requisite to confirm it amongst those that have interest in the cause which are all such to whom the house of Austria is or will be either intolerable or dreadfull in these present conquests Concerning which things it is out of mine element to speak at large And therefore I will rest in these generalities which I mention onely to intimate that it is not onely possible to frame and confirm such a league amongst Protestants if they be not altogether insensible of their own dangers but also feasible enough and not very difficult if the true relation which the one work must have to the other in their necessary concurrence be rightly observed and instruments imployed about the same 11. Of the relation which the one work hath to the other IN the beginning was shewed that the civill league dependeth upon the work of Ecclesiasticall reconcilement as the body doth upon the soul Now we may say on the other side again That the Ecclesiasticall work dependeth upon the civill confederation as the soul upon the body For indeed betwixt soul and body there is a mutuall dependence so that the one is not so apparently subsisting without the other Therefore it may be concluded That except the body of a civill confederation be intended and sought for the work of Ecclesiasticall reconcilement will never come to a publick and visible estate of ratification no more then our souls are to be seen without their naturall bodies yet because the souls of men have by themselves also a being and subsistence without their bodies it is manifest that spirituall things which have a relation unto mens souls ought not to be suspended from their bodyly conditions but may and should be sought for by themselves From whence it followeth that the work of spirituall reconcilement should be agitated although the other be not intended that yet this must not be made an appendix thereof but taken up for it self as a businesse standing upon its own principles tending to its own end which is the advancement of Gods kingdome and which may run along in its own channels together with the other work even as the arteries which are conduits of the vitall spirits concurre together in one body with the veins thereof which contain the masse of blood I suppose then that the Authours of both works their endeavours means and manner of proceedings ought to be not onely conjoint but also in some cases dependant each upon other yet so that there be no confusion and commixture of the chief aims of the principles of the fundamentall proceedings by which each work is to be perfected For each work having its own aim it s own principles and wayes distinctly to be used in and for its self must needs have also its own Authours and Actours distinguished which neverthelesse must not onely correspond together and do things with mutuall knowledge but also assist and help one another with advice and addresse in matters of moment that when either hopes and likelihoods appear both may know each others advantages or when difficulties either way are incident preventions may be both wayes used lest from the circumstances of the one some inconveniences might reflect upon the other Therefore the undertakers of both works before they enter in agitation ought to preconceive their plots and make an agreement together concerning the manner of their relative proceedings chiefly in those cases wherein it may be conjectured that jealousies taken up by others from matters which happily will fall out on either side may cause a difficulty in both works For if either the instrument of a civill league should agitate too much with Divines or with States-men the work of Ecclesiasticall reconcilement or the undertaker of the spirituall work should shew himself too forward in matters of State both might incurre the suspicion of not dealing sincerely because the Clergie might be jealous that something might be intended to their prejudice if matters of Religion should be too farre meddled into by States-men and the States-men might suspect the spirituall Agent that his chief and reall aim was not a true composition of differences in Religion but rather some pretext subtilly made use of to cover some other worldly intention which would marre all and make both them and their Divines shie and fearfull to meddle in the one or in the other businesse Now to avoid this and many other inconveniences which might be reckoned up each must agitate his own work and yet not without the fore-knowledge and preconsultation with the other which sufficeth to frame a fit concurrence at incident occasions of speciall moment which being openly countenanced by authority will make a deep impression upon mens affections And to this effect also the most observable circumstances of times places and persons must be preconceived and a course laid how to make use of the same as well joyntly as severally III. Of the considerable circumstances of the spirituall work to discern what may be done in it at this time THe possibilitie of all effects ariseth from the fitnesse of means to be used towards the same The fitnesse of means consisteth in the properties of circumstances wherewith they are clothed These circumstances are chiefly time place and persons Therefore to see the possibility of this spirituall work these circumstances are to be considered The seasonablenesse of this time to agitate in these matters ariseth two wayes partly from the extreme dangers and distractions of the Churches and of the minds of men partly from the preparations made already towards the accomplishment of the work in the spirits of those that can best help to bring it to passe The first circumstance of this time maketh this businesse to be a matter of absolute necessity the second sheweth the possibility thereof The distractions and dangers of Protestants are almost infinite they cannot be reckoned up for what Church is it that is not divided from its neighbour subdivided in it self where is true brotherly love without respect of persons and partiality where is a true care for godlinesse and religiousnesse considered in it self without siding to this or that faction what is become of the Communion of Saints tending to uphold the duties of charity and mutuall edification Is not all this gone and lost and is not all manner of bitternesse in disputes raylings and reproches and all kind of disorder indiffidences factions and plots undertaken one against another come in stead thereof Hence it is that the peace of the Churches being disturbed with violent affections and uncharitable practices there is not onely amongst Divines a breach in communion about spirituall matters but also that mutuall amity and fidelity which is requisite in States-men for the concourse of Councels in common affairs of a publick nature is decayed and broken all to pieces Thus they are become a prey unto their adversaries And although they can perceive that their strength is almost broken yet they cannot joyn in counsel for their mutuall preservation
A SUMMARY DISCOURSE concerning the work of PEACE ECCLESIASTICALL How it may concurre with the aim of a civill confederation amongst PROTESTANTS Presented to the consideration of my Lord Ambassadour Sr. THOMAS ROVV c. at HAMBVRG in the yeare M DC XXXIX By Mr. JOHN DURY A faithfull and indefatigable Solicitour of the Gospel of Peace amongst Protestants Now put to the Presse for the information of such as are able to countenance and willing to help forward the Negotiation to some issue CAMBRIDGE Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Universitie Ann. Dom. 1641. JOHN 3. 20 21. Every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved But he that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God To the Right Honourable Sr. THOMAS ROW Knight Chancellour of the most Honourable Order of the Garter and Ambassadour extraordinary for his Majestie unto the King of Denmark and Princes of Germanie c. Right Honourable IT is easie to discourse of a good businesse but betwixt doing and saying there is a great deal of difference And although I labour to be rather effectuall then talkative neverthelesse sometimes discourses are requisite to satisfie such as must heare and judge of the work What satisfaction this may give I know not but I can conjecture that few will be pleased with it except those which really love the work for it self And although I did not intend to be half so large when I first set pen to paper as now I find my self to have been yet I am not satisfied in mine own work because I see that whiles I study to avoid prolixity I do not descend unto such particulars as Judicious States-men will perhaps look after in these endeavours concerning the outward wayes of proceeding and as learned Divines will reflect upon concerning the inward manner of reconciling mens judgements working peaceable dispositions upon their affections But my Apologie is that particulars depend upon circumstances and that the varietie of circumstances is almost infinite Therefore not so much to be discoursed of as to be observed in the action and made use of towards the effect Neither is it fit to lay open in a discourse communicable to every one the particularities which pertain to the undertaking and must go along with the execution It sufficieth in this case to make the necessitie and possibility of things intended to appear which I hope is done if not so fully as could have been yet in some satisfactory measure towards such as can conceive and make use of generall rules applyable to cases which every one acquainted with the nature of publick affairs easily can imagine and represent unto himself Now the chief end for which I have put my self upon this discourse is that I should at this occasion summe up mine own thoughts to discover the same unto your Lordship and to let others see my way who perhaps will concurre to further it in time and place convenient For seeing the work is in it self most necessary and for the Protestant cause most profitable and neither impossible nor so difficult as most men that have not tried the ford as I have done imagine it to be therefore I would not have any to despair of it nor give me occasion to complain of this age that after so many years unblamable solicitation I have found small reality of assistance in a publick work of so great necessity The jealousies and fears of the times I know occasionate this But as for me I have once for all by oath unto Almighty God renounced all by-respects in this businesse and no man shall ever be so jealous over me for outward circumstances as I shall be inwardly over my self lest the simplicity of my mind in these purposes be tainted with worldly hopes or fears against which as the traytours of good counsel I have guarded my spirit in working it into a temper wherein I may seriously take pleasure with the Apostle in all adversities and rejoyce in crosses and in 2. Cor. 12. 10. straights that when I shall be as I foresee I may be deserted neglected despised and laughed at for embracing as it were alone so vast a businesse I may then endure it patiently and without murmuring at my ease rely upon Gods providence in it in respect I know that he is able to shew his strength in my weaknesse And if he will not comfort me with the wished for successe yet I shall not faint in well-doing because these generall grounds and rules to walk by are able to support me if my heart be upright to the work in all difficulties Neither is it requisite for me to set forth and commend this matter nor will I use perswasive arguments to induce men to give assistance in it for I desire the help of none but of such as love the work for it self and who are able either of themselves or at least from these generall discoveries to satisfie their thoughts in the possibility of more particular undertakings Few men are so judicious to consider the consequence and so cordiall to assist the prosecuting of these endeavours as your Lordship hath alwayes been I speak this in true simplicity of heart as knowing from the reall testimonies of your Patronage unto the work the thing which I say Therefore as your Honour was the first encourager and supporter of me at the beginning of this Negotiation in Prussia so now at this almost full period thereof after this triall of my constancy sincerity and unblamablenesse therein I am perswaded your favours will not be failing before it appear what preparatives may be wrought further in these Quarters and in the Church of Denmark where hitherto nothing hath been attempted Who knoweth what opportunities time will produce hereafter Periander one of the renowned seven Sages of Greece biddeth us Expect the occasion the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Libr. 43. reason of this precept may be taken from Dion who saith Quòd plura negotia opportunitate occasionum quà m viribus rectè sunt confecta Thus then if I may but go on without noise in mine own private slow pace I shall rest contented for I know that this seed must not onely be sown in the hearts of men at its own times but also lie there a season and rot before it will spring up and fructifie The Prophet Isaiah in a case of this nature saith He that believeth Esay 28. 16. shall not make haste Now I do believe therefore I am resolved not to make haste Onely two things I could wish for First that all outward helps be not withdrawn from my subsistence Secondly that the favourable accesse which I have had unto some eminent Divines of Great Brittain which are not unwilling to take some spirituall tasks in hand concerning this subject may be stil confirmed If these wishes cannot be obtained I confesse the case will
description of that which ought to be done to cause these imputations cease should be set down This answer may be procured either immediately by him that prosecuteth the work of Ecclesiasticall Reconcilement or else by the mediation or intervention of others who will be able and willing to procure it For it may be gotten either in a publick or in a private way as well by some Lutheran as Reformed men of note and perhaps it will not be amisse that the Ambassadour for the League should move the Princes who may be brought into the Confederation to command their Divines to set down in short terms without all partiality and rayling affection the true exceptions which they make against the publick Confession of the Reformed Churches that a course might be thought upon how to give them satisfaction in all matters that are colourably proposed to maintain their division Now when these exceptions are specified by three or foure of the chief Leaders of that party the whole Theologicall difficulty of the businesse will appear which being reduced to a few heads a full resolution thereof might authentically be produced from all quarters where the Reformed Religion hath a form and being in the State that all doubts from whence the imputations of grievous errours do arise may be satisfactorily cleared And in the mean time while this is a doing the Lutheran Divines might be put to a peculiar task namely to resolve certain Cases of Conscience which may direct their thoughts towards better subjects then hitherto many of them have been used to think upon By which means their understandings will happily get occasion to cool their spirits somewhat too hot about needlesse disputes when they shall be led fairly without prejudice to the consideration of some few infallible principles from which the determination of truths fundamentall and matters necessary to be known and practiced unto salvation may be deducted without great difficultie and consequently all schismaticall differences composed Then afterward when the declarations of the Reformed Churches tending to clear themselves from damnable errours and heresie are brought unto perfection they must be offered unto the same Lutheran Divines that did give up their exceptions against the said Churches with a demand that if any thing necessary for salvation be yet doubtfull or not sufficiently explained in these declarations that they would be pleased to make it known that a further exposition of their mind may be procured in things still doubtfull If then any further doubts be alledged and new exceptions made against any positions contained in the foresaid declarations two things may be done First the positions may be further explained to give them satisfaction unto rational doubts for clearing of the truth Secondly the matter it self whereof the doubt is made may be confidered whether or no it be of that importance that men must needs agree about it and in case they cannot agree whether or no they ought for such a difference of opinion to break off all respect of Christian communion and brotherly affections one towards another Here then the businesse of fundamentall and not fundamentall truths will come in agitation which will be the onely means to resolve finally all matters of strife And therefore whiles some are a work to clear the Reformed Churches from such imputation whereof they are injuriously charged some others must take the task of thinking upon truths and duties which are unto salvation fundamentall or not fundamentall And thus the Lutheran pretext of schisme whereby damnable heresie is laid to the charge of Reformed Protestants may be fully and invincibly taken out of the way if means be not wanting to uphold an Agent to stirre in these matters and if no other difficulties seeming to be insuperable be left in the way of which now we are to speak in the last place of all Concerning the difficulties incident unto this work how they may be overcome THe difficulties which may befall to these proceedings are so many and sometimes so great that it is neither well possible to relate them all in particular nor good wisdome to set them forth in all their worst circumstances Therefore I will contract them to a few heads and shew the fundamentall wayes by which they may be overcome The heads of all difficulties may be reduced to three kinds for some have relation to the person that is to go about the work some relate those with whom he is to deal and some regard the matter and manner of the work it self which is to be prosecuted The difficulties which fall out in regard of him that is to go about the work are these First seeing the work seemeth to be a new businesse as taken in hand by a way not formerly traced therefore he that undertaketh it must expect to be differently spoken and thought of amongst men Then also seeing the work in it self is both exceeding great and difficult it followeth that if a man purposed to do good in it he must needs dedicate himself wholly to it and leave the care of all other things for it which is no small task Thirdly he ought to see a possibility of the effect or else he must despair and never undertake it Now to see a possibility of this effect he must have a sight of some sufficiency of means to reach it and that sufficiency must either be in himself or in others Now what if he dare not find in himself any such sufficiency for who is so presumptuous as to say more then the Apostle durst of himself And who is sufficient for these things But if no man dare think of himself that he is sufficiently fitted to go about a work of so great consequence what willingnesse can he have to undertake it If no willingnesse to undertake it what inward calling can he have to go about it If no calling to go about it how is it warrantable for him to follow it and to leave all other callings for it This I confesse is a hard knot but yet it is made much harder when other circumstances come to it as thus What if he find as little sufficiency in others towards this effect as in himself what if he find least willingnesse in most of them Nay what if he find in those that are esteemed most sufficient very little apparent and flow concurrence to help in it This is yet harder but if above all this according to all humane appearance he cannot but rationally conjecture that he must lose his labour and be esteemed a fool for his pains what if he findeth after some triall of the work when he profiteth little that he is like to be deserted of such as were ready formerly to help him what if he must needs as being indifferent and free from siding with any party make himself to all parties an object of their jealousies and of strange surmises to most men and consequently become liable to obloquies censures injuries hatred and malice c. without
and the spirituall way of proceeding therein necessary to work upon the spirits of men be not either stopped for want of correspondencie and a few constant Agents or outwardly discountenanced by Authoritie in respect of worldly jealousies or deserted for want of necessary support and maintenance towards the work and towards an Agent or two to subsist in going about it For it can easily be demonstrated how all manner of difficulties arising from the matter and subject of the work whether they concern the understanding or the wils and affections of men may be either prevented or taken away in due time by spirituall means and proceedings answerable to the main grounds of Christianity and conscience of which now we cannot speak at large The last and greatest difficulty will be found in the manner of treating and ratifying that which may be concluded and agreed upon Here then two things are wholly necessary First The way of giving satisfaction to mens consciences must be found out and made use of Secondly The respect which is due unto publick authority must not be neglected These things are wholly necessary but how to apply them fitly to the circumstances of the work is a matter of no small difficulty because in the first the method of School-Divinity on the one side and the spirit of private interpretation on the other side hath spoiled the wayes of true knowledge And in the second publick authority may be in certain matters and cases regarded otherwise then it ought to be so that the work every way will be marred if the true midst of all these extremes be not observed For both high and low learned and unlearned may be all at once offended if the demonstrative rules both of truth and righteousnesse be not so exactly applyed unto the proceedings of the work that every one may find therein his own due and receive satisfaction Now to do this before ever the treatie be set upon the spirits of men must be tryed afarre off and discovered in these things First What principles and wayes of knowledge they have taken up Secondly How farre they are prepossessed settled and exercised therein Thirdly How flexible their nature and large their capacitie is to apprehend things more universall Fourthly How farre they regard or regard not the authoritie of Superiours in matters of Religion When these things are discovered the manner of dealing with them according to their own principles the measure of their capacitie and the respect which they carry unto publick authoritie must be thought upon and made use of to fit their minds and affections unto the scope of these treaties that first their minds by insensible degrees of unfallible truths no wayes repugnant to their received principles though somewhat perhaps different from the same may be perfected and advanced to a way of knowledge more universall and consequently more peaceable then that is wherein they have been formerly excercised and secondly that their affections from the grounds of necessary respects due to such as are in place of lawfull authoritie may conscionably be raised up to yield willingly obedience unto such constitutions as may fall out to be requisite about the work When these preparatives are wrought upon their understandings and wills it will easily appear what manner of treaties must be undertaken to satisfie the minds of men in respect of doubts concerning faith and how for matters of practice the respect of publick authoritie and in what things it may easily be made use of towards them For it is manifest by the experience of all ages that many things though never so lawfull and rationall cannot be caried by mere authority chiefly among men that think themselves not unable to judge and obliged to know the grounds of such things as do retrench upon Religion and seem to bind their conscience Therefore a great deal of circumspection and tendernesse must be used both wayes I mean as well to prevent the troubling of mens consciences that are conscionable as to expose authoritie to be censured in mens secret thoughts For if either the consciences of men be troubled for want of sufficient light in that which they are bound by reason of authoritie to give way unto or else if the respect which is due unto authoritie in such things which it ought to advance and prosecute decay in the hearts of men because weak consciences receive no satisfaction in matters whereat they stagger as proceeding from mere authoritie then the foundation both of State and Religion are shaken For the foundation of Religion in the souls of men is nothing else but the respect which men have unto their consciences under Christs ordinances and the foundation of State in the hearts of men is nothing else but the respect which inferiours bear unto their superiours unto a lawfull government And to avoid the shaking of either of these respects in managing of weighty businesses all diligence and prudence must be used in every particular degree and action of their proceedings that every one may have sufficient light and satisfaction concerning the nature and properties of the same So then to proceed in matters of truth to reconcile the understandings of men it is apparent that neither School-Divinity nor the private spirit of any particular man will satisfie all men and give sufficient light to know the way of truth because as scholasticall methods are onely fit for scholars of that kind and not for men of other reading and capacity so also the spirit of one interpreter of Scriptures can be no rule to another who hath as much right to rely upon his own conception as the former doth upon his therefore a more universall way then either of these to declare truths and clear doubts must be made use of against which no man shall be able to make any exception And to this effect I mean lest any exception be made against it before the way be made use of and applyed unto the work it must be proposed examined allowed and received by all those that are to treat or to be treated withall in this subject that no body may have occasion for want of light fitted to his capacity to stagger at the proceedings or fear and doubt at the truth of such determinations as may be settled to reconcile mens judgements in points of religion Now of this way whereby intellectuall doubts may be cleared I am not at this time to speak at large because my purpose is onely now to intimate in generall terms that no difficulties can be incident unto the work which may not be overcome by a convenient remedy if it please God to suffer us to proceed Seeing then a complete way of advancing spirituall knowledge can be intended without danger arising from School-divinity and private spirituall interpretations care must also be taken on the other side not to neglect the respect which is due unto authority in all these proceedings and yet not to make any such use of it as may