THE HEADS OF REASONS, FOR WHICH A General Council of PROTESTANTS ought to be called together in England.  
Published by Authority.  
LONDON, Printed by E.P. for Nicolas Bourne and are to be sold at his shop at the South entrance of the Royal Exchange. 1641.   

THE HEADS OF REASONS, for which a general Council of Protestants ought to be called together in England.  
IT may be made good first, That a general Council of Protestants will be not only most useful unto the whole Church of God, but even very necessary both to the same and to all Protestants States, and most of all to the Church and State of England at this present time. Secondly, That the wavof calling it together in Great Britain will be easy. Thirdly, And that the manner of proceeding therein towards the redressing of public evils, will be safe and sure, without all apparent difficulties. Therefore it must be concluded, that the purpose of calling such a meeting at this time, aught to be taken to heart by the Church and State of Great Britain. And to make the former propositions good, that the latter may be inferred, let us consider the particulars thereof.  

Of the first.  
First, the great usefulness of such a Council will be, that on the one side the Gospel of jesus Christ considered in itself, than the Churches of God professing that Gospel, and with these all the public States, wherein these Churches dwell, will receive thereby incredible advantages, and on the other side the superstitions and errors of Popery, the heresies of other Sects, which more secretly undermine the truth, and the open scandals and disputes, which disturb the peace of many men's consciences, which trouble and divide the Churches, and breed in end all these confusions, and disorders which shake public States, will be abolished and taken out of the way.  
And to make this more plain, it may in due time by God's grace be made apparent to the full, that,  
The Gospel of Christ in itself considered, will by such a meeting receive these advantages.  
1. Matters of chief doubt necessary to be decided (lest Atheism and Libertinism increase more and more still, as they begin in many parts) may be cleared.  
2. Fundamentals of Christian truth and faith, may be fully and invincibly settled by common consent.  
3. The public profession of Divine worship may be brought to some Religious uniformity, so fare as is expedient for the amiable correspondency of several Churches one with another, and is sit for the edification of all Christians.  
4. The means of propagating the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ towards those that are yet in darkness, and destitute of true and sufficient helps to attain assuredly to salvation may be agreed upon, and set a foot for the advancement of God's glory.  
The Churches making profession of the Gospel, may by this means receive these advantages.  
1. All the evil intelligences which now are between the Churches by reason of mistake and superfluous disputes will be taken away, when parties shall come to understand one another's meaning rightly.  
2. The brotherly affections of mutual love and care for one another's edification, & preservation in the fear of God (which is the true badge of Christ's Disciples) will be taken up & begotten in the hearts of upright Divines who now are at a doleful distance: by reason of misunderstandings, and evil surmises risen amongst them.  
3. The Churches will increase in number, and all the members thereof being taught by their Leaders, to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and love, after this meeting will grow in knowledge, and in godly zeal to all virtue.  
4 A spiritual correspondency for mutual communion of Holy things, belonging to the public good of Religion, may be by this means settled betwixt the Churches and afterward entertained, from whence incredible comforts will arise to every one in particular, and to all an general which truly profess Religion.  
The States wherein the united Churches do dwell may receive from hence these advantages.  
1. Within themselves they will be more settled in quietness then heretofore they have been, and in all likelihood attain to a full and constant peace one towards another.  
2. Together with inward peace all the blessings attending the same in plenty and prosperity will follow.  
3. In respect of those that are without, they will be in safety from the practices of evil instruments which have been sent amongst us, and set a work, or have set themselves for their own ends politicly a work; to work the division of Protestants, and by their division their overthrow.  
4. If they be assaulted, as now they have been a long while ago, more for their Religion then for any other cause, they will receive strength and assistance one from another, and not be so fare divided in Counsels as hitherto they have been to their own overthrow.  
These are the advantages on the right hand, which by this Council will clearly redound unto the Gospel, to the Churches, and to the States Protestants.  
The advantages on the left hand are no less if not fare more apparent; for by this means,  
The superstitious fooleries and errors of Popish Religion, together with the tyrannical practices, usurpations and pretensions of Papists against Protestans will be brought to nought, and lose clearly all the advantages which hitherto they have had against the Churches, and so the greatest blow that ever was yet given unto Popery, will by this means be given to it. Which is a thing so clear that no rational man can doubt of it, if he but a little consider that although the meeting should not yet (as it needeth not) be called to condemn Popery, yet if it but showeth forth the truth of God, in that wherein it is fundamentally professed by Protestants, and setteth their Churches in some kind of union amongst themselves, and bringeth their intentions to some good and easy correspondency, for the future manifestation and advancement of the Gospel towards those that are kept in ignorance and spiritual slavery by the Pope: it will make him fall from his usurped Throne to the ground, and his whole imaginary Religion with him into contempt, even as Satan fell from heaven like lightning, when Christ sent forth his seventy disciples, which preached the Gospel. As for the Heresies of other Sects which secretly undermine the fundamentals of saving truth, and sound government; these do as much harm in corrupting the minds of simple ones in the dark, as the Papists do openly by violence and other practices upon the affections of men that are wise after this world. Therefore to cut these short of the advantages which they now take from our distractions, this meeting may greatly serve. For if the truth of fundamentals once be evidently cleared, than a course may besettled, to deal both by authority with those that are impudently blasphemous, scandalous and refractory, against the clearly fundamental truth of God's word, and likewise by treaties in all lenity and long-suffering with careful instruction and Council, to give satisfaction to the scrupulous consciences of the weaker sort; by which means the force of their seduction will come to an end. For now they prevail only, because no such course is taken by common consent: And no such course can be taken by common consent, except it be done with common advice; and this cannot be done, except a General Council of Protestants be called to consult upon the matter.  
The last advantage of the left hand redoundeth to the Gospel, to the Churches, to the States, and to every particular person therein all at once. For the removing, first of needless disputes; which upon this meeting will infallibly (if it be well ordered) follow, will prevent contentiousness, and strife of parties. And if this be prevented, public scandals will of themselves cease, so fare as they proceed from that licentiousness, and inordinate course which men take to offend one another in the way of partiality and contradiction. Which way being once stopped, the wellspring of a thousand public evils will be dried up; and if there were none other motive to induce his Majesty, and the Church and State of England, to call such a meeting of Protestant Divines but this alone: namely that the fountain of such bitter waters of strife may be dried up, it would be sufficient to draw them to this resolution, whether they look in particular to themselves at this time, or in general to the whole States of Protestants, wherein their safety is involved.  
And from hence ariseth, if not an absolute, yet a very urgent necessity of making use of this council at this time; because if now it be either absolutely, or at least very urgently necessary, not only by reason of Gods express and general Commandment to this effect, but also by reason of public and private calamities, distractions and scandalously pernicious disorders more frequent now, then at others times, to aim at the seeking of peace in the profession of his Gospel. And if this peace cannot truly be sought for, or any ways obtained or hoped for, without such a meeting of Protestants; then it followeth that such a meeting is at this time, if not absolutely, yet very urgently necessary.  
But this may easily be made manifest, that without such a meeting, a true and settled peace of Protestant Divines and Churches, cannot be obtained, according to God's Commandment, for the advantage of the Gospel, and the safety of their public States: therefore it must also be concluded, that the aim of calling such a meeting, is not only most useful, but also either absolutely, or at least very urgently necessary.  
Much could be said of this, either absolute or at least very urgent necessity of procuring peace and unity, as well amongst Protestants in general, as in particular amongst the Churches of Great Britain, and of the peculiar advantages, which those of Great Britain should gain more than others, by calling a meeting of Protestants to that effect, but now I will surcease from this subject, and leave the matter to the more serious consideration of the judicious and pious Reader, who can discern what the true causes and remedies of public evils are, and how the safety of the Church and State of England at this time cannot be procured without some especial relation, which it must have towards other Protestant Churches and States.   

Of the second.  
To show that in England such a meeting may easily be called together, I must in the first place presuppose that the State will be free from troubles and dangers of war, and that there is a willingness in the King and Clergy to have it called, and then in the second place it must be made apparent, 1. That the minds and dispositions, of the chief of all Protestant parties, are now sufficiently prepared to embrace and entertain with gladness such a motion, if it should be proposed unto them in a convenient way by any one of eminent Authority, which is able to be at some extraordinary charges to that effect.  
2. That the most judicious Protestant Divines and Statesmen in every party do judge such a meeting to be not only useful, but necessary to make an end of our divisions.  
3. That not only the most judicious, but even almost all such as are of any note, have given already their consent and advice towards such a meeting; and amongst these all the truly peaceable and godly wish earnestly for the calling of it together, ever since the Evangelicall States of Germany have made a Decree in the year 1634 that at some time convenient, when the affairs of the Empire should settle a little, such a meeting should be called.  
Now seeing that time is not yet come in Germany, nor like to come in haste, and nevertheless on all sides the necessities of such a remedy, to cure public evils grow daily greater and greater. Therefore the Church and state of England, is to be entreated for its own safety and peace, and for the love of God's glory, to help the public good in this behalf.  
4. That the further preparatives, namely to call,  
1. Those that are to be called. 2. To deal particularly with them, that they may be preinformed of the scope & manner of treating intended. And 3. To order and preconceive the whole way of proceeding towards a full and happy conclusion of the treaty; such as may be without exception on all sides, will not require above a years space, after the resolution is once taken to call the Counsel together. All which may be made palpably and particularly, manifest in a very short space, if it once appear, that this motion is not slighted. And if it be slighted, I do hereby declare that I have washed mine hands in innocency, and cleared my conscience from that guilt, which will lie heavy upon those, who are incendiaries of strife, or accessary thereunto, or being able, will not help to redress and to heal the breaches of Zion, which strife and ambition have made and augment daily.   

Of the third,  
To show that the manner of proceeding in such a meeting of Protestanes may be such as will certainly without all apparent difficulty reach the ends, wherefore it ought to be called: We must conceive what the properanddirect scope of the coming together of this Counsel should be: How the Divines should be brought together? how, when they are come together he that calleth them should deal with them, to oblige them to the scope for which they meet? What they should treat off? how they should severally conceive, and jointly confer their thoughts? how the general conclusion, and consent of all their resolutions is to be taken up and ratified? and lastly Low the same is to be introduced into all the Churches; for their mutual union, peace, and edification?  
Of these heads to speak but a word, conceive thus of each.  
1. First, the scope for which the Council should be called, should not be directly to decide matters of particular controversy, or to make determinations and Decrees, whereunto the consciences of all men, as by absolute command of that Assembly should be obliged implicitly to submit their belief, and blindly to give obedience, but rather to declare their meanings, only concerning the union of Protestants in fundamental truths and forms of Doctrines most necessary for edification, and to give their advices concerning the way of uniting Protestant's in the public profession of those truths, and in the means of peaceable government for mutual edification in time to come, and for taking away of scandals, and preventing of the causes of future breaches.  
2. The way of bringing them together must be by entreaty made to the Superiors of all parties, requiring that they would send, some able judicious and godly men sit to give counsel in such cases. And to make this entreaty effectual, some sit Messenger, or Messengers must be used to insinuate the purpose of their calling together unto the State whence they are called, lest jealousies rise and hinder the proceeding of the work.  
3. When they are come together, they are to be obliged unto the scope of their meeting by a solemn form of Oath, binding them first to sincerity in respect of their meanings, which are to be declared in the presence of God, and then to certain other conditions not to be refused by any; whereby the danger of rash contradictions, needless disputes, and frivolous tergiversations in profitable matters may be prevented, and the true manner of their treaty limited within due bounds.  
4. The subjects whereof they should treat are the particulars, contained under the ends heretofore named, whereof a list must be made, with a clear demonstration of the coherence of every Subject with another; and of the importance of every one for the attaining of the chief end to which it must be referred in the consideration which is to be taken of it.  
5. The manner of conceiving severally and conferring jointly their thoughts, must be done in write.  
Therefore to conceive their determinations and counsels, the subjects of meditation are to be given to every College apart in write, by way of question proposed: whereunto the manner of answering is to be prelimited, in respect of the grounds whence the answer is to be taken; of the form, how it should be set down, and of the end to which it is more distinctly to be referred. And to confer their determinations and counsels jointly, it may be done by a Committee of some few, which he who calleth them together, may appoint. And this Committee should contract the variety of all the answers, to so few heads as may be, without omitting any thing which may be thought material.  
6. The general consent of all their resolutions is to be gathered from their own declarations into one sum, yet by distinct heads of matters set down. And it should be given to every one severally to be perused, before it be ratified, as an Act of the Council. And when all are willing to acknowledge it as their own Act, than it should be subscribed.  
7. The manner of introducing the Acts of such a Council in all particular Churches, should be determined in the Council itself, showing what course should be taken every where to acquaint the Ministers therewith in all Churches, so as they may receive full satisfaction in case of any doubt, and have no cause to complain, that a yoke of humane constitutions is put upon them, by the authority of some few, or that they are too much limited in that liberty, which Christ giveth to his Servants in the Gospel, to prophesy and practice things tending to private or public edification. All this may be done without the formality and trouble of many Sessions, and public meetings which might perhaps breed some inconveniences here needless to be mentioned.  
Lastly, the charges will not be a great burden to England, although it should bear the same all alone, and although the meeting should last a year or two: but it may be made good, that in one year space and sooner also, the work may be done. And that most of the Protestant States will be willing to send their own Divines, at their own charges. And no doubt a free contribution will easily be obtained of all good Protestants, to bring such a happy work to pass.   
FINIS.