! Pope had fubverted all Order in the Church, which Charles IX they endeavoured to reftore; and who can lay 1561. on God fuch an obligation not to raise Paftors, Pius IV. but by ordinary methods: Nevertheless, he granted this Point, that fuch an extraordinary Vocation ought not to be credited without a thorough Examination into the Reasons and Caufes of it (y). Then he answered fully the Objections raifed concerning Traditions; and after many Altercations, the Cardinal of Lorrain having obferved that the principal Caufes of all Divifions amongst the Chriftians of that time, arofe from their different Opinions concerning the Lord's Supper, faid, that it was not poffible to proceed any further, if the Minifters did not agree upon that point. De Beze feeing the drift of that Propofition, anfwered in the Name of the rest of the Deputies, that it was not proper to begin by that Article, fince the Doctrine precedes the Sacracraments, therefore they ought to begin by that; and befides, there were many other Points controverted, which had no relation at all to the holy Supper, and others likewife previous, the Decifion of which would render the point concerning the Sacraments much easier to be understood - and decided. But the Cardinal infifting, afked the Ministers if they would fubfcribe to the Confeffion of Augfbourg? De Beze asked the Cardinal thereupon, whether he spoke in his own private Name or in the Name of the Affembly, and whether he and the Bishops there prefent would fubfcribe the fame? But he was not answered. The Cardinal infifting further; De Beze, to cut short and take away any further occafion of infifting, said, that they (y) Idem ibid. Charles IX they were come to defend the Confeffion of 1561. Faith they had prefented; that fuch were the Pope Pius IV. orders they had received from their Principals, which they could not exceed. But finally, left any should think they had afforded a pretence for breaking the Conference, Beze and his Affociates, begged that the Writing they were defired to fubfcribe to, fhould be delivered to them, that they might thoroughly examine it together. Then the Article concerning the Lord's Supper, which the Cardinal affirm'd, to have been extracted out of the Auguftan Confeffion, was delivered to them; but after Examination, it was found to be nothing elfe but a Copy of a general Confeffion drawn by the Ministers of Wurtemberg in the year 1559 And because, in that Confeffion, Tranfubftantiation, and the Adoration of the Hoft, were plainly condemned, the Cardinal had extracted only these four Lines out of it; We do firmly believe, that in the venerable Sacrament of the Eucharift, the true Body and the true Blood of Jefus Chrift is, exifts, is exhibited, and received truly, really, and facramentally by the Communicants. It was known likewife, that this Advice had been given to the Cardinal by a Lawyer, named Baldouin of Arras, who endeavouring to find means how to reconcile the Lutherans and Calvinists with the Roman Catholicks, had had a Confultation about that with George Caffander, a famous and pacifick Divine that lived at Cologn. This Gentleman coming to Court, had brought with him Caffander's Treatise, concerning the Duty of a pious and fober Man in Religious Controverfies. On that Book, Baldouin's Syftem for compofing the Differences was grounded; he caufed it to be propofed by the King of Navarr, whofe natural Son, Baldouin was Tutor to : but that that Scheme was rejected, perhaps with more Charles IX Paffion than Reafon (z). The next day, the Minifters had intelligence of the Refolution taken by the Prelates to break the Conference, if they delayed to fubfcribe the Article above-mentioned, and to caft the blame upon them; and if they refufed abfolutely the faid Subfcription, to raise against them all Germany, from whence the Cardinal expected still fome Ministers he had fent for; or if they did subscribe, to triumph by that means, because they fuppofed that the Minifters Subscribers would be expelled out of their Churches, as having betrayed them, or at leaft that there would be fome divifion amongst them. In order to avoid this, the Minifters being come (x) Thuan. Hift. lib. xxviii. As 1561. Pius IV. Pope 1561. Pope Pius IV. Charles IX As to that Article, the Minifters faid, that they had declined entering into it so far as they could, for avoiding to give any Offence; that it would be better to hear the antient Doctors of the Church, as the Cardinal had promised, who, instead of performing his Word, had offered them one Article of a Confeffion of Faith, feparated from the Context, requiring of them that they would fubfcribe to it, or elfe they would break the Conference; which way of dealing was very hard and unjuft. That it was to be confider'd they had not to deal with them only, but with more than a Million of Reformed in the Kingdom, and in Switzerland, Poland, Germany, England, and Scotland, who all waited for a good Iffue of that Affembly, and who would take it very ill, if, inftead of conferring friendly with them, they treated them fo arbitrarily. Therefore they befought her Majefty to name fome proper Perfons, who would not fcruple to confer with them. That, on their part, to anfwer what had been already propofed unto them, they approved of every thing Dr. Despense had read out of a Book of Mr. Calvin, without entering into any Conference upon that Subject. As to the Article the Cardinal had delivered to them, it was but an Abftract; therefore the whole Confeffion ought to have been communicated to them, for it was not reasonable to give them but two or three Lines, without fhewing the reft. It was befides requifite to know, whether the Cardinal spoke in his own or in the Affembly's Name; if in the latter, they would give thanks to God for feeing the Cardinal and the whole Affembly condemning Tranfubftantiation, which was rejected by all the Proteftants of Germany, and all the reformed Churches of every other Country in Europe. Furthermore, if they pre they were required to fubfcribe that Article That if the Cardinal perfevered in that Refo- In fhort, they required the Cardinal to make good his Word, and to prove his Opinion by the Scriptures, and the antient Doctors of the Church. That Writing having been read aloud in the Affembly, provoked the Cardinal; and great Altercations and high Words arofe between his Eminency and De Beze: After which, he engaged the Difputation between their Divines and the Minifters, upon the Lord's Supper. Dr. Defpenfe began, and maintained the corporal Prefence of Jefus Chrift, in fuch a manner that he inclosed his Body in the Bread, faying, that otherwife he could not be eaten by the Communicants; charging the Minifters with diffenting from their Mafter Calvin. They, on the contrary, affirmed, that they diffented not in Pp 2 any Charles IX |