s brother[651]: Erasmus, Cassander,
Vecelius, and Casaubon had the same design. La Miletiere is employed at
present in it: Cardinal Richelieu declares that he will protect the
coalition; and he is such a happy man that he never undertook any thing
in which he did not succeed: and even if there were no hopes of success
at present, ought we not to sow the seed which may be useful to
posterity[652]? Even if we should only diminish the mutual hatred among
Christians, and render them more sociable, would not this be worth
purchasing at the price of some labour and reproaches?"

Arminius may likewise be numbered with those who were desirous of
reuniting Christians[653]. The method he proposed was to distinguish
fundamental points from such as were not, and leave men at liberty to
believe or disbelieve the latter. He communicated his project to
Casaubon, who highly approved it: but how shall men settle what articles
are fundamental? This question is a source of endless disputes. Besides,
they must be able to answer the Roman Catholic Divines, who, building on
the doctrine that has been always taught, justly pretend that whatever
has been decided to be part of that doctrine ought to be regarded as
fundamental. Men could not help approving Grotius's intention; but even
those, by whom he was held in the greatest esteem, had no confidence in
the success of his project. This made him write to Baron Oxenstiern on
the subject[654]. "Even if religious differences, he says, had not given
occasion to bloody wars, I should still think it the duty of Christians
to restore the unity; since, as the Apostle of the Gentiles tells us, we
ought to be all members of one body. But even those, who say they desire
it, doubt whether the thing be practicable. I know well that all schism,
the further it has extended, and the longer it has lasted, will be more
difficult to heal; so many being employed to throw oil on the flames:
however, there are examples of inveterate evils that have been cured in
the Church. After the Council of Chalcedon there was a very great schism
in the East, which continued an hundred years till the reign of
Justinian, by whose authority, Pope Vigilius listening at last to terms
of peace, an end was put to it. Charles V, Ferdinand, and Maximilian
thought that the schism between the Roman Catholics and the Protestants
of the Augsbourg confession was not incurable. Melancton and other
learned men, whose writings are still extant,