Church, till either she be ashamed of herself, or repent that ever she was.

SECT. 2. The Commodities and Conditions of Peace. BEAUTIFUL is the name of Peace, as Hilary speaketh, and truly sacred; and such, as scarce savoureth of the earth. Neither did the Hebrews by any other term choose rather to express all happiness, and perfection of living. Neither is there any thing, which the angels did more gladly congratulate unto men, or which Christ did more carefully bequeath, or the apostles more earnestly enjoin. How oft, and how vehemently, doth the Spirit entreat and command us to have peace!

"But this," thou sayest, "is every man's wish, to have peace: but what if peace will not be had?" Lo, then, St. James charges us to make peace, James iii. 18, by our endeavours, by our patience. "Once made, and had; what if it will not stay with us?" Then St. Paul bids, to follow those things which concern peace; Rom. xiv. 19. "What if it will needs away, and hide itself?" Yet then St. Peter commands to follow, and enquire after it; 1 Pet. iii. 11. “What if, once found, it refuse to come; as Abraham's servant presupposed of Rebekah?" Even then study to be quiet, saith St. Paul; or, as the word implies, be ambitious of peace; 1 Thess. iv. 11.

So let the Author of Peace love us, as we love peace! Who is there, that would not rather wish, with Constantine, quiet days, and nights free from care and vexation? It was a speech, worthy of an Emperor and a Christian, that fell from Jovianus, about that querulous libel of the Macedonians: "I hate contention; and those, that are inclined to concord, I love and reverence."

Our adversaries would make us believe they profess and desire no less, with an equal zeal of charity and agreement. God be judge betwixt us both; and, whethersoever persists to hate peace, let him perish from the face of God and his holy angels! Yea, that this imprecation may be needless, he is already perished: for, as Cyprian, according to his wont, gravely, “They cannot come to the reward of peace, which have broken the peace of God with the fury of discord."

And, surely, what but the flames of hell can determine the ambition of these fiery and boiling spirits? Basil observes well, That God's fire gave light, and burned not: contrarily, the fire of hell burneth without light; and, therefore, is well worthy of those, who, despising the light of truth, delight themselves in the flames of contentions.

h Hilar. (contra Ruxent. 1.) cit. à Calvin. de Verâ Pacificatione.

i Jud. vi. 23. 2 Sam. xviii. 28. Jud. xix. 20. 1 Chron. xii. 18.

a Luc. ii. 14.

k Socr. l. i. c. 4.

b Joh. xiv. 27.

c 2 Cor. xiii. 11. Socr. l. iii. c. 25.

strenuè (ovv dopì, σúv doтídi) usque oppugnare, dum aut illam pudeat, aut se denique poeniteat fuisse.

SECT. 2. Commoda ac Conditiones Pacis.

SPECIOSUM quidem est Pacis nomen (ut rectè Hilarius"), veréque sacrum, et quod vix terram sapiat. Nec alio nomine Hebræi Tò eu, ipsamque adeo perfectionem, innuebant. Nec quid aliud humano generi lubentiùs vel gratulati sunt angeli", vel legavit Christus, vel apostoli præceperunt. Quoties, quamque impensè, rogat jubetque Spiritus eipnveveu ?

Illud verò cuivis in proclivi est, pacem habere; sed quid, si non fiat copia? Tum Toleiv eipývnv monet Jacobus, Jac. iii. 18, operâ nostrâ, nostrâ tolerantiâ. At quid, si concessa semel aufugerit? Tum, sectari quæ pacis, jubet Paulus, Rom. xiv. 19. Quid, si adhuc subduxerit se ultro? Inquirere et sequi, jubet Petrus, 1 Pet. iii. 11. Quod si ipsa venire noluerit, ut de Rebecca servus Abrahæ? Etiam tum φιλοτιμεῖσθε ἡσυχάζειν, 1 Thess. iv. 11.

Ita profectò nos amet Pacis Author, ita amplexetur, ut nos pacem! Dies tranquillos, noctesque curæ ac molestiarum expertes, ecquis est qui cum Constantino non expetierit? Digna et Imperatore vox illa, et Christiano, Joviano quondam excidisse dicitur, de querulo Macedonianorum libello: "Ego contentionem odi; eos, qui concordiæ dediti sunt, complector amore, venerorque'."

Quod idem cùm adversarii nostri non minore charitatis zelo profiteri simulant; pereat quisquis pacem oderit, à facie Dei et angelorum malè pereat! Imò jam nunc, ut frustra sint hæ diræ, quisquis est, oppidò periit: "Ad pacis enim præmium venire non possunt, qui pacem Domini discordiæ furore ruperunt;" graviter (quod solet) Cyprianus ".

Et certe piλeykaiμoves" illi spiritus quid aliud quàm gehennam ambiunt? Optimè Basilius, Ignis Dei lucem dedit sine incendio: infernus contrà sine luce incendium; dignus mehercle illis, qui, spretâ veritatis luce, flammis contentionum refocillari gestiunt.

Cypr. de Simplicitate Prælatorum: (sive, de Unitate Ecclesiæ; p. 142. ed. Romæ, 1563.-A.) "Hieronymus ad Evagrium. (Forsan potiùs peykλýμoves legendum est. Vide etiam Hieron. adv. Joan. Hierosol. Epist. 62, ad Theoph.-A.) Basil. in Ps. xxviii.

VOL. XI.

U

Those are the true haters of peace, which do wilfully patronize errors contrary to the Christian faith. So long as we must dwell by these tents of Kedar, we shall too justly complain, with the Psalmist, I love peace; but, in the mean while, they are bent to war; Ps. cxx. 5.

And, as for us, which profess ourselves the ingenuous clients of peace; since we must needs fight, it is not for us to do nothing. For that blessed Choir of Angels, before their Peace upon earth, well sung, Glory to God in the highest heavens; Luke ii. 14: and St. James describes the wisdom of God to be first pure, then peaceable; James iii. 17: and that Chosen Vessel implies no less, when, to his charge of peace, he adds, if it be possible; Rom. xii. 18.

That is as impossible to every good man, which ought not to be done, as that which cannot be done. Neither, indeed, as the rule of lawyers runs, can we be said to be able to do that, which we cannot honestly do. God, saith St. Paul, is not the author of confusion, but of peace; 1 Cor. xiv. 33. It is a wicked peace, it is no peace, that necessarily breeds confusion. That peace is worthy of a defiance, which proclaims war with God. And, I would to God, that peace, which Rome either can perform or dare promise, were of any better, of any other

nature.

Well, then let it be our present task, carefully to discuss St. Paul's condition of possibility; and teach how vain it is, to hope that a true, holy, and safe peace can be either had or maintained with our present Romanists: whether we regard THE ADVERSe and stubbORN DISPOSITION OF THE ONE SIDE; or, the nature of the matters controverted; or, lastly, THE IMPOSSIBILITY of those MEANS, WHEREBY ANY RECONCILIATION MAY BE WROUGHT.

These three shall be the limits, wherein this our not unprofitable, nor yet unseasonable work, shall suffer itself to be bounded.

Oderunt verò pacem planissimè, qui erroribus, fidei Christianæ infestissimis, præfracto animo patrocinantur. Quamdiu habitandum nobis erit propter tentoria hæc Kedarena, queremur meritò, quod olim Psaltes, Ego pacem diligo; ipsi interim ad bellum conclamant; Ps. CXX. 5.

Neque nos, ingenui pacis cultores, quando ita nobis incumbit pugnæ necessitas, nihil agimus. Enimvero sanctus ille Chorus Angelorum, Paci in terris, jure præcinebat, Gloriam Deo; Luc. ii. 14: et beatus Jacobus sapientiam, quæ supernè est, primò puram effingit, dein pacificam; Jac. iii. 17. Adstipulatur Vas Electum, dum communi pacis ineundæ præcepto (ei dúvaтov) illico subnectit; Rom. xii. 18.

Æquè impossibile est bono cuique, quod fieri non debet, ac quod non potest. Neque omnino possumus quidem, quicquid honestè non possumus, ut probè jurisconsulti". Non confusionis author est Deus, inquit Paulus, sed pacis; 1 Cor. xiv. 33. Confusionem quæ parit consensio, pax impia, pax nulla est. Apage à nobis pacem, quæ bellum indicit Deo. Utinam hujusmodi non esset, quam Roma vel præstare nobis possit, vel ausit profectò polliceri.

Agedum ergo: Paulinum illud (ei dúvatov) sedulo discutiamus; doceamusque pacem coli cum Pontificiis, piam quidem illam et salutarem, non posse: sive AVERSAM PARTIS UTRIUSQUE VOLUNTATEM; seu LITIS UTRINQUE AGITATÆ NATURAM; seu denique MEDIORUM, QUÆ AD HANC CONCILIATIONEM ADHiberi deBENT, IMPOSSIBILITATEM spectemus.

Tres isti fines mihi erunt, quibus opella hæc qualiscunque, non inutilis certè, nec intempestiva, terminabitur.

P Ss. de Cond. Instit. v. Filius.

I. OF THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF RECONCILIATION.

CHAP. I.

FROM THE OBSTINATE AND ADVERSE DISPOSITION OF THE

ROMANISTS.

AND, as for the first, I suppose we need not labour much. Indeed, God can easily make the wolf to dwell with the lamb, and the leopard to lodge with the kid; Is. xi. 6. How easy is it for him, so to soften the adamantine hearts of men, by bathing them in the blood of that Immaculate Lamb, that they should melt into pure love! But, as the times now are, it would be no less miraculous to find a Popish heart truly charitable to us, than to see the lions fawning upon Daniel.

Even where there is strife about indifferent things, there is necessarily required a conspiring of the minds of them which would be reconciled; neither is it enough, that one side is content, together with arms, to lay down hatred. And how will our Romanists endure this? Surely, that hatred of Eteocles to his brother, or that of Vatinius, is but mere love to this of Papists.

Alas! when, and where, are we not spat upon, as the most desperately heretical enemies of the Church? Rome admits Jews into her bosom, from whose hands their Pope's Holiness disdains not to receive the book of the Law of God; but Protestants she may not endure. That which Socrates complains, as injuriously done by Theodosius, a Grecian Bishop, against the very Macedonian Heretics, is daily done by them against us. No Arians, no Circumcellion Heretics, were ever more cruel and these idle fablers, in the mean time, slander us to the world, as guilty of the same outrageous proceedings against them.

What heresy is there in all times, which that Romulean wolf, and her bawling clients, are not wont to cast upon us? One while, we are the scholars of Simon Magus, because we do but once mention grace and salvation; for what have we else to do with that wicked sorcerer? Another while, we are fetched from the cursed school of Eunomius, for that we attribute too much to faith; and yet no more, than that holy heretic St. Paul. One while, we are Pepuzians, that ascribe too much to women. Then we are Origenists; for holding the image of God to be defaced in man: then, contrarily, Proclians; for holding the sin of concupiscence not enough defaced. One while, we are the fol