portion of some soules in the Congregation they dared not mention them 4ly When your profession of some truths will take off mens hearts from other that are more weighty and necessary The rule of the Apostle Rom. 14. 1. holds forth this Receive not those men who are weake in faith to doubtfull disputations this may hinder them in the great things of the Kingdome of God Righteousnesse peace joy in the holy Ghost vers 17. As if the Apostle should say Let them be wel established in them but these doubtfull disputations will hinder them in such things as these are Fiftly when my profession at this time in this thing is like to hinder a more useful profession at another time in another thing Prov. 29. 11. A foole uttereth all his mind he that is wise keeps it in till afterward It was the wisdome of Paul when he was at Athens not presently to break out against their Idols hee staid his due time and yet all the time hee kept in his uprightnesse in the hatred of Idolatry as much as ever Sixtly when our profession will cause publick disturbance and that to the godly the disturbance of mens corruptions who will oppose out of malice is not much to be regarded When it was told Christ the Pharisees were offended he cared not for it but he made a great matter of the offence of any of his little ones When men who love the truth as well as wee shall not only be against what we conceive truth but shall be offended and that generally at it if we have discharged our own consciences by declaring as we are called to it what we conceive the mind of God we should sit down quietly and not continue in a way of publique offence and disturbance to the Saints The rule of the Apostle will come in here Let the spirit of the Prophets be subjects to the Prophets wee should wait till God will some other way or at some other time have that prevaile in their hearts and consciences of his people which we conceive to be truth and they are now so much offended at There could never be peace continued in the Church if every man must continually upon all occasions have liberty openly to make profession of what he apprehends to be a truth never have done with it though the Church which is faithfull and desires unfeignedly to honour Christ and his truth be never so much against it In divers of these cases the consideration of that Text Eccl. 7. 16. is very sutable Be not righteous over much neither make thy selfe over wise why shouldst thou destroy thy selfe Amongst other things this is included in the scope of the Holy Ghost when you apprehend a thing to be a truth do not think that you are bound all times upon all occasions to the utmost profess practise promote that truth without any consideration of others being carried on with this apprehension it is a truth come of it what will whatsoevâ— becomes of me whatsoever trouble shall follow upon it I must and will professe it and publish it again and again to the death In this you had need look to your spirit in this you may be over-just and make your self over-wise though there may be some uprightnesse in your heart some love to Christ and his truth yet there may be mixture of your own spirit also you may stretch beyond the rule this is to be over-righteous to think out of a zeal to God and his truth to goe beyond what God requires It is true at no time upon no occasion though thy life and all the lives in the world lay upon it thou must not deny any the least truth but there may be a time when God doth not require of thee to make profession of every thing thou believest to be a truth You will say This tends to loosness to lukewarmness to time-serving men pretending and pleading discretion grow loose and remisse and so by degrees fall off from the truth Vers 17. Let men take heed of that too Be not over-much wicked neither be thou foolish As you must be carefull not to goe beyond the rule so take heed you fall not off from it so you may grow wicked and foolish yea very wicked over-wicked God will meet with you there too Wherefore vers 18. It is good thou shouldst take hold of this yea also from this withdraw not thine hand Take both be carefull of thy self in both but especially mark the last clause of the 18. vers He that feareth God shall come forth of them all The feare of God possessing thy heart will help thee in these straits thou shalt by it be delivered from being ensnared by thy indiscreet sinfull zeale and it shall likewise keep thee from bringing misery upon thy selfe by falling as farre on the other hand to looseness and time-serving The fear of God will ballast thy soul even it will carry thee on in a way that shall be good in the eyes of the Lord and of his Saints There is a natural boldnes and a mixed zeal in many who are godly that carries them on in those ways that causes great disturbance to others and brings themselves into great straits and snares and these men are very ready to censure others of nesse and loosenesse who do not as themselves do but this Scripture reproves them shewing that it is not through fleshly wisdome and providing for ease that is the cause others do not as they do but the fear of God in a right way ballasting their spirits God will own his fear to be in their hearts ordering them aright when thy disorderly mixed zeale shall receive rebuke from Christ But doth not Christ say Hee came into the world to witnesse to the truth and is not every truth more worth then our lives That man who in the former five cases wherein profession is shewed to be our duty shall witness to the truth he shewes that truth is indeed precious to him and gives that testimony to the truth that he was born for although in the six latter he shall forbear But when these latter cases shall fall out how shall the truth be maintained will it not suffer much prejudice 1. Christ will not be beholding to mens weaknesses for the maintenance of his truth 2. If every man according to his place to deliver his own soule shall declare observing the rules we shall speak to presently what he conceives to be the mind of God though he shall not either in words or practice continually hold forth the same yet thereby the truth is maintained 3. The truth is maintained by forbearing that practice which those opinions of men that are contrary to the truth puts them upon not doing as they do is a continual witnesse against them and so a witnesse for the truth this is a Christians duty at all times although I must never upon any ground do that which my conscience sayes is in
suspition of her And Paulus Fagius upon the place says the Jewes had a tradition not only that she should conceive but it should be a man-child if shee had any disease she should be freed and if she brought forth before with difficulty she should bring forth now with ease Let not men therefore who are of publike use having their consciences clear yet because they are under suspition throw off all in an anger Such a temptation many lye under but let them know this temptation cannot prevail but upon the distemper of their hearts the exceeding sinfull frowardnesse of their spirits they should trust God with their names their esteem their honour and go on in their work The only way to deliver themselves from suspition is their constant industry and faithfulnesse in all opportunities of service God puts into their hands and with the more quietnesse of spirit with the lesse noyse they go on the sooner will the suspitions they were under wash off and vanish to nothing God will make their names break forth as the light those weeds having no ground to take root will wither and dye away The tenth dividing Distemper A spirit of contention AS in some there is a strong inclination a vehement impetus to whoredom which the Prophet cals a spirit of whoredome so there is in others a vehement strong disposition of heart to contention these have a spirit of contention these are like Salamanders who love and live in the fire They thirst after the waters of Massah and Meribah their temper is such as if they drank no other drink then w ht was brewed of those waters Contentions and strifes that are as tedious to other men as death are their delight they are most in their element when they are over head and ears in them A contentious spirit will always find matter for contention Prov. 26. 21. As coals to burning coals and wood to fire so is a contentious man is kindle strife they are ready to put their hands to any strife they meet with yet Prov. 26. 17. Hee that medleth with strife belonging not to him is like one that holdeth a dog by the cares Many men have no mettal in any thing but contentions like many jades who are dull in travell they have mettal only to kick and to play jadish tricks If thou hast any spirit any zeal and courage it is pitty it should be laid out in quarrels reserve it for the cause of God to strengthen thee in contending for the truth the publike The eleventh Distemper Covetousnesse THis is the root of all evill then of this there is no greater plague to friendship then desire of money sayes Laelius apud Cicer. A covetous man is witty to foresee wayes of gaine and he is stiffe in holding fast what may be for his advantage Yet know what a stir Demetrius and his fellows made in Ephesus when their profit was endangered they had rather set all in a tumult then let their gain go 1 Tim. 4. 5. Envy strife railings c. perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds destitute of the truth supposing that gaine is godlinesse How will some object against men withdraw from them deprive themselves of the benefits of the gifts of God in them of much good they have heretofore acknowledged they have got by them all merely to save their purses that in a poor pedling way What a stir hath this Meum and Tuum made in the world The sweetnesse of gaine amongst men is like honey cast amongst Beares they will fight rend and tear out one anothers throat for it They that will be eich fall into temptations and a snare and into many and hurtfull lusts 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. They pierce themselves and others too with many sorrowes VVhen divisions arose in Germany upon Luthers Doctrine men of base covetous spirits judging Luther by themselves thought that Luther made all this stir to get gaine Why therefore sayes one do you not stop the mans mouth with gold or silver Another answers Oh this German Beast cares not for money The twelfth dividing distemper Falsenesse NOthing more firmly unites and holds together the Common-wealth then fidelity sayes Cicero Truth is a girdle Stand therefore having your loynes girt with truth Ephes 6. 14. Truth binds and Falseness loosenâ— The Apostle Eph. 4. 25. exhorts to put away lying and every man to speak trueth to his neighbour upon this ground because we are members one of another The Romans esteemed so much of truth for uniting men into societies that they built a Temple to it as to a Goddesse in which Temple all Leagues Covenants Truces and important bargains were made which were so religiously observed that whosoever broke them was held for a cursed damned creature unfit for humane society Rom. 1. 29. Full of envy murther debate deceit malignity A man were better be true to false principles then be false to true ones Those who are false are also mischievous they care not what mischief they do to any so they may but uphold themselves and repair that credite which formerly they had but now through their base falsenesse is crackt and if they have wronged any by their falsnesse they seek to keep such downe if not to ruine them fearing lest their falsenesse should hereafter be revenged and if they cannot get them down by force they will seek to do it by adding yet more falsenesse by flattering them whom their hearts hate and would gladly ruine That Scripture Prov. 26. 28. is very remarkable for this A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it and a flattering mouth worketh ruine Psal 72. 14. He shall deliver their soule from deceit and violence If men who are false cannot compasse their ends by deceit they will seeke to doe it by violence God hath his time to deliver his Saints from both Come Lord Jesus come quickly CHAP. XXI Dividing Practices The first The Practice of the Tongue The second Needlesse Disputes PRovoking bitter language is a great divider An evill tongue in Scripture is compared to swords Arrowes Razors to poyson of Aspes â—ire yea to the fire of hell which sets all the world on fire to wild beasts it is an unruly member that cannot be tamed When a Philosopher saw two women of ill fame talking together he said By this speech the Aspe takes in poyson from the Viper which it seems was a proverbiall speech in Tertullians time he inveighing against Marcion the Heretique Let the Heretique sayes he cease borrowing poyson from the Jew according to the Proverbe the Aspe from the Viper Many men of moderate spirits if let alone yet meeting with men who tell them stories and speak ill of those men that heretofore they had a good opinion of yet now before they have examined what the truth is there is a venome got into their spirits before they are aware their hearts
it selfe sin in the least thing yet I am not ever bound to do that which my conscience says is in it self good as it may fall out in some great things A thing in it-self evill can never be made my duty to do what ever circumstances it may be cloathed with what ever good I conceive may be done by it but a thing in it self good may by circumstances attending of it be such as at this time it is my duty to forbear it so that in not doing it I cannot be charged of a sin of omission of not living according to what my judgment and conscience is convinced of to be truth and good That we may understand yet further our duty of profession so as we may cause no divisions by it let these five rules be considered for the ordering of it First we must be wel grounded in fundamentals before we make profession of other truths seldome or never have you known men who in the beginning of their profession of Religion have laid out the first of their strength in Controversies but that they have vanished come to nothing in their profession Be first well rooted in the faith in the great things of godlinesse â—he absolute necessary things of eternall life and then thy searching into other truths of God which are for thy further edification will be seasonable 2ly Take heed that what thou dost be not out of affectation of novelties which men naturally have itching desires after It is very pleasing to the flesh to convey such things to others to be the first that shall bring to others things which before they understood not whatsoever the things be As there is much wickedness in raising up old errors as if they were new truths so there is much vanity in bringing forth old truths in novell and affected phrases as if men desired to be thought to find out some new thing that yet hath not been or is very little known in the world when indeed upon examination when it is uncloathed of its new expressions it proves to be the same old truth that ordinarily hath been known taught and so the man appears to be no knowing man more then ordinary Take heed of this vanity of spirit in the holding forth of truth especially when in publike you speak of Gods truths speak of them with reverence of the name of the great God as the Oracles of God clearly plainly not in obscure uncouth unknown expressions as the Oracles of the Idols were wont to be delivered in 3. Whatsoever is differing from others who are godly is not to be held forth and professed without serious examination we may venture more suddenly upon those things which are generally received of the Saints but if they be differing then we had need examine them over and over again with a jealous eye over our own hearts and to take heed to our spirits how we behave our selves in such things wherein we are like to go away so much differing from so many of our godly able brethren Wee must take heed of publishing any such things rawly undigestedly lest we wrong the truth of God and make the profession of it become ridiculous If the thing be true to day it will be true to morrow 4. We must not think it enough boldly to assert things but according to the rule of the Apostle 1 Pet. 3. 15. we must give an account 1. with meekness we must not do it in a passionate froward way not with our affections hurrying and tumultuous not after a contentious manner as if we desired victory rather then truth but with quietnesse and composednesse of spirit We must not think it much to bear contradiction from others yea though it should arise to contemptuous carriage against us and with fear that is either in respect of our selves who make the profession or in respect of those before whom we make it For our selves we must not do it in a conceited way not in a high arrogant way with foolish confidence in our selves in our own apprehensions and abilities but with feare manifesting our sensibleness of our own weakness vanity and nothingnes 2. In respect of those before whom the profession is made We must manifest our due reverent esteem of them no unbeseeming behaviour no scornfulness lightness contempt if it before Magistrates especially then whatsoever they are in regard of their persons yet reverentiall respects ought to be given to them in respect of their places and if they be men of worth learning graces publike use in the Church or State that respect that is due to their worth is to be manifested also in our carriage towards them Grace teacheth no man to be unmannerly rude scornfull furious or foolish 5. If you would make profession or practice any thing differing from others who are godly and judicious you should first acquaint those who are most able with what you intend and not go to youths women and weak ones first seeking to promote what you apprehend by possessing your hearts first with it and to get them to be a party for you this is not the way of God If God hath revealed some new thing to you you have some new light that is not yet made known to your Brethren which not only by profane men but I fear by some who are godly is in a profane manner scorned at and it were wel if none of those who pretend it did not give some occasision were not the temptation to the despising of that expression yet you should first goe to those who are most able to judg acquaint them with what apprehensions you have and see whether they cannot make it appeare to you that you are mistaken if not they may confirm you in the truth that you may go on in it with the more confidence If Churches were setled as they ought I should think it very ill for any Minister to preach any thing not ordinarily received by the Saints before they have acquainted other Elders yea some of other Churches with it if out of an eager desire to be formost in venting some new thing they shall do it meerly from themselves they may be meanes to raise and engage themselves in woful disturbances before they are aware That common union and fellowship that there is between Elders and Churches requires mutual advise and consultation in matters of difficulty though to lay a law upon them to advise in every thing be it never so clear would be hard CHAP. XII The sixth dividing Principle What is in it selfe best must be chosen and done not weighing circumstances or references THis brings much trouble to the Churches yea it causeth much trouble in the spirits and lives of many truly godly It causeth men to break the bonds of their Callings of their Relations of their publique Interests therefore certainly it must needs be a dividing Principle Some men whose calling is only to a private employment yet having some gifts and
their glory that they can say to the consciences of men Bow down before us A gracious spirit abhors the thought of such a tyranny This to high raising respects due to learned holy men hath been very hurtfull in the Church prejudicial to the souls of men but especially to the honour of Christ I will give you an instance Erasmus was no novice yet how dangerously he was taken with this will appear by a strange expression of his in an Epistle hee wrote to one Bilibaldus How far the authority of the Church prevails with others I know not but with mee it hath that power that I could be of the opinion with Arrians and Pelagians if the Church did but allow that which they taught This you will say is a strange expression coming from a learned man and one too not addicted to the Church that then was in that excess as others were how then did this conceit prevail with men more weak who gave up their consciences to others through their blind superstition Wherefore secondly though great respect is to be given to men holy and learned yet not such that a man must be judged obstinate if hee submit not to their judgments and determinations For First if a man should believe or do any thing before he sees some other grounds besides their judgments or examples though the thing were in it selfe never so good yet it would be sin to him If indeed this were enough to answer Christ Lord I am a poore weake man I cannot find out thy truths my self therefore I seeing learned godly men to be of such a judgement and doing such things I thought it too much presumption for mee to differ from them therefore I also believed it to be true and practised accordingly This were an easie way for people to agree and it might well be judged obstinacy to gainsay But this account Christ will not take for he tells us Whatsoever is not of faith is sinne and the judgments and practices of godly learned men he never made to be the rule of faith 2ly If God in revealing his mind to men alwayes did it according to the proportion of their gifts and graces then it were too much boldnesse for any to differ from those who are most eminent but experience tels us it is otherwise as God causeth his rain to fall upon one field and not upon another and as the wind blows where it lists so are the workings of the Spirit of God upon men Although hee reveales to all his Saints whatsoever is absolutely necessary to salvation yet for other truths a man of eminent parts shall know one another of weaker shall know another David was a man as eminent for parts was filled with the Spirit of God as much as Nathan both in regard of Prophesie and godliness yet sometimes that was revealed to Nathan which was kept hid from David When the Book of the Law was found and read before Josiah they send to Huldah the Prophetesse yet there were Prophets in the Land at that time But you will say Is it not more likely that men of learning and piety should know what is right and what is not better then others True it is more likely they should but God many times doth things which we think are not likely that which is the most unlikely to us God many times chooseth as best to serve his ends Thirdly If there were no other reason why a man of weaker parts should differ from other then because he is conceited of his parts thinks himselfe more able to understand then those who are far his betters then there would be more liberty to deale severely with him But being â—here may be this reason why men who are weak yet differ from those who are eminent Christ hath laid this charge upon them that they must not believe or practice any thing in the matters of Religion but what they shall see ground for out of his word If a man shall be jealous of himself fearing lest his own understanding should mislead him and in the use of all meanes he can seeks to God and yet cannnot see from Scripture the ground of those things learned and godly men have determined and having received such a charge from Christ not to alter his judgment or practice till in the use of these meanes he should receive further light from him what would you have this man do If he yeelds to you he sins against the charge of Christ and his own conscience if he doth not either now or after such a time you prefixe him alter his judgment and practice you judg him obstinate and in the name of Christ deale with him as such do not you by this make that bond that Christ hath laid upon him to do all he doth from a principle of faith heavier then Christ would have it Fourthly the more learning the more godliness men have the more pains they take in finding out the truth there is the lesse ground to judg those obstinate who differ from them because they differ You will say How can that be For if men be very learned and godly and take much pains to finde out the truth there is the more reason we should believe their judgements more then our owne We must indeed honour them then the more but yet the exquisitenesse of their learning the eminency of their godliness the industry of their labours for the finding out of truth may excuse those from obstinacy who cannot see into the ground from the word of all that they are able to see for is it not more then probable that men who are weak and exceedingly beneath them should through meer weakness be unable to see the rule of Scripture in those things which they have got the sight of by the help of their great learning godliness and indefatigable labours Can it be that men who have not attained to that eminencie who are not able to take so much pains in searching that they though they have their help added should be able to attain to what these men so eminent and industrious have attained to Can they in a few months come to see that which they have been studying and debating one with another divers years before they could see it can they be satisfied in their consciences of the mind of Christ when these eminent men for a long time could hardly satisfie one another yea it may be after all the helpe of their learning godliness and painfull labours they look upon many things but as probable as more likely to be so then otherwise they have not a Plerophory in their own hearts and shall those who doe not see ground enough for the foot of Faith to settle upon be judged and dealt with as obstinate Because they yet are not of their mind God forbid Fifthly there is much danger in making this to be the rule for if to go against the judgment of godly and learned men be obstinacy now
Faith gets above and sayes It shall be I descry land and thus quiets all in the soule all being quiet there the turbulent motions that are in our spirits one towards another are soon quieted 3. Humility COloss 3. 12. Put on as the elect of God bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde Ephes 4. 2. With all lowlinosse and meeknesse and long-suffering forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Phil. 2. 3. Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but in lowlinesse of minde let each esteeme others better then himselfe We may say of Humility as Tertullus Acts 24 said of Felix By thee we enjoy great quietnesse An humble heart looks upon every truth of God as infinitely above it selfe therefore it is willing to receive it from any a child may lead it Esay 11. 6. One Baldassar a German Divine writing to Oecolampadius hath this notable expression Let the Word of the Lord come let it come and we will put under six hundred necks if we had them Such a disposition as this would make much for peace Esay 32. 18 19. we have a promise that the people of God should dwell in a peaceable habitation and in quiet resting places and the City shall be low in a low place When the heart lyes lowest it is quietest 4. Self-denyall THe joynts in the body cannot joyne but one part must be hollow and give way to the other Condescention of one to another is a principall thing in friendship Philip. 2. the example of Christ emptying himselfe and making himselfe to be of no reputation is set before us as an argument for our union that therefore we should doe nothing through strife be like minded having the same love and be of one accord and one minde It is indifferent to a heart emptyed of Selfe whether it conquers or be conquered so Truth may triumph In other conflicts the Conquerour hath the honour and the conquered is disgraced but in the conflicts for truth both conquered and conquerour are honourable the mercy is the greater to him that is conquered but he must have a self-denying heart to make him think so 5. Patience THe Olive the Embleme of Peace will continue greene though overflowne by the waters for a long time together After Noah had been so long in the Ark the Dove brought an Olive leafe in her mouth to him It may be an Emblem of Patience as well as Peace Patience and Peaceableness are neere akin Ephes 4. 2 3. Long-suffering is amongst the graces where the unity of the spirit is to be kept in the bond of peace There is a notable story I finde in the lives of the German Divines One Vitus Theodorus a Divine sends to advise with Melancthon what he should do when Osiander preached against him Melancthon writes to him and beseeches him for the love of God yea charges him that he should not answer Osiander again but that he should hold his peace and behave himself as if he heard nothing Vitus Theodorus writes back again This was very hard yet he would obey Let not men be too hasty to oppose oppositions but let them go on patiently in a constant way resolving to bear what they meet with and God at length will make their righteousness break forth as the light Confute evill reports by thy life He that knowes not to beare calumnies reproaches injuries he knowes not how to live sayes Chytraeus another German Divine 6. Joy in the holy Ghost ROm. 14. 17. The Kingdome of heaven is righteousness peace joy in the holy Ghost This grace in the heart puts a grace upon all a mans conversation it makes it lovely and amiable The beames of the Sunne shining upon the fire will put it out The beams of this spirituall joy will put out the fire of our passions 7. Meeknesse Gentlenesse MIlk quenches wild-fire Oyle sayes Luther quenches Lime which water sets on fire Opposition will heat will fire men when meeknesse and gentlenesse will still and quench all Cicero sayes Sweetnesse of speech and rarriage is that which seasons friendship severity in every thing and sadnesse must not be among friends in their converse such a kinde of carriage may have a seeming gravity but friendship must have a remisness it must be more free and sweet disposed to all mildness and easiness Ephes 4. 2 3. Meekness comes in as a speciall grace for peace and unity so Col. 3. 12. 8. Love THat is the speciall uniting grace Faith indeed hath the preheminence in our union with Christ our head but Love is the grace that unites the members 1 Cor. 13. the Apostle shews many of the fruits of this grace all tending to union and peace It suffers long it envies not it is not puffed up it behaves not it selfe unseemly it seeketh not her owne it is not easily provoked thinketh no evill beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things Bearing all things and enduring all things seem to be the same Therefore some would have it it covereth all things for so the word also signifies but there is a greater elegancy in it in the Translation beareth all things it is like the crosse maine beam in a house supporting the whole building and were it not for some who have the love of God and his truth and the good of the publiquâ— enabling them to undergo what they do more then any encouragement from men all things in Church and State would be ready to fall into confusion to be nothing but a heap of rubbish but this love enables to beare all things But if they have no encouragement but see that though they hazard themselves never so much be of never so great use do the greatest services that can be expected from men yet when mens turns are served they are little regarded but envyed and narrowly watched to spy out any thing that may have some shew of excepting against them and left to shift for themselves as well as they can when they might justly expect a great reward of their services yet are disappointed their hearts are grieved But yet because they are acted by a principle of love to God his cause the publique they therefore still hold out go on in their way labour to be as instrumentall as they can for good commit themselves and all their endeavours to God expecting encouragement from him and so they endure all things such men are worth their weight in gold here is a heart that hath much of the spirit of God in it God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him No marvell though these men act so swiftly in their way no marvell though their motion in publick service be so speedy for their Charet is like that Charet of Salomons Cant. 3. 10. The middle thereof is paved with love and this is for the daughters of
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