Inquiry into the Nature of the Present Controversy About Justification Part 1, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
The Excellency of Peace and Love. Luther's Opinion of it. The Miſchief of Strifes and Contentions in the Church, Inſtanced in the Riſe, and Progreſs of the Meletians, and Arians; The Cure Difficult, yet Neceſſary to be Endeavor'd.
THE Churches Peace is a Bleſſing ſo very Great, and Valuable, that he, who ſets but a Right Eſtimate on its Real Worth, cannot think much to hazard even his own Private Quiet, Particular Intereſts, and Good Name, (which it is like to coſt him) to Obtain, or Defend it.
By Peace, I do not mean only a Freedom from Perſecution, which is a Mercy, for which we ſhould not ceaſe Praiſing God; but the Peace of Chriſtians between themſelves, ſo oft mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, Commanded, and Encouraged. Be of one Mind, Live in Peace, and the God of Peace ſhall be with you. The Lord of Peace himſelf give you Peace,2 Theſſ. 3.16. always by all means.
As Chriſtians are United unto Chriſt their Head by Faith, ſo ſhould they be by Love United to one another, Endeavoring to keep the Ʋnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace.Epheſ. 4.3. Love, Concord, and Peace are the ſupport of all Societies of what kind ſoever. The Heathen Philoſophers were ſenſible of it.Jamb. Vit. Pyth. Id. Protropt. c. 19. Pythagoras eſteemed Amity, Love, Friendſhip to be the moſt effectual Bond, that Cemented his Followers. And many amongſt the moſt Barbarous have zealouſly expos'd themſelves to great Calamity out of officiouſneſs to their Particular Communion.G…ial. Dier. lib. 7. c. 26. Alexander ab Alexandro gives ſeveral Inſtances hereof. He begins with the Arvall Fraternity, who were Joyn'd by ſuch a Bond of Friendſhip together, that neither Proſperity, nor Adverſity nor any other thing but Death could Diſſolve it; and tells us of ſome others, that were ſo link'd in Love, that they would not only Mourn with ſuch as were in Adverſity, and Rejoyce with thoſe in Proſperity, but Die for One another, and frequently would Die with them that Died, for which reaſon they were called COMMORIENTES.
Peace among Chriſtians, as it is the Support of Societies; ſo, it ſets forth the Beauty and Glory of Chriſtian Religion to all Obſervers, and by Uniting us in our Affections, Prayers, Counſels and Practices too (ſo far as Agreed) enables us the more ſucceſsfully to ſerve our Lord Jeſus; Whence it is, that the moſt Eminent for Learning and Piety, have in all Ages of the Church ſtrenuouſly Contended for it: Among the Reformed Luther himſelf, tho' a Man of a hot Temper, and much Imbroyl'd, not only by the Papiſts, but the Zuinglian and Calviniſtical Reformers, at laſt with much Fervour in a Letter to the Helvetian Churches Pleads thus for Peace and Concord. I have, (ſaith he) Peruſed your Letters with the Greateſt Pleaſure and Delight, Rejoycing to Underſtand by them, that your Miniſters have, not only moſt heartily Reſolved to lay by their Jealouſies, and Bitter Invectives, but to do what in them lyeth for Peace, and Concord. The God and Father of all Peace and Love, give a Happy Iſſue to thoſe Pious Reſolutions, according to that Promiſe, When a Man's ways pleaſe the Lord, he will make even his Enemies to be at Peace with him.— We muſt count upon it, that ſome on both ſides, will Diſlike our Endeavors for Concord, and entertain hard thoughts and ſuſpicions of us: But, if we, who are Cordial and Sincere in our Deſires, do with Conſtancy, and Diligence Proſecute this Deſign,Certe quicquid ad promovendam concordiam faciet, id pro virili ita agam, ut ne quid in me poſſitis deſiderare, novit hoc Deus quem teſtem invoco per animae ſalutem, Epiſt. Luth Conſul. Helveti…e, Tiguri, &c. A.D. 1537. Our Gracious God and Father will ſoon give us his Aſſiſtance, and in a little time the Remaining Heats will be over—I humbly beſeech you to believe, that I ſhall do whatever may be expected from One, that is ſerious and Hearty in this Matter, that in this Cauſe of Promoting Concord, I will to the utmoſt of my Abilities ſatisſie your Deſires and Expectations, The Truth of this God knows; whom I call for a Record upon my Soul. For theſe Diſſentions have neither Profited me, nor any body elſe, but have been Prejudicial to many, ſo that not the leaſt good could have been, or can be hoped for from them.
Thus far Luther, who gives me a fair Occaſion to Conſider the Miſchievous Effects, of Diſcord, and Contentions among Chriſtians, How the Ignorance, Raſh Zeal and Peeviſhneſs of ſome; the Selfiſh Deſigns, Private Intereſts, Pride and Malice of others have given the Devil opportunity to turn the Churches into Diſorder, and Confuſion.
I will inſtance in the Quarrel between Peter of Alexandria, and Miletius; and touch the Riſe and Progreſs of Arianiſm.
The Conteſt between theſe two, tho' differently Reported by thoſe, who liv'd neareſt theſe Times, was in the eſteem of all managed with that Indiſcretion and Heat, as brought on them all that Miſchief they endured.
That they were both ſound in the Faith, and their chief difference about the time to be given for the Tryal of the Repentance of ſuch as under the Perſecution Revolted from the Truth cannot be denied.Socr. Hiſt. Eccleſ. l. 1. c. 3. 6. Nic…h. Caliiſt. Hist. Eccliſ. lib. 8. c. 5. T…d…r. Hist. lib. 1. c. 9. & H…ret. Fa…ul. lib. 4. de Me…is. S…om. Hiſt Eccl. l. 1. c. 23. Aust de Haeriſ. And although Aſhanaſius, Socrates, and Nicephorus Calliſtus report, that Meletius apoſtatiz'd, and Epiphanius, with whom St. Auſtin ſeems to agree, repreſents the Matter quire otherwiſe, yet it's paſt doubt, that the Different Opinions of theſe Orthodox Guides of the Church, in the one Grounded on a Zeal for Truth, in the other on Compaſſion to the Souls of the Weak, occaſioned a very wide Breach amongſt thoſe Chriſtians when they were Groaning under the Violence of a Bloody Perſecution. For whilſt in Priſon the Fire brake out to that Degree, as to iſſue in an angry Separation, no wonder if it continued after, Peter's Martyrdom, and when Conſtantine gave Liberty, was much Encreaſed.
It's true, Alexander, who ſucceeded Achillas, Peter's immediate Succeſſor, did, during Meletius his life time, carry it kindly to the Meletians; but after Meletius his Death, he violently Perſecuted them, who were thereby provoked to ſend ſome of their Biſhops with a Petition to the Emperor for Liberty, which being Rejected, they apply themſelves to Euſebius of Nicomedia, then great at Court, and a Favorer of Arius. Euſebius refuſeth to help them on any terms, ſhort of their admitting the Arians to their Communion; to which, that they might Eſcape the Cruel Perſecution of their Orthodox Brethren, they yielded, and had the Grant of Liberty. By this means the Arians gain'd ſo great an Advantage, and grew ſo Strong, that in ſome Years after, they ſpread themſelves ſo far as to Cover almoſt all the Chriſtian Churches in the World.
It is amazing to conſider from what a ſmall ſpark the Arian Fire, that turned the whole Chriſtian World into a flame, had its riſe, 'twas only from the ſubtil and over curious Diſcourſe of Alexander, Biſhop of Alexandria, the undue Suſpicion of Arius, and the Indiſcreet Heat of Both;Hist. Eccleſ. lib. 1. c. 3. for, ſaith Socrates, Alexander enjoying much Peace at Alexandria, calls together his Prieſts, and with them did ſo very nicely and ſubtilly Diſcourſe of the Unity in the Trinity, that Arius, one of the Prieſts, a Man of great Learning Suſpecting him to be a Favorer of Sabellius, who held, that the Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt were but Three Names of one and the ſame Perſon, did in oppoſition to him affirm, the Son to be ſo Diſtinct from the Father, as to have a Beginning. From whence it follows, that he had his Subſiſtence from Nothing; that he was a Creature, not Coeternal, nor Conſubſtantial with the Father. This Controverſie was managed with ſo much Bitterneſs, that, to uſe Socrates his own words,foreign, Soc. Hist. Eccl. lib. 1. c. 3. from a very little Spark a great Fire broke out, diſturbing the Peace of all Egypt, Lybia, the Upper Thebais, and many other places.
The Flame having thus got head, Alexander with the utmoſt Vehemence Endeavors the ſuppreſſing it. He Excommunicates Arius, writes to the Biſhop of Conſtantinople, complaining of his Pride and Covetouſneſs, prayeth him not to ſuffer Arius, nor any of his Followers to Preace within his Juriſdiction. He calls in the Help of his Colleagues, who Approv'd of what he had done againſt the Arians. foreign, &c.Arius provok'd hereby, doth alſo write to ſeveral Biſhops, giving them an account of his Faith in words ſo very like the Orthodox Confeſſions,Cum Alexander literas ejuſmodi ad Epiſcopos paſſim in ſineulis …ivitatibus ſcripſiſſet, Latius Propterea ſerpevat malum, quòd hi qui erant illis literis certiores facti, conſentionis & Diſcordiae incendiis inter ipſos conflagrare caeperunt, nam alii literis ſuffragari, iiſdem que ſubſcribere, alii penitus adverſari. Socr. ubi ſup. that he is by ſome Grave and Judicious Biſhops eſteem'd ſound in the Faith. This nettles Alexander, who ſends forth his Circular Letters throughout the whole Catholick Church, with a Catalogue of the Arian Errors, and the Names of thoſe, who adher'd unto them, by which means Arianiſm (ſaith the Hiſtorian) was ſtrangely Propagated all the World over.
Conſtantine, obſerving how the Contentions ſpread from one Part to another of his Empire, and how much, Violent Methods contributed hereunto, makes uſe of more calm ones. He writes a Letter to Alexander, and Arius, which he ſent by Hoſius Biſhop of Cordovia, Declaring it to be his Opinion, That the Controverſie being about what was Incomprehenſible to both Parties, and, in which, if they both underſtood one another, 'twould appear, they agreed in the main, did not well to contend ſo violently and Break the Churches Peace. Not that he would oblige them in every Particular to be of the ſame Mind: But he thought they might honourably enough, and without diſturbing the Peace, entertain different Apprehenſions about leſſer Matters. A Regard muſt be had to the different Abilities, Tempers, and Conſtitutions of Men. Thus it was with the Philoſophers, who, notwithſtanding ſome different Opinions amongſt themſelves, lived Peaceably together. How much rather ſhould Chriſtians, Men of the ſame Heavenly Family, tho' they differ in ſome things, cheriſh, Love, Peace, and Concord one with another.
So far Conſtantine, who, you ſee, apprehended the Controverſie at firſt to have been about Matters of Leſs Importance. But it ſoon came to be about Greater Points, and the Heats too high to be compoſed by the Emperor's ſingle Endeavors, or Authority. He therefore calls a Council, which ſate at Nice in Bythinia. This Council drew up a Confeſſion of Faith, to be Subſcribed by all; and Excommunicated and Baniſhed Arius, for not Subſcribing it. They alſo depoſed and drove thoſe Biſhops into Exile, who, tho' they Subſcribed the Confeſſion, Refuſed to conſent to Arius's Condemnation; becauſe, as they Proteſted, he was not in their Judgment, Guilty of the Errors charged on Him. However, in a little time Arius by ſome means was Recalled, Euſebius of Nicomedea, and Theognis of Nice, making Application to the Emperor, were Reſtored to their Biſhopricks; the Controverſie ſeemingly at an End, and all Agreed. But notwithſtanding this appearance of Agreement, and the Proteſtations of Sincerity in their Subſcriptions, the Quarrel was only for a while covered, not quenched, it ſoon brake out again. The Arians grew ſtrong, Prevailed, and moſt barbarouſly Perſecuted, Tormented, and Murthered Multitudes for abiding faithful to the Truth.
From theſe Intimations, it doth appear what a Mother this want of Candour is to Controverſie. It is theſe Prejudices Undue Suſpitions, and Evil Surmizings, enſnaring Good Men to faſten an ill ſenſe upon the words, and Practices of one another, and Charging each others Notions with Unſeen and Diſclaimed Conſequences; which does Drive men to Opinions, beyond what they before were inclined to, if not make ſuch: Impreſſions on their Minds as to Provoke them to Embrace thoſe they Deteſted. Beſides, theſe Contentions being managed with ſo much Heat and Violence, did at that time fill the Jews with Joy,foreign. Socr. Hiſt. Eccl. lib. 1. c. 3. and expoſed the Chriſtians to the Contempt and Scorn of the Heathen. From whence it ariſeth, that Peace among Chriſtians is not ſo Great a Bleſſing, but Diviſions, Strifes, Contentions and Broils are as Pernicious and Hurtful.
To Prevent the Breach, or Heal it, when made, to procure Peace, and preſerve it when got, is a work attended with unaccountable Difficulties. There are ſuch Remainders of Pride and other Luſts in the Hearts of the beſt, that Satan no ſooner throws before them a Hurtful Temptation, but they catch at it. And it is ſo Natural for Learned and Pious Men to be Aſſuming and Dogmatical, that they can neither bear a Reproof, nor a Diſſenter; and others ſo full of Suſpition and Jealouſie, that Healing Attempts cannot eſcape the Cenſure of being Trick and Ill Deſign. There is ſuch a narrowneſs in the Minds of moſt, that they can't ſee any thing to be True or Good, but what falls within a very ſmall compaſs. What is not agreeable to their own confined Thoughts and Expreſſions is Unſound and Heretical, and whoever endeavours to convince them of their Miſtake is their Enemy, and ſhall be treated accordingly; whence in all Ages it hath been the Lot of Peace-makers to ſuffer Reproach: Tho' they are ſincerely concerned for the Glory of God, and the Defence of Truth, as well as the Churches Peace; yet becauſe they cannot be within the ſame Circle with them, but are more Charitable and ſpeak favourably of their Adverſaries, they muſt be of the number of ſuch as betray the Truth. He that will deal uprightly with all, and flatter none, muſt count on the being neglected by all. None more in danger of being Scorched by the Flames, than they who moſt heartily labour to quench the Raging Fire.Nazian. in Orat. 14. Nazianzen, long ago obſerved, That whoever, ſtudious of Peace, do undertake to mediate between Contending Parties, are ſure to be ill treated by both.
However Peace is ſo Excellent a Thing, that we muſt be content to give the utmoſt, (next Truth,) for its Purchaſe. Gain it we muſt, or the Church, the Souls of Men and Chriſt himſelf will be the Loſers, but Gain it we never can, unleſs we be more Merciful and Compaſſionate in Judging One another. We ſhall never find the Right way to Peace, until we Caſt off Inveterate Prejudices, Unjuſt Suſpicions, Jealouſies, Surmizings, and Put on that Charity which envveth not, but is kind, ſuffereth long, hopeth all things, endureth all things: We muſt Judge others with that Candor we would they ſhould Judge us, and in all Doubtful Caſes take the moſt Benign Interpretation, In dubiis Benignior Interpretatio accipienda ſemper; favendum Reo.and Favour the Accuſed Party.
A Regard to theſe Rules in Conjunction with a Juſt Care to Secure and Defend Truth, will Reduce the many Controverſies in Matters of Religion among Proteſtants to a ſmaller Number, without giving Countenance to the leaſt Error.