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
I should never leave the thoughts of this work so long as I live Secondly that I should intend it for it self and keep it free from being subordinate to particular politick ends Thirdly that I should follow none other wayes in prosecuting of it then such as are most answerable to the Gospel of Christ and may be made use of without all occasion of dispute strife and scandall To these and to some other resolutions subordinate to these I am bound by a solemn vow which vow cannot be retracted nor altered Therefore if I purpose to keep my promise conscionably I am bound to dedicate my self wholly unto the effect of the work with a purpose not onely to entertain my self speculatively with this object of meditation but rather to endeavour effectually the work it self at least so long as I can by any lawfull means possibly subsist to proceed in it I suppose then I have here a task for my whole life and therefore will make no haste to rid my self of it nor ever think of being weary or of taking any other thing in hand which is not either collaterally helpfull or subordinate unto it For when I enter seriously within my self to consider what course of life I must from henceforth follow that I may be able to perform the vows and promises which I have made unto Almighty God I find that I must resolve before all things to be no more mine own man in any thing but a servant to the work and to such as will help to further it whereupon this consequence followeth that as I must resigne and give up my self unto the work so I must resolve to be at full libertie and free from all other occasions obligations and relations which may divide and distract my thoughts from it Having thus settled the main businesse which doth concern my conscience when I reflect afterward upon particulars I find that to concurre effectually with the work of a civill Confederation I must propose unto my self this distinct scope namely to labour to dispose the spirits of the Clergie of both sides but chiefly of the Lutherans to have good and moderate thoughts of their neighbours and friends the Reformed Churches For indeed though both sides be in some things faulty yet the chief fault lieth in the spirits of some Lutheran Divines who either through ignorant zeal or forwardly ends disturb the peace of Protestants And the way which they take to do it is none other but a pretext of maintaining truth against Calvinists under which name all Reformed Churches are meant who are said to be guilty of most damnable heresies Therefore to moderate this untoward affection this pretext must needs be taken away And to do it the chief Lutheran Divines must be made really sensible that the Reformed Churches are not guilty of heresie but are in very deed true Evangelicall Christians and sound Professours of the Gospel which thing although it be no difficult matter in it self to be made good yet it will prove a task of no easie performance to make Lutherans so farre obliged to take notice of this truth that they shall not be able any more to decline the acknowledgement thereof Now to gain this purpose some treaty must needs be intended with the Lutheran Clergie and it must be a peaceable treaty void of all occasion of jealousie and offence but how this treaty may be drawn on by what means and manner of proceedings it must be prosecuted How the preparations thereof may be negotiated How the difficulties which are or will be incident to these proceedings may be overcome are things now to be thought upon before the work it self be further undertaken Concerning the way how to draw on insensibly these treaties I Have hitherto professed my self like a publick Solicitor of peaceable counsels betwixt both parties to see what good inclinations either were or might be wrought upon the spirits of Clergy men in this age towards their mutuall edification in duties belonging to the Communion of Saints How much my solicitation hath stirred them up to these thoughts and how farre they are prepared to admit or not to admit of peaceable propositions it is not fit for me to declare I hope hereafter the effect it self shall speak But seeing I am resolved still to continue and to proceed to win by little and little and draw on the Lutheran Clergy towards friendly and peaceable affections I conceive that it cannot be otherwise brought to passe then by such proceedings as hitherto I have used Whereof the first step hath been alwayes a free unpartiall and unblameable conversation with the chief Divines to make acquaintance with them When acquaintance is made the next step is to come by degrees insensibly to insinuate matters of mutuall edification in making them sensible of such duties of Christianity which are most necessary at this time to be set upon by men of conscience and charitie By this means the inclinations and dispositions of their minds will either if they be good break forth and discover themselves or if they be raw and untoward will be in some part prepared towards further thoughts of this nature This being done a man may draw somewhat near the subject of peace and mutuall reconcilement in making them think of the great inconveniences of schismes and divisions amongst Protestants and of the great good which might redound to all Christians if the true causes and originall motives of such differences might really be taken out of the way as well by settling mens judgments in the truth of Christian Religion which are wholly undoubted as by bringing their will to affect the main duties wherein the publick and Ecclesiasticall profession thereof consisteth Of which duties the first ground doth seem to be this That all men and chiefly Divines are bound in conscience to intend truly and professe openly a desire and willingnesse to be at peace with peaceable neighbours and That they ought to account peaceable neighbours such men as not onely study to be void of offense towards others but also desire to entertain love and friendship with them These principles being proposed and wrought upon the minds of some of their Leaders it might be tryed whether or no they could be brought to declare and promise that they will concurre in thoughts and treaties by which the grounds of former and the cases of future scandals and contentions might be taken away from amongst Protestants If then they should not be averse from such a motion they might be brought by degrees forward First To entertain private thoughts by themselves concerning the possibilitie of advancing such treaties Secondly To communicate such thoughts to others which shall be found desirous to conferre without prejudice about this matter with them Thirdly To heare the proposals of others and declare how farre they agree or disagree with the same that means may be thought upon by which difficulties and incident causes of disagreement at the treatie may either be
as to such as are conscionably and honestly affected towards peace and unitie and towards these some further means either in private or in publick may be used that they may give occasion unto their Clergie to break off silence and declare their resolutions towards peaceable endeavours And if either of these means take or take not at last the Acts may be sent to some chief Universities of both sides and submitted unto their judgements After all which both the Acts and the judgements thereof may be published in print with a Preface to remonstrate unto the rulers of Christian States what the true causes and remedies of schismes are and how by amiable and conscionable treaties amongst sober and godly Divines all inconvenients of strifes and endlesse disputes might be taken out of the way with an exhortation and entreaty towards them to choose out and authorize fit men to go with consent and liking of their brethren about such a work for the generall good of Christendome and particular of Protestant Churches If then any Prince or State be stirred up to take this resolution and will give occasion to others to enter with some of his Clergy upon these thoughts the matter may be further prepared by certain degrees of publick meetings whereof it is not yet time to speak And this is the first way taken from the ground of former treaties The second way of proceeding in this businesse may take the rise from the circumstances of this present time and then it will have a relation unto the publick dangers of Protestant Churches and States and to the necessity of a brotherly league and confederation betwixt the same against their common enemies Here then all such as have reall intention to frame such a League to support the Protestant cause and to restore the house Palatine in Germany I suppose will easily be perswaded to further the spirituall part of this League that is to say to care for the soul of their conjunction as well as for the bodily part thereof Here then there should be a purpose of negotiating for a league with the German Princes and Lutheran States and the Ambassadour that is to labour in it should have one with him authorized and instructed by eminent authority to treat with the Lutheran Clergy about the work of Ecclesiasticall Reconcilement who might have some instructions to some such effects as these may be First to do nothing without foreknowledge and expresse consent of the Ambassadour sent to make the league Secondly to treat with none obligatorily but with such Divines as shall expressely be named to that effect by that Prince or State with whom the Ambassadour should be in treaty for the other conjunction Thirdly to treat of matters onely preparatorily by way of consultation with a reference to some other future treaties which in due time might be taken in hand Fourthly to treat onely of means and wayes belonging to the scope of religious agreement in matters of difference which have bred disputes and publick scandalls to which effect he should be authorized to testifie a willingnesse in the Church from whence he cometh to advance unity amongst all Christians and chiefly to try by what means in due time a more strict and near Ecclesiasticall agreement might be brought to passe amongst Protestants Fifthly to avoid and decline all particular occasions of dispute and debatement about matters controversall Sixthly to make such proposall of particular means and wayes of agreement as will be then found expedient to be mentioned by those from whom he cometh and will probably be entertained by those to whom he is sent Such like instructions being given to one that is acquainted with the persons humours and controversies of Lutheran Divines and by some experience can foresee prevent and answer their scruples jealousies doubts shifts and difficulties no doubt a publick treaty might very easily be brought to passe to great good purpose about the work of Reconciliation For if the minds of one or two Divines about every Prince should in this manner be drawn and prepared really to affect or at least not to disaffect the purpose of a further treaty at some friendly meeting the way of coming together might without great difficulty be so contrived that by little and little all matters might be composed and settled in unitie without all occasion of strife and dispute And the chief motive why a Theologicall treaty in this kind ought to be intended and urged as a thing most necessary amongst Protestants may be alledged by the Ambassadour of the Civill League to be this That seeing in a faithfull confederation and brotherly league for mutuall defence betwixt two parties for each others lives liberties and rights there ought not to be any known cause of doubt concerning the sinceritie of mutuall love and upright intentions betwixt the confederates left untaken away lest the reall effect thereof be disappointed and seeing it is notoriously known that one of the greatest causes by which mutuall love and sincere intentions can be broken off hath been existent and is not yet truly taken away from the spirits of Lutheran Divines who have esteemed hitherto all Reformed Protestants no better then damnable hereticks therefore to take away this cause of disjunction and of breach in true love it will be necessary to permit chief Divines of both sides to treat in a friendly manner that they may receive satisfaction one from another in matters of doubt and that they may take away the causes of mistakes and future breaches and confirm their love one towards another And to this effect it might also be intimated that whiles such intentions of brotherly reconcilement are in agitation it would be fit a course should be taken to forbid railing accusations and odious imputations from the pulpit on both sides in hope that the grounds thereof will shortly be taken away to the full content of every one Hitherto the preparatives of a publick treaty have been spoken of but in case no such amiable treaties can be produced then remaineth the last attempt which may be intended that the pretext of schisme whereby many many damnable errours are laid to the charge of the Reformed Churches can be taken away and the Lutheran Divines made to take notice that all Reformed Protestants are wronged by such imputations To do this as formerly so now acquaintance must be made with the ring-leaders of that side which chiefly uphold the division and when the matters of duty belonging to mutuall edification are without prejudice proposed a question must be made concerning the causes which hinder the work of Reconcilement to know in particular what they are what may be thought a sufficient and requisite means to take thē out of the way To which question a short and friendly answer from him with whom the treaty is begun must be procured in writing wherein as well the Catalogue of those things which are laid to the charge of the Reformed Churches as also the
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