THE RIGHT WAY TO PEACE shewing the Art of Over-coming one another by LOVE In a Dialogue between a Friend and his Neighbour Humbly presented to the Right Honourable THE LORDS and COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT AND To the whole Nation by their old and faithfull Servant in the Publick THEODORE JENNINGS London Printed for Giles Calvert 1647 THE Right way to Peace shewing The Art of overcomming one another by Love In a Dialogue between a Friend and his Neighbour Friend WELL overtaken neighbour whither away Neighbour I am going to beare Gods Word preached by a very â—â—lous and powerfull Preacher Friend I pray you shew me wherein his zeale and powerfull preaching consisteth Neigh. He deales very sharply against those that dissent from him telling us that such blasphemous Hereticks will corrupt as who are ignorant and saith that like an ill weed they have over-run all the Land but especially the Army Friend Is this all his zeale and powerfull preaching and wherein doth he say those Hereticks do blaspheme Neigh. No he is learned jealous and powerfull in elegant expressions shewing how Christ died for us upon the Crosse and hath justified us from our sins and that if we will beleeve we shall be saved and accepted by his Mediation and Intercession for us unto God the Father Wherein he sheweth us how the blasphemous Hereticks say moreover that they are led by the spirit and that all men that shall be saved must have the Spirit of God and an inward principle of new â—ight and they say they are carried out no further to do or act any thing to God in Jesus Christ then from what they Receive into them by the Spirit and say they have the mind of Christ and do therby know and understand the things of God which otheâ—â—â—â—ithâ—â— do 〈…〉 know and he 〈…〉 were but zealous and faithfull to God and their owne 〈◊〉 they would suppresse these blasphemous Hereticks Friend There are many now adayes that can story out the Gospell with very elegant expressions to catch the ignorant with the â—nticing words of mans wisdom yet these do persecute Gods faithfull one with 〈◊〉 of spirit stirring up others to joyne with them and are not affraid to bring râ—â—ling accusations against them which the Arch-angell 〈◊〉 not do against the Devill Jude 6. and by this manner of teaching they rob God of his honour and the Gospell of its power And unto such the Apostle Paul saith My speech and my preaching was not with the enticing or perswâ—sible 〈…〉 but in demonstration of the spirit and power 〈◊〉 your faith should not stand in the Wisdom of men 〈◊〉 the power of God And therefore Neighbour I pity you for your ignorance in calling his bitternesse zeale and his elegant expression powerfull preaching and I pray such as he is for 〈…〉 subtilty and cruelty in persecuting the Saints and leave 〈◊〉 to God the righteous Judge of all 〈…〉 will 〈…〉 or rebuke them Neigh. I thank you for your plain 〈…〉 me because of my ignorance I would 〈…〉 the truth I pray you 〈◊〉 me the error of 〈◊〉 Friend The 〈◊〉 is in giving Gods 〈…〉 and not Gospell names as Believers 〈…〉 and Brethren all names shewing forth Gods 〈…〉 in Jesus Christ and their 〈◊〉 towards one another 〈…〉 A second 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 they are led by the spirit and that all men that shall be saved must have the Spirit of God and an inward principle of new light Whereas the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.14 saith As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God And vers 9 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Again All Gods people must have an inward principle of new light 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new And if all things are become new Gods people must have an inward principle of new light Know therefore that what we receive from the first Adam by generation is old and old things are past away Only what we enjoy in the second Adam by â—â—generation is become new So that there is no truth 〈◊〉 from Gods Word then this that all Gods people are to have an inward principle of new light New in Christ If 〈…〉 Christ he is a new creature And not become new in some things but in all things Behold all things are become new behold it with admiration and pry into it believingly Thou art wholly become new thy light is become 〈…〉 all that is in thee is new Thou art born again John 3.36 1 Pet. 2.2 Ephes 4.23 2 Sam. 16.23 Thou art born of the Spirit Thou art new born Thou art renewed in the spirit of thy mind And if not That light which is in thee is 〈◊〉 and then how great accomplishments soever thou 〈◊〉 of humane learning and wisdom though thou speakest as an 〈◊〉 yet with Aâ—â—itophel thou art but miserable And then as our Saviour saith Mat 6.23 c. If therefore that light that is in thee be darknesse how great is that darknesse A third errour is in his taxing such of Heresie as say they are no 〈◊〉 out to believe or act any thing to God in Christ Jesus then from what they receive into them by the Spirit and that they have the mind of Christ and do thereby know and understand the things of God which others neither do nor 〈◊〉 know Whereas this truth also hath appeared in the 〈◊〉 in all ages and is asserted by the Apostâ—e Paul where he saith We leaving the same spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 according as it is 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 believed and therefore I have spoken we also believe and therefore speak Rom. 8.15 and again 〈…〉 received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry 〈◊〉 Father It is the 〈◊〉 priviledg of the Apostle and all the Saints with him weâ—â—ven we are no further carried out to beleeve or act any 〈◊〉 to God in Christ Jesus then from what we receive into 〈…〉 the Spirit 1 Cor. 6.19 20 Again he saith What know ye not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost in you which ye 〈◊〉 of God and ye are not your own For ye are bought with 〈◊〉 therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are God Again They that are joyned unto the Lord are one Spirit and therefore they have the mind of Christ and do 〈◊〉 know and understand the thiings of God which 〈◊〉 wether do nor can know this most blessed 〈…〉 truth wil clearly appear in the Saints Union with 〈…〉 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit and he 〈◊〉 Spirit hath the same mind and therefore hath 〈◊〉 Christâ—t is an impression of the same Spirit that maltâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—ness in the Spirit of the Beleever with Jesus Christ 〈…〉 what the Lambs mind is in giving glory to God the 〈◊〉 and hath been the mind of
their master And the King prepared great provisions for them and when they had eaten and drunk he sent them away And also we Gentiles who at that time were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel Eph. 2.12 and strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world Yet then even then the Church of the Jews pitied us and did remember us at the throne of grace saying We have a little sister Cant. 8.8 9. and she hath no breasts what shal we do for our sister in the day when she shal be spoken for If she be a wall we wil build upon her a palace of silver and if she be a door we wil enclose her with boards of Cedar And in the new Testament we have the example of Iesus Christ and his servant Steven pittying and praying for their enemies Our Lord Iesus Christ being persecuted in his own person and in his members pitty them often and most tenderly saying Mat. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which were sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not And when they were come unto Calvary there they crucified him Lu. 23.33.34 Then said Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do And when those that were esteemed the learned men of those times Acts. 6.9.10 c. disputing with Steven were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake They suborned men and stirred up the people and the Elders and the Scribes and came upon him and caught him and brought him to the Counsel and set up false witnesses which accusing him of blasphemy said this man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the Law For we have heâ—â—d him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shal destroy this place and shal change the customs which Moses delivered us And then Steven answered and spake unto them not with the enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power Acts 7.59.60 Yet they stoned Steven calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit and he kneeled down and cryed with a loud voice Lord lay not this sin to their charge So that here we see Steven though not in degree yet in truth is perfect in love even as our Lord Jesus Christ and our father in heaven is perfect So that although he is stoned to death and by the Testimony of false witnesses yet he pittieth them and prayeth for them that God may do them good in the highest degree even by pardoning this even this their great sin and thus in his life and death he is made conformable to our Lord Iesus Christ And when Steven had thus prayed he fell asleep his spirit reposed in rest and peace And our Lord Iesus Christ and blessed Steven obtained their requests For Saul who consented unto the death of Steven at whese seet they that stoned him layd down their Cloaths though now a persecuter is after this by our Lord Iesus Christ called unto grace and made Paul a faithful Apostle even a preacher of the Gospel of our blessed Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ And many of them that crucified our Lord Iesus Christ even about 3000 were added unto the Church at one Sermon O therefore let us live in love even towards our enemies praying for pittying and doing good to them that hate us and dispitefully use us By this we shal bring glory to God and have peace in our selves here with rest and sweet repose to our spirits at our death and declare our selves to be the children of our heavenly father by being perfect in love and not only so but in truth and acceptance also we are perfect even as our Father which is in heaven is perfact Neighbour O blessed truth I heartily desire the father and our Lord Iesus Christ by the spirit of grace to form me and all his into this blessed frame of love I pray you shew me how we may become instrumental to reclaim and reduce our enemies from the Error of their evil way Friend As God shal enable me by the word of truth and his spirit of truth forming me into the truth I shal dedare it unto you and in this respect let us be careful in our Conversations to follow Righteousness faith charity peace 2 Tim. 2.20 with all that call on the Lord out of a pure heart Look how others have been instrumental in following Righteousness faith charity and peace praying and calling upon the Lord for their enemies out of a pure heart and be you the like in calling upon God for your enemies and as you have the practise of our blessed Saviour and of his servant Steven So be sure that you pray without wrath for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God Jam. 1.20 And in this you wil shew forth your righteousness faith charity and peace towards your enemies in the sight of God when you call upon the Lord for them out of a pure heart But be sure to follow this manner of calling upon the Lord for them * Tim. 2.8 Every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting Secondly In order to our enemies themselves when they shew much hatred and cruelty against us take heed that we shew much love patience and kindness unto them when they curse let us bless follow the Commandment pursue it obey it in the Lord for this is right Thus let us follow righteousness and peace towards our enemies and in nothing be provoked either by their unrighteous words or deeds but exercise faith in beleeving that God who out of the riches of his free-grace when thou wast an enemy and ungodly did then call thee out of thy natural and sinful condition unto the grace wherein thou standest the same God may call him also unto the same grace together with thee Again in the exercise of thy charity and peace towards thine enemy be exceeding tender unto him or her in the day of distress this may work high thoughts in them of Gods goodness who hath kindled some sparks of his goodness in thee and discovered it by thy conversation unto them If thine enemy hunger give him meat if he thirst Prov. 25.21 Rom. 12.20 21 give him drink this wil extract goodness out of him towards thee and by this means thou heapest coals of fire upon his head not to consume him but to save and to refine him from that dross that is in him even as the refiner tries the gold from the dross by heaping coals of fire upon the head of it in the refiners vessel go thou and do good in like manner but be sure thou be drawn forth in thy spirit with much love to thine enemy in shewing him what great things God hath
the Saints in all ages 〈…〉 suffering days of the victorious Saints For the Scripture 〈◊〉 they that had gotton the victory over the beast Rov 15.2 3. and 〈◊〉 image and over his mark and over the number of his 〈◊〉 stood on the sea of glass having the hurps of God And they sing the song of Moses the servants of God and of the 〈◊〉 So that you plainly see that the Saints and Moses and the Lamb are al of one mind they sing the same song with the lamb in all ages And although none know the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him yet many even all the Saints know the mind of the Lord and are instructed by him for they 〈◊〉 receive the things of the Spirit of God and know and understand the things of God and have the mind of Christ which others even all others who receive the Spirit of the wâ—â—ld and are called the naturall man have not neither do not 〈◊〉 know or receive the things of the Spirit because they are Spiritually discerned as it is writen Eye hath not seen 1 Cor. 2.9 c. nor as heard neither have entred into the heart of man to wit 〈◊〉 man who is here opposed to the spiritual the things which God hath prepared for them that have him But God 〈◊〉 revealed them 〈…〉 by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things 〈◊〉 the deep things of God Now we have received 〈…〉 spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to 〈◊〉 of God But the 〈◊〉 man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can be know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that is spiritual judgeth or disceâ—â—â—â—h all things yet be himself it judged 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 man For who hath 〈◊〉 the mind of the Lord that he may or shall instruct him But we 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Christ His last Error is his teaching his 〈◊〉 that if they were but zealous and faithful to God and their own 〈◊〉 they would suppress these 〈◊〉 this 〈…〉 first to judg those breathren for whom Chirst dyed not in an ordinary way but with the highest 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of spirit for he knoweth that those whom he 〈…〉 will with the Apostle 〈…〉 That after the way which they call Hereâ—â—◠〈…〉 the God of our father beleeving all things which are 〈…〉 and the Prophets Acts 24.14 15 16. And have hope towards God which the 〈◊〉 also allow that there 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 And 〈…〉 have always 〈…〉 god and towards men Rom. 14.3 4. 11 12 23. For whether 〈…〉 the Lord or whether 〈◊〉 dye we dye 〈◊〉 Lord whether we have therefore or dye we are the 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 with the Apostle Paul say 〈◊〉 all such 〈…〉 his own master he standeth or falleth 〈…〉 shall confess to God 〈…〉 bling block or an occasion to fall in his brother way which such Ministers do inâ— notable manner by calling Gods 〈◊〉 ones blasphemous Hereticks And Secondly by stirring up their hearers unto solition under pretence of zeal and faithfulness unto God and their own 〈◊〉 to suppress them but tel me by what means you 〈…〉 would have them suppresse Neigh. I shal tel you what I heard reported of one of these Ministers that week when the Parliament and their Speakers were driven away by that Riotous insolency of those 〈◊〉 from Westminister to the Army How he was seen to go from house to house unto those members that were 〈◊〉 in that Junto during the Parliaments absence And the Lords day following being the first of August one that was in his Congregation the proceedings of the Londoners the Apprentions and that Junto for the prayed God to turn the hearts of the 〈◊〉 and that they and those that were fled unto them would take example by the Parliament for so he was pleased to call them and by the Citizens of London to live in godliness unity and peace and prayed also that the Country might come in to the timely â—yd and relief of the City whereby I suppose that these zealous would have their hearers to use all possible means by the dint of the sword to oppose and suppress such whom they asperse with Blasphemy and Heresie as an acceptable service thereby to procure peace from God unto the Land as it is written The time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service and therefore shew me by what rule you pitty such who are bent against you with such error and rancor that if it were possible they would 〈◊〉 your name not sparing any cost or design 〈◊〉 by the sword or any ways to do it Friend I shal satisfie you one of the Old and New 〈◊〉 both by precept and example that we are to pitty to pray for and to do good to our 〈◊〉 〈…〉 and love 〈…〉 and put the gainsayers to silence I pray therefore proceed Frien. In the Law Levit. 19.18 it saith Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudg against the children of thy people but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self I the Lord. Here we have the duty of love in the extent of it doing our enemies no evil loving them as our selves and we have the command and example from Jehovah the Lord I am the Lord therfore my comand example are unquestionably to be obeyd Secondly Our Lord Jesus Christ makes out this truth in the Gospel most clearly saying But I say unto you Mat. 5.44 c. Love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them which dispitefully use you and persecute you That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven And he giveth the reason why we should follow Gods example from other convincing Arguments although that were enough That he is our Father which is in heaven Ye we are to observe him in his gracious workings towards all men upon the earth For he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Again he appealeth unto the testimony of our consciences from the entireness of our faith and love in singleness of heart doing what we do unto the Lord and not unto men looking for our reward from God only For if ye love them which love you what reward have ye Do not the Publicanes the same And if ye salute your brethren only what do you 〈◊〉 Do not even the Publicanes do so And then we have the highest rule and clearest demonstration of a Christians love in our Fathers perfection Be ye therefore perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect Again We have the example of Elisha in the Old Testament bidding the King of Israel set bread and water before his enemies 2 King 6.22 23. the Syrians that they may eat and drink and go to