ren to dwell together in unity!! Finally, the whole being made one church, sung with one voice that hymn of exultation and thanksgiving, 'We praise thee, O God, &c'."* This "agreement," was unanimously confirmed in a general Synod at Cracow, Sept. 1573. And, as the conclusion of their business, "The whole Synod, the brethren, superintendants, elders, ministers, patrons, and all the rest, ratified and sealed that holy consent and union; and, finally, after joining together in publick worship, and in the communion of the body and blood of the Lord, according to the ceremonies of the church at Cracow, they returned home, rejoicing in brotherly love, and praising the Lord."+

This same agreement was reconfirmed in a general Synod at Petrikow, a town of Great Poland, June 1578, and a regulation there made, that a congregation of either confession, (Luthe

*SYNT. CONF. p. 2. p. 296.

+ Porro tota hæc Cracoviensis Synodus, omnium confessionum fratres, Superattendentes, Seniores, Ministri, et Domini Patroni, quorum hic sunt expressa nomina, et reliqui congregati, sanctum consensum ac unionem confirmarunt et obsignarunt: denique, Sacra synaxi, corpus et sanguinem Domini simul percipientes, iis cæremoniis quas Ecclesia Cracoviensis in usu habet. Atque ita, in amore fraterno gaudentes et Dominum collaudantes, ad suos redierunt.

IB. p. 304.

ran or Calvinist,) might freely call a minister from the other.*

The renewal of the agreement was repeated in a general Synod at Uladislaw, 1583; and again at Tornaw, in Hungary, 1595,† and continued to be religiously observed as late at least as 1634.‡

This spirit was not confined to Poland. Of all the Protestant churches, none did more and suffered more for the faith of Christ than the churches of France. Purer in doctrine, fairer in government, and chaster in discipline, the world never saw. Their treasure and their blood flowed alike, and flowed freely in the cause of their Redeemer. And none were more forward in that labour of love, the union of Christian churches in one great spiritual commonwealth.

It appears, from the records of the Synod of St. Foy, 1578, that an "assembly of many deputies from sundry famous reformed churches, kingdoms, and provinces, at which attended Mr. ESNARD, as a representative from several French churches, met at Franckfort, in 1577, by invita

VII. Siquidem unio facta est inter nos Helvetica, Augustanæ, et Bohæmicæ confessioni addictos, liberum erit ecclesiæ seu Patronis cœtus unius confessionis justis causis ac bono ordine, a Superattendentibus alterius confessionis ministrum petere ac ad se vocare.

† IB. P. 398. p. 316. p. 5. Cantab. 1640.

IB.

p. 307.

DAVENANTIT sent. ad Joн, DURÆUM,

tion of the Prince Elector JOHN CASIMIR, prince Palatine, and duke of Bavaria-that they laid down several means and expedients for uniting all the reformed churches in Christendom in one common bond of union; as also for terminating the differences which had risen up and were fomented among them by their common adversaries; and for hindering some hot-headed and bigotted divines from condemning, as they had threatened, even to Anathema, the greatest and soundest part by far of the Christian reformed churches and, for the suppression of such imprudent and wicked designs, unanimously resolved to petition the princes of the empire, who adhered to the confession of Auxbourg, i. e. the Lutheran princes-and had, moreover, given an express charge, that one uniform confession of faith should be framed, as the general and common confession of all Protestants; and several copies of it sent to all those kingdoms and provinces in which those churches were gathered, to be examined and approved by them, and to be crowned by their joint consent and approbation."—It appears also, "that they had agreed upon the time and place for the meeting of deputies from the churches concerned, and that they had sent a special invitation to the French churches to send thither persons of approved piety, integrity,

and experience, with full powers to treat and decide on all points of doctrine, and other matters concerning the union, peace, and preservation of the churches, and the pure worship of God."

This proposal was received with great satisfaction by the general Synod of the French churches; and four ministers, together with the "most illustrious Lord Viscount of Turenne," were appointed commissioners to the general meeting of deputies.*

The same design was prosecuted by the Synod of FIGEAC, in 1579, at which the confession of faith of the Dutch and French churches in the low countries was approved; and a consultation was held on the most proper means to "reunite the several confessions of all those nations which agree in doctrine, into one common confession, and which may hereafter be approved by all those nations. And this pursuant to the project laid down in the late conference at Neustadt, Sept. 1577."+

With equal willingness the Synod of Vitré, 1583, embraced a proposition made in their own

* QUICK'S SYNODICON, Vol. I. p. 120, 121. Fol.

+ IB. p. 133. It would seem from this, that there were two conferences held in 1577 for a Protestant union; one at Neustadt in Brunswick Germany, and the other at Frankfort; for this latter also, took place în September. Quick, Vol. I. p. 121.

body for "an union and agreement between the churches of Germany and theirs-they solicited Mr. Chandieu to undertake a mission for that purpose; and Mr. Salnar, after conference with Lord DU PLESSIS, to write in their name and by their authority on the subject, to the princes and divines of Germany.*

Twenty years afterwards, viz. in, 1603, at the Synod of Gap, the brethren of Dauphiny "desired that some means might be contrived for a conference and union with the Lutheran churches in Germany, that so the schism between them and the French churches might be removed." Whereupon, the assembly "desirous to see the fruits of such a noble project, ordered letters to be despatched to the orthodox universities of Germany, England, Geneva, Basil, and Leyden; and to Messieurs des Gourdon and de Fontaines, in London, entreating them to co-operate in effecting this holy union; and that princes might be engaged to put forth their authority therein, that so they, the Protestant churches, might all be more firmly united among themselves in the confession of one and the same doctrine."†

This zeal was quickened by a proposal for such an union made by king James the VI. to

* Quick's Synodican, Vol. I.

P.

153:

+ IB. p.

289: