Unlearned Whether the other two the Romane Catholikes and the Lutherans have any sufficient and well-grounded reason to judge and condemn our Reformed Churches as Heretical Then shall I take an opportunitie to shew in the Second Part of this Apostolical Direction Whether and how far our Churches ought to judge and condemn the other Two the Papists and the Lutherans That the Romish Church hath no sufficient ground to judge and condemn our Reformed or Lutherane Churches as far as they agree with us to be heretical we make it good by reasoning thus Because they cannot accuse us or make us believe that our Churches either deny any Article of the Ancient Apostolike Catholike Faith or do introduce and condescend to any false heretical Point But they do condemn us meerly for this because we do not receive some articles of their Modern Doctrine and Religion which they cry up for Vniversal or Catholical and yet either are not necessary unto salvation as they must confesse themselves of the greater part of them or false erroneous and superstitious as we are convinced by the Word of God in our own Consciences For in the first place although they charge and accuse us of all sorts of new Calumnies and slanders of the Papists against the Evangelical Protestants Un-catholike false and partly heretical damnable blasphemous Doctrines As that we make God to be the Author of sin That we do deny all free-will of man even after his regeneration That according to our Doctrine it is impossible even to the believers to keep the commandments of our Saviour That by Faith onely we may be saved and justified though we live never so sinfully That all sins shall be forgiven us if we do but believe that they are forgiven though we do still continue in them That the Justification is wrought meerly by an external imputation without internal renovation and sanctification That Repentance and confession of sins and new obedience and good works are quite unnecessary That we reject all Fasting all Vows and Church-discipline Dignities Orders and Traditions of the Church yea obedience to Magistrates Annihilate the Sacraments or hold them to be but naked bare Signes Blaspheme and despise the Saints in heaven and such-like Points Against which our Churches have always solemnly protested both in their Confessions and Apologies that such was not their faith and opinion but that all these are but meer slanders detractions and mis-constructions Whereupon they have declared themselves with one accord that they would not acknowledge nor hearken to any new doctrine but onely adhere closely to the Ancient doctrine of the primitive Apostolike Church as it is principally grounded upon the sacred Scripture being the main rule of our Faith and as it hath been declared out of the Word of God against all Sects and Heresies with an Unanimous consent of the Primitive Church especially in the General Christian Synods of Nicene Ephesus Chalcedone and Constantinople whose Universal confession of Faith they unanimously maintain of which the Romish Church it self confesseth in the last Council of Trent Concil Trid. sess 3. to be the buckler and shield against all Heresies the Principle whereunto necessarily he must agree that will professe the Christian Faith yea the solid and sole foundation against which the gates of hell shall not prevail Wherefore our Churches cannot justly be charged with any new heretical doctrine because though one of our Divines should defend any new opinion or exposition of the Scripture yet they do not binde themselves to it much lesse enforce it upon others as necessary unto salvation but give way to be examined according to the rule and square of the Word of God When now for all this the Romane Catholikes persist to condemn our Churches as heretical because we will not receive besides such Ancient true Catholike Christian Faith all their modern new-fangled Doctrines and Traditions which they have since added and invented in their Council of Trent and other Popish Councils of late times or in the Decrees of the Popes It behoveth them first to prove and shew firm and certain grounds that those Doctrines of theirs are grounded upon the holy Scripture and the Primitive Church is necessary unto salvation Principal Controversies betwixt the Romane Catholikes and Evangelical Protestants For Example Will they condemn us in our exteriour Service or Worship and Ceremonies because we have no Images of the holy and blessed Trinitie of our Saviour of the Saints deceased nor do adore them That we do not pray and call on the holy Angels and the souls of the Saints in heaven especially the Virgin Mary yea that we do not digg and take their bones or other reliques out of their graves and worship them nor pay Vows or make Pilgrimages to them That we do not buy or purchase the Popes Indulgencies celebrate no Masses for the souls of the dead nor make any distinction of meats on certain days or a general weekly Fast neither admit of any Auricular confession to the Priest of every particular sin That we do not administer the holy Communion under one but both kindes or elements of Bread and Wine both to Lay and Clergie-men nor celebrate any Masses without Communicants neither make use of the rest of Ceremonies which they against the first Institution of Christ have forged for their Sacrifice of Masse especially the adoration of the consecrated hostia in the holy Sacrament That we do not observe their great Feast called Corpus Christi-day and the holy days of the Saints That we perform our whole Publike Service not in the Latine Tongue which is unknown to the Laicks but in the known Mother-tongue nor forbid to any Lay-man the reading of the holy Bible in his Mother-tongue but exhort rather every one in general unto it That we tell not our Prayers to God on Beads by fifties and hundreds use not the sprinkling of the holy water nor wear about us Agnus Dei or such like consecrated reliques That we allow not of the Orders
of them that hate and abhore reconciliation may without any difficulty be United nay are already United by the Spirit of Christ upon the evident word of God in the Vniversall saving Faith and sincere love and obedience of Christ who also upon this only solide and firme ground of the universall saving truth and unity may in safenesse quiet and pacifie their own Conscience amongst so many Divisions and Seducing Spirits and withall declare themselves upon good grounds against all different dissenting parties and yet shew themselves peaceable and without scandall CHAP. VII That even these are the safest meanes to restrain all Erroneous Sects THere may be severall objections made against this our Declaration The First Objection against the aforementioned Doctrine As first that in this manner a great gap would be opened to all Sects Arrians Photinians Socinians Weigelians Anabaptists Arminians or of what name soever who though they referre themselves on all sides to the Scripture yet they obscure and pervert the plainest and most evident places of it so that at length we should retaine nothing but the bare words and letters of the word of God nor them also without controversie and disputes But if we do seriously consider the matter this will be rather the only true sure easie and most efficacious meanes not only to maintaine Peace and Unity amongst true beleevers but also to silence and restraine all erroneous Sects yea to cut of all occasions least they disturbe seduce or teare the Church of God any more by their perverse interpretations and opinions namely First That we know that their own particular interpretations inferences must not be necessary unto Salvation because they do either assert affirm some new doctrin which is not so manifestly and expressly asserted in the word of God or deny some what which is not so plainly denied therein That both we and other Christians can in conscience acknowledge and receive the same or the Primitive undoubted true-beleeving Church could have unanimously received such a meaning sence thereof Which is a certain infallible sign that it must be either a false perverted or at least an unnecessary interpretation or meaning and that we therefore may reject it as unnecessary with a good conscience but they may not with a safe conscience disturbe the Church of God with such unnecessary new doctrines Secondly When they cry up such interpretations and opinions of theirs though we certainly know them not to be necessary not only for necessary articles of Faith or Gods Commandements and their owne words for meere words of God Then we know further undoubtedly that they are just such Prophets as God hath warned us from Who shall presume to speak in his name that which he hath not commanded them to speak Deut. 18.19 20. Who shall say The Lord spoke thus when he did not speak it Exod. 13. Especially when they are so obstinate in their opinions that they judge and condemne others for the same or revile and blaspheme the contrary doctrine or otherwise knowingly purposely and wilfully draw thereby some distractions and divisions upon the Church of God For which reason we have good cause to shun and eschew them according to the doctrin of Christ and the Apostles Tit. 1.10 2 Tim. 3.6 to avoid them Rom. 16.17 to withdraw ourselves from them and have no company with them 2 Thes 3.6.14 2 Joh. 10. Who by judgeing others and causing therewith divisions and sects separate themselves from the Assembly of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 19. And also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being condemned of themselves Tit. 3.11 Who also ought to be instructed in meeknesse of spirit and convinced by sounder better surer and plainer interpretations and inferences out of the word of God and sometimes sharply rebuked Tit. 1.9 10.13 2 Tim. 2.24 25. And to restraine them with all other spirituall meanes that Christ hath Ordained least they may prejudicate and hurt the Christian Church by their seductions and spread farther their leaven and sow tares Thirdly How much more when they by their own interpretations and conclusions in doctrine of Faith and life do not only affirme or deny some what which in the word of God is not so expressly affirmed or denied but also do affirme some things which are so evidently and expressly denied therein or deny some things which are so expressly affirmed therein that all learned Christians who will but understand them and not out of carnall affections sticke unto them may comprehend them without any difficultie nay it being evident and palpable to every one that those Interpretations and opinions of theirs are but meerly strained and spun out of their own fancies and not grounded upon the text and words of the Scripture it self or equivalent places of it Especially the true Primitive undoubted Church having with one accord taught absolutly the contrary Those if they in such a manner obtrude and urge their own forced Interpretations or rather perversions of the Scripture both without and against the manifest Word of God as necessary as the Word of God it self and thereby deny or pervert the true necessary Articles of Faith or Precepts of God and that obstinately as hath been mentioned before They are not onely like to those Prophets who presume to speak in the Name of the Lord that which he hath not commanded them to speak but also like them that speak in the name of other gods Deut. 18.20 because they will thrust as out of the way which the Lord our God hath commanded to walk in Deut. 13.25 From whom he hath warned us that we should not believe nor hearken unto their words though they shew great signes and wonders Deut. 13.1 2. Matth. 24.24 25. Whereby I hope every one may see that by the often-mentioned ground of the manifest Scriptures not onely no occasion is given to the erroneous Sects but rather the Sectaries mouth may be stopped with much facility and safety and with more efficacie then by many subtil and endlesse Altercations and Disputes or by all-Excommunications and Persecutions of Hereticks although we do disapprove also this to be used against manifest obstinate Blasphemers as Servetus was who vomited such terrible and horrid Blasphemies and contumelious words against the holy and blessed Trinity that they are noways to be suffered amongst Christians Or when they under the colour of Religion plot Tumults and Insurrections against legal Magistrates as formerly Munzerus and the Anabaptists at Munster did which is not justifiable though it happeneth for true Religion much lesse for erroneous Doctrines sake But those that peaceably and closely adhere to the words of the Scripture without maintaining and introducing singular By-Interpretations and opinions of theirs as hath been told those I say though they do not receive ours or any other particular Churches true Interpretations and expressions we cannot nor will therefore judge as Hereticks but ought to tolerate and receive as weak brethren in faith
principally guilty of the pernicious Schisme and Division betwixt Evangelicall Churches By which also without any further inlargement sufficiently appeareth that the native and genuine cause and fault of the long continued Schism and Division of all the Protestant Evangelicall Churches and consequently of all the miseries and calamities from thence arising principally refideth not in the Reformed but in the Lutherans and especially in their Divines yet not generally in all but onely in those who condemne us as Hereticks and therefore hitherto have refused and stopped without any reasonable ground the reconciliation we sought and offered to them For although they use to pretend for their excuse many damnable doctrines yea many terrible Blasphemies of the reformed Chap. 2. yet partly and most of them consist in such slanders and aspersions which the reformed Churches never professed but rather many times have expresly and unanimously rejected So that those doe but aggravate their fault before God and man who restrain and hinder the Ecclesiasticall peace by false testimonies or by their own Vnreasonable mis-construction of strange words and doctrine from which yet they might be easily diverted if they would but give way to a peaceable Conference Partly they consist of such controverted points of doctrine as have been demonstrated in the fifth Chapter before which cannot afford any sufficient cause for the condemning and excommunicating of the reformed neither for division and separation from them And suppose wee did erre in such points of doctrine yet this would only exempt us from all hereticall damnable errours that wee besides the universall undoubted fundamentall doctrine doe not make any wayes our owne particular opinions to be a By-ground as the Lutherans nor impose them on any man as necessary unto salvation except so farre as hee acknowledgeth them himselfe to be agreeable to the word of God and the saving doctrine and that hee is obliged thereunto not by our word but by the word of God Wherefore also Whether the Lutherans may not with a safe conscience have communion fellowship with the religion of the reformed Congregations although we for our part are of necessitie compelled to separate our selves from the Lutherans as long as they condemne and reject us because of their different and controverted opinions yet they cannot pretend any reasonable cause why they must be separated from our Church and Religion and should have no communion with us in it In regard no man on our side is constrained to beleeve or to doe somewhat against his conscience if hee but standeth firme to the Vniversall fundamentall doctrine and doth not disturbe the Church with his owne opinion but laboureth according to the Apostles admonition to prove all things and to hold fast that which is good 1 Thess 5. v. 21.26 To which end also some few yeares agoe it was decreed in a publick Synod of the reformed Churches in France at Charenton Anno 1631. that the Lutherans desiring to participate of the holy Communion with them should not be excluded from it if they did but otherwise behave themselves peaceably and without scandall For those Lutherans who refuse not to take the holy Communion with us doe even testifie thereby that they condemne not our Church and Religion And although they adhere to their opinion of the reall and corporall presence and orall manducation of Christs body yet so that they do not hold them as necessay articles of faith but receive us also in our opinion as fellow-members and Christians If they were generally all thus minded the Ecclesiasticall peace were soone concluded and the way prepared to a totall unitie and reconciliation For in this manner wee should not have any further cause to separate our selves from their Communion and other godly exercises but would be ready for peace and Unitie sake to tolerate the other defects and according to the Apostles exhortation to walke with them as brethren minding the same thing by the same rule whereto we have already attained Phil. 3. v. 15 16. Till God may reveale unto us on both sides even what is remaining Chap. 11. wherein wee disagree But those that will by no meanes condescend unto this shall not with all their Sophistry and arts winde themselves out from bearing before God and man the guiltinesse of the long continued most pernicious Schisme and of all the miseries that may hereafter ensue thereupon Causes of Reformation of the Doctrine and Ceremonies of the Lutherans Now what hath been said of the causes of our Separation that same declareth and sheweth unto us the cause of Reformation in all places where both a generall and particular Reformation was settled For where the whole congregation acknowledgeth with one consent the errour and abuse of the Lutheran Doctrine and Ceremonies in the different and controverted points There no fault can be found with its unanimous and generall Reformation Wherein it may not be hindred though some few private men dissent from the whole Congregation and had rather adhere to their Lutheran Opinion in regard they have the liberty of their Conscience no waies restrained But where the Congregation in any City or Province disagreeth so that a great part of it doth not onely not acknowledge the errour but adhere so closly to their Lutheran opinions concerning Oral manducation and omni-presence of Christs body Exorcisme Images Hosties and such like things that they therefore condemne as Hereticks the other partie which will not allow of them There these since they of necessity must Separate themselves from their condemners are forced also to a particular Reformation of their religion to the end that they for their part might discharge it towards God according to his Word and Ordinance with a safe conscience Especially when the Christian Magistrate whom the worke of Reformation after the example of Kings Asae Josaphat Hiskia Josia chiefly dependeth upon giveth assent to the true-beleeving partie Wherein neither they may be restrained by any Temporall Constitution or Ordinance of their Predecessours who have no dominion over the Consciences of their Posterity nor can tye them to any erroneous Doctrine and Religion which is undeniable amongst Christians on all sides who do not ground or build their Religion upon Temporall Ordinances like the Heathen and Mahumetans but relie only upon the word of God And although such Reformation most commonly cannot be settled without greatly offending the erring partie Yet a more speciall care is to be taken of scandalizing first their owne Conscience then the Conscience of other true-beleevers and lastly the Conscience of the erring least they may be confirmed in their errours then of offending and scandalizing the affections of the erring whereby others are carried away with zeale to their errours though with indiscretion Which zeale neverthelesse I hope shall never prevaile so far with the Lutherans that they against their legall Magistrats who have given them the libertie of their Conscience and Religion without any impediment should
all Christians to know and at all times especially in the Primitive Church of the Apostles have been unanimously received taught and believed by all true Christians as the aforementioned Fundamental doctrine of salvation with all that is evidently and undoubtedly depending from it so that no man can reject it without he rejecteth also the Fundamental doctrine it self But some are but Theological Doctrines which are not necessary for all Christians but onely for some to know to whom God hath imparted before others a fuller measure of knowledge and more excellent gifts and charge from whom also he will require more then of others according to the rule of Christ To whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required Luk. 12.48 So that it is sufficient for one to know and to believe onely implicitely in the principal General Articles that what another doth know and believe explicitely in many Special Points which are comprehended therein For the one that he should believe and do that which in it self and directly is necessary unto salvation for the other that which he knoweth to be consequently necessary or to be inseparably annexed thereunto Yea for one it is necessary to believe many Truths whereof he hath good ground and knowledge out of the Word of God which neverthelesse for another who wanteth such knowledge are either not so necessary or not so profitable to believe without ground yet are necessary not to deny or contradict them obstinately out of carnal affections because he cannot but have lesse ground to deny them and rather ought to search the Truth diligently in the fear and worship of God and to be ready to receive and acknowledge it with thankfulnesse when it is demonstrated unto him out of the Word of God Otherwise the Obstinate denying which is incompatible and inconsistent with true faith and love to Christ and his Word and proceedeth meerly from carnal affections whereby the understanding in the knowledge of the Truth is darkened and eclipsed would prove damnable unto him not onely by reason of the errour it self but rather because of his Obstinacie Thirdly and principally we must discern what is necessary or not necessary in regard of the revealed Word 3. In regard of the revealed Word of God being the rule and means whereby we may know what we ought to believe and to do Which Word though properly there is nor ought to be but onely one yet is delivered to the Believers in a Twofold manner by Preaching and Writing From whence we must distinctly consider Whether and how far the written Word of God and whether and how far the preached and ministerial Word or the traditions and doctrines of the Church and their teachers ought to be the rule of our Faith and life But since this is the Point that principally is controverted and debated betwixt the Romane Catholikes and the Evangelical Protestants we intend at this present to lay down the ground-work of that which is undoubtedly agreed on by both Parties As first of all That the Books of the Prophets and Apostles of the Old and New Testament which we on all sides acknowledge and receive for Canonical are the undoubted Word of God and the perfect and infallible rule of our Faith and life and that consequently every thing that is taught in them so clearly and manifestly that every understanding Christian certainly and undoubtedly may know and conceive it must be necessary for all unto salvation so that though they do not know explicitè and particularly all things yet are ready to believe and receive undoubtedly all things assoon at they do apprehend them The Sum of the Articles we must believe unto salvation is briefly collected in the Apostolical Creed into which all Christians are baptized and received as fellow-members of the Christian Church What we must Morally do is exhibited in the Commandments of the First and Second Table concerning the love and duty towards God and our neighbour But what we must Ceremonially and Sacramentally perform is contained in the words of the Institution of the holy Baptism and the blessed Communion or Supper of the Lord being the Two Sacraments of the New Testament ordained by Jesus Christ himself as it is generally and undoubtedly agreed on And lastly what we ought to desire and ask of God is included in the Lords Prayer In which Five Fundamental Points of Christian Religion viz. in tribus Symbolis doctrinalibus credendorum faciendorum petendorum what we ought to believe to do and to ask and in duobus Symbolis Sacramentalibus regenerationis nutritionis spiritualis how we ought to be regenerated and as Children of God in Christ spiritually nourished unto a new and eternal life doth consist the whole Catechism which we for our part think generally necessary for all Christians yet all is to be understood in that sense which is most clearly taught and expressed in the Scripture yea also whatsoever so evidently and necessarily doth depend from the said Fundamental Points that every Understanding Christian though he is not able to conceive the Divine Mysteries by his natural reason may yet certainly and undoubtedly apprehend the doctrine or meaning of the Scripture or the necessary consequence of it Therefore although any Controversie should be raised and moved about these Fundamental Articles which in the Primitive Church had not been sufficiently declared or unanimously taught yet they could not be generally necessary unto salvation for all Christians but onely their unanimous and undoubted meaning Moreover besides that what directly in it self is necessary there are yet many other points of doctrine partly Theological partly Historical and partly Philosophical yea in general whatsoever is clearly taught in the holy Scripture though its consequence and dependence from these Fundamental Articles is not of such necessitie and therefore not directly necessary unto Salvation yet it is necessary for us to believe it because it is thus certainly and clearly revealed in the Word of God For Example That our Lord Jesus Christ suffered under the Emperour Tiberius and under the Governour Pontius Pilate as it is expressed in the Apostles Creed or that the mother of the Lord was called Mary or that our Lord rose from the dead the Third and not the Fourth day c. These are such circumstances in the historie of the Birth and Death of Christ which though directly they are not necessary for us to believe and know unto salvation yet they are necessary for us to believe because they are as clearly and expresly set down in the Word of God as the Articles themselves so that no man that knoweth them may deny or make a scruple of them unlesse he would also deny together the whole Word of God Likewise that in the last times the great Antichrist shall come That at Christs coming to judge the world not all men shall die but the rest be changed which though it is not absolutely necessary unto salvation to know yet it is
necessary for him to believe it who hath such knowledge of it from the Word of God And because the holy Scriptures do promise everlasting life and salvation to all them which truely believe in Jesus Christ as he is revealed and manifested in them we thereby further argue and conclude thus That such doctrine of the Scripture is not onely necessary but also wholly sufficient unto salvation so that no other singular doctrine besides the holy Scripture is necessary unto salvation Which also the Primitive Church both in its doctrine and universal practice doth abundantly testifie that they held the sacred Scripture to be satisfactory unto salvation even for the most-able and best-learned men and the Five aforesaid Symbols or Fundamental Articles sufficient for all Unlearned Ignorant Christians as we could prove it by many evident testimonies of the Ancient Fathers which having heretofore already been done by many others we thought it superfluous to enlarge our selves therein at this present Whether and how far the Tradition and Doctrine of the Church is necessary Yet next and besides the Scripture we do not decline and reject the Word and Doctrine of the Church not as the principal Ground and rule of our Faith for that is meerly and solely grounded upon this Because the Lord said it but not upon this Because the Church or their teachers said it but as requisite means whereby the Word of God is preached and taught unto us and as a testimony of that what is declared therein Wherein notwithstanding we must exactly distinguish betwixt that what the whole Vniversal Christian Church hath with an unanimous Consent taught and believed out of the Word of God at all times especially in the Primitive times and that what perhaps but one or other Particular Church hath taught in the later times Whatsoever the whole Christian Church especially in the first hundred yeers immediately after the Apostles hath unanimously taught and believed out of the Word of God as necessary unto salvation that same is an Infallible mark and testimony that it is certainly and undoubtedly the true sense and meaning of the Word of God and consequently is necessary for all Christians to believe and receive it Because there is no doubt but the true Primitive Church beside the holy Scripture hath received also from Christ himself and his Apostles the true sense and meaning thereof at least in all necessary Fundamental Points of the Christian doctrine Contrariwise whatsoever the Primitive Church hath not taught that same is an evident signe and testimony that it is not so expresly set down in the holy Scripture that all Christians of necessitie should know and believe it unto salvation because many thousands of the Primitive and best Christians have been saved without such doctrine But this testimony of the Primitive Church of whatsoever it hath taught or not taught is of such a nature that it is not to be understood by all Christians but onely by those who are well versed and have read the Volumes of the Ancient Fathers which even very few of the Teachers and Ministers are able to do Wherefore the greater part of Christians especially when the doctrine and meaning of the Primitive Church is drawn into Controversie ought to fix themselves and adhere closely to the evident testimony of the holy Scripture without which they cannot have any certain ground of their faith and salvation For whatsoever not the Universal onely but one or some Particular Churches have believed and taught especially in the later times whether it were done in their Councils and Synods or else by their publike Confessions or other writings doctrines and witnesses that very same though it is a testimony of the belief and doctrine of the particular Churches yet it cannot oblige other Churches or generally all Christians nor be necessary for all unto salvation neither ground and confirm their faith any further then the certain and indubitable Word of God hath demonstrated unto them and they themselves have received it as consonant and agreeable to Scripture Since it is granted on all sides that the particular Churches may erre in their own particular opinions and that the Christian Faith must not be grounded upon the word of one particular Church but meerly and onely upon the Word of God Neverthelesse the Word and Authority of the particular Churches doth binde at least their fellow-members thus far that they ought not rashly to contradict their doctrine and declarations unlesse it be contradicted by a more evident testimony of Gods Word and by an Unanimous doctrine of the Primitive Church For otherwise this would prove a Presumptuous judging or at least an Unnecessary scandalous contradicting We hope now Why not a certain specifâ—â—â—tion may be made of all the Points of Doctrine that are necessary unto salvation by all these things that are said it doth plainly and manifestly appear What and how far it is necessary and not necessary unto salvation although we do not specifie all points of Doctrine nor precisely determinate what and how much might be necessary and sufficient to every one in particular which is almost impossible to do for these Reasons First because we cannot directly know how far the capacitie of every one or the most unlearned and ignorant Christians and how far Gods mercy may reach and extend above their understanding and therefore ought not rashly to condemn any man in his ignorance to whom peradventure God may shew mercy Secondly because none can obtain a true knowledge and faith in Christ but he must somewhat strive and labour for it that he may encrease and thrive therein Like as we cannot describe and set a certain measure to the height and bignesse of a young childe because yet it must needs daily grow if it be alive and in health till it hath attained his full and perfect age so may we neither circumscribe and limit any Christians knowledge within a certain measure because he ought to grow and augment still in the knowledge faith and doctrine of Christ if he be a true Christian till he is come to a perfect man of stature of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes 4.13 Thirdly because we cannot fail sooner in any thing then when we presume to regulate and measure all other mens capacities by the measure of our own understanding and do imagine that what peradventure we think to be clear and evident in the Word of God that very same must likewise be as clear to all others and therefore as certain and necessary for all which is also the chief and principal reason of all Unseasonable judging in matter of faith yea the source and fountain of all divisions and dissentions in the Church of God Wherefore it is sufficient for our purpose to know in general which no Christian can deny That all and onely that is necessary unto salvation what necessarily belongeth to the saving Faith in Christ which worketh by love and cannot subsist without true repentance
we could punctually explain it and many of our Divines have already abundantly and often spent their studie and labour in it Wherefore we refer to the serious consideration of all Christian and pious hearts Whether men have cause and ground to judge and condemn us as Hereticks We for our part are assured that what hath not been for the first Christians necessary unto salvation in so many hundred yeers without which so many thousand Martyrs and so many millions of Christians are piously departed out of this life that cannot be also necessary for us in these last times and we may live and die as religious Christians without it For we need not any other Faith or Religion besides that wherein the Apostles and the Primitive Christians lived and died We have with them obtained like precious faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.1 The old Commandment which they had from the beginning 1 Joh. 2.7 The great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him Heb. 2.3 The Faith which was once delivered unto tae saints Jude vers 3. And this is the true Catholike What is to be true Catholike or the Universal Christian Faith which hath been at all times especially in the Primitive times and as long as we stand fast to it we are indeed the true Catholike Christians Whereas those that adde thereunto any new Doctrine of Faith and Life as necessary which in the Primitive Church was not in use though they bear and boast of the Catholike name yet they are not true Ancient Catholike Christians but New-Catholikes which are equivalent with Vn-Catholikes And that Church which by its own Command imposeth such Doctrines and Traditions as necessary unto salvation though Christ had not commanded but rather forbidden them by his Apostles and yet will condemn and persecute other Churches doth thereby discover it self not to be a true Christian but rather Anti-Christian Tyrannical Church Which also hath need to stand in fear of the Apostolical curse If any man preach any other Gospel unto you though an Angel from heaven then that the Apostles have preached unto you let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 9 And if any man shall adde unto the Word of God God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in it and if any man shall take away from the Word of this book God shall take away his part out of the book of Life Rev. 22.18 19. But we hope that all understanding and conscientious men and such as love Truth and Peace amongst the Romane Catholikes will beware of this malediction and taking seriously to heart this Declaration of ours abstain hereafter from presumptuous judging and condemning us as Hereticks much lesse persecute us with Fire and Sword and Losses of our Goods and Honours as hitherto they have done which certainly doth not proceed from the Spirit of Christ but undoubtedly from the Devil who is that Arch-lyer and Murderer Of which the Apostle also doth faithfully warn us and especially the Romane Church lest it might imagine some special priviledges before others Those that are weak in faith receive you but not to doubtful disputations judge not their thoughts Who art thou that judgest another mans servant To his own master he standeth or falleth But if this warning will do no good to them certainly the other shall at length be fulfilled in them Be not high minded but fear For if God spared not the natural branches the City and Church of Jerusalem take heed lest he also spare not thee Behold therefore the goodnesse and severity of God On them which fell severity but towards thee goodnesse if thou continuest in his goodnesse otherwise thou also shalt be cut off Rom. 11.21 22. CHAP. V. That the Lutheranes have no ground to judge the Reformed Churches to be Heretical WHat we have spoken now of the Romish Church concerning its judging and condemning us the same we may partly well say of the Lutherans which indeed together with us have protested against this judging and condemning of Papists in the forenamed points of controversie and yet no lesse although in fewer points from whence also the Evangelical Churches and estates generally all are called Protestants do judge and condemn our Churches or Teachers as hereticks under the most-odious mens names who neverthelesse rely not upon any man but upon the Nature Word and Doctrine of Christ To whom according to the aforesaid Apostolical Rule we may make appear yet more plainly then to the Papists that they have no ground thus to judge and condemn us and the doctrine of our Church and Worship The principal points of Controversies betwixt Lutheranes and Reformed Protestants 1. In Ceremonies For in the first place what concerneth some controversies about Ceremonies both of their and our worshipping of God as that we use not in the holy Baptism the exorcism or conjuring of the devil to come forth out of the infants or young children because we do not hold them either spiritually or corporally possessed by the devil although they naturally are born in Original sin and we have no warrant to cast the devil out of them by such conjuring and therefore do justly abhor from taking therein Gods holy Name in vain That we have no such Images in our Churches which by their own confession are abused in Popery unto Idolatry but rather approve and justifie the taking away of them if it be done by Christian Magistrates in an orderly way after the example of the Kings Hezekiah and Josiah That also in the holy Communion we use not the Hosties or Wafers but ordinary nourishing bread and observe the breaking of it how can they judge us therefore whereas they themselves hold their Exorcism Images Hosties not even absolutely necessary nor the breaking of the bread in it self erroneous but onely to be adïaphora indifferent things Although we for our part do not account them absolutely indifferent matters but in some regard necessary partly because of Gods command partly because of the example of Christ the Apostles and the Primitive Apostolical Church At least for our selves who should sin if we should against our consciences use the Exorcism or the Images or without any urgent cause omit the breaking of the bread Yet since we judge not nor condemn according to the above-mentioned Apostolical Rule those that do not judge the breaking of the bread necessary but give way to their pretended liberty It were fit they also should not condemn us therein but to impart to us so much freedom that we may herein follow the example of Christ which we may do more safely and without any sin as we likewise permit them to omit it and in stead thereof to follow the example of the Papists In like manner that we in our Catechism punctually retain all the Commandments as they are set down Exod. 20. Deut. 5 and do not omit 2. In the Doctrine
then to be extracted out of the same by consequence But if we desire to have a certain undoubted and necessary Exposition of these words Christ himself and the Apostle Paul hath declared it unto us That the breast and wine is called the Body and Blood of Christ because it is the New Testament and the Communion of his Body and Blood and because we ought to eat and drink it in remembrance of him If we desire also to know how we ought worthily to eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ Christ himself hath taught it so plainly Joh. 6 that our Adversaries themselves must confesse that not onely the afore-mentioned Spiritual eating of the Lords Supper is principally required but also is the onely true and saving eating without which the oral manducation is rather noxious then profitable and wholesome Wherefore we hold this declaration of Christ sufficient unto Salvation and him that onely standeth to it or giveth us but libertie to stand to it we will in like manner not compel necessarily to receive our interpretations and expressions which we acknowledge to be conformable to the words and exposition of Christ much lesse will we judge or condemn any man for an Heretick because of the verbal alterations and disceptations in Schools whether what Figure or Tropus Metonymia or Synechdoche or praedicatio inusitata it may be called Likewise it is clear and manifest that Jesus Christ hath promised to be present with us and all Believers as true God and Man with his assistance and grace Spirit and gifts power and operation which no Christian can deny But to infer and conclude thereby that also his body flesh and bones must necessarily be present with us all creatures on earth That is no ways plain and evident so that some of their own Divines do contradict it themselves by other manifest and plain testimonies of the Scripture And thus much may we say of all other different Points of Doctrine betwixt us and them and also of the Controversie of Predestination and Election and what doth depend on it wherein we next to the holy Scripture not onely refer our selves to Augustine Prosper Fulgentius and other Ancient Fathers and withal to the principal Scholastick Authors and Divines among Papists Thomas Scotus and others that followed them especially to the Modern Dominicans but also to Dr Luther himself and many Ancient learned Lutheran Divines Brentius Herbrand Flacius Hofmann Spannenberg Althamer Heshusius and others CHAP. VI. Which is the chief and principal Question in this present Difference of Religion and what are the safest means for the settlement of a Christian Vnity COnsiderirg exactly every thing that hitherto hath been declared it is apparently manifest thereby that all differences in matter of Religion that now adays are in agitation betwixt the said Christians especially betwixt those who acknowledge the holy Scripture to be the onely perfect Rule of their Faith and Religion meerly reside in this chief and cardinal question which if it were rightly and unanimously answered on all sides no doubt all such Contention and Controversie or all uncharitable Judging and Condemning would fall of it self and a happie Unitie might be setled among all Christians in Doctrine and Religion as much as may be necessary unto their salvation Namely Whether besides the holy Scripture it self such Interpretations and Consequences or Inferences which by some Teachers or Particular Churches that follow them are collected and deduced out of the Word of God according to the understanding they have for their part in the Scripture and held and received for certain undoubted or necessary expositions and consequences although they are not so plain and manifest that all other knowing and understanding Christians besides them may conceive them or as the Primitive Christian Church hath unanimously and undoubtedly received and taught ought yet to be absolutely necessary for all men unto salvation insomuch that all those that do not acknowledge and receive such Interpretations and Inferences as agreeable to Scripture may therefore be judged and condemned for Hereticks To which we directly answer No such matter But supppse that such Interpretations or Inferences were certain and true or in themselves necessary to be received by those that understand them yet they are not necessary for those that do not comprehend and conceive them as yet in their consciences neither can they therefore be judged as Vnbelievers but ought to be received as weak in faith according to the Apostles admonition Them that are weak in faith receive you but not to doubtful disputations not to judge their thoughts and to distract their consciences The main cause of all dissentions and differences in the Church of God I think rather even this to be the main and principal source and origine of all Divisions and Tyrannie in the Church of God that men set upon their own Interpretations Illations Comments Glosses Formula's Expressions which peradventure they pretend themselves to infer out of the Word of God according to the profunditie of their understanding or else adde thereunto out of Humane Traditions and Opinions as high nay a higher estimate and price and insist as vehemently thereupon as upon the Indubitable Word of God it self As if their words and expositions were as certain and necessary unto salvation as the Word of God yea as if they were able in some points to utter and deliver more plainly expresly fully and considerately the heavenly Mysteries then the holy Ghost hath expressed them in the whole Scripture Or as if all men did see whatsoever they think themselves to see and to know in the depth of their Understanding or though they do not see it yet were obliged to believe upon their word This this is the main and chief cause of all Divisions and Dissentions and of all unreasonable judging and condemning in the Universal Christian Church This is also the true fundamental point of Popery The Fundamental Point of Popery whereon all the Disputes and Controversies betwixt us and them depend That the Pope with his Prelates pretend to be an Infallible Judge of all different and doubtful Doctrines whose sentence and decision all men upon pain of damnation as certainly ought to believe and obey as the Word of God it self Upon this One onely ground all Popery is built And principally for this Point we are constrained to abandon it For otherwise for our part we could well yeeld to him his Primatum or Supremacie above all Bishops yea above Emperours and Kings as long as it pleaseth them upon condition he would not presume to take upon him Dominatum and ruling over mens consciences and expound also the Word of God the best he can and propound his sentence and opinion to his children within his Bishoprick or also to others that will believe and obey him if he would but acknowledge withal that he as well as others could erre and fail in those things which are not expresly and plainly
grounded upon the Word of God or at least that it should not be necessary unto salvation for us who do not acknowledge and receive it But when he will absolutely have his word parallel with Gods Word even in those points which we cannot but judge to be evidently repugnant to the Word of God and so in stead of Christ will be a Lord over our souls and consciences and of the Universal Christian Church on earth Certainly those can no ways be blamed who not onely give him no credit therein at all but by reason of that proclame him to be the Antichrist Now since we may not grant this power to the Popes at Rome although they had entangled by their perswasion and kept in subjection during many hundred yeers in the Western Church so many Emperours and Kings yea all Doctours Bishops and Prelates how much lesse may we impart it to any other Pastor and Teacher of Gods Church of what name soever And he that should ascribe perhaps to Luther or Calvin Jerome Austin Abuses of mens particular opinions and interpretations amongst the Evangelical c. or to any particular Convocations as to the Authors Formulae Concordiae Sax. as also to whole and National Synods that their own particular Interpretations Consequences Iâ—lations Manner of expressions were as certain and infallible or as necessary unto Salvation as the word of God it self what is it else but to make of Luther of Calvin and the rest so many Popes of such Convocations and Assemblies so many Popish Councels yea to prefer in some manner mens words and opinions before the holy Scripture as if they in some points had expressed themselves better and with more perspicuity and circumspection For my part I confesse that Dr Luther and Calvin have in the principal and most Points though not in all well truely and profitably expounded the Scripture because they have compared and declared for the most part Scripture by Scripture I acknowledge also that the Doctrine of the Confession and Apologie of Augspourg with other Confessions of the Reformed Churches Also the Doctrine of the Synod at Derdrecht is true and agreeable in it self to Scripture in those Articles that have been handled and concluded therein though withal I doubt not but some other Teachers of our Churches have yet expressed themselves better and more perspicuously in some one or other point of the holy Scripture But that we should hold their declarations and particular opinions and expressions as indubitable and necessary unto salvation as the Word of God it self and presently judge and condemn those for Hereticks who do not fully receive them They themselves as much as I know have never yet required it But those who under the name of Lutherans addict themselves to the profession of the Formulae Concordiae Saxonicae when they not onely binde and tie their Ministers to it by a solemn Oath but also us who do not receive in points of Controversies their expositions expressions and inferences contained therein for thorowly agreeable to Scripture what is that then but to judge and condemn us as Hereticks From whence must necessarily follow that their expressions and opinions ought to be as certain and undoubted and as necessary unto salvation as the Word of God it self which indeed would be a plain New Popery They use to accuse us Who are those that make the natural reason to be the foundation and rule of their Faith that we make our Natural Reason the foundation and rule of our Faith Whereas we principally insist thereupon that we ought not to ground any Article of Faith upon humane Reason but meerly upon the plain manifest and undoubted Word of God We make use of our Reason having been enlightned and brought unto the knowledge of Christ as of a requisite means whereby to learn to understand the holy Scripture for without Reason it cannot be understood How far the Reason may be used in matters of Faith That we also ought to infer out of the Scripture whatsoever by a necessary consequence dependeth from it and is agreeable to it as much as we by Gods grace are able to comprehend it or to refute and to reject whatsoever is repugnant to it And that we ought reverently to apply the holy Scripture unto Doctrine Consolation and Admonition yet so that we do not oblige and binde any man in his conscience further to those Interpretations and Inferences we in our understanding derive out of the Scripture then himself together with us is able to understand them to be warrantable by it and the Word of God doth binde thereunto But those who cry up their own Interpretations Inferences and Expressions not onely for True Doctrines but even for Necessary Articles of Faith insomuch that they judge and condemn as Hereticks all others that do not acknowledge them to be agreeable to Scripture They are those who make their Own reason and understanding to be the foundation and rule of their Faith and yet not onely of their own but of other mens Faith and of the Universal Christian Church They are those who make themselves new Popes and Infallible Judges in matters of Religion and Conscience Which honour we cannot give to any man living on earth but to God alone and his undeniable Word contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament as also all the Protestant Churches in whole Europe have Unanimously always against Popery referred themselves thereunto Neverthelesse we do not reject all consequences and interpretations How far we may make use of Consequences and Interpretations in matters of Faith nor all mens expressions though they are not verbally and literally set down in the Scripture as also we do not disapprove the Translation of the Scripture into other Languages We rather confesse that many Inferences and Interpretations may be very good profitable sound and necessary in themselves and that we may many times of necessity use them for the confutation of several Errours But we cannot ascribe further to any mans Interpretations and Consequences an Vniversal necessitie unto salvation for all Christians then we have declared already namely when they are so clear and manifest that they may be understood and received for certain and undeniable of all Christians or of those for whom they shall be necessary especially when they have been acknowledged and taught undoubtedly and with one accord in the true Primitive Church and therefore may be called true Catholike expositions Now those that do not acknowledge our Expositions to be such How far those that dissent are to be tolerated we may not therefore on our part judge and condemn them as Hereticks but we must receive and tolerate them as weak in faith according to the Doctrine of the Apostle Neverthelesse upon this condition that they reciprocally do not enforce upon us and others as necessary their own Interpretations and Inferences to the contrary nor we being willing to forbear and tolerate their
mistake should they judge us presumptuously in our misconstruction of their pretended understanding neither should they bewray any malice and obstinacie in their contradictions But also that they together with us should adhere to the words and meaning of the holy Scripture as far as they are clear and plain to all And diligently enquire further in the fear and worship of God into the true understanding of whatsoever they do not comprehend yet or doubt of And in the mean time walk by the same rule as far as we have already on both sides attained minding the same thing and giving no offence till God reveal unto them and us even what is remaining Phil. 3.15 16. And this doubtlesse is the safest and onely way What are the best and safest means to settle and maintain a true Unitie amongst all true Christians whereby the true unitie of Spirit may be maintained amongst all pious and religious Christians For all those that now adays have the name of Christians on earth do agree therein to this very hour that they acknowledge and receive the Canonical Books of the Prophets and Apostles whereof those of the Old Testament were originally written in Hebrew those of the New Testament in Greek for the Word of God and oblige themselves with one consent to submit their Faith and Consciences unto it So that those that practise it not onely with words but also with true and sincere hearts may without any difficulty in all things agree that are plainly and expresly taught therein nay they are already united therein by the holy Ghost and those that agree in one minde have all whatsoever is necessary to believe and to do unto salvation and are true fellow-members of the Onely Apostolike Catholike Church if together with this Universal Christian Faith they do but tolerate and receive one another as weak Brethren in Faith and other things Chap. 5. that are not so manifest in the Scripture wherein they may thorowly and generally agree Besides this we know no other means on earth that either God hath given and ordained for us or may be invented by mans wit whereby a true Universal Unity may be setled and maintained The pretended Supremacy and Infallibility of the Pope is no fit means for Unity but rather the principal cause of all the Divisions in the Christian Church For as much as concerneth the Supreme Jurisdiction and Infallibility of the Pope which the Jesuites cry up for the onely means of the Catholike Uniformitie That same is rather the principal cause and impediment whereby the Unitie amongst all Christians both in the Eastern and Western Churches is cut off and made impossible in mens eyes Seeing that it is absolutely impossible and inexcusable withal that all Churches and all men of the world should subject and submit in every thing their consciences who acknowledge no other Lord and Master but Jesus Christ to One man Solely who hath no charge and warrant for the same from God Which though they urge and presse as the most necessary point to Salvation and Unitie yet could not obtain it of some Romane Catholikes themselves who extol the General Councels above the Pope Neither the general Councels are sufficient means for Unity in these last times Nor are Concilia Vniversalia in these last times the true means for Unitie For it hath been a meer Impossibilitie in these last thousand yeers since the Ancient Romane Empires destruction and division in the East and West and shall be impossible till the end of the world to indict and gather any true Universal Councel composed of all Christian Churches of the whole world And grant that they could be called yet they could not establish any other Unitie then by reiteration and renovation of that which with one accord hath been taught in the Primitive Universal Christian Church out of the evident and undoubted Word of God For the whole Christian Church on earth though its meeting at once in one place were possible could not presume to take upon it self such power to astrain and oblige its posterity to any other Doctrine and Religion further then they are bound by their Predecessors or rather by God himself through our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles If any man though an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that ye have received let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 9. Nor the Confessions formulae of any particular Church And so shall neither the Protestants or any other particular Churches in any place of the world and much lesse other dispersed Sects to and fro be able to establish a tolerable Ecclesiastical Peace and Unitie either by their vehement disceptations and disputes or exhortations to Peace or by Colloquia and conferences or by National and Provincial Synods or per Synodales formulas or any other means as long as they insist and adhere to their own particular Interpretations Consequences and manner of expressions and will of necessity judge others thereby Seeing chiefly it is not to be expected nor desired nor approved that all Christians of the whole world should submit and agree unto any particular Church or to the Interpretations of their Teachers which are not manifest and evident to all by warrants from the Scripture But far more will thereby the Divisions and Separations about the Interpretations and Inferences in making necessary Articles of Faith thereof by endlesse altercations and disputes as woefull experience doth sufficiently testifie increase and grow dangerous even to their final ruine and destruction For Chap. 7. if you bite and devoure one another take heede that yee be not consumed one of another Gal. 5. v. 15. And how many thousand Christians yea whole Churches are in the East South and West which know nothing or can know any thing either of the Decrees of the Popes or of the Councell of Trent nor of the Confession of Augspourge or of other confessions of the Protestant Churches in Europe much lesse of the Formula Concordiae Saxonicae how is it then possible that we should undergoe to settle by such meanes and writs a true Unity in the Universall Church of Christ or to bind and oblige other Churches thereunto Now notwithstanding wee conceive also no hope to obtaine a totall and universall reconcilement of the modern unhappy differences and divisions in matters of Religion Even by an Vniversall consent and agreement upon the holy Scripture as far as it is plain and evident to all sides Amongst those that are inclined and given to contradictions and contentions because God himself by his just judgement sendeth Divisions Heresies and Sects partly for punishment partly for triall 1 Cor. 11. v. 19. Yet I make no doubt In what manner how far the manifest word of God is the onely meanes of Vnitie but all Pious and religious hearts which love Truth and Peace whereof yet a great number is to be found every where and even in the middest
as it hath been said many times heretofore Which we may illustrate with one or two Examples As the first Chapter of John which the Primitive Church whose Writings and Doctrines are descended and conveyed to us whereof no doubt but it hath together with the Books of the Scripture received also from the Apostles themselves the true meaning thereof at least in the principal necessary points of which this si one hath Unanimously and Undoubtedly interpreted of the Son of God who was in the beginning of all things as the Substantial Word with the Father If the Modern Socinians interpret it of the beginning of the Gospel and the humane nature of Christ to the end that they may deny the Article of Christs Godhead we rightly reject such Interpretation not onely as not necessary but as false and heretical not that it is onely contrary to our Interpretation but that it is so manifestly repugnant to the words of Saint John that the Primitive Church hath with one consent taught the contrary Insomuch also that none of the Ancient Arrians or Photinians to our and all Modern Socinians knowledge ever thus understood or expounded it But Socinus was the first man as he himself must confesse that spun this Interpretation out of his own head wherein at first his own brethren have partly contradicted him Yet since that time hath he together with his followers preferred it as if it were the undeniable Word of God it self and a most necessary Interpretation before the words of Saint John and the Uniform meaning of the Primitive Church Which may not be done without great presumption nor if it be obstinately urged without damnable Heresie principally in such a deep important and necessary Article of Faith as it is accounted not onely by us but the true Primitive Church and the word of God it self On the other side if they in such profound and incomprehensible Mysterie did adhere positively and closely without mutilation and contention to the words of the Scripture nor added thereunto their own Interpretations and Inferences of their reasoning beyond and against the Articles of Faith we should then have no cause to judge them so sharply though they would not receive or use all our expositions or humane expressions Likewise when Socinus and his followers do wrest and pervert so many manifest places of the Scripture which speak of Christs death that he died for the propitiation satisfaction and remission of our sins to this sense as if he had not appeased Gods wrath against us or which is as much made satisfaction to appease Gods wrath or purchased propitiation and forgivenesse but that he died meerly to this end that he might by his doctrine and example convert us from our sins to God and to pacifie our hearts towards him And account their own Interpretations as worthy and necessary as Gods Word it self So that they grievously slight and revile the Doctrine concerning the reconcilation of Gods wrath against us and the satisfaction for our sins which neverthelesse is so manifestly and evidently taught by so many testimonies of the Scripture that the Universal Christian Church hath professed it with one accord at all times and ever therefore held Jesus Christ for its onely High-Priest Mediatour and Saviour Insomuch that even the greatest Papists though they supply by way of concomitancy the merits of Christ by the Intercession and merits of other Saints and their own merits and satisfaction the daily Sacrifice of Masse Indulgences Purgatory and such like things yet have not denied the propitiation by Christs merits and satisfaction nor any other Sectary as far as we know nor Pelagius himself hath directly opposed it except onely Socinus and perhaps before him Adailerdus Whereas Socinus himself cannot but acknowledge that the Mediatour of the Old Testament Moses hath in some manner appeased by his intercession as Aaron and some other high-Priests by their Sacrifices Gods wrath against his people of Israel and yet will deny such power and vertue of the propitiation for our sins to the most-perfect Obedience Sacrifice and Intercession of our Mediatour and high-Priest Jesus Christ Who seeth not then that they intend arrogantly to prefer their own singular Interpretations before the manifest Word of God and the unanimous consent of the Universal Christian Church and thereby as much as lies in their power shake and subvert the very foundation of our chief consolation in Jesus Christ The Second Objection against the aforesaid Doctrine In the Second place may be objected against the aforesaid ground of Saving Truth and Unitie that neverthelesse the Primitive Christian Church hath condemned many Sects not onely for not receiving the plain words of the Scripture but also for refusing the Interpretations and words of the Church For example The ancient Arrians in the Councell of Nicen and others Chap. 8. for not receiving the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consubstantial alledging that such a word was not to be found in the Scripture But we Answer to this That they were not condemned even for this bare word but rather because of their peculiar Arrian phrase and expressions and expositions concerning the created Divinitie of Christ Against whom the Orthodoxall and true-beleeving Church did very earnestly insist upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which though not in the letter yet it is found in the Scripture more plainly and evidently and more conformably to the unanimous understanding and meaning which the Churches in the first three hundred yeers professed concerning the eternall God-head of Christ not that it was directly necessary unto Salvation but conducible to the confutation of the ambiguous terms and opinions of the Arrians Otherwise there hath been in those times true-beleeving Bishops who though they had rejected the Arrian Heresie concerning the created Divinitie of Christ and yet doubted of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it was not to be found literally in the Scripture were therefore not condemned but tolerated as weak in Faith This very same we may say of all other ancient Sectaries Macedonius Nestorius Eutiches Pelagius which were at all times condemned for their singular new fangled Interpretations out of the word of God according to the unanimous meaning and doctrine of the Churches in the first three or four hundred yeers CHAP. VIII That in the Reformed Churches no new Doctrin as necessary to Salvation is taught IN the third place it will be objected The Third Objection against the aformentioned Doctrine That we our selves defend many doctrines as necessary unto salvation which yet neither in the Scripture were so plainly expressed nor unanimously taught in the Primitive Church I will give but a touch in some few but principall Instances That we deny the free will in man the merits of good works and the Sacrifice of the Masse Which points were with one consent asserted of all ancient Fathers almost That we teach the Justification ex Solâ fide onely by Faith That we hold the
the word Sheol and Hades are generally understood of that Invisible World whetherto the souls depart out of this World and is attributed both to godly and wicked without certain determination of place whetherto they are departed which shall be manifested in the Resurrection So that by this Article is meant nothing else but that Christs soul after his death made no stay in this World but departed like other mens souls to the place of the dead and as if it were holden of the bonds of death till the third day yet in Gods hands which was indeed the lowest degree of his humiliation whereas in the mean while the World triumphed over him as over a dead man who went to Hell till at length it was made manifest by his Resurrection that he descended not to the Hell of the damned but to the Sheol or Grave to the faithful Patriarchs As the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not onely signifie a descending or going down beneath the Earth but a departing in general Act. 8. v. 5. and 9. v. 32. and 11. v. 27. and 12. v. 19. and 13. v. 4. and 15. v. 1. and 18. v. 5 22. and 21. v. 10. and 27. v. 5. By all which expositions doth manifestly appear that the two first opinions maintained by the Papists neither are solide and certain nor necessary The others which partly they partly we defend as much as concerneth the Doctrine in it self are consonant and agreeable to the Word of God and undoubtedly received of all Christians though the Controversie remaineth still which of them draweth neerest to the true opinion of this Article in the Creed And withall that we do not introduce any new Doctrine in this Article as necessary to salvation being we give to every one liberty in his opinion except in that which is agreed on of all sides Which is also the safest way and sufficient unto salvation if of this Article we do but generally so much know and beleeve that Christs Soul having suffered the extremest distresse and sorrow on Earth verily departed to the dead who are kept in the hands of his Father till the day of Resurrection Although we do not even determine the place that it descended really to the Hell of the damned or to a certain Limbus beneath the Earth before it entred into Paradise which the Lord promised to the theef upon the Crosse being we yet imbrace the most indubitable and certain comfort arising from this Article that Christ by such departure of his Soul hath delivered our souls from all the torments and pains of Hell to the end that they confidently might follow him out of this World without fear of Hell into that Invisible World whetherto the Lord hath prepared the way by his deceasing 8. Of the Antichrist Lastly Concerning the Doctrine of the great Antichrist of whom the Scripture doth so much prophesie Like as it is not directly necessary unto salvation to know that such an Antichrist is to come although it is requisite to beleeve it for them that have the knowledge of it out of the Word of God as hath been said heretofore Also much lesse is it necessary to salvation to know and to determine who is that great Antichrist except unto them onely to whom God hath perfectly revealed it And notwithstanding many of our Divines though not generally all are of this opinion that the Pope of Rome from that time he hath taken upon him to be instead of Christ the Universal and Supreme Head of the whole Christian Church over all Emperours and Kings and over all mens souls which hath been specially observed since the time of Gregory the seventh is that great Antichrist yet they do not teach it even as a necessary Article of Faith but as an Interpretation of the Prophetical Predictions which are very agreeable to Truth yea partly accounted by them for certain and undoubted since they have the experience by the event histories and writings of the Popes themselves that whatsoever hath been prophesied of the Antichrist is now fulfilled in these Popes And although this opinion of theirs must of necessity be thus far new because the Primitive Church could know no certainty of it before the accomplishing and revealing of the Antichrist Yet it is not so new neither whereas this name hath been attributed to the Popes some hundred yeers before Luther's times even by some German Emperours and Bishops and among others by the Emperour Lewys the fourth Duke of Bavaria three hundred yeers ago Yea when before 1460 yeers Irenaeus out of the Revelation of S. John 13. v. 18. conjectured by his name that he would be called Latinus that is to say Romane Neverthelesse not the whole Romane Church nor all its Members neither all their Doctrine and Rel gion is therefore to be accounted for Antichristian God forbid But the Doctrine of Christ which is left amongst them ought to be discerned from the Doctrine and traditions of the Pope and the Temple and People of God over which he extendeth unjustly his Supreme Jurisdiction and Dominion from the Pope and his Dependents as it is prophesied of in 2 Thess 2. v. 4. Revel 18. v. 4. But if the Pope or the Papists would reject or confute such opinion of the Protestants as erroneous They cannot perform it better then by the deed it self ordering matters in this manner First That hereafter he do not anymore exalt himself over the Gods on Earth over Emperours and Kings to depose deprive them of their Crowns and discharge the Subjects from their Oath obedience and subjection Secondly That he do not attribute to himself the power belonging onely to Christ over the souls and consciences of men or over Christian Doctrine and Religion by adding thereunto and diminishing from it Thirdly and principally That he do not Antichristian-like excommunicate and persecute those that do not acknowledge him as Universal and Supreme Head of the whole Christian Church In doing so none of our side will proclaim him for an Antichrist nor his Dependents for Antichristian Otherwise although they should erre or exceed in holding him to be the great Antichrist when perhaps a greater yet is to come Yet the Popes would have as little reason to charge them therefore with a damnable errour as the Wolves the Sheep for accounting that for the ravenousest Wolf which hath devoured most Sheep Thus we hope by these eight Points of moment wherein we are accused of new Doctrine is apparently and abundantly made clear and evident which also we could as easily have performed in all other Articles That we have introduced no Innovation of Doctrine but rather for the maintenance of the ancient undoubted Doctrine separated again whatsoever hath been added to the Universal Primitive Christian Doctrine in the latter hundred yeers To which end all the Reformed Churches have generally at all times declared themselves by solemn Protestations that they would hearken to no new Doctrine but punctually and positively
each impartial and unpassionate man may easily comprehend How farre we judge the Papists First that we for our part not only ought but are bound in conscience to judge and determine thus far of their Doctrine and Religion yet not with the intent that we should attribute unto our selves or to our Churches any jurisdiction or power over other Churches or persons and their Consciences or constitute our own spirit to be judge in matters of Religion as the Papists do charge us withall or that every Idiot or Ignorant may and can judge of Theologicall Controversies But only that we each of us for himself and his own Conscience must judge and discern Judicio discretionis as far as God through his spirit hath endued him with knowledge of his word what we apprehend to be consonant or repugnant to the Word of God truth or falshood good or evill light or darknesse and consequently what for to avoid our own damnation we beleeve for our selves or not beleeve confesse or deny or also set by as uncertain and doubtfull and in one word what we must do and avoid for our salvation Which judging and determining no man let him be never so simple and unlearned and of what Religion soeveâ— can be hindred and refrained from because no man even amongst the Papists themselves can or shall receive or reject any Religion for himself but he judgeth partly of it and hath his reasons and grounds why he doth imbrace or reject it though in his sentence and decision he may judg aright or wrong build upon good or evil grounds upon the Word of God or the words of men which either will make for his own salvation or damnation as the Apostle saith in the precedent verse That every one shall give an account for himself Wherefore we shall also alwayes be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us with meeknesse and fear The true cause of the modern Ecclesiasticall Schisme and separation is to be imputed to the Romish Catholicks having a good conscience 1 Pet. 3. v. 15.16 Secondly that also the cause and occasion of the Schisme and Separation of the Protestant Churches from the Romish is not properly to be imputed to the Protestants but to the Roman-Catholicks yet not to the whole Romish Church but principally to the Popes and their Prelates who have their dominion over the Romish Church and those Divines whose advice and doctrine they follow Yea that We are not those who separate and with-draw our selves from the Catholick Church but the Papists are they who first by un-Catholick additions of new Doctrins and Traditions are fallen away from the true Ancient Catholick Apostolicall Church and withall reject and separate themselves from us by their un-Christian condemning and persecuting us as Hereticks And not only us but all other Churches of the whole world which are not subjected to the See of Rome viz. the Grecian Russian Armenian Georgian Aethiopian c. wherby neverthelesse the Romish Church by pretending to be the Universal Catholick Church on earth and excluding all others from it hath separated it self from all other Churches in the whole world like as in fromer times the Donatists in Africa and is also become a right Schismaticall Sectary Church Wherefore also we must of necessity separate our selves from it both for its un-Catholicall superstitious Doctrine and Religion lest we make our selves partakers of it and also for its un-Christian Tyrannical judging because we may not be tolerated amongst them but are utterly rejected by them to the end that we may remain united with the true Catholick Church in the Univerall Christian Faith and brotherly charity in Christ Wherunto we are so often and earnestly exhorted in the Word of God Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins Revel 18. v. 4. Come out from amongst them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you 2 Cor. 6. v. 17. Take heed and beware of the leaven Mat. 16. v. 6. Keep your selves from Idols 1 Joh. 5. v. 21. Flee from idolatry 1 Cor. 10. v. 14 c. Thirdly that herein also we do not proceed against this Apostolick rule but therfore rather separate our selves lest we may offend and scandalize the consciences And first our own Conscience which needs must be grievously offended if we should against our Conscience adhere to such a Doctrine and Religion whereof not only we have no certain ground from the Word of God but acknowledge it to be repugnant to it and superstitious whereby we should separate us from God himself by reason we wilfully forsake and deny his Word and Ordinance for if it be damnable for them to proceed against Conscience when they do erre or yet doubt as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 14. v. 23. How much more then when it is sufficiently and evidently warranted and convinced by the Word of God Then secondly the Consciences of our brethren who acknowledge with us such errors and abuses of the Popish Doctrine and Religion to whom we should give a very grievous offence if we dissembling against Conscience would also by our example mis-lead them against Conscience to the like hypocrisie and superstition Thirdly the Consciences of the erring themselves who do not acknowledge the errours as yet and whom we would by our example confirm in their Idolatry and abuses and consequently in their uncharitable excommunications and persecutions of the true beleevers and therewith make our selves partakers of their sins whereas we should rather labour to bring them to knowledge as much as lies in our power And although we upon these most urgent and solid reasons must be separate from the Romish Church in the Communion of their exterior Congregations Yet we are inseparate and undivided in those things wherein they agree with us in the Primitive Apostolicall Christianity as hath been said heretofore and remain with them as far united both in the Doctrin of faith and in the duties of Christian charity as much as we with safety of our Consciences may discharge towards them or they will but accept of us Fourthly Because not onely particular men and teachers but also whole Congregations yea whole people and nations unanimously agree in the knowledge and rejecting of such erroneous Popish Doctrin and Worship That the Protestant Churches had good reason have been bound in Conscience to reforme themselves It doth follow by all this without any contradiction that they have had good reason yea have been bound in Conscience and by vertue of their Function to purge their Churches from such Popish leaven and to reform them according to the word of God though the Popes of Rome or the Romish Church with their Dependents will not condescend at all to such Reformation but Anathematize Excommunicate oppose and destroy it to their utmost power seeing it cannot be maintained under any
pretence or warrant from the word of God that all other Churches and Nations of the whole world necessarily should be subjected to the Italian or Romish Church insomuch that they must be tyed to those palpable abuses they have introduced nor dare alter or remove them Whereas yet much more in each particular Church aswell they that have the charge over it whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Temporall as the whole Congregation is obliged in its Authoritie and Dutie and by Gods precept to purge themselves from all pernicious leaven in Doctrine practise and worship and to conforme themselves as much as is possible to the word of God the Doctrine and example of the Primitive Apostolicall Church Whereunto they are also every where most earnestly admonished as well from the Prophets whose reproving and warning Sermons are mearly altogether directed to this end as from the Apostles who labour to anticipate and prevent thereby the future calamities and miseries Rom. 16. v. 17 18. 1 Cor. 1. v. 10. 5. v. 7.13 Gal. 1. v. 7 8 9. 5. v. 1.7.9.10 Phil. 2. v. 2.15 3. v. 2. 4. v. 8 9. Colos 2. v. 7 8.16.18.20.22 23. Revel 2. v. 4 5.14 15 16.20 3. v. 1 2 3. For as every Christian is obliged to clense and purge his own Conscience from all pollution of sinfull Doctrine and life and needeth not to expect any other mans consent in that which God hath commanded Also every congregation ought and is bound to purge and reforme it selfe according to the word of God as much as is possible from all pollution and scandall in Doctrine Life and Worship in spight of the whole world But that Church which resisteth such Reformation with a violent power and force discovereth it selfe manifestly thereby to be herein not a true-Christian but rather Anti-christian Church Although the Reformation of the Protestant Churches is not blamelesse yet it may not therefore be rejected and disapproved as Hereticall Moreover though the Reformation may be culpable either in the manner or in some circumstances yet the maine worke in it selfe being grounded upon the Word and Ordinances of God cannot be found fault withall Since we willingly acknowledge and confesse that also in the Reformation of the Protestant Churches within and without Germany not alwaies the true moderation was used And do not imagine that even in our Churches an absolute and perfect Reformation without any defect and blemish is to be found We cannot approve it that the Reformation in some places was begun with a Tumult and Insurrection of the vulgar people by demolishing and destroying of Images Altars and Monasteries and such other violent proceedings Much lesse that Armes were taken up against Legall Magistrats with the intent to Reforme withall Neither can we excuse that the Laity under colour of Reformation hath seized and transferred ad prophanos Vsus the Monasteries and Ecclesiasticall revenues Chap. 11. which should have been rather addicted and dedicated for the maintenance of Churches and Schooles and for the reliefe of widdows and fatherlesse and other poore and then if somewhat remaine for the incident and urgent necessity of the Country and Common-wealth Nor can we deny but that in the Church-government since that it is devolved from the Bishops for the most part to Lay-men in many places great defects occurre in the disposition and Administration of Ecclesiasticall Functions Wee complaine also oftentimes that the wholesome Church-discipline of the Church is quite gone down and decayed and wish nothing more but that it might flourish and revive againe after the example of the Primitive Church Likewise we hartily desire that in stead of the Reformation and removall of Popish abuses in Fasts Confessions Vows c. The true Christian Fasting with other practices of repentance and devotion especially the Christian Doctrine of the Catechisme might be more diligently and earnestly performed both for the Instruction of the Youth and the Idiots and Ignorants in Bouroughs and villages Lastly We willingly acknowledge that many superfluous and unnecessary Disputes in the Doctrine it selfe have bin moved by the Divines on both sides which rather should be referred to the Schools and discerned from the necessary Universall Doctrine of the Church But because of these and such like defects which are also perceived in the Reformed Churches though in one more then in the other Wee cannot blame the principall worke in it selfe but must rather acknowledge it to be most necessary and profitable that the chiefest abuses of Popery both in Doctrin and in Idolatrous or Superstitious Ceremonies be removed and in stead thereof the true-saving Doctrine and wholesome use of the Blessed Sacraments according to Christs Institution restored againe and so purged from manifold Traditions and Rudiments of men that the Papists themselves have no ground to pretend why they might not with a safe Conscience have Communion with us in our Religion or else it must of necessity follow that they could have had no communion with the Primitive Catholicke Church being that all our outward religion and Worship is absolutly conformable to the first Apostolicall Simplicitie which hath been preserved afterwards for a long time as Justin Martyr Tertullian and other Ancient Fathers informe us Die qui dicitur solis omnium qui vel in oppidis vel ruri degunt in eundem locum conventus fit et commentaria Apostolorum aut scripta Prophetarum quoad tempus fert leguntur Deinde lectore quiescente praesidensoratione populum instruit ad imitationem tà m pulchrarum rerum cohortatur Sub haec consurgimus communiter omnes precationes profundimus precibus peractis profertur panis vinum aqua Praepositus autem quantum pro virili sua potest preces gratiarum actiones fundit populus faustè acclamat dicens Amen Et distributio communicatioque fit eorum in quibus gratiae sunt actae cuique praesenti c. Justinus Martyr in Apolog. 2. pro Christianis Vid. Tertullianum in Apologet. CHAP. XI Whether or how farre the Reformed Churches ought or are bound to judge the Lutherans in their Doctrine and Religion or to separate themselves from them or to reforme them WHat hath beene said in the precedent Chapter of the Romish Church That wee may likewise apply to the doctrine and worship which is controverted and disputed though in fewer points betwixt the Lutherans and other reformed Churches Where we first willingly confesse and give thankes to God that as wee differ in fewer Articles yea fully agree in the most of them against the Papists and other Sectaries we have also much lesse reason to judge the Lutherans or to separate and with-draw our selves from them then from the Papists because of such differences which are rather fomented by some contentious Divines then by the Church it selfe Why the reformed Churches have hitherto sought a Reconcilement Vnity with the Lutherans For though we cannot but judge in our Conscience some
therefore tumultuously rise when they maintaine and use the like libertie for themselves and them that are of the same confession and Faith Being the Lutheran Divines and confessours have hitherto not as yet attributed to themselves the power and as I hope will never do it to absolve and discharge the Subjects from their Oath of Allegiance towards the Magistrats who have renounced the Obedience of the Popish See and Supremacy as is sufficiently evident by the examples in France and England Besides it would be thought in it selfe an unheard of injustice if Subjects should not suffer their Magistrats to have as much liberty of conscience and Religion as they themselves enjoy under their protection Neverthelesse if the Christian Magistrats might but so much obtaine of the Lutheran Divines and Congregations of their Jurisdiction that they might not calumniate or condemne the Doctrine of our Church but receive us also as fellow-brethren and Christians in our Faith and Confession unto the Ministery of the Word of God and use of the Holy Sacraments in their Assemblies I willingly then confesse that men should not rashly undertake such a particular Reformation in Ceremonies whereby a Division may be occasioned but rather tolerate such defects because of the Ignorant and weake in Faith who do little apprehend and discerne the Discrepancy of the Doctrine and at the alteration of Ceremonies presently imagine a quite new Religion whereas they should insist upon the found information of Doctrine till they at length without offence and division either might be corrected with an unanimous goodly consent or each one enjoy his owne libertie therein To which purpose it conduceth also what Augustine saith of such like alterations Ep. 118. Ipsa mutatio consuetudinis etiam quae adjuvat utilitate novitate perturbat That many times the alteration doth not profit and edifie as much as the Division doth hurt and destroy CHAP. XII Whether or how far we may judge or condemn the persons in matters of Religion BY all this what hitherto hath been declared of judging the matter it self in different and controverted Doctrine and Religion and of Separation and Reformation which ariseth from it We may easily now understand whether and how far we ought to judge the persons For as far as we must discern the matter what is sound and true or false and erroneous Doctrine or Worship So far we can and must also extend our judgement to the persons according to the Word of God which of them teacheth true or false Doctrine to the end that we may know whom and how far we ought to follow lest they become not to us or others a stumbling block or an occasion to fall seeing that that judging of the Doctrine cannot be performed without this judging of the persons who maintain the Doctrine yet so that we ought not instantly to condemn the erring persons because of their errour though it be damnable in it self but rather alwayes hope for their amendment as much as is possible As First Those that maintain ignorantly such an errour which by a necessary consequence is repugnant to the saving fundamental Doctrine and yet stand steadfastly to the fundamental Doctrine it self and build not their salvation even upon such an errour and therefore do not condemn us and our Churches which maintain the very same ground Those I say no doubt notwithstanding their errour they may be saved if they do but labour to testifie also their Faith in Christ by the works of Christian charity and godly conversation And that such an errour which would be damnable unto us that have the knowledge of it if we should receive it against conscience yet is not damnable to them by the grace of God who will judge them according to their Faith and works and not according to their ignorance Secondly Those also which condemn us yet if they do it not out of malice as those false Apostles Gal. 1. and 3. and 4. but out of humane weaknesse and meer ignorance either because they are not truely informed of our Doctrine and Faith or esteem it to be repugnant to the Word of God and the Doctrine of the Primitive Apostolical Church Those I say we ought not to condemn although they condemn us with indiscretion but rather pray for them and hope the best of their salvation as long as they hold fast the ground of Faith and the love of Christ which we presume not without reason the greatest part of them do Thirdly Those likewise who ground and build their salvation upon erroneous and false Doctrine and Religion which in some manner all those are enforced to do who account them for necessary fundamental Doctrine and indeed sufficiently testifie that they do not condemn us meerly out of infirmity but out of an uncharitablenesse and malice and also retain not the true ground of Faith nor the love of Christ Those we may judge by the Word of God as all other men who passe their life in notorious sins and vices without true repentance that they are in a damnable condition which is to say That God could condemn them of right in their blindnesse and malice and shall undoubtedly condemn them unlesse they repent Finally we may proceed also with them after the rule of Christ and the Apostles A man that is an Heretick reject let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publicane Matth. 18. v. 17. after the first and second admonition knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself Yet we ought not therefore utterly to condemn them but rather still pray for them hoping God may convert them yet before their last gasp For although the Apostle saith 1 John 5. vers 16. There is a sin unto death for which we shall not pray Yet he saith not that we shall not pray for the sinner much lesse condemn him unto death we being not able exactly to know nor ought to judge whether he hath committed the sin unto death viz. the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost or in other sins is given over to a hardned and an obdurate unbeleef and impenitency With one word We must absolutely resigne and commit the judgement of eternal damnation to God alone being the onely Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy Jam. 4. v. 12. Who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own Master he standeth or falleth yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand Rom. 14. v. 4. Which we now may easily apply to our often-mentioned twofold Adversaries God forbid that we should condemn all Roman-Catholicks much lesse all Lutherans in general or even one single and particular man For first concerning the Papists Whether and how far the Papists may be saved in their Religion like as a twofold Doctrine and Religion is maintained amongst them viz. partly the true Primitive Catholick Apostolick Doctrine wherein they with us and we with them do agree partly the new Popish
least not without prejudice and occasion unto Idolatry and therefore are more safely omitted by us And this will not serve for an excuse to those who now adayes against their conscience go to Masse out of a meer hypocrisie and fear of men because that it is so vehemently pressed upon us from the Papists meerly for to give assent to their errour and Idolatry that we must adore the consecrated Hostie in the hand of the Masse-Priest as Christ himself and put our hope and confidence in that Masse-Christ whom he hath formed out of bread with five words and offereth for us again Neither may this clear the rest of Papists from Idolatry who now adayes with such a blinde zeal impose and presse this Adoration and Sacrifice of the Bread instead of Christ Nor those in general who build their salvation upon their Popish Doctrine and commandments of men which they have added to the true ancient Catholick Divine Doctrine and obstinately adhere thereunto without searching and receiving the Truth especially when therefore they uncharitably condemn and persecute other Christians which cleave onely to Gods Commandment and Doctrine Of whom we may judge in general that in this manner they are in a damnable condition yet so that we hope of every one in particular judicio charitatis that God may convert him yet before his end Whereas there is no doubt but many thousands even amongst themselves who in the time of their life have been most vehemently zealous against us have at length in their last agony learned to acknowledge that they could finde no certain comfort for their souls in all those auxiliary means of salvation which they so fiercely maintained but ought onely to seek their total happinesse and salvation in the meer grace and merey of God so that though they lived as Papists yet at last died Evangelical Christians Whether and how far the Lutherans may be saved in their Religion Whatsoever now hath been said of the Papists that may we apply so much more to the Lutherans because they absolutely agree with us in this principal and chief Point of saving fundamental Doctrine and are otherwise exempted in their Religion from all exteriour Idolatry Wherefore if they onely build their salvation upon such fundamental Doctrine of Faith in Christ Jesus and labour withall to testifie their Faith with Christian charity and godly conversation so that they do not uncharitably condemn nor persecute us but rather diligently search in the rest of different Points into Gods Truth and Doctrine revealed in his Word and having attained the knowledge of it to be ready most willingly to professe and receive it We cannot then condemn them for their often-mentioned errour which they meerly out of humane weaknesse and ignorance stick unto Of what sort of Lutherans are those who live in a dangerous condition of their souls Neverthelesse this may by no means excuse those who 1. will have their own erroneous or at least controverted opinions to be most necessary fundamental Doctrines and Articles of Faith and consequently astrain and binde in some manner both theirs and other Christians salvation thereunto 2. So that Others do not onely not receive us for fellow Christians but judge and condemn us as unfaithful Hereticks who 〈◊〉 in our consciences allow of such their pretended Articles Whereby tâ—â—y â—â—â—er and destroy the Christian Unitie and Ecclesiastical Peace as much as lieth in their power 3. Not onely condemn and cut us off from the Communion of the Christian Church but uncharitably persecute us though not in lives yet in honours and goods by excluding us from the Political Society 4. Especially When they do it not meerly out of humane infirmity and ignorance or out of a false information of our Doctrine and Faith but partly out of obstinacy and malice So that they will not suffer nor hearken to a better Instruction of Truth much lesse search into it themselves in the Word of God Or although they have partly been informed and heard it yet stop their eares and hearts before the Truth out of sinful corrupted affections out of hatred and envy against men out of contention ambition private interest and the like Yea against their own conscience obscure pervert and calumniate it with all sort of slanders detractations and aspersions or intricate Sophistries Of these and like persons we cannot generally out of the Word of God judge any thing else but that they in this manner live in a very dangerous yea damnable state not simply because of the errour it self but because they partly pervert through such errour the ground of Faith in regard they make their own particular opinions to be fundamental Doctrines partly dissolve the bond of Christian charity in regard they judge and condemn other Christians by reason of them But he that doth this not out of a meer ignorance and weaknesse of understanding but out of malice of heart not we but God alone is able to know and discern him Wherefore we ought not rashly to judge and determine of any certain person 5. Those also who though they have had a sufficient knowledge of the Truth in their hearts and yet will not openly professe it out of shame before men or out of other carnal respects are almost in a more dangerous case then the erring themselves because they proceed therein against their own conscience and make themselves guilty of the Lords Sentence Whosoever shall deny me before men or be ashamed of me and of my words him I will also deny Matth. 10. v. 3. Mark 8. v. 38. For not onely he that denieth against his conscience the whole Doctrine of Christ but also he that denieth but one Point of it which he hath known out of the Word of God for mens sake who oppose and condemn it he hath partly denied thereby Christ and been ashamed of his words And whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5. vers 19. For a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Gal. 5. vers 8. They burden also therewith their conscience with the woe and curse which is pronounced against all unrighteous judgement because against their conscience they call evil good and good evil Isai 5. vers 20 23. and decline after many to wrest Judgement Exod. 23. vers 2. For if men be obnoxious to that curse when they peradventure in temporal judicial matters judge unjustly betwixt private persons or following the multitude incline and assent to unrighteous judgement How much more he that doth it in matters of Religion when the Doctrine of â—â—â—ist is disputed and controverted betwixt whole Churches There we ought to labour as much as is possible by fair means to reconcile the different parties and not rashly to judge and condemn the erring Yet not so that we wrest or pervert the Judgement or assent to the injust partie with words or works in their errour and contrarywise withdraw
and separate us from the righteous party in the profession of the Truth calling good evil and light darknesse Cursed be he that perverteth the judgement of the stranger fatherlesse and widow Deuteron 27. vers 19. Should he then not be guilty also of the curse that would wilfully pervert or deny the judgement of the Church yea the Judgement and Truth of God Whereby they also though in their own persons they might not be inclinable to condemn and persecute any man would yet make themselves by their assent partakers of the condemnation and persecution which proceedeth from others who according to the prophesie of Christ shall hate and reproach us separate us from their company and cast out our name as evil Luke 6. vers 22. To let passe how they scandalize others in their conscience by such dissembling and denying both the true beleevers from whom they separate themselves and the erring whom they confirm with their example in the errour whereas they might have induced and perswaded them by a free profession of the known Truth at least to a further inquisition or also to a brotherly reconciliation Now although we cannot generally judge any thing else of the obstinate erring and of such dissembling persons but that they in this manner live in a dangerous condition of their souls and even for this reason we exhort them as tenderly as they love their own salvation to the knowledge and profession of Truth or at least to the mitigation of their uncharitablenesse Yet we may not therefore instantly and rashly condemn the persons but rather hope and pray to God he may if not now by our admonition yet finally before their last gasp illuminate and bring the erring unto the knowledge of the Truth or unto Christian love and reconciliation and move the dissembling to a sound and wholesome Confession Conclusion of the second Part. NOw by the Declaration of this Apostolick Rule even the most unlearned Christian may sufficiently learn both what and how far we ought not to judge and what and how far we ought to judge in controverted and different matters of Religion The Sum and result of it is this 1. We ought to judge and condemn none as Unbeleeving if he doth but closely retain the Universal Undoubted Fundamental Doctrine of Faith and love of Christ which is necessary for all men unto Salvation 2. Although he doth not receive our own or our particular Churches and Teachers Opinions and Interpretations which we acknowledge as agreeable to Scripture and necessary for us to beleeve because he hath no knowledge of them as yet out of the Word of God 3. On the contrary although he adheres to his own or his particular Churches and Teachers singular Opinions which he esteemeth to be consonant to Scripture and necessary for him to beleeve Yet to such Opinions which are uncertain or unnecessary or erroneous also and repugnant to the Word of God or to the saving fundamental Doctrine it self by a necessary consequence 4. As long as he doth not acknowledge such consequence and retaineth but the fundamental Doctrine it self positively and without any mutilation and doth also not erre out of malice of heart but onely out of weaknesse of understanding 5. As long as he doth not make quite fundamental Doctrines of them nor imposeth them on others as necessary neither judgeth and condemneth others therefore or disturbeth the Church of God with prejudicial and unnecessary disputes 6. As long also as he doth not obstinately reject better information but rather laboureth to search further the Truth in the Word of God and to testifie his Faith by Christian charity and godly conversation So that he is not to be accounted for an obstinate unfaithful schismatical heretick but for a weak Beleever and erring Brother Contrarywise 1. They that will have their own erroneous or controverted and unnecessary opinions to be necessary fundamental Doctrines in so much that they repose their comfort and hope of salvation in them 2. Which they also inforce upon others as necessary fundamental Doctrines or judge condemn exclude and separate from the Communion of the Christian Church others therefore whereby they cause Schisms and Divisions in the Church of God 3. Especially such opinions which are not onely doubtful and erroneous but also repugnant to the true undoubted Articles of Faith and fundamental Doctrine if not directly and expresly yet by a necessary consequence 4. They also who cruelly and uncharitably persecute others because of such humane opinion and thereby occasionate not onely Schisms in the Church but distempers and distractions in Common-wealths 5. And that not meerly out of ignorance and humane infirmity but out of a wilful blindnesse and malice so that they will not hearken nor receive any information of the Truth much lesse search into it themselves but obstinately oppose it out of carnal blinded affections Those we may and must thus far judge out of the Word of God First Concerning the matter it self That we no wayes make our selves partakers of such errours and other sins arising from thence but had rather be condemned rejected separated and persecuted by them lest we may become a stumbling block and offence first to our own then to other true beleeving or erring consciences Secondly As much as concerneth the persons That though we cannot judge any thing else of such persons in general but that they in this manner are in a dangerous and damnable condition yet we condemn none in particular First Because we cannot directly discern in no man whether he doth erre out of humane weaknesse or obstinate malice Secondly Because though he did erre out of malice yet we ought still to hope seek and pray to God for his conversion and commit the judgement concerning him to the Soveraign Judge Would to God That all that are called Christians or at least Catholicks and Evangelical did agree with us herein with one minde seeing that all those that will not proceed against conscience nor parallel and equal mens words with Gods word neither place themselves in Gods Tribunal must herein agree Then the Christian love and peaceablenesse would raign instead of this unhappy Schism cruel distraction and lamentable devastation of Christendom And the easiest and safest way be opened unto right Christian Unitie in the Doctrine of Truth instead of the manifold dissensions and differences in Doctrine and Religion The Apostle Paul hath not onely most earnestly and faithfully exhorted us all in general and especially the Romane Church to which he directeth his Epistle but also added most efficacious and pregnant motives thereunto Wherefore let us not judge one another any more Why That is evident by the precedent words We shall all stand before the Judgement-Seat of Christ So then every one of us shall give accompt of himself to God Rom. 14. v. 10 12. Like as he writeth to the Corinthians Therefore judge nothing before the time untill the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the heart and then shall every man have praise of God 1 Cor. 4. v. 5. If we had that great day of Judgement of the Lord continually set before our eyes especially the Divines and Ecclesiasticks who before all others should be the Sons of Peace Luke 16. v. 6. yea the true Ambassadours of Peace Isai 33. v. 7. 52. v. 7. Nah. 1. v. 15. whereas many are Authors of most of the disturbances in the Christian Church by their unchristian judging and condemning They would not be so rash and severe in judging one another but every one would first think and consider with himself how we shall give once an accompt of our selves before that Tribunal And though we must judge for conscience sake because of our function yet we should not more rigourously judge others then we our selves desire to be judged by the Lord viz. not for our ignorances nor for our weaknesse not for every faulty word nor according to other mens words or traditions of men or humane opinions yea not after the severity of Gods Law nor uncertain doubtful Interpretations of the Word of God But onely according to the undoubted saving Gospel of Grace and Truth of Christ in Fatherly goodnesse tendernesse grace and mercy Wherefore we conclude with the words of the Apostle James 2. v. 12 13. So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty For he shall have judgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy And mercy rejoyceth against judgement To him the Father of Judgement and Father of Mercy be adscribed all honour and praise for ever and ever Amen FINIS