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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A39268 The right foundation of quietness, obedience, and concord discovered in two seasonable discourses ... / by Clem. Elis ... Ellis, Clement, 1630-1700. 1684 (1684) Wing E572; ESTC R19683 73,732 122

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of Peace One is angry because he thinks his Merit above his Fortune and another as angry because he thinks anothers Fortune above his Merits One is vexed to think his own Glory eclipsed by anothers shining too bright and another is in a Fume that any man should dare to take notice of his Spots One strives to keep himself up at the hight and thinks he grows lower as he sees any other grow higher and they must all either be kept so much below him as to look like almost nothing or he can hardly think himself any thing Another thinks himself hot advanced at all so long as he sees but one step more by which he may ascend and will never leave justling 'till he get up to the highest It is a fine thing to march in the Head of a Party and if this honour may not be bad yet is it something to follow such a Leader especially in braving Authority to its Face and it is no little glory to be thought wiser then the most and especially then our Teachers and Governors or to be thought sufficient to set up for our selves And it is an odious thing to be told of our Errors and Faults and more odious yet to tell our selves and our followers of them to call our selves Fools and confess we have befooled others And if we contend not to uphold what we have done we shall seem to destroy what we have built or to suffer tamely that to be built which we have destroy'd and how intolerable a thing is this to a proud Spirit He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife Prov. 28. 25. But cast out the scorner and contention shall go out yea strife and reproach shall cease Prov. 22. 10. From whichsoever of these roots strife ariseth or whatever else it may be that gives being to it be sure we may it is very evil 2. In the next place to shew how altogether inconsistent this contentious humour is with the right Gospel temper a very few words may suffice The peaceable State of the Gospel was in the Prophets foretold in such expressions as these They shall beat their Swords into Plough-shares and their Spears into Pruning Hooks Isai. 2. 4. The Woolf also shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lyon and the Fatling together and a little Child shall lead them They shall not hurt nor destroy in my holy Mountain Isai. 11. 6. 9. Accordingly we meet with nothing in the Gospel of Christ but the sweet breathings of Love and Peace At the first revealing of our Blessed Saviours Nativity those Heralds of Heaven the Holy Angels are sent down into the World to proclaim Glory to God in the Highest on Earth Peace good Will towards men Luk. 2. 14. He that then was born into the World was the Prince of Peace the work he had to do was to make Peace and Reconciliation his Commands were Peace and Love his blessing was to the Peace-maker and his Legacy at his death was Peace He came to reconcile us unto God and he came also to reconcile us one unto another and to make of twain one new man Eph. 2. 15. He himself was the great Exemplar of Love and Mercy of Condescention and Meekness of whom it was said by the Prophet Isaiah He shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets A bruised Reed shall he not break and smoaking Flax shall he not quench Mat. 12. 19. He lived in all due obedience to the Powers and in conformity to the Customs that then were and commanded all to render unto Caesar the things that were Caesars as well as unto God the things that are Gods Mar. 12. 17. He smartly rebuked the two Sons of Thunder Iames and Iohn when they would in imitation of Elias have called down fire from Heaven on the Samaritan Village that had affronted him telling them they understood not the true Gospel Spirit Luk. 9. 55. When he was led like a Lamb before the Shearers as one that is dumb so opened he not his mouth Act. 8. 32. When he was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2. 23. So little of contention was there to be seen in him And he hath given in charge to all that follow him that is to all Christians to deny themselves and take up his Cross and to learn of him to be meek and lowly of heart who disdained not to stoop so low as to wash the Feet of his Disciples and lower yet to converse with Publicans and Sinners Now most certain it is that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8. 9. And his Spirit is the Spirit of Love and Meekness and Patience and Peace and Unity and teacheth all that have it not to hate but to love their Enemies not to curse but to bless them not to render evil for evil but to overcome evil with good Rom. 12. 21. And to pray for them that despitefully use and persecute us Matt. 5. 44. And. The Servant of God saith St. Paul must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient in meekness instructing such as oppose themselves 2 Tim. 2. 24. And if this be spoken more especially unto the Governors and Teachers of the Church yet is it not only that they may know their own duties but that they should teach others also to walk so as they had them for an example Phil. 3. 17. And as much as in them lieth live peaceably with all men Rom. 12. 18. The Apostle ranketh strifes among the works of the Flesh which they that do shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Gal. 5. 20. They therefore that indulge this humour must lay aside not only all pretence of being Spiritual but all claim to the Kingdom of God Whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions are ye not carnal and walk as men For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos are ye not carnal 1 Cor. 3. 3. Where there is strife and envying there is confusion and every evil work Jam. 3. 16. And who seeth not that this is utterly inconsistent with the Gospel of Purity and Peace 3. And therefore lastly must it needs be destructive to the happiness of the Church unless any man can be so unreasonable as to think that Confusions and Heresies and Schismes can consist with its happiness which evils the Apostle joyns with strife as the effects with their cause or at least as those close Companions which are very rarely separated Gal. 5. 20. c. Sure it is that an house divided again●t it self cannot stand Matt. 12. 25. The strength of the Church which is the house of God lieth in the Unity of Faith and Love Strife is the very cutting asunder of that Bond