Gildas Salvianus: The Reformed Pastor

And I will purposely say nothing of any of the sins of our foreign Reformers, nor meddle with any of those sad contentions, which have brought the Reformed Churches into two such exasperated parties, Lutherans and Calvinists, (as they are commonly called) and hindered their reconciliation and frustrated all means that have been used to that end till this day, to the exceeding shame of the Pastors of these Churches, and the publishing of our darkness, Pride, and selfishness to all the world. But my present business lieth only at home, and that only with the Reformed Pastors of our Churches. For though through the ⟨p. 149⟩great mercy of God, they are far from the Papal cruelty which made bone-fires of their Brethren better then themselves throughout the Land, and as far from the worst of their Errors and false worship; yet have we been so far from innocency, that all posterity is bound to lament the miscarriages of their predecessors.

And I will purposely say nothing of any of the sins of our forrain Reformers, nor meddle with any of those sad contentions, which have brought the Reformed Churches into two such exasperated partys, Lutherans and Calvinists, (as they are commonly called) and hindred their reconciliation and frustrated all means that have been used to that end till this day, to the exceeding shame of the Pastors of these Churches, and the publishing of our darkness, Pride, and selfishness to all the world. But my present business lyeth only at home, and that only with the Reformed Pastors of our Churches. For though through the ⟨p. 149⟩great mercy of God, they are far from the Papal cruelty which made bone-fires of their Brethren better then themselves throughout the Land, and as far from the worst of their Errors and false worship; yet have we been so far from innocency, that all posterity is bound to lament the miscarriages of their predecessors.

Is it not a very sad History of the troubles at Frankford, to read that so many godly learned men that had forsaken all for the Reformed profession, and were Exiles in a foreign Land, even in a City where they had but borrowed the liberty of one Church should even then fall in pieces among themselves, and that about a Liturgy and Ceremonies, so far as to make a division; and after many plottings and counter-plottings, and underminings of one another, one part of them must leave the City, and go seek another for their liberty! What had not those few Exiles that left their native Country, lands and friends, and all for the Gospel, that fled so far for the liberty of Gods worship, and had as great advantage as most men in the world to be sensible of the excellency of Reformation and liberty, had these I say no more Christian love and tenderness, no more esteem of what they suffered for, then to fall out with one another, and almost fall upon one another, for such things as these! Would not suffering abate their pride and passions, and close their hearts, nor yet make them so far patient as to tolerate each other in so small a difference: Even when their dearest friends and fellow-servants were frying in the flames at home, and the prisons filled with them, and they had daily news of one after another that was