lowed in several successions! first, between Luther and Carolostadius; then, betwixt Luther and the Divines of Zurich; after that, betwixt Westphalus and Calvin: yet again, betwixt Heshusius and Clebitius; then farther, betwixt Brentius and Bullinger; and now, ever since, by the abettors of Ubiquity, to this present day: when as, if both sides would have calmly scanned and fairly interpreted each others' judgment, it would have appeared, that there was no just ground for so mortal a hostility.

Sometimes, when passion and prejudice were laid aside, they came so near to each other in their expressions, that any bystander would have verily thought the quarrel had been at an

end.

Besides that famous Conference at Marpurg, Anno 1529; very memorable was that convention of worthy Divines at Wittenberg, Anno 1536h: wherein, when Capito, Bucer, and Musculus, with the most eminent Divines of Higher Germany, in a meeting with Luther, Melancthon, Jonas, Pomeranus, Cruciger, and the other Doctors and preachers of Wittenberg, had conferred their judgments in a loving and quiet way; Luther, and the rest of his part were so well satisfied with the professed explication of the other side, that, after some little withdrawing, he and his associates returned with this answer: "If ye believe and teach, that, in the Holy Supper, the true body and the true blood of our Lord is exhibited, given, and taken, and not mere bread and wine only: and that this receiving and exhibiting is truly, and not imaginarily done; we are all agreed, and we do acknowledge and receive you as our dear brethren in the Lord." This, when Bucer and the rest openly and cheerfully avowed, they all shook hands and embraced each other, and departed.

Who would not now have hoped, that the flood-gates of this strife had been let down and fully stopped; so as we should have heard no more of this controversy, to the world's end? And why should there not be an eternal peace, upon these terms? That, which Bucer and his associates averred above a hundred years ago, we still say and maintain : that, which was a truth then, hath been so ever since, and shall be to all

Jo. Jeslerus Scaphusus, de Belli Eucharistici Diuturnitate.

Hospinianus in Historiâ Sacrâ è Lodovico Rabo et Jo. Swiccio, ex Buceri Scriptis Anglicanis.

Si creditis et docetis, in Sacrá Caná, verum corpus et verum sanguinem Domini exhiberi, dari, et sumi, et non panem et vinum tantùm; et quòd perceptio et exhibitio hæc verè fiat, et non imaginariè; inter nos convenit, vosque agnoscimus et recipimus ut churos fratres in Domino. Hosp. è Scriptis Bucer. Angl. Fortunatus Calvinista dicit corpus Christi in Sacramento verissimè realissimèque percipi. Valent. Tom. iv. dis. 6. q. 3.

k Diu satis erat credere, sive sub pane consecrato, sive quocunque modo, adesse verum Christi corpus. Erasm. 1 Cor. vii.

eternity. Well, therefore, may we ask, with Tiberius's soldiers Tí μаxóμela; "What do we fight for?"

But, if the great make-bate betwixt heaven and earth, the common enemy of mankind, will not yet suffer us to be quiet; but will be raising causeless broils in the Church of God, how well doth it beseem those, who have the better of the cause, after the example of good Abraham, to sue for that peace, which should be sued for to them!

Wherein I do much congratulate the exemplary practice of the eminent Divines of our own and the neighbouring Churches, actuated by the unweariable endeavours of our worthy and never-enough-commended Duræus', who have given noble testimonies of their holy forwardness and zealous inclinations toward a blessed union of the Evangelical Churches; and have clearly showed the easy reconcileableness of these differences, if some harsh men were not too much wedded to their own wills and opinions.

And, certainly, nothing can be more evident, than that we all agree in fundamental truths; and that those things, wherein we differ, are mere points of scholastical disquisition: such as may, perhaps, be fit for Divines to argue in their academical disputations; not worthy to trouble the public peace, or to perplex the heads, much less the hearts of Christian people.

For instance, in this business of the Eucharist ", which hath been made the fuel of the greatest fire, so much as toucheth the foundation, is, That the body and blood of Christ are so truly present in the administration of the Sacrament, as that they are truly received by the worthy Communicant: That the bread and wine are the elements ordained by Christ, in the worthy receiving whereof the prepared Communicant partaketh of the body and blood of Christ, to the nourishing of his soul unto eternal life: That the bread and wine are present, and are received in a bodily, local, natural, sensible manner; but that the body and blood of Christ are present, and partaked of in a divine and spiritual manner. And, in all these, both parts do fully accord. All this being admitted, that contention, which is raised concerning the oral perception and manducation of the body of Christ, can be no other than either a strife of words or a nice school-point.

In the matter of Ubiquity, which makes so ill a sound in the world, as if it meant to destroy the truth of the Humanity of Christ, let but the distinction of learned Zanchius" be admitted,

M. Jo. Duræus. Vide Sententias 4. de Pace Evangelicâ.

m Vide D. Davenant, ubi supra, Adhortat. ad Pacem, et Sentent. 4 Theol. "Zanch. de Dissidio Cœnæ.-Field, Of the Church. Append.-Pic. Miran. -Cajetan.-Bellarm. de Incarnat. 1. iii. c. 16. fatetur gloriam Dei, et omnem potestatem, tribui humanæ naturæ Christi; non in ipsá, sed in supposito, i. per gratiam unionis. Sic et Lutherani, &c.

not new devised by him, but cited out of former Authorities; and that quarrel is reconciled. For, it is one thing, what we affirm concerning the Humanity of Christ, of the natural being of it; another, what we affirm of the personal being. To say, that the human nature of Christ is naturally omnipresent, were to confound the natures and to destroy the person: but, to say that the human nature of Christ is personally omnipresent, that is, that the Godhead and Manhood, being so united as that they make up one indivisible person, the person of Christ being omnipresent, the human nature may be in that relation said to be so, in that it is personally united to that Deity which is omnipresent: If the prædication seem to any man somewhat hard, yet it is worthy to be welcome, if it may bring peace.

As for those differences concerning Predestination, which Arminius and his followers have borrowed from the Lutheran Divines, the Divines of both parts, in that amicable conference at Leipsic, professed their agreement in all the main and important points; leaving those parcels unaccorded, which are meet to be sent and confined to the Schools.

Shortly then, however matters may be aggravated by illwillers to peace, would our brethren of the Confession of Auspurge entertain but the like thoughts of Christian charity towards us, which we do willingly harbour towards them, these woeful jars, wherewith the Church of Christ is lamentably torn asunder, would soon see a happy end, and shut up in a blessed reconcilement; Heb. xiii. 20. 1 Thess. v. 23. which the God of Peace vouchsafe to grant, for the sake of him, who is the Prince of Peace; Isa. ix. 6. Amen.

SECT. 6.

The Differences, betwixt the other Reformed Churches, and

our own.

BUT not to dwell upon the quarrels abroad; lest I should be checked with that ill husband, who, when his own house was on fire, runs to quench his neighbour's: I must confess, with sorrow enough, that our intestine broils, both of Church and State, are such as no tears can be sufficient to bewail; and that we are so much more miserable than all the nations round about us, by how much we have been hitherto more happy than they.

The civil distempers are fit for another cure; to the success

• Fatemur totum Christum præsentem quatenus in verbo hypostaticè subsistit caro, quæ præsentia est universalis. Theod. Bez. advers. J. Andream.

P Colloq. Lipsiacum inter D. Mat. Horm., D. Polic. Liserum., D. Henr. Hofnetum; & D. J. Bergium, D. J. Crocium, D. Theoph. Mubargerum : Anno 1631.

of any remedy whereof, my prayers shall contribute their utmost and, would to God, my blood could ought avail! O my God, when wilt thou put an end to these unexpressible miseries? Oh, when wilt thou bind up the wounds of this bleeding and gasping nation? Lord, save us, we perish. Woe is me! if the sword go thus on, where is the Church? or, what do we talk of physic, after death? But, if it might please the justice of the Almighty, to take up with this deluge of blood that is already shed, and in his mercy to spare yet the remainder of his people, there might yet be a place for those spiritual remedies of Church-discord, which we are now about to prescribe.

The divisions of the Church are, either general, betwixt our Church and the other Reformed; or special, those within the bosom of our own Church: both which require several considerations.

For the former: blessed be God, there is no difference in any essential matter, betwixt the Church of England and her Sisters of the Reformation. We accord in every point of Christian Doctrine, without the least variation: their public Confessions and ours, are sufficient convictions to the world, of our full and absolute agreement. The only difference is, in the form of outward administration: wherein also we are so far agreed, as that we all profess this form not to be essential to the being of a Church, though much importing the well or better being of it, according to our several apprehensions thereof; and that we do all retain a reverent and loving opinion of each other, in our own several ways; not seeing any reason, why so poor a diversity should work any alienation of affection in us, one towards another: but, withal, nothing hinders, but that we may come yet closer to one another, if both may resolve to meet in that primitive government, whereby it is meet we should both be regulated, universally agreed upon by all antiquity; wherein all things were ordered and transacted by the consent of the Presbytery, moderated by one constant President thereof. The primary and perpetual practice whereof, no man can doubt of, that hath but seen the writings of Clemens and Ignatius; and hath gone along with the history of those primitive times. It shall be needless, though it were most easy, to bring together a cloud of witnesses, both ancient and modern, to so clear a truth; we may well rest in the judg

4 Laus Deo, nullum inter nos de Religionis substantia certamen. Gallus de Discipl. Ecclesiæ, c. i. An. 1622.

Theol.

Instituti divini est, ut in omni cætu Præsbyterorum unus sit, qui ordine præeat et præsit reliquis. Bez. de Grad. Minist. Evang. Hunc formum commendáruut Patres, observavit antiquissima Ecclesia; imò, quod est totius rei caput, instituisse videtur ipse Christus per Apostolos. Theolog. Gallus de Discipl. Ecclesiæ, An. 1622. cap. de Episcop.

ment of Mr. John Camero, the learnedest Divine, be it spoke without envy, that the Church of Scotland hath afforded in this last ages, Nullus est dubitandi locus, &c. "There is no doubt at all," saith he, "but that Timothy was chosen by the College of the Presbyters to be the President of them; and that, not without some authority over the rest: but yet, such as have the due bounds and limits. And that this was a leading case, and common to other Churches, was never denied by any author." Words may not break square, where the things are agreed. If the name of a Bishop displease, let them call this man a Moderator, a President, a Superintendent, an Overseer; only, for the fixedness or change of this person, let the ancient and universal practice of God's Church be thought worthy to oversway. And if, in this one point, wherein the distance is so narrow, we could condescend to each other; all other circumstances and appendances of varying practices or opinions might, without any difficulty, be accorded. But, if there must be a difference of judgment in these matters of outward policy, why should not our hearts be still one? Why should such a diversity be of power, to endanger the dissolving of the bond of brotherhood? May we have the grace, but to follow the truth in love, we shall, in these several tracks, overtake her happily in the end; and find her embracing of peace, and crowning us with blessedness.

SECT. 7.

The Differences within our own Churches, at home. As union is necessary to the making up of peace, so also, in some cases, is Dissipation. While we are so charitable, as not to exclude any Church which holdeth the foundation from the benefit of Christian Communion, we are yet far from giving way to every combination" of Christians, to run aside; and to raise up a new Church of their own; and to challenge all the privileges incident to a lawful Church of Christ, as equally due

J. Camer. Myrothec. in 1 Tim. iv. 14.-Ita Calvin. Habebant singula civitates Presbyterorum collegium, qui pastores erant et doctores, &c. Illi ex suo numero in singulis civitatibus unum eligebant, cui specialiter dabant titulum Episcopi, ne ex æqualitate, ut fieri solet, dissidia nascerentur. Calv. Instit. 1. iv. c. 4.-Non populum aggreditur Joannes, sed principem Cleri, utique Episcopum. Marlorat in Apoc. ii.-Polycarpus Smyrnensis Episcopus, ab ipso Joanne ordinatus supra 70 annos præfuit illi Ecclesiæ. Theol. Gal ubi supra.-Hanc gubernationem ab Apostolorum atate constitutam esse ostendit perpetua Episcoporum successio, quorum seriem deduxit Euseb. in 4. summis totius orbis Ecclesiis. Id. ib.

1 Adhærebo vobis etsi nolitis; adhærebo, etsi nolim ipse. Bern. ad Præmonstr. Ep. 252.

"Ecclesiæ nomen consensus concordiæque est. Chrys. in Epis. ad Galat. c. i.