Short CONSIDERATIONS Touching The necesſity and uſefulneſſe of ſome Agents, to correſpond betwixt the proteſtant Churches in matters of publike Edification.
IT is certaine that ſince the Councell of Trent, Papiſts have taken up a joynt reſolution to overthrow all Proteſtant ſtates and Religion, either by open war, or policy, as occaſion ſhall be offered. Of this Councell the Pope is head, and to compaſſe his ends, the Princes of his Faction, and all the Orders of his Clergy are ſet a worke: amongſt the reſt the Jeſuits are the chiefe Agents, who although they be at variance in diverſe particulars with others, yet in this they, and all the reſt unanimouſly conſpire, & with a great deale of Emulation ſtrive to goe before one another.
2. It is knowne, that this purpoſe and aime is the2 chiefe matter of all their Cabinet Councels, and that in all their publike Treatiſe with Proteſtants, all of them by the inſtigation and ſuggeſtion of the Popes inſtruments, they labour to gaine ground upon us, and to this effect many ſpeciall conſultations have beene held at Rome by the Cardinals; and in all other places by the Biſhops and Jeſuites.
3. By their conſtant and joynt conſpiracy in proſecuting of this purpoſe, they have waſted many flouriſhing Churches, and made them quite deſolate, they have diminiſhed the ſtrength of many, and they have layed dangerous plots to ſubvert and trouble thoſe that are yet in any good caſe.
4. Their proceedings are not taken to heart by the Proteſtants, neither is there any courſe obſerved to countermine their intentions; for which cauſe they are like to prevaile more and more. Chiefely, becauſe the manifold diviſions of Proteſtants which diſtract an I divide their intentions, and whereby they not onely neglect thoſe Machinations, but alſo helpe unto their owne overthrow, whiles they perſecute one another.
5. It is not poſſible as yet to unite the Proteſtant Counſels in this, that their Temporall heads ſhould joyntly aime at the overthrow of Papiſtry, and combine themſelves together, in ſome conſtant courſe, to oppoſe it by their power, and correſpondency; which on the other ſide is long agoe effected.
6. Therefore ſeeing the outward, and publike means cannot yet be improved becauſe of the Reaſons of State, and the differences of Religions, and opinions3 amongſt Proteſtants, it is worthy of conſideration, whether or no any other meanes might not bee ſet a worke, which in a more ſpirituall manner might countermine their proceedings.
7. This meanes I conceive to be ſuch, as might be able with the aſſiſtance of God, powerfully to ſupport the truth of the Goſpell, and by little and little joyn the intentions of the Proteſtants to correſpond one with another in matters of mutuall edification, and in the communion of certaine duties, whereby the ſcandals which occaſion the judgements of God, and their inſenſible overthrow be taken out of the way in due time.
8. The meanes to ſupport powerfully the truth of the Goſpell is, 1. to gaine the common conſent of all Proteſtants to make a Fundamentall Confeſſion of their Chriſtian Religion, wherein they all ſhall agree, that by this meanes their Schiſmes may be taken out of the way. 2. To procure that a body of practicall Divinity may be compiled, and fitted to the capacity of learned and unlearned, that all things belonging to godlineſſe and a good conſcience, may be contained in it, and ſo be received by all parties without diſpute, and become a meanes of publike edification in the Univerſities and Pulpits.
9. The meanes to gaine the Fundamentall Confeſſion, and to procure the body of practicall Divinity, are not difficult, but may eaſily be attained by few Agents, who might make it their worke to ſolicite the chiefe Divines, and ableſt men of all the Churches to correſpond together to this effect. For4 if there were Agents maintained for Fundamentall Confeſſion, thence peace and unity would ariſe, and if the practice of Piety were propagated, and urged, by this meanes the ſcandals would ceaſe, and the Communion of Saints would be more and more entertained for mutuall edification.
10. Both theſe workes are already ſet upon by ſome, and conſented unto by all, ſo that nothing is further requiſite, then to continue by the agency of of ſome fit correſpondents betwixt the Churches, the motion till it come to perfection, whereby (God willing) not onely the inward diviſions of Proteſtants will come to an end, but alſo the truth of the Goſpell will breake forth moſt invincibly to convince the conſciences of Papiſts, who thinke that in the Proteſtant Churches there is neither Chriſtianity, Unity, nor Piety, but meere Hereſie, diviſion, and prophane licentiouſneſſe.
11. For ſeeing it is certaine that Babilon will not fall by might or by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of Hoſts, Zach. 4.6. it ſeemeth that the onely meanes to ſet the Spirit of God a worke in the hearts of his Servants, and to give him ſome occaſion to enter into the conſciences of the Papiſts, is firſt to labour to unite the faithfull Preachers of the Goſpell into a holy Communion, to perfect theſe moſt ſpirituall objects. And 2. to propoſe, by common conſent in the name of all Proteſtants, the irrefragable truth of Chriſtian Doctrine, and the undeniable duties of righteouſneſſe and holineſſe, to convince the conſciences of ſuch Papiſts, as are not wilfully and Atheiſtically5 blind, that we maintaine not ſuch abhominable errors as they father upon us, but that our Religion is the onely ſaving meanes of Salvation.
12. The neceſſity and uſefulneſſe of theſe two workes may be ſhewed in this, that they will prove the onely meanes of joyning the intentions of Proteſtants in one ſpirituall purpoſe, which is moſt of all others materiall in the furthering of the Goſpell. 2. Of taking away publike ſcandals and offences which we give one unto another, and which Papiſts and Sects (not without ſome faire pretence) take at us all. 3. Of confirming ſaving truths. 4. Of propagating godlineſſe, and beating downe impiety, ſuperſtition and ignorance, which by this meanes muſt needs fall to the ground as Dagon did before the Arke of the Covenant.
13. And indeed it may be wondred at, that hitherto among ſo many endeavours, for the good of the common cauſe in Religion, and in ſo great plenty of ſpirituall and temporall meanes, where ſo many well affected profeſſors wiſh ſo earneſtly for the proſperity of Sion, that this meanes hath not beene ſeriouſly thought upon and advanced, ſeeing it is the onely ſafe, laudable, commendable and infallible way to countermine the malicious practices of Papiſts, that ſeeke our overthrow with more diligence then we doe provide for our owne ſafety, and their converſion.
Now if there were but ſome hope to find a competent maintenance for the planting of a Seminary, (as it may be called) of a few Agents that apply their6 ſtudies wholly to theſe enterpriſes, the meanes of bringing them to paſſe might be made ſo plaine that none ſhould be able to doubt thereof, and beſides this, there might be other matters joyntly intended by them, for the advancement of publike peace and all kind of ſolid Learning; which by themſelves might deſerve a peculiar Agency, if men knew the worth and conſequence of them, or were zealous to further good workes of a publike nature, for the love of God and a good Conſcience.