gives them and of which a wife man hath said Chi non ha Paura non sente il malo he who hath no fear can feel no harm No Party should take an advantage of another and I believe that if we served God well and honoured the King we should all agree with so much sweetness that one might see faith truly universal justly Apostolical and truly Christian shine out clearely 30. If to produce unity wee must have the same thoughts let us all respect follow without wrangling the good will of our Soveraign let us not be obstinate in our private faith but let us be fixed in that which hath appeared at all times Catholique and which we have equally respect for and confiance in All of us have the Confession of Faith which is called the Apostolical Symbol we have almost in the same words as they recite them in the Mass the Confession of Faith of the Council of Nice such a collection of Faith signed by 318 Bishops was a conclusion of that worthy Assembly to whom Rome sent two Deputies the Articles of faith were received by the Church which was not Arian and since none of bur Churches are so let us be satisfied with that Confession truly Catholique and let us hold to it Let us Reason together with freindship The Confession of the Symbol of Nice touched without doubt all the Articles of the Christian Faith which the truly faithfull believe or ought to believe to satisfy their consciences so worthy an Assembly was the first that Christianity saw in its quiet after the dreadfull Persecutions It was under the Authority of Constantine the great who was converted from Idolatry to the Faith it was as the Resurrection of the Gospel which untill then was preached in hidden places in Caves and dark holes of the earth By the happy Miracle of a new Life Jesus Christ increased by his Divine Power the light of Faith and the sweetness of tranquillity it was necessary in so considerable a meeting to inform Christians very well what they were obliged to believe always in all parts of the World and in all Nations where Religion could be found It was absolutely necessary also to inform by a publique Act the Soul of the newly Converted Emperour of all the Mysteries which make Christian Religion Divine and True and the Emperor ought to Regulate his Faith by that general approved Confession signed by all the good Bishops In short this Confession of Faith so Authentique and so wisely Established was received by all Christianity as an abridgment of the Gospel with this assurance that those who believe these Propositions would have that true and entire Faith which Christ requires in his Faithfulones All these Circumstances witness that the Articles proposed since that time were not believed then since they could not forget to Record them and that this Council principally Assembled against the impious subtleties of Arius treated of all the Mysteries of Religion and by a common Agreement made a general Declaration of them that they put into it all that is necessary to Salvation not only to correct present Errors but to hinder new ones and if the blind obedience which Worshipped the Decrees of the Church and the Patriarch of Rome had been a difference necessary to Salvation the Roman Deputies would not have sail'd to present it The Emperour nor the Fathers of the Council would not have neglected to put in that Article which goeth at present for the most Fundamental Ground of Faith and instead of these Words One Holy and Apostolical Church we should read these the Roman Church only I wonder that if the Greeks complain of that which the Latines have added to the Articles of the Procession of the holy Spirit Filioque we should not complain of them that they have added And the Roman Church After having confirmed this Truth that the Confession of Faith published by the Council of Nice being received by all Christians establisheth them in a most Holy and Pious Unity let us agree according to the will of the King in the French Church in that manner which the first and principal Council of Christians regulated our common Faith since in the third Age it regulated the Faith of Constantine the great and all Christianity we may joine to these those who condemned the Heresy of Nestorius and Eutichus in short we are united if true Antiquity Governs us 20. Let us consider the difference of the first Council held at Nice which cements us all with the last held at Trent which divides us I am not willing to utter the least unbeseeming Word but I must say keeping the Truth which I love that there is a great difference between him whom the Spirit of the holy Scriptures Governs and him that takes his from the Valises or Clok-bag of Rome In the Council of Nice we have nothing which is not proposed in Holy Writ by the Ministry of Christ and his Apostles In that of Trent we see all is Proposed Resolved and Ordained according to the prescribed Order of the Romane Legates and according to the Popes interest The first which bindes us with the Truth of God unties us with Pleasure the other which makes all submit to the Vanities of the Pope divides us even to Fury But to make the Purity of that Faith appear the better which can give us that Admirable Peace I will employ this Page to set down Word for Word the Confession of Faith Writ at the Council of Nice so as it is sang in the Romane Mass from whence I took it with exact Faithfulness The Creed I Believe in One God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth and of all things Visible and Invisible and in One Lord Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God begotten of his Father before all Worlds God of God Light of Light very God of very God begotten not made being of one Substance with the Father by whom all things were made Who for us Men and for our Salvation came down from Heaven and was Incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and was made Man and was Crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate He suffered and was Buried and the third Day he Rose again according to the Scriptures and Ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the Right Hand of the Father And he shall come again with Glory to Judg both the Quick and the Dead whose Kingdom shall have no End And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of Life who procedeth from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son together is Worshipped and Glorified who spake by the Prophets And I Believe one Catholick and Apostolick Church I acknowledg one Baptisme for the Remission of Sins and I look for the Resurrection of the Dead and the Life of the World to come Amen We are Piously and Christianly United by this Creed and if any thing be omitted in it it is so clear
resemblance of being the Principles of good Morality and Piety they know that Divine Will ought to Govern and Rule these Vertues and then they may believe and conclude that all practices established by Humour or by the Interest of Men are Ambiguous Incertain Indifferent or Criminal And that Prince who bears a good Mind as well as a good Sword may as well judg of Religion as of War St. Paul himself tells us that the Spiritual man discerns all things But without going to spiritual exactness I have seen Peasants brought up in the labour of the fields who being born with good Wit despise many Grotesque Devotions and could distinguish with a solid judgment There is much reason to believe that if his Majesty would imploy his excellent Wit about the two Religions exercised in his Kingdom he would discern with an exact clearness the Good from the Evil the Necessary from the Superfluous Divine from Humane the True from the Dubious the Hypocritical from the Sincere the Dangerous from the Useful the Material from the Spiritual and the Rational from the Brutal A regular mind easily seeth that which raiseth him to Heaven or that which amuseth him upon the Earth 24. It is certain that his Majesty may discern without any great difficulty the form of that Religion which falls under the knowledg of a good natural judgment but to satisfie himself more fully he may command experienced men who are capable of greater labours to represent to him chat which is Old and New Christian and Roman Apostolical and Pontifical to the end his Majesty may be able to discern what is established by the Antiquity of the Apostles and all that which is added by a Modern Antiquity This Representation cannot be done but by minds very laborious and knowing in both Religions and whose Souls are sincere and generous They ought also to consider the respect they owe to their Prince and repay his kindness with a solid sincerity by this means one shall find that nothing is more ancient than that which is most true and that which doth appear most true will be best maintained and defended 25. I consider in the Oeconomy of this Peace both Royal and Heavenly that the difficulty must be but mean upon the Propositions disputed in the Schools by Divines on either side as the mysteries of Justification the grace of Praedestination this Controversie may raise divers Opinions and yet leave men Friends But the worst Obstacle is of Practices Customs and outward Devotions which appear of great moment to the Vulgar when as they are looked upon but as low things and indeed but tricks by Wise men The Roman-Catholick doth not believe that there can be either Piety or Christianity where he finds not Images Ornaments Ceremonies Processions and Pompous Appearances He accounts nothing worthy enough for his Adoration nor real for his Salvation if one does not perswade him that Christ in the flesh is kept in a box in the Church He is much a slave to Custom and believes that the Sacraments and Service administred privately and in an unknown Language where they hear the voice only without understanding the words begets more Reverence His mind is so ill-dispos'd by this Custom that he imagines that all will be in a disorder if the King should declare himself next under God as well Protector of Religion as of Justice and because of the loud and continual bawlings of the Emissaries of Rome He imagins that God will not remain in France if the Pope should not be Mediator between Christ and the King to keep them Friends without thinking that St. Peter who writ plainly saith that he that honoureth the King sheweth his fear to God whereby he declareth the near Relation between God and the King for he writes Fear God and Honour the King Such is the disposition of the Roman-Catholick from whence follow such Practices Devotions and Customs which cannot be taken from it without its destruction and one feels as much pain when one plucks away an unprofitable and idle excrescence from the flesh as in cutting off a Member which is very serviceable to the body The Protestant hath a Soul inclined quite another way He seeks God with a Worship of Spirit and Truth He believes not his Faith divinely Established but by the Word of God nor the equity of his Conscience well regulated but only by the Law of God He seeks not the flesh of Jesus Christ upon the Earth but his Spirit and his Grace He Worships him as he is in Heaven not by the Image of his body but in respect of his Divinity he can easily pass by Images and Statues looking upon them as false Representations and very unprofitable to solid Pâ—etâ— If he esteems the Right of the Church and the Decency of it in the external practice of Religion he despises the multitude of Proud Ceremonies and the glittering of so many affected Ornaments He believes not that the Popes Authority is necessary for the French Church He saith confidently that the Gallique Church may stand without the Roman and that she can never render her self more just and happy than by banishing strange Power He looks upon the King as the Head of Justice which is principally established by the Divine Laws that Sovereigns who are according to Gods own heart ought to know and cause to be observed the Law of God without turning either to the right or to the left hand with this disposition of mind so different between the Roman-Catholiques and French Protestants if divers Opinions remained in the mind only without breaking forth they would not produce dreadful Enmities and those Obstacles which are so hard to be overcome but when one endeavours to draw a Roman-Catholick from his painted Devotions and oblige a Protestant to conform to them they suffer frightful Vexations if they be constrained and can hardly take any Resolutions except they are brought to them by Reasonings and Perswasions 26. I have known the thoughts of many rational minds even of the Roman-Catholiques who believe that the King would do an act of Wise Bounty if he would permit without any reserve the satisfaction of Consciences without shewing any aversion either to Protestants or Papists provided that all would dwell in a mutual Peace without malediction or quarelling This State of Cessation would be a principle of Peace and all the World would be contented if his Majesty would not permit that any one of his Subjects should be debarred from bearing Offices and Honours that those of either Religion may live without trouble and disquiet in the Service due to his Majesty By this Liberty we should all have a Peaceable Conversation and a Charming Commerce the heats of disputes animated by Hatreds would cease they would become Conferences of Friendship by which every one might be Instructed Aversion which disorders the blood should have no more force against the calme lights of our minds and all would be so agreeably disposed to
Truth that in a word all who are Great Rational and Spiritual in the Kingdom would give their hearts and minds to the most just verity One may observe in the Debates of Religion that which falls out in all other quarrels One never yields to declared Enemies till after they have tryed the misfortune of Armes and then the Submission increaseth the rage of the Over-come and begets such grudges as are the Fathers or Children of desperate Actions but in a Cessation of Fight they speak together they hear one another they joyn their Interests and every one hath time to do Justice to himself and others If we could have in France so sweet a way to perfect Peace we should see a miraculous effect and sooner than one could believe of this desired Unity because every one being dis-engaged from the Authority of Strangers without fearing to be punished by the Kings Orders would bind himself willingly to his Natural Prince who is most Christian rather than to tye himself to the Roman Monarch who appears very jealous and hard to be served and so not parting their Hearts they would Unite their Souls If a French-man were in necessity of having a Dispensation for Marriage would he not be content rather to obtain it of the King than to buy it of Rome especially when in these days they cost four times more than ordinary to make war against Candia I believe not but that Pastors Ordained by the Kings Authority and Canonically received by the Churches would be as satisfactory and as fully Authorized as by the Power of Rome and when we shall have well thought upon the establishment of this sweet Agreement the Fruits which it will produce will be found to be the very things which the King desires for his People 28. This matter of Religion having been discoursed where there were many of both Religions one approved the thoughts of a person who maintained that the Roman-Catholiques whose minds are not cruelly inclined are more easily bent to the Reformed Piety than the Reformed to the Romish Religion The 1st Reason is that it is more easy to cease believing that which is uncertain than to begin to believe that which appears to be false for example I give you the Creed of the reality of the Body and Blood of Christ of the only and Supreme authority of the Pope of Purgatory and of the glory of the Saints departed whom they pray to The reality of Christs being carnally in the bread is so uncertain that it depends upon the well-making of the bread the right Ordination of the Priest upon the true Pronuciation of the Words upon the fixed attention of the Priest all these necessary conditions are only Supposed or believed by a Charitable Faith The Supream Authority of the Pope depends upon his lawful Election which is often so obscure and appears so clearly defective or so openly Criminal that many Decades of years have passed in which one knew not which Pope to obey if there were two chosen and where there is but one Simony is so ordinary that all Popes are Suspected of it Purgatory is proposed as a place in the hollow of the earth holy Authority speaks not a word of it the Ancients Creed speak nothing of it the Greek Church despiseth it eyes cannot see it reason cannot understand it the perfect grace of Christ doth not favour it The vision of Souls who come again cloathed in White or Red is much Suspected for a cheat and convicted of extravagancy this Mystery hath nothing more certain than the fear it gives the people and the good it brings to the Priests The glory of the souls departed to whom they pray cannot be known but by a popular opinion which hath but little discerning or by particular perswasions which may seduce by freindship or by Canonization of the Pope which may be deceived by a false report The mind of a Roman-Catholique finding in its self these proofs to be so uncertain as well in the Essentials as Circumstatials will have much less a do to deny his full consent than a Protestant to give his because Reason and Faith will fly uncertainties and cannot seek for them nor love them the second Reason is that Roman-Catholiques do believe all that which the Protestant do positively avow in respect of God of Jesus Christ of the blessed Virgin of the life and death eternal and generally of all mysteries universally received in all Churches where Christ is worshipped as God and known as a Redeemer In this common belief it is more easie for rational minds tolimit themselves to this Faith so ancient and general than to encrease it by Articles of humane faith which hath not the principles nor just Characters of divine Authority The third Reason is that the Roman Catholick may have the same comfort of Spirit by the Protestant Religion having laid aside the mysteries which are added to the Primitive Faith that which the Protestants may not do when they go to the Roman Communion A Christian soul may comfort it self without the reality of Flesh if it unites it self Spiritually to Jesus Christ by having respect to him knowledg of him and a sincere Love for him One is more satisfied to believe the grace of God capable to carry our souls to Heaven than to leave them at the bottom of a lake of fire The heart is more content to Establish its faith obedience and its good workes upon the Law and words of the Gospel then upon the Politiques of the Decretals and upon the Engin du droit Canon Prayers have much more justice and confiance when they are addressed to God who sees understands and fathoms all things than if they are carried at randome by the Imagination to get the favour of a Saint whose state is unknown to us These three Reasons which I set down amongst many of the same force prove that the Roman-Catholiques not being corrupted by the advantage of the World nor upheld by the power of a Soveraign or animated by violent passions are easily carried to the Approbation of that Faith Piety with which the Protestants content themselves But the Protestant cannot without violence or without interest submit to all the particulars of the Roman Faith because they make the Spiritual adoration carnall the Spirit of God the material Body of Christ Faith in God Fear Certainty Dubious Divinity humanity Pure and Efficacious grace a defective and weak merit 29. Let us not trouble our selves to dispute to which way pious Reason would turn if it were at full liberty whatsoever inspiration one might pretend to have to presage it is the event that must make the Prophecy known But to see some effects in favour of this desired Unity The intire liberty of the two Religions will make the only overture to this Royal design and then considering no body but the King next to the Majesty of God they will lose the fears which the thunder of the Vatican