that expects and is to desire the benefit of Communion with the rest there is all the reason in the world that the helpe advice and assistance of the other Churches should be made use of in the raising and ordering this Church that they are thus to owne in the way of communion with them to whom they are to give the right hand of fellowship Fifthly All beleevers who live in a place together ought so far as they can joyne into one Church though they be of different judgements and tempers what ever things they differ in yet if they may stand with grace they can have no encouragement from the examples of any of the Churches we read of in Scripture for them to divide themselves into little pieces The way of Christ all along in Scripture is that all the Saints in such a place who are not more then can joyne in one should joyne together and make but one Church certainly this is more for the honour of Christs Body then the division of Saints in the same place into severall little societies Christ stands much upon the union of his Saints in one in all wayes by all meanes that may be Sixtly as things are yet with us there is no such great reason of that outcry there is amongst us against gathering of Churches as so great a dividing practice as many seeme to make it How can this practise be so very offensive when almost all of you thinke it lawfull for a man for any commodiousnesse to remove from that Church of which now he is to joyne with another sobeit he will remove his dwelling But these do not set up new Churches If a company of men who have estates should not be satisfied with that Ministery that belongs to that company that now they are joyned with and should buy a piece of ground close to the place where they were and build upon it and have leave of the State to make a new Parish of those dwellings they build who would blame them for gathering a Church thus Hence it is apparent that withdrawing from our Churches and gathering other is not according to the judgements of our Brethren against any Church Principle the offence that is is onely against some civill constitution Secondly this thing in effect hath been ordinarily practiced heretofore without any offence to the godly yea and is still practiced without any complaint Hath it not beene and is it not still ordinary for many not to communicate in the Parishes where they live nor commonly to heare there but from all parts of the City to come to some Parishes where they conceive the best Ministers to be and there to heare and communicate and this in a constant way and that with allowance to the maintenance of such Ministers yea and thus the Husband goes one way and the Wife another and yet none offended it may be the Gentleman can content himselfe with his Parish-Church but his wife or Lady is not satisfied but must go elsewhere If it be said But this was in a time when things were in great confusion not so reformed as now they are and we hope may further be Then it is not howsoever simply unlawfull 2. It continues so still in many places of this City 3. When you have reformed further it may be mens consciences will bee further satisfied you may reforme so farre as you may prevent much of what you now complaine so much of But though they came for their present reliefe yet they did not binde themselves one to another by Covenant so as men now doe If those who came constantly to your Ministry and Sacraments had professed their willingnesse to joyne with you in all the Ordinances of Christ so farre as they knew and to walke accordingly you might the more comfortably have administred ordinances to them but offensive to you it could not have been But their Covenant bindes them so that they cannot returne back againe whatsoever reformation there be Doe you pray for and endeavour the putting on Reformation to the uttermost and then see what they will doe they have not yet declared themselves that they hold themselves so joyned by any Covenant that they may not joyne with you that what releife they have had for the present time or what agreement there hath been amongst themselves should hinder them from falling into that way all along held forth in Scripture namely for all the Saints that live together to joyne in one so farre as possible they can But these who gather Churches thus looke upon all others who are not in that way as Heathens and what division must this needs make If this were so it were a sad dividing practice indeed wicked men cannot endure to be thus judged of to be cast out as unworthy of Church-fellowship much lesse can the Saints bee able to beare it it must needes go neerer to their hearts Aben Ezra sayes the Ammonites and Moabites burnt the bookes of the Law because of that place Deut. 23. 3. An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord even to their tenth Generation If an Ammonite or Moabite cannot beare the being shut out of the Congregation of the Lord how can the Saints beare it But God knows and our Brethren may know I hope they shall know that the thing is not so O no they looke upon you as the precious Saints of God their deare Brethren in Jesus Christ they blesse God for the graces they see in you and rejoice in the hope of living eternally in Heaven with you But why then will they not admit them to their communion In all worship that belongs to Saints as Saints they joyfully joyne with them but they thinke there is some that belongs to Saints as gathered in a Society under Officers which cannot be performed orderly but in that way and they think it unreasonable that any should have the benefit of the priviledges of the Church and be under no power no discipline of any Church that they should pick and choose Ordinances and yet live at liberty so that if they walke disorderly no Church hath any power to call them to an account Suppose this to be a reason why they admit not of some this is another thing then the judging of them to be Heathens Let me say further I know none of these congregated Churches either here or in other parts that ever refused any who appeared to be godly from communicating with them if they did but acknowledge themselves to be members of any Church elsewhere though that Church were in a differing way from it in respect of government You will say What need that If it be to prevent loosenesse in men who will be under no government if it be because they judge Sacramentall communion to be a Church-Ordinance or if it should be through a mistake yet howsoever this must not be judged to be the cause that
this temptation shall still retaine what he hath made profession of and others shall see his weakenesse joyned with wilfulnesse they must oppose him in it and so contention and division is like to rise higher and higher In regard therefore of the great usefulnesse of this point and the difficulty of the right understanding it I shall endeavour to speak to it under these three Heads First to shew wherein Profession is necessary Secondly wherein men may keep in what they think they understand to be truth so as not to professe or practise it Thirdly I shall propound some rules of Direction to shew in what manner a man should make profession of what he conceives to be truth though it be different from his Brethren For the first Certainly profession in some things is very necessary Rom. 10. 10. With the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Confession is here joyned to believing as necessary to salvation This I conceive to be the meaning of those places which hold forth the necessity of Baptisme He that believes and is baptized shall be saved Augustine in one of his Sermons De Tempore sayes Wee cannot be saved except wee professe our faith outwardly for the salvation of others And Christ Mar. 8. 38. sayes Whosoever shall be ashamed of him and of his words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him shall the Sonne of Man be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with his holy Angels And it is observable that they follow upon those words What shall it profit a man if he shall gaine the whole world and loose his owne soule or what shall a man give in exchange for his soule As if Christ should say If you would not lose your soules eternally look to this make profession of the truth as you are called to it though you live in a wicked and an adulterous generation yet be not ashamed of me before them for if you be your souls may goe for it eternally Zuinglius in his third Epistle says We may as well with a Dioclesian worship before the Altar of Jupiter and Venus as conceale our faith under the power of Antichrist Now though profession be necessary yet in what cases we are bound to professe and in what not is no easie matter to determine Zuarez a man of great judgement yet falling upon this Question When a man is bound to make profession of the Truth sayes We cannot give rules in particular when there is a necessity of profession in regard of the good of our neighbour but it must bee determined by the judgment of Prudence But though the determination be very difficult yet we may assert these five cases to bind us to profession First when the truths are necessary to salvation and my forbearance in them may endanger the salvation of any the salvation of the soul of the poorest beggar is to be preferred before the glory pomp outward peace and comforts of all the Kingdoms on the earth therefore much before my private contentments In extream danger of life there is no time to reason what in prudence is fit to be done but save the mans life if you can and reason the case afterward Secondly when not profession shall be interpreted to be a denyall though in case of a lesser truth I must not deny the truth the least truth interpretative I must rather be willing to suffer then the truth should suffer by me so farre This was Daniel's case when he would not cease his praying three times a day neither would he shut his windows though it endangered his life A carnall heart would say why might not Daniel have been wiser he might have forborn a while at least he might have shut his windows No Daniel was willing to venture his life in the cause rather then he would so much as by way of interpretation deny that honour that he knew was due to God Thirdly when others shall be scandaliz'd so as to be weakned in their faith by my denyall yea so scandalized as to be in danger to sin because they see me not to professe in this case we must venture very far we should take heed of offending any of the Saints so as to grieve them but when the offence comes to weaken their faith to occasion their sin there we should venture very far to our own outward prejudice rather then so to offend them Fourthly when an account of my faith is demanded if it be not either in scorn to deride or in malice to ensnare but seriously so as the giving it may be to edification especially in a way of giving a publique testimony to the truth 1 Pet. 3. 15. Be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you If to every one much more to Magâ—strates Fifthly so far as those whom God hath committed to my charge for instruction are capable at some time or other I must manifest that truth of God to them that may be for their good according as I am able Yet this duty of profession being a duty required by an affirmative precept though we are bound alwayes yet not to all times semper but not ad semper we must alwayes keep such a disposition of heart as to be in a readiness rather to give testimony to any truth of God if called to it by God then to provide for our ease or any outward comfort in this world so as we may be able to appeal to God in the sincerity of our hearts to judg of that high esteem we have of his truth Lord if thou shalt make known to me now or any other time that thy Nature may have any glory by my profession of any truth of thine whatsoever become of my outward peace ease or content I am ready to do it for thy Names sake There is a time says Hugo when nothing is to be spoken a time when something but there is no time when all things are to be spoken There are sixe other cases wherein you are not bound to professe First when you shall be required in way of scorn or to ensnare you this were to cast pearls before swine 2ly You are not bound to make profession of a truth to those who are not able to receive it whose weaknesse is such as they cannot understand it till they be principled with some other truths I have many things to say sayes Christ but yee are not able to beare them So St. Paul Hast thou faith have it to thy selfe he speaks in the case of doubtfull things which will trouble weak ones 3ly When mens hearts appear so corrupt that there is apparant danger of abuse of truths to the strengthning them in thâ—ir lusts there are precious truths that many Ministers cannot speak of before people without trembling hearts and were it not that they believed they were the
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
This would strike as great a terror into the hearts of our Adversaries as the victory hath done Lastly we had need take heed of breaches lest God should be provoked to change his administrations toward us if there be so much choller in the stomack that sweet meats are turned into choller it were just with God to come with bitter and sowr pils to purge out our choller We read Jude ver 5. The Lord saved the people out of the land of Egypt yet afterward he destroyed them that believed not the Lord hath granted us a great salvation from our Enemies who would have brought us into Egyptian bondage We have been singing the song of Moses we have been praising God according to that Apoc. 15. 3. but let us take heed that yet God be not provoked against us for we are not out of all danger as they by not believing so we by not agreeing but contending and quarrelling may at lâ—st be destroyed You know how the Lord of that servant to whom 10000. talents were given tooke it that he should presently go to his fellow-servant who ought him but a hundred pence and lay hands on him and take him by the throat and say Pay that thou owest and cast him into prison Mat. 18. 28. If men be not mollified by this mercy they will be hardened they will use their brethren worse then they did before the rather because they would declare to all the world that they make no such interpretation of this mercy as that God would have them have further tender regard towards to seek union and peace with to beare with or yeeld unto their Brethren more then before it is not unlikely but temptation may be suggested to do some act the more against them either now or within a while to wipe away any conceit of any such an interpretation of this gracious work of God for us But those who are of gracious peaceable spirits should take the hint of this and goe to all they know who have been at distance one from another of whom they may have hope to doe good and seek to mollifie their spirits to know what it is they have one against another what prejudices what hard thoughts have been entertained by them and by all meanes they are able to remove them that so we loving delighting in one another the Lord may love us and delight in us nad shew mercy to us yet more and more CHAP. XIX The fifth Dividing Distemper Rigidnesse the sixth Rashnesse the seventh Wilfulnesse the eighth Vnconstancy RIgid harsh sowre crabbed rough-hewn spirits are unfit for union there is no sweetness no amiableness no pleasingnesse in them they please themselves in a rugged austereness but are pleasing to none else in all their ways they will abate nothing of their own nor yeeld any thing to others this is against the rule of the Apostle Rom. 15. 1 2 3. We must not please our selves but let every one please his Neighbour for his good to edification and this according to the example of Christ who pleased not himselfe This is the duty not of weake men only who had need please others because they have need of others but ver 1. those that are strong ought not to please themselves but seek to please others Men who are of austere spirits affecting a gravity which turns to a dull sullen sternnesse they think it to be the commendations of the strength of their spirits that they can carry themselves as they doe towards others seeking altogether content to themselves without any yeeldableness to others no that is but lightnesse and weaknes in men they are of a more staid and strong temper then to do so These men by their wisdome do very much sinn against the wisdome of the holy Ghost in this Scripture yea and against the example of Jesus Christ who as in his whole course manifested tenderness gentleness affableness amiableness towards weak ones who were infinitely beneath him and here is set forth unto us to be one who pleased not himself far from this rigid harsh temper Those swords are not of the best tempered metall who will not bend but stand stiff but such as yeeld and bend with most ease and stand streight again neither are those dispositions the best who are the stiffest but such as are most yeeldable and yet stand streight too This harsh and rigid spirit makes mens gifts and graces to be very unuseful When Plato saw Xenocrates of an austere rigid temper he advised him to sacrifice to the Graâ—es that he might have more mildnesse fearing that otherwise his parts and learning would be unprofitable The Jews observe upon Exo. 25. 3. That no Iron was in the stuffe of the Tabernable rigid iron spirits are very unfit for Church work Levit. 17. 7. They shall no more sacrifice to Devills The word translated Devils signifies rough ones Devils had their names from thence this is the name of a Satyr Isa 34. 14. The rough one The Spirit of God is a Dove-like sweet spirit but the spirit of the Devill is a rough harsh spirit the spirit of a Satyr Prov. 11. 17. He that is cruell troubleth his owne flesh That word here translated cruell the Septuagint elsewhere translates it by a word that signifies rigid stiffe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 30. 14. Men of such tempers are very troublesome to themselves to their families to all with whom they converse If a Smith would joyn two pieces of iron he must first file them or beat them smooth If the Joyner would joyn two pieces of wood he must plain them Except our spirits be filed beaten smooth or plained they are unfit for joyning The sixth dividing Distemper Rashnesse ACts 19. 36. Ye ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly Doing thingâ— rashly and quietnesse are opposed 1. Rashnesse makes men engage themselves suddenly in businesse before they have examined it well This causes much trouble for if a man be engaged he lies under a temptation to goe on in it As 2 Chron. 25. 9. When the man of God came to Amaziah to take him off from a businâ—sse he was engaged in O but says he what shall I do for the hundred Talents I have given out already thus many answer to the truth of God that would take them off from what they are engaged in but what shall I do for my credit that lyes engaged 2ly Rashnesse causes men suddenly to provoke others whereas did they consider what ill consequences might come of it they would forbear Rash men quickly take hold of the sword of Justice to hack and hew they think that what they do is according to reason but they do not wisely weigh things in the ballance of Justice Remember Justice 〈◊〉 a Ballance as well as a Sword Prov. 29. 11. A foole uttereth all his mind The Sept. translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utters all his anger Rash fools by uttering their anger
that first gave him his powver shall also extend it Now the Charter by which any Church-Officer is invested with power is the Word therefore we cannot streighten or enlarge the power of a Minister otherwise then we find it in the Word for Civill power it may be streightned or enlarged as the Governours of State shall see cause because their Charter is from man it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly man naturally is of nothing more impatient then to have Jurisdiction challenged over him except hee sees the claime to be right and in the point of spirituall jurisdiction man is the most tender of all because in that men come in the Name of Christ to him challenging authority to exercise the power of Christ over him not over the outward man so much as over his soule to deliver it up to Satan Surely there had need be shewne a cleare and full Charter that any men have that gives them such a power as this that men in conscience shall be bound to submit to Now then here lyes the division on sayes his Charter does extend so farre the other sayes hee does not finde it so in the reading of it There is yet a further consideration of the stretching either Civill or Ecclesiasticall authority beyond their bounds which hath been and may be the cause of much division that is their challenging and excercising power in things indifferent beyond what God hath given them for the opening of which we must know First no man either in State or Church hath any authority given him by God to command any thing meerely because hee will especially when the things concerne the worship of God Our Brethren of Scotland in their dispute against English Popish Ceremonies part 3. chap. 8. pag. 127. have this passage Princes have enjoyned things pertaining to the worship of God but those things were the very same which Gods written Word had expresly commanded when Princes went beyond these limits and bounds they tooke upon them to judge and command more then God hath put within the compasse of their power And pag. 136. of the same Booke they say The Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 23. forbiddeth us to be the servants of men that is to doe things for which wee have no other warrant beside the pleasure and will of men This was the Doctrine in Tertullians time You exercise sayes he an unjust dominion over others if you deny a thing may bee done because you will not because it ought not to bee done It is onely the Prerogative of God of Jesus Christ to command a thing because they will God hath appointed Civill Governours to be his Ministers for our good Rom. 13. Those things onely which they can doe in Gods Name as his Ministers and are for the good of a State are the object about which their power is to be exercised they are not to require a thing because there is nothing against it but because this thing is for God And Church-governours are to require onely such things as Christ requires all the exercise of their power ought to be in the Name of Christ hence not because they will or because nothing can be said to the contrary In all they require of us they must be able to say as Paul 1 Cor. 14. 38. giving rules about order and decencie If any man thinke himselfe to be a Prophet or spirituall let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the Commandements of the Lord. You will say But are Governours alwayes bound to shew a reason of their will to those who are under them or may not they obey except they know some good in the thing besides their doing the will of those who doe command them Though no Governours may command but upon reason yet the Governours of State need not alwayes discover the reasons of their commands Wee may give up our Civill liberties so farre as to be bound to yeeld to our Governours commands if wee see nothing against what they command but have cause to suppose that they see some reason that we do not which is not fit to make known to us This is grounded upon this reason that there are Arcana imperii mysteries of State that are not fit for every man to know the secrecie of them conduces most to the good of the State But it is otherwise in the matters of the Church which are spirituall there are no such mysteries in the Church wherein any members of it can be required to be active but it concernes them to understand as well as to doe All the actions of the Church as such must be done for spirituall edification now a man cannot doe a thing for the edifying his soule or the soule of another but he must understand his action and the rule of it he must see it required by the Word or otherwise he cannot expect any spirituall efficacy in what he does I may doe a thing for a civill good wherein I may trust another mans reason and this may be sufficient to attaine my end the procuring of some good meerly civill but this will never be able to reach to a spirituall good I must see the reason the ground the rule of the action my selfe I must judge by the Word that this action at this time cloathed with all its circumstances is by Christ sitted for such a spirituall good that I aime at Besides if things meerely indifferent be enjoyned then is Christian liberty violated No say some Christian liberty is in the conscience so long as a man keepes his conscience free the thing may be still indifferent to him in regard of his conscience though his practise be determined and so Christian liberty is preserved This is the put off that the Prelaticall party made use of against our Brethren of Scotland many yeeres since when they pleaded that by their usurpation Christian liberty was taken from them To that answer of the Prelates they thus reply When the authority of the Churches constitution is obtruded to binde and restraine the practice of Christians in things indifferent they are bereaved of thir liberty as well as if an opinion of necessity were borne in upon their consciences They urge that place Colos 2. 21. where the Apostle gives instances say they of such humane ordinances as take away Christian liberty he saith not you must thinke that you may not touch but touch not you must not practise not be subject to such Ordinances telling us That when the practice is restrained form touching tasting handling by the ordinance of men then is Christian liberty spoiled though conscience be left free if the outward man be brought in bondage this makes up spirituall thraldome say they though there bee no more And further the Apostle gives these two Arguments against these things First sayes he they perish in the use that is there is no good comes of them It may be you will say What hurt is there in them
The Text sayes The contentions were so sharpe betweene them that they departed asunder one from another The word signifies such a sharpnesse as there is in vineger It is used by Physicians to signifie the sharpnesse of the feverish humour when it is acting in a fit Their dissention put them as it were into the fit of a Fever You will say Surely it was some very great matter that should cause such eminent and holy men to be in such a passion one against another to be so hot as not to company together Truly no the matter was not great it was whether Mark should go with them or no the one would have him the other would not have him about this the contention arose to this height Reade the Epistle to the Romanes to the Corinthians to the Galathians you shall finde very great dissentions in these Churches And in after-times especially when God delivered them from those ten bloudy Persecutions the contentions of the Church were very great When Constantine came to the Nicene Councell divers of the Members of that Councell accused one another to the Emperour and put up Libels one against another which Libels Constantine caused to be burned After all the debates of the Councell with the presence of the Emperour who laboured all he could for peace and union amongst them making large speeches to that purpose to them yet there were five of them dissented from the rest in matters of greater consequence then any amongst us dissent from our Brethren namely in that point of Christs being of the same substance with the Father I finde in Eusebius this grievous complaint After our affaires through too much liberty ease and security degenerated from the rule of piety one pursued another with open contumely and hatred we impugned our selves by no other then our selves with the armour of spite and sharpe speares of opprobrious words so that Bishops against Bishops and people against people raised sedition and they which seemed our Shepherds laying aside the rule of piety practised contention and schisme among themselves and whilest they aggravated contention threatnings mutuall hatred and enmity and every one proceeded in ambition much like tyranny it selfe then the Lord according to the saying of Jeremy made the daughter of Sion obscure and overthrew from above the glory of Israel The contentions of the Church caused by those four grand Heresies of Arius Macedonius Nestorius Eutyches one after another exercised the Church a long time There was much siding some cleaving to one part some to another in all these four The first denyed Christs divinity upon which the first Nicene Councell was called The second the personality of the Spirit upon which the second Generall Councell was called at Constantinople The third the distinction of persons in Christ upon which the third Generall Councell was called at Ephesus The fourth confounded Christs natures upon which the fourth was called at Chalcedon About this time Pelagius and Donatus caused much disturbance in Europe and Africa Epiphanius who lived in the third Century reekons threescore severall Heresies that had got head many followers of them all which caused great breaches in the Church from the time of the Apostles to the time wherein he lived After the division of the Empire into the Easterne and Westerne parts then arose mighty contention for the Primacy between the Bishops of Rome and Constantinople that put the Church into wofull contentions for many yeares one part excommunicating the other writing and opposing one another to the uttermost When this heat is at the hottest then on the one side upon the Westerne parts God let out the Gothes Hunnes Vandals those barbarous people and Mahomet upon the Easterne so that all learning was almost extinct in the Christian world and grosse darknesse came upon the face of all Churches The Church having lost her lights men of learning and worth then the great contention about Images arose that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Eastern Churches demolishing Images in Temples the Western maintaining them with extreme contention against the Eastern There were not only excommunications thundred one against another but much bloud was shed in that quarrell In this condition have the Churches been from time to time divided yea fighting with one another about opinions And for the divisions and contentions betweene particular men and most eminent Lights in the Church in those times after they came to have rest from persecutions We find most lamentable complaints in the writings of the Ancients of the extremè offence these dissentions were to the Heathen Nazianzen in his first Apologeticall Oration We are made a spectacle sayes he to Angels and Men not as that valiant champion Paul who fought against Principalities and Powers but we are made a scorn to wicked men in their Markets their Feasts their Playes in all their meetings The most vile people jeer us and all this for contending and warring one with another Basil makes this complaint I have lived now sayes he the age of a man and see more union in Arts and Sciences then in Divinity for in the the Church I see such dissentions as do divide it assunder and dissipates it Chrysostome and Epiphanius fell out so bittâ—rly that the one wished the other might never dye a Bishop and the other wished that he might never goe home alive And it fell out to either of them as each one had wished to the other for Epiphanius came not to Cyprus he dyed on the Seas by the way neither did Chrysostome dye a Bishop for he was deposed and banished the Church The contentions between Jerome and Ruffinus were bery bitter who had been formerly great friends Augustine in his 15. Epistle sayes Their friendship had been famous in all the Churches If such things may fall out between Jerome and Ruffinus sayes he who that is now a friend may not fear to be an enemy Yet Ruffinus writes two Books against Jerome which are intituled Ruffini Invectiva in Hieronymum He begins his first invective applying that of the Psalmist to Jerome Ps 57. 4. I lye among them that are set on fire even the sonnes of men whose teeth are speares arrowes and their tongue a sharp sword In the beginning of his second he accuses him of lying and that he does himselfe what he reproves in others with abundance of such kinde of bitter stuffe And Jerome payes him againe in the same kinde In his 16. Epist ad Principiam Virginem he calls him a Scorpion in regard of the poyson that came from him And in his Apology against him lib. 3. in the beginning of it he applyes that Scripture to Ruffinus Prov. 14. 3. In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride And that of Isay Isa 32. 6. The vile person will speak villany and his heart will worke iniquity to utter error against the Lord. And I finde in an Epistle of Augustine to Jerome a great complaint