hainous offence against the sacred Majestie of God Here then we may behold that grand let whereby the Reformed Churches to their great greife of heart are forced to shunne a Communion with the Church of Rome For so farre in love is shee with her Idolls and so rigorously doth shee impose the worshipping of them upon all her children that no man can be admitted into her Communion at least not continue in it unlesse he will become a notorious and down-right Idolater If the case so stood that the Germane Churches could not enter into and enjoy a blessed Unity and Peace one with another except they must be required and bound either to practise an Idolatrous worship or at the least to beleive and professe that such practice is not unlawfull I would not stick to affirme that a Communion which cannot be had but upon such hard conditions is indeed impossible to bee had since as Lawyers use to speake wee can doe onely so much as may lawfully be done by us And here we have just cause to blesse God that the Reformed Churches although they have not the happinesse to agree in all matters of lesser moment yet doe they all of them by his grace unanimously conspire joyne together against Idolatry so as not onely to condemne but also to beat downe and abolish it insomuch that if at this very houre they were all disposed and desirous to joyne hands and strike a league of amity and union it might be done without any the least danger of Idolatry Away then with that pretended impossibility of a Reconciliation grounded upon the perill of Idolatry nor let any such false surmises weaken the heart or hands of any religious Christian from going on with so good a worke The third last Obstacle which doth block up the way to an union render's it impossible is the differing of severall Churches about some fundamental point of Faith necessary to be knowne and beleived by every christian upon paine perill of eternall damnation so as that the one side doth solidly hold and maintaine it the other heretically denie's and oppose's it For to be at peace with Heretickes who goe about to undermine and subvert the foundation of our Christian faith what is it else but to revolt from Christ the rocke on which the Church is founded built Of this last Obstacle because it is of speciall use and moment I shall treate somewhat more at large In the first place therefore I conceive that to be a Fundamentall point which by the ordination of God revealing such a truth is of such necessity unto salvation to be knowne and assented unto as that a bare Ignorance much more a wilfull Opposition of it carries with it a certaine perill of exclusion from the kingdome of heaven Divines now-adaies have no Commission to invent or coine any new Articles of this nature and obtrude them on Gods Church that which was not fundamentall in the Apostolicall and Primitive times all our assertions and altercations and Anathema's will never bee able to make it such These first and fundamentall Trueths collected out of the whole body of the Scriptures put together in the Apostles Creed make up that Rule of Faith which S. Austin terme's pusillis magnisque communem a commom Rule for all men both great small and which is by him accounted necessary to bee beleived constantly by all Concerning the which that speech of Hilary also is much to the same effect 't is our safest and best course to hold fast that first onely-Evangelicall Faith which we made confession of at our Baptisme And to these fundamentall Trueths the Apostle I beleive had an eye when he stiled Titus his owne sonne {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} after the common Faith This common Faith laid downe in the Apostles Creed proposeth to all Christians to be beleived by them the wonderfull Production of all creatures out of nothing the unsearchable mysterie of the glorious Trinitie the fruit benefit that redound's to miserable sinners from the Incarnation Passion Resurrection and Glorification of Christ what follow's thereupon the Redemption of mankind the Sanctification of the Elect the Communion of Saints the Remission of sins the Resurrection of mens bodies and the Glorifying of the Faithfull He that beleive's all which wee have here comprised in this short Creed and endeavour's to lead his life according to the Commandements and Precepts of our Saviour Christ cannot justly be denied the title of a Christian nor expelled the fellowship and communion of any Christian Church whatsoever On the other side He that shall deny or oppose any one of the said Articles although he arrogate to himselfe the name of a Christian yet is he to be excluded and banished the society of all orthodoxe and sound Christians Besides these there are I confesse many other Trueths contained in the Scriptures and deducible from thence by good and solid consequence which are very profitable to be knowne and of singular use to further us in the knowledge of Divinity but they are then only and not otherwise necessary to be beleived under paine of forfeiture of our salvation or communion with the Church when 't is clearely evidenced unto us that they are contained in Gods word or may necessarily be inferred from it In these points therefore if any particular Church cannot make the Trueth which she her selfe beleive's so cleare and manifest to other Churches as thereby to winne them over to the same beleife shee must forsake them in their Errours but by no meanes may she because of such errours deny them her charity and Communion I adde further that if it should happen that two Churches should vary about some particular place of holy Writ the one conceiving that it confirme's a fundamentall point of Faith and the other thinking that it doth not so yet is not such a difference as this a sufficient cause why they should fall at odds and separate one from another so long as they agree both of them in the Point it selfe and acknowledge it to have cleare solid foundation in other places of God's word And last of all this may be added yet further that 't is not a thing impossible nor any way contrary to the duety of good Christians to entertaine a communion with those Churches which hold such a doctrine as seemes to us inconsistent with some fundamentall Trueth so that in the meane while they doe expresly beleive professe that fundamentall Trueth it selfe For 't is utterly against all Charity yea and Reason too that a man should be thought meerely for some consequences which he neither apprehend's nor grants to deny and reject a fundamentall point which yet he strongly beleives expresly affirme's yea and if need so required would not stick to seale the trueth of it with his dearest blood How much truer and more charitable is that opinion of a grave and moderate Divine
that a perpetuall Breach and Division should be made and continued betwixt whole Churches for such petty matters If therefore this were but once agreed upon amongst Divines that their jarres and contentions are not nor ever were about any fundamentall points and such as are of absolute necessity to be known and beleived by all that will be saved then must it also be granted for a manifest trueth that 't is no way impossible but an agreement and Communion may be established this dangerous Schisme utterly rooted out and a blessed Peace setled and preserved amongst the German Churches And thus having proved that a Reconciliation is possible it remaine's that in the next place we consider whether or no Princes Doctors and Pastors of Gods Church and in generall all Christians bee not bound in duty by the law of God every man to endeavour according to his utmost power and ability that such an union may with all convenient speed be setled and established amongst the Reformed Churches 1 And that all men are so bound seeme's to be intimated by that of S. Paul which I alledged before if it be possible as much as in you lie's live peaceably with all men If so great care and diligence must be had to maintaine a civill and externall peace with all sorts of men then surely a spirituall Ecclesiasticall peace amongst Christians is much rather to be sought after and preserved where therefore there is no utter impossibility to hinder why such an Union may not be obtained such men can in no wise be excused who either out of negligence or wilfulnesse disobey the Commandements of God herein Nor can any man justly here pretend that Discords and diversities of Opinions cannot as yet be composed and setled for if it be possible that the Schisme it selfe the Rent betwixt these Churches may be taken away as without all question it may I had rather that a mil-stone were hanged about my neck and that I were drowned in the depth of the Sea than that I should willingly be any hinderance to so good a work so well-pleasing to God and so necessary to the removall of Scandall nay than that I should not with my whole minde and might promote and further it 2 To this may be further added what must necessarily be confes't by all men that a true and right order'd Charity is of as great necessity for the attaining of Salvation to all Churches and to every particular member in any Church as is the true and entire Profession of sound and saving Faith our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus make's this the badge and cognizance whereby to distinguish and discerne betwixt his true Disciples and such as are spurious and counterfeit by this shall all men know that yee are my Disciples if yee love one another Now I leave it to every man's conscience to judge what manner of Charity that is which see's and suffer's Christian Churches without all just cause and necessity to stand still at distance and defiance one with another and perpetually to shunne a Reconciliation and Union Is it not enough for us to separate from the hay and stubble I meane from the Errours of other Churches but must we by a voluntary separation forsake the Churches themselves which as yet have not forsaken Christ or his Truth 3 Further yet we see how that both Zuinglians and Lutherans as they are usually termed confesse that those Churches which hold with either side doe notwithstanding still remaine true Christian Churches true members of the Church Catholike whereof Christ is the head The renowned Princes in their Preface prefixt to the Forme of Agreement plainly professe that it was farre from their thoughts and intentions to condemne such persons as erred through the weaknesse of their judgement provided that they did not defame and blaspheme God's Trueth much lesse to condemne whole Churches living either under the Romane Empire or elsewhere nay they did not doubt but that there were many pious religious men living in those Churches though they agreed not with them in all Points of Religion Moreover when it was objected to Lucas Osiander how that he had sometimes termed Calvinists the Divel's Martyres hee forthwith purged himselfe from that aspersion thus They that have heard my Sermons will say that they never heard from me any reproachfull termes against the blessed Martyrs of Christ yea my owne writings publisht to the world will witnesse for me that I termed those which were massacred in France on S. Bartholomewe's day holy Martyres This then would be seriously thought upon whether or no it will stand with the Policy Piety and the duty of Christian Churches for every petty errour to deny the right hand of fellowship and brotherly love to those Churches who in the mean time notwithstanding such errours may continue Christ's blessed Martyrs and holy Brethren They who acknowledge Christ for their elder brother must of necessity whether they will or no have all Christs brethren joyned to them in a most sure and fast knot of consanguinity and communion 4 Besides I am very confident that both the Saxon and Helvetian all other Churches which joyne with either of those two will professe that they desire to have and to retaine a brotherly Communion and Peace with this our Church of England as also with the Scottish Irish and all other forraigne Churches of the Reformation And truely we for our parts although we doe not assent to them in all points of controverted Divinity yet doe we account of them as our Brethren in Christ and doe solemnely protest that we entertaine a holy and brotherly Communion with them And if they be like affected towards us with what reason then and equitie doe the German Churches deprive themselves of that brotherly Communion one with another which yet they are not afraid to entertaine with forraigne Churches What therefore Moses said long since to the two Israelites that were striving together the same may truly be said to the Germane Churches quarrelling and contending one with another but cannot so truely be disproved Sirs yee are brethren why doe yee wrong one to another 5 Last of all that which all good men are bound to beg of Almighty God in their prayers to him questionlesse they are bound likewise to imploy their best care and endeavours for the procuring of it Now who is there that doe's not daily solicite God for the flourishing and peaceable estate of his Church Who is there that make's it not a part of his daily prayers that God would be pleased to remove out of the way whatsoever doth disquiet and disturbe her peace or any way let and hinder her spirituall growth and edification This was King David's wish it should be the wish of all good Princes and Divines and generally of all Christians Neither did David wish onely the happinesse and prosperity of Gods Church but hee carefully sought to doe
's generation and the procession of the holy Ghost are likewise fundamentall and of equall necessity with the former ought to be determined one way that man should deserve but litle thanks from Christ and his Church by such his rash and inconsiderate assertion So likewise that our Lord Jesus Christ is both God and Man that he hath both natures divine and humane inseparably united in one Person and that we have salvation onely by this God incarnate all this is fundamentall or rather 't is that firme immoveable foundation whereon the whole Catholike saving Faith is built but yet notwithstanding we must not think that whatsoever may be questioned and debated about the ineffable manner of that union betwixt the two natures or the manner how his body is present in the blessed Sacrament as also concerning the Communication of Properties unto the humane nature by vertue of its union with the Divinity or touching the actions and operations of his Humanity depending upon the said Union wee must not I say imagine that all these belong to Fundamentall Faith but rather to Theologicall Science or perhaps not so neither but onely to the vaine curiosity of some particular Divines Let them therefore make this their first and maine businesse carefully to distinguish betwixt fundamentall points and others that are not so and let them not think that whatsoever is appendant and bordering upon a fundamentall point must therefore forth with be it selfe fundamentall When this is once done their next care must be that these fundamentalls be expressed and published after a breife and perspicuous manner and propounded to the publike acceptation and approbation of all the Churches Certa semper sunt in paucis saith Tertullian certaine and undoubted Trueths are not many and they are such as maybe delivered in a few words whatsoever is necessary for a Christian man's salvation to be knowne by him and whatsoever is conducible to render us holy or eternally happy it is all of it plaine and obvious Here 's no use either of subtle acute distinctions or of any long and tedious explications which are oftimes used not for the building up of Christians in the fundamentall faith but rather to favour and further the different opinions of private Doctors In a word here 's no use of any Metaphysicall formalities and abstracted notions which serve only to perplex and confound the learned and to deterre such as are unlearned from embracing the Catholike Faith but doe not any way encline the hearts either of one or other to yeild assent and beleife to the fundamentall points of Faith After they have proceeded thus far having drawn up a breife and plaine Forme of all such Points as are by them judged to appertaine unto the substance of that common Faith which is necessary to be known and professed by all Churches having passed by left undecided all such points as are not so generally received agreed upon in the next place moderate peaceable Divines should labour to exhort and perswade all the rest that they would quietly lay aside all controversies and contentions about such points as good Christians may safely be ignorant of without hazard of their salvation and that they would not quarrell any longer about thē to the danger of the Church the losse of her Peace and the scandall of Schisme which is thereby like to fall upon her Of what good use and necessity this advice is may be clearely seen from the rashnesse of the Church of Rome and her clean contrary practice herein who being not content with those Articles delivered in the Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed will needs obtrude upon the Christian world those other new-coin'd Articles of the Trent-conventicle and hath thereby ministred occasion of a perpetuall rent and Schisme amongst the Churches How much more prudently did that blessed Martyr and most learned Father of his Times S. Cyprian behave himselfe who professeth that he would not for difference in opinion contend or strive with any man nor would he break the peace of our Lord with his Brethren or cast off any man from his communion because he was of a different minde from him By which his Christian charity and moderation S. Cyprian though in an errour deserved better of the Church than Stephen Bishop of Rome who was in the right and did by his unquiet spirit as much as in him lay to rend and teare asunder the Churches Thus warranted by the example of this blessed Martyr and likewise by the judgement of S. Austin herein I need not stick to affirme that amongst the Doctors and Divines of Germany those who are in the errour and yet are willing and desirous to retaine a brotherly Communion with the rest are freer further from Schisme in Gods sight than they who are in the Trueth withall disdaine and deny to entertaine such a Communiō with other Churches which seek and sue for it If therefore they can but get an universall consent in all Fundamentalls though in other things there bee some difference amongst private Doctors yet let them all joyne their votes and voices in this prayer to God nulla salus bello pacem te poscimus omnes no safety can be had or hoped for in warre therefore give peace in our time ô Lord But if any here shall demand what course is to be taken about such Controversies as cannot be decided and agreed upon that they may not give any occasion whereby this Peace and Union of the Churches should be hindered or being obtained should afterwards be disturbed and lost I will set down some few rules which to me seeme worthy the observation and practice of Divines on both sides First that whatsoever tart and bitter passages have formerly slipt from Adversaries either by word or writing amids the heat of disputation they should all be pardond on both sides for the publike good and for ever after buried in silence and oblivion And if it happen that any of those books and writings should afterwards he reprinted before they passe the Presse let them first be purged of all gall bitternesse which otherwise would but rub up and renew the old sore of strife contention amongst brethren Secondly Because no man can with patience heare himselfe branded with Heresie heed must be taken that none be slandered with the name of Nestorian Eutychian or any other condemned Hereticke so long as he doth expresly denie and disclaime the damn'd Opinions of such Hereticks seeing it is utterly impossible that ever they should continue firme in a brotherly Communion and concord who for every petty difference in Opinion cease not by such reproachfull and reviling termes to provoke and exasperate one another And it were to be wished further that those siding names of Lutherans Zuinglians Calvinists were all laid aside which are badges rather of Faction than any fraternall Union anh such as the ancient Fathers could never approve of
there are built certain Points of Schoole-divinity about which alone we so hotly contend but what are these to a Christian What are these to Salvation In what a safe and quiet state might the affaires of Christendome have been if such nice Disputes of curious and over-busie heads had never been heard of if learned men could have contented thēselves with some generall formes of expressing the Trueth and not presently to have sifted Divinity so over-nearly as they have done But seeing these strifes which are not onely unprofitable but very hurtfull and prejudiciall to both sides are thus unfortunately raised what better advice can be thought upon for the setling and composing of these stirres than that the Faith be brought back againe to its primitive simplicitie and plainenesse by the publike authority and joynt consent of the Christian Church And that in this confused mixture and multiplicity of matters of beleife the Christian world be taught warily to distinguish betwixt the genuine and proper Articles of Faith and the lesse necessary additions of Schoole-conclusions which truely in this very businesse is a matter of no great difficulty to performe This especially is fundamentall Christ is both God and Man and so likewise this Christ God and Man is truely omniscient omnipotent omnipresent now if any shall adde further Iesus Christ according to his humane nature is omniscient omnipotent omnipresent truely that word according seemes to be farre off from the Foundation 't is a Scholasticall notion and to be turned over to profest Divines but it is not fit the Salvation of plaine and illiterate Christians should be made to hang and depend upon such a subtle and nice Point as this is Can these knowe or are they bound to know how farre the vertue of the hypostaticall Union extend's it selfe or what the bounds are either of those faculties or operations which flow from that union of the two natures Certainely if God had intended this for a necessary Point to be knowne by all men he would not so sparingly and obscurely have revealed unto his Church a mystery so fundamentall and important I dispute not the trueth of the Point nor is this pertinent to my purpose onely I question whether it be of necessity to be beleived Let us view a comparison betwixt things humane divine although what similitude can there bee'twixt Earth and Heaven Man consists of a soule and a body united one to the other and yet notwithstanding each part hath its severall properties and actions which are usually attributed and that very rightly too to the whole the whole man hath the use of sense doth understand eat walke sleep dye thus much even sense reason doth unanswerably evince will any man Hereupon say that this also is of equall necessity to be knowne man according to his body hath the use of sense and reason and according to his soule he doth eat walke sleep and dye Truly the same that Reason is in respect of intelligible matters the same is Faith in things spirituall and divine I am not ignorant how much they differ in their Subjects yet neverthelesse the necessity of the things which are either to be known or beleived is alike different in both Such Trueths therefore as are certaine such as are necessarily to be beleived and apparently fundamentall let us all unanimously embrace and professe them as for the rest let Divines if they please busie their heads with them but let not the plaine common sort of Christians trouble themselves about them more than needs But if it may seeme to make any thing for the publike Peace that we come as neare as we can one to another in the formes and manner of expression let us but say as * Hier Zanchy sometimes alledged out of Innocent and the Schoole-men that even Christ's humane nature according to its personall essence is omnipresent c. and I see no reason why both sides may not nay will not readily consent and agree to it Here let us fixe let neither side proceed any further beyond this and wee are safe In the Point of the Sacrament this is certaine and fundamentall that the true and essentiall body and blood of Christ is truely present offered and received in that holy Supper but whether or no it be corporally present in the Bread Wine whether or no by a supernaturall vertue of the consecrated Elements it be orally received and eaten even by wicked and unworthy Communicants this is a matter of Theologicall Dispute and such as in the judgement of Luther Melanchthon Iustus Ionas Osiander Brentius Stephanus Agricola yea of Oecolampadius Zuinglius Bucer Hedio ought not to infringe Christian love and Charity And upon this promising signe was begun that famous Agreement at Marpurge in the yeare 1529. That likewise is well worthy to be kept in perpetuall memory which is related concerning the meeting at Witemberge in the yeare 1536 by Ludovicus Rabus Pastor at Vlme in his History of Martyrs with whom agree's Iohn Swiccius Pastor at Constance cited by Hospinian who was there present at that time and 't is to be seen likewise in the English writings of Bucer there were present at that Meeting of the one side Capito Bucer Musculus and the rest of the more eminent Divines out of the cheife Imperiall Cities in high Germany of the other side Luther Philip Ionas Pomeranus Cruciger with other Doctors Preachers of Witemberge and after some expostulations and divers Speeches to and fro wherein both sides freely fairely delivered their Opinions at length Luther stepping a litle aside with his Associates and conferring with them about it concluded with these words If yee beleive and teach that in the holy Supper the very body and the very blood of Christ is offered given and received and not the bare signes bread and Wine and that such giving and receiving is true and reall not onely imaginary the strife betwixt us is at an end and we doe acknowledge receive you as our deare Brethren in the Lord All this Bucer Capito and the rest plainely and freely affirmed whereupon they joyned hands and so parted Indeed the waters were then calme and quiet not tossed with any stormy and tempestuous winds and therefore they did clearely shew and represent the face of Trueth Why doe not we in like manner now at last begin to be wise And having passed those tempestuous and troublesome times which afterwards followed why doe we not sit downe and rest our selves in this old and safe harbour of Peace and Unity Concerning the Point of Praedestination how doth the Church of Christ groane under the burden of a number of huge high-swolne Volumes Yet when wee have done all we can and wearied our selves and the Christian world with our wrangling pens this will still remaine to be knowne and beleived by all men 1. that God from all eternity out of his meere good pleasure did immutably elect some
agreed upon maintained no matter though in some other Points the judgements of the Faithfull be various and different That this is lawfull both the thing it selfe loudly proclaimes it and S. Paul confirmes it who doe's not only permit but command us more than once to beare with such as differ from us in their Opinions and 't is the common and generall Opinion of all such Divines as have been of any note and esteem in the Church ever since our Saviour Christ's times downe to this present age Yet is not this so to be understood as if all manner of Differences in Religion were to be tolerated for even the same Apostle denounceth an Anathema against such as shall preach any other Gospell than that which he had preached and the most moderate amongst the Fathers of the Christian Church have alwaies constantly held that we are to shunne and avoid the company of Hereticks For there bee some Opinions of those men who differ about Religion which overthrow the very foundation of our Salvation destroy either that Piety or that Charity which wee are commanded by God's word to practise towards God and men such are the erroneous Doctrines of Romanists who will have that religious worship given to creatures which God hath reserved peculiar to himselfe who make our Faith to rely upon the judgement and authority of men who severall waies overthrow the Preistly office of Jesus Christ in a word who have with their own inventions so stained and deformed the whole Christian Religion that they have left no one part in it sound and untainted Such likewise are the Opinions of Socinians who to let passe their other Positions deny our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus to be truely God and if once you take away his Divinity it will necessarily follow that either wee worship a creature or else that we doe not worship the sonne of God both of which are manifestly repugnant to those Trueths which are delivered to us in holy Writ as absolutely necessary to Salvation We conceive therefore that no Peace in way of Religion can be had with these men nor with any others who maintaine any Errours of this nature till they shall renounce these their private Doctrines But for those who hold some erroneous Opinion which yet may consist with Piety Charity and all Christian duties belonging thereunto we think as S. Paul seeme's to have determined a Communion may be held with them Wee may mildly admonish such and when opportunity is offered discreetly reprove and instruct them but to cast them out of the Church and for no other cause to curse and excommunicate them as men in a desperate and damnable estate this in our opinion is neither fitting nor lawfull to be done Now to apply this to the matter in hand we conceive that to this latter sort all those Controversies doe belong which are agitated amongst Protestant Divines touching Christ's presence in the Sacramentall signes touching divine Praedestination and some few other Points For they doe agree in all such Points as conduce either to Piety towards God or Charity towards men they maintain on both sides that the Scriptures are of divine inspiration that they are perfect perspicuous and authenticall they detest with one heart mouth the Tyranny and pernitious Doctrines of the Pope and they equally keep off from entertaining a Communion with him they have the same Sacraments they worship the same Christ they professe the same righteousnesse and holinesse in this life and they expect the same glory in the life to come in a word so great and so wonderfull an agreement is there betwixt them about all saving and necessary Doctrines that did not the history of their affaires and those bitter contentions which have hitherto more is the pitty been fomented amongst them witnesse the contrary there 's no man but would thinke they had a meeting at the beginning and by common counsell consent agreed upon the same Confession of Faith In such a multitude of mysteries who can chuse but admire that there should not be above one or two Points wherein they did not fully agree For even about the Eucharist which is the maine matter of this woefull Division they both of them grant that 't is a Sacrament not a Sacrifice that it is to be eaten not worshipped both the two kindes instituted by our Saviour Christ to wit bread and wine are neither transubstantiated nor divided one from the other by either side they both acknowledge the same use and end of this holy Rite to wit the commemorating of Christ's death the partaking of his body which was crucified and of his blood which was shed for us There is onely one thing about which they disagree namely the manner how Christ's body is given to us and received by us in that Sacrament the thing is the same on both sides onely the manner of it is divers This Difference though it be but small yet is it not wee confesse altogether of no moment but that it should be of so great moment as that it ought to make a breach of charity and affection amongst Brethren a duty so useful and necessary to the Christian world and so miraculously wrought amongst them by the hand of Heaven this we utterly deny Neither doe We alone deny it to say nothing of our Brethren in Poland and almost all the Germans which hold with us who as it is well knowne to all men ever did and at this day doe make the same reckoning and account of that Controversy as we but now did to say nothing likewise of those famous Divines of both sides in Saxony and Brandenburge who as we have been informed were lately of the very same opinion concerning these Points when they had fairely discussed them at Lipswich whither they were come with their Princes But one thing there is which we cannot here omit to mention a matter perhaps not so well knowne to forraine nations yet such a matter it is as we confidently beleive will be most welcome and acceptable to all good peaceable men to wit that the Reformed Churches here in France whereof there are good store have alwaies been of that same Opinion touching these Controversies they have given testimony of this their Opinion both heretofore sundry waies and likewise now very lately by an expresse Decree made in a generall Synod held here at Charenton neare Paris in the yeare 1631. For when upon occasion of a citizen of Lions unto whose daughter a certaine young German of the Augustane Confession as they call it was a suiter it was questiond how we are to account and esteeme of such as are commonly termed Lutherans all the Brethren which were there met out of all the Provinces of France and sent thither from their several Churches did unanimously vote thus That seeing the Churches of the Augustane Confession doe agree with the other Reformed Churches in all the Principles and fundamentall