Conformity of the ecclesiastical discipline of the Reformed churches of France with that of the primitive Christians written by M. La Rocque ... ; render'd into English by Jos. Walker.

IV.

The Disputes of Religion with Adversaries shall be or∣der'd in such sort, that ours shall not be Agressors; and if they are ingaged in a verbal Dispute, they shall do it but by the Rule of the Holy Scriptures, not giving too much way to Writings of Antient Doctors for Judging and Deciding of Doctrines; and shall not enter into Regular Disputes but by Writings mutually given and sign'd. And as for publick Disputes, shall not ingage therein but by advice of their Consistory, and a certain number of Pastors, which to this purpose shall be chosen by the Colloques or Provincial Sy∣nods. Shall not ingage in any general Dispute or Confe∣rence without the Advice of all the Churches assembled in a National Synod, on pain of the Ministers which shall there∣in enter, to be declar'd Apostates, and Deserters of the Ʋ∣nity of the Church.

CONFORMITY.

There is found in the Writings of the Holy Fathers sundry Disputes which the Catholick and Orthodox Doctors have had against the Enemies of the Truth; We have in the Second Century the famous Dispute of St. Justin Martyr against Tryphon the Jew, who was the Agressor. Eusebius makes mention of another Dispute which hapned at Ancyra a City in Gallatia towards the end of the same Century, betwixt a Catholick Doctor, and some of the Sect of Montanus. In the Third Cen∣tury Malchus a Priest of the Church of Antioch, Dispu∣ted earnestly a ainst Paul of Samosatia, Bishop of the Place, and confounded him in a Regular Dispute, the particulars of which was to be seen in the time of Euse∣bius, they having been collected by Persons nominated to write what should be alleadged on both parts. In the same Century was seen another famous Dispute be∣twixt Archelaus Bishop of Mesopotamia, and the Here∣tick Manes, in the House of a Person of Quality called Marcellus, in the City of Caschara, in presence of the chief Inhabitants of the place, four of which although Pagans, were chosen Arbitors, and judged the Victory to Archelaus: This Dispute has been printed in Latin some years past at the end of the Late Mounsieur Valois his Notes on the Ecclesiastical History of Socrates and Zozomen, and St. Epiphanius treats amply of it in the Heresie of the Manicheans, which is the Sixty Sixth. I may instance in several Disputes, principally those of St. Austins against sundry Adversaries, but what I have said sufficiently justifies, that the Order of our Disci∣pline don't differ from the Practice of the Antient Church, although it appoints something more of caution

in the manner of Disputing, by reason of the way of our former and present circumstances of living amongst our Enemies in this Kingdom.