CHAP. LIII. Could the former terms of Peace be yielded to?Could the former terms of Peace be yielded to,
CHAP. LIII. Could the former terms of Peace be yielded to?
C ould the former terms of Peace be yielded to, it would be happy for the Churches; and I am persuaded were it not for the Italians, the French would yield to them. And some Protestants will go further, and yield to Rome; that if Papists will confine their Faith, and Government, and Worship but to those limits as the Greeks, Armenians, Ethiopians, &c. do, they will readily hold this Catholic Communion with them. But then we must still remember, 1. That we will not be bound to approve of all that they do. 2. Nor shall they go about to force all others to rise up to their pitch; nor do as the English Bishops would have done, to silence and cast out all those
Ministers that will not go beyond the Scriptures. You shall bear with all that will be Ruled by the Scripture, and we will bear with all that will not go beyond the said General Councils, or Codex Canonum Ecclesiae universalis: Yea, and admit such to our Society and Assemblies.
But now supposing that Rome will not yield to this (though me thinks France and other Nations may do it without them) the next Degree desirable is, that [At least we may take one another for Christians and Churches that
have such corruptions, as yet leave us good hopes of the salvation of multitudes, though we suppose salvation more rare and difficult where those corruptions are, then where they are not, and though we are forced to suspend that Communion with such which with sound members we should hold.] And indeed the obtaining of this much Peace, requireth no more but Christian Charity conducted by a right understanding of each other. And for my part I have already this much peace with the Church of Rome, and so have many millions more of Protestants as well as I: and I think the generality of them: But Rome hath not so much Charity for us: But we shall not answer nor be condemned for other men's uncharitableness. I need not therefore propose any means for that peace which we have already attained to, or may if we will. But then let this be accompanied by the following forbearances.