In necessariis unites, in non necessariis libertas, in omnibus caritas.
[On the necessary points, unity. On the questionable points, liberty. In everything, love.]
¶ Paraenesis votiva pro Pace Ecclesiae ad Theologos Augustanae Confessionis (1626)
Also translated as "essentials" and "non-essentials."
Paraphrase of final lines of the work: Verbo dicam: Si nos servaremus IN necesariis Unitatem, IN non-necessariis Libertatem, IN UTRISQUE Charitatem, optimo certe loco essent res nostrae. ["In a word, were we to observe unity in essentials, liberty in incidentals, and in all things charity, our affairs would be certainly in a most happy situation."]
Commonly attributed to St Augustine, but also to John Wesley, Richard Baxter, and several others. See discussion here and here.
