The letter writ by the last Assembly General of the Clergy of France to the Protestants, inviting them to return to their communion together with the methods proposed by them for their conviction / translated into English, and examined by Gilbert Burnet.

The Thirteenth Method

IS taken from the nature of Schism, which one ought never to make, what reasons soever may be pretended for it, for according to the Minister▪ ••hemselves, no other reason can be given for their Sepa∣ration, but the Errours which they pretend had crept into the Church. But those who were in it as well as th••y were, did strongly assert, as we do to this day, that these were no Errours at all but Truths. And it is certain that of opinions which are so different, the one must be the true Do∣ctrine, and the other must be Errour and falshood; and by consequence the one must be the good grain, and the other must be the Tares. Now it does not belong to particular persons by their private autho∣rity to pluck up that which they pretend to be Tares. There is none but God, who is the true Father of the Family, that has this authority, and can communicate it to others. It is he who appoints the Reapers, that is the Pope and the Bi∣shops, who are represented by the Angels, to separate the Cockle from the Wheat, and to pluck out the one without touching the other till the time of Harvest, that is in a Council, or by the common consent

of the whole Church, and in that case a Council is not necessary. * 1.1 Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the Tares, ye root up also the Wheat with them, let both grow together un∣til the Harvest. Therefore one ought ne∣ver to s••parate upon what pretence soever it be, but he must bear with that which he thinks is an abuse and errour, and stay till the Church plucks up the Cockle. * 1.2 This is one of the Methods of S. Austin in his Treatises against the Donatists, in which he shews from the Examples of Moses, Aaron, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Jere∣my, S. Paul, who tolerated even the false Apostles, that we ought never to separate from our Brethren, before the solemn con∣demnation of the Church.* 1.3 He says pur∣s••ant to this, that the Donatists were in∣tolerably wicked for having made a Schism, for having erected an Alta•• against an Altar, and for having sepa∣rated themselves from the Inheritance of Jesus Christ, which is stretched ou•• over all the Earth, according to the promise that was made to it. He add••▪ that if they thought that was but a sm•••• matter, they had nothing to do but to s•• what the Scripture teaches us by the exam∣ples we find in it of the punishment of s••

great a crime; for says he, Those that made an Idol of the Golden Calf were only punished by the Sword, whereas those who made the Schism were swal∣lowed up by the Earth:* 1.4 So that by this diversity of the punishments, one may know that Schism is a greater crime than Idolatry.

We may likewise see how upon the same subject he exhorts the Donatists to re∣nounce their wicked Schism in his ••71 Epistle, in which among other things he has those excellent words. * 1.5 Why will you tear the Lords garments? and why will you not with the rest of the World leave that Coat of Charity entire, that is all woven of one Thread, which even his Persecutors themselves would not rend? And a little after this, You pre∣tend that you would avoid that Cockle, that as you alledge, is mixt among us, and that before the time of Harvest; whereas indeed it is you your selves that are this Cockle, for if you were the good grain, you would bear with it, and would not separate your selves from the Corn of Jesus Christ.

We need only change the name Dona∣tists into Calvinists: This is it that shews to what degree the Church ever was and ever must be acknowledged to be Infallible,

since we must submit to its Decisions; and the Fathers have established this so strong∣ly that one ought never to separate from her, and that one is by so much the more obliged to continue united to her, because she never refuses to hear the Remon∣strances made to her by her Children.

Remarks.

1. IT was observed before how un∣reasonable it was to build much on ••n Allegory, but on this occasion the Allegory is so clearly forced, that it gives just cause of Suspicion that the cause is weak that must be supported by such Arguments. For our Saviour makes it so plain that the Harvest is the end of the World, that the Reapers are Angels, and that upon his last coming they shall gather together the wicked, and cast them into Hell, and that the Righteous shall shine in Heaven: That the applying this to a General Coun∣cil, in which Heresie shall be con∣demned, is such a fetch, that it must be confessed they have as easie Consci∣ences as they have warm Fancies, that are wrought on by it.

2. As for that which S. Austin drew from this against the Donatists who ju∣stified

their Separation on the account of the sins of those who were in the Communion of the Church, it was as pertinent as this is strained; for the ground of the Schism being only the mixture of the Cockle with the Wheat, nothing could be more strongly urged against them. But it is quite out of the present Controversie between them and us, who do not separate for this mixture, but finding the Wheat it self so much corrupted, took care to cleanse it.

3. We freely acknowledge the great sin of Schism, and the severe punish∣ment due to it, but for all the severity of the punishment inflicted on Corah and his Partners, we do not doubt but when the Temple was so defiled by Idolatry, under the Kings that polluted the Altar and the Courts of the Lords House with Idols, it was not only no sin, but a commendable piece of Re∣ligion in such cases to have withdrawn from so impious a Worship. This is our present case, and if what we object to their Worship is true, then our Se∣paration from it is as necessary a Duty as is the preserving of our lives from Poy∣sons or Infectious Diseases.

4. The true scope of that Parable seems to be a reproof to the Violence of such Church-men as are too apt to condemn and pluck up every thing that they think to be Cockle; and when the declaring what is Cockle is lodged with them, they will be sure to count every thing such that does not please them. And then that same heat that makes them judge those opinions to be Cockle sets them on to root them out with such violence, that much good Wheat is in danger to be pluckt up. Therefore to repress this, our Saviour commands them under that figure, to let both grow till the end of the World, that is, not to proceed to extremities and to rigorous Methods, but to leave that to God who will judge all at the last day. If this were well considered, it would put an effectual stop to that Spirit of Persecution which ferments so violently in that Church: The lan∣guage of which is always this, Let u•• go and pluck up the Tares, or that of the two Disciples who would have called for Fire from Heaven; and because Heaven will not answer such bloody demands, they try to raise such Fires on Earth as may burn up those whom they call the Tares: Not knowing

what the true Spirit of Christianity is, and that the Son of Man came not to de∣stroy mens lives, but to save them: And forget that our Saviour commanded them to let the Tares grow till the Har∣vest. But this is one of the mischiefs that follows the humour of expounding the Scriptures fancifully. That the plain meaning of clear Texts is neg∣lected, while forced and Allegorical ex∣positions are pursued.

5. When it is clearly proved that the majority of the Pastors of the Church is Infallible, then we shall acknowledge that all Separation from them is simply unlawful: But till that is done we can no more think it a sin, when in obedi∣ence to the Rules of the Gospel we withdraw from such false Teachers as corrupt it; Then it were for Common Subjects to refuse to obey the Subordi∣nate Magistrates when they clearly per∣ceive that they have revolted from their duty to their Supream Authority. And since we are warned to beware of false Teachers, we know no other way to judge of them, but the comparing their Doctrine with that which is de∣livered to us in Scripture.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vis imus & colligimus ea? Non; ne forte eradi∣cantes Ziza∣nia, eradicetis & triticum; sinite utra∣que crescere usque ad mes∣sem.
• * 1.2

  Lib. de uni∣tate Ecclesi••e, & Psal. con. par. Don. & Epist. 162 & 171.
• * 1.3

  Non enim nobis displi∣cent quia to∣lerant m••los, sed quia into∣lerabiliter mali sunt pro∣pter Schisma, propter Al∣tare contra Altare, pro∣pter Separati∣onem ab hae∣reditate Chri∣sti toto orbe diffus••, f••cut tanto an••e promissa est. A••g. Ep. 162.
• * 1.4

  Diversirate poenarum, Diversitas ag∣noscitur me∣ritorum. Ibid.
• * 1.5

  Quare divi∣sores vesti∣mentorum Domini esse vultis? & tuni∣cam illam Charitatis de∣super tex••am, quam nec persecutores ejus divise∣runt, terere cum toto or∣be non vultis? — Fingi••is vos ante tem∣pus messis su∣gere permix∣ta Ziz••nia, quia vos es••is sola Zizania: Nam si fru∣menta essetis, permixta Zi∣zania tolera∣re••is, & à se∣gete Christi non vos divi∣deretis. Aug. E••. 171.