beaten out by the Flints striking together Many sparks of light many truths are beaten out by the beatings of mens spirits one against another If light be let into a house there must be some trouble to beat down a window A child thinks the house is beating downe but the father knowes the light will be worth the cost and trouble If you will have the cloth woven the Woofe and Warpe must be cast crosse one to another If you will have truths argued out you must be content to bear with some opposition for the time Those who are not willing to bear some trouble to be at some cost to find out truth are not worthy of it Those who love truth will seek for it for truths sake those who love victory yet because the truth is the strongest will seek after truth that they may get victory Dan. 12. 4. Many shall runne to and fro and knowledge shall be encreased To some these divisions darken truths to others they enlighten them We may well behold mens weaknesse in these divisions but better admire Gods strength and wisdome in ordering them to his glory and his childrens good Be not discouraged ye Saints of the Lord at these divisions your Father hath a hand in them he wil bring good out of them Yea Christ who is the Prince of peace hath a â—and in them Matth. 10. 34 35. he sayes Thinke not that I am come to send peace on the earth I came to bring a sword I am come to set a man at variance against his Father and the Daughter against her Mother One would think it to be the strangest speech that could be to come from the mouth of him who is the great peace-maker Oh blessed Saviour must we not think that thou art come to send peace Thou art our peace Is not thine Embassage from thy Father an Embassage of peace True peace with my Father but not peace on the earth not an earthly peace do not think that I came from heaven to work this for men that they should live at ease in plenty and pleasure that they should have no disturbance no trouble to the flesh no the event of my comming you will finde to be a sword divisions and that between those of the nearest relation A child who is wicked will despise and break with his godly father and the daughter with her godly mother And Luke 12. 53. the carnall father and mother will have their hearts rise against their godly sonne and daughter I am come to send fire on the earth and what will I if it be already kindled Let it kindle as soone as it will I am contented I know much good will come of it These Scriptures are enough to take away for ever the offence of divisions First Christ himselfe is the greatest offence to wicked men that ever was in the world he is the stumbling stone and rock of offence thousand thousands being offended at him miscarry everlastingly Christ foreseeing how many would be offended at him Mat. 11. 6. blesseth the man who shall not be offended Some are offended at what they see in Christ others apprehend whatsoever is in him to be most excellent and lovely that which they cannot but defend and stand for to the death He is disallowed of men rejected by the builders a stone of stumbling to them but to the Saints the chief corner stone elect precious 1 Pet. 2. 4 5 6 7 8. Such different apprehensions of Christ must needs divide men 2. Christ comes to make the greatest alteration that ever was or can be in the world and do we not finde that troubles accompany alterations and above all alterations alterations in government and especially such a government as gives no composition yeelds no compliance with any thing else When Christ comes he brings his fanne in his hand he must have his floore throughly purged he gathers his wheat into his garner severs the chaffe to be burnt in unquenchable fire If he comes thus who shall abide his comming Mal. 3. 2. Who shall stand when he appeares for he is like a Refiners fire and Fullers sope he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver he shall purifie the sons of Levi. Certainly there will be much adoe when they come to be purified No men in the world are like to make so much stirre when they come to be purified as the Clergy will Christ comes to cast out Devils they will fome fret vex rend and teare when they are a casting out The Gospel likewise divides The word of the Gospell is a dividing word Heb. 4. 11. It is quicke powerfull sharper then a two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soule and spirit of the joints and marrow It divides in a mans own heart and divides between man and man The light of it divides The first division we ever read of was of Gods making Gen. 1. 3 4. When he said Let there be light and God divided the light from the darkness The doctrine of the Gospel shews the spiritualness of Gods commands the sinfulnesse of thoughts of the first stirrings of sin Mat. 5. this touches to the quick The heat of the Gospel divides it is like fire when it comes Is not my word like fire The preaching of the Gospel with power heaps coales of fire upon mens heads which will either melt them or burn them In it there is a separation of the precious from the vile The Ordinances of the Gospel divide they difference men Some they will receive others they will not They must bring men to a higher to a stricter way then the sluggish dead vain slight drossie hearts of men are willing to come up unto The godlinesse that is in Christ Jesus divides therefore whosoever will live godly so must expect to suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3. 12. 1. Those who hold forth the life and power of godlinesse seem to challenge a more speciall peculiar interest in God then others which cannot be endured 1 Joh. 5. 19. We are of God and the whole world lyes in wickednesse 2. Their lives condemne others which they cannot abide as Noah is said to condemne the world Heb. 11. 7. 3. In godlinesse there is an excellency They whose hearts are naught cannot look upon that hath any appearance of excellency without a spirit of envy If they judge men only to be conceited with it as an excellency but for their parts they think it not to be so then they look upon them with a spirit of indignation 4. Godlinesse makes men zealous in such things as others can see no reason why they should They think they do incalescere in re frigida and that the ground of their zeal is vanity and turbulency of spirit 5. It makes men constant nothing can turn them out of their way The Son yeelds not to his Father the Servant not to his Master this is judged to be stoutnesse and wilfulnesse though God knowes it is far
can finde that name given by me to him I indeed endeavoured to encourage him in his worke because the Lord had made him the Lord of our Hosts which is no more then the Lord of our Armies The utmost that ever was said or writ comes but to this that God had put a name upon him that came neare to his but never mentioned without some difference from it An abuse in this kinde though not altogether so high I have had from the Anti-Apologist he quotes many places in my Lectures upon Hosea he sets downe the pages wherein he sayes I have contrary to what is in the Apology preached for that way you call Independent Would any man but thinke when he sees the Booke named in Print the Lecture the very page mentioned but that the thing is true it is to be found there But to this day it hath never come to my eares that ever any man hath found such things there but himselfe Are those the places Let moderate and quiet spirited men looke into them and they shall finde nothing there but what the generality of Presbyteriall Brethren yea I thinke I may say every one who is not either Prelaticall or very violent will acknowledge to bee truth and if so I am free But we shall have another time for this At this time I would gladly that this Treatise might meet with no spirit exasperated but in calmnesse and quietnesse let what is here be examined That God that can create the fruit of the lips to be peace can make the fruit of the pen to be so My aymes are peace which I shall never cease endeavouring and praying for who am Thy friend glad of any opportunity for thy good JEREMIAH BURROUGHES HEART-DIVISIONS The Evill of our Times HOSEA 10. 2. Their Heart is divided now shall they be found faulty CHAP. I. The Text opened and sutablenesse of it to our Times shewed NO marvail though Israel be charged ver 1. to be an empty vine seeing their heart is divided Heart-division will cause emptinesse of good both in mens spirits and in Church and State The least dividing of the heart in any one part from another if it be but by the prick of a pin is deadly a great gash in the head is curable There may be much difference in mens opinions without any great hurt if this difference gets not to the heart but if once it gets in there the danger is great Now shall they be found faulty Now shall they be guilty or as some Nunc delinquent Now they will offend as if Heart-division contracted the greatest guilt and by it men were the greatest Delinquents of any The word signifies also to perish to be made desolate so Arius Montanus Desolabuntur Heart-division is a desolating sinne by the judgment of God upon them for it they shall be convinced in their own consciences and in the sight of all men that they were guilty that by such a sin as this they had bound themselves over to the justice of God those desolating evils that came upon them were the righteous judgments of God upon them for those divisions that were amongst them Men wil not be convinced of their sin till Gods judgement is upon them for it and then their consciences will and others shall see that God is righteous and they are vile and sinfull before him even in such things that before they pleaded for or at least could not be brought to own their own guiltiness in When thunder and raine came upon the men of Israel in their wheat Harvest and they were afraid they should dye 1 Sam. 12. 18 19. then they could say We have added unto all our sinnes this evill to aske us a King The Lord convince us of and humble us for the sinfulnesse of our divisions by his word that desolating judgments be not upon us to convince and humble us Their heart is divided This Heart-division is either from God or from one another Their heart is divided between God and their Idols They would not cast off the worship of God wholly that was too much they loved their Idols but they must not have all to divide between God and them they thought was faire Their hearts were also divided one from another and just it is with God that those who divide from him should divide one from another 2 King 15. you may see what wofull divisions there were amonst them King against people and people against King Civill Wars Their King comes upon one of their owne Towns and smites it and rips up all the women that were with Child in it and all because they opened not to him O the rage and cruelty of men of proud spirits when they get power into their hands for then their pride swells being blown up with the flatteries of such as are about them As if they were such gods upon earth as they might doe whatsoever they pleased and the lives estates liberties comforts of all must lie under their feet and must submit to their lusts and humours You shall find further in the whole Chapter there was nothing but conspiring mischieving and murthering one another In their Church State there was nothing but factions and rents one from another some were for the true worship some for the false And amongst the false worshippers there were divisions too Some were for the calves that Jeroboam set up at Dan and Bethel some were for Baal great contention there was between these You know the story of Jehu an Idolater yet destroying the worshippers of Baal and his Idols The Jewes of old understood this Text of these Heart-divisions amongst themselves as well as of their divisions from God which appears by a notable tradition of theirs St. Jerom in his Comment upon these words relates whereas says he the Scripture 2 King 17. tells us that Hoshea was the last King of Israel and in his time Israel was carryed captive yet vers 2. It is said He did not evill in the sight of the Lord as the Kings of Israel that were before him Now the Jewes put this Question Why was not Israel carryed captive with their King when they had the worst King but rather when things seemed to goe something better then before God yet chooses this time The Answer they give is Because in former times the people might pretend they could not tell how to help what they did amisse in the matter of Worship Indeed they worshipped the Calves but they were forced to it by the tyranny of their Kings it should be the losse of all they had if they did not but say they in the days of Hoshea there was more liberty given then before Now those who would might goe up to Jerusalem to worship and that they say is the reason of that expression that Hoshea did not evill as other Kings had done but when they came to have more liberty they fell to wrangling amongst themselves which is an usuall concomitant of
be displaced of their region though they were cast out of the man having further work to do in that place If this be so surely the Devills that are appointed to cause and foment divisions and dissentions above all regions love to be in the region of Churches for no where do divisions such hart as there and at this time especially for now the Devils see they cannot prevail to get men to their old superstitious vanities but some reformation there wil be they now seek to mingle a perverse spirit of division amongst men hoping they shall prevail here though they could not hold their own in the former God put enmity between Satan and the Saints but it is the Devil that puts enmity between Saints and Saints When we hear fearful thundring and see terrible storms and tempests many people say that ill spirits are abroad surely these blustering storms of contention are raised and continued from evill spirits But the truth is all the Devils in hel could do us no great hurt in dividing us from God or from one another were it not for the corruption of our own hearts Wherefore as the Lord says to Israel Perditio tua ex te thy destruction is from thy self So may we now say of England Divisio tua ex te thy division is from thy selfe The causes of our divisions from our selves may be referred to three heads 1. Dividing principles sometimes our divisions come down from our heads to our hearts 2. Dividing distempers sometimes they go up from our hearts to our heads 3. Dividing practises and these come from head and heart they foment and encrease both We will begin with dividing principles Except some care be taken of the head it will be in vaine to meddle with the heart to cry out against our heart-distempers the chief cause of many of our divisions lies here It is to little purpose to purge or apply any medicine to the lower parts when the disease comes from distillations from the head CHAP. IV. Dividing Principles The first There can be no agreement without Vniformity THis Principle hath a long time caused much division in the Church The right understanding wherein the weaknesse and falsenesse of it lyes will help much to Peace to joyn us sweetly together In the substantials of worship Unity is necessary there all are bound to go by the same rule and to do to the uttermost they are able the same thing But the circumstantials of worship have a two-fold consideration They are either such as though but circumstances to some other worship yet have also in themselves some divine worship some spirituall efficacie something in them to commend our service unto God or to cause some presence of God with us or to work us nearer to God by an efficacy beyond what they have in them of their owne natures As for instance Time is a circumstance but the Lords day hath a worship in it commending our service to God and an efficacie to bring God to us and raise us to God this not from any naturall efficacie of the time but from Gods institution Now in such circumstances as these there ought to be uniformity for these have institutions for their rule and are not at mans liberty to be altered as he thinks best in prudence But there are other circumstances which are onely naturall or civill subservient to worship in a naturall or civill way They are conversant about worship but have nothing of worship in them but are meerely naturall or civill helps to it When we worship God we do something as men as well as worshippers hence we have need of some naturall or civill helps As for instance when we meet to worship God wee being men as well as Christians must have a conveniency of place to keep us from the weather to know whether to resort and of time to know when There must be order Many cannot speak at once to edification modest and grave carriage is required of us as a society of men meeting about matters of weight In these circumstances and other of the like nature there is no worship at all there is no spirituall efficacie there are only naturall or civill helps to us while we are worshipping therefore for these circumstances humane prudence is sufficient to order them The right understanding of this takes away a great prejudice that many have against such as desire to keep to Divine Institutions not onely in Substantials but in the Circumstantials of worship they thinke it an unreasonable thing that divine Institution should be required for every circumstance in worship this hath bred a great quarrel in the church and well may it be thought unreasonable if we required Institutions for circumstances in worship which are but naturall or civill helps and have no worship at all in them for that indeed were endlesse and a meer vanity Certainly Institutions are to be required onely in things that are raised beyond what is in them naturally in tendring my respects to God by them or expecting to draw my heart nearer to God or God nearer to me in the use of them The contention about Uniformity is much encreased for want of a right understanding of this difference in the circumstantialls of worship did we understand one another in this wee might soon have Peace as concerning this thing In these latter sorts of circumstances we must also distinguish There are some that must of necessity be determined as time and place it is therefore necessary there should be an uniformity in these in all the members of every society respectively that they agree to meet in the same place at the same time naturall necessity requires this but naturall necessity requires not the binding of severall Churches to Uniformity in things of this kind The urging Uniformity beyond the rule in such things hath in all ages caused wofull divisions in the Church Eusebius tells of Victor Bishop of Rome about two hundred yeares after Christ broke off communion from all the Churches of Asia for not keeping Easter the same time he did The controversie was not about Easter but onely about uniformity in the time Never hath there been greater breaches of unity in the Church then by violent urging Uniformity But further there are other naturall civill circumstances which need not at all be determined though there be a liberty and variety in them yet order and edification is not hereby hindered As for instance In hearing the word one stands as Constantine was wont constantly to do another sits one is uncovered another is covered one hath one kind of garment another another yet no rules of modesty or gravity are broken Now if any power should violently urge uniformity in such like circumstances and not leave them as Christ hath done here they make the necessity of uniformity a dividing principle upon these four grounds 1. This is a straitning mens naturall liberties without satisfying their reason 2. This hath been
may cause one to hold fast an errour yet it does not put upon proud scornfull turbulent behaviour When a man by reason of his conscience it may be the weaknesse of it differs from his brethren hee had need carry himself with all humility and meekness self-denyal in all other things he should be willing to be a servant to every man in what lawfully he may that thereby he may shew to all that it is not from any wilfulnesse but meerly the tenderness of his conscience that he cannot come off to that which his brethren can doe whom yet he reverences and in his carriage towards them shews that he yet esteems them his betters but if a man that is weak very much beneath others in parts and graces shall carry himselfe high imperious contemning and vilifying those who differ from him and be contentious with them There is great reason to think that the corruption is in the will rather then any where else if there should be some conscience yet in these men their heart-distempers may justly forfeit their right of pleading their consciences Those who oppose them if they doe it in a Christian way may justifie what they doe before God if God should call them to an account and say why did you deal so with such men who professed they were put upon what they held and did by their consciences If they can answer thus Lord thou knowest we were willing to have dealt with them in all tendernesse if we could have seen conscientiousness in their carriage but we saw nothing but scornfulness pride imperiousness turbulency conceitednes we could see nothing of the Spirit of Jesus Christ acting them in their way this their carriage perswaded us that the sinfulnesse was got rather into their wills then their consciences 5ly When a man is not willing to make use of meanes to inform his conscience not of those meanes that are not against his owne principles but goes on peremptorily and stoutly Surely when we see many of our Brethren differing from us our respect to them should gain so much at least from us that if there by any means left unused for the further trying our opinions or informing our judgements we should make use of that meanes a conscientious heart will doe so The sixt note added will seale up all when a man by reason or Scripture is so put to it as he must either renounce his errour or flye from some of his own principles he will rather deny his principles then yeeld himselfe convinced of his errour yea when those principles are of great moment The man that doth thus is the man spoken of Tit. 3. 11. that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned of himselfe An Heretick after the first and second admonition reject because he is selfe-condemned wee must not reject every man that erres in every little thing no not after two or three admonitions that was a prelatical tyrannicall rule but he must be an Heretick and erring so grosly as he is self-condemned in his errour and such a man suffers not for his conscience when he is rejected but for sinning against his conscience But who can know when a man is condemned of himselfe the judgement of a mans owne conscience is a secret thing This is the strength of this hold the Devil gets into he thinks he gets so deep that you cannot get to it to find him out and as for Gods displeasure who knows their consciences these men will venture that But by this Scripture Tit. 3. it is clear that a mans conscience may be so far seen into as there may be a judgment passed upon a man that he is a self-condemned man To what purpose otherwise serves this Scripture it is not like this Heretick would acknowledg that he was self-condemned but yet the Apostle makes this the ground why he should be rejected As if he should say You see he wil go against his own principles against what his conscience tells him is truth meerly to maintain a wicked Heresie that he is infected withall let him therefore plead what he will reject him for his own conscience condemns him and GOD is greater then his Conscience and knowes all things The third thing that is to be done to a man who pleads his conscience for evill is the great snare and danger he brings himself into is to be declared to him that by giving way to let evill into his conscience he puts himself into such a condition as whatsoever he doth he must needs sin against God so long as he holds his errour Evill gets into the consciences of many very easily because they think the dictates of their consciences will be sufficient to bear them out in what they doe but they are deceived for an erroneous conscience does not bind you sin notwithstanding your conscience bids you do it and if you goe against this erroneous conscience you sinne too what a miserable snare is this you had need look to your selves then and take heed what you let into your consciences The fourth thing is to charge him and if it be in a matter of consequence to adjure him in the Name of God who is the searcher of the hearts of men and will judg them at the great day accordingly that he deals plainly and sincerely not to dare to put a pretence upon that which he knows his conscience cannot justifie him in if there be indeed any conscientiousness in the man this will startle him But it may be this will not prevail wherefore in the fifth place whatsoever a man holds though his conscience be never so much taken with it yet if it cannot stand with the power of godliness but destroys it if this man be in a Christian society after all means used to reduce him if he still perseveres in it he is notwithstanding his conscience to be cast out of the society of the Saints this is not a little matter if a man hath any conscience in him it cannot but be a dreadfull thing to him If poyson be got into a glass and you cannot wash it out the poyson and glass too is to be thrown into the sinck Such a man as this is with the conscience that he hath is to be thrown upon the dung-hill If a man by his wickedness cuts himself off from the mysticall body of Christ the Church may cut him off from his visible he hath forfeited his Church-priviledger Sixtly If the errour with the profession of it be destructive to the State and he cannot be reclaimed he may likewise be cut off from it or at least deprived of the priviledges of it and benefits by it notwithstanding his plea of conscience This justifies the cutting off Jesuites and Priests who teach people that the Crown is at the dispose of any forraign power by which also subjects may be freed from their Allegiance A Reverend Divine of ours in a Treatise upon the powring out of the 7.
in conscience could not submit to it their preferments of Deanries and Prebends and the like But lest what I say in this should be abused you must understand this denyall of places of profit or honour to men because of that which their consciences will not suffer them to yeeld to onely such places as the tendernesse of their consciences in such a point makes them unfit to manage if because their consciences differ from you in one thing you will take advantage against them in other things that have no dependance upon that wherein they differ from you and make them suffer in those things too you now to say no worse begin to grow neare to a way of persecution and tyrannie over your brethren which Christ is displeased with Wee accounted it in the Bishops not neare but come up to tyrannie and persecution when they would not suffer such as could not conforme to their Church-discipline and Ceremonies not so much as to teach children the Grammar or to practise Physicke or to preach Christ in places where there was no preaching but people lived in darkenesse perishing for want of knowledge What dependance had these things upon their discipline and Ceremonies supposing they had been right Yes they would foment their errours by this meanes But seeing there was no dependance between their errours if you wil call them so these things to deny the Church and Common-wealth the benefit of the gifts and graces of men upon such a pretence that they will abuse their liberty wee thought it was hard dealing yea no lesse then persecution Suppose a man differs from his brethren in point of Church-Discipline must not this man have a place in an Army therefore Though he sees not the reason of such a Discipline in the Church yet God hath endued him with a spirit of volour and he understands what Military Discipline means must he not have a place in a Colledg to teach youth Logick and Philosophy may be not preach Jesus Christ to poor ignorant creatures if you feare he will divulge his opinions surely some other course may be taken whereby he may suffer as much as such a fault comes to but therefore to deprive Church and State of what abilities God has given him which might be very usefull to them and that before any such fault is committed for fear it may be committed the softest word I have to expresse my self against this is It is very hard dealing with your Brethren I have now gone to the uttermost line I can in shewing what is to be done to a man that pleads his conscience in things which we conceive are not right I would now speak a word or two to men who have to deal with their brethrens consciences and then to those who plead their consciences for their freedome To the first Let those who have to deale with mens consciences first take heed they do not vilifie and slight mens consciences do not scorn at the plea of their consciences What this is your conscience your conscience forsooth will not suffer you Woe to them who offend one of these little ones it were better that a mil-stone were hanged about his necke and he were cast into the bottome of the Sea Matth. 18. 6. It is his conscience and perhaps better informed then thine and more tender thou hast it may be a corrupt conscience thy conscience is broke by thy sinning against it or otherwise it is loose or benummed no quicknesse in it thou canst swallow down greater matters therefore thou wonderest at those who are so nice-conscienced who stand upon small matters what if at the great day Christ shall own these to be truly conscientious and honour them for obeying the voyce of their consciences in small things for not daring to offend them in any thing where wilt thou appear what is like to become of thee then Or if their consciences be weak not rightly inform'd yet Christ expects thou shouldst seek to heal to strengthen them not to jeer and scorn them that fearfulnesse of theirs to offend Christ though in the particular they may be mistaken shall be accepted when thy boldness and ventrousness in taking thy liberty shall appear to be thy folly 2. Take heed in your dealings with such you make them not suffer more then Christ would have them suffer do not abuse your power over them so as to cause them to complaine justly to God of conscience-oppression Conscience-oppression is the most fearefull oppression of all the cryes in the world the cryes caused by it come up most swiftly to God When an oppressed soule shall get alone and make his moane to God Oh Lord thou who knowest the secrets of all hearts thou knowest the desires of my soule in uprightnesse to know thy will I can freely and comfortably appeale to thee Thou knowest what a sad affliction it is to mee that my judgement should be different from my brethrens whose parts and graces I prize farre beyond mine owne Thou knowest also there is no meanes for further Reformation but I have been willing to make use of it as I was able and what ever other helpe thou shalt make knowne to mee I am ready to make use of it that I may not be led aside into errour and if thou wilt be pleased to reveale thy minde further to me I am ready to submit to it I should account it a greater happinesse then all the comforts in the world can afford to know what thy minde is in such and such things but Lord as yet I cannot doe this thing except I should sinne against thee thou knowest it yet thou knowest also that I desire to walke humbly and peaceably with my brethren and in all meekenesse submissenesse and quietnesse of spirit together with all diligence I will waite till thou shalt further reveale thy minde to me But Lord in the meane time I find rigid dealing from my brethren their spirits are imbittered their speeches are hard their wayes tomards me are harsh yea Lord there is violence in them Lord thou knowest my spirit is not such as to need any such carriage of my brethren towards me I am not conscious to my selfe no not when I set my selfe most solemnly in thy presence of stifnesse wilfulnesse in my way the least beame of light from thee would presently turne my spirit what way thou wouldst have it goe Such a moan to God would prove a sadder business against such as shall occasion it then if such men had strength and spirits to answer bitternesse harshnesse and violence with bitternesse harshnesse and violence Let me also on the other side speak to them who plead their consciences First take heed you rest not in this as an empty plea setting it as a Bulwark against any thing that shal be said to you why it is my conscience and who hath to do with my conscience and so think you need look no farther nor give any other
the Line of Truth and beyond it we dare not venture in the least The controversie is not about little or great trouble or inconvenience if it were such a charge might well make us blush the inconvenience or trouble is little yet a few men wil not yeeld to their Brethren who are many for peace sake but the controversie is about sin now whether that be little or great the difference cannot but remain if one part shall urge upon another that which to them is sin as to acknowledg any one thing to be a power of Christ which he cannot see Christ hath owned in his word must needs be therefore the way to peace is not the necessity of coming up one to another because the thing is little but the louing and peaceable and brotherly carriage of one towards another because the difference is but small CHAP. VIII The third dividing Principle That nothing which is conceived to be evill is to be suffered THis is the other extream some think all things should be suffered and they are loose and cause divisions on the one hand others thinke nothing is to be suffered and these are rigid and cause divisions on the other hand If any thing be conceived evil either in opinion or practise if instructions and perswasions cannot reform there must be means used to compell This is a harsh and a sowr Principle a disturbing Principle to Churches and States to mankind This Principle seldome prevails with any but those who have got power into their hands or hope to get it This must needs be a dividing Principle First because of the infinite variety of mens apprehensions about what is good or evill scarce three men agree any long time in their apprehensions of some things to be evil if then nothing that is conceived to be evill must be suffered there must needs be continuall opposition between man and man This subjects the generality of men to suffer for many things which they can see no evill in but are perswaded is good this raises an animosity against those by whom they suffer though a man can subject his body and estate to another he cannot subject his reason to another In the common ways of justice men are punished for those things which if they be guilty of they cannot but acknowledg themselves to be worthy of punishment as in Theft Murder Drunkennesse c. And for the fact they are tryed in such a way as they cannot but acknowledg is fit in reason to be subjected to and therefore though they suffer much yet they will yeeld it without disturbance But if this Principle prevails every man almost is made lyable to punishment for thousands of things that he can see no reason why he should be punished It is very hard to bring mens spirits to yeeld in such things But you will say May not men be punished for things that they see no reason why they should be punished for many malefactors may easily escape thus guilt will quickely blind men they will see no reason why they should be punished It is not what men say they see no reason for or what it may be they indeed see no reason for but what men cannot see reason for though they should bend their understandings and strength to the uttermost yea what the generality of man kind and of that community of which a man is cannot possibly see reason for it is impossible for the generality of mankind the community of any Church or State though they should be never so diligent to find out what is good and what is evill yet to be able to understand every thing that is evill to be so If you will have laws made against all things that such as are in authority conceive to be evill then you must give them power to judge not only by the rules of common justice and equity and punish for the breach of them but by the apprehensions that their own raised parts shall suggest unto them and to punish men for not being raised to that height of understanding themselves have but this power is more then is fit to be given to any men upon earth This would bring tyranny both in State and Church For first from whence is the rise of all Civill Power that any man or society of men are invested with is it not from the generality of the men over whom they have power Is it not the power which they themselves had and which they might have kept amongst themselves For who can say that a Democracy is a sinfull Government in it selfe True God establishes it upon particular men by his Ordinance after it is given to them by the people but the first rise is from them and if so then they should make no law to bring those men under punishment who gave them their power but such a Law as these men may possibly come to understand to be equall and just for they act their power and it must be supposed that they never intended to give a power beyond this Those who give power may limit power they may give part to one part to another they may limit the matter about which the power shall be exercised it shall goe so far and no further the utmost limits cannot goe beyond these rules of Justice which they are capable to understand Hence it is that all men in our Law are tryed Per pares by their Peers because it is to be supposed that they are to be accounted offenders and to be punished only so as those who are equall with themselves shall judg them worthy and this likewise is the reason that Courts are in publique no man is to be shut out because all men that will may behold the tryall and justifie the proceedings of Justice against offenders It must needs be supposed then that the rules by which the Judges go must be the rules of common equity and justice that all men may understand beyond what these rules will reach to the Civill State is not to punish not every thing that men of deep judgements and strong parts may apprehend to be evill The power of the Church likewise extends not to the punishment of every thing that either may by the Governours of it be conceived to be evill or that is indeed evill As the rise of the Civil power shews that only such things are to be punished by it as are against the common rules of Justice and Equity so the rise of Church power will shew that only such things as are against common rules such things as some way or other appeare to be against conviction and are obstinately persisted in are by Church censure to be punished The rise of Church power is indeed different from the rise of the Civill yet agrees in this that it limits the Church as the rise of the Civill doth the Civill power The power of Governors in the State arises from the people and they act their power that the
mind of the Holy Ghost is dare not yoke you as they did all that we burden you with is these necessary things no Church-officers no Synod can go further then this but certainly every matter in controversie amongst godly and peaceable men cannot be conceived to be necessary Rom. 14. is a very usefull place for this Him that is weak in the faith receive but not to doubtfull disputations Receive him though he understands not all you do do not trouble him neither with nor for doubtfull things One believeth he may eate all things another who is weake eateth herbes let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not neither let him that eateth not judge him that eateth vers 5. One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike let every man be fully perswaded in his owne minde Upon this he gives generall rules to doe all to the glory of God all these people were not in the right for a man not to eate flesh out of conscience when the thing was not forbidden certainly was a sin or to make conscience of a holy day which God required not was a sinne Now the Apostle did not come with his authority and say I will make you leave off keeping such days or you shall eate or to abstain thus as you do is evill and it must not be suffered in you No the Apostle lays no Apostolicall authority upon them but tells them That every man must be fully perswaded in his own mind in what he doth and who art thou that judgest another mans servant the Lord hath received him And yet the Governors of the Churches in the Primitive times might upon much stronger grounds have stood upon such a principle then any Governours of the Church now can there was lesse reason why they should suffer any difference in opinion or practice amongst them then why we should suffer differences amongst us for they had men amongst them immediately inspired who could dictate the mind of Christ infallibly they could tell them the certaine meaning of any Scripture The burden of being under the determinations of such men in points of differences had not been so great as subjection to any Governors now in such cases would be our differences are usually about the meaning of such or such Scriptures in which both sides think they have the right profess one to another as in the presence of God the searcher of all hearts that if they could but see the meaning of such a Scripture to be so as their brethren believe it is they would soon agree and yet though there were in those Primitive times such meanes of reconciling differences more then we have yet there was much mutual toleration amongst them they used no compulsive violence to force those who through weakness differed from them to come up to their judgments or practice Yes It is also more tolerable in Papists not to tolerate any difference in opinion or practice because First they believe they have an infallible Judg to decide all Controversies 2ly They hold implicite faith in the judgment of their Clergie to be sufficient warrant to justifie the belief or practice of the people or of any particular man and yet they suffer differences in opinions and practices amongst them They have their severall orders of their Monks Priests Friars Jesuites they differ very much one from the other and yet agreeing in the root they are suffered supposing those two helps to union they have an infallible Judg and implicite faith wee have cause either to admire at their moderation in their mutuall bearing one with another or at the disquietness the rigidness of spirits amongst us who cannot bear with far lesser things in their brethren differing from them for we professe we know no such externall in fallible Judg upon whom we may depend neither dare we warrant an implicite faith We teach men that every man must be perswaded in his own heart must see the rule of his own actions must give an account of his own way to God now what can men that have the most gracious peaceable spirits you can imagine doe in such a case Before they believe or do what their brethren believe or do they must see the authority of the Word to ground their faith or actions and for the present though sincerely willing to know Gods mind and diligently laborious to search it out yet they cannot see it and yet according to this sowr rigid principle they must be forced to it by violence what is it but to command the full tale of brick to be brought in where no straw can be had if this be not Straw might be had in Egypt by seeking for it but here after the most carefull and painfull seeking for it yet it cannot be had 5ly By this principle the finding out of much truth will be hindered it will stifle mens gifts abilities in arguing and discoursing about truths We know fire is beaten out by striking the flint Although differences be very sad yet the truth that comes to light by them may recompence the sadnesse You cannot beat out a place for a window to let in light but you must endure some trouble Children will think the house is pulling down when the window is beating out but the Father knows the benefit will come by it he complains not that the dust and rubbish lies up and down in the house for a while the light let in by it will recompence all The trouble in the discussions of things by Brethren of different judgments may seem to be great but either you or your posterity hereafter may see cause to blesse God for that light hath been or may be let into the Churches by this meanes men of moderate spirits doe blesse God already But if according to this principle the governors of the Churches must suppress whatsoever they conceive not to be right to what purpose should should there be arguing and discussing of severall judgements and severall ways You will say Those who are the Governours they or those whom they call to consult with may argue and discusse but not others Is not this to deny the Church the benefit of the gifts and graces of thousands of others The Church may soon receive as much prejudice by this as the trouble caused by some differences comes to Sixtly This lays a great temptation to idleness and pride before the guides of the Church Men are naturally subject to sloth and may not this principle suggest such a temptation as this What need we take care or pains to search into truths to be able to convince gain-sayers to câ—râ—y things with strength of Scripture Reason seeing we have power to compel men to yeeld to us And men who can do least by Reason and Scripture are many times strongest in their violence this way this strength must come in to make up their other weaknesse But it may be Conscience will not let them compell
having used sometimes in their Families to take a Scripture and speak something out of it upon this they think it is a better thing to be exercised in preaching Gods word then to fit in a shop all day at some meane worke or selling out wares therefore they thinke they are bound to give over their Callings which they look at as too low mean things and be Preachers of the Word not regarding those due ways that Christ would have men come into such an employment by Although I do not think but that Tradesmen who have good knowledg in the Scripture and are gifted by God to speak the Word to people for their edification when there is a want of able men who have been all their lives preparing for such a work and are set apart for it rather then people should continue in ignorance and so perish if those who are able and fit to judg shal judg them meet for such a work they may be employd to make Christ known to them yet for every man that takes himself to be a gifted man and it may be is so judged by some who are willing to flatter him to take upon him of himselfe or by the advice of two or three of his friends to leave his other employment for the work of the Ministry because that is a more noble and excellent work this is not a way of God but a way of confusion and disorder Again it is in it selfe a better thing to enjoy a Ministry of the most eminent gifts and graces then one of lower but if this should be made a rule that a man who is under a Pastor who is faithfull and in some good measure gifted upon another mans coming into the Countrey that is more eminent he should forsake his Pastor and joyn to the other and if after this still a more eminent man comes he should leave the former and joyn to him and by the same Law a Pastor who hath a good people yet if others be more likely to receive more good he may leave his own people and goe to them what confusion and disorder would there be continually in the Church Men must consider not only what the thing is in its own nature but what it is to them how it stands in reference to their relations If you be joyned to a Pastor so as you believe he is set over you by Christ to be a Pastor to you not because the Bishop hath sent one or an old Usurer dyes and leaves the Patronage of a living to some Ostler or Tap-wench in an Alehouse and he or she shall send one by vertue of their right to the patronage this cannot tie a mans conscience to depend upon him for the ordinances of Christ all his days in case he cannot remove his dwelling but if you cannot but look upon the man as the Pastor that Christ hath set over you Though this man hath meaner gifts then others and it would be more comfortable to you to have another Pastor yet this is not enough to cause you to diseâ—t him whom Christ hath set over you and if people may not leave their Pastors because others have more eminent gifts then surely Pastors must not leave their people because others have more eminent Livings To instance yet further that you may see how this Principle disturbs mens spirits Many being in the works of their Calling have some thoughts come into their mind that prayer is a better work more noble and spirituall then to be employed as they are therefore they must needs presently leave their worke and go toe prayer How many have been perplexed with temptations this way by which their lives have been made very uncomfortable Prayer in it selfe is better but is it better at this time for me all things considered am not I about that which God hath called me to do By this Principle many decive and trouble themselves in respect of their souls as some by a conceit of the like nature deceive bring great trouble to themselves in respect of their bodies some who have sickly bodies their flesh is decayed they think such and such things have most nourishment in them such things are hot and full of spirits and juyce therefore they will eate and drink altogether such things leaving their ordinary dyet by this means thâ—y many times overthrow their bodies for though a man wants flesh yet the way for him to have it it may be is not to take nourishing things but purging and though he be troubled with faintness it may be the way to get good spirits is by eating ordinary dyet and cooling his body that so some distemper may be cured and he may get his veyns filled with good blood and spirits got from it rather then by drinking hot waters that are full of spirits which perhaps burns his heart and dries his body that there is no good blood generated from his dyet It is not enough therefore to say the thing is in it selfe better but is it better in all the references I have and it hath is it better in regard of others in regard of the publique for the helping me in all my relations May it not help one way and hinder many ways If a Physitian should come to a man and see his disease is hot and shoâ—ld therefore presently cool him by giving him water the man may like it for the present why is it not better to be cool then so burning hot but thus the Physitian discovers his folly and the Patient loses his life A Physitian in prescribing some physick had need have forty considerations in his head at once how one part stands affected to the other of what yeers the man is of what complexion how long the disease bath been upon him what was last done to him c. So it should be in the duties of Religion a Christian who desires to walk orderly to beautifie and honour his profession to enjoy communion with God peace in his own soul and be useful to the publique had need have his wits about him not presently to fall upon a work because it is now presented as good to him in a single consideration he must compare one thing with another and see what it is in all its references or otherwise he will but enterfeir hee will but hack and hew and bungle and disturb himselfe and others in the ways of Religion he will make Religion tiresome to himselfe and others he will be in danger in time to cast off strictnesse and to grow so much the more loose then others by how much more streightned he hath been in a disorderly way then others I believe some of you have known those who in their young time have been very strict and tender whatsoever they have conceived to be better then other they have presently followed it with all eagernesse never considering circumstances references or consequences but the thing is good it must be done yet being wearied with
this they have after grown loose in as great an excesse the other way yea it may be have vanished and come to nothing CHAP. XIII The seventh Dividing Principle It is obstinacy for a man not to be convinced by the judgement of many more learned and godly then himselfe THe making this to be the rule to judg obstinacy by hath in all ages caused great divisions by exasperating the spirits of â—â—en one against another In times of Popery what rage did it raise against men who were most conscientious the generality of men thought they did God good service in persecuting those who would not yeeld to the judgment of others who had the repute of learning and piety and those who were conscientious could not yeeld to their determinations not seeing the truth of God in them and this made the stir VVhile men appear obstinate by the rule of Christ we are not to bear with them and this Principle sets thousands of godly peaceable men in the seat of the obstinate these cannot in conscience yeeld and others cannot but in conscience oppose them what reconciliation then can there be hoped either men must captivate their consciences cause them in a sordid way to bow down to slavery or else there must needs be continuall division and opposition where this prevailes I confesse such a Principle as this is would make for union amongst those who either think they need not or through carelesnesse regard not to searth out truth but with an implicite faith take in all that shall be imposed upon them who think ignorance of Gods mind and conscience slavery to be no great evil this is never urged with violence but either by those who have given up their consciences to be serviceable to the ease and content of the flesh or those who have or hope to have power in their hands to bring others in subjection to them Because the right informing our judgments in this may much conduce to peace I shall endeavour 1. To shew you what due respect is to be given to mens judgments who are learned and godly 2. Yet not so much as to make their judgments the rule to judg men obstinate if they differ from them 3. VVhat then should be the rule by what should we judg a man to be obstiate For the first Certainly much respect is to be given to the learning and godlinesse of men There is a great delusion in many mens hearts that makes them thinke it to be halfe Popery to give any respect to Learning although the abuse of Learning hath done much evill against that much hath been and may be said but I dare avow this that never since the beginning of the world could a man be found to speak against earning but an ignorant man neither is it like nay I may aver it is impossible that any but such will be found to the end of the world Learning hath so much of God in it that it never had nor will have any enemy but ignorance 1. Tim. 4. 13. Give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine Ver. 15. Give thy selfe wholly to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be in them And when we see grace added to Learning it should adde much to our esteem of such a man it is the orient pearl in the gold ring it is a great testimony to a way that it is the way of good men Prov. 2. 20. That thou maist walke in the way of good men and keep the paths of the righteous The judgement and counsell of such is to be received with very great respect especially if the eminencie of their grace appears in the tenderness of their spirits that we may see much of the feare of God in them Ezra 10. 3. Now let us make a covenant according to the counsell of my Lord and of those that tremble at the commandement of our God And when not only some few godly men are of this mind but when it is that which God hath sealed in the hearts of the Saints generally very high respect is to be given unto it Wherefore he that differs in his judgment from wise learned godly men had need First spend much time in Prayer and Humiliation before the Lord. There is a notable expression of Basil cited in an Appendix of an Epistle of Luther to the Ministers of Norimberg who were at variance one from another He who will separate him selfe from his brethren had need consider many things even to anxiety he had need break his sleep many nights and seeke of God with many teares the demonstration of the truth 2ly You must even then when you cannot subject to their judgments preserve due reverence in your heart and shew due respects to men of learning and grace according to their worth We have a notable relation of that holy man Mr. Greenham in a Letter of his to the Bishop of Ely in whose Diocesse he lived the Bishop seeking to bring him to conformity objected thus unto him Why will not you yeeld Luther approved of these things are you wiser then he His sober and gracious answer was I reverence more the revealed will of God in teaching that worthy instrument of God Mr. Luther so many necessary things to salvation then I search into his secret will why hee kept backe from his knowledge other things of lesse importance 3ly If those things wherein we differ from the judgments of learned and godly men be not matters of duty they only may bring us to some suffering we should silently yeeld for peace sake and out of respect to them not opposse 4ly In all things wherein you may have any helpe from them you should repair to them and desire to partake of the benefit of those gifts and graces God hath bestowed upon them 5ly In all things wherein you can agree you should be the more carefull to manifest all possible observance and respect to them in blessing God for any help he grants to you by them either in making known his truth to you or at least in further confirming you in it by them 6ly And in what still your consciences will not suffer you to agree with them you are to take it as your affliction and to account that way you are in to want a great lustre and most desireable encouragement in that so many learned and godly mens judgments and practices are against it We are to raise our respects to men of learning and godliness thus high but if we should go so high as to give up our judgment and consciences to them we should in honouring them dishonour Christ yea they would account themselves to be dishonoured Such as are truly godly and wise do rather account it their honor to carry a loving respect to those who differ from them then desire that men should blindfold before they see their grounds follow them Prelaticall spirits indeed account it their honour to force men to be of their mind it is
ere long it may come to this that to goe against those in place who have power in their hand shall be obstinacy whatsoever they be for who dare question their learning and piety Whatsoever miscarriages these shal be in after ages in bringing men unlearned ungodly into place yet those must be judged as gulty of obstinacy who are not of the same judgment they shall be of and into what a case then have we brought our selves If you shall say True our case would be sadde but we must venture it there is no helpe better an inconvenience then a mischiefe But here will be not an inconvenience only but a mischief In civil things this indeed must be ventured for there we are not bound to understand the reason and ground of all things but if nothing appeare to be contrary to the rules of justice and piety we are to submit but in the matters of Religion it is otherwise we must understand the ground of all from the word therefore those who shall lay downe such a position that we may deal with these men as obstinate by the Ordinance of Christ who after two or three admonitions shal not be of the same judgment and do the same things that learned and godly men determine do bring the Church into greater bondage then they are aware of 6ly Learned and godly men yet have flesh as well as spirit private engagements do often sway much even with them Here with us we know how the greater number of learned and godly men goe but in New-England the greater number of learned and godly men goe another way Lately the greater number of learned and godly men in old England did judg submission to Prelaticall power in the Church and practice of Ceremonies and use of Common-prayer to be lawfull I hope it is not so now 7ly If it be alwayes obstinacy not to believe or practise what they judg should be believed and practised then sometimes it will be obstinacy not to believe and practise a contradiction for we know some learned and godly men determine one thing some determine the contrary yea oftentimes they are contrary to themselves 8ly It is against the rule of the Apostle Try all things keep that which is good abstain from all appearance of evill If after the tryall of Prophesie there be but an appearance of evill we are not bound to abstain 9ly We know by our own experience we have differed from many more learned and godly men then our selves and yet our consciences did excuse us before God that we did it out out of obstinacy that if our lives had lain upon it wee could not for the present have helped it But if wee shall not judge men that goe against the determination of those who are most able to judge then every man may do what seems good in his owne eyes and so there will be nothing but confusion Not so neither though this be not the rule to judg men to be obstinate by yet men may by some other rules be judged to be so and dealt with accordingly as those by which we judged whether the evill be in a mans conscience or in his will especiall these four First If the thing wherein men differ be against the common principles of Christianity then such as will take upon them the profession of Christianity doe involve themselves in the guilt of obstinacy if they goe against those things Secondly In other things if their carriages be turbulent and altogether unbeseeming a Christian differing from his Brethren Thirdly where there is neglect of those means of reformation which he hath nothing to say against Fourthly If he so crosses his own principles that he appears to be self-condemned CHAP. XIV The eighth dividing Principle If others be against what wee conceive to be truth wee may judge them going against their owne light THis is a worse a more dividing Principle then the former it is worse to make our judgments the rule of other mens actions then other mens judgements the rule of our actions This makes men who differ to have exceeding hard thoughts one of another it causeth a mighty spirit to rise in them one against another A man cannot judg worse of another then this that he goes against his owne light Of all things conscientious men knows not how to bear this yet how ordinarily will men who are weak judg those that are strong because they cannot see into the reasons of their actions therefore those that do them must needs do them against their own light If they see another mans garb and manner of converse and way to be differing from their owne they presently judge him sinning against his own conscience to be acted by by-ends to doe what he does meerly out of cunning and craftinesse This is from the pride and sowrnesse of mens spirits This is farre enough for you to goe in judging your brother were I in his condition should I doe as hee doth I should goe against my light I should act by by-ends but therefore to conclude that he goes against his light and acts by by-ends is very sinfull Many carnall men thinke if they should make such a shew of Religion if they should doe such things as such and such men do it would be hypocrisie in them and they judge truly because their Principle would not beare out their practice but therefore to judge all that do such things to be hypocrites we account to be a very wicked thing If thou hadst any spirit of humility or wisdome in thee thou wouldst rather think it may be hee sees what I do not I am to look to mine own heart and wayes by what principles I goe my self Men who are weake and can see but a little way into things must take heed they censure not others who know how to manage businesses better then themselves some may do that acceptable to God that thou couldst not doe without an evill conscience The same honesty and sincerity may continue in a man though in true wisdome and discretion he applies himself diversly according as occasions are divers as the hand remaines the same whether closed into a fist or extended abroad or bended this way or that way as occasion serves Wherefore for your direction in this take these five rules First we are bound to give the best interpretation upon our brethrens actions we can if they be not apparently ill we should not do as the Logitians Sequi partem deteriorem but incline to that which may any way be conceived or hoped to have any goodnesse in it we must rather wrong our selves by thinking too well of them then wrong them by thinking too ill of them This would help exceeding much to peace Secondly we should rather be jealous of our selves then others knowing more of the evils of our own hearts then we can do of any others Thirdly if we know certainly we are right and others not our hearts
institution of his From hence we have an answer to that Objection is made against many things done by those who are in a Congregationall way what institution have they for many things they do what for their Covenant c. Though there be no Text of Scripture holds forth this in terminis yet it is grounded upon other institutions plainly held forth in Scripture First it is clear in Scripture that besides the Catholique Church there are particular Churches Saints imbodied under such Officers who are so Officers to them as they are not to others These people can look upon this man as their Pastor and this Pastor upon this people in a peculiar relation they may do some acts of power over one another in their Congregation which they cannot do over others in another Congregation Now then it follows they being a body must needs have something to joyne them together and the least thing that can be to joyn them is the manifestation of their assent to joyn for those ends for which Christ hath appointed such a body and what is their Covenant but this Onely some manifest their assent more largely some more briefly I know nothing more is required but to manifest their assent to joyn with that body to set up all the Ordinances of Christ so far as they know If there be any other thing done in their Churches wherein they make further use of reason and prudence then in the two fore-named things they cannot justifie it but must acknowledg it evill The tenth Dividing Principle or rather vaine conceit Every difference in Religion is a differing Religion VVHat do you hear more ordinary then this How many Religions have we now Shall so many Religions be suffered amongst us we cannot tell now what Religion men are of upon this apprehension they oppose such as differ from them in some few things with all the violence they can as men bringing up new Religions and would take away their Religion from them how can they possibly accord with men that are of a different Religion from them Surely we are more afraid then hurt Though our differences be sad enough yet they come not up to this to make us men of different Religions We agree in the same end though not in the same means they are but different wayes of opposing the common adversary The agreeing in the same means in the same way of opposing the common enemy would be very comfortable it would be our strength but that cannot be expected in this world Livie in his story of a great Battail between Hannibal and Scipio sayes That at the joyning of the Armies the shouting of Scipio's men was farre more terrible then the shouting of Hannibal's because Scipio's men were all Romans their shouting had all the same tone but Hannibal's Army was made up of men of severall Countries so that in their shouting there was variety of the tones of their voyce which was not accounted so formidable a shout as the other It is true our adversaries do not look our opposition to them having so much diversity in it so formidable as they would if we were all but one in our way of opposing them But stil we are all shouting against the common enemy although therefore the terrour upon our adversary would be greater if our shout were more uniform yet we hope the victory may be as sure Souldiers who march against a common enemy all under the same Captain who follow the same Colours in their Ensign and wear them upon their hats or arms may get the day though they be not all cloathed alike though they differ in things of lesse concernment Revel 15. 2. we read of the Saints standing upon a sea of glasse which had fire mingled with it Mr. Brightman interprets this sea of glass the doctrine of the Gospel more clear more transparent then the doctrine of the Law which he sayes was resembled by the sea of brasse that Solomon made But there is fire mingled in this sea of glasse that is saith hee There are contentions divisions in the Church where this doctrine of the Gospel is taught But yet mark what follows They got the victory over the beast and over his image and over his marke and over the number of his name and had the harps of God in their hands and sang the song of Moses c. Men who are in a crowd tread one upon another yet they all make to the same door they would all go the same way Godly people are divided in their opinions and wayes but they are united in Christ though they may be divided from such a particular society yet they are not divided from the Church it is with the Saints here as with the boughs of trees in time of a storm you shall see the boughs one beat upon another as if they would beat one another to pieces as if Armies were fighting but this is but while the wind while the tempest lasts stay a while and you shal see every bough standing in its own order and comeliness why because they are all united in one root if any bough be rotten the storme breaks it off but the sound boughs come into their former place These times of division may break off men whose spirits were before unsound they will never come in to joyne with the Saints again so as they seemed to doe in former times but within a while when this gust is over others may come in and shew themselves to be all united in and receive sap from the same root CHAP. XIV Dividing Distempers the lusts of mens hearts THese divide us not onely from God but from one another This I learne sayes Luther from mine owne experience that I have more cause to feare what is within me then what is without What ever others do to divide us would prevail little were it not for the lusts of our hearts within Vapours that are got within the earth are the cause of all earthquakes they rend and tear the winds storms and tempests without never move it Ill humours within the body disturb more then the ayre without James 4. 1. Whence are wars and fighting amongst you are they not hence even from your lusts Whence come they The answer is soon made Do you not see plainly that they came from your lusts Yet were this Question put to some of us Whence are all our divisions Some would answer Such kinde of men are the cause of them and others would answer Nay but such men cause them We all put off the cause of our divisions from our selves few would give Saint James his answer They are from hence even from our lusts There would not be such evill distillations from the head if it were not for the malignant vapours that arise from the stomach The curing the heart will sooner cure the head then the curing the head will cure the heart Whence are wars even from your lusts The Apostle
shift for himself In mens lusts there are contradictions no vertue is contrary to another but vices have nothing but contrarieties and contradictions in them Mens lusts oppose and fight against one another in mens hearts no marvail then when there are such stirs within though they break forth into quarrels and contentions without If a man be quarrelsom in his family no wonder if when he comes abroad he quarrels and contends with his neighbours also Sixtly In mens lusts there is violence violence and peace cannot stand together Isa 60. 18. God promises peace and there promises that violence should be no more heard in their Land Mens lusts are boisterous and unruly especyally when they have been acting a while at the first venting they seem to be fair but after a while they grow outragious violent and boisterous dispositions are unfit for society You shall find in experience men who seem to be of weake spirits of softly tempers very remisse in what they do ordinarily yet let the lusts of these men be engaged in any cause to any side O how violent and impetuous will they be they care not what they say or do they will divide from God from the publique from their dearest friends from their neerest relations from what themselves have made profession of heretofore from their credit profit from their own peace from any thing and all to serve a lust engaged in such a businesse it is a dangerous thing to have a mans lust engaged nothing can stand against an engaged lust a man runs on head-long he will break his conscience he will desperately endanger his eternall breaking to maintain the engagement of his lust 7ly In the lusts of mens hearts there is an antipathy against God against his wayes purity of his Ordinances his Saints Gen. 3. 15. I will put enmity between thee and the woman between thy seed and her seed In Antipathy the opposition is 1. In the nature of the things therefore it s deeply rooted it comes not in accidentally you may find two sheep fighting upon some accident but the natures are not opposite like the Wolfe and the Sheep 2. The cause of this opposition is secret wicked men have their spirits rise against the godly but they are not able to say why The husband loved his wife while she was carnall now God hath turned her heart she is more obedient then ever she seeks to give him content in all things more then before she is more usefull to him in all occasions more faithfull every way more lovely then before only she is godly now and was not so before but his heart is now quite off from her he dares not say that it is for her godlinesse if he hath any conviction himself but so it is that now he looks upon her with an evil eye an estranged heart So a wicked Father or Mother who loved their child exceedingly before God was pleased to work upon him yet now the child is more dutiful then he was but the heart of the father or mother is taken off from him can hardly endure him ready to take any exception against him their countenances are lowring and sadd towards him they can give no reason for this their change but as they were wont to say of Christians Such a man is a good man but he is a Christian Bonus vir Caius Seius sed Christianus non amo te I love you not but I can give no reason Hoc tantum possum dicere Non amo te all that I can say is this that I do not love you 3. It is a setled constant opposition This hath been in all generations the great cause of division between the men of the world and the Saints and still it continues the same you may see the same spirit of the old opposers of godlinesse and godly men working in our days the names of things may be changed but the same kind of men for the same things are opposed and hated now in the same manner as in former generations 4. It is very strong ungodly men are exceedingly imbittered against the Saints Ezek. 26. 6. Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the feet and rejoyced in heart with all thy despight against the Land of Israel This spirit of bitternesse and indignation that was in them against the people of God is seminally at least in all wicked men 5ly The enmity of Antipathy is incurable it can never be taken away except one ceases to be in its nature what it was there can be no compounding things that are so contrary one of them must cease to be or turned into another nature or else the â—pposition will be everlasting The great divisions amongst us are those that are between the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent some division there are between those who are the seed of Christ but the great stirs in the Kingdom come from the evill spirit there is in the seed of the Serpent against the godly in the Land In the beginning of the Parliament when mens liberties and estates being involved in one there was good agreement all men rejoyced generally the countenances of those who were not Popish and Prelaticall were serene they had comfortable aspects one upon another but when those whose spirits were opposite to the power of godlinesse saw how the godly amongst them rejoyced how their heads were lifted up how their hearts were filled with hopes of good dayes wherein Religion should be countenanced and honoured that Antipathy that was in their hearts against the ways of God boy-led in them though they were glad that they should be freed from some burdens yet to see those whom they hated in their hearts to rejoyce so much they could not beare but their spirit rose against them and in opposition to them they have raised these stirs they have made these woful distractions that are amongst us Lastly the lusts of mens hearts are the cause of our divisions because God requires every man according to his place to make opposition against them the cause of the strife lyes not in those who oppose them they do but their duty but in in those who nourish such lusts within them yet we finde it ordinarily that those who are most corrupt will cry out against those who oppose them in their wicked wayes as the cause of strife and divisions as if they were the troublers of Israel whereas indeed themselves the wicked lusts of their own hearts are the troublers of Israel those who oppose their lusts desire all good to their persons I remember Augustine in his Book about the unity of the Church hath this passage The Son doth more grievously persecute his father by living naughtily then the father him by chastising him duely Sarahs Maid did more trouble her by her wicked pride then shee her Maid by her deserved correction Those men who are most faulty are the men who are to be charged to be the
me thus proud men and women in their families whatsoeuer children or servants do amisse what you do it on purpose to anger me do you When the winde comes crosse the streame the waters rage So does the will and affections of a proud heart when any thing crosseth it 3ly Pride makes men swell beyond their bounds the way to keep all things in union is for every man to keep within his bounds the swelling beyond tends to the breaking all in pieces Hab. 2. 5. He is a proud man neither keepeth at home who enlargeth his desire as hell and cannot be satisfied If any humour of the body goeth beyond its bounds it brings much trouble to it the health and peace of the body consists in the keeping of every humour within its vessell and due proportion 4ly Pride hardens mens hearts Dan. 5. 20. His minde is hardned in his pride If you would have things cleave you must have them soft two flints will not joyn the Spanyard hath a Proverb Lime and stone will make a wall if one be hand yet if the other be yeelding there may be joyning and good may be done not else 5ly Pride causes men to despise the persons actions and sufferings of others nothing is more unsufferable to a mans spirit then to be vilified A proud man despises what others do and others what he does every man next to his person desires the honour of his actions If these two be contemned his sufferings will likewise be contemned by the proud This also goes very neer to a man one man thinks what another man suffers is nothing no matter what becomes of him another thinks his suffering's nothing and no matter what becomes of him O at what a distance now are mens hearts one from another 6ly Pride causes every man to desire to be taken notice of to have an eminency in some thing or other if he cannot be eminent on one side he will get to the other he must be taken notice of one way or other when he is in a good and peaceable way God makes some use of him yet because he is not observed and looked upon as eminent he will rather turn to some other way to contend strive to oppose or any thing that he may be taken notice of to be some body that he may not goe out of the world without some noyse What shall such a man as I of such parts such approved abilities so endued by God to doe some eminent service be laid aside and no body regard me I must set upon some notable worke something that may draw the eye of observance upon me I have read of a young man who set Diana's Temple on fire and being asked the reason he said That he might have a name that the people might talk of him Because he could not be famous by doing good he would by doing evill Proud spirits wil venture the setting the Temple of God yea Church and State on fire that they may have a name whatsoever they do or suffer to get a name they will rather venture then dye in obscurity that of all things they cannot bear 7. A proud man would have others under him and others being proud too would have him under them he would have others yield to him and others would have him yield to them where will the agreement then begin What is that which hath rent and torne the world in all ages that hath brought woful distractions perplexities confusions miseries in all Countreys by wars but the pride of a few great ones seeking to bring one under another Those wasting Wars of the Romans between Sylla and Marius Caesar and Pompey were they not from hence It is hard for men in great places and of great spirits to accord long Melancthon in his Comment upon Prov. 13. 10. says concerning such men there was wont to be this Proverb Duo montes non miscentur Two mountains will not mixe together 8ly A proud man makes his will to be the rule of his actions and would have it to be the rule of other mens too and other men being proud too would have their wils the rule of though there be nothing else but pride and in the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dabit jurgium give contention if there be no cause given it will make it Now let every man looke into his own heart and see what pride hath been and still is there and be humbled before the Lord for this All you contentious froward quarrelsome people you are charged this day from God to be men and women of proud spirits and what evill there is in our sadd divisions that pride in your bosome is a great cause of Saint Paul did beat down his body left after he had preached to others he should become a reprobate Let us all and especially Ministers labour to beat down our spirits lest after all our profession and glorious shews we at last become Reprobates at least such as God may cast out for the present in this world taking no delight in making use of what in such times as these are to have hearts swoln and lift up in pride God is now about the staining the pride of the earth How unseasonable and dangerous is it for a Marriner to have his top-sails up and all spread in a violent storme it is time then to pull downe all lest he be sunck irrecoverably The point of a needle will let the wind out of a bladder and shall not the swords of God the swords of Warre and Plague that have got so deep into our bowels let out the windy pride of our hearts The haughtinesse of men shall be bowed downe and the Lord himself will be exalted The Lord humble us that he may reconcile us not only to himselfe but to one another CHAP. XVI Selfe-love the second dividing distemper THis is neer akin to the former Phil. 2. 3. Let nothing be done through strife Ver. 4. Looke not every man on his owne things but every man also on the things of others This is the cause of strife because men looke so much on their owne things Many will have no peace except their own party be followed Jehu-like What hast thou to do with peace follow me It is not Peace but Party that they mind Maxima pars studiorum est studium partium The greatest part of their studies is to study sides and parts Luther upon Psal 127. hath a notable speech I am of that opinion sayes he that Monarchies would continue longer then they doe were it not for that same litte Pronoun Ego that same I my selfe Yea certainly could this same Selfe be but laid aside all governments and societies would not only continue longer but flourish better Selfe-love is the cause of our divisions First where this prevails men love to take in all to themselves but let out nothing from themselves this must needs divide societies in Church and State
were the worst Minister in England not wishing himselfe worse then he was but all Ministers better The fourth dividing Distemper Passion PRov. 29. 23. An angry man stirreth up strife Passion is so opposite to Union that Prov. 22. 24. the holy Ghost would have us make no friendship with an angry man First this fire of anger burns asunder the bands of union the bands of relation as Nebudhadnezzars fire did the bands of the three Children A froward heart carâ—â— not for any relations What makes divisions between husband wife brother and brother servants and Masters and Mistresses neighbour and neighbour but passionate forwardnesse Secondly this fire burns asunder the bands by which mens lusts were tyed up and kept in it sets mens lusts at liberty The lusts of mens hearts are like a bed of snakes in the cold but the heat of passion warming them causes them to crawl and hisse What a stir would the Lions in the Tower makâ— and the Bears in Paris-garden if they were let loose Passion lets mens Lion-like lusts loose Philosophers say of the inferiour Orbes that were they not kept in restrained in their motion by the Primum mobile they would set all the world on â—ire If our lower affections especially this of Anger be not kept in and ordered by Reason and Religion they wil set all on â—ire Passion makes men and women to be lawlesse boundlesse carelesse Men know not what they doe in their anger this raises such a smoak that they cannot see their way the more corrupt the heart is the greater and the more noysome is the smoke raised by this fire in the heart Put fire to wet straw and filthy stuffe oh what a filthy smoke arises Lev. 13. 25. we read of a leprosie breaking out of a burning seldome doe mens passions burne but there is a leprosie breaking out of that burning and what union can there be with such It froward people were dealt withall like the Lepers shut up from others we should have more peace Some men when once their anger is got up they will never have done we can have no quiet with them this fire in them is like that of hel unquenchable The dog-dayes continue with them all the year long Seven devils can better agree in one Mary Magdalen then seven froward people in one family If one should set the Beakons on fire upon the landing of every Cock-boat what continuall combustions and tumults would there be in the Land Those men who upon every trifle are all on a fire by their passions and what in them lies set others on fire do exceedingly disturb the peace of those places where they live those societies of which they are Their hot passions cause the Climate where they live to be like the torrid Zone too hot for any to live near them Christ is the Prince of Peace and the Devil is the Prince of divisions Hence that expression of the holy Ghost Ephes 4. 27. Let not the sun goe down upon your wrath neither give place to the devil you are loth to give place to your brother you will say What shall I yield to him you will not yeeld to him but you will yeeld to him that is worse to the Devil So you doe when you yield to wrath There are divers other dividing distempers that we shall speak to but for the present let us make use of the great mercy of God towards us that yesterday we solemnized in a publick Thanksgiving let us see how we may improve this glorious work of God for the closing of our spirits the healing our divisions It cals to us aloud to joyn oh let your hearts joyn There are 12 Arguments in this great work of God to perswade us to union First there hath appeared much of Gods presence in this his great work I will praise thee O Lord for thou hast done it Ps 52. 9. The Lord hath appeared wonderfully his naked arm hath been revealed his right hand hath become glorious in power Those who were present saw much of God in this work They send to us to give God the glory and all the Countrey about sent still to tell us how much of God they have seen in this But how is this an argument for us to unite Suppose children or servants were wrangling one with another were not this an argument to make them be quiet Your Father is here your Mr. is come will not all be whist presently God is come amongst us wee may see the face of God in what he hath done for us and shall we be quarrelling before his face But 3. days before this great goodnesse of God by speciall Order from the House of Commons there was a day set apart to humble our souls before the Lord and to seek him for this mercy that now we rejoyce in in our Humiliation was not this one great sinne we did confess our divisions did we not then acknowledg that it were righteous with God because of our divisions to give us up as a prey to our adversarieâ— Now then have not our divisions overcom Gods goodnes lest Gods goodness overcome our divisions Suppose there had been a day of Humiliation set apart to mourn under the heavy hand of God against us in delivering us up into the hands of our enemies as through his mercy we have had a day of Thanksgiving to blesse him for our deliverance from them would not this sinn have been the matter of a great part of the comfession of all your Ministers Oh the divisions that are amongst us Thou hast dealt righteously with us Our wraths were up one against another and just it is with thee O Lord to let out the rage of the Adversary upon us shall we yet continue in that after a mercy which we have confessed might justly have prevented the mercy shall we stil be guilty of that which our consciences tell us would have been the burden of them as the just â—ause of our misery if the Lord had come against us in his sore displeasure God forbid Let not that evill now be found in us that would have galled our consciences if mercy had been denyed us 3. We are delivered from being devoured by our enemies shal we now devour one another oh unworthy we of such a deliverance as this It went ill with us in the beginning of the fight but God looked mercifully upon us his bowels wrought if I come not in for their help These ungodly men wil devour my servants howsoever they have been faire to some because yet they have not attained their own ends but if they prevail here they will account all their own and then they will begin to exercise that cruelty that yet hath not been heard of but it shall not be my heart cannot bear the cries of my servants under such cruelties as I foresee Do you think this was Gods end in delivering us from being devoured of our enemies that we
themselves though their lives be ill There is a mighty change in mens spirits now from that which was heretofore Times have been when any opinion that tended to loosenesse was presently distasted as unfavoury and rejected by such who made profession of Religion Sleidan in the tenth book of his Commentaries sayes The Devill that sought to doe mischiefe at Munster was not a skilfull Devill but rude and simple because he sought to prevaile by tempting men to loosenesse whereas sayes he if he had beene a cunning Devill he would rather have deceived by abstaining from flesh by abhorring Matrimony by shewes of wonderfull lowlinesse of minde c. he might sooner have taken men this way but truly now the most cunning Devill sees it to be the best way to attaine his ends to raise up and foment opinions that â—end to the liberty of the flesh so be it he can carry them on under the colour of magnifying free grace he findes that these things are exceeding suitable to mens spirits in these times that they are taken in by such who formerly appeared so conscientious that hee feared hee should never have beene able to have prevailed with them hee never found a way like to this to prevaile with such men yea never a way like to this to choake the Word when it first begins to worke upon the heart he hath blasted more young seeming converts this way then ever hee did by any way since he was a Devill Heretofore the way was to stirre up others to deride them for following the Word and for praying now he hath a way worth two of that to make them to deride others for their conscienciousnesse in following the Word and praying and this strengthened with a high perswasion that hereby they are the great magnifiers of the free grace of God in the Gospel the only men who understand the Gospel way This Devill now lookes upon himselfe and his fellowes as simple and foolish in all their former devices here is an experiment beyond them all seeing this Christ must needes be magnified hee will magnifie him too seeing the Gospel must goe on hee will put it on too hee will finde out a device here to strike at the practise power life of godlinesse in a more secret and prevailing way then ever formerly was done it is like in this generation the former principles of godlinesse will not be got out but if this way prevails still in proportion to what it hath done in a generation or two it is like to bring generall prophanenesse and licentiousnesse upon the face of the Christian world more then any way of Satan ever did since the world began for here is a way to be loose and prophane and to satisfie Conscience too CHAP. XXII The third Dividing Practice Men no keeping within the bounds that God hath set them FIrst when men will be medling with that whith concernes them not that is out of their sphere 1 Thes 4. 11. Study to be quiet and doe your owne businesse Prov. 20. 31. It is an honour for a man to cease from strife but every foole will be wedling Choller in the gall is usefull to the body but if it overflow the body growes into distemper presently we may be all usefull in our places if we keepe to them contenting our selves with the improvements of our talents in them thus both our selves and others may have quiet When Mannah was gathered and kept in that proportion God would have it it was very good but when men must have more and keep it longer then God would have them then it breeds worms Thus it will be in all that we have or doe let us keepe our proportion God sets us and all will be well but if we thinke to provide better for our selves by going beyond our measure wormes are presently bred in all But especially where men will not keepe within their bounds in their power over others for what is all our contestation at this time it is not about mens stretching their power beyond their line both in State and Church From whence are our State-divisions our Warres but because Princes have been perswaded their power was boundlesse at least not to be kept within those bounds the State sayes it ought to bee They think there is such a distance between them and others that the estates liberties lives of all men within their country lie at their mercy not considering how they come to be raised so high that what they have above others is given to them by those above whom they are No man inheriteth more then was given to his forefathers and so to him whereby they might see that they are not limited onely by the lawes of God but by the lawes of men also namely The agreement between them and the people when they are raised to such dignities There is nothing weakens their right more then the pleading it by conquest Princes have little cause to thank those who plead their right that way The surest foundation for Princes to set their feet on is the agreement between the people and them or their progenitors but if they will goe beyond this agreement what stirres what wofull disturbances doe they make Secondly if either they or any Governours of the State shall instead of being helpfull to the government of the Church take it all from it into their owne hands in this they goe beyond those bounds Christ would have them it is by the Civill power that the Governours of the Church have the peaceable exercise of what power Christ hath given them but they have not their power from them Civill authority cannot put any spirituall power into a man or company of men which they had not before it can onely protect encourage and further the exercise of that power that CHRIST hath given They are inconsiderate men sayes Calvin who make Magistrates too spirituall This evill sayes he prevailes in Germanie and in the Countries about us we finde what fruit growes from this root namely that those who are in power thinke themselves so spirituall that there is no other ecclesiasticall government this sacriledge comes in violently amongst us because they cannot measure their office within its due bounds And for Church-Governours if they would keep within their Limits we might enjoy much peace if first they would assume to themselves no more power then Christ hath given them Secondly if they would not extend it over more congregations then Christ hath committed to them Thirdly if they would not exercise it in more things then Christ would have them Let us looke a little into these three for the want of a right understanding in them hath caused and may yet further cause much disturbance For the first That Christ hath appointed some to rule in his Church and that all the members of the Church are not in the office of ruling is apparent in Scripture 1 Cor. 12. 28. Rom. 12. 8 but that these Officers
over This evill many times comes of it that reason and truth from one man is little regarded and error and weaknesse from another man is greedily embraced and stifly maintained whereas it should be with Reason and Truth as it is with money one mans money in a market is as good as anothers so should one mans reason and truth spoken by him be as good as anothers The ninth dividing practice Because men cannot joyne in all things with others they will joyne in nothing SOme men are of such dividing dispositions that if they be offended with a man in any one thing in hearing or otherwise they will goe away in a tetchy moode resolving never to heare him more You think you have liberty in any froward mood to cast off that meanes of good which God offers to you to refuse to partake of such mens gifts and graces as you please It may be your stomack is so high and great on a sudden or your spirit is falne into such a sullen humour as you will not so much as go or send to him to see if upon a serious and quiet examination of things you may not have satisfaction in what for the present offends you No mens spirits are carryed on with present rash heady resolutions I believe there was never such a kinde of spirit prevailing amongst such as professe godlinesse since Christian Religion was in the world never did so many withdraw from hearing even those by whom they acknowledge God hath spoken to their hearts and that before they have gone to them to impart what it is that scruples them to try whether they may not get some satisfaction Certainly if you have no neede of the Word the Word hath no neede of you You may easily express your discontents one to another you may easily say you are resolved you will never heare such an one any more but you cannot so easily answer this to Jesus Christ When your weaknesses the prevailing of your distempers shall grate upon your consciences this will be a great aggravation of the evil of them You neglected in a humorous way and selfe-willed resolution those means that might have done your soule good even such as many hundred if not thousands of soules blesse God for all the dayes of their lives yea are now blessing God in heaven for Heretofore you would have been glad of that which now you sleight and reject this is not from more light or strength that you have now which you had not then but from more vanity pride and wantonnesse Others deny hearing not from such a distempered spirit but out of tendernesse because they think the Minister is no true Minister of Christ because he had no true call because he was ordained by the Prelats c. I confesse though for mine own part I never yet doubted of the lawfulnesse of the call of many of the Ministers of the parishionall congregations in England though they had something superadded which was sinfull yet it did not nullifie what call they had by the Church that communion of Saints amongst whom they exercised their Ministery yet I doe not thinke it the shortest way to convince those which refuse to heare to stand to prove to them the lawfulnesse of the call of those Ministers whom they refuse to heare but rather to make it out to them that though their call be not right to the Ministery yet they have not sufficient ground of withdrawing from hearing them For they hold it is lawfull for a man to preach the Word as a gifted man and that these men from whom they withdraw are gifted and faithfull and preach excellent truths they deny not But they will say If they did this as gifted men it were another matter but they preach by vertue of their call The answer to that is if they be acted by that principle and therein mistake this is their personall sinne not the sin of those who joyne with them in a good thing which they doe upon an ill ground When I joyne with a man in an action I am to look to the action and to the principle that I goe upon but let him with whom I joyne look to the principle that he goes upon Your hearing a man doth no way justifie his call to the office of the Ministery If a man doth a thing that he may doe by vertue of two relations or either of them it may be he thinks he stands in one of those relations which indeed he doth not yet he doth the action by vertue of it in his owne thoughts in this he sinnes but there is another relation wherein he stands that is enough to warrant the action that he doth to be lawfull Now though he doth not intend the acting by this relation the action may be sinne to him but not at all sinne to those who joyne with him in it If he will goe upon a false ground when he may goe upon a true let him looke to it I will joyne with him in that action as warranted for him to doe by vertue of his second relation which it may be he will not owne himselfe Take an instance in some other thing and the case perhaps will be more cleare Giving almes is a worke that a man may doe either by vertue of Church office as a Deacon or as a Christian whom God hath blessed in his estate or betrusted with the distribution of what others betrust him with Now suppose a man is in the place of a Deacon he thinks himself to be in that office by a right call into it and he gives out the almes of his Church by vertue of his call but I am perswaded his call to that office is not right he is not a true Deacon yet if I be in want I knowing that both he those who have given him money to dispose may and ought to distribute to those that are in need by vertue of another relation as men as Christians enabled by God surely then I may receive almes from him lawfully though his principle by which he gives them me is sinne to him I may communicate with him in this thing though he acts by vertue of that office that he had no true call unto why may I not as well communicate with a man in his gifts though he acts thus sinfully himselfe This consideration will answer all those objections â—gainst hearing men that they say are not baptized grant they are not and so you thinke they cannot be Ministers yet they are men gifted by God and thereby enabled to dispence many truths of God to your soule The tenth dividing Practice Fastning upon those who are in any errour all those false things and dangerous consequences that by strength of reason and subtilty may be drawne from that errour THis imbitters the spirits of men one against another it is true grant one false thing and a thousand may follow but I must not judge of a man that holds that one
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
another so as one would think it impossible that ever in this world there should have been that distance between them that now there is How often have we prayed Oh that once we might be blessed with such a mercy as to worship God according to his own mind that we might be delivered from conscience oppression from spirituall bondage Oh that we might be delivered from the inventions of men in the service of God that the Saints might joyn and serve the Lord with one shoulder There were never such hopes that the Saints should enjoy their prayers so as of late there hath been and yet never were they so divided as now they are they now seek to bring one another in bondage If five or six years since when many of us were praying together making our moans to God for that oppression we were under God should have then presented as in a Map such times as these are to our view could we have beleeved that it were possible that there should be such a distance in our spirits as now there is Fourthly our Divisions are very dishonourable to Jesus Christ were it that they darkned our names onely it were not so much but that which darkens the glory of Jesus Christ should goe very neere unto us I have read of Alexander Severus seeing two Christians contending one with another commanded them that they should not presume to take the name of Christians upon themselves any longer For sayes he you dishonour your Master Christ whose Disciples you professe to be It is dishonour to a General to have his Army routed and run into confusion The Devill seems to prevaile against us in these our divisions so as to rout us John 17. 21. 23. is a notable Scripture to shew the sinfulnesse of our divisions in the dishonour they put upon Christ and it may be as strong an argument against them as any I know in the Book of God Christ praying to the Father for the union of his Saints uses this argument O Father let this be granted that the world may beleeve that thou hast sent me And againe ver 23. Let them be perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me If they be not united one to another in love and peace but have a spirit of Division ruling amongst them what will the world thinke surely that thou didst not send me that I who am their head their teacher and Lord never came from thee for thou art wisdom holiness and love if I had come from thee then those who own me to be theirs and whom I own to be mine would hold forth in their conversations something of that spirit of holinesse wisdome and love there is in thee but when the world does not see this in them but the clean contrary they will never beleeve that I came from thee those truths that I came into the world to make known as from thee O Father will not be beleeved but rather persecuted if those who professe them by their divisions one from another and oppositions one against another shew forth a spirit of pride folly envy frowardnesse therefore O Father let them be one as thou and I am one if this Petition be not granted how shall I look the world in the face I shall be contemned in the world what am I come down from thee for such glorious ends as indeed those were for which I came into the world and when I should come to attaine those ends for which I came shall there be such a carriage in those who doe professe my Name that by it the world shall perswade themselves that thou didst never send me O what a sore evill would this be surely any Christian heart must needs tremble at the least thought of having a hand in so great an evill as this is Fifthly Divisions are sinfull because they grieve the holy Spirit of God Ephes 4. 30 31. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption Surely there is no godly heart but will say O God forbid that I should doe any thing to grieve the good spirit of God it is the Spirit that hath enlightned me that hath revealed the great mysteries of God of Christ of eternall life unto me it is that Spirit that hath drawn my Soul to Jesus Christ that hath comforted it with those consolations that are more to me then ten thousand worlds the Spirit that hath strengthned me that helpes me against temptations that carries me through difficulties that enables me to rejoyce in tribulations the Spirit that is an earnest to assure me of Gods electing love the spirit thet hath sealed me up to the day of Redemption and now shall I be gâ—ily of so great a sinne as to grieve this blessed Spirit of the Lord If I did but know wherein I have grieved it it could not but make my soul to bleed within me that I should have such a wretched heart to grieve this holy Spirit by whom my soule hath enjoyed so much good I hope should for ever hereafter take heed of that thing I would rather suffer any griefe in the world to mine owne spirit then be any occasion of grief to that blessed Spirit of God But would you know what it is that hath grieved it and what it is that is like to grieve it further mark what followes ver 31. Let all bitternesse wrath anger clamour and evill speaking be put away from you with all malice And would you doe that which may rejoyce it Oh! God knowes it would be the greatest joy in the world for me to doe it then ver 32. Be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Sixthly these divisions doe grieve and offend our Brethren this should not be a light matter to us Christ accounts it a great evill to offend one of his little ones We may thinke it a little matter to give offence to some of Gods people who are poore and meane in the world so long as we have the bravery of it and the countenance of great men no matter for them But friend whatsoever slight thoughts thou hast of it Christ thinks it a great matter you may look upon them as under you the times favour you more then them but if you shall give them cause to goe to God to make their moanes to him of any ill usage they have had from you Lord thou knowest I was for peace to the uttermost that I could so farre as I was able to see thy Word for my guide but these who heretofore were as Brethren to me now their spirits are estranged their hearts are imbittered their words their carriages are very grievous and all because I cannot come up to what their opinions their ways are certainly this would prove very ill to you regard it as lightly as you will it may be when others carry themselves towards you
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
honey but out of the perversnesse of their spirits they despised that Land and Egypt now in this froward humour of theirs must be the Land that flowed with milke and honey Oh the perversenss of mens hearts if they be but a little crossed how hard is it for God or man to please them how unworthy are such froward spirâ—ts as these to live in such a time as this to see the great work of God that he hath done for his people It is true heretofore men seemed to be more united then now there appears more differences in mens opinions and wayes then formerly but whence was it that men formerly were not at such a distance was it not because they were chained together two prisoners chained to a block keep together all day long men that are at liberty walk in the streets at a distance if the prisoners should commend their life as more comfortable then yours because they keep closer together all the day then you do would you envy their happinesse time hath been that a tyrannicall chain hath been upon us we dared not then discuss any matters of differerence with freedom if a Convocation determined it there was a chain upon us to fasten us to it now God hath given us more liberty to debate things freely that we may finde out the truth more clearly and though men while they are in their debates be at some distance one from another do not say it was better with us heretofore then it is now thou dost not speak wisely concerning this thing Surely these men who are so desirous of former times are ad servitudinem nati born to be slaves it is pitty but they should have their eares bored for slaves Secondly the ill use that others make of these divisions is to cry out of Religion preaching since there hath been so much profession and preaching we never had good world there was more love and unity before all things were more quiet neighbours were more at peace one with another This is no other then if men when Christ lived amongst them should have objected against him Since this Christ hath come amongst us we have had more trouble then we or our fore-fathers heretofore have known we were not wont to heare of men possest with the Devill so as now we do now what a noyse is there in all the countrey of men possessed with evill spirits we do not read of such things before Christs time yet do you think this was a good argument why men should wish that Christ had never come If the Devill be put into a rage now more then before it is a signe he is more opposed then he was before he possessed all in quiet before but now his Kingdome begins to shake Thirdly because of these divisions many resolve they will stand Neuters they see it is doubtfull which way things may goe seeing there are such differences we will stand by and look on till we see how they will agree by this means they do not only disert the publick Cause that is now on foot but they are in danger to be for any thing at the last or to turn Atheists Chrysostome in his Sermons upon the Acts Chap. 15. inveighs against such men as these he there makes an Apologie for the dissentions of the Christians the Heathens objected We would come to you but we know not to whom we should come one is of one mind another is of another we cannot tell what you hold you are so different from your selves Chrysostomes answer is This is but a cavill for first this hinders you not in other matters where there is difference amongst men yet you will take paines and enquire which is the right Yea secondly if you did know what you should hold yet you would not embrace it for you doe know what you should do and yet you do not do it do what you know and then aske of God and he will reveale more to you Fourthly others cry out against these men that have been most active in this common Cause putting forth themselves venturing their estates and lives and putting on others at the first these men were honoured but men did not then see what would follow they did not think that such troubles would have attended such undertakings as now they have found upon this their hearts rise against those who were the most publique spirited Had it not been say they for a few hot fiery spirited men who know not what they would have things had never come to this passe we might have been quiet These men are by some yea many looked upon as no other then disturbers men of turbulent unquiet spirits and yet they have been the means of preserving you and your posterity from slavery and of continuing the Gospell amongst you This is an ill requitall of all that willingnesse of theirs to hazard their estates and lives for your good You have cause to blesse God seeing you were of such low narrow timerous spirits your selves unfit for such a work as God had to do in the beginning of the change of these times that he raised up others and gave them enlarged resolved spirits fit for such a publique work accompanied with so many difficulties as attended upon this did they break the ice for you and do you thus requite them This is like a froward perverse patient who flies in the face of his Physitian because his Physick makes him sick Fiftly others seeing much evill come of the divisions amongst us they think there is no way to help them but by violence forcing men to yeeld to what they think is right They think they do God good service in compelling men to the same judgement and way that themselves are of This is a very ill use of them It is a new and unheard-of way of preaching sayes Gregory to require men to beleeve by blowes To go from the Divine Word to an iron Sword from the Pen to the Halbert to perswade men to beleeve is a way that Gerard. confess Cath. l. 1. p. 809. exclaims against Socrates in his Ecclesiasticall History lib. 3. cap. 21. reports of the Macedonians petitioning Jovianus the Emperour for the banishing of those who were not of their judgement in matters of religion of great moment The Emperour receiving their supplication gave them no other answer but this I tell you truly I cannot away with contention but such as embrace unity and concord I do honour and reverence them Tertullian in his book ad Scapulam cap. 2. sayes It is not the way of Religion to compell Religion which ought to be taken up willingly not by force If you should compell us sayes he to sacrifice what did you in this for your gods none desire sacrifice from those who are unwilling but such as are contentious but God is not contentious I finde in Thuanus his History lib. 16. a notable passage in a writing that the Senat of
be to get one another to them upon this they struggle with one another the more as for those who are at a great distance they have no hope to prevaile with them therefore they make no onset but seeing themselves frustrated of their hopes there this troubles them yea it oft stirs up a spirit of anger against them whom they cannot get up to themselves 3. Those who agree in many and great things and yet stand out in few and of lesse consequence are thought to be the more unreasonable if you yeeld thus far why not a little farther the one thinks so of the other and the other thinks so of him and hence their spirits are stirred one against another 4. Those who come up near to others and yet dissent seeme to stand more in the light of those they come up so neare unto then those do who are at a greater distance it makes men think such a one is not in the right if he were those who come so near to him would see it they who think themselves got beyond others cannot enjoy that comfort and content in what they are beyond others in as otherwise they might because such as are so near them are against it if they did not agree in most things and those of greatest moment their opposition would not be much regarded but because they are such men who for their judgements and lives are so unblameable their differing in such a thing is more then if a hundred times as many who were at a greater distance in their principles and lives should differ from us 5. They who are so near one to another have occasion to converse more together then others have and to argue things oftner one with another then with such as they differ more from Now it is seldome that men of differing judgements and wayes meet and argue but there is some heat between them before they have done and so their spirits grow more estranged one from another then before And if your spirits be estranged then those that you have reference to and such as are in your way will have their spirits estranged too your relation of things to them according to what apprehensions you have of them will be enough to estrange their hearts and so by degrees a bitternesse grows up between you The fifth thing That God hath a hand in our divisions and how farre GOd had a great stroak in the division of these ten Tribes from the two 1. Kings 1â— 23 24. The word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God saying Returne every man to hits house for this thing is from the Lord. In the sense of the Prophet there we may say that our Divisions are from the Lord. We are wrangling devising plotting working one against another minding nothing but to get the day one of another but God is working out ends above our reach for his glory and the good of his Saints There must be Heresies sayes the Apostle I Cor. 11. 19. So there must be Divisions That word Haeresis is used to signifie severall opinions severall wayes Haereses Platonicae Haereses Peripateticae Chrysostome interprets the place of the Apostle There must be Heresies of such Divisions as we are treating of But why must there be Divisions what does God ayme at in them Answ First the discovery of mens spirits that they which are approved may be manifest sayes the Apostle By those divisions in Corinth wherein the rich divided from the poore whereby the poore were condemned the graces of the poore in bearing this were manifested Thus Chrysostome upon the place The Apostle sayes this That he might comfort the poor which were able with a generous minde to bear that contempt The melting of the metall discovers the drosse for they divide the one from the other These are melting times and thereby discovering times If Reformation had gone on without opposition we had not seen what drossie spirits we had amongst us Those who have kept upright without warping in these times are honourable before God and his holy Angels and Saints 2. By these Divisions God exercises the graces of his servants A little skill in a Mariner is enough to guide his Ship in faire weather but when stormes arise when the Seas swell and grow troublesome then his skill is put to it In these stormy troublesome times there had need be much wisdome faith love humility patience selfe-deniall meeknesse all graces are put to it now they had need put forth all their strength act with all their vigour our graces had need be stirring full of life and quicknesse now God prizeth the exercise of the graces of his Saints at a very high rate He thinks it worth their suffering much trouble It is a good evidence of grace yea of much grace to account the trouble of many afflictions to be recompensed by the exercise of graces In times of division men had need stirre up all their graces and be very watchfull over their wayes and walke exactly be circumspect accurate in their lives Those who have not their hearts with them have their eyes upon them prying into them watching for their halting When there is siding there is much observing Lord sayes David Psal 27. 11. teach me thy way and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies so it is in your books but you may reade it because of mine observers enemies are observers Hence it was the policy of the Lacedaemonians alwayes to send two Embassadours together which disagreed among themselves that so they might mutually have an eye upon the actions of each other 3. God will have these to be in just judgement to the wicked that they may be a stumbling block to them who will not receive the truth in love There are so many opinions such divisions so many Religions say some that we know not what to do If your hearts be carnall not loving the wayes of God not prizing spirituall things not savouring the things of another world these opinions divisions may be laid by God in judgement as a stumbling block in thy way that thou mayest stumble upon them and break thy selfe for ever God hath no need of thee If thou wilt be froward and perverse against his truths if thou hast a mind to take offence you shall have matter enough before you to take offence at Stumble and break your necks as a just reward of the perversnesse of your hearts These divisions which you rejoice in which you can speak of as glad that you have such an objection against my people and wayes that your hearts are opposite to shall cost you dear even the perdition of your souls everlastingly It was a speech of Tertullian I account it no danger to affirm that God hath so ordered the revelation of truth in Scriptures that he might administer matter for Hereticks 4. God hath a hand in these Divisions to bring forth further light Sparkes are
is done our work is done for this world The second joyning Principle That shall never be got by strife that may be had by love and peace VVE would all fain have our wills now that which lies uppermost upon many mens hearts that which is the first thing they do if their wills be crossed is presently to strive and contend but this should be the last thing after all other means are tried this should never be made use of but in case of pure necessity We should first think Is there any way in the world whereby it is possible we may have our desires satisfyed with peace let us try this and another way a third a fourth yea a hundred wayes if they lye between us and the way of strife before we come to meddle with that This rule you will find of very great use to order all our businesses in Churches Common-wealths of Townes Families yea whatsoever concernes any of your persons in reference to any other The Apostle 1 Cor. 12. rebuking the divisions of that Church of which they are guilty more then any for they had many among them of raised parts of eminent gifts and therefore puffed up more then others Except God joynes eminency of grace men of eminent gifts joyne lesse then others whose gifts are meaner Among those meanes he directs for union when he speakes of love I will shew you sayes he a more excellent way ver last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a way of the highest excellency beyond any expression The way of love of the engaging hearts one to another is the only way to bring men to unity of judgement yea the only way when all is done for men to have their wills I may give you this or the other rule to bring you to think and do the same thing but that which hath an excellency in it with an Hyperbole is the way of love If you could get your mindes by other wayes certainly you cannot enjoy it with that sweetnesse and comfort as you may if you have got it this way Marcus Cato repented that ever he went by sea when he might have gone by land it seems the skill of those times for Navigation was not great but certainly there is no man living but hath cause to repent him that ever he got that by strife contention that he might have got by love peace What hinders why soft and gentle words may not prevaile as well as hard and bitter language Why may not a loving winning carriage do as much as severe rigid violence If it may thou providest ill for thine own peace and comfort to leave this way and betake thy self to the other Tell me were it a signe of valour in a man to draw his sword at every Whappet that comes near him yea at every Fly that lights upon him Were it not folly and madnesse Why he may by putting forth his finger put them off from him Thy froward cholerick spirit is ready to draw at every thing that thou likest not This is thy folly thou mayest with lesse adoe have what thou hast a minde to If I would put a Feather from me I need not strike violently at it a soft gentle breath will do it better Why should a man labour and toyle till he sweats again to take up a pin Have none of you sometimes made a great stirre in your families about that which when the stir is a little over you plainly see you might have had as well with a word speaking and hath not your heart secretly upbraided you then Try the next time what you can do by faire and gentle meanes Why should we let the strength of our spirits run waste Let this be a constant rule never make use of severity till you have tryed what clemency will do there is more power in that to conquer the hearts of men you would faine have yeild to you then you are aware of Plutarch reports of Philip of Macedon that when one Arcadion railed on him the Courtiers would have had him dealt severely with but Philip took another course he sends for him and spake gently to him and shewed great love and respect to him upon this Arcadions heart was turned so as there was no man in the world that Arcadion spoke more honourably of then of Philip wheresoever he came After a while Philip met with those who would have him to have revenged himself upon Arcadion What say you now of Arcadion sayes he How doth he now behave himself There is no man living say they speaks better of you now then he Well then sayes Philip I am a better Physitian then you my physick hath done that which yours never would have done The like he reports of Fabius who was called the Romans Target When he heard of a souldier who was valiant yet practised with some others to go and serve the enemy he calls him to him and in stead of dealing with him in rigour tels him he had not had recompense according to his desert and gives him honourable gifts and so gaines him to be faithfull for ever And sayes he As Hunters Riders of Horses and such as tame wilde beasts shall sooner make them leave their savage and churlish nature by gentle usage and manning of them then by beating and shackling them so a governour of men should rather correct by patience gentlenesse and clemency then by rigour violence and severity None but a cruell harsh sordid spirited man will say I had rather men should fear me then love me God prizes most what he hath from us by love The third joyning Principle It is better to doe good then to receive good ACtive good is better then passive only God himselfe his Angels and Saints do good all creatures can receive good This principle would quickly joyne us for if this were in mens hearts they would study to do all the good they could to one another and so gaine upon one anothers hearts and the more good we doe to any the more will our hearts be inclinable to love them The very communication of goodnesse if it be out of a good spirit carryes the heart along with it to the subject this good is communicated to the more good God doth to any the more he loves them God hates nothing that he hath made but loves what there is in any thing of his work but when he communicates his grace his Spirit when he gives his Christ in these gifts he gives his heart they do not only come from love but they make the subject further lovely in his eyes So it is with us in our proportion if you take a poore childe from the dunghill or out of the Almes-house and make him your heyre you do not only do this good to him because you love dim but you also love him more because you look upon him as an object of your goodnesse as one raised by you Titus accounted that day lost a day
the Lord takes this Mat. 24. 49. 50 51. that evill servant who begins to smite his fellow-servants provokes his Lord against him so as to come upon him with such severity as to cut him asunder and to appoint his portion with the Hypocrites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will dichotomize him divide him in two he by his smiting his fellow-servants makes divisions but his Lord will divide him It may be he pretends that his fellow-servants do not do their duty as they ought as if he were more carefull of the honour of his Lord then others who are of a different way from him But in the meane while he inveighs against others smiting them with the tongue and otherwise as he is able He sits at full Tables eats and drinks of the best with such as are carnall and sensuall but they are great men to have their countenance is brave this is extreme sutable to a carnall heart who yet keeps up a profession of Religion hath some forme of godlinesse he is afraid to lose his fleshly contentment therefore he smites those who stand in his way Thus divisions and troubles are made in Gods family The Lord the master of it will reward accordingly he will divide such by cutting them asunder and appointing them their portion with the Hypocrites 5. One Faith What though we agree not together in some things of lesser moment yet we agree in one faith Why should we not then keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace The agreement in the faith one would think should swallow up all other disagreements We should rather blesse God for keeping men found in the faith then contend with them for lesser mistakes When the Pharisees Acts 23. 9. understood that Paul agreed with them in that great doctrine of the Resurrection they presently overlooked his other differences saying We finde no evill in this man Our Brethren agree with us in more Fundamentals then this and yet we can finde evill in them and aggravate their evill beyond what it is and improve it all we can against them This is worse then Pharisaicall Master Calvin in his Epistle to our Countreymen at Frankford fled for their lives in witnesse to the truth yet miserably jarring and contending one against another there to the scandall of all the Churches of God in those parts begins his Epstle thus This doth grievously torment me it is extremely absurd that dissentions should arise amongst brethren exiles fled from their countrey for the same faith and for that cause which alone in this your scattering ought to be to you as a holy band to keepe you fast bound together Their contentions were about Church-worship 6. One Baptisme We are baptised into Christs death and is not that to shew that we should be dead to all those things in the world that cause strife and contention among men Our Baptisme is our badge our livery it furthers somewhat the unity of servants that they weare all one livery 7. One God Though there be three persons in the Divine Nature and every person is God yet there is but one God here is an union infinitely beyond all unions that any creature can be capable of the mystery of this union is revealed to us to make us in love with union Our interest in this one God is such a conjuction as nothing can be more Josephs brethren Gen. 50. 17. looked upon this as having very great power in it to make up all breaches to heal all old grudges After their Father was dead their consciences misgave them for what they had done to Joseph they were afraid old matters would break forth and that Joseph would turn their enemy now how do they seek to unite Josephs heart to them We pray thee say they forgive the trespasse of the servants of the God of thy Father and the Text sayes Joseph wept when they spake unto him Oh this was a heart-breaking speech to Joseph The servants of the God of my Father Shall my heart ever be stranged from the servants of the God of my Father The Lord forbid This offence indeed was great but their God is my God he was my Fathers God this argument had more in it to draw Josephs heart to them then if they had said We are your brethren we came from the same loynes you did True that is something but the servants of the God of thy Father is much more Let us look upon all the godly though they have many weaknesses though they have not carryed themselves towards us as they ought yet they are the servants yea the children of our God and of our fathers God let this draw our hearts to them If they be one with us in their interest in one God let them be one with us in the affections of our heart to love them delight in them and rejoyce in communion with them One God and Father Mal. 2. 10. Have we not all one Father hath not one God created us why do we deale treacherously every man against his brother Job 31. 15. Did not he that made me in the wombe make him and did not one fashion us in the wombe Is it seemly that one mans children should be alwayes contending quarrelling and mischieving one another do you thinke this is pleasing to your Father It followes in that 4. of Ephes who is above all and through all and in all You have enough in your Father to satisfie your soules for ever whatsoever you want other wayes he is above all he that is so glorious and blessed infinitely above all things hath put honour enough upon you that he is your Father why will you contend and quarrell about trifles He hath absolute authority to dispose of all things as he pleaseth let not the different administrations of his to some in one kinde to some in another be matter for you to contend about And he worketh in all Those gifts and graces especially that are in his children are his workings that some have more then others it is from his working You may see the workings of your Father in the hearts of your Brethren He is in all Men may have children in whom little or nothing of their Father appeares but God is in all his children notwithstanding all their weaknesses therefore our hearts should be in them and with them This Scripture is one of the most famous Scriptures for the union of the Saints in one that we have in all the book of God You will say If indeed we could see God in such if we could see grace and holinesse in them our hearts would close with them but we see not this 1. Take heed thou dost not reject any from being thy brother whom Jesus Christ at the great day will owne for his and God the Father will call Child 2. Suppose thou canst not be satisfied in their godlinesse yet the gifts of the Spirit of God that are in them should cause some kind
of closing common gifts are of a middle nature between nature and grace as the spirits of a man are neither of the same nature with the soule nor of the body but between both and serve to unite the soule and body together which otherwise are of natures very different The common gifts that men who are not yet sanctified have may and should cause some union between the godly and them while they live in this world so far as to be usefull one to another in what God hath given them The second joyning Consideration Let us consider how farre we can agree VVE differ thus and thus but what doe we agree in doe we not agree in things enough wherein we may all the dayes of our lives spend all the strength we have in glorifying God together Many men are of such spirits as they love to be altogether busied about their brethrens differences their discourse their pens and all their wayes are about these and that not to heale them but rather to widen them You shall not hear them speak of or meddle with their agreements their strength is not bent to heighten and strengthen them if at any time they do take notice of their agreements it is to make advantage of them to render their disagreements the more odious or to strengthen themselves in what they differ from them they desire to get in men and to get from them only to serve their owne turnes upon them this is an evill spirit No marvaile therefore though some be so loath to discover to them how near they can come to him Pliny tells us of Apelles that drawing the face of Antiochus the King who had but one eye that he might hide this deformity he devised to paint him turning his visage a little away so he shewed but the one side of his face and from him sayes Pliny came the invention first of concealing the defects and blemishes of the visage But the Painters of 〈◊〉 time are quite in another way if there be any deformity or defect on any side they will be sure to paint that side in all the linâ—â—ments of it that must be set forth fully to the view of all men yea if it may be made to look more ugly and monstrous then it is all the skill they have shall be improved to do it But my brethren this ought not to be God doth not so with us he takes notice of the good of his children but conceals their evill There was but one good word in Sarahs speech to Abraham Gen. 18. 12. she called him Lord the speech otherwise was a speech of unbelief yet the holy Ghost speaking afterwards of her in reference to that speech 1 Pet. 3. 6. conceals all the evill in it and mentions only that reverend title she gave to her husband commending her for it Thus should we do had we peceable hearts thus we would do all the good of our brethren we would improve to the uttermost and what is evill so far as with a good conscience we might we could conceal When I shall see this temper in mens spirits I shall hope there will be peace The third joyning Consideration Let us consider of mens tempers spirits temptations education yeeres gifts THere must be a due consideration of all these and we must indulge something to them all This would allay much strife as we read Numb 31. 23. Every thing that may abide the fire ye shall make it goe thorough the fire and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make goe thorough the water We must deal with every man according to his temper Some men are by their complexions of a more harsh and rugged temper then others Consider what is the best way of dealing with such in the main they are faithfull and usefull they will joyn with you there and spend their lives for you if the harshness of their natures cause some excrescencies unpleasing carriages consider their tempers though no evill in them is to be justified yet deal tenderly with them indulge them what lawfully you may Some mens spirits though upright to God and you yet they have a fervor in them that is not qualified with that wisdome meekness humility as they ought do not presently take these advantages against them that they in their heat may perhaps give you do not fly upon them as if those unjustifiable expressions that com from them came from a spirit of malignity You know the man and the manner of his communication pass by weaknesses accept of uprightnesse Some mens temptation are very strong it may be their hearts are pressed with disappointments it may be they are pricked with the want of many comforts you have they have family-temptations and personall temptations that you are freed from you do not know what you might doe if you were under the like temptations Blesse God that you are delivered from them but do not adde to your brethrens affliction by taking advantages against them but according to the rule of the Apostle Gal. 6. 1. If a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted Beare ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ Consider their education Some men have been brought up altogether amongst Prelaticall men perhaps among Papists some all their dayes have lived in wicked families they never were acquainted with the society of the Saints with that way of godlinesse that hath the most strictnesse and power in it You must not deale with them for all things you see amisse in them in the same way you would deale with such who have had godly education who have had acquaintance with the most strict and powerfull wayes of godlinesse but now manifest a spirit against them Consider mens yeares old age looks for respect and justly especially such as have gone through the brunt and suffered much for your good though some infirmities should break forth that are incident to old age we must cover and passe by what we can not forgetting that reverent respect that is due to the hoary head found in the way of godlinesse Consider mens gifts it may be they are not able to rise to your height to understand what you do thank God for your strength but be not angry with your brother because he is weaker This was one of the arguments for peace that Constantine in that forementioned Letter of his to Alexander and Arius used we are not in all things like minded neither have we all the same nature and gift engrafted in us The fourth joyning Consideration What we get by contention will never quit cost A Merchant thinks it an ill venture if when he casts up his accounts he finds the charge of his voyage rises to more then his incomes If thou hast so much command of thy spirit if thou canst so farre overcome thy passions as to get a time in coole
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
zeale any helps to peace and union who are they that make the greatest disturbances in the world but your fiery zelots if men were of a cooler temper we should have more peace Ans Distempered zeale may cause disturbance but true zeale the cleare flame of the Spirit of God making men in their waies zealous not for themselves but for God this has the blessing of Gods peace with it Numb 25. 12. 13. Phinehas there has the promise of the Covenant of peace because he was zealous for his God The twelfth In seeking to reduce others to good let it appeare that you seek rather to be helpfull to them then to get victory over them IT is grievous to a mans nature to be conquered but not to be helped Ambrose writing to his friend Marcellus about composing some breaches between him and his brother and sister hath amongst other this excellent expression I thought that to be the best way I would have none to be conquered and all to overcome The like practice is reported of Scipio when at the taking of New Carthage two Souldiers contended about the Murall Crowne due to him who first climbed the walls so that the whole Army was thereupon in danger of division when he came to Scipio he decides the matter thus He told them they both got up the wall together and so gave the scaling Crowne to both The thirteenth Make up breaches as soone as may be TAke them if it may be at the beginning When good men fall out onely one of them is usually faulty at the first but if such strifes continue any time both of them become guilty If you deferre the setting of a bone broken it cannot be done without much difficulty and great paine Prov. 17. 14. The beginning of strife is as when one lets out water therefore leave off contention before it be medled with antequam immisceat se so you may reade it before it be got into thee and mingle it selfe in thy heart or between you and your brother If your house be on fire you doe not stay quenching it till it breaks out of the roofe divisions that are but sparks very little at the first if let alone grow very high and great in a little time I have read a story of two sonnes of the Duke of Florence Who having been hunting the one said My dog killed the Hare and the other said Nay but my dog killed it words multiplyed they grew into a heat the one drawes upon the other and kills him the servant seeing his master killed draws upon him who had slaine him and kills him Neglect not beginnings of quarrels you know not to what they may grow The fourteenth Let us account those brethren in whom we see godlinesse and carry our selves towards them accordingly though they will not account us LEt us not be too ready to take the forfeiture of our brethern The learned and godly men who lived in that Age wherein the Donatists renounced all Christian communion with other Churches yea disclaimed any brotherhood with other Christians yet seeing godlinesse in many of them they did account them part of the Church and their brethren thus they sought to pluck those to them who thrust themselves from them Lastly pray much PLiny sayes of the pearles they call Unions though they be engendred in the sea yet they participate more of the heavens then of the sea Certainly this precious union though it be amongst men yet it hath its lustre and beauty yea its very being from the heavens You must look up to heaven therefore for peace for the preservation increase lustre beauty of it if you would have it Job 25. 2. God maketh peace in his high places the Lord can make peace between high and low Let us carry mens rugged crooked perverse hearts to God in Prayer who is the great joyner of hearts it is he that makes men to be of one mind in a house he maketh the wars to cease Psal 122. 6. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem In your prayers for the Church this must be mentioned as a speciall blessing If praying prevaile not fighting will not Those are the most peaceable men in Church and Common-wealth that pray most for the peace of them God hath more prayers for the peace of this Church and State upon the file of theirs whom some of you account hinderers of it then of yours You complaine much for want of peace you inveigh much against those whom you are pleased to mark out as hinderers of the peace but doe you pray as much You have these meanes presented unto you for the furtherance of peace what other you may meet with any way make use of 2 Thes 3. 16. The Lord of peace give you peace alwayes by all meanes And that all may be the better improved let the exhortation of the Apostle 1 Thes 4. 11. sink into you Study to be quiet the words are Love the honour of being quiet There is great excellency in it That is the last thing CAP. XXXV Exhortation to peaceable and brotherly union shewing the excellency of it ANd now my brethren as the Eunuch said to Philip concerning his Baptisme Here is water what lets but I may be baptized I shall say concerning our uniting in peace and love one with another Here are Joyning Principles Joyning Considerations Joyning Graces Joyning Practices what now le ts but that we may joyne in love and peace one with another Surely nothing can let but extreme corrupt perverse hearts of our owne The Apostle Paul is mighty earnest in his desires in his exhortations for this 1 Cor. 1. 12. Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement The word translated perfectly joyned signifies such a joyning as when a bone is out of joynt is perfectly set right againe So Philip. 2. 1. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind let nothing be done through strife c. The Apostle poures forth his soule in this exhortation it is a heart-breaking exhortation Luther though a man of a stirring hot spirit yet writing to the Pastors of the Church of Strasburg hath these words I pray you be perswaded that I shall alwayes be as desirous to embrace concord as I am desirous to have the Lord Jesus to be propitious to me I finde also in a Letter that Martin Bucer writes to a godly Minister a very high expression of that high esteeme he had of and earnest desires after the curing of divisions Who would not sayes he purchase with his life the removing that