Apology for the Reformed Churches, Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. A concluſion of this Treatiſe. That They, who are of our perſwaſion, are obliged to forſake the communion of Rome; and, They who are not, are to prove and trie their own faith, before they condemne our ſeparation from them.
THus, I think, I have ſufficiently juſtified our Separation from the Church of Rome. Whence it appears, how lamentable the condition of them is, who having the ſame opinion, which we have concerning her doctrine and ſervices, do not depart from her Communion, but accuſe us for ſo doing. For who doth not ſee, that it is a neceſſary prudence, and not a vain ſuperſtition, to avoid that which men judge to be peſtilentiall and mortall? and that on the other ſide, it is an unexecuſable careleſneſſe, to doe and exerciſe continually, what men acknowledge to be contrary to the glory of God, the edification of their neighbours, and the ſalvation of their ſelves? If I may be permitted to addreſſe my ſelf in this particular to thoſe, who are in ſo dangerous an errour, I ſhall conjure them by their pietie to God, by their charity to men, by the care which they ſhould have continually of their own and others ſouls, to think ſeriouſly of joyning themſelves hereafter, to thoſe whoſe belief they hold, and quitting the communion of thoſe whoſe Faith they diſapprove. And let them not ſlatter themſelves to think, that the Church of Rome retaineth the Apoſtles Creed, and the ſumme of Chriſtian doctrine, ſince it is evident, That one at leaſt of thoſe errours which they adde thereto are mortall. For as thoſe good and wholeſome meats which a man eateth at his refreſhment, hinder him not from dying, if by and by he ſwallow ſome poyſon; ſemblably, true and wholeſome doctrine doth not preſerve thoſe which believe it, if together with it they entertain ſome pernicious and damnable errour in other particulars. Evil hath this advantage above good, that it ſpreads much farther, and is farre more active. For neither truth nor vertue can ſave a man, unleſſe they be pure and ſincere, without the intermixture of any ill and dangerous habite; whereas errour and vice damne a man, be they mingled with never ſo many truths and vertues. For as a man though he be chaſte and modeſt, ſhall not inherit the Kingdome of heaven, if he be covetous, or a ſlanderer of his neighbour: ſo ſhall he not be exempted from hell torments, for believing ſome principall truths of the Goſpel; if it be found, that after all he hath adored creatures, or made profeſſion of adoring them.
But as for you, Sirs, who continue ſincerely in the Church of Rome, verily believing all that ſhe teacheth you, I ſhall beſeech you, That if you do reject our belief, you would be pleaſed at leaſt not to condemne our ſeparation, imputing that to us for a crime, which inevitable neceſſitie hath forced us to doe. God knows with what a deal of conſtraint we are come thus farre; how troubleſome a thing it hath ſeemed to us, to renounce the duties and ſervices which we owe to them, to whom we bear ſo much reſpect and love, our Princes, our Fathers, our Friends, our Countreymen. But what ſhall we doe, when we find our ſelves ſurprized with neceſſity? Ye ſee that our conſciences torment us; that they repreſent to us heaven and the eternity thereof, hel and its puniſhments, and (which is more yet) the will of God, our Soveraigne Father. This is not a toy, nor can we pleaſe our ſelves in it. You have ſeen that our belief doth neceſſarily bring along with it all theſe conſiderations. Shall we preferre yours before them? Shall we violate the motions of our conſcience? Shall we diſturb the peace thereof; and overthrow that which we beleieve to be the law of our Soveraigne God, to pleaſe you? Shall we venture willingly and knowingly, to provoke His anger, to avoid yours? Shall we fear leſſe to offend Him, then to diſpleaſe you? You your ſelves (I know very well) will condemne ſuch a looſneſſe, and in ſtead of approving it, will extremely abhorre it. For ye know, and teach as well as we, both by word and example, that we owe all to God, who looks upon the religion of our conſciences. Be pleaſed then to bear with us, if we preferre what we believe to be the intereſt of His glory, before your deſires and our own; And in other things (where your contentment will not overthrow His ſervice) we ſhall freely acknowledge, that we owe you our whole utmoſt, & are ready to teſtifie it by actions, & therein to do your abſolute pleaſures, though it be with the loſſe of what we count moſt precious on earth; our bloud, our life it ſelf. OnelyOnly ſuffer us to reſerve our conſciences to our ſelves, or rather to Him, whole and entire; over which no man can reign without affronting our God. And if you think that the judgement, we make concerning theſe matters, is an errour; be pleaſed to take the pains candidly to ſhew us it. We ſhall willingly examine your proofs, we ſhall bring pliant minds, and as full of prejudice in your behalf as you can wiſh: as perſons that have all the intereſts in the world to perſwade us, to deſire to live in your communion, if it may be with the peace of our conſciences. We honour as well as you the H. Scriptures, given and preſerved to the Church by the Providence of God, to be the laws and fountains of his Faith. Let us (we pray) ſee you prove from thence the Articles, which you preſſe ſo ſtrongly, or at leaſt the principles, whence they may be clearly and lawfully deduced. If you ſhew them us, and after ſuch a manifeſtation we continue ſcrupulous; we then neither can nor will denie, but that you will have juſt and good cauſe to eſteem us Schiſmaticks: But if you cannot, or do not, me thinks you ſhould have no reaſon to refuſe what we requeſt, viz. To bear with our ſeparation, and not hereafter to give it the odious name of ſchiſme, which agreeth onelyonly to ſuch ſeparations, as are made by a pure and voluntary opinionativeneſſe, grounded onelyonly upon the peeviſhneſſe, ambition, envy, hatred, animoſitie, or the like paſſion of ſuch, as depart from the Communion of a Church, without a true and neceſſary reaſon.
THE END.
End of the text · Jean Daille, Apology for the Reformed Churches (1653)