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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34096	An exhortation of the churches of Bohemia to the Church of England wherein is set forth the good of unity, order, discipline, and obedience in churches rightly now, or to be constituted : with a description premised of the order and discipline used in the churches of the Brethren of Bohemia / by J. Amos Commenius.	Comenius, Johann Amos, 1592-1670.	1661 (1661)	Wing C5507; ESTC R27266	107,538	185

relate how the Hussian Churches in Bohemia and Moravia being by degrees turned to Lutheranism as they call it retained indeed the Doctrine of the Gospel but reformed indeed nothing as to the endeavour of a Christian Conversation That this redounded much to the prejudice of our Churches so well approved of by Luther and his Colleagues for the care of Discipline Whilest the Libertines boasting that without the yoke of Discipline they could bring it so to pass to enjoy the Gospel pure in any other place so that there are none that any more joyn themselves to us yea and some depart from us They therefore demand Whether so great an abuse of the Gospel may be suffered Luther replied in the presence of all the whole Colledge of Divines That Popery could not be subdued but by rooting out all those usages which savour of the yoke of Humane Superstition and violation of the liberty of Conscience and that at this time especially when they take notice that all the world is making head against them it must needs be granted a matter of necessity for us to withstand them what we can and to repair Discipline That to this end he would seriously attend the business as soon as ever he could get any breathing time For the Pope was at this very time in confident expectation of a new Councils making disturbance in all places c. to the like purpose The Brethren then added that they could not expect their endeavours should come to any good effect as they had formerly said in their Letter to Luther Anno 1523. as long as they saw that in their Universities and ●chools so much care was taken of Science and so little regard had unto Conscience entreating them that whilest they set themselves to obviate impendent dangers they would seriously minde those more specially which as to the matter of Conscience warlikely break in upon the Church and overwhelm it c. After this when they had had about two weeks most familiar converse and mutual conference about their whole business with Luther and the rest of the Divines being now ready to return from Witteberg Luther entertaining them with a feast and in the presence of many of the Professors of that University taking his solemn and last farwel of them gave the whole Unity of the Brethren the right hand of holy Fellowship parting with these words Be you the Apostles of Bohemia and I with my Colleagues will be the Apostles of Germany Do you the work of Christ as opportunity shall be given you there and we will do it in like manner here as we may have opportunity 82. Some moneths after the same year Luther writing to the same Augusta inserts these words following Moreover I charge you in the Lord that you hold out with us to the last in the Communion of the Spirit and Doctrine wherein you have begun and strive with us by word and prayer against the Gates of Hell c. Commend me c. respectfully unto all the Brethren in the Lord at Strasberg the day after S. Francis Anno 1542. This great soul'd Luther notwithstanding all the importunities of the Brethren for the restoring of Discipline and the life of Christianity not at all displeased with them persisted in friendly correspondency with them to the end expressing a gracious dear affection towards them and toward the business Lasitius produceth notorious witnesses taking from the mouth of Luther these words following There hath not arose any people since the times of the Apostles whose Church hath come nearer to the Apostolical Doctrine and Orders then the Brethren of Bohemia and again Although these Brethren in purity of Doctrine excel not us all the Articles of Faith with us being sincerely and purely taken out of the Word of God yet in the ordinary Discipline of the Church which they use and whereby they happily govern the Churches they go far beyond us and in this respect are far more praise-worthy And we cannot but acknowledge and yield this to them for the glory of God and of his truth whereas our people of Germany cannot be perswaded to be willing to take the yoke of Discipline upon them 83. Absolutely without doubt this excellent man saw the mischief of the first Errour and was very desirous it should be amended but could not being constrained to divide his attendance between this and other conflicts with so many monstrous abominations sufficiently dispatch all things as true hearted men frequently apologize for him Yea and our Lasitius himself too as was said before Sect. 77. and for certain he commended to God and his Successors prayers and hopes of a further and more perfect degree of Reformation to be attained Howbeit the accomplishment of his Hope hitherto fell short of his prayers For wthin three years and four moneths after these Transactions with the Brethren he departed this life There followed upon his death saith Bucholcer the ●hronologer a double War of the Divines and also Civil wars of the Evangelici among themselves Alass that we rested in vindicating the Theory of the Doctrine of the Gospel without the practice of Discipline God bless us I could wish the Brethren of Bohemia had been proved false Prophets when at the very beginning of this Reformation in Germany in their first Letter to Luther dated 1523. and frequently afterward they foretold these sad events viz. upon this ground because it prevailed in their Schools and Churches contrary to that Apostolical Protestation 1 Cor. 1.1 2. to study knowledge rather then Charity and Edification So that notwithstanding all that Bucer Melancthon Hemingius Saubertus Arnd. J. Valent the Andreas's and many other faithful men acted by the Divine Spirit could do no remedy could take place to rectifie this distemper Not that nothing at all was effected by the endeavours of these holy men but that nothing they could do was sufficient to quench the general flame of malice and prophaneness God amend it even at least by this his smart and general overflowing Discipline of his scourge 84. To return to the Brethren I will briefly touch that Persecution whereby after the Scmalcaldick war was ended they also in Bohemia were oppressed When the Pope had reconciled the King of France to the King of Spain the same being now also Emperour Charls the fifth upon this Article or Condition amongst the re●● that both parties should turn their Forces against the Lutherans it came to pass in France not long after that the Waldenses in the Province of Narbon were cut off and destroyed Caesar also prepared war against the Germans which beginning just ●fter the death of Luther ended the year following in the overthrow of the Protestants At which time Ferdinand dragged the Bohemians to execution for that they had refused to assist Caesar against the Prince Elector of Saxony punishing the chief of the Nobles with imprisonment banishment or confiscation of goods He raged most of all against the Brethren commanding their

all men one and another as the members of the same body and tolerate the evils if they cannot be amended Must take not for miserable but for blessed them which are spoiled of their goods driven from their Demesus and live in sorrows Must reckon death desirable to the godly as that which is nothing else but a passage to immortality These things if any one I say inspired by the Spirit of Christ preaches and inculcates exhorts invites encourages be he a ditcher or a Weaver be is a Div●ne indeed And if he doth these things also in his conversation whatever he be he is verily a great Doctor Wherefore let them which are as Angels understand that any man may excel perhaps in curious discourse and yet be no Christian But to live like an Angel free from all impurity this to gain by perswasion this is the great work of a Divine Doth any one interrupt me by cavilling at these things as dotages as insipid stuff shallow foolish businesses in answer onely thus The shallow mplicities are those things which Christ most what teaches which the Apostles inculcate or insist upon These businesses how Idiot lik● soever they be are the very things which hath made and left us upon record so many true right bred Christians so many swarms of famous Martyrs This barbarous illiterate Philosophy as it seems to them hath been of that force upon the greatest Princes in the world yea many Kingdoms many Nations that it hath born such asway and brought them into conformity thereunto that which all the force of Tyrants all the learning of the Philosophers could never do Neither yet do I deny but they may if they please speak wisdom too among them which are perfect But upon this very account let the meaner low rank of Christians comfort themselves that the Apostles whether they skilled those subtilties or no let who can take care to prove I am sure they taught them not 72. And for Schletch whereas he had given a malicious Character of the Brethren Erasmus performing as it were the Office of an Advocate for them makes this return upon him in writing That those Brethren chuse their Priests themselves it is not contrary to the custom of the Ancients For so was S. Nichalaus chosen so S. Ambrose That those they choose are not so learned is very tolerable where the piety of the Conversation makes amends for the want of more learning That they salute one another by the names of Brethren and Sisters I do not see wherein it is blame-worthy And I would that among all Christians that same compellation of mutual love were still in use That they give less to Doctors then to the Divine Books i. e. ascribe more unto God then to men is according to sound judgement As for their not observing holy days their opinion differs not much from that in Jeromes Century though now the company of holy-days is grown almost beyond all number 73. About a hundred years elapsing after the decease of Huss that the prophesie of that holy Martyr might be fulfilled An hundred years hence you shall answer for this before God and me God raised up Germans Reformer magnanimous Luther who taking offence at the Papists impudency in selling Pardons began openly and with great zeal to withstand their errours anno 1517. and indeed with greater success then any which were before him Thus was another Prediction of our Martyr fulfilled To day you rost the Goose Huss among the Bohemians signifies a Goose but there shall come a Swan which you shall not be able to ●ost 74. The Brethren very much rejoycing to hear of Luthers being up and about to reform the Church sent to him Anno 1522. John Cornu and Michael Alb to joy him with the knowledge of the Truth which he had been taught entreating him to do what he could happily to communicate and diffuse that same light through the Christian world By this means though he was already very very couragious yet they adde vigor unto him as he himself testifieth in his writings to Spalatine and others After this they again saluting him in writing he returns an answer to them in writing an 1523. in these words We cannot yet compass it here to order the practice of Doctrine and a Holy Life as we hear it is with you things are but green here with us and go on very slowly but pray for us 75. They also sent a second message by the same two persons in the year 1524. more fully to be informed of the state of Discipline in the recovering Church But having certain intelligence that there was amongst them for the present no regard thereof they let fall their intercourse with Luther for the space of eight years Whereupon he also thinking amiss of them began to speak more hardly of some of the courses they had taken in some Books of his then written which were called his Table talk 76. But when George Marchio of Brandenburgh Tutor to Ludovicus King of Bohemia made further enquiry of the Baron of Krajek about these businesses of the Brethren they sent in writing their Apology of their Doctrine and Ceremonies 1532. which Luther took care to be printed commending it with his elegant Preface thereunto at Witterberg 1533. and again 1538. from which time he and the Brethren were always very great all the while he lived The Adversa●ies in the mean while maliciously snarling and flouting at it as it appears in Joh. Faber at this time Bishop of Vienna his Books printed 1537. wherein he thus writes The Piccards named also the Waldenses vary much from the Catholicks of whom Luther hath often much changed his minde in his writings in some c●nsuting them as the worst of Hereticks in other again writing to th●m as one given over to Reprobate sense sooths them and extols them as the best of all Christians commending in them the very things he formerly condemned and condemning the very same which he before had approved in them 77. In the year 1536. the Brethren visit Luther again to deal with them about the Discipline and Government of the Church Luther saith the Historian Lasitius acknowledged that he was grieved that in these first revivings of the Gospel he had admitted one with another promiscuously to the Lords Supper and that he did not settle Discipline amongst his people like that of the Brethren The witnesses of these things which I relate for truth saith the same Historian were the very Brethrens Messengers themselves but lately deceased viz. John Augusta the Brethrens Antistes Erasmus Summerfield of Tumice a Nobleman and George Israel who himself told me these things he being then but young but now a Bishop aged 80 years Lasitius addes of his own But we must allow such a great man to forget himself at home in his proper place that is so taken up with conflicts abroad in breaking the Papal power and purging out the many corruptions of Antichrist For what one

a matter of necessity that we must give you a meeting for we must absolutely obviate the various attempts of Satan which with all craftiness they make amongst us to disturb the Church and hinder the progress of the Gospel For there are that neither will in all Articles allow our universally received Doctrine nor willingly will submit to Ecclesiastical Discipline we must therefore have mutual consultation to know how to deal with men of this sort and the Lord give his blessing to us that our meeting may not be in vain c. Thus that excellent a Lasco hoped well but was frustrated for they came together to no purpose both this and some years after all the Antitrinitarian Turn-coats as yet hiding their poyson but always bending another way according to that of our Saviour He which doeth evil hateth the light 99. This good old man a Lasco being taken up into his heavenly Countrey another Synod was convened in the Town of Xians 1560. wherein the haters of Truth and Order being very daringly bold affirmed That the Senior or Superintendent was not to be chosen out of the Clergy but out of the Secular men perswading themselves they could more easily instill their poyson into them They pretended two Reasons 1 That the Pastors had enough to do every one with his flock 2. Lest any thing savouring of Popery be still left among them which were separated from the Papacy The Legates of our Churches which were there Laurentius and Rokita not yet founding the depth of Satan in this matter nevertheless being required their opinion said Our custom anciently carries it an other way affirming also that Order with the Authority of Scripture and Arguments To which the Pastors agreed the Nobles dissented and there was a great stir 100. At last the haters of Order broke out to that height to affirm That there was to be had a more perfect Scriptural 〈◊〉 f●●mation of the Church then that of the Brethren of the Waldenses Arguments therefore were drawn up by our men that this very way of Reformation was such as was settled according to the pattern of the ancient Apostolical Church and that the most famous of the Evangelici did attest it to be such at this day nor was this out Reformation rashly made or by any one man but whatever the grave and serious Counsels of many could finde to be best whatever could be learned from experience what the temper of all times could afford or custom could confirm that onely was agreed upon to be admitted why then should we try new and uncertain experiments since that in our experience now for these forty years we have sufficiently been deluded with c. rather then seen by humble and obedient practice any fruit of the Gospel as if the Gospel lay onely in Temples and lips without reformation of life the onely suitable return for so great a light of Truth So true is the Testimony of Speratus Bishop of Pomefania of holy memory now six years agone deceased wherein he finding things then not much otherwise complains We preach saith he and do not our people hear and believe not Well unless the Evangelici of Polonia knit together on all hands in the bands of order nothing will be of any durable standing for Posterity now Order is that some govern and others obey for constant mutual Edification 101. But still they objected That the Brethren did not open their Churches nor had they any full Communion of Saints but administred the Sacrament to some onely which were of their own way at their Devotion To which answer was made Christ for bad to give holy things to them which are not holy and that Christianity must take its beginning at repentance not at receiving the Sacraments nor is it according to the Institution of Christ to pronounce Absolution save onely to them that repent and believe Both of which viz. Repentance and Faith that they be not superficial and counterfeit there must necessarily be a discovery made by examination had to that purpose in some appointed fit season And inasmuch as to attribute salvifical vertue to the naked Elements by reason of the work done is the Basis of all error in the Papacy that that errour cannot be corrected unless by a certain tryal that not huddled over till the secrets of hearts be disclosed and the newly converted be a long time carefully both informed and examined that Cyril well observed that Christ did not presently commit himself to them which made a profession of their faith in him and that Chrysostome called them abortive Christians that were admitted to the use of the Sacraments before they had been learned and taught to renounce all things forbidden in the Decalogue So that 't is the concern of a true Minister of Christ that he makes not abortive Christians to insist upon the fruits meet for repentance as requisite before admission to the Sacrament and that because there be three parts of the Ministery 1 Doctrine 2. Keys and 3. Sacraments The Sacraments may not be administred save onely to such as unfeignedly embrace sound Doctrine and subject their life and conversation to be tryed by the Laws of Discipline If any man refuse this how is he a part of the flock and before he be a member how can he be joyned or received as such are the Constitutions of Order to be disturbed in favour of such Libertines as exempt themselves from all Law of Order 102. The things at that time more largely discussed are well known yet it seems there was then no such force in them as to make the obstinate to yield Yea the conclusions of that Synod were so drawn up that it was plain to be seen that Politique and Carnal Prudence got the better of Divine and Spiritual wisdom For the body of the Church was not formed as the Apostle would have it Eph. 4.16 that by the inward working power it may encrease unto edification of it self in love But it was with them as the Apostle forewarned ver 14. men being unstable as children tossed and carried about with every wind of Doctrine through Satans long experienced craftiness artificially to deceive This I say was apparently the Frenzy-like Arrians spirit everyday more and more impotently putting forth it self and troubling the faith and tranquility of the Church So that at last the Orthodox were fain of necessity to be very watchful to rid themselves of those unquiet spirits to gather up into a more close body by the yet firmer bands of unity in the Spirit 103. For at length the many Counsels of pious and wise men took place so that the Churches of Polonia the less received th Order of the Brethren of Bohemia they constituting out of their number of their Pastors for their own Churches which were scattered all about the Provinces five Bishops or Presbyters of Cracovia of Sendomiria of Lublin of Russia of Belsa and so many Compresbyters with all the Solemn Rites used