An epistle or godlie admonition, of a learned minister of the Gospel of our sauiour Christ sent to the pastoures of the Flemish Church in Antwerp, (who name themselues of the Confession of Auspurge,) exhorting them to concord with the other ministers of the Gospell. Translated out of French by Geffray Fenton. Here may the christian reader lerne to know what is the true participatio[n] of the body of Christ, & what is the lauful vse of the holy Supper.

A prayer to Iesus Christ, for peace and vnitie in the Church,

by Geffray Fenton

O Soueraigne Lorde, who beyng the eternall worde and true GOD with God thy father, didst take our nature to visite in forme of man the poore children of Adam, lost by their infidelitie, distruste, and peruerse opinion against their Crea∣tor. And also by thy meane and remedie, hast eftesones restablissed the confederati∣on betwene GOD and vs, approuing the same most painfully in the mortall mar∣tyrdome of thy most innocent body bléeding on the crosse for the expiacion of our sinnes: we beseche thée (oh Sauiour of the world) that euen as thou arte come to consūmate and confirme our recōciliation, thou woul∣dest also reconcile our hartes, knitte oure wils, and sende thy spirit of truth amongst vs, to the ende, that we all concurring in one iudgement and opinion, may remem∣ber that we are called to bée members of one body, whereof Lord, we acknowledge thée to be the chiefe and supreame head, and so detesting inciuill partialities, we may

be of one opinion, agrée in one minde, and vse one mutuall and charitable direction touching the matter of oure Religion. Thou hast left vnto vs (O Lorde) the cele∣bration of thy holly Supper, as a memortal of oure communion and spirituall vnitie with thée, and also to instructe vs in suche lawes of charitie, as ought to be of famili∣ar conuersation amongest vs all. And yet we (such is the nature of our fragilitie and condition of our vnworthinesse) as we a∣buse the excellent benefite of that most high fauour, séeing that in place to tye and con∣ioyne our selues with thée, we doe more e∣straunge vs from thée, and that by reason of our quarelles and questions of contention: In place to consider that we are one bodie, one churche, and one bread made of sundrie graines, we shewe our selues proude, and giue sundrie proues of our ambition in sée∣king to establishe a speciall estimation of our peculiar and priuat opinions: in hand∣ling very often thy presence in thy holly Supper by subtill disputation, we become farre from thy true and liuely presence, in contending whether the sinners & vnfaith∣full may communicate thy body, we make

our selues sinners and incapable to receyue and enioye thy benefites: lastly and in ef∣fect, oh Lord, our zeale is so indiscrete, that in stryuing to enterteyne the puritie of the doctrine of fayth, we breake the league and lawe of charitie, yea & in persecuting with rebuke such as we accompt to be heretikes in the doctrine of fayth: our malice, with want of discretion makes vs séeme trans∣natured into heretikes of charitie, corrup∣ting the meanes of cōmunication and bro∣therly vnitie.

I beseche thée therfore (oh sonne of God) let thy gracious pitie fall vppon vs, and so open the eyes of our vnderstanding, as we may discerne the true frute of thy holy in∣stitutiō and ordinance, take from amongest vs all sectes and varieties of opinions, and reduce vs at last to the obedience of thy ho∣ly and only worde: reueale vnto vs thy ho∣ly spirite with this priuilege of grace, that by hys vertue he may drawe vs all into one corporation and bodye, whereof thou (O Lord) mayest be heade, and lette him breath into vs strengthe and power to per∣seuer in workes of true Iustice, innocen∣cie and holynesse, duryng oure course

in this tragical and miserable pilgrimage, and in the ende let (we beséeche thee) the same holy spirite translate vs into the eter∣nall life, (purchased to our vses by the sa∣crifice and oblation of thy most precious death) wherin thou raignest now glo∣riously with the Father and ho∣ly Ghoste, and there shall remayne infinitely.

AMEN.