preaching Elders or others should so have the sole power of ruling as to doe all in their owne Consistory Classis or whatsoever you may call their convening that the Church should have nothing to doe with their acts of rule but to obey this is assuming to themselves power beyond what is given them This hath brought tyrannie into the Church it hath made the Church-officers to looke upon the rest of the Church in a contemptible way as the common vulgar sort men ignorant and weak not at all fit to meddle with matters of government not so much as to take cognisance or give any consent to what the Church-officers doe But whether they understand or no whether they consent or dissent it makes no matter the determinations of those in place must stand their censures must be submitted to Peter Martyr in an Epistle to the Ministers and such as professed the faith in Polonia exhorts them to endeavour the establishing of Discipline in the Church as soon as they could while peoples hearts were heat with love to and desires after the Gospell he tells them it will be harder to bring it in afterward when their hearts begin to grow more cold and that they might not thinke Discipline a small thing he sayes that those Churches cannot be said to professe the Gospell truly nor solidly which want it he would have them acknowledge it not to be the least part of Christian Religion but must know that the Gospel is neglected by such as shall put off from themselves such a singular excellent portion of it But sayes he this will be the Objection Under the colour of Discipline the Ministers of the Church will tyrannize they will carry things according to their owne mindes To this he answers Tyrannie in the Ministers needs not be feared where the rule of the Gospel for censures is observed for in casting out any who will not be reclaimed the consent of the Church must be had and if it be done by this authority none can complain of the tyrannie of a few Cyprian in his sixt Epistle professeth his resolution to doe nothing without the counsell of the Elders and consent of the people Our Brethren of Scotland in their opposition to the Prelates give very much to the people in the matter of Excommunication It pertaineth say they to the whole Church collectively taken to deny her Christian communion to such wicked persons as adde contumacie to their disobedience therefore it pertaineth to the whole Church to excommunicate them Againe It pertaineth to the whole Church to admit one into her communion therefore to the whole Church to cast one out of her communion And a page or two after The Apostle writing to the whole Church of Corinth will have them being gathered together to deliver that incestuous person to Satan therefore every particular Church or Congregation hath power to excommunicate There they give many arguments to prove that the Apostle would not excommunicate by his owne authority alone but by the authority of the Church and that collectively taken so they say not the Ministers or Elders of the Church onely Let no man say this was the judgement but of one Minister for at the beginning of this Parliament my selfe together with a reverend Brother asked Master Henderson two or three of the Ministers of Scotland being with him Whether we might not take that Book as the judgement of the most godly and able of the Ministers of Scotland for the matters of Church-discipline They answered we might The second way of going beyond their limits is their extending their power to more Congregations then Christ hath given them charge of The chiefe Church-controversie at this day is about this extent I shall onely shew you where the difference lyes betweene one and the other in it The Question is this Whether one that is set by Christ to take charge of a particular Congregation as a Pastor to feed them by Word Sacraments and Rule may keep the Pastorall charge he hath for Word and Sacraments to one Congregation but his charge for Rule shall extend together with others to an hundred Congregations or more Some say that no Minister can have the charge of ruling over people in a large extent then his charge over them for Word and Sacraments reaches they thinke that those people that can say to a Minister That charge that Christ hath given you for Word and Sacraments extends not to take care of our soules to feed them therefore you have no charge of our souls for ruling if you thinke you may preach or administer Sacraments in an accidentall arbitrary way onely not as chalenging power over us for this or looking upon us as those committed to you for whom you are to answer then at the farthest you may exercise rule over us but in this way But others hold this That a Minister may answer to this people thus I confesse I have indeed onely such a particular Congregation to be my flock and although I being desired to help sometimes in another to preach or administer Sacraments yet I doe it not as having the charge of their soules as being Pastor to them But as for that ruling power that Christ hath given me I conceive by joyning of it with others it extends to hundreds of Congregations or more according as our association shall be so as we have not onely liberty to be helpfull to those who have the speciall charge of the Congregations but we have the supreame ruling power in our hands to challenge in the Name of Christ to exercise over these Congregations as we shall see cause I say the supreme power above what your Ministers or Elders in your particular Congregations have for though these Ministers and Elders of yours be admitted to be members of our Court yet if they all should be of a contrary minde from us in some matter that concernes your Congregation we yet will judge and determine we will censure and exercise all kinde of Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction in that congregation as we see cause though it may be not one of us ever saw any of the faces of any of the men of your congregation before Here I say lyes the great dividing controversie which is right which is wrong is not my worke to shew all I am to doe is but to shew you what the controversie is about which there is so much dispute And though I determine not the case either way yet I shall leave two considerations to help you in your thoughts about it First the extent of power of Jurisdiction must be by institution as well as the power it selfe all juridicall power whatsoever either in State or Church receives limits or extent from the same authority it first had its rise this is impossible to be denyed If a man by a Charter be made a Mayor of a Towne he cannot therefore challenge the power of a Mayor wheresoever he comes except the authority
IRENICVM TO THE LOVERS OF Truth and Peace HEART-DIVISIONS OPENED In the Causes and Evils of them WITH Cautions that we may not be hurt by them And Endeavours to heal them By JEREMIAH BURROUGHES Opinionum varietas Opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed for ROBERT DAVVLMAN MDCLIII To the Reader WHether the fiery tryall of contention or of persecution be greater is hard to determine God hath wrought to free us from the one we have brought upon our selves the other Every man is angry that others are not of his minde we have been so divided that it is the infinite mercy of God that our enemies have not come in at our breaches and divided all among themselves before this time Were our divisions onely betweene the good and bad they were not so grievous Chrysostome sayes It is better to be hated for Christ then to be beloved for him How much better then is it to be hated for Christ then to be beloved for sinne The reason he gives of that strange assertion of his is If thou beest loved for God it is an honour to thee and thou art a debtour for that honour If thou beest hated for him God is a debtour to thee he owes honour to thee for so he is pleased to be to his poore servants But our divisions have been and still are between good men even Gods Diamonds do cut one another good men cause afflictions to good men every man is plotting working winding for himselfe Every man strives like Apelles and Protogenes who shall draw the subtilest line to attain his owne ends but few strive who shall draw the straightest who shall in the most direct course work himselfe and all his wayes to God and publique Good Who can meddle with this fire that is kindled among us and not burn his fingers A mans good affections happily may be approved but his prudence will be questioned But what I finde Luther writes in an Epistle to his friend Nicolas Gerbelius in the like case shall satisfie me Cupio ego inveniri Christi Ecclesiae suae fidelis si prudens esse non potuerim minister I desire howsoever to be a faithfull Minister of Christ and his Church if I cannot be a prudent one The standing in the gap is more dangerous and troublesome then the getting behinde the hedge there you may be more secure and under the winde but it is best to be there where God looks for a man That which Pelopidas said to his wife taking her leave of him as he was going out of his house to the Warres is a speech worthy of all men in publique place She comes weeping to him and prayes him to look well to himselfe he answers her My good wife it is for private souldiers to be carefull of themselves not for those in publique place they must have an eye to save other men lives It may be when you are going about a work that hath hazard and trouble in it your wives or some friends of yours will with great affection desire you beseech you to have a care of your selves that you bring not your selves into trouble or danger oh take heed of that rather never meddle let others doe that work if they will you should answer It is for private men to take care of themselves but men in publique places are called to look to the publique that it suffers not through their neglect Some come into the gap not to make it up but to keep it open yea to make it wider the Lord deliver me from such a spirit God knows I had rather die then be a cause of so great an evill What this endeavour of mine may work in mens hearts God knowes If it meet with a son of peace I hope it will speake peace it will establish peace in such a heart if with a son of strife it may worke ad modum recipientis That which is intended to be an Irenicum may prove to be a Polemicum a bone of contention Those things which God himselfe ordaines for union the Sacraments are by mans corruption made the occasion of the greatest contention in the Christian world No marvell then that what comes from mans sincerest intentions and best endevours be turned quite crosse Like enough these leaves may meet with some boisterous Reader that may beat them one against another that may pry and picke to finde that in them which is not looking thorough the contradictions of his owne spirit he may think he sees the like here Let the lines be never so straight yet he will wrest and pul them what he can to make them lye crosse I am so far from being sollicitous that they are so indeed that the speciall thing I desire of thee is the laying one thing to another the comparing one thing with another Remember what the subject is Divisions Differences I have in it to deale with various spirits opinions wayes remember the scope is to seeke the composing of them what I can If you see me now neare to the one side and by and by neare to the other which yet are very wide from one another be not rash to judge that I am off my center reade on and see what the issue may come to This path of mine hath beene upon sharpe stones cutting shels and pricking thornes yet thorough the helpe of the shooe of the preparation of the Gospel of peace I doe not finde my feet cut Peace is pretious to me I feele the sweetnesse of it I am willing to do what I can to honour it The publique jarres contentions disturbances abroad in Church and Common-wealth are very grievous They say there are in the world such things in Families also I have brought here some water if my line had been longer my bucket had beene fuller You have here what I delivered some things are added especially quotations of Authors and Histories When they grow to be many I thinke them fitter for the Presse then the Pulpit I was the more willing these things should come forth to publique view because otherwise what other men apprehended to be my minde would be put into their owne words and so rendred in an evill appearance But will Printing help The boldnesse of this age is such as not onely to make a mans words sound otherwise then when they came from him and so traduce him but confidently to averre that there are such things written in such Bookes of such men which never yet came into their thoughts much lesse into their pen. With what boldnesse hath it been said and printed againe and againe that I in that Book entituled The glorious name of God The Lord of Hosts did call the Earle of Essex the Lord of Hosts Surely the sight of these men is extramittendo not intramittendo they send forth species of their owne dyed with the evill of their hearts and then they say they finde them in such a book No man
their State were by divine appointment their Kings were chosen by God but now Christ chuses his Church out of all Nations of the earth and leaves them to the severall Governments Lawes Officers of severall Nations for their Civill State 1. I confesse were there nothing but meerly examples or Laws from the Old Testament to confute this dividing Posiâ—ion to an examining eye the argument would hardly be cogent or satisfactory only so far as there is a common reason and equity in them and so all the judiciall bind now as well as they did then 2. So far as the New Testament approves of for the times of it what was formerly done in the Old The strength of the argument from the power of Magistrates in the Old Testament lyes in these two First there is a common reason and equity what ever the strength of such kind of arguing be from one Spirituall Ordinances to prove another yet without all question it is strong enough from one Civill Ordinance to prove another though it be conversant about spirituall things It is the Dictate of Nature that Magistrates should have some power in matters of Religion The generality of all people have ever thought it equall It hath been ever challenged in all Nations and Common-wealths The Heathens would never suffer their gods to be blasphemed but punish such as were guilty thereof by the power of the Magistrate Socrates was put to death for blaspheming their multiplicity of gods 2ly Surely there is a common equity for there is a necessity of it as truly now as there was then I cannot argue the being of Spirituall Ordinances from our need of them not thus there is such an institution for the Church hath need of it but rather thus I find it in the Word to be an institution and therefore the Church hath need of it But in naturall or civill things this way of arguing is strong enough there is need of such a help and therefore we should seek to have it Now sure the need we have of such a power is exceeding great we were in a most miserable condition if we had no externall civil power to restrain from any kinds of blasphemies and seducements The condition of the Jews O how happy was it in comparison of ours if this were denyed us for if any one of theirs did blaspheme God or seek to seduce any from him they knew w ht to do with him besides perswading him to the contrary but if any should seek to seduce the wives of our bosoms children of our bodies friends as dear to us as our own lives into those wayes that we think in our consciences will undo their souls to all eternity yet wee must only desire them they would not do so we must only admonish and seek to convince them or reprove them but restrain them we cannot If the deliverance of us from the pedagogy of the Law hath brought us into this condition our burden is greater in this thing then any that the Law laid upon our fore-fathers Hath Christ delevered us from one burden to lay a greater upon us Must we now see those who are dearest to us drawn into the wayes of eternall destruction and stand and look on but no way left to help them or our selves unlesse wee can perswade to the contrary surely our condition is very sad Have we not cause to say Lord let any burthen of the Ceremonial Law be laid upon our necks rather then this If there were a company of mad men running np and downe the streets with knives and swords in their hands endeavouring to mischief and kill all they met with and we must doe nothing to restraine them if we could perswade them to doe otherwise well and good but that is all we can do for help what a dangerous thing were this The case is the same when those who are mad with damnable Heresies run from place to place seeking to draw all they can from the truth If we have no means of help but arguments it is ill with us Surely God hath not put his people into such a sad condition as this is he hath provided better for his people then thus Thirdly wee find in the Record of Scripture mention of Heathen Magistrates who had nothing but the light of nature to guide them interessing themselves in matters of Religion and this the Holy Ghost relates in way of commendation of them for this thing The argument from these examples cannot be avoided as that which is taken from the practice of the Kings of Judah We read Ezra 7. 26. Artaxerxes interposes his power in matters of Religion and Ezra blesses God for it Whosoever will not doe the Law of thy God and the Law of the King let judgement be executed speedily upon him And in the next words Ezra blessed God who put it in the heart of the King by these and other means to beautifie his house The making such a Law was one notable meanes whereby the House of the Lord came to be beautified Thus also Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 3. 29. I make a Decree that every people nation and language who speake any thing against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a dung-hil c. This the Scripture records as a worke of the Kings repentance The King of Nineveh Jonah 3. by the decree of his Princes and Nobles proclaims a Fast and commands every one to cry mightily to God and to turne from his evill way Further let us see how the holy Ghost justifies this power of the Magistrate in the times of the Gospel First in the Prophesies of the times of the Gospel Secondly in divers places in the New Testament For Prophesies the fore-named place Zech. 13. 3. cannot be put off Isa 49. 23. Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queens thy nursing mothers The protection of their civil peace is not sufficient to give them such a denomination of nursing fathers and mothers Esay 60. 10. The sonnes of strangers shall build up thy walls and their Kings shall minister unto thee They shall not only be favourers of them but as Kings they shall minister to them even by their power So Rev. 21. 24. The Kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour to the Church there is such a time coming This surely is more then meerly to protect their outward peace In the New Testament Rom. 13. 4. He is thy Minister for thy good 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as to the supream or unto Governours which are sent for the punishment of evill doers and the praise of them that doe well Now seeing the Scripture speaks thus generally For thy good and for the punishment of evill doers and praise of them that doe well Non distinguendum ubi Scriptura non distinguit Except the nature of the thing
who are for the Congregationall way in reference to the matter in hand namely the means to reducing from or keeping out errours and heresies from the Church in this lyes the dividing businesse But I beseech you consider what a punctum we divide here and judg whether the cause of division in this thing be so great as there can be no help and whether if an evil spirit prevail not amongst us we may not joyne For First consider what is there in this delivering to Satan which is a seventh thing that our Brethren thinke may hopefully prevail with mens consciences when the sixe former cannot Yes say they for by this they are put out of the Kingdome of Christ into the Kingdome of Satan and this will terâ—ifie This putting out of Christs Kingdome must be understood clave non errante if the Synod judges right not otherwise Yes this is granted by all Then consider whether this be not done before and that with an authority of Christ by those former six things for Hereticall Congregations or persons are judged and declared in a solemn Ordinance by the Officers of Christ gathered together in his name to be such as have no right in any Church-ordinance to have no communion with any of the Churches of Christ Now if this judgement be right are not such persons or Congregations put out of the Kingdome of Christ and put under the power of Sathan consequently But they are not formally and juridically delivered up to Satan What shall we still divide as to devour one another for formality and juridically when those termes are not at all in Scripture seeing we agree not in the substance of the thing which may as really and fully prevaile with conscientious men as if formality were observed especially if we consider Secondly that it is a great question amongst our Brethren whether this traditio Satanae were not Apostolicall peculiar to the power of Apostles so as ordinary Elders had it not and if it prove so then non-communion will prove the utmost censure the Church now hath But thirdly if some brethren rise to a seventh degree and others stay at six which yet have such a power over conscience that if they prevaile not the seventh is no way likely to prevaile Why should not the Apostles rule quiet us all Phil. 3. 15 16. whereunto we have already attained let us walke by the same rule If in any thing you be otherwise minded God will reveale even this unto you If we have attained but to six and our brethren have attained to seven let us walk together lovingly to the six If God shall after reveal the seventh we will promise to pray and study in the mean time wee shall walke with them also why must it needs be now urged with violence so as to divide else and although we hold not the seventh yet there is an ingredient in the sixt that hath in it the strength of the seventh For wherein lyes the strength of the seventh above the rest is it not in this that it is the last meanes Christ hath appointed in his Church to worke upon the heart this consideration hath much terrour in it Now those in the Congregationall way say that this is fully in the sixt wherefore that it is as terrible to their consciences as the seventh can be to the consciences of our brethren and that upon the same ground And consider now my Brethren whether the Congregationall way be such as if it be suffered there will be no helpe to reduce an erring or hereticall Church but all Religions Arrianisme Mahumetisme any thing must be suffered Surely men doe not deale fairly in raising such mighty accusations upon such poor and weak grounds this great aspersion and huge out-cry that these men would have all religions suffered and in that way there is no help against any Heriticall Congregations moulders and vanishes away before you Let no man yet say All this that hath been said is nothing If you be conscientious who hear them say so your owne breasts must needs suggest an answer surely these things would be very much to me to prevaile with my conscience But what if Congregations refuse to give account of their wayes what if they will not shew so much conscientiousnesse as to regard admonitions declaring against them withdrawing communion from them So we may say what if they will not regard your delivering them up to Satan but will go on still You will say then you will complain to the Magistrate his power must come in to assist to make them regard what the Church doth But now you have no further help from any intrinsicall power the Church hath and as for subjection to the Magistrate there we are upon equall ground if he will interpose he may assist and second the sentence of judging men subverters of faith of withdrawing communion from them in the one as well as the sentence of giving men up to Satan in the other and we must still be subject here to suffer what is inflicted if we cannot do what is required onely we do not go so far as some do in this one thing whereas they lay a Law upon the consciences of Magistrates that they are bound to assist with their power the decrees of the church taking cognisance only of the fact of the Church that they have thus decreed not enquiring into the nature of the things we dare not lay any such bond upon the Magistrates conscience But say that he is to assist the Church both upon the knowledg of what the Church hath done and the knowledg of the nature of the thing seeing every private man hath this power to be judg of his own act it were a great misery upon those who have power over men to be denyed this power If it shall be said But surely they do not agree so far they do not come up to these six things mentioned To that I answer I do not in these deliver only mine own judgment but by what I know of the judgments of all those Brethren with whom I have occasion to converse by conference both before and since I stand charged to make it good to be their judgements also yea it hath been both theirs and mine for divers years even then when we never thought to have enjoyed our our own Land again and if it be so then let the Lord be judg between us and our Brethren for those lowd and grievous out-cryes there hath been against us in this thing But if the difference be so little why doe they not come in We come as far as we have light to guide us we dare not step one step in the dark if we do we shall certainly fall into sin whatsoever else we fall into what ever the thing be to others it would be our sin if there were no other reason but because we venture in the dark We sayl up to our Brethren as far as we can see
may be devoured one of another We read Ezek. 5. 3 4. the Prophet was bid to bind up a few hairs in his skirt which was to signifie a few of the people which were preserved from that common calamity but after these were cast into the fire and fire came forth from these to all the house of Israel Polanus upon the place hath this note that grievous evils may come upon those who have been preserved from former common miseries and those who for a while have been preserved by their contentions and divisions may be the cause of woful evil to others God forbid that this Text should be fulfilled in us Let not a fire come from us who yet are so graciously preserved to devour the house of Israel 4ly God in this work of his hath joyned severall sorts of instruments men of severall opinions he hath made them one to do us good why should not we be one in the enjoyment of that good Let the one part and let the other part have their due honour under God in the mercy God hath made use of both and why may not both enjoy the fruit of this mercy together in the Land Fiftly We were not without some feares lest God should leave us in the work of Reformation begun but now God speaks aloud to encourage us he tels us he owns the worke Now what doth this require of us A little Logick will draw the consequence Hath God declared himself that he intends to go on in this work he hath begun Then let us all joyn together to further it to the uttermost we can let us not exasperate the spirits of one another in ways of strife and opposition but let every one set his hand and hand to this worke that he may be able to say Oh Lord God thou that knowesâ— the secrets of all hearts knowest that upon this great mercy of thine my heart was so moved that whatsoever I could possibly see to be thy will for the furtherance of this great work of Reformation and that I was able to doe I did set my selfe to doe it and am resolved to spend my strengâ—h and life in it If every one did thus oh what glory might God have from this mercy of his 6ly When the Lord comes to us with mercies and such great mercies he expects we should rejoyce in them and sing praise but how can we sing without Harmony Prayer requires an agreement Mat. 18. 19. If two of you shall agree on earth touching any thing they shall aske it shall be done for them Surely Praise requires agreement much more Psalms out of tune are harsh to the eare disagreement of heart is much more to the Spirit of God 7. Surely when God hath done so much for us it must be acknowledged to be our duty to study what sacrifice would be best pleasing to him some sacrifice we must offer If there be any more acceptable to him then other surely he deserves it no. If a friend had done some reall kindness for you you would be glad to know what might be most gratefull to him wherein you might testifie your thankfulness Is this in your hearts Do you now say Oh that we did but know what is the thing that would be most pleaâ—ing to God what sacrifice would smell sweetest in his nostrils The Lord knowes we would fain offer it whatsoever it be I will tell you That we would lay aside our divisions our frowardnesse that we would abandon our contentions and strife that we would put on the bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse long-suffering forbearing one another forgiving one another If any man hath a quarrell against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye Col. 3. 12. And 1. Pet. 3. 4. A meeâ—e and a quiet spirit is in the â—ight of God of great price it is much set by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 15. 17. The sacrifice of God that which is in stead of all sacrifices is a broken spirit Our hearts have been broken one from another in our unhappy divisions oh that now they could break one towards another in love and tenderness Here would be a sacrifice more esteemed of God then thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyle Loving mercy and walking humbly is preferred above such sacrifices Micah 6. 8. 8ly God might have sodeâ—'d us together by the fire of his wrath he might have made our blood to have been our cement to have joyned our stinty hearts together but it is otherwise God seeks to draw us to himselfe and one to another by the cords of love the allurings of his mercy Ninthly what can have that power to take off the sowrnesse of mens spirits like mercy the mercy of a God surely if any thing possibly can sweeten them that must needs do it We read 1 Sam. 11. 11 12 13. a notable experiment of the efficacy of mercy to sweeten mens hearts After Saul had slain the Ammonites some of the bosterous spirits would have had him to have slain those who formerly had rejected him but mark Sauls answer ver 13. There shall not a man be put to death this day Why For this day the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel Though Saul at another time was a man of a harsh and cruell spirit yet now mercy sweetens him that which he was one day by the sense of mercy that should we be not only in the day of our Thanksgiving but in the course of our lives When salvation came to the house of Zacheus O what a sweet temper was he in Behold halfe of my goods I give to the poore and if I have wronged any one I restore foure-fold Salvation is this day come to the Kingdome O that all we had hearts to say If wee have wronged any wee will restore if wee have wronged any in their names by word or writing any way we will restore Mercy and love calls for mercy and love if we were in a right tune there would be a sympathy between the bowels of God and ours as in two Lures if the string in one be wound up to be answerable to the other if you then strike one string the other will move though lying at a distance Now Gods love Gods bowels move let our love our bowels move answerably 10. God shewes that he can owne us notwithstanding all our infirmities Was ever Kingdome in a more distempered condition then ours hath been of late and yet the Lord hath owned us Why should not we own our Brethren notwithstanding their infirmities Why should our divisions cause uâ— to call off one another seeing our divisions from God hath not provoked him to cast us off 11. Is it not in our desires that this great Victory might be pursued that it might not be lost as others in great part have been Surely it cannot be pursued better then to take this advantage of it to unite our selves more together then ever we have done
suddenly cause great stirre and trouble where ever they come The Hebrew word that signifies a fool and that which signifies suddenly rashly is from the same root 3ly When peace sometimes is even concluded and there is great joy in hope of a comfortable agreement rashnesse will suddenly break it without any due consideration O that that promise Isa 52. 4. were fulfilled among us The heart of the rash shall understand knowledge Rash men think they presently understand all that is knowable in such a busisinesse and thence presume to make sudden determinations but as over-hasty digestion causes wind and brings much trouble to the body so over-hasty resolutions to mens spirits and to societies The seventh Dividing Distemper Wilfulnesse I Think I may say in most men Will is the axletree lust and passions are the wheels whereupon almost all their actions are carried Where there is much will though the thing be little about which men contend yet the opposition may be great as a little stone thrown with a strong arme may take deep impression It is a dangerous thing to have mens wills ingaged in matters of difference it is easier to deal with twenty mens reasons then with one mans will A man of a wilfull stout spirit stands as a stake in the midst of a steam le ts all passe by him but he stands where he was What hope can there be of union where there will be no yielding one mans will raiseth anothers set will to will they may dash one against another but not like to close to get into one another A wilful man thinks it is beneath a wise man to alter his way yea it may be he thinks it a dishonour to the truth that both he his profession and the honour of God shall suffer by it when a stubborn self-willednes is taken for a right constancy and setlednesse it is very strong in men but let us take heed of this it is no matter though we go back from our former assertions so long as we go forward to the truth Luther was called an Apostate I am so says he but it is from errour to truth Many times stoutnesse of spirit comes from weakenesse rather then strength there is not always the greatest strength of judgment where there is the greatest strength of will As a mans judgment that is without prejudice is very strong so a mans prejudice that is without judgment is as strong The dullest horses are not always the most easily reigned I know and am perswaded says the Apostle Rom. 14. 14. many men are perswaded before they know those who are perswaded before they know wil not be perswaded to know Mens wills will not suffer their understandings to consider if they doe consider they will not suffer them to be convinced if they be convinced they will not suffer them to acknowledge that they are convinced It is dishonest for a man not to give in his Bond when the debt is paid so for a man not to acknowledg himselfe convinced but stand out against the truth though his conscience tels him it is made clear to him Let men lay down their wils and there will be no hell sayes Bernard So say I take away mens wills and contentions will cease Scaliger tels us the nature of some kind of Amber is such that it will draw to it self all kind of stalks of any herbe except Basiliske an Herbe called Capitalis because it makes men heady filling their brains with black exhalations Thus those who by the fumes of their corrupt wills are grown headstrong will not be drawn by that which draws others But this charging men of wilfulness is presently catched hold of in an abusive way if men wil not yeeld to what some conceive to be right presently they are charged with wilfulnesse and stubbornnesse they do not see because they will not see they are not convinced because they will not We who differ so much from others in things that others thinke to be clear should take heed how we charge others of wilfulnesse who differ from us As it is dishonest not to give in the bond when the debt is paid so it is a cheat to require the bond before the debt be satisfied Men may think and give out they have done enough to convince men when indeed upon examination it will be found to be nothing or far short of satisfying the reasons that are against it if they were their own But when a man may have peace in his conscience that what he holds or does is not through wilfulnesse but constancy of his love to the truth I shall speak to presently The eighth dividing Distemper Vnconstancy IF a man had an art to change his face every day to seem sometimes white sometimes black sometimes ruddy sometimes pale sometimes hairy sometimes smooth sometimes old sometimes yong how unfit were such a man for society this which men cannot do in their faces they doe in the unconstancy of their spirits As our affections and determinations must not be like the Persian Decrees to admit of no alteration so neither must they be such as the Polonian laws are which they say last but 3. days When a thing is so brittle that it breaks as soon as you meddle with it how can you make it joyn there must be som consistency in that which you would fasten to another thing when mens spirits are so fickle that a man cannot tell where to find them how can there be a close O how much are men now differing from themselves in what their thoughts of men and carriage towards them have been though the men concerning whom they thus differ remain the same they were yea the same they appeared to be long since there was sweet agreement in affection loving embracements rejoycing in the presence of one another and yet nothing is known in those from whom their hearts countenances and ways are alienated c. more then formerly was not difference in judgment that was known before Such a change of spirits and carriages in hodly men one towards another hath appeared as never appeared in any age since the world began A great deal of stir there hath been more then formerly yet what are these men otherwise then they have bin many years since Were I to speak to wicked men to charge them of the unconstancy of their spirits I would make use of that similitude I have out of Epiphanius who speaking of the Jewes desiring the coming of the Messias but when he was come they hated him They were says hee in this like mad dogs who first glaver upon men and then bite and devour them But because I speak to many of the Saints I had rather use a softer expression more sutable to the honour that is due to godly men I compare them in their unconstancy towards their brethren which hath caused so great division to the sweetnesse of the ayr in a fair sun-shine morning
suspition of her And Paulus Fagius upon the place says the Jewes had a tradition not only that she should conceive but it should be a man-child if shee had any disease she should be freed and if she brought forth before with difficulty she should bring forth now with ease Let not men therefore who are of publike use having their consciences clear yet because they are under suspition throw off all in an anger Such a temptation many lye under but let them know this temptation cannot prevail but upon the distemper of their hearts the exceeding sinfull frowardnesse of their spirits they should trust God with their names their esteem their honour and go on in their work The only way to deliver themselves from suspition is their constant industry and faithfulnesse in all opportunities of service God puts into their hands and with the more quietnesse of spirit with the lesse noyse they go on the sooner will the suspitions they were under wash off and vanish to nothing God will make their names break forth as the light those weeds having no ground to take root will wither and dye away The tenth dividing Distemper A spirit of contention AS in some there is a strong inclination a vehement impetus to whoredom which the Prophet cals a spirit of whoredome so there is in others a vehement strong disposition of heart to contention these have a spirit of contention these are like Salamanders who love and live in the fire They thirst after the waters of Massah and Meribah their temper is such as if they drank no other drink then w ht was brewed of those waters Contentions and strifes that are as tedious to other men as death are their delight they are most in their element when they are over head and ears in them A contentious spirit will always find matter for contention Prov. 26. 21. As coals to burning coals and wood to fire so is a contentious man is kindle strife they are ready to put their hands to any strife they meet with yet Prov. 26. 17. Hee that medleth with strife belonging not to him is like one that holdeth a dog by the cares Many men have no mettal in any thing but contentions like many jades who are dull in travell they have mettal only to kick and to play jadish tricks If thou hast any spirit any zeal and courage it is pitty it should be laid out in quarrels reserve it for the cause of God to strengthen thee in contending for the truth the publike The eleventh Distemper Covetousnesse THis is the root of all evill then of this there is no greater plague to friendship then desire of money sayes Laelius apud Cicer. A covetous man is witty to foresee wayes of gaine and he is stiffe in holding fast what may be for his advantage Yet know what a stir Demetrius and his fellows made in Ephesus when their profit was endangered they had rather set all in a tumult then let their gain go 1 Tim. 4. 5. Envy strife railings c. perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds destitute of the truth supposing that gaine is godlinesse How will some object against men withdraw from them deprive themselves of the benefits of the gifts of God in them of much good they have heretofore acknowledged they have got by them all merely to save their purses that in a poor pedling way What a stir hath this Meum and Tuum made in the world The sweetnesse of gaine amongst men is like honey cast amongst Beares they will fight rend and tear out one anothers throat for it They that will be eich fall into temptations and a snare and into many and hurtfull lusts 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. They pierce themselves and others too with many sorrowes VVhen divisions arose in Germany upon Luthers Doctrine men of base covetous spirits judging Luther by themselves thought that Luther made all this stir to get gaine Why therefore sayes one do you not stop the mans mouth with gold or silver Another answers Oh this German Beast cares not for money The twelfth dividing distemper Falsenesse NOthing more firmly unites and holds together the Common-wealth then fidelity sayes Cicero Truth is a girdle Stand therefore having your loynes girt with truth Ephes 6. 14. Truth binds and Falseness loosenâ— The Apostle Eph. 4. 25. exhorts to put away lying and every man to speak trueth to his neighbour upon this ground because we are members one of another The Romans esteemed so much of truth for uniting men into societies that they built a Temple to it as to a Goddesse in which Temple all Leagues Covenants Truces and important bargains were made which were so religiously observed that whosoever broke them was held for a cursed damned creature unfit for humane society Rom. 1. 29. Full of envy murther debate deceit malignity A man were better be true to false principles then be false to true ones Those who are false are also mischievous they care not what mischief they do to any so they may but uphold themselves and repair that credite which formerly they had but now through their base falsenesse is crackt and if they have wronged any by their falsnesse they seek to keep such downe if not to ruine them fearing lest their falsenesse should hereafter be revenged and if they cannot get them down by force they will seek to do it by adding yet more falsenesse by flattering them whom their hearts hate and would gladly ruine That Scripture Prov. 26. 28. is very remarkable for this A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it and a flattering mouth worketh ruine Psal 72. 14. He shall deliver their soule from deceit and violence If men who are false cannot compasse their ends by deceit they will seeke to doe it by violence God hath his time to deliver his Saints from both Come Lord Jesus come quickly CHAP. XXI Dividing Practices The first The Practice of the Tongue The second Needlesse Disputes PRovoking bitter language is a great divider An evill tongue in Scripture is compared to swords Arrowes Razors to poyson of Aspes â—ire yea to the fire of hell which sets all the world on fire to wild beasts it is an unruly member that cannot be tamed When a Philosopher saw two women of ill fame talking together he said By this speech the Aspe takes in poyson from the Viper which it seems was a proverbiall speech in Tertullians time he inveighing against Marcion the Heretique Let the Heretique sayes he cease borrowing poyson from the Jew according to the Proverbe the Aspe from the Viper Many men of moderate spirits if let alone yet meeting with men who tell them stories and speak ill of those men that heretofore they had a good opinion of yet now before they have examined what the truth is there is a venome got into their spirits before they are aware their hearts
to doe would have all Christians dwelling together so far as they can to unite into a body but there is no such order of Christ that all that dwell on the one side of the street should be of one body and all on the other of another body if they be more then can joyn into one spirituall corporation they are bound to joyne into severall so as they may best to their own and other Churches edification and if they should fail in this not joyning in the best way that possible might be their sin is against that edification that Christ requires but not therefore the sin of Schisme Who ever they were that bounded Parishes surely they did not so bound them to the greatest edification of the Church that possible might be and yet who will say they were therefore Schismaticks But suppose you have joyned with any company of Saints in a spirituall corporation if you now shall uncharitably unjustly rashly and violently break from communion with them then you contract the guilt of Schisme upon you First the separtion must be from want of charity By faith especially we are united to Christ our head and by charity to one another If a man appeares departing from any fundamentall Article of our faith which joyned him to his Head he is to bee judged an Heretick So by his appearing to depart from that love by which he was joyned in communion with the members he is to be judged a Schismatick If his departure proceeds from his love of God his love to his Saints and his owne soule yea his love to that very Church from whence he departs as sometimes it may witnessing in a gratious way against evill in it he is farre from the guilt of Schisme If you say love is a secret thing we cannot judge of what is in the heart We cannot judge of it while it is in the heart but when it appeares we may You may know whether this or other principles act men or no by their behaviour in their breaking off communion Where this is not bitcernesse pride selfe-ends will soone appear and carry them beyond those principles themselves professe they goe upon Secondly If the cause of leaving communion be just then those who give this cause are the Schismaticks not those who withdraw upon it Thus the Governours of the Church may be the Schismaticks and a private member withdrawing may be free Suarez a great Jesuite in his disputation De Schismate sayes in some cases the Pope may be a Schismatick If Governours shall enjoyne any thing upon the Church or any member that is sinne or if they shall mingle evill in the publick worship so that there can be no joyning with their worship but there must be likewise a joyning with sinne in this case if any withdraw from them they are the Schismaticks not those who withdraw they are fugati not fugitivi The blame of Schisme sayes learned Voâ—tius must not be upon those who forsake such as have forsaken Christ and the ancient faith but upon those who have thus forsaken Christ and his truth When the second Councell of Nice set up Image-worship many thousands could not yeeld to it but were forced to withdraw who was the Schismaticall party there but the Synod and those who joyned with it Yea further if they impose that which is not necessary though in it selfe not sinful and will not beare with the weaknesses of such as thinke it to be evill if upon that they be forced to withdraw in this the Governours are the Schismaticks also the cause of the rent is in them they ought in such things to beare the weaknesses of their Brethren and not imperiously to require of them those things that there is no necessity of If such things be sinne to their Brethrens consciences if they will stand upon it to enjoyne them they lay a necessity upon them to withdraw from them God will not lay the Indictment of Schisme thus Such a one departed from the communion of such a Church because he would not doe what was lawfull to be done but thus You imposed that upon your Brother which there was no necessity of and would not forbeare him in what I would have you forbeare him but caused him by your imperiousnesse and stiffenesse to depart from communion with you It is true sayes God the thing might have been done but it was not necessary it was out of conscience to me that they forbore the weaknesse is theirs but the Schisme is yours This hath beene generally received though it be very false that if a man departs from a Church because he refuseth to joyn with it in that which is not in it selfe evill that this mans departure is Schismaticall Certainly no Grant there is a weaknesse in his conscience and so a sinne he should informe his conscience better but cannot and this inability is not without sinne yet this arises not to that height of sinne as to make that which supposing him to be in this condition is better for him to doe then not to doe to become Schisme especially if he be willing to hold communion with that Church still in all acts of worship wherein he can joyne without sinning against his conscience and continues brotherly love to them as Saints in all the expressions thereof as he is able The first great Schisme in the Church that was caused by the Governours of it was that which Victor Bishop of Rome and those who joyned with him caused by that imperious way of enjoyning Easter to be kept at such a time which you have mentioned pag. 15 16 17. The story of which you have in Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 23. Those who denyed not the lawfulnesse of keeping Easter yet have generally accused Victor and such who so violently urged this upon the Churches as the cause of the Schisme not such who did not conforme to what was enjoyned them because the thing was not necessary and there should have beene a forbearance in it No Governour ought to urge such unnecessary things which are but under suspition by tender consciences if they do the Schisme is justly charged upon them Thirdly where a man cannot have his soule edified in some Ordinances and truths of great moment which that Church whereof he now is shall deny and is in great danger of being seduced to evill he may depart from that Church to another if he does it orderly and not be guilty at all of Schisme love to God and his owne soule is the cause of this not want of love to his Brethren It is a good speech I finde Chillingworth hath what the goodnesse of the man was I know not but in that Treatise of his The Religion of Protestants a safe way Cap. 5. Part. 1. Sect. 61. answering that plea of his adversary against Protestants that communion with a Church not erring in fundamentals upon pretence of erring in other matters must not be forsaken he
cruelty and revenge her husband delighting in her caused her Image to be made lively representing her and apparelled with costly garments but indeed it was an Engin to torment men withall he made use of it thus when he could not have his will upon men by his owne perswasions he tooke them by the hand telling them that perhaps his wife Apega who sate by in a chaire could perswade more effectually so he led them to the Image that rose up and opened the armes as it were for embracement those armes were full of sharpe iron nayles the like whereof were also sticking in the brests though hidden with her clothes and herewith she griped these men to death At which Nabis standing by laughed to see the cruell death of these miserable men The Lord deliver us from revengefull spirits CHAP. XXVII The evill of Divisions They hinder much good EVsebius reports of Constantine That he was more troubled with the dissentions of the Church then with all the warres in his dominions that he took them so to heart that he could not sleep quietly for them yea although he had a spirit full of heroick valour yet the dissentions of the Church were such evils to him as to cause him to cry and sob Thus he writes in an Epistle to Alexander and Arius Let me enjoy the dayes in peace and the nights without molâ—station that the pleasure which riseth out of the pure light of concord and quiet life may henceforth inviolably be conserved if it otherwise happen it behoveth us to sob and sigh and to shed many a salt teare What heart that hath any tendernesse in it bleeds not in the sense of those sore dreadful heart-divisions there are amongst us The evill there is in them is beyond what tongue or pen can expresse Take a view of it under these three Heads 1. The good they hinder 2. The sinne they cause 3. The misery they bring First the quiet comfort sweetnesse of our spirits is hindered by divisions They put the spirit out of tune men who heretofore have had sweet spirit full of ingenuity since they have interessed themselves in these Divisions have lost their sweetnesse their ingenuity is gone When the Bee stings she leaves her sting behinde her and never gathers Honey more men by stinging one another doe not lose their stings but they lose their honey they are never like to have that sweetnesse in their hearts that heretofore they had Shall I lose my sweetnesse sayes the Fig-tree and goe to be promoted over the trees Why doest thou not reason thus with thy spirit Shall I lose my sweetnesse in contending to get my will to be above others God sorbid There was a time that both my my selfe and others found much sweetnesse in the temper of spirit there was nothing but peaceablenesse quiet calmnesse contentednesse in it and how comfortable was such a temper of spirit me thought when my spirit was in that sweet frame all things were sweet to me but since I have been interested in quarrels and contentions it hath beene farre otherwise with me Prov. 15. 4. Perversnesse in the tongue causes a breach in the spirit Contentions cause much perversnesse in mens tongues and this causes a breach in their spirits Your contending costs you deare though it were in nothing else yet the losse of this sweetnesse of spirit makes it very costly to you All the wrong that you should have put up if you had not contended had not been so great an evil to you as this one thing is There is nothing more contrary to ingenuity then quarrelsomnesse It is reported of Melancthon that when he was to dye he had this speech and Strigelius at his death had the same I desire to depart this life for two causes First that I may enjoy the desired sight of the Sonne of God and the Church in heaven Secondly that I may be delivered from the fierce and implacable hatred of Divines There was much disputing contending quarrelling in those times which was so tedious to the spirits of these good men as it made them the willinger to dye that they might be where their souls should be at rest That Saint of God old M. Dod never loved to meddle with controversies he gave that reason He found his heart the worse when he did Men seldome come away from hot disputes or any other contentions but their spirits are altered for the worse They finde it so and others finde it in them If a man has beene abroad and met with company with whom he hath been contending his wife children servants finde that he comes not home with the same spirit that he went out with Secondly they hinder the freedome of a mans spirit which a wise man sets a high price upon the strength of many mens spirits is spent in contentions they have no command of them to any thing else When a man is once engaged in a contest he knows not how to get off Contention is a great snare to a man he wishes he had never medled with it he is weary of it but knowes not how to come off fairely I have read of Francis the first King of France consulting with his Captaines how to lead his Army over the Alpes into Italy whether this way or that way Amarill his Foole sprung out of a corner where he sate unseene and bad them rather take care which way they should bring their Army out of Italy back again It is easie for one to interest himselfe in quarrels but the difficulty is to be disengaged from them when you are in Thirdly they hinder the good of the body many men contending with their Brethren are so full of stomach that they have no stomach they hinder their sleep men lye tossing up downe a great part of the night sometimes whole nights musing plodding and contriving how they may make their party good what advantages they may get of those they contend with Have the thoughts about the breach sinne hath made between God and thy soul broke thy sleep so much as the thoughts of breaches between thee and thy neighbours and brethren We reade of Moses Deut. 34. 7. that he was an hundred and twenty yeeres old when he died his eye was not dimme nor his naturall force abated Some give this to be one reason of such a wonderfull preservation of his health and strength the meeknesse of his spirit God witnesses of him Numb 12. 3. That he was the meekest man upon the face of the earth That good old man Mr. Dod came very neere to Moses in the one and in the other Fourthly they hinder mens judgements if the water be muddie we cannot see what lies at the bottome These dissentions disturb the medium of our sight you cannot weigh gold in the middest of blustring windes you cannot consider and give a judgement upon truth except the heart be calme Gregory Nazianzen hath this similitude As the
you doe nothing that may make any disturbance in the Church whereby such as are observers of your wayes shall be offended If they see miscarriages in you they will fly off and of all miscarriages there are none more offensive to the lookers on then wranglings and contendings when they see this they will conclude Surely this is not the way of Christ 10. They are a very ill improvement of our zeal and courage Zeal and courage have such an excellency in them as its a thousand pitties they should have no other improvement then to raise and maintain quarels and divisions The Lord hath use of every mans zeal and courage reserve them for his for some notable work that God hath to do for thee and do not spend them about that from whence comes no good If Soldiers lying neare their enemies have no store of powder should spend what they have in making squibs and fire-workes would they not be condemned of folly if not of treachery by all Those who have the most zeal and courage have little enough to serve their turne for the services that God requires of them and must this be spent in unworthy brablings wanglings and quarellings That mans body is in an ill condition that hath a sore to which the humors have recourse to feed it leaving off the supplying to the parts of the body that are to be nourished and maintained by them the sore is fed but the other parts grow lank and feeble Thus it is with many mens spirits they are distempered and then what abilities they have are drawn forth to feed those distempers what account can be given to God of such a use of them as this 11. They make very much against the Cause of Christ now in hand the great work of Reformation Had we joyned hand in hand together and set out selves to serve the Lord with one shoulder what abundance of service might have been done how might the honour of Christ have been advanced high amongst us before this day But while one draws one way another another one seeks to set up and another labours to pull down how can the work go on You will say That is true indeed things would go on a pace if those who differ from others would give up their judgements and practises to them to beleeve what they beleeve and to doe what they doe But how can this be you would not have them give up their judgements or practices to them till they know they be right and how can that be till they by discussing praying reading meditating finde that out If some men had certainly found out the right and other men knew certainly that they had done so then the worke were at an end But when we complain of our divisions for making much against the Cause of Christ or work of Reformation we do not complain against men because they cannot all understand things alike But this we complain of 1. That all men who professe godlinesse have not joyned in opposing that which they beleeve cannot stand with godlinesse by all the wayes that God hath put into their hands 2. That they have not joyned to promote those wayes of godlinesse which they are convinced to be so 3. That they have not joyned to study what wayes and means may be found out to ease the hearts and consciences one of another to beare with one another so far as Christ would have them be helpfull to and beare with one another It is this that hath made such a stop in the work of Reformation A peaceable humble and quiet discussing of things furthers that Reformation that Christ would have Doe you thinke that Christ would be pleased with such a Reformation wherein the lesser part should give up their consciences and practices to the Judgments of the greater such a kind of slubbering over matters might soon be but Christ must have all the matters of his worship and doctrine consented to and practiced from a principle of faith Let us joyn with all our might in all we know and with peaceable quiet humble spirits seek to know more and in the mean time carry our selves humbly and peaceably towards those we differ from and Christ will not charge us at the Great Day for retarding his Cause the great work of Reformation in hand 12. These our dissentions are against a great part of the Covenant of Grace which God hath made with his people in Christ and those many promises of so much peace that there is to be in the times of the Gospel We by these do that which tends to make void the Covenant we doe as it were say that Christ is not come in the flesh 1 Joh. 4. 3. Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist Many men talk much of Antichrist bet such as profess the Gospel and yet are of unpeaceable snarling contending spirits they have the spirit of Antichrist and they doe not confesse that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh It is the Argument the Jews have against Christ say they If he were come then that Prophesie Esay 11. 6. would be fulfilled The wolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the leopard shall lye downe with the kid and the cow and the beare shall feed together c. But this is not so they bring many other places where Peace is prophesied of as Esay 9. 7. Of the encrease of his government and peace shall be no end Those who seeke for his Government should seek for his Peace also Galatinus de Arcanis Catholicae veritatis spends divers Chapters in answering the Jews objections against Christ from these places with others as Lib. 5. the 6 7 8. Chapters A speciall part of the Covenant of Grace is in that promise Ezek. 11. 19. I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within them and they shall be my people and I will be their God ver 20. And Jer. 32. 38 39. They shall be my people and I will be their God and I will give them one heart and one way Many men speak much of the Covenant of Grace who manifest little of this part of it in them If that which is against any command of God be sinfull much more is that which is so directly against Gods Covenant with his people that which tends to make even the Covenant of Grace to be of none effect if it be of no effect in one part of it it will be of none in the other 13. By our divisions we cross that end that God aimed at in the variety of his administrations in the gifts and graces of men That this was not Christs end in dispensing gifts and graces in a different way that there might be fuell administred to contentions and quarrels but rather to exercise love we spake to before now onely take notice of it as a consideration that set out the
he might tell Joseph that his heart did close much with him and if he had any opportunity to be useful to him oh what a happinesse should he think it to himselfe Surely it should be improved for the good of Joseph to the uttermost But when he was preferred when he had respect amongst great ones and Joseph still was kept low then he is not the same man that he was when he was Josephs fellow-sufferer Now he hath other things in his head Joseph is forgotten by him Where this evill is be sure God will find it out for it is an evill very grievous to his Spirit Put these together and it will appeare that it is no time now to contend whatsoever we doe at other times I remember I have read of Sir Francis Drake having a dear friend of his slaine by a bullet as he sate with him at supper Ah sayes he I could grieve for thee but now is no time for me to let down my spirits So when any shal do such things as might cause contention do you speak to your own heart Ah I find my anger stirred I could contend but now is no time for me to let my spirits rise in a contending way these times call for peace and union not for strife and debate This is the 11. aggravation we are divided in such a time as this The twelfth is we are divided notwithstanding we are all convinced of the evill of divisions We cry out exceedingly against them we tell one another that of all the tokens of Gods displeasure amongst us these are the greatest Yet scarce a man does any thing or leaves any thing undone towards any help against divisions or furtherance of our union Every man cries out of the Theefe but who stops him We all say we would have peace oh peace is an excellent thing But where is the man who is willing to be at any cost for it either in putting up any wrong which he conceives is done to himself or bearing with his brother in any thing differing from himself The Lord may justly judge us out of our own mouths 13. We have complained of others who are in place of power to be of harsh cruel dispositions We have sayd if they had been of gentle loving peaceable dispositions tendring the glory of God dearly the good of their brethren as their own what abundance of good might they have done We have thought in those times Oh if such men were in place who were then our dear brethren whom we conceived to be of holy humble sweet peaceable spirits very tender-hearted towards any they saw godlinesse in had they power in their hands what safety peace rest would the Saints have How comfortably should they goe on in their work How would they be edified praysing the Lord What a heaven upon earth should we have And yet we finde it otherwise We may say we looked for light and behold I will not say darknesse but behold dimnesse even from them for brightnesse but behold obscurity Oh how doe the carriages of these men in some degree justifie the harshnesse sowernesse domineering and cruelty of some of the Prelates We hope nothing shall ever befall us as to be such a temptation to us as to justifie their places But some of their persons are so farre justified as there is occasion given to think they were not such vile men as heretofore we thought they were For now we see what a temptation there is in having the times shine upon me in having power put into mens hands We see now that men who have other manner of principles then ever they had yet how sadly they miscarry when they come under the like temptations How can we answer Christ Jesus for these things 14. We are still divided though we have seen the wofull evils that divisions have brought upon others yet we cannot be warned by other mens harmes Those who are acquainted with Ecclesiasticall Histories may furnish themselves with Volumes in this kind Who can read that short but sowre History of the troubles at Frankford but his heart must needs bleed within him And of late what evills have almost all the Protestant party in Germany and through the Christian world suffered by divisions And yet we engage our selves in them and are every day engaging our selves more and more How deep we shall sink the Lord knowes 15. In our very labouring for union we are divided in our endeavours for peace we are at variance Nazianzen in his 12. Oration rebuking this strange miscarriage of men hath this notable expression While we would have charity we study hatred while we seek to set up the corner stone which unites the sides together we are loosned our selves we are for peace and yet we fight one with another Our wayes of late have been little else but doing and undoing yea we crosse our selves in what we would do by doing what we doe We are all full of contradictions in our own spirits and actions and we cry out of others that they are not consistent to their own principles Lastly the sin of our divisions is the greater because we make Religion to patronize them We divide from one another and all under a pretence of Religion Surely this Virgin is forced for there is nothing more contrary to the name or nature of Religion then to cause or further divisions The name carryes union strong union with it Religio à Religando from binding us againe to God and to one another after we were divided by our sin To father our wicked divisions upon Religion is no other then to bring down the Holy Ghost in the likenesse of a Dove to be like a Vultur or a Raven What spirit is it that we professe our selves to be acted by when we are working for Religion is it not the Spirit of God and is not that a Dove-like spirit although we dishonour our selves by discovering the basenesse of our own spirits by our divisions yet let us not put dishonour upon the blessed Spirit of God this makes the sin to be abhominable Nazianzen in his fore-named Oration inveighs against this in those in his time In our pleadings for the truth we sayes he belye one another as if this were the way to maintain truth CHAP. XXIX The wofull miseries that our divisions bring upon us THey are themselves fruits of the curse therefore there can come no other but cursed fruits from them except God contrary to their nature be pleased to over-rule them which he only is able to do It was the curse of God upon the ground Briars and thorns shall it bring forth It is no lesse curse of God upon mens hearts that they bring forth such briars and thorns by which they tear one another First our divisions provoke the wrath of God against us though the wrath of man accomplisheth not the righteousnesse of God yet it may accomplish the wrath of God Esay 9. 21. Manasseh against
tender age we are afraid lest the muddy water they drink now should breed diseases in them that may break out afterward Surely it is a great evill also for the children of the Church to be brought up in the sight and exercise of divisions in matters of Religion that that knowledge of Religion which they now take in should be as troubled waters full of soyle In the beginning of this Parliament there was as hopefull a generation of young ones comming up as ever the Sun saw but many of them have lost their lives in this publique Cause God will certainly take a valuable consideration at the hands of the adversaries for their blood especially we have cause to blesse God for them God made use of them to stop the rage the overflowing of the proud adversaries upon us they have served their generation and have been more usefull in it then others who have lived 70. or 80. yeers formerly but for those who are preserved these divisions in the things of Religion have spoiled many of them they are carryed away with such a strange kind of spirit of error of conceitednesse folly wilfulnesse bitternesse licentiousnesse and boldnesse that their hopefull beginnings are lost so that the next generation is like to reap very sowr bitter and unwholsome fruits of these our quarrels and contentions By what hath been said you may see why the Spirit of God Prov. 6. 19. puts the sowers of discord amonst those whom God hates What the harvest of such seed is like to be we shall see in the next Head Aggravations of the misery that comes by our divisions FIrst our misery is the greater because it is still increasing Divisions make way for divisions we beat our brethren till they cry and then we beat them because they cry is not this hard dealing We read in our Chronicles that those who were born in England the yeare after the great mortality 1349. wanted some of their cheek teeth if we should judge of mens teeth by their biting one would think that now men had more teeth or at least farre sharper then they were wont to have there was never such biting as now there is Yet thanks be to God this increase is not in all places not in our Armies time was when we were much afraid of divisions there but now we hear they are comfortably united Dividing terms are not heard amongst them as formerly though there be differing judgements their hearts and armes are open one to another they love one another they are willing to live and dye one with another The blessing of the Almighty be upon you go on and prosper the Lord is with you he hath done great things by you and delights to use you in great services for the honour of his Name and good of his people You have had and have the prayers of the Saints they blesse you and blesse God for you Souldiers united in love and hating that which is vile are exceedingly strengthned in valour Plutarch reports of a Theban band that were but three hundred yet were the most terrible to the enemies of any and did the greatest services They were called the Holy Band because they hated dishonest things and were willing to venture their lives for honest causes fearing dishonourable reproach more then honourable danger But though this was one cause why it had that name yet Plutarch thinks that the first cause why it was called the Holy Band was from their intire love one to another By the selfe same reason sayes he that Plato calleth a lover a divine friend by Gods appointment These Thebans together with other of their Countreymen had a great power of the Lacedaemonians to resist such a power as the Athenians for feare of it left off to protect them renouncing that league that they had before with them Every man said the Thebans were undone But these despised Thebans meeting with the Lacedaemonians about the City of Tegyra where according to the compute of some they were sixe to one and a warlike valiant people one came running to Pelopidas the Captain of the Thebans saying Sir we are falne into the hands of the Lacedaemonians Nay are they not falne into ours sayes Pelopidas And so it fell out for they utterly routed them In all the warrs that the Lacaedemonians ever had as well with the Grecians as with the barbarous people no Chronicle ever mentioned that they were overcome by any number equall in battell Whereupon these Thebans grew so terrible to their enemies that none durst for a long time encounter with them After this battell Pelopidas would never seperate them one from another but keeping them together he would alwayes begin with them to give a charge in his most dangerous battells Yet notwithstanding all this service they had ill requitall from the people for when their Captain Pelopidas came home they stirred up a party against him that sought to break him though they could not prevaile It is farther reported of this Band that it was never broken nor overthrowne till the battell of Choeronea where it seems they had some added to them And see what love and valour will doe in an Army unto death Philip taking a view of the slaine bodies there he saw foure hundred dead on the ground one hard by another all of them thrust thorow with Pikes on their breasts and being told that it was the Lovers Band he fell a weeping for pitty saying Woe be to them that thinke these men did or suffered any evill or dishonest thing Ever since our Armies have been united God hath wonderfully blessed them Shall men of warre be at peace and is this comely and shall men of peace be at warre how uncomely will this be Yet so it is The seeds of dissentions never sprung up more against us then of late they have done The spirits of men seeme to be heat and ready to boyle one against another in this City more then heretofore they have done The Lord hath made London a blessing to the whole Kingdome and the neighbour Kingdomes too The children not yet borne will have cause to blesse God for London for their union their faithfulness their courage their bounty and shall now when God is about bringing in rest to us from the rage of our enemies a fire of dissention be kindled amongst us Shall the comfort of all our former mercies and future hopes be lost by raising up of new quarrels and must this come from the City The Lord forbid The Lord make you like Jerusalem a City Compact at unity within it selfe Your very name carries unity in the face of it Civis à coeundo says Cicer quod vinculo quodi societatis in unū coeunt quasi Coivis I remember I have read in Livy a notable speech of Scipio to the Citizens at Carthage By what name sayes he shall I call you I know not Shall I call you Cives qui à patria vestra
otherwise it must needs therefore enrage others at them The good uses that we are to make of our Divisions WHy may not meat come out of the eater and sweet out of these bitter things The Heavens can draw up salt vapours from the Sea and send them down againe in sweet refreshing showres Why may not heavenly hearts change the very nature of these sowre brinish things and make them sweet to themselves and others This is the excellency of grace it does not only preserve the soule from the evill of temptations but it gets advantage by them it turnes the evill into good Luther upon the Galat. c. 5. v. 17. hath a notable expression to set forth the power of grace By this a Christian sayes he comes to be a mighty workman and a wonderfull creator who of heavinesse can make joy of terrours comfort of sinne righteousnesse of death life And why may not I adde of division and contention peace and union Wherefore First by these Divisions men may come to see the vilenesse and the vanity of their own hearts what were the thoughts of men heretofore Oh had we but liberty and opportunity to be instrumentall for God we hope we should improve all to the uttermost for him now God hath granted these to us we abuse them we grow wanton we jarre one against another we are like some Marriners who are calme in a storme But storme in a calme Surely every man is vanity The untowardnesse of the spirits of those who heretofore longed after ordinances freed from these defilements they mourned under when they have their desires in great measure satisfied discovers so much evill in the hearts of men that it justifies those whom themselves have had hard thoughts of men who seemed carnall and naught that you looked upon as very evill men of bitter spirits against good men you thought such things apparently argued them void of grace and yet when you are got into Church-fellowship that way of freedome that your soules mourned after a long time now though you be joyned in covenant one to another yet if your brethren differ any thing from you though they be otherwise godly what a bitternesse of spirit is there in some of you against them what pride what frowardnesse doe you manifest against them Oh what a poor creature is man if once he gets power and liberty what a deale of filth appears in him we may learn by this to have charitable thoughts of some of whom we have had hard thoughts before we see if these men have any grace grace may be in a mans heart lying under much corruption Secondly learne to be humbled for that dishonour which comes to God by these divisions thou spendest thy time in vexing and fretting at in crying out against these breaches but when was thy heart broken with the dishonour that God hath by them Thirdly let these divisions confirme us in the maine and settle us there more then ever for do we not see that those many sorts of men who are divided who oppose one another much yet they all joyn in the things of the greatest consequence they all witnesse against the common enemy This sayes Nazianzen is the greatest argument of the truth that it is not overcome by time neither can enmity one against another put out that little sparke of the love of it that is in us c. If a mans house stands after many shakings of strong windes he concludes the foundation is good this satisfies him though some tiles be shaken off Fourthly let us blesse God who hath carryed on the work of Reformation thus farre notwithstanding our divisions we were afraid that these differences not so much betweene the good and bad but betweene the good and good would have undone all and yet behold the Lord beyond our thoughts how infinitely beyond our deserts hath carryed on the work hitherto so as it gets ground though it be not so speedily brought to an issue as we would have it Fiftly let us hence raise our hopes in this that Satans time is not long his raging and foming so violently doth evidence it to us Surely Christ our Prince of Peace is at hand he will tread down Satan under our feet shortly Sixtly let us from these stirs without be put upon the labouring to make and to confirm peace within Oh consider is the breach between man and man so grievous how grievous is that which is between God and the Soul I find it hard and doubt whether it be possible to be at peace with men in this world I find them of such froward peevish selfish wilfull spirits even many who seem to be good men otherwise but God gives many encouragements to poor souls to come unto him he is a God of love and mercy he delights not to grieve the children of men to crush under his feet the prisoners of the earth he is willing to be reconciled to sinners there is nothing that his heart is more set upon then reconciliation with wretched sinfull souls Oh that in these sad dayes of miserable dissentions I might be blessed with the comforts of the reconciliation of my soul with God! if this were I hope I should be able contentedly to bear and with strength to pass through all those heart-sadning evils caused by these breaches and dissentions there are amongst us This were a good use indeed made of such evill things if mens contending with you shall thus further your peace with God what he once said of Adams sin it was Faelix peccatum a happy sin because it occasioned so much good in Mans Redemption So I may say of that strife and contention there is among us it is faelix contentio a happy contention that God hath turned to so much good unto you I have read of Robert Holgate who was Arch-Bishop of York because he could not peaceably enjoy his small living in Lincolne-shire in regard of the litigiousnesse of a neigbouring Knight comming to London to right himselfe he came into the favour of King Hen. the 8. and so got by degrees the Archbishoprick of York he thought he got well by the litigiousnesse of this Knight but if the strifes of men shall put thee upon those providences and duties which shall be so blessed unto thee as to further thy getting into the favour of the high God and the enjoyment of the soule-satisfying sweetnesse there is in peace with him what cause shalt thou have of admiring free grace which hath brought to thee so great a good from so great an evil and if these strifes have been a meanes to move thy heart Godward for thy making thy peace with him let them also put thee on still to further to confirme to settle to maintaine thy peace with him VVhen the winde and storme rises the Traveller plucks his cloak the closer about him these dividing times are stormy times labour to get your souls to the harbour under shelter labour to make sure
bloud to cast up thy accounts truly what good thou hast done or what thou hast got by such and such contentions and on the other side cast up what the hurt thou hast done what sin hath been committed what evill hath got into thy spirit I fear you will have little cause to boast of or rejoyce in your gains To be freed from that expence that comes in by strife is not a little gain says Ambrose In strife you will finde there is a very great expence of time of gifts and parts Many men in regard of the good gifts God hath given them might have proved shining Lights in the Church but by reason of their contentious spirits they prove no other then smoaking firebrands It may be by all the stirre you keep you shall never get your minde if you do it will not quit cost the charge you have been at for it comes to much more then it is worth God deliver me from having my minde at such a dear rate The fifth joyning Consideration The strongest hath need of the weakest LEt not the hand say it hath no need of the foot nor the eye it hath no need of the hand God hath so tempred the body that every member hath need of every member It was a sweet spirit in Peter that great Apostle writing to the scattered Christians he begins his Epistle thus Simon Peter a servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us Little nayles may be usefull where great wedges can do no good Little chips may help to set great logs on fire The sixth Consider when any thing falls out that occasions strife it may be this is but for a triall this is a temptation WHen men provoke us we are ready to flye upon them looking no further then the men with whom we are displeased But if you look a little further perhaps you may see the Devill is on the other side of the hedge and hath been the chief agent in this business Augustine presseth this by a most excellent similitude When a Fowler saith he hath set his net to catch Birds he sets it at a distance from the hedge and when he has done he takes stones and throwes at the hedge upon this the Birds flye out and flutter about The Fowler does not intend any hurt to the hedge neither does he think to hit any Birds with his stones but that which is in his eye is the net on the other side of the hedge he hopes to drive the Birds in there So sayes he the Devill prepares his net to catch men in he raises up contentions and causes much trouble to be in Churches and among brethren you think all the evill is in the trouble of your present contentions Oh no the Devill is behinde he intends to bring some of you into some great sin by these he hath set his net for you when you are troubled and vexed by such contentions the Devill sees you fit for a temptation now I hope I shall get him to do such and such things which otherwise I could never have got him to Oh that we had hearts when we find contentions stirring to consider But is there not a temptation in them The seventh Consider how the heart of God is set upon making peace with us and what it cost him GOd was in Christ reconciling the world to himself this work hath taken up the thoughts councels heart of God from all eternity above any thing that ever he did this is the chief master-piece of all the works of God There is more of the glory of God in this then in all that God hath done This is and shall be the object of the admiration of Angels and Saints the matter of their praises to all eternity The heart of God was so in this that he was resolved to have it whatsoever it cost him it cost the dearest that ever any thing in this world did yea the price of it was more then ten thousand worlds are worth it was no lesse then the bloud of the Sonne of God of him who is the second person in Trinity God blessed for evermore Col. 1. 14. In whom we have redemption through his bloud who is the image of the invisible God the first borne of every creature by him were all things created he is before all things by him all things consist in him all fulnesse dwels and having made peace through the bloud of his Crosse ver 20. What God hath done for peace with us cals aloud to us to prize peace one with another It is the Apostles argument 1 Joh. 3. 16. He laid down his life for us we ought to lay downe our lives for the brethren It cost his life to make our peace with God We should be willing to do any thing we are able even to the hazard of our lives to make peace among the Saints Christ laid down his life even for this peace also Ephes 2. 14. For he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broke downe the middle wall of partition betweene us having abolished in his flesh the enmity to make in himselfe of twaine one new man so making peace and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Crosse Christ reconciles both unto God but how it is in one body Lay this Consideration warm at your hearts and it will comfort your hearts and so preserve and encrease peaceable dispositions in you towards one another The eighth Consider how unworthy we were when Jesus Christ received us into union with himselfe WHat uncomely what loathsome creatures we were yet Christ took us into his bosome into his heart and resolved that never any thing should seperate us from him againe But that those embracements of his should be everlasting and yet shall every trifle take us off from one anothers hearts shall every jealous spusitious conceit every little difference be enough to seperate us and that almost irreconcileably Have we the spirit of Christ in us is the same minde in us that was in Christ Jesus The ninth Consider that we are called to Peace GOD hath called us to peace 1 Cor. 7. 15. That case upon which the Apostle mentions our calling to peace is as difficult a case to preserve peace in as any can fall out in ones life It was the case of man and wife unequally yoaked one is a Beleever the other an Infidell yet being man and wife the Apostle determines that the Beleever must be content to live with the unbeleever as it becomes a wife or a husband except he or she of themselves will depart but they should give them no occasion of departing but rather by their holy humble conversation seek to convert them this no question was accounted a hard task but it must be sayes the Apostle and upon this he grounds it for God hath called us to peace There is another case almost as difficult as
tale of such and such your heart is hot presently but do you understand the matter You begin to make a stirre but can you give account of it Be silent forbeare take heed what you do meddle not in way of strife till you understand where the controversie lyes and that from both parties The fifth joyning Practice Be ingenious 1. do not lye at the catch to take advantages 2. make the best interpretation of things you can IF God should catch advantages against us what would become of us This is most unseemly when men are seeking to finde out truth if then they shall piddle about words catch at phrases get hold of expressions and seek to make their advantages out of them and in this shall be the greatest strength of their answer though this may have a specious shew before men who are willing to receive any thing which makes against what they would have crushed yet this will not abide before the throne of Christ We reade Matth. 4. Christ had a great dispute with the Devill in which he had him at great advantage in his quotation of a Scripture ver 6. He shall give his Angells charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall beare thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stoue This was quoted out of the 91. Psal ver 11. there it is He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes Yet Christ did not catch this advantage he did not so much as upbraid him for leaving out that passage which he might justly have done but he answers to the thing Yea Christ might have taken a further advantage against the Devill for the words following in the Psalm are a prophesie of Christ destroying the power of the Devill Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou trample under thy feet Christ did not take the advantage of this neither and upbraid him with it he had enough against him in the thing it selfe he brought It is a signe that men have lesse advantage in the matter when they seek so much to catch at all the advantages they can in the manner of the expressions of those whom they oppose 2. Make the best interpretation of things you can 1 Cor. 13. 5. Love thinkes no evill It may be if you meet with a man in the streets if he stayes not to talk with you if he takes not speciall notice of you you presently think it is his pride his sleighting disregarding you this is the worst interpretation that can be Why is it not possible that it may be thorough multitude of businesse in his head that you know not of May it not be that his eyes and thoughts were another way he did not take notice of your passing by him is it not thus often with your selfe in respect of others Againe perhaps such a man you find not in his behaviour towards you when you are with him looking so smilingly upon you carrying himselfe in that familiar affable way as you expected you presently think and say Surely it is his pride and surlinesse whereas it may be it is because his head is fuller then yours which may afterwards be for your good if you would be but patient a while it may be it is from some trouble of his spirit at that time it may be it is from the temper of his body his constitution or some weaknesse in it at that time if such a faire interpretation may be made why should not an ingenuous candid spirit make it This very exception I find was taken against Basilius Magnus and Nazianzen in one of his Orations in which he highly commends Basil answers it and justifies him It is hard to keep unity love and peace with men who are of exceptious carping dispositions if God were strict to mark what we doe amisse what would become of us God is strict to mark what good there is in his Saints if there be any little good in the midst of much imperfection Gods way is to passe by the imperfection and take notice of the good but our way is often if there be a little bad though but through a very pardonable mistake in the midst of much good to passe by all the good and to seize upon the mistake to make it the seed of contention to brood over it and so beget the brats of contention from it Certainly this ought not thus to be The sixt joyning Practice So farre as Reason and Conscience will give way yeeld to those whom you contend withall THat standing at a distance with those that dissent from us even to the utmost is the way of many but certainly it is a false way God is not in it It may be some yea many will judge this yeelding to be a faire handsome turning about to the other side take heed of such bold censures Is every difference from that rigid stout spirit of thine a warping from the truth a sinfull temporizing for private ends The Lord judge between you and his servants Some men who have been of yeelding spirits in things that God would have them have stood out undauntedly when God hath called them to witnesse to his truth when those who have been stout and harsh in their owne wayes have basely betrayed it when they have beene tryed with greater sufferings Ambrose was a man of a sweet and moderate spirit witnesse amongst other things that notable saying of his If that end of vertues be the greatest that looks at publique good Moderation is of all the most beautifull Ay but I warrant you Ambrose was a man who saw which way the times went he was loth to hazard himself in standing out against men who had power in their hands this temper of his made him thus plead for moderation No Ambrose was a man of an invincible spirit in the wayes of God In all Ecclesiasticall Story we read not of a braver spirit then his contesting with men of power in the cause of Christ For when Theodosius the Emperour had been the cause of a great slaughter in Thessalonica though provoked to it by a sedition there the Emperour a while after comming to Milan where Ambroses charge was after the usuall manner he came to the Church Ambrose meets him and forbids him entrance reproving him before all the people Doe you not know oh Emperour sayes he the barbarousnesse of that vile fact of yours or doe you not remember we have another Emperour above you what bold impiety is thiâ— doe you not feare to bring those feet of yours polluted with the blood of innocents into this holy place or to stretch forth those hands of yours wet yea dropping with blood to take the most holy body of the Lord or to put that mouth of yours which forgetting not onely the clemency which belongs to an Emperour but the justice gave out the sentence for the killing so many innocent men
to the precious blood of the Lord Away therefore will you adde impiety to your sinne doe not think much to come under that discipline which the Lord commands Upon this the Emperour goes back to his Palace with sighing and teares and spent eight moneths in mourning and lamentation and yet after this he was not received by Ambrose till againe being sharply reprehended he cast himselfe downe in the porch upon the pavement bewailing his sinne and rising up he was about to sit in the Chancel where the Emperours seat was he was required to goe forth into the place of penitents With the like yea more boldnesse he dealt with Ruffinus a great Courtier the Master of the Emperours Horse Here behold a man of a moderate quiet spirit yeeldable in what he could yet when he conceived himselfe interessed in the Cause of Christ his courage raises him above the feares or favours of men The seventh joyning practice If you will needs be striving strive who shall doe one another most good who shall engage one another in the most and greatest offices of love THis is a good combate such striving as this is God and his blessed Angels looke upon and take much delight in I find a notable story in the life of Alexander the Great which may put on and encourage Christians in such a combat as this There was a great King in India his name was Taxiles who on a time came to salute Alexander and said unto him What should we need to fight and make Wars one with another if thou commest not to take away our water and our necessary commodity to live by for which things men of judgement must needs fight as for other goods if I be richer then thee I am ready to give thee of mine and if I have lesse I will not think scorn to thank thee if thou wilt give me some of thine Alexander being pleased to hear him speak thus wisely embraced him and said unto him Thinkest thou that this meeting of ours can be without fight for all these goodly fair words No no thou hast won nothing by them for I will fight and contend with thee in honesty and curtesie because thou shalt not exceed me in bounty and liberality So Alexander took divers gifts of him but gave more to him Oh that our contentions were turned into such contentions as these are Let us rejoyce in any opportunity of doing any office of love to those we differ from yea to those who have wronged us It was wont to be said of Arch-Bishop Cranmer If you would be sure to have Cranmer doe you a good turne you must doe him some ill one for though he loved to doe good to all yet especially he would watch for opportunities to doe good to such as had wronged him Had we but a few leading men of such spirits among us how great a blessing of peace might we enjoy The eighth joyning Practice Let every man be diligent in that work that God calls him to STudy to be quiet and to doe your owne businesse and to worke with your owne hands as we commanded you 1 Thess 4. 11. It is not an arbitrary thing the command of God lyes upon it I am verily perswaded that many of our divisions in opinion and otherwise our hard thoughts one of another are raised and fomented by such as want imployment Hence they go about from place to place arguing disputing jangling about things they understand not and yet think themselves to have a deeper insight then ordinary I would be loath to adde to the affliction of those who by the rage of the enemy have been put out of their imployments and are come for shelter amongst us God forbid that I should willingly grieve them their case is to be pittied we are to succour comfort and helpe them what we can but yet I desire them withall to take heed of a temptation they may be under and think not of it in this their want of imployment now they are here they meet with variety of company with all sorts of people and having too much time to spare the Devill may soon and unawares to them prevaile to cause an itching desire in them after this opinion and the other this and the other way which having taken their hearts they carry up and down what they heare and what apprehensions they have of things and persons pleading and arguing for that they have but sleight and sudden apprehensions of and by arguing the thing gets down into their spirits before it be thoroughly examined and understood and being got down there then it must needs be maintained and so a spirit of contention rises in them and seeds of contention are sowne among others It may be some of your callings are low and mean and that may possibly be your discouragement but let it not be so for there may be as much obedience to God in thy faithfulness in that mean calling of thine as in the highest and most honourable imployment upon earth yea thy reward may be as great for God looks at faithfulnesse in the work not the greatnesse of the work Let every man know sayes Luther that his work in any godly kind of life is a divine worke because it is the worke of a divine call having Gods command for it The ninth In all strivings with men have a care that due respect to their persons be kept as much as may be IT is very observable when God in the manifestation of his displeasure against the Devill in the Serpent cursed him Then he sayes cursed be thou but when he would manifest it against Simeon and Levi it is not Cursed be ye or Cursed be they but Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their rage for it was cruell You may be bitter against mens sinne so be it you show due respect to their persons by denying that respect you might and ought to give to mens persons you deprive your self of that liberty which otherwise you might take in opposing their sinne which is the thing you say you ayme only at The tenth Labour to get good by the wrongs that are done us IF we found God blessing them to us for good our hearts will be very moderate towards those that have done them The over-ruling providence of God turning the wrong that Josephs brethren had done him to so much good took off Iosephs spirit from practising any evill against them but when this good shall come to us by the exercise of our own graces it will be more prevalent to quiet and moderate our spirits Philip of Macedon thanked some great men of Athens who had brought up ill reports of him because both in speech and life he was the better labouring by words and deeds to prove them liars the best answer to ill reports is to live contrary to them The eleventh Turne your zeale from working one against another to zeale for God YOu will say Are workes of