holding that everything that has been abused must be given up, but not stiffly contending for indifferent matters.

'I cannot deny,' he says, 'that in these latter times, through ignorance, avarice, and ambition, certain cults and rites have crept into the Church which are radically faulty, and the observation of which hinders the integrity of the faith. I think that all will admit that inasmuch as these ought to be abolished by those who have power in the Church, they may be avoided by all those in a private capacity who perceive the fault of them.'1

He then goes on to speak of his own position as a member of the Church, not inclined in any way to abandon his allegiance to her.

6 For this Western Church of Rome, in which I was born and baptized, seeing that it retains the profession of Christianity and Apostolic doctrine on the chief articles of the faith and the sacraments (although in the celebration and administration of the Eucharist some faults may be charged), and in many ceremonies and rites presents still the image of the ancient Church, and is governed from the Apostles' times by a perpetual succession of presbyters and bishops (although they have much degenerated from pristine uprightness) this Church, I say, inasmuch as I hold it to be the temple of God, and no mean member of the Catholic Church, I must needs embrace and venerate. But I do not deny that this same Church is in no small degree diverse from that its ancient glory and splendour, and has been disfigured by many diseases and faults, and has sometimes been miserably oppressed by the tyranny of its governors. believe that in this Church the word of God and His sacraments are preserved, and that there is in it, as I hope, a great multitude of the elect, who in truth constitute the Church and Bride of Christ, although there be many, and those among its chief governors, who do not belong to the Church of Christ, and so are the enemies of Christ and His doctrine, and, as it were, strangers exercising a tyranny in it.' 2

Having thus plainly admitted the existence of grievous abuses in the Roman Church, but yet not holding its condition to be so entirely corrupt as to call upon him to relinquish membership therein, Cassander goes on with great candour and fairness to indicate what might fairly and allowably be done by those who go somewhat farther than himself in estimating the vital mischiefs which had crept into the Church. In doing this he exactly indicates the position taken up by the Church of England towards that of Rome at the Reformation, and gives his tacit approval to the Anglican standpoint.

1 G. Cassandri Opera, p. 785.

2 Ibid. p. 786.

'I cannot condemn those,' he writes, 'who, holding fast to the foundations of Apostolical doctrine, and out of zeal for true religion, perceiving from the teachings of learned and pious men that some things needed correction, have, under the guidance of the highest authority, and with the general consent of the Church to which they belong, made certain corrections in the matter of doctrine, and who hold that certain ceremonies ought to be removed, even if they be of great antiquity, should the doing so be useful to the people, who demand this and almost make it necessary; if only this be done with as little scandal and disturbance as possible, and the unity of spirit and the bond of peace with the rest of the Church be preserved.” 1

1

But while Cassander thus extends his approval to an orderly and deliberate reformation, made by a national Church, he condemns those who on account of the corruptions found in the Church, altogether revolt from it, and even try to overthrow it. The Church, he says, is still the true Church, though it has contracted many defilements; as a stream which has been polluted in its course is still the same stream which issued pure and sparkling from the mountain spring. Those who revolt in enmity must needs be condemned, but not those who have been rejected by the Church because they have conscientiously made certain changes in the method of teaching, and the form of the ministry. It is not separation which constitutes schism, but the cause of separation.' With admirable candour he continues :-

'Whatever I find in any part of the Church, whether it be called by the ancient name of Catholic, or the new name of Evangelical, to be pure and sound, and agreeable to the evangelical and Apostolical tradition, that I venerate and embrace as belonging to the Church of Christ; and the Church which holds this, inasmuch as it is founded on the true Apostolical doctrine contained in the short Creed, and does not by impious schism separate itself from the communion of other Churches, I judge to be a true Church and a member of the Catholic Church of Christ. And this I say, not only with regard to the Westerns, but also with regard to the Eastern Churches of the Greeks, and those which follow their rite.' 2

Cassander then finds it necessary to put in a caution against a false notion which might possibly arise as to his views. He shows that he is no Latitudinarian : that he does not consider doctrinal statements and differences of small importance, or that he is prepared to recommend an amalgam of creeds.

'I would not,' he says, 'be so set upon avoiding parties as, condemning both sides, to endeavour to set up between them a new and 2 Ibid. p. 791.

1 G. Cassandri Opera, p. 787.

neutral sect (as they call it), but I would condemn party spirit so far as it stands in the way of the formation of a fair and candid judgment of the points in dispute. Both parties, indeed, are agreed in fundamentals, viz. that Christ is the sole foundation, and that religion consists in the love of God and our brethren. For all, therefore, there is the opportunity of leading a Christian life, nor need we despair of a more complete agreement if all will rightly apprehend these things.''

Such utterances as these from one who wrote from the stand-point of an orthodox member of the Church, of necessity attracted much attention. The more eager Reformers, who were for keeping no terms with the Romish Church—regarding her as utterly defiled and anti-christian-immediately took the alarm. This was something more dangerous, in their views, than even Melanchthon's concessions. For a member of the 'Synagogue of Satan' to be showing Christian charity, and a readiness to adopt candid interpretations, and to seek for unity, was in the highest degree perilous to that line of policy which they favoured. Accordingly, Calvin at once fell upon this treatise with the utmost ferocity. He thought that he recognized it as the handiwork of Baldwin, a lawyer, with whom he had previously had some passages of arms, and, according to his wont, he hurled personal abuse, invective and insinuation against the author. It is a 'virulent book with a plausible title.' The writer has 'fox-like cunning'; An iron front and a breast of steel.' His 'impudence is egregious.' He is an 'impostor,' a 'pestiferous taint'; and so on.2 Baldwin may well have been somewhat astonished, and not a little provoked, by finding himself abused so roundly for a book of which, as far as appears, he knew nothing; and he answered Calvin's attack in no particularly gentle fashion. The rejoinder of Calvin is curious and amusing. Disgusted with having made so egregious a mistake, he yet is not inclined to relinquish the fray.

'You deny you wrote the book,' he says, 'and you tell me about a certain Cassander. I will let the reader into the secret. This is a joint composition of these two worthies. Cassander is an obscure individual whose name would never have been heard of, had not Baldwin obliged me to bring it forward. The poor man has lived a solitary life, and so has got to be in love with his own fancies, and to be altogether stupefied by his morose disposition. He was scented out by Baldwin, who found that he had been employed for twenty years in hammering out this middle religion, which mixes up light and darkness, and under specious pretexts upholds all the abuses of the Church. The marks of Baldwin's style are evident, and the 2 Ibid. pp. 800-2.

1 G. Cassandri Opera, p. 791.

lies, with which he is familiar, adorn the tract. Baldwin is the real author, Cassander a mere nobody who has been made use of.'1

The absurd pertinacity and disingenuousness of Calvin furnished a good opportunity to Cassander to indite a telling reply. This he did in the form of a dialogue between Modestus and Placidius, in which he defends, at considerable length, the opinions enunciated in the Officium pii viri. He utterly denies that Baldwin suggested, assisted, or was in any way concerned in his work. He did not know of its preparation, and even after its publication, he did not know who the author of it was. The dialogue preserves the calm tone of the original treatise, and Cassander is not led away by the evil example of Calvin to rail at his opponent. Meantime the controversy, from its singular character, excited considerable attention, and led to somewhat important results. It was a time when the most bitter disputes and ferocious cavillings were raging amongst the reformed Germans, all of them springing more or less from the concessions and conciliatory writings of Philip Melanchthon, in defence and explanation of the Confession of Augsburg. Flacius and Strigelius, Osiander and Stancarus, were busily employed in devoting one another to infamy in this world, and utter destruction in the next, for differences about the power of the will, the nature of justification, the character of the Atonement, and so forth. The Council of Trent had just concluded its sessions by anathematizing all who would not accept its new creed. In the Christian world, all was confusion, wrath, and strife. The new Emperor Ferdinand, sincerely desirous of peace, and not so bigoted a son of the Church as his predecessor, came to hear of the writings and reputation of the candid theologian of Cologne. He thought he saw a ray of light, and he proceeded at once to endeavour to utilize it. On May 22, 1664, he wrote from Vienna to George Cassander, as follows :

'Learned, faithful, beloved,-Inasmuch as your remarkable erudition, singular piety, and most ardent desire to benefit the Catholic Church have been much praised and commended to us, we entertain a confident hope that your presence and aid would be of no small use to us in a certain important business, to the glory of God, and the safety and benefit of our dominions and of all Germany, which we now have in hand. We therefore entreat you that, as soon as the present letters shall be delivered to you, having arranged your private affairs, you would consent to come to us, in order that for two or three months we may be able to make use of your prudence, counsel, and industry. We desire you to accept as provision for the way a

1 G. Cassandri Opera, p. 808.

sum of 300 florins, which our commissary at Spires will pay you, and that you would, if possible, bring with you some theological books suited for these times. In doing this, you will be doing a thing worthy of your virtue, and one especially pleasing to us, and which we shall know how to recognize.' 1

Cassander received the Imperial missive at Duisburg, in Cleves, on June 20, by the hands of the Archbishop of Cologne, and no doubt he would have gladly obeyed so flattering a summons, had he been able to do so. But the miserable state of his health utterly incapacitated him.

'Would,' he writes, 'that I were able in some degree to respond to your Majesty's opinion of me, and to obey your will and command. I desire indeed above all things to help and to quiet the Church, but I am without the powers of mind needed for this work. Whatever little talent I may possess is taken away and enfeebled by continued weakness, and constant attacks of disease, attended with the utmost suffering, and entirely destroying any power or zeal for study. I have indeed employed any time that was free from disease and pain during some years, in investigating the controversies and the sources of the disagreements of this age, and the methods of composing them, or at any rate of preventing still greater distraction and division. And in doing so, I have arrived at the conclusion that there is no other method of helping the Church of to-day, except the searching into the opinion and judgment of the ancient Church, so as to bring the Church now back to the description and form of the Church of that time, and especially to that Church which flourished from the age of Constantine, as being that in which all the controversies concerning the chief matters of our religion were most diligently handled and explained, in those most weighty Councils; and the government of the Church, restored to liberty, was settled with the best and most salutary rules. None can venture to refuse the Church of that time the title of Church, and both sides, even that one which is wont to appeal to the Scriptures alone, have appealed to its judgment and arbitration, and as it were offered a compromise on the ground of its sentiments. I am willing to do what I can towards this end, but my body is too weak to bear so long a journey, seeing that the least thing exposes me to the most terrible attacks of gout, which three or four times in the year confines me for long periods to my bed.' 2

To this letter the Emperor replied, lamenting Cassander's weak condition of body, which deprived him of the benefit of his personal advice, and requesting him to set down in writing his views on the Confession of Augsburg, and Melanchthon's defence of it, and expressing the hope which he entertained of some agreement between the opposing parties being arrived at,

1 Via ad Pacem Ecclesiasticam,

p. 2.

Paris, 1642.

2 Ibid. p. 3.