Gildas Salvianus: The Reformed Pastor

Well! this is the thing that I would recommend therefore to all my Brethren as the most necessary thing to the Churches peace, that you Unite in necessary truths, and tolerate tolerable failings; and bear with one another in things that may be born with; and do not make a larger Creed, and more necessaries then God hath done. And to that end, let no mans writings, nor the judgement of any party though right, be taken as a test, or made that rule. And I, Lay not too great a stress upon controverted opinions, which have godly men, and specially whole Churches on both sides. 2. Lay not too great a stress on those Controversies that are ultimately resolved into Philosophical uncertainties (as some unprofitable controversies are about Free-will, and the manner of the spirits operation of Grace, and the Divine Decrees and Pre-determination.) 3. Lay not too great a stress on those controversies that are merely verbal, and if they were anatomized would appear to be no more. Of which sort are far more, (I speak it confidently upon certain knowledge) that now make a great noise in the world, and tear the Church, then almost any of the eager contenders that ever I spoke with do seem to discern, or are like to believe. 4. Lay not too much on any point of faith which was disowned of, or unknown to the whole Church of Christ in any age since the Scriptures were delivered us. 5. Much less should you lay too much on those which any of the more pure or judicious ages were wholly ignorant of. 6. And least of all, should you lay too much on any point which no one age since the Apostles did ever receive, but all commonly hold ⟨p. 293⟩the contrary. For to make such an error which all the Church held, to be such as is damning were to unchurch all the Church of Christ: and to make it such, as must exclude them from our Communion. 1. Doth make the whole Church excommunicable, which is absurd. 2. And doth show that i• we had lived in that age, you would it seems have separated from the whole Church. To give an instance of the difference among errors. That any elect person shall fall away totally and finally, is a palpable condemned error; of dangerous consequence. But that there are some justified ones not elect that shall fall away and perish, is an error of a lower nature, which may not break the Communion of Christians:

Well! this is the thing that I would recommend therefore to all my Brethren as the most necessary thing to the Churches peace, that you Unite in necessary truths, and tolerate tolerable failings; and bear with one another in things that may be born with; and do not make a larger Creed, and more necessaries then God hath done. And to that end, let no mans writings, nor the judgement of any party though right, be taken as a test, or made that rule. And I, Lay not too great a stress upon controverted opinions, which have godly men, and specially whole Churches on both sides. 2. Lay not too great a stress on those Controversies that are ultimately resolved into Philosophical uncertainties (as some unprofitable controversies are about Free-will, and the manner of the spirits operation of Grace, and the Divine Decrees and Pre-determination.) 3. Lay not too great a stress on those controversies that are meerly verbal, and if they were anatomized would appear to be no more. Of which sort are far more, (I speak it confidently upon certain knowledge) that now make a great noise in the world, and tear the Church, then almost any of the eager contenders that ever I spoke with do seem to discern, or are like to believe. 4. Lay not too much on any point of faith which was disowned of, or unknown to the whole Church of Christ in any age since the Scriptures were delivered us. 5. Much less should you lay too much on those which any of the more pure or judicious ages were wholly ignorant of. 6. And least of all, should you lay too much on any point which no one age since the Apostles did ever receive, but all commonly hold