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 Fourteenth Method

IS for the Confirmation of the former: In order to which we must ask the Cal∣vinists upon all their Articles, that which * 1.1 S. Austin asked of the Donatists, when the Church reconciled to her self Here∣ticks that were penitent without re-bapti∣zing them: For Example, Whether was the Church still a True Church or not, when before the Schism was made, Iesus Christ was adored in the Holy Eucharist? If she was the true Church, then none ought to have separated from her for any practice that was authorized by her. † 1.2 If she was not the true Church, from whence came Calvin, out of what soil did he grow, or out of what Sea was he cast, or from which of the Heavens did he fall? From whence are these Re∣formers come? From whom have they re∣ceived their Doctrine, and the authority to Preach it? * 1.3 Let those who follow them consider well where they are, since they can mount no higher than to those for their Original. For us we are secure in the Communion of that Church, in which that is to this day

universally practised that was also pra∣ctised before Agripinus's time, and also in the interval between Cyprian and Agri∣pinus: And afterwards he subjoyns these excellent words that are Decisive, * 1.4 But neither did Agripinus, nor Cyprian, nor those that have followed them, though they had opinions different from others, separate themselves from them, but re∣mained in the Communion and Unity of the same Church with those from whom they differed. That is to say, they waited till the Church should have de∣cided the difference; and after he had re∣sumed a little of what he had formerly said, he concludes thus, † 1.5 If then the Church was lost for holding that the Baptism of Hereticks was good, they cannot shew the Original of their Communi∣on. But if the true Church did still subsist, they cannot justifie their Sepa∣ration, nor the Schism that they have made. One may say all this against the Waldenses, the Lutherans, the Calvi∣nists, and the other Hereticks who cannot mount higher than to Waldo, to Luther, to Calvin, or their other Heads. This Method of S. Austin's is most excellent.

But if our Brethren, the pretended Reformed, will defend themselves by saying, as in effect they do say in some of their Books, That it was not they who made the Separation, but rather that it came from us, and that we have cut them off from our Communion. To this it must be answered, That there are two sorts of S••paration, the one is Criminal, the other is Iudicial. In the first, one sepa∣rates himself from his Pastor by a mani∣fest Disobedience; in the second, the Pastor separates him from the Flock who is making a party, and refuses to submit to the Orders of the Church. The one is a Sin, and the other is the Pu∣nishment. The one is a voluntary de∣parture, the other is the being cut off by a S••ntence, even as the Iudge pronounces a Sentence of Condemnation against one that has killed himself.

The proof of those two different Se∣parations is to be found in the Thirty eighth Letter of S. Cyprians, where he speaks of one Augendus, who had gone over to the party of Felicissimus the Deacon, and it appears that that great Saint had suspended and excommunica∣ted him for having withdrawn himself from his Obedience, and for having en∣gaged others in the same Separation.

* 1.6 Let every one, says he, that has fol∣followed his Opinions and Faction, know that he shall communicate no more with us in the Church, since of his own accord he has chosen to be separated from the Church. In his Seventy sixth Epistle he says the same thing of Novatian, and those who had joyned with him in his Revolt; Because they leaving the Church by their Re∣bellion, and breaking the Peace and Unity of Jesus Christ, have endeavour∣ed to establish their authority, and to assume a Supreme Jurisdiction to them∣selves, and to usurp power to Baptize, and to offer Sacrifice.

This Distinction is also clearly stated in the fourth Action of the Council of Chalcedon, where those two Ancient Ca∣nons of the Council of Antioch that were drawn out of Canons of the Apostles, were cited. The first is concerning those that were separated, the other is concerning those who of their own accord did separate themselves. The Greek is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

* 1.7 It was thought proper for this purpose to transcribe here those two Canons, which are the fundamental Laws of the practice of the Church, with regard to Hereticks and Schis∣maticks whom she throws out of her bosome, and who have separated themselves from her.

These Canons are the Fourth and Fifth of the Council of Antioch, and the Twenty seventh and Thirtieth of the Aposto∣lick Canons, and the pretended Reform∣ed cannot reject their Authority, since they observe among themselves the same Discipline, when any particular persons, whether Ministers, or others of their Com∣munion, will not submit to the Decisions of their Synods.

Remarks.

1. FOr the first branch of this Me∣thod the Reformed are not at all concerned in it, for they do not deny the Church of Rome to be still a True Church; and that her Baptism and Ordinations are valid, and that they are not to be repeated, and therefore though it was very pertinent to urge the Dona∣tists as S. Austin did, who held that the Sacraments in an ill mans hands had no vertue at all, and that the Church had every where failed, so that there was no Church but that which was among them. Yet all this is foreign to the state of the Controversie between us and the Church of Rome, and we do freely acknowledge that in such a mat∣ter as the Re-baptizing Hereticks, it had been a very great sin to have bro∣ken Communion with the rest of the Church.

2. Yet upon this very head P. S••e∣phen did excommunicate S. Cyprian, who yet for all that did not depart from his former opinion or practice: So here was such a Schism as they ob∣ject to us, S. Cyprian thought the Re∣baptizing Hereticks was well ground∣ed;

Stephen thought otherwise, and did excommunicate him. If upon that a lasting Schism had followed in the Church, S. Cyprian might have been held the fountain of it by those who condemned his opinion, but if his opi∣nion was true he could be no Schisma∣tick: So we desire the grounds of our Separation may be examined: if they will not bear such a Superstructure, we confess we deserve the severest cen∣sures possible; but if they are solid, then the guilt of the rent that is in the Church, must lie somewhere else than on us.

3. We do not deny but there are two sorts of Separation which are here very well distinguished; and without seeking for any proof in so clear a mat∣ter, We confess that when any sepa∣rates himself from the Church, upon any unjustifiable account, those Ca∣nons, and the highest severities of Church-censures ought to be applied ••o them: but all this is upon supposition that the departure is ill grounded, and therefore all those Rules that have been ••aid down in general against Heresie and Schism must still suppose the Church to ••e pure and uncorrupted.

4. It is plain by these very Canons, how much that power of the Church may be and was abused. The Council of Antioch, being composed of the favour∣ers of Arius, deposed Athanasius, and resolved to silence him, and such other Church-men as receiv'd the Nicene Doctrine, in such a manner that they should be no more able to withstand their designs: And therefore they made those Canons according to former cu∣stomes, which in the stile of that Age was called the Canon or Rule (for none that has considered things, will believe that the Canons that are called Apostolical, were made by the Apo∣stles) and their chief design was level∣led against Athanasius and the Orthodox party. But at that same time as the Orthodox in the East did not submit to this▪ so nei••her did the Bishops 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the West take any notice of it; an•• Chrysostome, who was bred up at A••ti∣och, and so could not but know in what esteem those Canons were held, did not look on himself as bound by them, an•• made no account of them when they were objected to him. Thus, though i•• general these are goo•• Rules▪ and such a•• ought to be obeyed where the Synod or the Bishop do not abuse their power,

yet when the power of the Church is used not to Edification but to Destructi∣on, then the obligation to obedience is not to be too far extended. And as in Laws that oblige Subjects to obey In∣feriour Magistrates, a tacite exception is to be supposed, in case they should be∣come guilty of Treason, so there must be supposed likewise in this case the like ex∣ception, in case a Synod deposes a Bi∣shop, or a Bishop censures his Clergy, for asserting the true Faith. And as a Separation from an uncorrupted Church is a very great wickedness, so the se∣parating from a corrupted Church, in whose Communion we cannot conti∣nue without being polluted in it, is but a part of that care which we ought to have of our own Salvation.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Si autem tunc non erat Ecclesia, quia Sacrilegi He∣retici sine baptismo re∣cipiebantur, & haec uni∣versali con∣su••tudine te∣nebatur, unde Donatus ap∣paruit?
• † 1.2

  De qua ter∣râ germina∣vit? De quo mari emer∣sit? De quo coelo cecidit? Lib. 5. de Bapt. cap. 2.
• * 1.3

  Ipsi consi∣derent ubi sint qui neque unde propa∣gati sint, pos∣sunt dicere. Sed nos in Ecclesiae communione securi sumu••, per cujus universitatem ••d nun•• agitur, quod & ante Agripinum, & inter Agripinum & Cyprianum, per ejus universitatem similiter agebatur. Ibid.
• * 1.4

  Et cujus u∣niversitatem neque Agripi∣nus deseruit, neque Cypri∣anus, neque illi qui iis consenserunt, quamvis ali∣ter quàm cae∣teri saperent, sed cum iis ipsis à quibus diversa sense∣runt, in ea∣dem unitatis Communione manserunt. Ibid.
• † 1.5

  Quapropter si temporib••s Cypriani perdidit Ec∣clesia Malo∣rum Com∣munionem, non habent isti suae com∣munionis ori∣gin••m. Si autem non perdidit, non hab••nt prae∣cisionis suae aliquam desensionem. Ibid. lib. 3. co••tra Donatista•• de Bapti••mo.
• * 1.6

  Interim cum Felic••ssi∣mus commi∣natus sit non communica∣turos in mor∣te secum qui nobis ob∣temperassent, id est, qui no∣bis commu∣nicârint, acci∣piat Sententi∣am quam pri∣or dixit, ut abstentum se •• nobis sciat quisquis se in∣spirationi & factioni ejus se adjunxerit. Sciat se in Ec∣clesia nobis∣cum non esse communicaturum, qui sponte maluit ab Ecclesia separari. Cypr. Ep. 38. Quod nunc hi Ecclesiam scindentes, & contra pacem atque unitat••m Christi Rebelles, Cathedram sibi constituere, & primatum assumere, & baptizandi atque off••rendi licentiam vindicare conantur. Idem ••p. 76.
• * 1.7

  Concil. Chal. ••ct. 4. Can. 83. Si quis Epis∣••opus à 〈◊〉〈◊〉 deposi••us, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Pr••s••••ter, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Diaconus, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 omnino qui est sub re∣gu••••▪ à proprio Episcopo, ausus suerit amplius aliquid Sacri Ministerii ge••••re, sive Episcopus juxta Superiorum consuetudinem, sive Presby∣ter, sive Diaconus, postea non liceat ei, ne in altera quidem Synodo, spem restitutionis nec satisfactionis locum habere: Sed & omnes qui ••i communicent, ••jiciantur ex Ecclesiâ, & maxime si postqaam cogno∣verint sententiam in praedictos latam, iis communicate ausi fuerint. Can. 84. De iis qui seipsos separant, si quis Presbyter aut Diaconus con∣temp••o proprio Episco ••o, se ab Ecclesiâ segregaverit, aut seorsim con∣gregationem habuerit, & altare constituerit, si commonenti Episcopo non acqu••everit, nec consentire vel obedire voluerit, semel & iterum, ac t••r••ium vocanti, is omnino Deponatur, nec ultra remedium conse∣qui, ••ec proprium honorem recipere possit: Quod si perseveraverit tumultuari & Ecclesiam perturbare, per potestatem externam tanquam seditiosus. corrigatur. These two Can••ns were read and reported in the Fourth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the Council of Chalcedon, in the Process of those two Monks Caroze and Dorothee, that had made a Schism, and having joyned themsel••es to Eutyches, did separate from the Church, as Luther and Cal∣vin, and thos•• who have followed them, have separated themselves in these latter Ages.