A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many useful questions and cases of conscience are…A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many usefull questions and cases of conscience are…

It is always to be remembered, that good things, yea the best things may be dangerously abused by the corruptions of Men, especially when the times are generally corrupted. Luther had reason in his time, and as the case stood then, to decline a general Synod of Protestants for unity in ceremonies (which some moved for) before the doctrine of Faith, and the substance of the Gospel was settled. He said the name of Synods and Counsels was almost as much suspected with him, as the name of free will, and that he would have the Churches freely and voluntarily to comply and conform in external rites, by following the best examples in these things, but by ⟨p. 195⟩no means to be compelled to it, or snares prepared for the consciences of the weak. See Melchior Adamus in vit: Lutheri pag: 128, 129. But if Luther had found as good opportunity and as much possibility of attaining a right uniformity in Church government and Worship, as God vouchsafeth us in this age, I do not doubt, but he had been more zealous for it, then any of us now are, or if he had been in Calvins stead, I make no question he had done in this business as Calvin did. So that we ought to impute it rather to their times and places in which they lived, then to the difference of their Spirits, that Luther's zeal was wholly spent upon the doctrine of Free grace. Calvins zeal did also extendit self to Discipline, about which Luther was unwilling to make any business at all. But for further satisfaction to truly tender consciences, and that they may not fear we are leading them back again to Egypt, I desire that these particular differences between the Prelatical Conformity, and the Presbyterial uniformity according to the Covenant, may be well observed.

It is alwayes to be remembred, that good things, yea the best things may be dangerously abused by the corruptions of Men, especially when the times are generally corrupted. Luther had reason in his time, and as the case stood then, to decline a generall Synod of Protestants for unity in ceremonies (which some moved for) before the doctrine of Faith, and the substance of the Gospell was setled. He said the name of Synods and Counsels was almost als much suspected with him, as the name of free will, and that he would have the Churches freely and voluntarly to comply and conforme in externall rites, by following the best examples in these things, but by ⟨p. 195⟩