The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, 27 (Alençon) · Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX. The Teſtimonials of divers Doctors and Univerſities, unto the Treatiſe of Monſieur Rivett, againſt the Books of the Sieurs Amyraud and Teſtard.
To the moſt Honoured and our moſt Excellent Colleague, Andrew Rivett Profeſſor of Divinity.
WE did read with ſingular delight your Remarks on the Writings of Monſieur Amyraud, Pastor and Profeſſor at Saumur, which we had ſeen ſometimes before, and we have found them exactly agreeing, both with the Holy Scripture in all Articles of Faith, and in thoſe wherein our National Synod of Dort, had declared its Judgment; and therefore we approve of your Writing as being very Learned and Moderate, and count it Worthy of Praiſe from all Orthodox Divines; and we doubt not in the leaſt, but that this your Labour will be moſt acceptable unto the now approaching National Synod of France, and will be uſeful and ſerviceable for the ſuppreſſing and putting a period by due and proper ways, unto theſe late Controverſies, which ſome certain Paſtors, affected and addicted unto Novelties, have to their ſhame, raiſed in the French Churches, to the great Offence of very many Godly Perſons.
From Leyden, March 14. 1637. Your Reverences moſt Affectionate Colleagues,
Johannes Polyander,
Antonius Wallaeus,
Antonius Thyſius, and
Jacobus Triglandius.
Extracts out of a Letter ſent by Mr. John Bogerman, to Mr. Andrew Rivett, from Franequer, Feb. 7. 1637.
HAving thus concerted that Affair among our ſelves, we now Write you our preſent Judgment, which in this Paper is Tranſmitted to you, begging of God with all our heart, That he would bleſs your Holy Labours, and behold in the Son of his Love, your diſtreſſed Churches of France, which have been hitherto as a Pure and Chaſte Virgin, and have kept inviolably their Oath of Fidelity unto the Truth; but now-a-days begin to be troubled with impure Errors, and of a very dangerous Heterodoxy. My Colleagues could not read that French Book of the Profeſſor Amyraud, becauſe they don't underſtand the French Tongue, therefore did I moſt Faithfully make thoſe Extracts, which you ſee, out of his Writings. Our ears could not ſuffer with any Patience, thoſe Novelties of a double Predeſtination unto Salvation, and of a certain general knowledge by the light of Nature of the Mercy of God to all Men, and of another particular knowledge of the ſame Mercy unto particular perſons; of a double Decree of God, without any knowledge of Chriſt. The good Lord be merciful unto theſe Brethren, and according to his infinite goodneſs, grant that they may have but one and the ſame Mind, and the ſame Language with all the Churches of Chriſt; and may he ever watch over you to keep and preſerve you for many long years yet to come, to the Glory of his Great Name, and the Edification of his Church.
To that moſt Excellent Perſon, our moſt Dear Brother in Jeſus Chriſt, Maſter Rivett, Greeting. SIR,
HAving received your Writing, together with the Books of this 21. of January, we peruſed them very diligently, and were grieved in our hearts, that the Seeds of new troubles were ſowen in your Churches of France: Thus Satan, who is always the ſame and like himſelf, endeavours by vile Errours to obſcure the Luſtre of the Truth, and continually diſcovers himſelf a moſt mortal Enemy of the Grace of God. And, Oh that our moſt Gracious God, whoſe great Benignity towards us, deſerveth our everlaſting Praiſes, would deign to preſerve your poor Churches of France from all their Enemies, and from thoſe woful troubles attending on them. Theſe Attacks of the Adverſary, are ill-boding ſigns of ſome ſad Events, which may betide them, unleſs they be reſiſted with ſingular Prudence, and an immovable Reſolution in their firſt beginnings, and that they be ſtifled in the Birth. For what is it, that Men are hammering out of this multitude of Errors, but a certain new Arminianiſm, Pelagianiſm, and Socinianiſm? That odd and ridiculous Opinion of Vorſtius, concerning the changeable Decrees is once again digged out of its Grave, and brought upon the publick Theatre; yea, and that ſpurious Doctrine of the Jeſuits, condemned by the School-men themſelves, appears bare-faced before the World. Alas! How many points incompatible one with another, are there to be found in Monſieur Teſtard his Book? For his latter Theſes ſubvert the former, and ſo far are theſe Pamphlets from conciliating Peace, that to the contrary, we believe, the Adverſaries are more exaſperated by them, animated and ſtrengthened to Combat with us; and that Saying of Monſieur Beza may be justly applied to this Script, He would have forged a Peace, but he hath forged out Diſſention.
Sir, You are very well acquainted with the Man, and therefore we Judge it your Duty to examine his work, and cenſure it, and to return it back unto us, that we alſo may add our conſent unto your performance. What you have already done, diſcovers a Holy, Religious, and Charitable Affection to the Service of God, and to the Edification of the Churches in your Native Countrey. Your Remarks upon his Errors are very, clear, your Confutations of them exceeding Solid, and the Admonitions you have miniſtred unto our Brethren, expreſs a great deal of Chriſtian Charity; and what you have done in this matter, is highly pleaſing to us, and we cannot but Eſteem, and Honour you the more for your ſingular care in defending the Truth, and conſerving the Peace of God's Church, and we Praiſe and Applaud your Pious Zeal for the Service of God, and of his Church. And what Man fearing God, but will cheriſh in you theſe good Diſpoſitions, and your Praiſe-worthy Labours? May our God, who hath breathed into you theſe Divine Motions and Affections, maintain them in you. And the Lord grant that the Churches of France may acknowledge with due reſpects and thankfulneſs your Zeal, and approve of your Writing, and may remove thoſe Errors, which you have detected to them, from among them, and watch over them, that they may not gain ground in the midſt them, for they have a tendency to Exclude our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, from being a means of Salvation. And further, we do with all our hearts beſeech the God of Bounty and Mercy, that he would lengthen out your days unto many years, to the benefit of our Belgick Churches, and of thoſe in the Kingdom of France; that he would preſerve you from all evil, and accumulate upon you his beſt Bleſſings. Amen.
From Franequer, this 15. of February, 1637. Your moſt Affectionate Servants and Brethren,
Johannes Bogermannus, Dr. of Divinity, and chief Profeſſor in this Ʋniverſity.
Menardus Sertaunus, S. S. Theolog. Dr. and Profeſſor.
Johannes Majomus, Dr. and Profeſſor.
Letters from Monſieur Altingius to Monſieur Rivett, and the Approbation of the Church of Groninguen.
SIR.
IT was very late when the Pacquet you ſent me, was received by me; having opened it, I found therein cloſed three Books, written by certain Pastors in France in love with Novelties, the Diſciples of Mr. Cameron deceaſed, together with your Animadverſions upon their Doctrines, briefly Collected by you. Indeed, as I am exceedingly deſirous of the Peace and Concord of God's Church, which we do more need now than ever; ſo was I as much ſadned and dejected that thoſe Brethren, and others of their Perſwaſion, ſhould go about to change the Doctrine Eſtabliſhed in France, and the Netherlands, againſt Arminius and his Followers, and trouble the Repoſe and Tranquility of all our Churches, and grieve weak Conſciences; eſpecially thoſe who have no inſight into theſe matters and others of the ſame Nature. I doubt not but that your Churches of France will find out a convenient and ſpeedy Remedy in this their approaching National Synod, that may prevent this growing evil; according to the laudable Canons of their Diſcipline, and preſerve others from its Infection. I approve and commend your ſingular Care and Diligence for thoſe Churches, and that tho' you be at a diſtance from them, yet you do ſo ſeaſonably aſſiſt and help them. I have Communicated the whole unto Monſieur Gomarus, who was very much pleaſed with your Conſiderations, and who did not only read the Writings you had ſtitched with them, but extracted divers things, as I alſo have done to be of uſe to me, in caſe I ſhould hereafter be called out to give my Judgment on theſe points. You have here added a form of Approbation, brief indeed, but harmoniouſly agreeing with that of the Profeſſors at Leyden, and which, as we hope, will be ſufficient enough for the preſent. If you deſire any thing more, you need only hint it to me, nor uſe or urge any Arguments with me for ſo doing. I pray you to inform me, whether Monſieur Capel is a Partner in theſe Novelties, for I have held with him a moſt intire, ſincere and inviolable Friendſhip, more than thirty years. I muſt confeſs ingenuouſly unto you, that I could never well enough underſtand that Merit of the Covenant of Nature, which contains the Foundations of Pererius his Faith. Could I have met but with a Meſſenger any one day of this laſt week, I had ſent the whole unto Monſieur Bogerman, which (God willing) I ſhall do by the very firſt opportunity. The Lord preſerve you, my moſt Illuſtrious and Dear Brother, and whom I Honour with my whole heart; and the Lord lengthen out your life many a year, for the Service of his poor Church; and give down his Heavenly Bleſſing upon your worthy Labours to the Glory of his Great Name.
From Groninguen, Decemb. 27. 1636. Henricus Altingius.
The Form of Approbation.
WE have Read and Examined in the fear of God, the Theological Conſiderations of that moſt Famous Divine Monſieur Rivett, upon the Abridgement of the Doctrine of Nature and Grace; which as they do clearly repeat that Orthodox Conſent ſettled againſt the Pelagians and Semi-Pelagians, by the Synod of Dort in Holland, and of Charenton in France; ſo be they alſo meet and fit for their ſingular Prudence, Moderation and Charity, to ſtop the Progreſs, yea, and wholly to ſuppreſs thoſe unhappy Controverſies which are lately ſtarted by ſome certain Paſtors, who be more in love with Novelties and Subtilties, than with plain and ſimple Verity. They have ſhown a great deal of Imprudence in raiſing them, and have alſo Scandalized the Churches and Univerſities of France. We beſeech God, through our Lord Jeſus, That he would give his Bleſſing from Heaven, unto the Deſigns and Labours of this Man of God, and that he would Sanctifie us all, and keep us in the Truth.
From Groninguen, this 27th. of December, 1636.
Francis Gomarus, Doctor of Divinity, and Profeſſor in that Univerſity.
Henricus Altingius, S. T. P.
The Original of this preſent Formulary of Approbation being in my Cuſtody, in caſe any one ſhould call in queſtion the Truth of the Copies thereof, I ſhall produce it at any time for their ſatisfaction. I could not get the firſt Copy which I took from the Original, and ſent back to be Subſcribed by thoſe Reverend Perſons, who had Signed the Original to be Subſcribed, becauſe ſome of them were then abſent from the City of Groninguen, and becauſe I was neceſſitated to diſpatch this ſecond Copy ſo ſuddenly, that it could not poſſibly be atteſted by them. But in caſe the firſt Copy ſhould not be delivered to our Reverend Brethren, yet nevertheleſs, I hope, they will credit theſe, which in the preſence of God, I do avouch to have been moſt Faithfully extracted from the Original.
From the Hague, in much haſte, this 17th. of May, 1637. Andrew Rivett.