It is only by this doctrine of Christ that we come to be knit together in a pious and holy union.* Alex. What Calvin projected upon a large scale, was actually attempted and executed, after his death, upon a smaller one. The agreement of Polandt at the synod of Sandomir in 1570, six years after Calvin's decease, embracing the churches of greater and lesser Poland, which were organized under the Augsburgh or Lutheran, and under the Helvetian or Swiss Confession; as also under the Confession of the Waldenses; was bottomed upon those comprehensive principles, which supported the plan of Calvin. This consensus was for the express purpose of wiping away the reproach of their enemies, and of promoting brotherly concord and communion, on the ground of their agreement to the leading truths of the gospel; all things else being matters of forbearance. "Of this holy and mutual agreement," say they, "we have thought ❝and agreed, that it would be a confirmation, if as they," the Lutherans, "bear witness that we, and our churches and our Confession, pub"lished in this synod, and the churches and Confession of the brethren, "the Waldenses, are orthodox; so also we should manifest the same "christian love towards their churches, and acknowledge their ortho"doxy, and should, on both sides, consign to silence, all quarrels, distractions, and dissensions, by which the cause of the gospel, to the 66 very great offence of many pious people, is hindered; and by which "no small occasion is furnished to our adversaries both of calumniating "ourselves and of opposing our true christian religion. It is rather "our duty to study the public peace; to exercise mutual charity; and "to employ, according to our brotherly union, our mutual efforts for "the edification of the church. 66 "We, moreover, pledge ourselves to use our utmost endeavours to "persuade and incite all our brethren to embrace, respect and pre"serve this our christian and unanimous agreement; and to cherish "and seal it especially by the hearing of the word (in frequenting the "assemblies of both Confessions,) and by the use of the sacraments; "always observing good order, and the rule both of discipline and cus"tom in each of the churches respectively. "But the rites and ceremonies of each church we do, by this our "hearty consent, leave free: for it is no great matter what rites are "observed, provided, the doctrine and foundation of our faith and sal"vation be kept entire and uncorrupt, as the Augsburgh and Saxon "Confessions teach on that head; and as we have expressed the same "in this our Confession published in the present synod of Sandomir. "And to complete this our consent and agreement, we have thought, "that, in order to preserve this our brotherly association, it will not ❝be inconvenient to meet at some appointed place, where we may to"gether form a compend of doctrine taken from our mutual Confes❝sions; and publish it to the world, to stop the mouths of invidious "men, and minister great consolation to all the pious. Having, there * Caritatis conjunctio sic a fidei unitate pendet, ut hæc illius initium, finis, unica deni. que regula esse debeat. Dum mentes in Christo-consentiunt, voluntates etiam nostræ mutua in Christo benevolentia inter se conjunctæ sunt. Sola Christi, doctrina in piam et sanctam unitatem coalescimus. Institut. lib. iv. cap. 2da sect. 5. † Polonic Consensus. "fore, given to each other the right hand of union, we have all sacredly "promised and pledged ourselves, to cultivate, nourish and daily to "aim at increasing our faith and peace to the building up of the King"dom of God; and that we will shun all occasions of distracting the "churches. Finally, we have pledged ourselves, that, regardless of "selfish considerations, as it becomes the true ministers of God, we "will promote the glory of Jesus Christ our Saviour alone, and will "propagate the truth of his gospel by word and work. "And that this agreement may be firmly established for ever, we "ardently pray to God our Father, the Author and exuberant fountain "of all peace and consolation; who delivered us and our churches "from the gross darkness of Popery, and granted us the pure and "sacred light of his word and truth, that he would bless our peace and "union to the glory of his name, and the edification of his church. "To this instrument were added the subscriptions of eminent persons, "representing the several churches to which they belonged." This agreement was unanimously confirmed in a general synod at Cracow, 1573. The whole synod, the brethren, superintendants, elders, ministers, patrons and all the rest ratified and sealed that holy consent and union; and after joining together in the communion of the body and blood of the Lord, according to the ceremonies of the church of Cracow, they returned home, rejoicing in brotherly love and praising the Lord. This agreement was renewed by a general synod at Petrikow in 1578; by another general synod at Uladislaw in 1583; by another at Tornaw in Hungary in 1585; and by another at the same place in 1595, and continued to be religiously observed as late at least as 1634. Ruf. It seems obvious, that this agreement of the Polish churches cannot be considered as an example of the catholic communion now pleaded for. 1. This agreement supposes the harmony of the Confessions of the parties who entered into it. The Lutherans acknowledged the Helvetian Confession and that of the Bohemian brethren to be orthodox; and, on the other hand, those who professed adherence to these Confessions acknowledged the Augsburgh Confession, (which is that of the Lutherans,) to be orthodox. Consequently, their profession had been always one; and now they declare it to be so; in order that the ground of their sacramental communion might be better understood. This agreement is very different from the scheme of catholic communion now pleaded for; that is, our sacramental communion with Episcopalians, with Baptists, with Methodists and others, whom we, in our public profession, deny to be orthodox. This agreement declares, that they, who entered into it, received the article of the Augsburgh Confession concerning Christ's presence in the Lord's supper according to the edition given by Melanchthon in the year 1538. "The sacraments, say they, are actions Divinely instituted, and the "elements of bread and wine, out of the instituted use of them, have "not the nature of a sacrament; but, in the instituted use of them, in "this communion, Christ is truly and substantially present, and his body and blood are truly exhibited to the partakers."* The term substantially is much the same with really, and is used by Calvin on this subject. He says, "These absurdities," viz. those of the Ubiquitarian scheme being rejected, "I willingly admit whatever serves to 66 express the true and substantial communication of the Lord's body "and blood." It should also be remembered, that this agreement was entered into several years before the form of Concord agreed on at Berg which asserts the absurd scheme just now mentioned. 2. They, who entered into this agreement, declared, that they considered their participation of the Lord's supper as a confession, that they embraced the system of doctrine professed in the particular church with which they communicated. But, according to the advocates for the catholic scheme, our participation of the Lord's supper does not imply our embracing the system of doctrine, held by any particular church: for, say they, in the act of communicating, we have nothing to do with the defects of our respective churches, or with any other thing, than this ordinance itself. 3. It was agreed, that no one of the churches belonging to this confederation should draw away the ministers or hearers of any of the rest; but should encourage them to remain in their respective churches. And the ministers of each of these churches were to teach and admonish their hearers, with pastoral authority, to beware of censuring any point of the doctrine or rites of the other churches; but, on the contrary, to think and speak well of them. From this engagement it appears, that there were no such differences among those churches of Poland, as there are among those, which, according to your scheme of catholic communion, should communicate together. Presbyterians believe prelacy to be a criminal usurpation in the church of God: they believe, that antipædobaptism robs infants of their sacred right; and that the use of any uncommanded rite, as a part of religious worship, is superstition. We cannot reasonably suppose, that any Presbyterian ministers would come under an engagement to exhort their hearers to think and speak well of these things. As little can we suppose, that the ministers of Poland would have come under the engagement now mentioned, if there had been any such differences among them. We must, therefore, conclude, that, as they had no such differences; so their sacramental communion together could be no example of our sacramental communion with other churches, while such differences subsist between them and us. 4. The scheme of catholic communion now pleaded for supposes, that none are to be excluded for their errors or offences in non-essentials. This opinion is quite contrary to the spirit of the Consensus or * Docentur homines, sacramenta esse actiones divinitus institutas, et extra usum institutum res ipsas non habere rationem sacramenti, sed in usu instituto in hac communione vere et substantialiter adesse Christum et vere exhiberi sumentibus corpus et sanguinem Christi. Syntagma Confessionum, prima parte, page 166. His absurditatibus sublatis, quicquid ad experimendam veram substantialemque corporis et sanguinis Domini communicationem, quæ sub sacris cœnæ symbolis fidelibus exhibetur, facere potest, libenter accipio. Institut. lib. 4. cap. 17. sect 19. + Quarta institutiones hujus causa vult hanc publicam sumptionem, confessionem esse, qua ostendis quod doctrinæ genus amplectaris, cui cæteri te adjungas. Ibid. page 165. Syntagmete Confess. 2da parte, page 223. agreement under consideration; which appoints all obstinate trans. gressors of the decrees of any of the canons of the general synod belonging to these churches contained in the book of their government; all who did not agree with them in the doctrine of the gospel; or who embraced idolatry or heresy; in fine, all who refused to continue in this agreement, to be excommunicated without any delay. According to this agreement, such as neglected to receive the Lord's supper, without good reasons, or the advice of their minister three times or a whole year; or who habitually neglected to attend the assemblies in their respective places of public worship, were liable to the same cen sure. In short, the spirit of this Consensus or agreement of the Popish churches, is quite contrary to that of the catholic sacramental communion now pleaded for. The manifest acknowledged tendency of that scheme, is to draw away particular churches and their members from a more particular and determined profession of various articles of the christian religion, to a more general and ambiguous one. Where as, this Consensus is more particular and explicit, both in points of doctrine and discipline, than the confessions which had been held before by the churches that joined in it; while no article of any of these confessions was dropt, or ceased to belong to their public profession. The truth is, it was an agreement to maintain a faithful testimony against the errors which then prevailed in Poland. Alex. It appears from the records preserved in Quick's Synodicon of the synod of St. Foy, in France, that an assembly of many deputies from sundry famous reformed churches, kingdoms and provinces, met at Frankfort, in 1577, by invitation of the Prince Elector John Casimir, Prince Palatine; that they laid down several means and expedients for uniting all the reformed churches into one common bond of union. This proposal was received with great satisfaction by the general synod of the French churches. The same design was prosecuted by the synod of Figeac, in 1579, at which, consultation was held on the most proper means of uniting the several confessions, which agreed in doctrine, into one common confession; to be afterwards approved by the several Protestant churches. The synod of Vitre, in 1583, embraced a proposal, made in their own body, for an union and agreement between the churches of Germany and theirs. Twenty years afterwards, in 1603, at the synod of Gap, the brethren of Dauphiny desired that some means might be contrived for a conference and union with the Lutheran churches in Germany, in order that the schism between them and the French churches might be removed. A proposal was made to the French churches, by a gentleman of the name of Hume, on the authority of James, king of Great Britain, for reuniting the churches of divers nations into one and the self-same confession and doctrine. This proposal is obscurely hinted in a letter from James, dated March 15th, 1614. Accordingly, at the general * See the canons of the general synod at Tornaw Syntagma Confessionum, parte 2da, page 246. The edition of the Syntagma, here quoted, is that printed at Geneva, in 1654. synod held at Tonneins in May following, they drew the outlines of a detailed plan of union; in which plan, the first thing proposed, was to avoid the Arminian controversy. Out of the several confessions of the reformed churches, one was to be framed common to them all; in which general confession divers points might be omitted, the knowledge of which is not needful to our everlasting happiness: among which, the controversy moved by Piscator, and several other subtile opinions broached by Van Armin* about free will, the saints' perseverance, and predestination were to be reckoned. The second thing proposed, was to avoid contentions about ceremonies and church government: a difference in these respects not hindering our agreement in the same faith and doctrine; or our cordial embracing each other as true believers and joint members of one and the same body. The third thing proposed, was to wave the points in debate between the Reformed and the Lutherans; and for this end, to model their agreement after the concord of the Polish churches, made at Sandomir, in the year 1570. It was proposed, that the deputies from the reformed churches should close their deliberations on this plan, after a most religious fast, with the celebration of the Lord's supper; wherein the pastors from England and the other nations should all communicate together. This plan for Protestant union did not only contemplate the reciprocation of ministerial and christian fellowship in the several churches; for that had been in regular practice among Protestants all along. It went much farther; even to the organization of the whole Protestant interest in a public federative union; each of the component churches, however, retaining its own independence and internal order. It was Calvin's plan renewed or prosecuted. It may be farther observed, that the activity of the French churches in promoting this plan, furnished no proof of their having declined from their soundness in the faith, or their zeal in maintaining it. For in 1617, their general synod of Vitre appointed commissioners to attend the synod of Dort, for the purpose of deciding on the several points of the Arminian controversy: and at their general synod held at Alez, in 1620, they unanimously approved the articles agreed upon at Dort; and ordered them to be sworn and subscribed by the pastors and elders of their churches, and by the doctors and professors of their universities. How cordially they could take to their bosom the very persons, against whose errors they raised the voice of their testimony, provided these errors subverted not the foundation of their faith, is shown by an act of the second synod of Charenton, in 1631, in favour of the Lutheran brethren; declaring that, as the churches of the Confession of Augsburgh do agree with the other reformed churches in the principal and fundamental points of the true religion, and as there is neither superstition nor idolatry in their worship; the faithful of the said Confession, who with a spirit of love and peaceableness do join themselves to the communion of our churches in this kingdom, may be, without any abjuration at all made by them, admitted to the Lord's table with us; and, as sureties, may present children to baptism; they promising the consistory, that they will never solicit these children, either directly or indirectly to transgress the doctrine believed and * Arminius. |