and not to please our selves saith the same Apostle That Church pleaseth it selfe too much which scorns and disdaines other Churches as unworthy of her Communion for some weaknesse in their understanding which are found guilty neither of Tyranny Idolatry nor any deadly Heresie Not so the Fathers of the ancient Church whose desire and care in making agreement betwixt particular Churches scattered over the whole world may be observed in the Centurists through every hundred of yeares But that very fitly serveth our purpose which Optatus Milevitanus hath written Lib. 2. c. 7. That the Churches through the whole world by the intercourse of Formall letters might agree in the fellowship of one Communion Now in those formall peaceable or Synodall letters nothing else was contained besides the confession of the Catholike Faith established in the Creeds and briefly explained against Heritiques by the generall consent of the universall Church in the Nicene Calcedonian and other Councels Of infinite other questions which may arise and be canvassed betwixt the private Doctors of dispersed Churches no Church either required or expected a forme of absolute consent from other Churches For if without this the brotherly Communion betwixt particular Churches were adjudged impossible to the cementing and sodering thereof we should not stand in need of Synodall Epistles or briefe formes of confessions but of huge volumes of controversies But if we refuse to learn of the ancient Fathers yet now at last let us learn of our Enemies that the brotherly communion of Mindes Duties of Courtesie and Sacraments is not impossible betwixt those Churches which defend contrary opinions about controversies never to be decided I will say nothing of the wranglings of Thomists and Scotists nothing of the Dominicans and Jesuites There is at this day a controversie beaten and bandied betwixt the Churches of the Romish Religion of more moment than all those things whereabout Protestants doe strive if they were rouled up in one bundle I mean that of the infallible Judge in all questions of the Christian Faith The Spanish and Italian Churches defend the Pope to be this Supreame Judge warranted with the irresistable authority of Christ himselfe and so inspired and inlightned with the spirit of truth that in all his decrees and determinations wherewith he intendeth to bind the whole Church he can in no wise erre and be deceived But on the other side the French Churches cry him downe justle him out of his infallible chaire and conclude him to be so subject to error that if in matters of faith or manners he refuseth to obey and to be ordered by the judgement and Authority of a generall Councell they voice him to be counted for a Schismatique and a Heretick and one to be deposed See agreat difference about the very Pillar of the Catholike faith Yet in this brawling about opinions there is no breaking off of brotherly communion betwixt the Churches themselves Tell it not in Gath nor publish it in the streets of Ascalon that the Philistines were more forward than the Israelites to preserve Peace and unity betwixt them Lastly if such controversies should make an union betwixt particular Churches impossible I faine would have one shew to me even but two Churches whereof one is not subject to the other which must not of necessity be alienated pluckt asunder and as it were with a partition wall divided each from other For except we return to this point that we only admit and allow of this Separation from other Churches for dissenting in Fundamentals the communion of the Catholike Church anciently so highly extold August de unit Feles cap. 12. will be but a bare name fained title to which the heart of the thing it selfe will never answer The Donatists of old were wont to say that the Church had perished out of the whole world besides and onely remained in the party of Donatus The Romanists in this point are pure down-right Donatists who shout it out that the Catholikc Church is found only in the part of the Pope of Rome It is our duty to detest such Schismaticall wickednesse and to keep and professe brotherly Communion with all Christian Churches which we adjudge not as yet to be disjoyned from Christ the Head by Heresie or Idolatry or not at all to be shunned by other Churches for usurpation of Tyranny What hitherto hath been disputed about those Obstacles which make the communion of divers Churches betwixt themselves impossible and also of those different opinions which no wayes cause the same all aime at this end That if it could be agreed betwixt Divines that those controversies which so long have troubled and tyred the Protestant Churches are not of such importance that whether one come off to this or that side in their opinions he is not to be judged to depart from Christ and the Fundamentall Faith and to fall into a Heresie contrary to the foundation we would confesse that brotherly union may be made up and kept betwixt all Protestant Churches even whilest these dissentions rather of the Schooles than the Churches doe still remaine It is not my purpose to engage my selfe in the controversies themselves only I would desire that the most learned and famous Divines of the Dutch Churches would be entreated with peaceable mindes and calme affections to runne over all those controversies which are in agitation betwixt them seeing the Judgement perisheth when the matter is passed into the affections The chief and almost the mother of all the rest is that controversie which as yet remains undetermined of the manner of the presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Lords Supper And as touching this point the every way most learned Bucer after serious weighing and considering of the matter expressed himselfe thus that In the thing it selfe and meaning there was an agreement only some variety in the words In Epist ad Lutherum Contra. Robert Atringen alibi Hosp Hist Sacrpa 144. and manner of speaking Luther said formerly If you beleeveâ— and teach that the true body and true blood of our Lord is exhibited given and taken in the Lords Supper and not the bread and wine only and that this receiving and exhibiting is done truly and not imaginarily we are agreed At the same time Bucer with his associates did grant That the true body and true blood of the Lord were exhibited given and taken with the visible signes Bread Wine James Andrews wrote formerly Wee neither are of opinion of the Capernaites nor doe we receive the Transubstantiation of the Papists nor doe we establish a Physicall or Locall presence or inclusion of the body and blood of Christ in the holy Supper Neither doe those words Substantially Corporally Orally signifie to us any thing else besides the true presence and eating of the Body and blood in the holy Supper Now let us heare what was the Judgement of the Helvetian Churches Hosp Anno 1536. â—ag 145. Although they deny
by the Act of Repentance are made subject to God and his Commandements by the act of Loving and Obeying him No doubt is to be made but that these Churches remaine firmely fastned to their saving Foundation Therefore this saving and undoubted Union of them with Christ ought to bring a Tye and a Band of no meane Consequence to the binding of the Affections of all Reformed Churches together CHAP. IV. Chap. 4 Of certaine Foundations which use to be called Ministeriall and of their Office and Power ALTHOUGH We acknowledge our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the only personall Foundation of his Church yet do we not deny but that the name Foundation is in a different sense ascribed to others To whom in what respect this high Title is given and what Power and Command they have who are thus intitled it must be afterwards enquired into The name therefore of Foundation is sometimes lent to others but then always in a lessened and restrained acception For they are called Foundations in no other right than because the personall Foundation is layd by their Ministery through the preaching of the Gospell and by the continuation of that preaching always kept in the Church Amongst these Ministeriall Foundations the Prophets and Apostles possesse the prime place Hence the wall of the Heavenly Jerusalem is said to have twelve Foundations Rev. 21.14 and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lambe Also Christians are said to be built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Eph. 2.20 In this sense Peter and Paul and all the Apostles were Ministeriall Foundations because all they as wise Master-builders bestowed their excellent paines in laying that only Foundation of which we spake before Wherefore when the Prophets and Apostles are adorned with this honorable Title it is rather to be referred to their saving Doctrin concerning Christ than to their own particular Persons The power of these was far greater than that of their succeeding Ministers because they were so enlightned and governed by the holy Spirit that they could not at all erre either in Preaching or Writing Therefore we acknowledge their Doctrine as the Doctrine of God and Christ certaine infallible and wholly Divine with Tertullian that saith There is no Divine Word but of God alone In that his booke of the Soule Which Word was thundred both by the Prophets by the Apostles by Christ himselfe But the Papists to these Ministeriall Foundations endeavour to joyne another in words calling it a Second and subservient but in very deed making it a Principall and plainly Divine one This honour the Jesuites thinke fit to be conferred on the Pope alone whom they so appoint to be the Second Foundation of the Catholike Church that in the meane time they maintaine him to be the only Foundation of the Church next unto Christ But there is no need to speake much of this fading foundation and palsy-shaking head the Scriptures being silent of any such sole Ministeriall foundation as the Papists do faine Besides all Protestant Churches long since have cast this filthy Idoll of a secondary head and foundation with others of the like nature to the Moles and Bats as fit for so blind companions We owne no power placed in this secondary foundation of the Papists to subject the Faith of Christians unto it counting those little better than mad when they write and maintaine Bellâ—â— praefâ—t in lib. dâ— Rom. Poâ—â— That the power and infallibility of the Pope of Rome is the summe of Christian Religion and his judgment is to bee accounted the square and Rule of Faith But leaving the Pope of Rome le ts come to the Catholique Church which on a farre better title might challenge to her selfe the name of Ministeriall Foundation because the Faith of every one may seeme in some sort to rely upon her For in this even to the end of the World that Doctrine shall bee kept and preached to which those Christians which afford beliefe and obedience are rightly joyned to their foundation and in it shall obtaine eternall Life To this purpose that of Paul to Timothy is often alleadged where he calleth the Church the Pillar and Ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3 15. Neither may we doubt but that in this Holy Catholique Church which wee beleeve in the Creed the truth of the Gospell ever hath and ever will be preserved so farre forth as it shall suffice for the Salvation of those that beleeve it Therefore to know what hath been beleeved received and published of all Christian Churches always and every where is to know all those things which are sufficient for the obtaining of Salvation in Christ the Foundation thereof But this Catholique Church scattered over all the world is presented rather to our mind than outward senses Wherefore when we desire to heare the voyce of the Catholique Church wee are forced to fly to the Church which they call Representative that is to say to a Generall Councell Of which Representative Image of the Catholique Church and of the Ministeriall power therof we will briefly discourse That this Representative Church did excellently discharge the Office of a Ministeriall Foundation in Oecumenicall Synods is witnessed by those foure Councils of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon In which the Divinity of Christ against Arius of the holy Ghost against Macedonius the Union of two Natures in Christ against Nestorius the distinction of two Natures against Eutyches were declared defended and established In these and the like Councils those Doctrines of the Christian Faith which were there in common handled and discussed because therein all that professed Christianity were represented are therefore with great reverence to bee received For it ever belongeth to the Office and lawfull power of this Representative Church to divide and distinguish Fundamentall Doctrines of the Christian Faith from those which were not fundamentall provided alwayes that they passed not the bounds set by the Apostles and Primitive Church to multiply or diminish the Number of these Fundamentals 2a 2ae Qu. 1. Art 7. Resp ad 4. For it is credible what Aquinas observed that the Apostles and others which were nearer to Christ had a fuller Knowledge of the mysteries of the Faith than we that are further off which Cajetan in the same place confesseth to be most true For however that the Apostles and the Fathers of the Primitive Church were not much given to controversall Divinity and disputing about Questions yet were they of all most skilfull in saving necessary and Fundamentall Divinity Moreover after this Representative Church had once published her resolution founded in Gods Word of Fundamentall Articles which were simply necessary to the Salvation of Christians the care and charge also lay upon her to defend fence and fortifie those Articles against all fraud and force of Heretiques For it is the wont of Heretiques to undermine the very Foundation of Christian Religion whilst they retaine the words
Epist 150 161. and Epist 162 163 164. Tom. 7. de unitate Ec. cap. 13. 16. and he saith it is an unwise part to goe about to condemne the Communion of the whole world He sheweth moreover That for the good of Vnitie we must beare with some things wee approve not at all and that the knowne bad prejudice not the Good in the Church if either they want power to forbid and drive them from the Communion or if some reason hinder for the preserving of Peace In a word he avoucheth That the Donatists who would acknowledge no Brethren besides those on their owne part did erect an altar of sacrilegious dissension against the whole world Thus farre Augustine Also Optatus fights fiercely against this manner of restraining Brotherly Communion He saith a Lib. 1. in mitio That the Donatists were owned of the Orthodox for Brethren He saith that b Lib. 2. prope ab initio They by this their restrained Brotherhood suffer not the Son of God to possesse the Inheritance promised unto him by his Father but doe place the Church where they please and where they please not there again do banish it out He saith c Lib. 3. init That the very name of Brotherhood however odious to the Donatists is notwithstanding necessary for the Orthodox to use towards the Donatists themselves He saith d Lib. 6. That those follow Gods Will and Commandements who loving Peace hold Communion with the Church in the whole world Lastly he saith e Lib. 7. That this Separation of some Brethren from others which the Donatists defend was displeasing to God To finish our fourth Reason although I perswade my selfe that there is none of the Protestant Churches which abhor from Brotherly Communion with others with as high a straine of Pride and malignitie of minde wherewith the Donatists detested communion with others yet I ingenuously professe that I understand not how they can cleere and winde themselves off who retaine not Brotherly Communion with other Churches but endeavor to confine the Priviledges of Christian Brotherhood onely within the bounds of their owne Churches No particular Church Reas 5 holds it self bound to break off and renounce brotherhood with another Church for the vices of men living therein though known dispersed and reigning Seeing we all know Gluttony reignes in one place Drunkennesse in another Lust in a third and these nationall vices are no lesse known to us than their Opinions If therefore for these haynous offences in life which reigne in many we take not occasion to dissolve our tye of brotherhood with whole Churches neither ought we to doe it for the errors of the Understanding which are of lesse guilt in the sight of God and often stretch not to the whole Body of Christian people 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Thes 3.6 If wee will make use of the Apostle for our Counsellour wee should depart from the company of other Christians rather for their wickednesse than for their ignorance yet for neither injoyneth he Churches to separate from Churches but only private persons to withdraw from the company of private persons Yea it is unlawfull for the Heresie of few or many Doctors ruling in particular Churches to cast off any whole Christian Church and separate it from Brotherly Communion with us A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition reject Titus 3.10 knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself saith the Apostle It is lawfull to exclude a single man from the communion of other Christians for a damnable Heresie See Aug. Epist 162 tom 6. de util cred cap. 1. wherein he is condemned by his owne judgement or convicted of obstinacie but it is not lawfull for an errour into which he is trained in by the deceit and subtiltie of others and which he defendeth not with any wilfull stomack but only being deceived with an imagination and conceit of Truth and Pietie But no Protestant Church can seperate or banish any other whole Protestant Church for example the English or French from Brotherly Communion with it either for faults in life or errrors in Doctrine The reason is at hand Because it cannot be proved that that whole Church hath fallen into a damnable heresie because the obstinacy of a whole Church in an error whatsoever can neither be demonstrated to forraign churches nor ought to be presumed of them Lastly because wee have no command from God nor Admonition from the Apostles to breake the bond of Brotherhood betwixt whole Churches If any here should aske why the Doctors of the Churches who never perswaded their People to disjoynt themselves from the Brotherly Communion with other Churches for the grosse and enormous vices every where reigning amongst Christians should so vehemently perswade that this must be done because of the Errors they conceive them to be fallen into Let him receive this answere That this commeth thence to passe because we more affect the praise of knowledge than of holinesse and take it in worse part from them who oppose our Dictates which are doubtfull than from them that break and violate the plaine and open Commandements of God If the matter were otherwise we might easily perceive that it was no more lawfull to breake off Brotherhood which is betwixt particular Churches for their errours in Doctrine than for the sinnes of Life which we behold generally and openly to reigne amongst them Chap. 10 Therefore wee must beware of the errours of others but in no case must separate from those Christian Churches wherein they are predominant whether they belong to life or to doctrine because for the doing of such an Act there is no lawfull power in the Ministers of any particular Church CHAP. X. That Brotherly Communion is not to he broken betwixt the Protestants is showne by the nature and quality of those points whereunto they contend THis as it seems to me must be premised in the first place That the Bands of Brotherly Cōmunion ought not to bee dissolved betwixt Christian Churches for all discords of Opinions but only for the opposing or denying of Fundamentall doctrines For it seems to be confessed amongst all Protestants that this separation is not to be made for every straw of Erroneous opinions For hence it is that when they desire to maintain that this Joynting of Churches was concluded on good ground together herewith they alwayes commenc'd this suite That they have made a discession or departed from some Foundation of the Catholique Faith For unlesse this appeare to be done not of this or that Doctor in the Church but of the Church it self as it is considered under the respect of a Body compacted or conjoyned together it ought not to availe to the parting of one Protestant Church from another But in this place it will not be unseasonable to advise in a few words that the actuall exercise of outward Communion with some particular
Foundation of Religion Catholike Faith But if we should let the matter run on so long till all the controverted Problemes betwixt Protestants bee counted Fundamentall long since they have grown to too numerous hereafter they may grow to an almost numberlesse multitude For this solemne course and practice is observed of many that what they themselves have added to any Fundamentall Axiom as over weight and what they beleeve to be a consequence of the same this they presently require of all to be counted in the number of Fundamentalls If we grant to any particular Churches or to their Doctors this power of creating and multiplying Fundamentalls all hope is past of the certainty of the Catholike Faith all hope is gone of the Brotherly communion of the Catholike Church The mad error of the Church of Rome may confirme the Truth of our opinion who by stuffing a medley of uncertain opinions into the Creed of Trent by the same deed did both shake the immoveable certainty of the Catholike Faith and the Union of the Catholike Chuch so much desired of all we ought not therefore to mingle controversies lately born betwixt us with the foundations of Catholike Faith which are few and published by the preaching of the Apostles through the Christian world and received by the joynt consent of Christians In the last place that these things whereabout we contend Reas 6 were never counted in the number of Fundamentalls plainly appeares out of the very Augustane confession penned by Ph. Melancthon and approved and commended by Luther It is not likely that the Authors of so solemne a confession would have omitted any Fundamentall Doctrine of the Christian Faith without the knowledge and beleife whereof Salvation could not be attained by Christ Jesus But in this confession none of those points doe appeare about which so fierce a strife hath been been maintained betwixt the Helvetian and Saxon Churches In the third Articles of the Union of the two Natures in Christ in the tenth Article of the presence of the Body and Bloud of Christ in the Lords Supper they have established nothing which is not approved by the consent of all the Protestants And if we should run over the rest of the Articles we shall finde very few things after the last correction of which there is any dissenting betwixt the Protestant Churches nothing of so great moment that it should bring in a Schisme into the Church But grant some things to be in this confession to which other Churches cannot afford their consent it sufficeth to the retaining of Peace that they consent in all things necessary to be known for the Salvation of Christians For the confessions of particular Churches are not streitned to fundamentals alone but sometimes are extended to the declaring of their judgement of all heads of Divinity as they conceive it expedient for the Aedification of their people in Truth and Piety Therefore their errour is not to be born with who what ever they finde in their confessions will have it counted so fundamentall that they feare not to ranke those forreign Churches which in all and every thing will not admit the same to be the Rule of saving Faith among damned Hereticks overthrowers of the Foundation in a word amongst wicked men estranged from the holy brotherhood of good Christians Nothing could be done or thought of more injurious For if we weigh the confessions or disputes of all Reformed Churches and place on one side those things wherein they exactly agree and set on the other side those things which are in controversie wee shall perceive that the former out of the very Nature and Quality of the points themselves belong to the foundations of Faith and Piety the later either to the no wise necessary speculations of subtile braines or if they have any soliditie in them to the true inferences of the more skilfull Divines out of well grounded Propositions But those things which in this manner are built upon the foundation are not to be made equall with the fundamentalls themselves nor are they to bee accounted to erre in fundamentalls which swarve somewhat herein from the right line of Truth CHAP. XI Chap. 11 That there is no Controversie betwixt Protestants about Fundamentalls is shewn by instancing in three particular questions which are conceived before all other of greatest moment to the disjoynting of Churches BEFORE wee enter into this dispute wee must premise this firme and unmoveable rule That Christian Churches are not to be disjoynted which agree in all things necessary to be known or done to the Salvation of Christian men For no Authority lyes in one particular Church to make enquiry into others or office to compell other particular Churches to the rule of their owne confessions or power to dissolve the bands of brotherly Unity betwixt their owne and other Churches whatsoever which consent in the same common Faith that is in fundamentalls and the saving Articles of the Christian Religion Let us see therefore whether the Protestants agree so farre forth and let us take example only from those three controversies Of the Presence of the Body and bloud of Christ in the Eucharist Of the Communication of Properties in the person of Christ God and man Of Divine election and preterition according to the good pleasure of the Divine will For if in these questions by occasion whereof mighty surges and billows of contention have been blown up betwixt the Saxon and Helvetian Churches so much bee confessed on both sides as is necessary to know to Salvation All the rest may be left indifferent in the middle or to be disputed of betwixt learned men with peaceable mindes the brotherly Communion betweene Churches being no whit broken or torne a pieces Wee will begin from that which gave beginning to all the rest namely from the Presence of the Body of Christ in the Lords Supper and the eating of the same First of all nothing can be conceived fundamentall which is not by joint consent admitted by or received on both sides This is Fundamentall That the Body and Bloud of Christ are so truly present in the Administration of the Sacrament that Communicants may partake of them so as to draw life from thence and they may justly be condemned who so receive Bread and Wine as that withall they receive not the Flesh and Bloud of Christ to the Salvation of their Soules Hospin ad annum 1544. p. 191 Of this there is no dissention For Bucer grants That the Body of the Lord in the Eucharist is truly present and partaken off An annum 1540. p. 178 Calvin saith Wee all confesse with one mouth that we when we receive the Sacrament by Faith according to the Lords institution In Cons Mompelg p. 66. are made truly partakers of the Substance of the Body of Christ Beza saith we deny not the Body of Christ to be truly present to bee truly given and received I passe by the rest because no