The Grotian Religion Discovered, Section 3 – Section 5
SECT. III.
AND 2. For his Pacificatory design, §. 3.in General I take it to be one of the most Christian, noble, blessed works, that any man can be employed in, to heal (if it be possible) the Divisions of the Churches, that laying by our passions, and uncharitableness and contentions, we might Loveingly and Peaceably serve the Lord, and walk together in the fellowship of the Gospel to everlasting life. O that the souls of all the Pastors and People of Christs Church, were sensible of the sinfulness and hurt of our Divisions, and were as zealous for the Unity and Peace of Christians, as they are for duties of a lower nature, and as desirous of the healing of our sad distractions, as they are for many a lesser Mercy: O that they would follow God as hard in their Prayers, and men in their solicitations, for the return of Charity, and the Recovery of Peace, as they would pray or strive for their Estates or Lives or the saving of their souls. For my own part, I am a person of so little worth or interest, that I cannot in reason expect that my endeavours, in such a work should have any considerable success: But yet, though I saw not a man in the world that would regard it, or return me any better thanks then a reproach, … am resolved, if God vouchsafe me opportunity and assistance, to speak for Peace, while I have a tongue to speak, and to write for Peace, while I have a hand to write, and to live to the Churches Peace, while I have an hour to live, and am able to do any thing that may promote it.
It is not therefore the Pacificatory desires or designs of Grotius or any other that I distaste. Could I find such a heart within me, I would cast it in the dust, and condemn it to shame and sorrow and recantation; so much as I love the Churches Unity and Peace less then Grotius or you, so much I am a worse man then Grotius or you; and so I freely warrant you to judge of me. But were it meet for me to play the fool and glory, I know no inward affection of my soul that I can more confidently and assuredly boast of, and say, I feel it reign within me, then an uncessant burning desire after the Reformation and Concord of the Churches. Nor will I for fear of the censures of any man, that will call me Pharisee or Proud, conceal that work of God upon my soul, the mentioning whereof may tend to excite the like in others. As the Hallowing of Gods Name and the Coming of his Kingdom, and the doing his will throughout the Earth in conformity to Heaven, is prescribed us as the matter of our first requests, so must I needs say that when I let my prayers loose to follow the bent and inclination of my soul, they begin in a compassionate deploring of the condition of the Nations of Heathens, Mahometans and other Infidels that are strangers to Christ, and thence they proceed to a Commemoration of the state of the Church universal, before they come home to this clod of earth on which we tread: If then you say that I blame you or Grotius for seeking Peace or common Good, I take it as if you said, that I blame you for being Christians, if not for being men, and that I would have you turn the enemies of the Church and all mankind. The Lord knows the most honourable employment in this world in my eyes is the Conversion of the Unbelieving Nations; and the next to it is the Healing of the Polluted and Divided Churches. No man on earth is honoured in my thoughts for his works sake more then Mr. Eliots in New England, the Apostle to those Americans, with his Helpers; and truly next him I have very Honourable and Grateful thoughts of the Labours of the Jesuites and Fryers for the Japenians, Brasilians, Chinenses and other Infidel Nations; so that my heart riseth against their fopperies and Papal interest that by interposing marreth so good a work; and against either Hollanders or any others that have hindered them in it; and I could wish that the world had a thousand Jesuites for one, on condition they were imployed in no other work. And next to these, there is none so grateful to my thoughts as the Reformers and Peace-makers. Oh how delightful is it to me to read Bishop Halls Peace-maker & his Pax terris, and Davenants, Mortons, and his Pacificatory Tracts: and to read such Tractates as Calixtus, Crocius, Joh. Bergius, Conrad. Bergius, Hottonus, Morinus, Amyraldus, Hayn, yea and Acontius too, with many the like, that have written for Pacification. The Irenicon of Junius, of Paraeus, of Jer. Burroughs and others, are delicious recreations to me, when I have leisure to review them. Melanctthons peaceable Spirit and writings, are acceptable to me as well as to Grotius. But his own words and Pezelius have satisfied me, that Melanchthon and Grotius were not of a mind, in many a weighty point of doctrine, for all his constant glorying in Melanchthon: Much less were Junius and he of a mind.
SECT. IV.
MOreover, I must say, that though §. 4.I dissent much from Grotius his way of Pacification; yet are not my thoughts of Grotius, Cassander, Erasmus, Modrevius, Wicelius or others of that strain, no nor of Thuanus, and many more moderate Papists, either bitter, censorious or uncharitable; nor did I ever damn them in my censures, or reckon them with the Spanish, Italian, violent, bloody, persecuting sort. When I read the writings of Cassander, Thaulerus, Ferus and others of Germany, I think they are now blessed souls with Christ. And when I read the writings of Espensaeus, Albaspinaeus, and many other moderate French men, especially those of the Nobility who are most impartial, I cannot but read them with a great deal of Love and Honour to the Writers. The French Moderation is acceptable to all good men: That Nation is an honourable part of the Church of Christ in my esteem *Its great blemish, is, the streams of blood that have been spilt by Massacres.. Much more must I Honour the pacificatory endeavours of any that attempt the Healing of the Church; So that thus far Grotius and Cassander and their followers are deservedly esteemed by us. And if if I knew never so many Grotian or Cassandrian Papists in England, though I would not be one of them, nor have others misled by them, yet would I love them, and much prefer them before the more violent sort of Papists.
SECT. V.
THE things then that I dissallow in §. 5.Grotius his design and doctrines, are these. 1. That he was not truly Catholick in those designs and doctrines. So far am I from condemning him for extending his charity & Healing attempts as far as to the Papists, that my greatest dislike is that he extended them no further. He begun his Pacificatory attempts with the Protestants only, for the uniting of the Arminians and Calvinists (see his notable Oration in Senatu Amstelodamensi.) Afterwards he thought this too narrow a design, and unanswerable to his later principles, and so turning Papist, imagined that Rome must be the Head of the Unity, or else it could not be expected. But by this means he dropt into a deplorable Schism, excluding all the Affrican, Asian and European Churches that cannot submit to the Roman Head, and to many of those Doctrines which Grotius now at last doth patronize. Saith Bishop Bromhal to Mileterius (p. 51.) [If you seek to obtrude upon him the Roman Church with its adherents for the Catholick Church, excluding three parts of four of the Christian world from the Communion of Christ, or the opinions thereof for Articles and Fundamentals of Catholick Faith, neither his Reason, nor his Religion, nor his Charity will suffer him to listen to you.] Was this Catholicism, ro set up a Head or Center of Union, with other termes of Union and Peace which three parts of four of the (already) Catholick Church do dissent from? What may be called Schism if this be a Catholick design? This is my first dislike.