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.

A MEMORIAL, Containing diverse Methods, of which very great use may be made for the Conversion of those who pro∣fess the pretended Reformed Reli∣gion.

The first Method Is that which Cardinal Richelieu used for reducing, either in the way of Disput•• or Conference, those of the P. R. R. and to perswade them in an amicable man∣ner to re-unite themselves to the Church.

THis Method is to attack them by •• Decree of a Synod of theirs tha•• met at Charenton, 1631. by which the•• received to their Communion those of th•• Ausbourg Confession, who hold the Rea•• Presence of the Body of Iesus Christ in

the Eucharist, together with diverse other Articles that are very different from the Confession of Faith of those that are the P. Reformed. Vpon which the Minister Dailee in his Apology says, That if the Church of Rome had no other errour be∣sides that, they had not had a sufficient rea∣son for their separating from her.

It is certain, that none of all the other points of our Belief that are controverted, are either of greater importance, or hard∣er to be believed than this which has been ever esteemed even by themselves one of the chief grounds of their Separation, and is that by which the people are most amu∣sed. As for that which the Minister Dailee says for eluding the force of this Objection, That the Lutherans do not adore Iesus Christ in the Sacrament: It is altogether un∣reasonable,* 1.1 since Calvin himself reproves the Lutherans for that, and is forced to acknow∣ledge that adoration is a necessary consequence of the real Presence. What is more strange (says he) than to put Jesus Christ in the Bread, and not to adore him? and if he is in the Bread, then he ought to be adored under the Bread.

Thus since, according to the Calvinists in the same Synod, one does not overthrow the grounds of Salvation by the belief of the Real Presence, and the other points of

their Confession concerning which they di∣spute, that Cardinal thought he could con∣vince them of their errour, in separating faom the Communion of the Church of Rome, in which, according to their own Maximes, one could be saved.

It was by the like reasoning that the African Fathers convinced the Donatists, called the Primianists, that they had unjustly separated themselves from the Catholick Church, because it received Cecilian i••to its Communion, since they had made a de∣cree of Vnion with the Maximianists, whom they had formerly condemned. It was in the Council of Carthage, held under Anastasius, that the Fathers used this against those Hereticks, and in the Fourth Canon they set this before them, * 1.2 That they might see if they would but open their eyes a little to the Divine Light, that they had as unjustly ••ut themselves off from the unity of the Church; as the Maximia∣nists according to what they said, had se∣parated themselves from their Commu∣nion,

Remarks.

IF Cardinal Richelieu had not ••een an abler States-man, than as it appears by this argument, he was a Divine, the Princes of Europe would not have such cause as they have at present, to dread the growth of the French Mo∣narchy, of which he laid the best and strongest foundations. It is a common Maxime, That no man can excel but in one thing; so since his strength lay in the Politicks, no wonder he had no great Ta∣lent for Divinity: But if this at first view seemed to him to have somewhat in it to amuse weak minds, especially when it surprized them with its novelty; yet it is a little unexpected to find it taken up by so great a Body, and set in the front of their Methods for making Pro∣selytes, after the weakness of it has been so evidently discovered.

1. Great difference is to be made be∣tween a speculation that lies in the mind, and is a mans particular opini∣on, and that which discovers it self in the most solemn acts of Worship; for the former, unless it is such as subverts the foundations of Religion, we can well bear with it: These are errours

in which the person that holds them is only concerned, whereas the other errors become more fruitful, they corrupt the Worship, they give scandal, and infect others. Therefore we will without scruple own, that whether a man be∣lieve Consubstantiation or Transubstan∣tiation, so long as that lies in his brain as a notion, we may conclude him a very ill Philosopher, and a worse Di∣vine, for holding it; but still we will receive him to our Communion, that being a solemn stipulation of the New Covenant made with God through Christ: And therefore since such a per∣son acts nothing contrary to that Co∣venant, we ought to admit him to it: But Idolatry being contrary to the Laws upon which that Covenant is grounded, we cannot receive an Ido∣later, though we do admit such as are in errours, that produce no other effect but mistaken apprehensions and judge∣ments. It is unreasonable to say that if the Presence is acknowledged, Ado∣ration ought to follow; for we will ex∣communicate none for a consequence, were it never so well deduced, so long as they hold not that consequence: And if Calvin argued as he did from that absurdity, it was not that he thought

they ought to adore, because they be∣lieved Consubstantiation; but rather to let them see how unreasonable it was to believe it, since they did not adore it; and yet it must be confessed the argument is not unanswerable: For it may be said, that as Princes when ••••ey are in any place Incognito, even though they are known, yet their being Incog∣nito shews that they will not have that respect paid them which is otherwise due to them: So that Christ being present in an invisible manner is not to be ado∣red. I shall not determine whether the Argument or the Answer is strong∣er, yet this must be confessed, that up∣on so dubious a consequence, it were a very unreasonable Cruelty to deny the holding Communion with those that believed such a presence, though we refuse to communicate with those that joyn Adoration to it.

2. There is a great difference to be made between the receiving men that hold erroneous Tenets, to our ••om∣munion that we believe is pure and undefiled, and the joyning our selves to a Communion in which we must profess those very errours which we condemn; and by solemn acts of Wor∣ship must testifie before God and the

World that we believe that which in¦wardly and in our Consciences we think false. The former is only a tolerating or conniving at the errours of others, without any sort of approbation of them; whereas the other is the ful∣lest and most publick contradiction to our Consciences that is possible.

3. As long as any Errours do not strike against the foundations of the Christian Religion, we own that we will bear with them, at least not oblige others, especially the Laity, in whom there is not that danger of spreading them to renounce them, before we ad∣mit them to the Sacraments: But the case of the Church of Rome is very dif∣ferent, among whom this opinion is but one of very many opinions, that we think reverse the whole nature and de∣sign of Christianity, of which some short hints were given in the Remarks upon the Letter of the Assembly Ge∣neral.

4. It is a very ill Inference to con∣clude, because that we think a man can be saved that believes the Corporal Presence, therefore we have done amiss to separate from their Communion. We may think men may be saved though they are in some errours, that in us

were damnable, after the illumination we have had; especially if we should profess that we believe them when we do not believe them, and therefore if we cannot continue in their Communi∣on without professing that we believe those Errours, they were to blame for imposing them on us, and not we for separating from them, when they had imposed them.

5. That which the African Fathers objected to the Donatists was very per∣tinently urged against them, who grounded their Separation only upon this, That there were some corrupt members in the Communion of the Church: And this was very justly cast back on them, upon their receiving the Maximianists, whom they had for∣merly condemned as Schismaticks, to their Communion. But it has no re∣lation to us who have not separated from their Church upon any such per∣sonal account: Therefore since the chief grounds of our Separation are the corru∣ptions in their Worship, and our being obliged to bear a share in those corrupti∣ons, it is clear that our receiving to our Communion those who have not cor∣rupted their Worship, and come to joyn with us, has no relation to that dispute b••∣tween

the African Fathers and the Do∣natists.

6. There is one thing in the Method which we freely confess to be true, That there is none of the controverted points that are harder to be believed than this of the Real Presence. It is no wonder it should be so, since it has the strongest Evidences both of Sense and Reason against it: But if it is so hard to be believed, it is very severe to prose∣cute those who cannot bring themselves to believe it, in so extreme a manner as that Church has done and still does. Upon the whole matter, this Method is so weak in all the parts of it, that its being set first, gives no great hopes of any thing extraordinary to follow.

The Second Method

IS to lay this before them, that accord∣ing to the light of Nature, and their own Confession, in the matters of our Sal∣vation, which is the one thing that is needful, we ought always to chuse the surer side: Now it is certain, that ac∣cording to that Decree of the Synod of Charenton, it is indifferent to them whether one believes the Real Presence, or whether they believe it not; and we hold it necessary to believe it, therefore it is the surer side to believe it: and if they could but disengage themselves a little from their prejudices, they would follow this way. The same may be said of all the other points in dispute. Me∣stresat the Minister, in his Treatise of the Church, says that things necessary to Salvation are only those that are so ex∣pressly set down in the Scriptures, that no doubt can be made of them. Such as are the Articles of the Apostles Creed. If there is any thing that is obscure (says he) then I assert it is not necessary, and therefore one may be a very good Christian without it, and may have both Faith, Hope and Charity.

It is evident that the points in dispute which they maintain against us are not so clearly expressed in the Scripture, that one cannot doubt concerning them: Since we maintain on good grounds, that they are not there: So that according to their own Doctrine, one can disbelieve them, without endangering his Salvation. But we say that it is necessary, under the pain of damnation, to believe the contrary opinion, and therefore if they will take the surest side, they ought to submit to us.

Remarks.

1. IT is something odd to see so great a Body use this Logick, That be∣cause we think an errour is not dam∣nable, and such as obliges us to excom∣municate all that hold it, therefore we think it indifferent to believe it or not. We judge it an errour, and while we think it so, it were a lie for us to say that we did believe it, and this, espe∣cially in such publick Acts of Wor∣ship of God, which are grossly Ido∣latrous, by their own Confession, while we hold this persuasion, is so far from being a thing indifferent, that we know nothing more damnable▪ For this were to lie every day to God

and the World, and to commit Idolatry in a manner more absurd, than the most barbarous Nations have been guilty of, which is to worship that as a God which we do believe is only a piece of Bread.

2. In this very Article it is plain that our Opinion is the surer side: For as to the Spiritual efficacy of the Sacrament and due preparation for it, which is all that we hold concerning it, by their own Confession there can be no sin in that: whereas if their opi∣nion is false, they are guilty of a most horrid Idolatry. So there is no danger in any thing we do, whereas there may be great danger on their side; all the danger that is possible to be on our side, is, that we do not adore Christ if he is present, which may be thought to be want of Re∣verence: But that cannot be reasonably urged, since we at the same time adore him, believing him to be in Heaven; and if this objection against us had any force, then the Primitive Church for twelve hundred years must have been in a state of damnation, for none of them adored the Consecrated Ele∣ments, nor has the Greek Church ever done it.

3. It is clear this general Maxime of taking the surer sid•• is against them.

There is no sin in not worshipping Images, whereas there may be a sin in doing it. They confess it is not ne∣cessary to invocate the Saints, and we believe it is sinful. They do not hold that it is necessary to say Masses for re∣deeming Souls out of Purgatory, and we believe that it is an impious profa∣nation of the Sacrament. They do not hold it is necessary to take away the Cup in the Sacrament, we think it Sacrile∣gious. They do not think those Con∣secrations, by which Divine Vertues are derived into such a variety of things to be necessary, we look on them as gross Superstitions. They do not think the Worship in an unknown tongue necessary, whereas we think it a dis∣grace to Religion. So in all these, and many more particulars, it is clear that we are of the surer side.

4. We own that Maxime, That nothing is necessary to Salvation but what is plainly set down in the Scri∣ptures; but this is not to be carried so far, as that it should be impossible by sophistry, or the equivocal use of words, to fasten some other sense to such passages in Scripture; for then nothing can be said to be plain in any Book whatsoever: But we under∣stand

this of the genuine meaning of the Scriptures, such as a plain well-disposed man will find out, if his mind is not strongly prepossessed or biassed with false and wrong mea∣sures.

5. The Confidence with which any party proposes their opinions, cannot be a true Standart to judge of them; otherwise the Receipts of Mountebanks will be always preferred to those pre∣scribed by good Physicians; and in∣deed the modesty of one side and the confidence of the other, ought rather to give us a biass for the one against the other, especially if it is visible that Interest is very prevalent in the confi∣dent party.

The Third Method

IS to confer amicably with them, and to shew them our Articles in the Scri∣ptures and Tradition, as the Fathers of tbe first Ages understood both the one and the other, without engaging in reasonings, or the drawing out of Consequences by Syllo∣gisms, as Cardinal Bellarmin, and Perron, and Gretser, and the other Writers of Con∣troversie have done; which ordinarily be∣get endless disputes. It was in this man∣ner that the General Councils did proceed, and thus did S. Austin prove Original sin against Julian: To this end (says he) * 1.3 O Julian, that I may overthrow thy Engines and Artifices by the opinions of those Bishops who have interpreted the Scri∣pture with so much glory. After which he cites the passages of the Scripture, as they were understood by S. Ambrose, S. Cyprian, S. Gregory Nazianzene, and others.

Remarks.

1. WE do not deny but amicable Conferences, in which mat∣ters are proposed without the wran∣glings of Dispute, are the likeliest ways to convince people: And when∣ever they shew us their doctrines di∣rectly in the Scripture and Tradition, we will be very unreasonable if we do not yield upon that Evidence. When they give us good authori∣ties from Scripture and Tradition for the Worship of Images and Saints, for adoring the Host, for dividing the Sacrament, for redeeming Souls out of Purgatory, for denying the people the free use of the Scriptures, for obliging them to worship God in a Tongue not understood by them, we will confess our selves very obstinate men if we re∣sist such Conviction.

2. The shewing barely some pas∣sages, without considering the whole scope of them, with the sense in which such words were used, in such ages, and by such Fathers will certainly misguide us, therefore all these must be also taken in for making this Enquiry ex∣actly. Allowances also must be made

for the heats of Eloquence in Ser∣mons or warm Discourses, since one passage strictly and philosophically ex∣pressed is stronger than a hundred, in which the heat of Zeal and the Figures of Rhetorick transport the Writer. And thus if the Fathers disputing against those who said that the Humane Nature of Christ was swallowed up by his Divine Nature, urge this to prove that the Humane Nature did still subsist, that in the Sacrament after the Consecration, in which there is an Union between the E∣lements and the Body and Blood of Christ, they do still retain their proper nature and substance; such expressions used on such a design le••d us more in∣fallibly to know what they thought in this matter, than any thing that they said with design only to beget Reve∣rence and Devotion can do.

3. The Ancient Councils were not so sollicitous as this Paper would insi∣nuate, to prove a Tradition from the Fathers of the first Ages. They took great care to prove the truth, which they decreed, by many arguments from Scripture; but for the Tradition, they thought it enough to shew that they did innovate in nothing, and that

some Fathers before them had taught what they decreed. We have not the acts of the two first General Councils, but we may very probably gather upon what grounds those at Nice proceeded, by what S. Athanasius wrote as an Apology for their Symbol,* 1.4 in particular for the word Consubstantial, which he proves by many consequences drawn from Scripture, but for the Tra∣dition of it he only cites four Fathers, and none of those were very ancient: They are Theognistus, Denis of Alexan∣dria, Denis of Rome, and Origen; and yet both that a 1.5 Father, b 1.6 Hilary, and c 1.7 S. Basil acknowledge that Denis of Alexandria wavered much in that mat∣ter; and it is well known what advan∣tages were taken from many of Origen's expressions. So here we have only two undisputed Fathers that conveyed this Tradition.* 1.8 We have the Acts of the third General Council yet preserved, and in them we find a Tradition in∣deed alledged, but except S. Cyprian and S. Peter of Alexandria, they cite none but those that had lived after the Coun∣cil of Nice; and Pope Leo's Letter to Flavian, to which the Council of Chal∣cedon assented, is an entire contexture of authorities drawn from Scripture,

without so much as any one citation of any Father. It is true, there is added to the end of that Letter a Collection of some sayings of six Fathers, Hilary, Ambrose, Nazianzene, Chrysostome, Au∣stin and Cyril, who had all except one, lived within sixty years or a little more, of that time. So it is certain they founded their Faith only on the Scri∣pture, and not on Tradition, otherwise they had taken more pains to have made it out, and had not been so easily satisfied with what a few late Writers had said: And thus it may be pre∣sumed, that all the end for which they cited them, was only to shew that they did not broach new and unheard of opinions. And S. Austin could no•• think that S. Cyprian's opinion al••ne was a sufficient proof of the Do¦ctrine of the first three Centuries for Original Sin, and yet he cite•• no other that lived in those Ages. No•• could S. Ambrose, and Nazianzene that had lived in his own time, be cited t•• prove the Tradition of former Ages And whereas it is insinuated that he cited others, one would expect to fin•• a Catalogue of many other Father•• wrapt up in this plural, whereas al•• resolves into Hilary alone. And we

have a more evident Indication of S. Austin's sense, as to the la••t resort in matters of Controversie, than this they offer in that celebrated saying of his, when he was writing against Maximinus the Arian Bishop. * 1.9 But nei∣ther may I make use of the Nicene Coun∣cil, nor you that of Arimini, as that which ought to pre-judge us in this mat∣ter; for neither am I held by the autho∣rity of the one, nor you by the authori∣ty of the other. Let the one side and cause, and their reasons, be brought a∣gainst the other from the authorities of the Scriptures, that do not belong to ei∣ther side, but are Witnesses common to both.

The Fourth Method

IS to tell them that their Ministers can never do this, nor shew in the Scriptures any of their Articles that are controverted, and this is very true. For example, they can never bring any formal Text to prove that Original Sin remains, as to the guilt of it after Baptism, that we receive the Body of Iesus Christ only by Faith; that after the Consecration, the Sacrament is still Bread; that there is no Purgatory, and that we do not merit any thing by our good works. And to this it may be added, that among all those pas∣sages that are on the Margent of their Confession, there is not one that says that which they cite it for, either in express or equivalent terms, or in the same sense. This is the Method of Mr. Veron, which he took from S. Austin, who says to the Manichaeans, Shew me that that is in the Scripture; and in another place, Let him shew me that that is to be found in the Holy Scripture. We must then boldly tell them, That they cannot prove any of their Articles that are in di∣spute, nor dispute against any of ours by any passages of Scripture, neither in ex∣press terms, nor by sufficient consequences, so

as to make their Doctrine be recei∣ved, as the Faith, and ours pass for Er∣rour.

Remarks.

THe first part of this Article pro∣ceeds upon Veron's Method of putting us to prove our Doctrines by express words of Scripture, but some more cautious person has added in the conclusion a Salvo for good conse∣quences drawn from them; upon which we yield that this is a very good Method, and are ready to joyn issue upon it. If they intend still to build upon that notion of express words, we desire it may be considered, that the true meaning of all passages is not to be taken only from the bare words, but from the contexture of the Dis∣course, and the design upon which they are made use of; and that Rule of Logick being infallibly true, That what things soever agree in any third thing, they do also agree among themselves, it is certain that a true consequence is as good a proof as a formal passage. Thus did our Saviour prove the Resur∣rection from the Scriptures by a very remote consequence, since God was

said to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and was the God of the Living and not of the Dead. So did the Apostles prove Christ's being the promised Messias, and the obligation to observe the Mosaical Ceremonies to have ceased upon his coming, by many consequences, but not by the ex∣press words of Scripture. All the argu∣ings of the Fathers against the Hereti••ks run on Consequences drawn from Scri∣pture, as may appear in all their Sy∣nodical Letters, more particularly in that formerly cited of Pope Leo to Fla∣vian, to which the Fourth General Council assented. This Plea does very ill become men that pretend such reve∣rence to Antiquity, since it was that upon which all the Ancient Hereticks set up their strength, as the most plau∣sible pretence by which they thought they could cover themselves. So the a 1.10 Arians at Arimini give this reason for rejecting the word Consubstantial, be∣cause it was not in the Scriptures. The b 1.11 Macedonians laid hold of the same pretence. c 1.12 Nestor••us gives this as his chief reason for denying the Virgin to be the Mother of God: And d 1.13 Eutyches covered himself also with this question, In what Scripture were the two Natures of

Christ to be found? And his followers did afterwards insist so much on this Plea, that Theodoret wrote two large Discourses on purpose to shew the weakness of this pretence. So that af∣ter all the noise they make about the Primitive Church, they follow the same tract in which the Hereticks that were condemned by the first four Ge∣neral Councils, went; and they put us to do the same thing that the He∣reticks then put on the Orthodox: But we make the same answer to it which the Fathers did, That the sense of the Scriptures is to be considered more than the words: So that what is according to the true sense, is as much proved by Scripture, as if it were con∣tained in it in so many express words. And yet this Plea had a much greater strength in it, as it was managed by those Hereticks; for those contests be∣ing concerning mysteries which ex∣ceed our apprehensions, it was not an unreasonable thing at first view to say, that in such things which we cannot perfectly comprehend, it is not safe to proceed by deductions or consequences, and therefore it seemed safer to hold strictly to Scripture Phrases, but in other points into which our understandings

can carry us further, it is much more absurd to exact of us express words of Scripture.

2. Most of the points about which we dispute with the Church of Rom••, are additions made by them to the sim∣plicity of the Christian Religion. So much as we own of the Christian Re∣ligion they own likewise. In the other particulars, our Doctrine with relation to them is made up of Negatives, and theirs is the affirmative; and since all Negatives, especially in matters of Re∣ligion prove themselves, it falls to their share to prove those Additions which they have made to our Faith, and to the Doctrine contained in the Scri∣ptures.

3. Though this is a sure Maxime, yet our Plea is stronger, for there are many things taught by them against the express words of Scripture; as their worshipping Images, their no•• drinking all of the Cup, their worship∣ping of Angels, their not worshipping God in a tongue which the unlearned understand, and to which they can say, Amen; their setting up more Mediato•••• between God and us than one: Where∣as S. Paul exhorting us to make Prayer•• to God, tells us there is one M••di••¦tor,

which shews that he spake there his single Intercession with God on our behalf.

4. We do not only build our Do∣ctrine upon some few passages of the Scripture, in which perhaps a Critical Writer might easily raise much dust, but upon that in which we cannot be so easily mistaken, which is the main scope of the whole New Testament, and the design of Christianity, which we believe is reversed in their Church by the Idolatry and Superstition that is in it.

5. As for the particulars which they call on us to prove, as they are very few, so scarce any of them is of the greatest consequence. The first is a speculative point, about which we would never have broke Communi∣on with them. For the second, that we receive Christ only by Faith, if the third is true, that the Sacra∣ment is still Bread, then that must be also true: Now S. Paul calls it so four several times, as also our Saviour calls the Cup the Fruit of the Vine. As for our denying Purgatory, it is a Ne∣gative, and they must prove it. Nor should we have broken Communion, for their opinion concerning it, if they

had not added to that, the redeeming Souls out of it with Masses, by which the Worship is corrupted, contrary to the institution of the Sacrament. And for the last, in the sense in which ma∣ny of them assert it, we do not raise any Controversie about it, for we know that God rewards our good works, or rather crowns his own Grace in us.

The fifth Method

IS the Peaceable Method, and without dispute founded on the Synod of Dort, which all the pretended Reformed Churches of France have received, and which has defined according to the Holy Scripture, that when there is a dispute concerning any Controverted Article between two par∣ties that are both within the true Church, it is necessary to refer it to the judgement of the Synod, and that he who refuses to submit himself, becomes guilty of Heresi•• and Schism. Now if we will run back to the time in which the dispute began con∣cerning any Article, for instance that of the Real Presence, both the parties in th•• debate, as well the Ancestors of those of the P. R. Religion as ours, were in th••

same Church, which was the true Church; for there was no other before the S••pa∣ration, which was not then made: Then their Ancestors, who would not submit to the Iudgement of the Church, and have separated from her on no other account but because she had condemned their senti∣ments were Schismaticks and Hereticks: And those who at this day succeed them are in the same manner guilty, since they follow their opinions: And to this they can make no other Answer, but that which the Hereticks that have been con∣demned in all Ages might have made. This Method is proved in all its parts in the little Treatise that has been made about it.

Remarks.

IT is not unwisely done to call this a Method that is to pass without dispute, for it will not bear one: And 1. There is this difference between the principles of Protestants and those of the Church of Rome, that whereas the latter are bound to justifie whatever has been decreed in a General Council as a rule either of Faith or Manners; the sor∣mer are not so tied, and much less are they bound by the decision of a National Council, though never so solemn. It is na∣tural for all Judicatories to raise their own authority as high as they can, and so if any Synod has made any such Decla∣ration, it lies on them to justifie it, but the rest of those who have separated from the corruptions of the Church of Rome are not concerned in it.

2. The principle of Protestants, with relation to the majority even in a Ge∣neral Council, is, That when any Doctrines are established or condemned upon the Authorities of the Scriptures, those who differ from them, and do think ••hat the Council misunderstood the Scri∣ptures are bound to suspect themselves a little, and to review the matter with

greater application, and not to adhere to their former opinions out of pride or obstinacy: They are also bound to consider well of their opinions, though they appear still to be true, yet if ••hey are of that importance that the publish∣ing them is necessary to Salvation; for unless it is so, the Peace of the Church is not to be rent by them: Yet if they are required to profess that they believe opinions which they think false, if t••ey were never so inconsiderable, no man ought to go against his Conscience: But if a man after his strictest enqui∣ries, is still persuaded that a Council has decreed against the true meaning of the Scriptures, in a point necessary to Salvation, then he must prefer God to Man, and follow the sounder, though it should prove to be the much lesser party: And if any Company or Synod of Protestants have decreed any thing contrary to this, in so far they have departed from the Protestant princi∣ples.

3. Difference is to be made also be∣tween Heresie and Schism in a Legal and a Vulgar sense, and what is truly such in the sight of God. The Sen∣tence of a Supream Court from which there lies no Appeal, makes one le∣gally

a Criminal: But if he is inno∣cent, he is not the less innocent be∣cause a hard Sentence is past against him. So Heresie and ••chism may take their denominations from the Sentence of a National or General Council: But in that which is the sense of those words that makes them Criminal, Heresie is nothing but an obstinate persisting in errours, contrary to Divine Revelation, after one has had a sufficient means of In••truction: and Schism is an ill grounded Separation from the Body of the Church: So it must be the Divine Revelation, and not the authority of a Synod that can prove one who holds contrary opinions to be an Heretick, and the grounds of the Separation must be likewise examined before one can be concluded a Schismatick.

4. Though the Conclusions and De∣finitions made by the Synod of Dort are perhaps generally received in France, yet that does not bind them up to sub∣scribe every thing that was asserted in that Synod: Nor do they found their assent to those opinions on the authori∣ty of that Synod, but upon the Evidence of those places of Scripture from which they deduced them.

5. Since those of that Communion object a National Synod to the Prote∣stants, this may be turned back on them with greater advantage, in some points established by Councils, which they esteem not only General but Infal∣lible. In the Third Council of the La∣teran it was decreed, That all Princes who favoured Hereticks did forfeit their Rights, and a Plenary Indulgence was granted to all that fought against them. In the Fourth Council at the same place it was decreed, That the Pope might not only declare this forfeiture, but absolve the Subjects from their Oaths of Obedience, and transfer their Dominions upon others. In the First Council at Lions they joyned with the Pope in thundring the Sentence of De∣position against the Emperour Frede∣rick the First, which in the preamble is grounded on some places of Scri∣pture, of which if they were the Infal∣lible Expositors, then this power is an Article of Faith. And in the last p••ace the Council of Constance decreed, That the Faith of a Safe-Conduct was not to be kept to an Heretick, that had come to the place of Judgement relying on it, even though he would not have come without it. When Cruelt••, Re∣bellion

and Treachery were thus de∣creed in Courts, which among them are of so sacred an authority; It is vi∣sible how much gre••ter advantages we have of them in this point than any they can pretend against us.

6. For the Synod of Dort I will not undertake the Apology neither for their Decrees nor for their Assertions▪ and will not stick to say that how true soever many of their Conclusions may be, yet the defining such mysterious matters as the order of the Divine Decrees, and the Influences of Gods Grace on the wills of men, in so positive a manner, and the imposing their Assertions on all the Ministers of their Communion, was that which many as sincere Pro∣testants as any are, have ever disliked and condemned, as a weakening the Union of the Protestant Church, and an assuming too much of that authority which we condemn in the Church of Rome. For though they supposed that they made their definitions upon the grounds of Scripture▪ so that in this sense the authority of the Synod was meerly Declarative; yet the question will still recur, Whether they under∣stood the passages which they built on, right or not? And if they understood

them wrong, then according to Pro∣testant principles, their Decrees had no such binding authority, that the receding from them could make one guilty either of Heresie or Schism.

The Sixth Method

IS to shew them that the Roman Church, or that Church which acknowledges the Pope or the Bishop of Rome, the Suc∣cessor of S. Peter, to be her Head all the World over, is the true Church: Be∣cause there is no other besides her that has that undoubted mark, which is a perpet••al Visibility without Interruption, since Christ's time to this day. This is a Method com∣mon to all the Catholicks, and is very well and briefly set forth in the little Trea∣tise of the true Church, joyned to that of the Peaceable Method. This is that of which S. Austin makes most frequent use against the Donatists, and chiefly in his Book of the Vnity of the Church; and in his Epistles, of which the most remarkable passages relating to this mat∣ter, are gathered together by the late Arch-bishop of Rouen, in the first Book of his Apology for the Gospel, in which he handles this matter excellently well.

One may add to this Method the Ma∣xims, of which Tertullian makes use in his Treatise of Prescriptions against the Hereticks, and also Vincentius Lyri∣nensis in his Advices. It is enough to say on this occasion that those two Trea∣tises may satisfie any that will read them without prepossession, in order to their forming a just Iudgement of the true Church of Iesus Christ, and of all those Societies that would usurp that name▪

Remarks.

THis Method is so common that there was no reason in any sort to give Mr. Maimbourg the honour of it, unless it was that the Assembly in∣tended to do him this publick honour to ballance his disgrace at Rome: But let us examine it.

1. This asserts that no other Church has a perpetual Succession without in∣terruption, but that which derives it from Rome, which is so contrary to what every one knows, that Mr. Maim∣bourg was certainly inspired with the Spirit of his Order when he writ it. Do not all the Greek Churches, and all the Churches that have their Ordina∣tion from them, all from the Northern

Empire of Muscovy to the Southern of the Abassines, together with all those in the East, derive from the Apostles by an uninterrupted series? For till the Authority of the Church of Rome is proved, which is the thing in questi∣on, their being declared Schismaticks or Hereticks by it, does not interrupt this Succession.

2. The Church of England has the same Succession that the Church of Rome had in Gregory the Great's time (to wave the more ancient preten∣sions of the Brittish Churches) and the Bishops of this Church being bound by one of their Sponsions made at their Consecration, according to the Roman Pontifical, to instruct their flock in the true Faith according to the Scriptures, they were obliged to make good this promise. Nor can it be pretended that they have thereupon forfeited their Or∣ders, and by consequence their Succes∣sion.

3. The Succession of the Church of Rome cannot be said to be uninter∣rupted, if either Heresie or Schism can cut it off. It is well known that Fe∣lix, Liberius, and Honorius, to name no more, were Hereticks; and if Ordi∣nations by Schismaticks or unlawful

Usurpers be to be annulled, which was judged in the case of Photius, and was often practised at Rome, then the ma∣ny Schisms and unjust usurpations that have been in that See▪ will make the Succession of their Orders the most dis∣putable thing that can be, especially during that Schism that lasted almost forty years; all the Churches of that Communion having derived their Or∣ders from one or other of the Popes: and if the Popes at Avignon were the Usurpers, then let the Gallican Churches see how they can justifie the series of their Ordinations: To all which may be added the impossibility of proving a true Succession in Orders, if the Ver∣tue of the Sacraments depends on the Intention of him who officiates, since secret Intentions are only known to God.

4. The ground on which the Donatists separated from the Orthodox Churches being at first founded on a matter of Fact, which was of the pretended Irregu∣larity of those who ordained Cecilian, which they afterwards defended upon this, that the Church could be only composed of good men, and that the Sacraments were of no Vertue when dispensed by ill hands; all that S. Au∣stin

says is to be governed by this Hy∣pothesis, against which he argues: And it being once granted that the Church was not corrupted neither in Doctrine nor Worship, we are very ready to subscribe to every expression of his; and do freely acknowledge that the making a rent in a Church, that is pure both in Doctrine and Worship, upon any particular or personal ac∣count, is a sin that cannot be suffici∣ently detested and condemned. I shall not enter into a particular discussion of every passage of S. Austin's, but if in some he seems to go too far for the au∣thority of the Church, I shall only offer two general considerations concerning these. The first is, That it is a Maxime with Lawyers, That general words in Laws are to be restricted to the pre∣ambles and chief design of these Laws: And if this is true of Laws that are commonly penned with more coldness and upon greater deliberation, it is much more applicable to warm dis∣courses, where the heat of Contradi∣ction, and the Zeal of a Writer, makes that things are of••en aggravated, and carried too far; but still all those ex∣pressions are to ••e molli••ied and re∣stricted to that which was the subject

matter of the debate; therefore those expressions of S. Austin's, supposing that the Church was still sound in her Doctrine and Worship, are to be go∣verned by that Hypothesis. The se∣cond is, That many of those who urge these passages on us, do not deny but S. A••stin in the disputes about Grace and Original Sin was carried too far, though those were the subjects on which he employed his latest years with the greatest application: If then it is con∣fessed that he wrote too warmly against the Pelagians, and in that heat advanced some propositions that need a fair con∣struction, is it unreasonable for us to say that he might have done the same, writing against the Donatists?

5. As for Tertullian, he that might have conversed with many that could have known S. Pol••carp, who was both instructed and ordained by the Apo∣stles, so that he might have been the third person in the conveyance of the sense of what the Apostles had left in Writing, could reasonably argue as he did against the Hereticks; but certain∣ly no man that considers the distance we live at from those ages, and the ma∣ny accidents that have so often changed the face of the Church, can think it

reasonable to argue upon that ground now. And yet it were easie to bring many citatious out of that very Book of Tertullians, to shew that he ground∣ed his Faith only on the Doctrine of Christ, delivered in the Scriptures, how much soever he might argue from other Topicks against the Hereticks of his time, who indeed were bringing in a New Gospel into the World.

We willingly receive the Characters that Vincentius Lyrinensis gives of Tra∣dition, that what the Church has at all times and in all places received, is to be believed, and are ready to joyn issue upon this, and when they can prove that the Church at all times and in all places has taught the Worshipping of Images, the Invocation of Saints and Angels, the adoring the Sacrament, and the dividing of it, with many more particulars; we will yield the whole cause, and confess that we have made a Schism in the Church.

The Seventh Method

IS to let them see that those who at first pretended to Reform the Church in which they were amongst us, neither had nor could have any Mission, either Or∣dinary or Extraordinary, to bring us any other Doctrine but that which was then taught; and that by Consequence none ought to believe them, since they had no authority to Preach as they did. How can they Preach if they are not sent. This is the ordinary Method that puts the Ministers to the necessity of proving their Mission, which is a thing that they can never do. This cuts off all disputes, and is one of the Methods of Cardinal Richelieu.

Remarks.

1. IF the first Reformers had deliver∣ed a new Doctrine which was never formerly taught, it had been ne∣cessary for them to have had a very extraordinary Mission, and to have confirmed it by very extraordinary signs, but when they grounded all ••hey said upon that very Book, which was and is still received as the unalterable Law of all Christians; then if every man is bound to take care of his own Salvation, and is in Charity obliged to let others see that same light that guides himself, then I say an extraordinary Mission was not necessary when the thing in dispute was not a new Do∣ctrine, but the true meaning of those Writings which were on all hands ac∣knowledged to be Divine.

2. If notwithstanding the necessity of not raising War in Civil Government, without an express Commission from the Prince or Supream Authority, yet in a General Rebellion, when the ways of intercourse with the Prince are cut off, if it be not only a lawful but a commendable action for any sub∣ject, even without a Commission, to

raise what force he can for the service of the Prince: Then if it be true, that the Western Churches had generally revolted from the rules of the Gospel, that was a sufficient warrant for any person to endeavour a Reformation.

3. The nature of the Christian Re∣ligion is to be well considered, in which all Christians are a Royal Priest∣hood: And though it be highly neces∣sary for all the ends of Religion to maintain peace and Order, and to convey down an authority for sacred administrations in such a way as tends most to advance those ends; yet this cannot be lookt on as indispensable and absolutely necessary. Among the Iews, as there were many services in which none but Priests and Levites could offi∣ciate, so the Succession went in the natural course of Descent. But in the Christian Church there are no positive Laws so appropriated, and therefore in cases of extream and unavoidable ne∣cessity every Christian may make use of that dormant priviledge of being a Royal Priest, and so this difficulty must be resolved, by examining the merits of the whole cause, for if the necessity was not extream and una∣voidable, we acknowledge it had been

a Sacrilegious presumption for any that was not called in the ordinary manner to meddle in Holy things

4. It is but a small part of the Re∣formed Churches that is concerned in this. Here in England our Reformers had the ordinary Mission; and in most places beyond Sea the first Preachers had been ordained Priests: And it will not be easie to prove that Lay-men, yea, and Women may baptize in cases of necessity, when that is often but an imaginary necessity, and that yet Priests in a case of real necessity may not or∣dain other Priests. For all the Rules of Order are superseded by extraordi∣nary cases, and in Moral as well as in Natural things, every Individual has a Right to propagate its kind, and though it may be reasonable to regu∣late that, yet it can never be wholly cut off.

The Eighth Method

IS to tell them, You do not know that such or such a Book of the Scripture is the Word of God but by the Church in which you were before your Schism: So that you cannot know what is the true sense of those passages that are in dis∣pute, but by that same Church which conveys it to you. This is S. Austin's method in many places, but above all in his Book De utilitate Credendi, and in his Book Contra Epistolam funda∣menti: * 1.14 In which he says, I would not believe the Gospel, if the authority of the Church did not oblige me to it. This Method is handsomely managed in the Treatise of the true Word of God, joyned to the Peaceable Method.

Remarks.

1. GReat difference is to be made be∣tween the conveyance of Books and an Oral Tradition of Doctrine. It is very easie to carry down the one in a way that is Morally Infallible: An exact copying being all that is necessary for that: Whereas it is morally impos∣sible to prevent frauds and impostures in the other, in a course of some Ages, especially in times of Ignorance and Corruption, in which the Credu∣lity of unthinking people, has made an easie game to the Craft and Indu∣stry of covetous and aspiring Priests. Few were then at the pains to examine any thing, but took all upon Trust, and became so ready of belief, that the more incredible a thing seemed to be, they swallowed it down the more wil∣lingly.

2. If this way of reasoning will hold good, it was as strong in the mouths of the Iews in our Saviours time; for the High Priest and Sanhedrim might have as reasonably pretended that since they had conveyed down the Books in which the Prophecies of the Messiah

were contained, they h••d likewise the right to expound those Prophecies.

3. A Witness that hands a thing down without Additions, is very diffe∣rent from a Judge that delivers things on his own Authority. We freely own the Church to be such a Witness that there is no colour of reason to disbelieve the Tradition of the Books, but we see great cause to question the credit of her decisions.

4. In this Tradition of Books we have not barely the Tradition of the Church for it. We find in all ages since the Books of the New Testament were written, several Authors have cited many and large passages out of them: We find they were very quick∣ly translated into many other Lan∣guages, and diverse of those are con∣veyed down to us. There were also so many Copies of these Books every where, that though one had resolved on so Sacrilegious an attempt as the corrupting them had been, he could not have succeeded in it to any great degree. Some additions might have been made in some Copies, and so from those they might have been derived to others, but these could not have b••en considerable, otherwise they

had been discovered and complained of, and when we find the Church engaged in contests with Hereticks and Schis∣maticks, we see both sides appealed to the Scriptures, and neither of them re∣proached the other for violating that Sacred Trust. And the noise we find of the small change of a Letter in the A••ian Controversie, shews us how exact they were in preserving these Records: As for the Errours of Transcribers that is incident to the Nature of Man, and though some Errours have crept into some Copies, yet all these put toge∣ther do not alter any one point of our Religion; so that they are not of great consequence. Thus it appears how much reason we have to receive the Scriptures upon the credit of such a Tradition. But for Oral Tradition, it is visible how it might have been so managed as quickly to change the whole Nature of Religion. Natural Religion was soon corrupted when it passed down in this Conveyance, even during the long lives of the Ancient Patriarchs, who had thereby an ad∣vantage to keep this pure, that af∣ter ages, in which the life of Man is so shortned, cannot pretend to. We

also see to what a degree the Iewish Tradition became corrupted in our Saviours time, particularly in one point, which may be called the most essential part of their Religion, to wit, concerning their Messias, what the nature of his Person and King∣dome were to be. So that they all expected a Great Conquerour, a se∣cond Moses, or a David; so ineffe∣ctual a mean is Oral Tradition, for conveying down any Doctrine pure or uncorrupted.

The Ninth Method

IS to tell them the Church in which they were before they made the Se∣paration, was the true Church, because it was the only Church; so that they could not Reform the Doctrine without ma∣king another Church: For then she must have fallen into Errour, and by conse∣quence the Gates of Hell must have prevailed against her, which is directly contrary to the Promise of Iesus Christ that cannot fail, * 1.15 The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her

Remarks.

1. A Church may be a True Church, and yet be corrupted by many Errours, for a ••rue Church is a Society of men, among whom are the certain means of Salvation, and such was the Iewish Church in our Saviours time: For their Sacrifices had still an Expia∣tory Vertue, and the Covenant made with that people stood still, and yet they were over-run with many Errours, chiefly in their notions of the Messias. And thus as long as the Church of Rome acknowledges the Expiation, made by the Death of Christ, and applied to all that truly believe and amend their lives, so long she is a True Church. So that those of that Communion who adhere truly to that which is the great fundamental of the Christian Religi∣on may be saved: But when so many things were added to this, that it was very hard to preserve this fundamental truth pure and entire, then it was ne∣cessary for those who were better en∣lightned, to call on others to correct the abuses that had crept in.

2. It is hard to build a great super-structure on a figurative expression,

of which it is not easie to find out the true and full sense: And in this that is cited there are but three terms, and about every one of them great and just grounds of doubting do appear. 1. It is not certain what is meant by the Gates of Hell, which is an odd figure for an assailant: If by Gates we mean Councils, because the Magi∣strates and Courts among the Iews sate in the Gates, then the meaning will be, that the Craft of Hell shall not pre∣vail against the Church, that is, shall not root out Christianity: or if by Gates of Hell, or the Grave, according to a common Greek Phrase, Death be to be understood, it being the Gate through which we pass to the Grave, then the meaning is this, that the Church shall never die or be ex∣tinguished. Nor is there less difficulty to be made about the signification of the word Church: Whether it is to be meant in general of the body of Christians, or of the Pastors of the Church, and of the ma∣jority of them. The Context seems to carry it for the Body of Christians, and then the meaning will be only this, That there shall still be a Body of Chri∣stians in the World. And it cannot be proved that any thing else is to be

understood by the word Church in that place. A third difficulty may be also raised upon the extent of the word Pre∣vail, whether a total overthrow, or any single advantage is to be under∣stood by it; or whether this prevailing is to be restrained only to the funda∣mentals of Christianity, or is to be ex∣tended to all sorts of truth; or whe∣ther it is to be understood of corrupting the Doctrine, or of vitiating the Mo∣rals of Christians? Thus it is apparent how many difficulties may be started concerning the meaning of those words. So that at best the sense of them is doubtful, and therefore it will be a strange and rash adventure to deter∣mine any thing in matters of great mo∣ment upon the authority of such a figu∣rative expression.

3. Though the Roman Church had been corrupted, that will not infer that the Gates of Hell had prevailed against the Church, for that being but the Cen∣ter of the Union of some of the Western Nations, a corruption in it does not prove that the whole Church was cor∣rupted, for there were many other Churches in other parts of the World besides those of that Communion.

The Tenth Method

IS that of the Bishop of Meaux, lately of Condom, in his Book entituled, The exposition of the Doctrine of the Catholick Church. In which he does in every Article distinguish between that which is precisely of Faith, and that which is not so; and shews that there is nothing in our belief that may give distast to a reasona∣ble Spirit, unless they will look on the abuses of some particular persons which we condemn, as our belief, or impute Er∣rours to us falsely, or charge us with the explications of some Doctors that are nei∣ther received nor authorized by the Church. This method is taken from S. Hilary in his Book of Synods. * 1.16 Let us (says he) alto∣gether condemn false Interpretations, but let us not destroy the certainty of the Faith. —The Word Consubstantial may be ill understood, but let it be esta∣blished in a sense in which it may be well understood. —The right state of the Faith may be established among us, so as we may neither reverse that which has been well establishedpunc; nor cut off those things that have been ill understood.

Remarks.

SOmewhat was said in the Preface, with relation to this, which shall not be here repeated. It is not to be denied but in the management of Con∣troversies the heat of Dispute has car∣ried many too far, and some have stu∣died to raise many Imaginary Contro∣versies, which subsist only upon some misunderstood terms and expressions of the contrary party: And things have been on all hands aggravated in many particulars out of measure: So that they have deserved well of the Church that have brought matters as near a Reconciliation as may be. But after all this, it were a strange imposi∣tion on this and the preceding age to persuade the World that notwithstand∣ing all the differences of Religion, and the unhappy effects that have followed upon them, that they really were all the while of the same mind, but were not so happy as to find it out till that excel∣lent Prelate helpt them to it, by letting them see how near the concessions of both sides are to one another; so that a little conversation and dexterity i•• putting the softest construction that

may be on the contrary persuasion might bring them to be of the same mind. But if in order to this, the sense of both sides is so far stretched, that neither party can own it for a true account of their sentiments, then this must be concluded to be only the Ingenious Essay of a very witty man, who would take advantage of some expressions, to perswade people that they have opinions which really they have not. I shall not enter into a particular disquisition of those things which have been already so fully exa∣mined, but refer the Reader to the An∣swers that have been given to that fa∣mous Book.

2. The received and authorized Of∣fices of the Church of Rome, and the Language in which they do daily make their Addresses to Heaven is that on whi••h the most unanswerable and the strongest part of our Plea for our Separation is founded, and it is not an ingenuous way of writing to affix some forced senses to those plain expressions, because they being so gross as they are, all wise or learned men are ashamed to defend them, and yet know not how to get them to be reformed, or thrown out: Therefore it is that they set

their Wits on work to put some better construction on them. But this is a clear violence to the plain sense of those Offices, extorted by the evidence and force of Truth, and gives us this advantage, that it is plain those that so qualifie them, are convinced that their Church is in the wrong, and yet for other ends, or perhaps from a mista∣ken notion of Unity and Peace, they think fit to continue in it.

3. It is to be hoped, that those who have cited this passage out of S. Hilary, will consider those other passages cited out of him against Persecution, though a great Errour made in the Translation of this citation, makes me fear that they who rendred it had read him very cursorily.

The Eleventh Method

IS drawn from those General Arguments which Divines call the Motives of Credibility: It is that made use of by Ter∣tullian, in his Book of Prescriptions; and by S. Austin, * 1.17 who reckons up the Mo∣tives that held him in the Catholick Church.

Remarks.

1. AS for the Case of Tertullian and S. Austin, a great deal was said formerly to shew the difference between the Age they lived in, and the grounds they went on; and the present state of the Western Church.

2. When it is considered that a course of many Ages, which by the Confessi∣on of all were times of Ignorance and Superstition, has made a great change in the World, that the gross Scandals and wonderful Ignorance of those that have governed the See of Rome, that the Dissolution of all the Rules of Ec∣clesiastical Order and Discipline both among Clergy and Laity, that the In∣terest the Priests, particularly the Popes and the begging Orders that depended

on them, had to promote those, was so great and undisput••d, that it is notori∣ous, all the worst methods of forgeries, both of Writings to authorize them, and of Miracles and Legends to sup∣port them, were made use of. When, I say, all these things are so plain to every one that has lookt a little into the History of former ages, it is no won∣der if the Church of Rome is so much changed from what it was formerly, That the motives made use of by Ter∣tullian and S. Austin do not at all belong to the present state of the Churches of that Communion: But on the contrary, instead of motives to perswade one to continue in it, there appear upon a ge∣neral view, a great many just and well-grounded prejudices to dispose a man to forsake that Communion.

The Twelfth Method

IS both very short and very easie: It is to catch them in this Dilemma. Be∣fore Wickliff, Luther and Calvin (and one may say as much of the Waldenses that lived in the Twel••••h Century) the Church of those of the P R. Religion was either made up of a little number of the Faithful, or was not at all in being. If it was not at all in being, then theirs is a False Church, since it is not perpetual, as the True Church ought to be, according to the promise of Iesus Christ, * 1.18 The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her, and † 1.19 I am with you even to the end of the World. If their Church was in being, it must have been according to their own principles Corrupted and Impi∣ous: Because they cannot shew that little number of the pretended Faithful, who be∣fore the Reformation did condemn, as they now do, * 1.20 all the Assemblies of the Popish Churches, as over-run with Idolatry and Superstition. They behaved themselves, at least as to outward appearance, as others did. And thus their Church which was composed of that small unknown flock, was not Holy, and by consequence was not the True Church.

Remarks.

1. TO the greatest part of this, an∣swer has been already given: We acknowledge the Church of Rome was a True Church, and had in it the means of Salvation though it was over-run with Errours, and Christ is truly with his Church as long as those means of Salvation do remain in it. So was the Iewish Church a True Church after she was in many points corrupted in her Doctrine.

2. In those dark Ages many might have kept themselves free from the de∣filements of their Worship, though no account is given of them in story. So seven thousand had not bowed their knees to Baal in Elijah's time, who were not so much as known to that Prophet, though it might have been expected that they would all have willingly discovered themselves to him: And since he knew nothing of them, it is very probable they concealed themselves with great care from all others.

3. All good men have not all the de∣grees of Illumination, for there might have been great numbers that saw the

corruptions of their Church, but were so restrained by other opinions concerning the Unity of the Church, that they thought it enough to infuse their notions into some few Disciples, in whom they confided: and on some perhaps that which Elisha said to Naaman the Syrian, being wrong understood by them, had great in∣fluence. Others observing that the Apo∣stles continued to worship at the Tem∣ple, and offer Sacrifices, which S. Paul and those with him that purified them∣selves must have done, might have from that inferred that one might com∣ply in a Worship, though they disliked many things in it; which, if I am not much misinformed, is a Maxime that governs many in the Roman Commu∣nion to this day. I do not excuse this compliance, but it is not so criminal as at first view it may appear to be: If it is truly founded on a mistake of the mind, and not on a baseness in the will, or a rejecting of the Cross of Christ, especially in men that had so faint a twilight as that was which they were guided by in those blind times.

4. But to make the worst of this that can be, and should we grant that through fear they had complied against their

Consciences, this only must make the conclusion terrible to them, if they did not repent of it. But God might have ordered the conveyance of truth to be handed down by such defiled hands, and their not being personally holy, must not be urged too far, to prove that they could not be the true Church. This will come too near the Doctrines of the Do∣natists, and many of S. Austin's sayings which they unreasonably object to us, may be turned upon them. And it will very ill become a Church that ac∣knowledges the Succession of the Bishop of Rome to have been the chief convey∣ance of Tradition, which is a much greater matter in their principles than it is in ours, to urge the Holiness of the Members to be essential to the be∣ing of a Church, when it is acknow∣ledged what a sort of men the Heads of their Church have been for diverse Ages.

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. * 1.21 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. * 1.22 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.* 1.23 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:* 1.24 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. * 1.25 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.

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 * 1.26 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. † 1.27 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? * 1.28 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, * 1.29 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, † 1.30 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.

* 1.31 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 〉.

* 1.32 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.

The Fifteenth Method.

TO all the former Methods a Fif∣teenth may be added, by letting our P. Reformed see that many Articles are to be found in their Confession of Faith, in their Catechisms, in the Articles of their Discipline, in the Decisions of their Synods, and in the Books of their Chief Ministers who have writ upon the Contro∣versies; from which, Arguments may be drawn against them to prove the truth of our belief, even by their own Confes∣sion: For Example, Their Discipline al∣lows the Communion in one kind only, to such as cannot drink Wine: From which one may infer that the Communion under both kinds is not an Article of necessity, and that they are in the wrong, to alledge that as they do, to be a lawful ground for their Separation.

The Minister Dailée, and many others confess, that in the time of S. Gregory Nazianzene, S. Chrysostome and S. Je∣rome, the Invocation of Saints was re∣ceived in the Church: John Forbes adds to this, That the Tradition of the Church was uniform concerning Prayer for the Dead: And since he denies that the Books of the Maccabees are Canonical, he says

the Scripture speaks nothing of it. But without engaging into the difficulty con∣cerning the Books of the Maccabees, in which they have no more reason on their side, than in the rest; It is easie to con∣clude from their own principles, that it was no ways to be allowed to separate them∣selves for matters, that according to them∣selves, were established by so great an au∣thority, and so constant an union of all Ages.

Remarks.

1. IT is not an equal way of proceed∣ing, to object to the Protestants what some particular Writers have said, or to strain Inferences too far, at a time when the Celebrated Book of the Bishop of Meaux is in such high esteem. The chief design o•• which is to set aside all the Indiscre∣tions of particular Writers, and to put the best colours on things that is possi∣ble. Now Tradition being of such au∣thority among them, whatsoever passes down through many of their approved Writers, has a much greater strength against them, than it can be pretended to have against us: And therefore though particular Writers or whole Synods

should have written or decreed any thing against the common Doctrines of the Reformed, they ought not to object that to us: If they will allow us the same Liberties that they assume to them∣selves.

2. It is not a consequence becoming so great an Assembly to infer, that be∣cause in some few extraordinary cases the general rule of Gods desiring Mer∣cy and not Sacrifice is carried so far, as to give weak persons so much of the Sacrament as they can receive, and not to deny that to them because a natural aversion m••kes them incapable of re∣ceiving the Wine: That therefore a Church may, in opposition to Christs express command, Drink you all of it, and the constant practice of Thir∣teen Centuries take this away. It is not of necessity for Salvation that eve∣ry one drinks the Cup, but it is of ne∣cessity to the purity of a Church that she should observe our Saviour's Pre∣cepts.

3. It is confessed that some Fathers used the Invocation of Saints; yet that being but a matter of fact, it is of no consequence for the Decision of any point of Doctrine: For we found our Doctrine only on the Word of God,

and ••ot on the practices of Men, how eminent soever they might otherwise be. But in relation to these Fathers, these things are to be observed, 1. They lived in the end of the Fourth Century: So this is no competent proof for an Oral Traditi∣on, or conveyance of this Doctrine down from the Apostles days. 2. Figures and bold Discourses in Panegyricks are ra∣ther to be considered as raptures and flights of warm affections, than as composed and serious devotions. There∣fore such Addresses as occur in their Funeral Orations, are rather high strains of a daring Rhetorick, than In∣structions for others, since in their ex∣positions on Scripture, or other Trea∣tises of Devotion, they do not handle these things by way of Direction or Advice.

Iohn Forbes is mis-cited for William Forbes, Bishop of Edenburgh: Iohn was not of such yielding Principles. It is true, William though he was a man Eminently Learned, and of a most Exemplary Life, yet he was possessed with that same weakness, under which Grotius, and some other great men have laboured, of thinking that a Re∣conciliation with the Church of Rome might be obtained by an accommoda∣tion

on both sides; and this flowing in him from an excellent temper of Soul, he is to be excused if that carried him in many things too far: But he is a Writer that has been taxed by all men, as one that had particular Notions. And we may object Erasmus to those of the Church of Rome, as well as they may argue against us from Bishop Forbes.

5. If the Church of Rome used on∣ly a General Commemoration of the Dead, with wishes for the compleat∣ing their happiness by a speedy resur∣rection, and went no further, we might perhaps differ in opinion with them a∣bout the fitness of this, but we would not break Communion with them for it. But when they have set up such a Mer∣chandize in the House of God, for Re∣deeming Souls out of Purgatory, and say∣ing Masses for them; this is that we ex∣cept to, as a disgracing of the Christian Religion, and as a high profanation of the Holy Sacrament. And it is plain that the Fathers considered the Com∣memoration of the Dead rather as a respect done to their Memory, and an ho∣nourable remembrance of them, than as a thing that was any way useful to them in the other state; which may appear by

this single Instance:* 1.33 S. Cyprian was so much offended at a Presbyter, when it appeared after his death that he had left another Presbyter Guardian of his Children; that he gave order that no mention should be made of him in the Commemoration of the Dead that was used in the Holy Eucharist; because, by the Roman Law, such as were left Guardians were under some obligations to undertake the trust: And that Saint thought such a trust might prove so great a distraction to a man that was dedicated to the Holy Ministry, that no Honour ought to be done to the Memory of him that had so left it by his Will. Certainly if that Comme∣moration was believed to be of any advantage to the Dead, this had been an unreasonable piece of Cruelty in him to deny a Presbyter that com∣fort for so small a fault: And there∣fore we may well infer from hence, that by this Remembrance, and the Thanksgivings they offered to God for such as had died in the Faith, they intended only so far to celebrate their Memories as to encourage others to imitate those Patterns they had set them.

6. I shall not engage in any Dis∣pute concerning the Canonicalness of the Books of the Maccabees, only as this general prejudice lies against all the Books called Apocryphal, that the Council at Laodicea, which was the first that reckoned up the C••non of the Scripture, does not name them: So as to the Book of the Maccabees, it is hard to imagine that one who professes that he was but an A∣bridger of Iason's Five Books, and gives us a large account of the dif∣ference between a Copious History and an Abridgement, could be an In∣spired Writer.

The Sixteenth Method.

TO Conclude, one may solidly confute our Innovators by the Contradicti∣on that is in their Articles of Faith, shewing ••hem the Changes that they have made in the Ausburg Confession, as also in all the different Expositions of their Faith which they have received and authorized since that time; which shews that their Faith being uncertain * 1.34 and wavering, cannot have the Character of Divine Re∣velation, which is certain and constant. There is nothing but the Faith that ad∣mits of no Reformation.

Tertullian made use of this Argument in many of his Books, and Hilary handles it excellently well against the Emperour Constantius, upon the occasion of the new Symbols, which the Arians published eve∣ry day, changing their Faith continually, while the Catholick Church continued firm to that of Nice.

One may likewise use another Method, which is to make it appear that there is a Conformity between the Roman and Greek Churches, in the chief Articles of Faith, that are in dispute between us and the P. Reformed, and that in these the Roman Church does likewise agree with those So∣ci••ties

which separated themselves from the Church, for Errours which the P. Re∣formed condemn with her, such as the Ne∣storians and Eutychians.

To these Methods it will be necessary to add particular Conferences, solid Writings, Sermons and Missions, and to use all these means with a Spirit of Charity, without bit∣terness, and above all, without injuries. Re∣membring that excellent saying of S. Au∣stin's, * 1.35 I do not endeavour to reproach those against whom I dispute, that I may seem to have the better of them, but that I may become sounder by convin∣cing them of their Errour. And following the Canon of the Council of Africk, that ap∣pointed that though the Donatists were cut off from the Church of God by their Schism, yet they should be gently dealt with, that so correcting them with meekness, as the Apostle says, God may give them the grace of Repentance to know the truth, and to retire themselves out of the snare of the Devil in which they are taken Captives.

Remarks.

1. IF we did pretend that the first Re∣formers, or those who drew the Ausburg confession were inspired of God, in compiling what they writ there were some force in this Discourse: But since we build upon this principle, that the Scripture is the only ground on which we found our Faith, then if any per∣son, how much soever we may honour his memory on all other accounts, has misunderstood that, we do not depart from our principle when we forsake him, and follow that which appears to be plainly delivered in the Scri∣ptures.

2. We freely acknowledge that the Faith admits of no Reformation, and that we can make neither more nor less of it than we find in the Scri∣ptures; but if any Church has brought in many Errours, we do not think it a Reforming the Faith, to throw these out. The Faith is still the same that it was when the Apostles first delivered it to the Church; nor was it the Faith, but the Church that was pretended to be Reformed: And if after a long night of Darkness and Corruption, those

that began to see better, did not at first discover every thing, or if some of the prejudices of their Education, and their former opinions did still hang about them; so that others who came after them saw further and more clear∣ly: This only proves that they were subject to the Infirmities of the Hu∣mane Nature, and that they were not immediately inspired of God, which was never pretended.

3. Great difference is to be made between Articles of Faith and Theo∣logical Truths. The former consists of those things that are the Ingredients of our B••ptismal Vows, and are indeed parts of the New Covenant, which may be reduced to the Creed and the Ten Commandments. The other are opinions relating to these, which though they are founded on Scripture, yet have not that Influence either on our Hearts or Lives, that they make us either much better or much worse. Among these we reckon the Explanation of the Presence of Christ in the Sacrament, and the Influence of the Divine Grace upon our Wills. If some of the Con∣fessions of Faith among the Protestants differ much in these matters▪ that is not concerning Articles of Faith, but

Theological Truths: In which great allowances are to be made for difference of opinion. And as particular Churches ought not to proceed too hastily to de∣cisions in matters that are justly disputa∣ble, so the rigorous imposing of those severe definitions on the Consciences of others by Oaths and Subscriptions, and more particularly all rigour in the prosecution of those that differ in opi∣nion, is both disagreeing to the mild∣ness of the Christian Religion, and to the Character of Church-men; and in particular, to the principles upon which the Reformation was founded.

4. As for the Greek Churches, to∣gether with the other Societies in the East, we do not deny that many of those corruptions for which we con∣demn the Church of Rome, are among them, which only proves that the be∣ginning of these is elder than the Ninth or Tenth Century: In which those Churches began to divide, such is the worshipping of Images, the praying to Saints, and some other abuses.

5. To this it must be added, that for diverse Ages the oppression under which those Churches have fallen, and the great Ignorance that has overspread them, have be••n such, that no wonder

if those Greeks that have been bred up in the States of the Roman Communion, and so were leavened with their opi∣nions, have found it no hard task to impose upon their weak and corrupt Countrey-men, whatsoever opinions they had in charge to infuse into them: So that we may rather wonder to find that all those abuses for which we complain of the Church of Rome are not among them, than that some have got footing there.

6. But after all this, the main things upon which we have separated from the Church of Rome, are not to be found among those Churches: Such as the adoring the Consecrated Elements, the denying the Wine to the People, the saying Masses for Redeeming Souls out of Purgatory, the having Images for the Trinity, the immediate Invoca∣tion of Saints for the pardon of Sin, and those blessings which we receive only from God: Besides an infinite variety of other things. Not to mention their denying the Popes authority. And to turn this argument on them, Those parts of their Worship, in which they dif∣fer so much from the Eastern Churches, do afford us very good arguments to evince that they are Innovations,

brought in since these ages, in which those Churches held Communion with the Roman Church: And do prove that at the time of their Separation they were not introduced in the We∣stern Church: For when we find such a keenness of dispute concerning one of the most indifferent things in the World, as whether the Sacrament should be of Leavened or Unleavened Bread; can we think that if the La∣tines had then worshipped the Sacra∣ment, they had not much rather have objected to the Greeks their Irreverence upon so high an occasion, than have insisted on the matter of unleavened Bread?

As for the conclusion, we do ac∣knowledge it is such as becomes an As∣sembly of Bishops. But whether it becomes men of their Characters, of their Birth and of their Qualities, to pretend to such gentleness and meek∣ness, when all the World sees such noto∣rious proofs given to the contrary, I shall not determine; but will leave it to their own second thoughts to consider better of it. We find both the King and the Clergy of France, expressing great tenderness towards the persons of those they call Hereticks, togetherwith

their resolutions of gaining them only by the Methods of Persuasion and Cha∣rity, and yet the contrary is practis••d in so many parts of France, that consi∣dering the exact Obedience that the Inferiour Officers pay to the Orders that are sent them from the Court, we must conclude these Orders are procured from the King, without his being rightly informed concerning them: And since we must either doubt of the sincerity of the Kings Declarati∣ons or of the Assemblies, we hope they will not take it ill, if we pay that Reve∣rence to a Crowned Head, and to so illustrious a Monarch, as to prefer him in the competition between his credit and theirs; and they must forgive us if we stand in some doubt of the since∣rity of this Declaration, till we are convinced of it by more Infallible proofs than words or general Prote∣stations.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cal. lib. de ve∣ra participati∣one co••poris. Christi in coe∣na.
• * 1.2

  Ubi eis divi∣nitus demon∣stratur si atten¦dere veli••t, tam inique il∣los ab Eccle∣siae unitate praecisos, quam inique clamant Ma∣ximianistas à se Schisma fe∣cisse. Concil. Carth. sub A∣nast. Can. 4.
• * 1.3

  Ut senrentiis Episcoporum qui Scripturas ••acras ingenti g••oria tracta∣verunt, tua, ju∣liane, machi∣namenta sub∣vertam. Lib. 2. contr. Iul. c. 1.
• * 1.4

  Lib. de decret. Conc. Nic.
• a 1.5

  Ath. Epist. de Senten. Dion. Alex.
• b 1.6

  Lib. de Syn.
• c 1.7

  Epist. 41.
• * 1.8

  Conc. Eph. act. 1.
• * 1.9

  Sed nunc nec ego Ni∣cenum, nec tu debes Arimi∣nense tan∣quam praeju∣dicaturus pro∣ferre Concili∣um; nec ego hujus autho∣ritate, nec tu ••llius detine∣ris. Scriptu∣rarum autho∣ritatibus non quorumque propriis sed utriusque communibus testibus, res cum re, causa cum causâ, ratio cum ratione concerter. Lib. 3. co••t. Max. cap. 14.
• a 1.10

  Athan. de Syn. Arim. & Sel••uc. Hilary de Synod. Au∣eust. lib. 3. cont. Maxim. cap. 3. & Ep. 74, & 78.
• b 1.11

  Nazianz. O∣rat. 37.
• c 1.12

  Act. Syn. Eph. Action 1.
• d 1.13

  Act. 6. Syn. Const. in Act. 2. Syn. Chalced.
• * 1.14

  Ego vero evangelio non crederem, nisi me Ecclesiae Catholicae moveret au∣thoritas Cont. Epist. Fund. cap. 5.
• * 1.15

  Portae Inse∣ri non prae••a∣leb••nt adv••r∣sus eam. Ma••th. 1.16.
• * 1.16

  Damnemus in commune vitiosam In∣telligentiam, non aufera∣mus fidei se∣curitatem. — Sed Homo∣ousion potest male intelligi, constituatur qualiter possit bene intelligi.—Potest inter nos optimus fidei status condi, ut nec ea quae bene sunt constituta vexentur, & quae male sunt Intellecta resecentur. Hil. lib. de Syn. pag. 394, & 396. of the Paris Edition. 165••.
• * 1.17

  Contr. Epist. Fund. cap. 45, Paris▪ Edit.
• * 1.18

  Portae Infe∣ri non praeva∣lebunt adver∣sus ••am.
• † 1.19

  Ego vobis∣cum sum us∣que ad con∣summatio∣nem seculi.
• * 1.20

  Art. 31. of their Confessio•• of Fait••.
• * 1.21

  Vis imus & colligimus ea? Non; ne forte eradi∣cantes Ziza∣nia, eradicetis & triticum; sinite utra∣que crescere usque ad mes∣sem.
• * 1.22

  Lib. de uni∣tate Ecclesi••e, & Psal. con. par. Don. & Epist. 162 & 171.
• * 1.23

  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.
• * 1.24

  Diversirate poenarum, Diversitas ag∣noscitur me∣ritorum. Ibid.
• * 1.25

  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.
• * 1.26

  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?
• † 1.27

  De qua ter∣râ germina∣vit? De quo mari emer∣sit? De quo coelo cecidit? Lib. 5. de Bapt. cap. 2.
• * 1.28

  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.
• * 1.29

  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.
• † 1.30

  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.
• * 1.31

  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.
• * 1.32

  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.
• * 1.33

  E••. 34.
• * 1.34

  Regula qui∣dem fidei una omnino est, sola immobi∣lis & irrefor∣mabilis, caete∣ra jam disci∣plinae & con∣versationis adm••ttunt no∣vitatem▪ Ter∣tull. de Virg. ••el. c. 1. lib. 1. adv••rsus Marc. c. 21. and al∣most in his whole Book of Prescriptions.
• * 1.35

  Non ago ut efficiar homi∣ni convitian∣do superior, sed errorem convincendo salubr••or.