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
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
this temptation shall still retaine what he hath made profession of and others shall see his weakenesse joyned with wilfulnesse they must oppose him in it and so contention and division is like to rise higher and higher In regard therefore of the great usefulnesse of this point and the difficulty of the right understanding it I shall endeavour to speak to it under these three Heads First to shew wherein Profession is necessary Secondly wherein men may keep in what they think they understand to be truth so as not to professe or practise it Thirdly I shall propound some rules of Direction to shew in what manner a man should make profession of what he conceives to be truth though it be different from his Brethren For the first Certainly profession in some things is very necessary Rom. 10. 10. With the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Confession is here joyned to believing as necessary to salvation This I conceive to be the meaning of those places which hold forth the necessity of Baptisme He that believes and is baptized shall be saved Augustine in one of his Sermons De Tempore sayes Wee cannot be saved except wee professe our faith outwardly for the salvation of others And Christ Mar. 8. 38. sayes Whosoever shall be ashamed of him and of his words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him shall the Sonne of Man be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with his holy Angels And it is observable that they follow upon those words What shall it profit a man if he shall gaine the whole world and loose his owne soule or what shall a man give in exchange for his soule As if Christ should say If you would not lose your soules eternally look to this make profession of the truth as you are called to it though you live in a wicked and an adulterous generation yet be not ashamed of me before them for if you be your souls may goe for it eternally Zuinglius in his third Epistle says We may as well with a Dioclesian worship before the Altar of Jupiter and Venus as conceale our faith under the power of Antichrist Now though profession be necessary yet in what cases we are bound to professe and in what not is no easie matter to determine Zuarez a man of great judgement yet falling upon this Question When a man is bound to make profession of the Truth sayes We cannot give rules in particular when there is a necessity of profession in regard of the good of our neighbour but it must bee determined by the judgment of Prudence But though the determination be very difficult yet we may assert these five cases to bind us to profession First when the truths are necessary to salvation and my forbearance in them may endanger the salvation of any the salvation of the soul of the poorest beggar is to be preferred before the glory pomp outward peace and comforts of all the Kingdoms on the earth therefore much before my private contentments In extream danger of life there is no time to reason what in prudence is fit to be done but save the mans life if you can and reason the case afterward Secondly when not profession shall be interpreted to be a denyall though in case of a lesser truth I must not deny the truth the least truth interpretative I must rather be willing to suffer then the truth should suffer by me so farre This was Daniel's case when he would not cease his praying three times a day neither would he shut his windows though it endangered his life A carnall heart would say why might not Daniel have been wiser he might have forborn a while at least he might have shut his windows No Daniel was willing to venture his life in the cause rather then he would so much as by way of interpretation deny that honour that he knew was due to God Thirdly when others shall be scandaliz'd so as to be weakned in their faith by my denyall yea so scandalized as to be in danger to sin because they see me not to professe in this case we must venture very far we should take heed of offending any of the Saints so as to grieve them but when the offence comes to weaken their faith to occasion their sin there we should venture very far to our own outward prejudice rather then so to offend them Fourthly when an account of my faith is demanded if it be not either in scorn to deride or in malice to ensnare but seriously so as the giving it may be to edification especially in a way of giving a publique testimony to the truth 1 Pet. 3. 15. Be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you If to every one much more to Magâ—strates Fifthly so far as those whom God hath committed to my charge for instruction are capable at some time or other I must manifest that truth of God to them that may be for their good according as I am able Yet this duty of profession being a duty required by an affirmative precept though we are bound alwayes yet not to all times semper but not ad semper we must alwayes keep such a disposition of heart as to be in a readiness rather to give testimony to any truth of God if called to it by God then to provide for our ease or any outward comfort in this world so as we may be able to appeal to God in the sincerity of our hearts to judg of that high esteem we have of his truth Lord if thou shalt make known to me now or any other time that thy Nature may have any glory by my profession of any truth of thine whatsoever become of my outward peace ease or content I am ready to do it for thy Names sake There is a time says Hugo when nothing is to be spoken a time when something but there is no time when all things are to be spoken There are sixe other cases wherein you are not bound to professe First when you shall be required in way of scorn or to ensnare you this were to cast pearls before swine 2ly You are not bound to make profession of a truth to those who are not able to receive it whose weaknesse is such as they cannot understand it till they be principled with some other truths I have many things to say sayes Christ but yee are not able to beare them So St. Paul Hast thou faith have it to thy selfe he speaks in the case of doubtfull things which will trouble weak ones 3ly When mens hearts appear so corrupt that there is apparant danger of abuse of truths to the strengthning them in thâ—ir lusts there are precious truths that many Ministers cannot speak of before people without trembling hearts and were it not that they believed they were the
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
The Text sayes The contentions were so sharpe betweene them that they departed asunder one from another The word signifies such a sharpnesse as there is in vineger It is used by Physicians to signifie the sharpnesse of the feverish humour when it is acting in a fit Their dissention put them as it were into the fit of a Fever You will say Surely it was some very great matter that should cause such eminent and holy men to be in such a passion one against another to be so hot as not to company together Truly no the matter was not great it was whether Mark should go with them or no the one would have him the other would not have him about this the contention arose to this height Reade the Epistle to the Romanes to the Corinthians to the Galathians you shall finde very great dissentions in these Churches And in after-times especially when God delivered them from those ten bloudy Persecutions the contentions of the Church were very great When Constantine came to the Nicene Councell divers of the Members of that Councell accused one another to the Emperour and put up Libels one against another which Libels Constantine caused to be burned After all the debates of the Councell with the presence of the Emperour who laboured all he could for peace and union amongst them making large speeches to that purpose to them yet there were five of them dissented from the rest in matters of greater consequence then any amongst us dissent from our Brethren namely in that point of Christs being of the same substance with the Father I finde in Eusebius this grievous complaint After our affaires through too much liberty ease and security degenerated from the rule of piety one pursued another with open contumely and hatred we impugned our selves by no other then our selves with the armour of spite and sharpe speares of opprobrious words so that Bishops against Bishops and people against people raised sedition and they which seemed our Shepherds laying aside the rule of piety practised contention and schisme among themselves and whilest they aggravated contention threatnings mutuall hatred and enmity and every one proceeded in ambition much like tyranny it selfe then the Lord according to the saying of Jeremy made the daughter of Sion obscure and overthrew from above the glory of Israel The contentions of the Church caused by those four grand Heresies of Arius Macedonius Nestorius Eutyches one after another exercised the Church a long time There was much siding some cleaving to one part some to another in all these four The first denyed Christs divinity upon which the first Nicene Councell was called The second the personality of the Spirit upon which the second Generall Councell was called at Constantinople The third the distinction of persons in Christ upon which the third Generall Councell was called at Ephesus The fourth confounded Christs natures upon which the fourth was called at Chalcedon About this time Pelagius and Donatus caused much disturbance in Europe and Africa Epiphanius who lived in the third Century reekons threescore severall Heresies that had got head many followers of them all which caused great breaches in the Church from the time of the Apostles to the time wherein he lived After the division of the Empire into the Easterne and Westerne parts then arose mighty contention for the Primacy between the Bishops of Rome and Constantinople that put the Church into wofull contentions for many yeares one part excommunicating the other writing and opposing one another to the uttermost When this heat is at the hottest then on the one side upon the Westerne parts God let out the Gothes Hunnes Vandals those barbarous people and Mahomet upon the Easterne so that all learning was almost extinct in the Christian world and grosse darknesse came upon the face of all Churches The Church having lost her lights men of learning and worth then the great contention about Images arose that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Eastern Churches demolishing Images in Temples the Western maintaining them with extreme contention against the Eastern There were not only excommunications thundred one against another but much bloud was shed in that quarrell In this condition have the Churches been from time to time divided yea fighting with one another about opinions And for the divisions and contentions betweene particular men and most eminent Lights in the Church in those times after they came to have rest from persecutions We find most lamentable complaints in the writings of the Ancients of the extremè offence these dissentions were to the Heathen Nazianzen in his first Apologeticall Oration We are made a spectacle sayes he to Angels and Men not as that valiant champion Paul who fought against Principalities and Powers but we are made a scorn to wicked men in their Markets their Feasts their Playes in all their meetings The most vile people jeer us and all this for contending and warring one with another Basil makes this complaint I have lived now sayes he the age of a man and see more union in Arts and Sciences then in Divinity for in the the Church I see such dissentions as do divide it assunder and dissipates it Chrysostome and Epiphanius fell out so bittâ—rly that the one wished the other might never dye a Bishop and the other wished that he might never goe home alive And it fell out to either of them as each one had wished to the other for Epiphanius came not to Cyprus he dyed on the Seas by the way neither did Chrysostome dye a Bishop for he was deposed and banished the Church The contentions between Jerome and Ruffinus were bery bitter who had been formerly great friends Augustine in his 15. Epistle sayes Their friendship had been famous in all the Churches If such things may fall out between Jerome and Ruffinus sayes he who that is now a friend may not fear to be an enemy Yet Ruffinus writes two Books against Jerome which are intituled Ruffini Invectiva in Hieronymum He begins his first invective applying that of the Psalmist to Jerome Ps 57. 4. I lye among them that are set on fire even the sonnes of men whose teeth are speares arrowes and their tongue a sharp sword In the beginning of his second he accuses him of lying and that he does himselfe what he reproves in others with abundance of such kinde of bitter stuffe And Jerome payes him againe in the same kinde In his 16. Epist ad Principiam Virginem he calls him a Scorpion in regard of the poyson that came from him And in his Apology against him lib. 3. in the beginning of it he applyes that Scripture to Ruffinus Prov. 14. 3. In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride And that of Isay Isa 32. 6. The vile person will speak villany and his heart will worke iniquity to utter error against the Lord. And I finde in an Epistle of Augustine to Jerome a great complaint
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
bellum that Souldier is a murtherer that sheds bloud not in reference to peace The Swords and Ensignes of Souldiers should have this Motto upon them Sic quaenimus pacem Thus we seek Peace Hercules his Club was made of the Olive the emblem of Peace The ninth joyning Principle No man shall ever be mine enemy that is not more his owne then mine yea more the enemy of God then mine IF a man offends me meerly through weakness this is his affliction in this he is neither an enemy to himself nor me he mourns for it and I will pitty him in his mourning he is more troubled for what he hath done then I have cause to be for what I have suffered If he offends willingly and purposely he is his own enemy more then mine When Latimer was cousened in buying a commodity his friends telling him how he was cheated of his money he fell a mourning for him that had cheated him He hath the worst of it sayes he If my heart rises against a man in this and I seek to oppose him in his way it may very well be interpreted to be out of love to him for my heart rises against his enemy I oppose his enemy even himself but an enemy to himself more then to me he hath hurt me a little but himself more I am troubled a little for the wrong I suffer but more for the evill he hath done If his wayes be enmity to God I will oppose him because I love God and no farther then wherein I may manifest my love to God rather then hatred of him When Servetus condemned Zuinglius for his harshness he answers In other things I will be milde but not so in Blasphemies against God Let us keep our enmity within these bounds and the peace of God will not be broke The tenth joyning Principle I had rather suffer the greatest evill then doe the least IF when others wrong you you care not what you do to right your self This is your folly and madness Such a one hurt me and I will therefore mischief my self he hath pricked me with a pin and I will therefore in an anger run my knife into my side If in all we suffer we be sure to keep from righting our selves by any wayes of sin there will not be much peace broke Such an one is thine enemy and wilt thou of one enemy make two wilt thou also be an enemy to thy self yea a greater enemy then he or any man living can be to thee for all the men in the world cannot make thee sin except thou wilt thy self The eleventh joyning Principle I will labour to do good to all but provoke none A Father hath not so much power over his child as to provoke him Col. 3. 21. Fathers provoke not your children to wrath Surely if a man hath not this power over his child he hath it not over his friend his neighbour much less his superiour yet how many take delight in this Such a thing I know will anger him and he shall be sure to have it Oh wicked heart dost thou see that this will be a temptation to thy brother and wilt thou lay it before him dost thou not pray for thy self and for him Lord lead us not into temptation we should accout it the greatest evill to us of all the evill of afflictions to be any occasion of sin to our brother but what an evil should this be to us to provoke our brother to sin if we will needs be provoking then let the Apostles exhortation prevaile with us Heb. 10. 24. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works Let us not consider one another in a way of curiosity and emulation to envy or find fault with one another from whence frowardness pride hatred dissentions factions may arise saith Hyperius upon the place but consider one another so as we may further the good of one another so as to make one another quick and active in that which is good The twelfth joyning Principle Peace with all men it is good but with God and mine owne conscience it is necessary BUt how will this joyn us one to another Answ Very much both as it holds forth the goodness of peace with all men and as it carryes the heart strongly to the making and keeping peace with God and a mans own conscience This peace with God and a mans own conscience will so sweeten the heart that it cannot but be sweet towards every one a man who hath satisfaction enough within can easily bear afflictions and troubles that come without When Saul had made great breaches between God and his soul and in his own conscience then he grew to be of a very froward spirit towards every man before his Apostacy he was of a very meek and quiet spirit but this sowred his spirit and made it grow harsh rugged and cruell This is the cause of the frowardness of many men and women in their families and with their neighbours there are secret breaches between God and their own consciences The thirteenth joyning Principle If I must needs erre considering what our condition is here in this world I will rather erre by too much gentlenesse and mildnesse then by too much rigour and severity MAns nature is more propense to rigour then to lenity but the account of overmuch lenity is easier then of too much rigour Men who are of harsh sowre spirits themselves are ready to think that God is so too As the Lacedaemonians because they were of a warlike disposition they represented their Gods all armed But God is love there is anger and hatred in God as well as love but God is never said to be anger or hatred no not justice it self but he loves that expression of himself to the children of men God is love If God intended that all things amongst men either in Church or Common-wealth should be carryed with strictnesse of justice he would rather have governed his Church and the World by Angels who have right apprehensions of justice who are themselves perfect altogether free from those evils that are to be punished then by men whose apprehensions of justice are exceeding weak unconstant partiall as often false as true and have much of that evill in themselves that they judge in others The last joyning Principle Peace is never bought too deare but by sin and basenesse VVE use to say We may buy Gold too deare and so we may Peace but whatsoever we pay for it beside sinne and baseness we have a good bargain Suidas tells of the Emperour Trajan that he would cut his own cloaths to binde up the wounds of his Souldiers We should be very pitifull to souldiers who are wounded to keep us whole We should binde up their wounds though it cost us dear but especially our care should be to bind up those wounds that by divisions are made in Church and Common-wealth and well may we
The more fully we give up our selves our ends designes to God the more securely may we sit under Gods protection care and blessing Many of the good Kings of Judah had their hearts for God but yet they let the high Places stand their politick wisdom divided their hearts between God and their fears of disturbance in the State If they should raise their Reformation so high by this their division their hearts lay flat the worke was neglected But 2 Chron. 17. 6. Jehoshaphats heart was lift up in the wayes of the Lord he tooke away the high places and groves he sought to the Lord God of his father and walked in his commandements not after the doings of Israel vers 4. But did he not bring disturbance to the Kingdome by this his zeale No Vers 5. Therefore the Lord stablished that Kingdome in his hand and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents and hee had riches and honour in abundance And vers 10. The feare of the Lord fell upon all the kingdomes of the lands that were round about Judah so that they made no warre against Jehoshaphat Vers 12. Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly Let our hearts be for God alone for God alone is enough to satisfie our hearts to supply all good unto us for ever There is infinite reason our whole hearts should be for him he is willing his whole heart should be for us Jer. 32. 41. Yea I will rejoyce over them to do them good and I will plant them with my whole heart and with my whole soule CHAP. III. Heart-divisions one from another WHen they divided from God then they divided from his people they would not joyn with his people in the way of his worship only such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel went to Ierusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers 2 Chr. 11. 16. only those whose hearts the Lord touched but others for their owne carnall ends would not joyn with them they saw trouble attended that way and having divided themselves from God his people it was Gods curse upon them that they should be divided one from another if you be divided from the truth what can hold you together Truth is a single simple plain thing but error is various and ensnarls it self with infinite contradictions If people goe out of the plaine path of truth they wander up and down God knows whither intangling themselves in bryars and thornes so as they cannot extricate themselves As those ten Tribes which at first divided from Iudah only in their subjection to the house of David and in their worship at Ierusalem but after they denied all Scripture but only the 5. books of Moses They were exceedingly given and generally addicted unto sorcery magick and witch-craft in which they grew more and more notorious till Christs time This is intimated in that blasphemy of the Jewes against our Saviour Thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devil taxing him with the practice of that people who commonly being Witches had familiar spirits attending on them for otherwise they knew he was no Samaritan but a Galilean of Nazareth They were also exceedingly divided amongst themselves Epiphanius recites four severall sects of them the Ossens Sebuaeans Gorthenians and Positheans Truth is the bond that keeps to unity but errour is wilde you know not where to find it nor your selves if you give way to it Our present times will be a testimony of this to all future generations The wild and unruly divisions of our times is to be the subject of the future discourse I am not ignorant nor unsensible of the difficulty the trouble the danger there is in medling with such a subject at such a time as this He that meddles with the divisions of the times may expect to be divided himself to have his name his repute to be cut asunder and thrown this way and that way It is an unthankfull work to meddle with a divided people a man may with as much safety put his hand into a nest of Hornets A learned man being once asked why he did not write his judgment about the controversie of his time answered To what purpose it would not help the cause but much hazard him that should meddle That which one once said to Luther when he was about interessing himself in seeking Reformation sounds in my ears when I first thought of having to do with this Argument O Luther rather get you into your Cell and say Lord have mercy upon us It is a great part of the skil of a Minister to divide the word aright but this skill of his will be put to it when he comes to divide the word amongst a divided people to give every part its portion I should never have ventured to have chosen a Text on purpose for such an argument but seeing Providence hath brought it so fully into my way I shall now venture upon it with my heart cast and fixed upon that promise Pro. 11. 3. The uprightnesse of the upright shall guide him I shall cast what I intend into this mould 1. The causes of our Divisions 2. The evill of them 3. Cautions about them that we may not make an ill use of them 4. Remedies or cures of them The causes of our Divisions The principal cause from without is the Devil he seeks to keep his own kingdom free from divisions but seeks nothing more then to cause divisions in the Kingdom of Christ The Mahumetans who worship a cursed impostor The Pagans who worship the Sun Moon and Stars The Aegyptians who worship Onions Leeks Cats and Dogs never had such divisions amongst them as the worshippers of Jesus Christ have had and have at this day amongst themselves for all the former are the Devils kingdom which he seeks to keep at peace but he is that envious one who sows the seeds of division in the Kingdom of Christ hence those who foment divisions amongst Christians are called Devils 1 Tim. 3. 11. The wives of Deacons must not be slanderers The word may be translated Devils women are most liable to the Devils temptations this way because they are weak and are in danger to run away with sudden apprehensions without due examination and what can foment division more then slandering so far as any especially in the Church hath a hand in causing or fomenting division so farre as she is a Devil in Scripture-language the part of the Devil is acted by them I remember Cajetan hath a note upon that place in the Gospel where the devils being cast out of the man who had a legion in him prayed Christ that they might not goe out of that region why would they not go out of that region says Cajetan He gives this answer The Devils have certain places to which they divide their work such Devils to such a place for such a service and such to another for another service now these Devils were loath to
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
their State were by divine appointment their Kings were chosen by God but now Christ chuses his Church out of all Nations of the earth and leaves them to the severall Governments Lawes Officers of severall Nations for their Civill State 1. I confesse were there nothing but meerly examples or Laws from the Old Testament to confute this dividing Posiâ—ion to an examining eye the argument would hardly be cogent or satisfactory only so far as there is a common reason and equity in them and so all the judiciall bind now as well as they did then 2. So far as the New Testament approves of for the times of it what was formerly done in the Old The strength of the argument from the power of Magistrates in the Old Testament lyes in these two First there is a common reason and equity what ever the strength of such kind of arguing be from one Spirituall Ordinances to prove another yet without all question it is strong enough from one Civill Ordinance to prove another though it be conversant about spirituall things It is the Dictate of Nature that Magistrates should have some power in matters of Religion The generality of all people have ever thought it equall It hath been ever challenged in all Nations and Common-wealths The Heathens would never suffer their gods to be blasphemed but punish such as were guilty thereof by the power of the Magistrate Socrates was put to death for blaspheming their multiplicity of gods 2ly Surely there is a common equity for there is a necessity of it as truly now as there was then I cannot argue the being of Spirituall Ordinances from our need of them not thus there is such an institution for the Church hath need of it but rather thus I find it in the Word to be an institution and therefore the Church hath need of it But in naturall or civill things this way of arguing is strong enough there is need of such a help and therefore we should seek to have it Now sure the need we have of such a power is exceeding great we were in a most miserable condition if we had no externall civil power to restrain from any kinds of blasphemies and seducements The condition of the Jews O how happy was it in comparison of ours if this were denyed us for if any one of theirs did blaspheme God or seek to seduce any from him they knew w ht to do with him besides perswading him to the contrary but if any should seek to seduce the wives of our bosoms children of our bodies friends as dear to us as our own lives into those wayes that we think in our consciences will undo their souls to all eternity yet wee must only desire them they would not do so we must only admonish and seek to convince them or reprove them but restrain them we cannot If the deliverance of us from the pedagogy of the Law hath brought us into this condition our burden is greater in this thing then any that the Law laid upon our fore-fathers Hath Christ delevered us from one burden to lay a greater upon us Must we now see those who are dearest to us drawn into the wayes of eternall destruction and stand and look on but no way left to help them or our selves unlesse wee can perswade to the contrary surely our condition is very sad Have we not cause to say Lord let any burthen of the Ceremonial Law be laid upon our necks rather then this If there were a company of mad men running np and downe the streets with knives and swords in their hands endeavouring to mischief and kill all they met with and we must doe nothing to restraine them if we could perswade them to doe otherwise well and good but that is all we can do for help what a dangerous thing were this The case is the same when those who are mad with damnable Heresies run from place to place seeking to draw all they can from the truth If we have no means of help but arguments it is ill with us Surely God hath not put his people into such a sad condition as this is he hath provided better for his people then thus Thirdly wee find in the Record of Scripture mention of Heathen Magistrates who had nothing but the light of nature to guide them interessing themselves in matters of Religion and this the Holy Ghost relates in way of commendation of them for this thing The argument from these examples cannot be avoided as that which is taken from the practice of the Kings of Judah We read Ezra 7. 26. Artaxerxes interposes his power in matters of Religion and Ezra blesses God for it Whosoever will not doe the Law of thy God and the Law of the King let judgement be executed speedily upon him And in the next words Ezra blessed God who put it in the heart of the King by these and other means to beautifie his house The making such a Law was one notable meanes whereby the House of the Lord came to be beautified Thus also Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 3. 29. I make a Decree that every people nation and language who speake any thing against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a dung-hil c. This the Scripture records as a worke of the Kings repentance The King of Nineveh Jonah 3. by the decree of his Princes and Nobles proclaims a Fast and commands every one to cry mightily to God and to turne from his evill way Further let us see how the holy Ghost justifies this power of the Magistrate in the times of the Gospel First in the Prophesies of the times of the Gospel Secondly in divers places in the New Testament For Prophesies the fore-named place Zech. 13. 3. cannot be put off Isa 49. 23. Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queens thy nursing mothers The protection of their civil peace is not sufficient to give them such a denomination of nursing fathers and mothers Esay 60. 10. The sonnes of strangers shall build up thy walls and their Kings shall minister unto thee They shall not only be favourers of them but as Kings they shall minister to them even by their power So Rev. 21. 24. The Kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour to the Church there is such a time coming This surely is more then meerly to protect their outward peace In the New Testament Rom. 13. 4. He is thy Minister for thy good 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as to the supream or unto Governours which are sent for the punishment of evill doers and the praise of them that doe well Now seeing the Scripture speaks thus generally For thy good and for the punishment of evill doers and praise of them that doe well Non distinguendum ubi Scriptura non distinguit Except the nature of the thing
men presently it will tell them they must seek first to convince men but because the seeking to satisfie other mens consciences in things differing from us is a troublesom work the temptation that this principle presents may at least prevail thus far that seeing besides means of conviction by arguing they have another help at hand to keep down error namely compulsory violence making men who differ from them to suffer for those things therefore not to trouble themselves very much in the way of seeking to convince but for their owne ease to rid their hands of such a burthensom work to cast the trouble and lay heavy burdens upon their brethren this is easie for them to do though hard for their brethren to suffer But the Tables may turn one day wherein the sufferers shall have the greatest ease the inflicters the sorest burthen But God forbid that their brethren should lay it upon them though it were put into their power to do it The temptation to pride is not less neither are mens hearts lesse prone to this If it prevails what domineering is there like to be of one over another yea of some few over many If they judg in things never so doubtful all must yeeld at least for their profession and practice This is a great power to be given to men over men in matters of faith and godliness This is Lording it over Gods inheritance It is observable when the Church was in the lowest condition this power was highest the power of making Canons in doubtful things to bind under penalties And when this power was lowest as in the Primitive times then the Church was highest Seventhly This will be a means to bring grosse ignorance upon the face of the Churches of the world For first if men shall not be suffered to profess or practice otherwise then Governors in Church or State shall determine they will not take pains to find out the truth themselves but rather take things implicitely which is the easiest way they wil think it to little purpose to take pains in examining things when after all is done they must be bound up at least in their profession and practice to what either is or shall be determined by those who have power of rule in their hands Our late Prelates designe was to bring in ignorance that they might with the more freedom rule over us as they pleased and in nothing did they drive on this design more then in the practice of this power which they took to themselves to command things doubtful and controversall and by violence to urge their commands upon people by which had their power continued gross ignorance would soon have bin spread over the face of the land From whence hath come the gross ignorance of Popery but from the prevailing of this principle By which the people have been brought in such subjection under their guides that they have lost their understandings in the matters of Religion If it be said But wee will take care that those men who shall be consulted withall and those men who shall have power in their hands to determine shall be wise understanding godly men and then the danger will not be so great Suppose those men who for the present have such power have attained to the highest measure of of knowledg and godliness that can be imagined to be in any men upon the earth yet the people are under this temptation to neglect the getting of knowledg themselves and it may be the rather because those who are appointed to determine things are so understanding and so conscientious now these people growing ignorant when these knowing and godly men who are now in place shall be gone who shall choose other in their places I suppose it to be the opinion of most of you and of the godly in the Kingdom and in all Reformed Churches that either the body of the Church the people must choose their Officers or at least that none must be put upon them without their consent Well then if the people through the prevailing of the former temptations grow ignorant is it not like they wil chuse such guiders and leaders as themselves are or if they shall not chuse yet their negative voyce will have such an influence into the choise as it is very probable that in a generation or two blind guides will be brought in and so the blind leading the blind And when by this ignorance hath prevailed and gotten head in the Church there is almost an impossibility ever to get it out again this brings men into the dark and locks and bolts the doors upon them Hence men by pleading for this principle may bring themselves and their posterity into greater bondage then they are aware for although now while they have the power in their own hands it may be well with them yet hereafter others may have the power and then it may prove ill enough they may then complain of what they now plead for though now the guides of the Church may be good and holy yet they may live to see such a change or at least their posterity that such a principle acted by such men as they may be under may wring them yea it is the more strange that men should plead so much for this now when as the soares of their neckes caused by the bondage under it a while since are scarce yet healed Eightly there is yet a further danger in this not only that men will neglect truth but there will be a strong temptation to resist and reject truth if God begins to dart in any light into a mans spirit that appears to crosse what hath been determined of for opinion or practice under a penalty the corruption of a mans heart will entice him to turne his minde from that light not to let it into conscience or heart lest it prevailing should put him upon such ways wherein he is like to suffer This hath been common in former times many have hid their eyes from those truths that would have kept them from enformity because they fore-saw what sad consequences would follow if their consciences should not suffer them to conform But you will say This supposes that some things will be urged that is contrary to truth which is uncharitable to suppose Although in matters fundamentall there is no feare that godly able men wil erre yet let charity be stretched to the ful latitude of it and reverence of men in place raised to the uttermost height yet if they will meddle with such things as are doubtful and controversal amongst godly and peaceable men and force them upon others that confidence of theirs that shall put them out of feare of erring shall be to me a ground of great fear that they will erre But some will acknowledge that some liberty should be granted in things thus doubtfull and controversall to men who are indeed conscientious godly and peaceable men but if this be yeelded
too then men who are not conscientious but of turbulent and corrupt spirits will abuse it We have given rules to find out those who onely pretend conscience and if by those or the like it does not appeare but that men are indeed conscientious in their way we should judg charitably of them you think much if those be not admitted to communion with Christ and his Saints when they professe godlinesse in word and life and nothing appears to the contrary why then should you think much to tolerate those as conscientious who professe it in words and life and nothing appears to the contrary Bishop Davenant in that exhortation to peace before quoted as one meanes for peace gives his opinion thus Because it belongs only to God to teach the hearts of men it is our duty alwayes to make the best interpretation of things and to presume of every one where the contrary appeares not by manifest signes that hee is kept from assenting by his conscience rather then by obstinacy As for the peaceablenesse of mens dispositions let it be judged from their carriages in other things of as great moment wherein the temptation for the attaining their owne ends is as great yea far greater then here Do they not carry themselves in as peaceable gentle self-denying way as any Mr. Parker upon the Crosse cap. 5. sect 14. pleads for himself and others who could not yeeld in some things enjoyned them when they were accused of pride contempt unpeaceablenesse What signes sayes he doe men see in us of pride contempt unpeaceablenesse What be our caetera opera that bewray such a humor Let it be named wherein we go not two mile where we are commanded to goe but one yea whether we goe not as many miles as any shooe of the preparation of the Gospel of peace will carry us What payment what paine what labour what taxation made us ever to murmure Survey our charges where wee have laboured if they be not found to be of the faithfullest Subjects that be in the land Wee deserve no favour nay there is wherein we stretch our consciences to the uttermost to conforme and obey in divers matters Are we refractory then other things As Balaams Asse said to his Master Have I used to serve thee so at other times And whereas it is said that some will abuse such liberty at this It is answered Surely those who are peaceable and conscientious must not be deprived of what sufferance Christ allowes them because others who are in the same way are or may prove turbulent and do or may not appear truly conscientious This is as farre beneath the rule of Justice as no sufferance in any thing conceived erroneous is above it Thirdly whatsoever errours or miscarriages in Religion the Church should bear withall in men continuing them still in communion with them as Brethren these the Magistrate should bear with in men continuing them in the Kingdome or Common-wealth in the enjoyment of the liberty of Subjects Grant what possible can be granted to the Magistrate in the extent of his power about Religion to be Custos utriusque tabulae yet certainly no man can imagine that this his charge reaches further then the charge of the Church That he is to be more exact in his oversight of these things then the Church is to be for what ever the power of the Magistrate be in these things yet to the Church especially are the Oracles the Ordinances the Truths of God committed The charge of the spirituall estate of men especially belongs to the Church Now the Church is to beare with men in their infirmities though they be ignorant of many things yea after means used for information No Church must cast off any from communion with it but for such things that all the Churches of Christ ought to cast them off for This is generally held by our Brethren if a man be rightly cast out of communion with one Church he is thereby cast out of all if this be so then surely many things must be suffered before we proceed to cast out a member it must not be for every errour or miscarriage Thus Bishop Davenant in his rules for Peace Those may not be cut off from communion with particular Churches who remaine joyned to the Catholique Church Yea none is to be cast out of communion but for that which if whole Churches were guilty of we must refuse communion with yea with all the Churches in the world if they could be supposed to be so far left of Christ as to be guilty of the same thing If this be so when a Church is about casting any out of communion it need be wary and not presently fall upon him because there is something evill in him and if the Church should be so the civill Magistrate much more whose care of a mans spirituall estate is not so immediate and full as the Churches is From what hath been said these 2. consequences are clear First Articles or rules for doctrine or practise in matters of Religion to be imposed upon men should be as few as may be there is a very great danger in the unnecessary multiplying them This in all ages hath caused divisions and exceeding disturbances in the Churches of Christ I finde an excellent passage in an Epistle of Isaac Causabon to Cardinall Perron which hee wrote in the name of King Iames by his command The King saith he thinks that the things that are absolutely necessary to salvation are not many therefore His Majesty is of that mind that there is no shorter way for peace then first by severing necessary things from things that are not necessary and then to labour a full agreement in those but as for things not necessary let them sayes he be left to Christian liberty And againe These necessary things are few and the King thinks this distinction to be of so great moment to lessen the controversies which this day doe so exceedingly trouble the Church that all who study peace should most diligently explicate teach and urge this God hath so graciously ordered things for the body that things necessary for life are not many nor costly the greatest stir in the world is about things not necessary So for the soule A second consequence from what hath been said is we see hence who is most for peace one professeth what he is convinced of to be a truth and a duty if it be not necessary he is not to force it upon his Brethren though he had never so much power in the Church or State to back him The other holds this principle That whatsoever he thinks to be a duty he must force it upon his brethren not only by the power of the Church but he must call in the power of the Magistrate to back him in it But doe not men in a Congregationall way urge upon others their owne conceptionâ— and practices according to the power they have
should not agree that they may be like the witnesses that came against Christ who could not agree in their testimony Paul cast a bone of dissention between the Pharisees and Sadduces But when men love division and desire the continuance of it First to maintain that which is evill Secondly to aime at their owne ends not regarding what publike mischiefes come so their own private advantages may be served not caring what house be on fire so their eggs may be rosted if they may have some poor pedling private benefit by them 3ly Not caring what the divisions are whether against good or against evill so be it their turn may be served This is abominable and cursed is that man that wishes for or rejoyces in or seeks the continuance of divisions for these base ends Yea that man is not worthy to breath in so good a Land as England is who would not willingly lay downe his his life to cure the present divisions and distractions that are amongst us who would not desire with Nazianzen as formerly Jonah to be cast into the Sea himself so be it all might be calm in the Publique Oh cruell hard-hearted man who for his own private advantage is not sensible of the woful miseries of Church and State yea of that dreadfull dishonour to the name of God caused this day by our sad divisions miserable distractionsâ— just it were that such a man should be separated to evil and that his name should be blotted out from under heaven But if things were setled in Church and State some men should not have such liberties as now they have therefore they are willing enough to have our differences continued their plot is to lengthen them out First That which thou callest seeking to lengthen out divisions it may be God now accounts and will another day call seeking after the nearest union with himselfe and the firmest union of his Saints Secondly the liberties these men seek for are either evill or good If evill oh how dearly do they buy that which is evill with bringing the guilt of all that evil that comes from our divisions upon themselves you need not wish any enemy more evil upon his head then this certainly such a man hath load enough upon him But if those liberties they seek be good or but supposed by them to be so why then should they feare a right setling of things what ever is good can be no enemy unto good That Scripture Rom. 13. 3. is enough to keep their hearts from fearing the right ordered power of authority especially from fearing it so farre as by the feare of it to be driven into such a desperate guilt of wickednesse as this is to desire or endeavour the continuance of such publique mischiefe for their own ends Rulers saith the Text are not a terrour to good works but to evil wilt thou then not be afraid of their power doe that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same Surely then the power was as formidable to any thing a christian heart could suppose good as now any power is like to be that we have to deale with Thirdly it is a sign of a very poor low unworthy spirit to think that any in whom thou hast any perswasion there is any feare of God or interest in Christ should have no higher thoughts for their support and encouragement in what they conceive good according to the mind of Christ but such as the hopes or desires of continuance of such wofull evils in the divisions of Church and State raiseth in them if they did believe that Christ took no more care of them then so but left them to such miserable supports as these are their condition were sad indeed 4ly If such basenesse of spirit as this is were ruling in them which hath in it the malignity of all the dregs of an evil spirit surely you would find it working in them in some other thing save only in that wherein they differ from you For certainly it is impossible but that man that is so left of God to such dregs of evill must needs break out to some other vile evils in a little time It were strange if such horrid wickednesse of a mans heart should break out in nothing else The Lord therefore be Judg between his servants and those men yea those men professing godlinesse who have such hard thoughts of them and the Lord convince them of all their hard speeches and hard writings in this thing CHAP. XI The fifth dividing Principle That every man is bound to professe and practice alwayes what he apprehends to be truth THis hath the greater strength because it comes under a shew of exact godlinesse I do not mean an hypocriticall shew but an appearance to mens consciences It is very dividing For first if while many things lye in mens owne thoughts they cause much strife within themselves their reasonings are very divers Though they have all the some tincture from the same affections and are swayed by the same ends then when these things come abroad before others who have not the same reasonings nor the same affections to give them such a tincture but reasonings and affections running quite another way nor the same ends to sway them but quite different to poyse them a cross way there must needs be much strife such divisions as will be hard to reconcile If men sometimes can hardly prevail with their own thoughts to agree notwithstanding the sway of their own affections and ends how are they like to agree with others whose affections and ends are so various from theirs Secondly if men doe presently professe and practice what they conceive to be right they must necessarily professe and recant recant and professe for in many things what they apprehend to be true at one time they suspect yea see cause to deny at another and what confusion disorder would there be in matters of Religion if continually by some or other there should be profession of things as true and good and calling the same things presently into question yea within a while denying and renouncing them And if not so then 3. If a man hath once made profession of what he conceives to be a truth differing from others if it proves to be a misapprehension there lies a great temptation upon him to stand out in it to strive to make it out to the utmost for nothing is more contrary to a mans nature then to acknowledg himself to be mistaken in his understanding and to lye down in the shame of rashnesse and inconsideratenesse in his actions therefore whatsoever mens own thoughts be within in their own spirits they had need take heed what they doe when they come to make open profession and practice what they apprehend and engage themselves thereby to maintaine there are not many who attaine to Augustines self denyall to publish retractations to all the world Now if a man through the strength of
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
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
slanderer being asked why he spake evil of such and such men Because sayes he I can doe no evill to them If there be any good done that she seeks to blast together with the instruments of it if any evil that she rakes into and feeds upon like that Bird Ibis in Africa that eats Serpents Luther sayes envious men feed upon the dung of other men they are like flies that love to be upon sores Erasmus tels of one who collected all the lame defective verses in Homer and passed over all that were so excellent When you see a man seeking to rake and gather together all he can of any distempers disorders mistakes miscarriages by hear-sayes letters or any way so be it he may fill up his dung-cart and for the good the graces or gifts of God in men those are laid aside or slightly passed over if at all mentioned it is with some dirt mingled Surely this is an envious man fitted for strife and debate whom God permits to be an affliction to his people in raising up a spirit of strife and contention and causing divisions amongst them like the Kite who passes over faire Medowes and pleasant fields not regarding them till she meets with a carrion there she fals and fastens now she is upon her prey where she would be How pleasant is it to some men to hear of or find out evil in others whom they doe not love To say no worse you know how it hath been an old practise to seek to get any thing by reports or any other wayes that might blast the professors of Religion and how glad were they how did it please them at the heart if they could meet with any thing that might serve their turne This is a very shamefull distemper some men will upon occasion confesse they fear other men and others that they love not other men or that they contemn others but no man will acknowledge that he envies others there is too much shame in this to be owned by any The impiety and wickednesse is not lesse it is a monstrous wickednesse for a man to complaine of God that he made the world no better and yet such wickednesse there is in some mens hearts but what is it then to complaine of and quarrel with God that he hath made the World or any part of it so well This the envious man doth An envious man cannot endure to see others better then himselfe or to have more respect then himself It is reported of Licinius an intimate familiar with Constantine the Great who also married his sister but fell off to be a desperate enemy against Christians alledging this to be the reason because in their Assemblies they prayed for Constantine and not for him Envious men whether they deserve respect or no yet if others have it and not themselves they rage and are mad There is no vice but hath some kind of opposition to some other as covetousnesse to prodigality c. but Envy only opposeth that which is good and all good therefore there is nothing in it but evil and an universal evil Gulielmus Parisiensis brings in Gregory saying That all the poyson in the old Serpent is in this sinne as if it had emptied it selfe of its poyson and vomited it in this sinne so much venome there is in it Is it not a very evill thing that in mens opposition against what they see others desire they should give this reason why it should not be suffered because if it be the greater part of the most godly people in all places will joyn with it This brings to mind what I have read in Ecclesiasticall History in the Second Century The Emperour Adrian would have build a Church for the honour of Christ void of Images because such was the custome of the Christians but his friends disswaded him saying If he did so all men would forsake the Temples of the gods and become Christians I find in that learned piece of Voetius Desperata causa papatus a notable story of Rayâ—erius a Popish Inquiâ—â—tor he exclaims against the Waldenses those poor men of Lioâ—s as he calls them He sayes there was never any more pernicious Sect then that and I pray why He gives 3. reasons First That it is very ancient Some say says he it hath continued from the time of Sylvester others from the times of the Apostles Secondly It is so generall there is scarce any Countrey but this hath got into it Thirdly whereas others are guilty of blasphemy against God upon which they are abhorred these appeare to be holy men they live justly their beliefe of God is right they believe all the Articles in the Creed We can finde no fault with them either for their lives or for their Doctrine onely they are against the Church of Rome in which the people are ready to joyne with them These are strange accusations for do not they themselves make all these the signs of the true Church and yet are these poor men so vile because such things are found amongst them Surely it is Envy that imbitters the spirits of men against others because they see in them those things which they cannot but acknowledg to be good and herein the great evill of Envy that malignity of it by which it causeth such great contentions does appear they are angry they can find no evill in them whereby they may get advantage against them The holy Ghost say that envy is rottennesse to the bones the same learned man Guliel Paris applyes this to such as are chief in Church and Common-wealth who are as it were the bones the strength the support of the societies whereof they are Envy says he is often found amongst them and it is rottennesse to them This vile sin hath caused a rot in many men of eminent abilities and places who might otherwise have done much service for God his people in Church and Common-wealth oh it is a michievous sin Take away envy says Augustine and what is mine you have take away envy and what is yours I have We read Acts 11. of Barnabas that hee was a good man and fuâ—l of the holy Ghost and he was a man of a cleaving disposiâ—ion of an uniting temper ver 23. He exhorted them that with full purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord This man was free from envy for the Text sayes when he had seen the grace of God he was glad He rejoyced in and blessed God for the grace he saw in his Saints Do you envy for my sake says Moses I would to God all the people of the Lord did prophesie Moses was a fit man for publike service who was so void of envy No men are so fit for publike employment as such who can bles God that he is pleased to make use of others as wel as yea beyond themselves It was a good speech of that gracious holy old Disciple Mr. Dod lately deceased I would to God says he I
may be devoured one of another We read Ezek. 5. 3 4. the Prophet was bid to bind up a few hairs in his skirt which was to signifie a few of the people which were preserved from that common calamity but after these were cast into the fire and fire came forth from these to all the house of Israel Polanus upon the place hath this note that grievous evils may come upon those who have been preserved from former common miseries and those who for a while have been preserved by their contentions and divisions may be the cause of woful evil to others God forbid that this Text should be fulfilled in us Let not a fire come from us who yet are so graciously preserved to devour the house of Israel 4ly God in this work of his hath joyned severall sorts of instruments men of severall opinions he hath made them one to do us good why should not we be one in the enjoyment of that good Let the one part and let the other part have their due honour under God in the mercy God hath made use of both and why may not both enjoy the fruit of this mercy together in the Land Fiftly We were not without some feares lest God should leave us in the work of Reformation begun but now God speaks aloud to encourage us he tels us he owns the worke Now what doth this require of us A little Logick will draw the consequence Hath God declared himself that he intends to go on in this work he hath begun Then let us all joyn together to further it to the uttermost we can let us not exasperate the spirits of one another in ways of strife and opposition but let every one set his hand and hand to this worke that he may be able to say Oh Lord God thou that knowesâ— the secrets of all hearts knowest that upon this great mercy of thine my heart was so moved that whatsoever I could possibly see to be thy will for the furtherance of this great work of Reformation and that I was able to doe I did set my selfe to doe it and am resolved to spend my strengâ—h and life in it If every one did thus oh what glory might God have from this mercy of his 6ly When the Lord comes to us with mercies and such great mercies he expects we should rejoyce in them and sing praise but how can we sing without Harmony Prayer requires an agreement Mat. 18. 19. If two of you shall agree on earth touching any thing they shall aske it shall be done for them Surely Praise requires agreement much more Psalms out of tune are harsh to the eare disagreement of heart is much more to the Spirit of God 7. Surely when God hath done so much for us it must be acknowledged to be our duty to study what sacrifice would be best pleasing to him some sacrifice we must offer If there be any more acceptable to him then other surely he deserves it no. If a friend had done some reall kindness for you you would be glad to know what might be most gratefull to him wherein you might testifie your thankfulness Is this in your hearts Do you now say Oh that we did but know what is the thing that would be most pleaâ—ing to God what sacrifice would smell sweetest in his nostrils The Lord knowes we would fain offer it whatsoever it be I will tell you That we would lay aside our divisions our frowardnesse that we would abandon our contentions and strife that we would put on the bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse long-suffering forbearing one another forgiving one another If any man hath a quarrell against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye Col. 3. 12. And 1. Pet. 3. 4. A meeâ—e and a quiet spirit is in the â—ight of God of great price it is much set by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 15. 17. The sacrifice of God that which is in stead of all sacrifices is a broken spirit Our hearts have been broken one from another in our unhappy divisions oh that now they could break one towards another in love and tenderness Here would be a sacrifice more esteemed of God then thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyle Loving mercy and walking humbly is preferred above such sacrifices Micah 6. 8. 8ly God might have sodeâ—'d us together by the fire of his wrath he might have made our blood to have been our cement to have joyned our stinty hearts together but it is otherwise God seeks to draw us to himselfe and one to another by the cords of love the allurings of his mercy Ninthly what can have that power to take off the sowrnesse of mens spirits like mercy the mercy of a God surely if any thing possibly can sweeten them that must needs do it We read 1 Sam. 11. 11 12 13. a notable experiment of the efficacy of mercy to sweeten mens hearts After Saul had slain the Ammonites some of the bosterous spirits would have had him to have slain those who formerly had rejected him but mark Sauls answer ver 13. There shall not a man be put to death this day Why For this day the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel Though Saul at another time was a man of a harsh and cruell spirit yet now mercy sweetens him that which he was one day by the sense of mercy that should we be not only in the day of our Thanksgiving but in the course of our lives When salvation came to the house of Zacheus O what a sweet temper was he in Behold halfe of my goods I give to the poore and if I have wronged any one I restore foure-fold Salvation is this day come to the Kingdome O that all we had hearts to say If wee have wronged any wee will restore if wee have wronged any in their names by word or writing any way we will restore Mercy and love calls for mercy and love if we were in a right tune there would be a sympathy between the bowels of God and ours as in two Lures if the string in one be wound up to be answerable to the other if you then strike one string the other will move though lying at a distance Now Gods love Gods bowels move let our love our bowels move answerably 10. God shewes that he can owne us notwithstanding all our infirmities Was ever Kingdome in a more distempered condition then ours hath been of late and yet the Lord hath owned us Why should not we own our Brethren notwithstanding their infirmities Why should our divisions cause uâ— to call off one another seeing our divisions from God hath not provoked him to cast us off 11. Is it not in our desires that this great Victory might be pursued that it might not be lost as others in great part have been Surely it cannot be pursued better then to take this advantage of it to unite our selves more together then ever we have done
suddenly cause great stirre and trouble where ever they come The Hebrew word that signifies a fool and that which signifies suddenly rashly is from the same root 3ly When peace sometimes is even concluded and there is great joy in hope of a comfortable agreement rashnesse will suddenly break it without any due consideration O that that promise Isa 52. 4. were fulfilled among us The heart of the rash shall understand knowledge Rash men think they presently understand all that is knowable in such a busisinesse and thence presume to make sudden determinations but as over-hasty digestion causes wind and brings much trouble to the body so over-hasty resolutions to mens spirits and to societies The seventh Dividing Distemper Wilfulnesse I Think I may say in most men Will is the axletree lust and passions are the wheels whereupon almost all their actions are carried Where there is much will though the thing be little about which men contend yet the opposition may be great as a little stone thrown with a strong arme may take deep impression It is a dangerous thing to have mens wills ingaged in matters of difference it is easier to deal with twenty mens reasons then with one mans will A man of a wilfull stout spirit stands as a stake in the midst of a steam le ts all passe by him but he stands where he was What hope can there be of union where there will be no yielding one mans will raiseth anothers set will to will they may dash one against another but not like to close to get into one another A wilful man thinks it is beneath a wise man to alter his way yea it may be he thinks it a dishonour to the truth that both he his profession and the honour of God shall suffer by it when a stubborn self-willednes is taken for a right constancy and setlednesse it is very strong in men but let us take heed of this it is no matter though we go back from our former assertions so long as we go forward to the truth Luther was called an Apostate I am so says he but it is from errour to truth Many times stoutnesse of spirit comes from weakenesse rather then strength there is not always the greatest strength of judgment where there is the greatest strength of will As a mans judgment that is without prejudice is very strong so a mans prejudice that is without judgment is as strong The dullest horses are not always the most easily reigned I know and am perswaded says the Apostle Rom. 14. 14. many men are perswaded before they know those who are perswaded before they know wil not be perswaded to know Mens wills will not suffer their understandings to consider if they doe consider they will not suffer them to be convinced if they be convinced they will not suffer them to acknowledge that they are convinced It is dishonest for a man not to give in his Bond when the debt is paid so for a man not to acknowledg himselfe convinced but stand out against the truth though his conscience tels him it is made clear to him Let men lay down their wils and there will be no hell sayes Bernard So say I take away mens wills and contentions will cease Scaliger tels us the nature of some kind of Amber is such that it will draw to it self all kind of stalks of any herbe except Basiliske an Herbe called Capitalis because it makes men heady filling their brains with black exhalations Thus those who by the fumes of their corrupt wills are grown headstrong will not be drawn by that which draws others But this charging men of wilfulness is presently catched hold of in an abusive way if men wil not yeeld to what some conceive to be right presently they are charged with wilfulnesse and stubbornnesse they do not see because they will not see they are not convinced because they will not We who differ so much from others in things that others thinke to be clear should take heed how we charge others of wilfulnesse who differ from us As it is dishonest not to give in the bond when the debt is paid so it is a cheat to require the bond before the debt be satisfied Men may think and give out they have done enough to convince men when indeed upon examination it will be found to be nothing or far short of satisfying the reasons that are against it if they were their own But when a man may have peace in his conscience that what he holds or does is not through wilfulnesse but constancy of his love to the truth I shall speak to presently The eighth dividing Distemper Vnconstancy IF a man had an art to change his face every day to seem sometimes white sometimes black sometimes ruddy sometimes pale sometimes hairy sometimes smooth sometimes old sometimes yong how unfit were such a man for society this which men cannot do in their faces they doe in the unconstancy of their spirits As our affections and determinations must not be like the Persian Decrees to admit of no alteration so neither must they be such as the Polonian laws are which they say last but 3. days When a thing is so brittle that it breaks as soon as you meddle with it how can you make it joyn there must be som consistency in that which you would fasten to another thing when mens spirits are so fickle that a man cannot tell where to find them how can there be a close O how much are men now differing from themselves in what their thoughts of men and carriage towards them have been though the men concerning whom they thus differ remain the same they were yea the same they appeared to be long since there was sweet agreement in affection loving embracements rejoycing in the presence of one another and yet nothing is known in those from whom their hearts countenances and ways are alienated c. more then formerly was not difference in judgment that was known before Such a change of spirits and carriages in hodly men one towards another hath appeared as never appeared in any age since the world began A great deal of stir there hath been more then formerly yet what are these men otherwise then they have bin many years since Were I to speak to wicked men to charge them of the unconstancy of their spirits I would make use of that similitude I have out of Epiphanius who speaking of the Jewes desiring the coming of the Messias but when he was come they hated him They were says hee in this like mad dogs who first glaver upon men and then bite and devour them But because I speak to many of the Saints I had rather use a softer expression more sutable to the honour that is due to godly men I compare them in their unconstancy towards their brethren which hath caused so great division to the sweetnesse of the ayr in a fair sun-shine morning
oh how does it delight the traveller when he goeth forth â— and truly such were the serene countenances of our brethren towards us but within a while the clouds over-cast the sky looks lowring gusts of wind arise yea thunder-bolts of terrible words flye about our eares and the flashes of their anger strike upon our faces Tantae ne animis coelestibus irae Unconstancy is evill and a cause of division Stoutnesse is evil and a cause of division A man must not be one thing one day and another another day not like a weather-cock carried up and down with every wind neither must he be wilfull and stout not like a rusty lock that will not be stirred by any key Now then how shall we know when a man is neither fickle nor stout For except some rules of discerning be given this temptation may be before me I must not be fickle unsetled and unconstant I will therefore stifly stand to maintain what I have professed You may know whether your ficklenesse be avoyded by true setled constancy of spirit or by stoutnesse by these five notes First true constancy and setlednesse of spirit is got by much prayer and humiliation before the Lord Establish me Lord with thy free spirit unite my heart to feare thy Name When after thy heart-breakings and meltings and heart-cryings and pourings forth Lord shew mee what thy will is in this thing keep mee from miscarrying let me not settle upon any errour instead of the truth but what is thy truth fasten my soule in it that what ever temptations come I may never be taken off from it Tell God in Prayer what the thing is and what hath perswaded thy heart to embrace it open thy heart fully to God in all thy aimes and if by this meanes the heart be fixed now it is delivered from ficklenesse and not faln into stoutnesse 2ly Where true constancy is attained by the Spirit of God and not by the stoutnesse of thine owne there is exercise of much grace and growing up in grace as faith humility love meeknesse patience c. 1 Pet. 3. 17 18. Take heed ye fall not from your stedfastnesse but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Hearts stout and wilfull are dry and saplesse 3ly If the more a man hath to do with God the more setled he is in his way when he hath the most full converse and sweetnesse of communion with God he is then the most fully setled satisfied established in such a truth which he before conceived to be of God Many men are very stiffe and wilful unmoveable when they have to deal with men they seem then to be the most confident men in the world but God knows and their consciences know when they solemnly set themselves in the presence of God and have the most reall sight of God and have to deale most immediately with him then they have ms-giving thoughts they have feares that things may not prove so sure as they bore others in hand they apprehended them to be But if Gods presence and thy dealings with him confirms thee in this thy conscience may give thee an assurance that as thou art not fickle and wavering so not stout and wilfull 4ly When there is a proportion in mens constancie if a man be resolute and constant in one thing but very fickle and easily turned aside in others there is cause to suspect his constancy is rather from stiffnesse then from grace for grace works proportionably through the whole soule and in the whole course of a mans life 5ly If the more reall the presence of death and judgment appear to a man the more setled he is in that way this likewise may be a good evidence to him that his setlednesse in such a way is right CHAP. XX. The ninth dividing Distemper A spirit of jealousie The tenth A spirit of contention The eleventh Covetousnesse The twelfth Falsenesse ENvy strife railings evill surmisings 1 Tim. 6. 4. Strife and evill surmisings are neer of kin If contentious men can get nothing against their brethren they will surmise there is something if they can find nothing in their actions to judge they will judg their hearts if there be nothing above-board they wil think there may be something under-board from thinking there may be something they will think it is very likely there is something and from likely there is they will conclude there is Surely there is some plot working But this is against the law of Love for it thinketh no evill all the good that they see in their Brethren is blasted by their suspition of evil Love would teach us rather by what appears to judg the best of what appears not then by what appeares not to judg the worst of what appears Suspition is like some jelly stuffe that is got between the joynts if the bone be out of joynt and any jelly be got in though it be but a little soft stuffe it will hinder the setting of the bone I confess in these times because we have been so extreamly deceived in those who have been used in publike place in whom we so much confided there is a great deal of reason that we should be very wary of men and believe till we have very good grounds of confidence with trembling I remember Melchior Adam in the life of Bucholcerus tels of a witty counsel of his to his friend Hubnerus who being to goe to the Court to teach the Prince Electors children at their parting I will give you says he one profitable rule for your whole life he lissening what it should be I commend saith he to you the faith of the Devills At which Hubnerus wondring Take heed sayes he how you trust any at the Court beleeve their promises but warily but with feare you may feare they will never come to any thing But in the mean time while we are thus fearful of one another while we cannot trust one another we cannot joyn one with another I have read of Cambyses he did but dream his brother should be King of Persia and he put him to death Many amongst us do but dream of men with whom our hearts are not that they have some plots working and how do our spirits work against them Groundlesse jealousies arise from much baseness in our owne hearts Those who have no principle of faithfulnesse in themselves are suspitious of every one but as for those who suffer causelesly in this thing let them be of good comfort God will reward them good for what evill they suffer Wee read Numb 5. 28. that if a man were jealous of his wife so that he brought her to the tryall by drinking the water of jealousie if she were clear she should not onely be freed from hurt by that water but she should conceive seed if she went barren before the Lord would recompence her sorrow and trouble shee suffered by her husbands
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
that expects and is to desire the benefit of Communion with the rest there is all the reason in the world that the helpe advice and assistance of the other Churches should be made use of in the raising and ordering this Church that they are thus to owne in the way of communion with them to whom they are to give the right hand of fellowship Fifthly All beleevers who live in a place together ought so far as they can joyne into one Church though they be of different judgements and tempers what ever things they differ in yet if they may stand with grace they can have no encouragement from the examples of any of the Churches we read of in Scripture for them to divide themselves into little pieces The way of Christ all along in Scripture is that all the Saints in such a place who are not more then can joyne in one should joyne together and make but one Church certainly this is more for the honour of Christs Body then the division of Saints in the same place into severall little societies Christ stands much upon the union of his Saints in one in all wayes by all meanes that may be Sixtly as things are yet with us there is no such great reason of that outcry there is amongst us against gathering of Churches as so great a dividing practice as many seeme to make it How can this practise be so very offensive when almost all of you thinke it lawfull for a man for any commodiousnesse to remove from that Church of which now he is to joyne with another sobeit he will remove his dwelling But these do not set up new Churches If a company of men who have estates should not be satisfied with that Ministery that belongs to that company that now they are joyned with and should buy a piece of ground close to the place where they were and build upon it and have leave of the State to make a new Parish of those dwellings they build who would blame them for gathering a Church thus Hence it is apparent that withdrawing from our Churches and gathering other is not according to the judgements of our Brethren against any Church Principle the offence that is is onely against some civill constitution Secondly this thing in effect hath been ordinarily practiced heretofore without any offence to the godly yea and is still practiced without any complaint Hath it not beene and is it not still ordinary for many not to communicate in the Parishes where they live nor commonly to heare there but from all parts of the City to come to some Parishes where they conceive the best Ministers to be and there to heare and communicate and this in a constant way and that with allowance to the maintenance of such Ministers yea and thus the Husband goes one way and the Wife another and yet none offended it may be the Gentleman can content himselfe with his Parish-Church but his wife or Lady is not satisfied but must go elsewhere If it be said But this was in a time when things were in great confusion not so reformed as now they are and we hope may further be Then it is not howsoever simply unlawfull 2. It continues so still in many places of this City 3. When you have reformed further it may be mens consciences will bee further satisfied you may reforme so farre as you may prevent much of what you now complaine so much of But though they came for their present reliefe yet they did not binde themselves one to another by Covenant so as men now doe If those who came constantly to your Ministry and Sacraments had professed their willingnesse to joyne with you in all the Ordinances of Christ so farre as they knew and to walke accordingly you might the more comfortably have administred ordinances to them but offensive to you it could not have been But their Covenant bindes them so that they cannot returne back againe whatsoever reformation there be Doe you pray for and endeavour the putting on Reformation to the uttermost and then see what they will doe they have not yet declared themselves that they hold themselves so joyned by any Covenant that they may not joyne with you that what releife they have had for the present time or what agreement there hath been amongst themselves should hinder them from falling into that way all along held forth in Scripture namely for all the Saints that live together to joyne in one so farre as possible they can But these who gather Churches thus looke upon all others who are not in that way as Heathens and what division must this needs make If this were so it were a sad dividing practice indeed wicked men cannot endure to be thus judged of to be cast out as unworthy of Church-fellowship much lesse can the Saints bee able to beare it it must needes go neerer to their hearts Aben Ezra sayes the Ammonites and Moabites burnt the bookes of the Law because of that place Deut. 23. 3. An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord even to their tenth Generation If an Ammonite or Moabite cannot beare the being shut out of the Congregation of the Lord how can the Saints beare it But God knows and our Brethren may know I hope they shall know that the thing is not so O no they looke upon you as the precious Saints of God their deare Brethren in Jesus Christ they blesse God for the graces they see in you and rejoice in the hope of living eternally in Heaven with you But why then will they not admit them to their communion In all worship that belongs to Saints as Saints they joyfully joyne with them but they thinke there is some that belongs to Saints as gathered in a Society under Officers which cannot be performed orderly but in that way and they think it unreasonable that any should have the benefit of the priviledges of the Church and be under no power no discipline of any Church that they should pick and choose Ordinances and yet live at liberty so that if they walke disorderly no Church hath any power to call them to an account Suppose this to be a reason why they admit not of some this is another thing then the judging of them to be Heathens Let me say further I know none of these congregated Churches either here or in other parts that ever refused any who appeared to be godly from communicating with them if they did but acknowledge themselves to be members of any Church elsewhere though that Church were in a differing way from it in respect of government You will say What need that If it be to prevent loosenesse in men who will be under no government if it be because they judge Sacramentall communion to be a Church-Ordinance or if it should be through a mistake yet howsoever this must not be judged to be the cause that
false opinion as if he had the malignity of those thousand evill things in his spirit I finde our Divines who have been of peaceable spirits have condemned very much this fastening of dangerous consequences of mens opinions upon those who hold the opinions and yet whose hearts are as much against such consequences as possibly may be deduced from them as any In their giving rules for peace they advise to take heed of this as a thing which makes Brethren who are different in their opinions unlikely ever to become one Davenant sayes It is abhorrent to charity and right reason that any because of consequences from what he holds neither understood nor granted by him should be thought to deny or reject a fundamentall Article which he firmly beleeves expresly asserts and if he were called to it whould seale the truth of it with his bloud Truer and more gentle sayes he is the judgment of that great and peace-making Divine Bucer who sayes It is our part not to look at what may follow from an opinion but at what followes in the consciences of those who hold it The eleventh dividing Practice To commend and countenance what we care not for in opposition to what we dislike WHen such as professe godlinesse shall make much of wicked men shall commend them joyne with them embrace them yea be well pleased with the bitternesse boisterousnesse boldnesse of their daring spirits because there may be use made of them against those men and wayes they differ from this is an evill which brings guilt upon themselves and makes the division between them and their Brethren very great If your hearts be right and your cause be good you need not make use of any thing that is evill to comfort your hearts or to maintaine your cause The Lord will not be beholding to the evill the bitternesse of mens spirits for the furtherance of his cause and why should you God will not take the wicked by the hand neither shouldest thou Are not your spirits strengthned against your adversaries when you see them calling in Papists and all manner of the refuse of men wicked and treacherous Can you thinke that these are the most likely to maintaine the Protestant Religion and the liberty of the Subject Why doe you seek to strengthen your selves by stirring up vile men to joyne with you such as heretofore your hearts were opposite to How comes it to passe you can close so lovingly now You can smile one upon another and shake hands together How comes it to passe you doe rejoyce the hearts of evill men they encourage you and you encourage them Those unsavoury bitter expressions that come from them you can smile at and be well pleased with because they are against such as differ from you blow up that sparkle of ingenuity that heretofore hath been in you lay your hands upon your hearts bethinke your selves is it the Spirit of Jesus Christ that acts us in such a way wherein we are Surely this is not the way of peace but of division and confusion The last dividing Practice The Practice of Revenge WHen any provoke you you say you will be even with him there is a way whereby you may be not even with him but above him that is forgive him Practising revenge is the way to continue divisions to the end of the world such offend me therefore I will offend them and therefore they offend me againe mee againe and I them and so it may run in infinitum they deny mee a kindnesse therefore I will deny them and therefore they will deny mee so these unkindnesses run on endlesly divisions will have a line of succession where will it where can it stop if this be the way of men Paulus Fagius in his Notes upon Leviticus cap. 19. v. 18. sayes If Reuben should say to Simeon Lend me thy Axe and he should answer I will not the next day Simeon hath need of an Axe and he comes to Reuben and sayes I pray lend me your Axe and Reuben answers No you would not lend me yours yesterday the Jewes accounted this to be Revenge There is much more malignity in our revengefull practices one upon another then this Basil invelghing against requiting evill for evill in his tenth Sermon speakes thus to a revengefull heart Doe not make your Adversary your Master doe not imitate him whom you hate be not you his looking-glasse to present his forme and fashion in your selfe Revenge God challengeth to himselfe as his presume not to encroach upon Gods proprietie to get up into Gods seate and doe his worke thou hast enough to doe of thine owne And it is very observable how God stands upon his challenge of revenge as his owne as that which he by no meanes will suffer others to meddle with in those Scriptures where this is mentioned the challenge is doubled yea sometimes trebleâ— as Psal 94. 1. O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth O God to whom vengeance belongeth So Nahum 1. 2. The Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth the Lord will take vengeance on his Adversaries Heb. 10. 30. Vengeance belongeth to me I will recompence saith the Lord and againe the Lord will judge his people You must not think revenge to be so light a matter How unbeseeming are revengefull practices to Christian profession Many of the Heathens were above such things Plutarch reports of Phocion That when he had done notable service for the Athenians yet was put to death by them but being asked a little before his death whether he had any thing to say to his sonne Yes sayes he that I have I require of thee my sonne that thou never wishest ill to the Athenians for this they doe to me How farre are most of us from this we can hardly passe by an ill looke without revenge but if we conceive our selves to be wronged in words or actions then revenge rises high such things must not be born A Gentleman of very good credit who lived at Court many yeeres told me that himselfe once heard a great man in this Kingdome say He never forgave man in his life and I am moved the rather to beleeve it to be so because I have been told by some other Gentlemen that the same man would when he was walking alone speake to himselfe and clap his hand upon his breast and sweare by the Name of God that he would be revenged hee would be revenged and that she who lay in his bosome was wont to sit alone and sing to her selfe Revenge Revenge O how sweet is Revenge If they get power into their owne hands and are so uxorious as they must needs give way to have things managed according to the will of their revengefull wives what peace what security is there like to be Sir Walter Rawleigh in his History of the World tells of the sad case of the Lacedemonians when Nabis having power in his hands having a wife Apega a woman full of
earth sayes he is fixed to men whose braines and eyes are sound but to those who have a vertigo in their heads it seems to turne round so we are deceived in our apprehensions of things we have not the same judgment of things when we love and when we doe not love Fiftly they hinder the sweetnesse of Christian converse and communion you know your communion with the Saints was wont to be farre more sweet then now it is ye were wont to have your hearts spring at the sight of one another Ipse aspectus boni viri delectat sayes Seneca The very sight of a good man delights the sight of a godly man was wont to delight us otherwise then now it does you look one upon another now sowrely with lowring countenance and withdraw from one another your comforts were wont to be double treble seven fold an hundred fold according to that society of Saints you conversed withall one godly man accounted it the joy of his heart that he had any thing that he could communicate to another godly man and the other had the like joy that he had any thing to communicate to him thus comforts were multiplyed but now your comforts are single Oh the sweetnesse the sutablenesse there was wont to be in the spirits of Christians Shall I say sutablenesse it was a blessed onenesse of heart they did as it were exchange soules one with another every day their soules did close claspe one with and cleave one to another Oh how did they love to open their hearts one to another what delight was there in pouring forth their spirits one into another What cheerfulnesse was there wont to be in their meeting they eate their bread together with singlenesse of heart and joy praising the Lord. There were no such merry meetings in the world as the meetings of the Saints were wont to be They parted one from another with their soules bound up one in another their hearts warmed enlarged resolved strengthened in Gods waies But now they cannot meet together but they fall a jarring contending one with another and part with spirits estranged from sowred and imbittered one against another their hearts weakned and more unsetled in the things of God then before Heretofore when they were absent one from another yet the remembrance one of another was joyfull but these dayes seeme to be gone Where is there that opening of secrets one to another as formerly every one is afraid of another What sweet visits were there wont to be what bearing one anothers burdens what heart-encouraging Letters It was with the Saints as in Tertulliâ—ns time Christians called Brethren and were ready to dye for one another but now they are burdens to one anothers spirits they bring evils one upon another Those who heretofore were forward Professors whose society was onely amongst the Saints now they can suit well enough with those who are carnal they close with them their converse is most amongst them Oh Lord what fire is it that is kindled amongst us The nature of fire is Congregare homogenea segregare heterogenea to gather things of a like nature together and separate things of a different but our fire does quite contrary it separates things that are Homogeneall and joyns things Heterogeneall Surely this is no other then the fire of hell Sixthly they hinder our time Abundance of time is spent about our divisions which we are not able to give account to God for When men are engaged in contentions they will follow them night and day whatsoever business be neglected to be sure that must not yea the choice of our time that was wont to be spent in meditation reading prayer is now spent in contending and wrangling Those retired times that we were wont to converse with God in are now spent in the workings of our thoughts about our divisions and when we come abroad then a great part of our time is taken up in going first to this body and then to the other to help forward and foment matter of division Of all the time of a mans life that time that is spent in lawing and quarrelling is the worst and happy it were for many that it might not be reckoned amongst the days weeks or moneths of their lives Seventhly they hinder our prayers If two or three agree together touching any thing they shall aske it shall be done for them by my Father sayes Christ Mat. 18. 18. 1 Tim. 2. 8. I will that men pray lifting up their hands without wrath When Daniel was in a strait he goes to his companions and desires them to lift up prayers to God for him Dan. 2. 17. There was a a sweet agreement between them Hence their stock and trade in prayer went in common but divisions do exceedingly hinder prayer either one with another or one for another 1 Pet. 3. 7. the Apostle giving rules for a peaceable loving life between man wife the woman must be meek and the man live with his wife as a man of knowledge and they must walk together as the heires of life Why so That your prayers may not bee hindred Private contentions in families are great hindrances of family-prayers So our publick divisions and contentions are the great hindrances of the prayers of Christians in a more publick way How were they wont to pour forth their hearts in prayer together then their hearts closed but now it is otherwise Men do not walk now together as the heirs of life therefore their prayers are hindred God accepts not of our gift if we offer it when our hearts are at a distance from our brethren When breaches continue and we are not reconciled you know Christ requires us to leave our gift at the Altar till reconciliation be made It is the Spirit of God in the Saints that is the spirit of prayer now Gods Spirit is a Dove-like meek quiet and peaceable spirit Eighthly they hinder the use of our gifts When Vessels are sowred with vinegar they spoil liquor that is poured into them they make it good for nothing Many men have excellent gifts but they are in such sowre vinegar spirits that they are of little or no use in Church and Common-wealth 1. In these times of division many men exercise their gifts and parts in little or nothing else but in matters of division do you think that God hath given you such parts for no other end but this 2. They have no hearts to impart to their Brethren their gifts in counselling admonishing strengthning comforting No their hearts are estranged from them they care not to have any thing to do with them but do you think that you are so far your own men that you may keep in or imploy your talents as you please Are you not the Stewards of Christ are they not given to you for the edification of your Brethren as well as for good to your selves Can this satisfie your consciences such a one differs from you he hath
otherwise then you expected you vent your selves against them in quarelling in giving ill language in vilifying and scorning your strength runs out this way but there are a generation of men who being wronged improve their strength in patient bearing yet in making their moan to God in the exercise of faith in committing their cause to him Mat. 18. from 24. to 31. you have the story of the servant who had ten thousand talents forgiven him who yet took his fellow-servant by the throat who ought him a hundred pence and put him into prison the Text sayes When his fellow servants saw what was done they were sorry and came and told their Lord what was done You do not hear them cry out of their fellow-servant O what a vile base wretch was he who would deal thus with his fellow No but they went and told their Lord. It is not the way of Christians when they apprehend wrong done to give ill language to seek to right themselves or others by bitter provoking expressions but their hearts being filled with griefe if they must needs vent it if quiet debates with their Brethren will not ease them let them vent themselves in the powring forth their complaints to the Lord. Seventhly there is much sinne in our divisions for they stir up much corruption on all sides both in our selves and others As if you shake a glass of water that has dirt in the bottome the dirt spreads it self all over so doth the dirty stuffe in our hearts these divisions causing a commotion in them that corruption is now discovered that neither our selves nor others had thought had been in us Do not you say in your hearts and it may be one to another Who would have thought it possible that so much filthy staffe should lie so long in such mens hearts undiscovered which now appeares since these unhappy divisions have been amongst us James 3. 16. Where there is envying and strife there is confusion and every evill worke When Snakes are cold they lye still but if the heat of fire come to them then they hisse and put forth their stings Thus mens corruptions heat by the fire of contention that is kindled amongst us begin to stirre to act yea to rise very high The reason that some give of that prohibition of the Apostles Ephes 4. Let not the Sunne goe downe upon your wrath which also I finde Chrysostome upon the place gives is because when mens wrath is stirred by contending if it continues in the heat of it till night as they lye upon their beds their corruptions will be boyling they will lye musing and plotting against those that contend with them their thoughts in the night season will worke up their corruptions to a great height have you not found it so when the Sunne was gone downe upon your wrath you could hardly sleepe that night William the Conquerour in his first yeer commanded that every night at eight a clock a Bell should be rung and that all people should then put out their fire which was called the Curfew Bell it were well that some were admonished every night to cover the fire of their passions We stirre up likewise the corruptions of others in these our divisions doe you not see those distempers formerly mentioned working and breaking forth in your Brethren when you provoke them in your contending with them O pitty pitty thy Brother if thou canst not pitty thy selfe does it not grieve thee that thy Brother should bring sinne upon himself Were it not better for thee to suffer then for thy Brother to sinne It is an evill thing to be an occasion of griefe to our Brethren The Lord does not willingly grieve the children of men but to be occasion of sinne to them is much worse When did you ever meet with your Brethren and had your spirits put into any heat but after your parting when you began to be coole you then saw canse to grieve for unbeseeming words carriages breakings forth of passion that there was either in you or them Sometimes in a froward debate there is more sinne committed in one houre then there is otherwise in a whole twelvemonth between those who live lovingly and sweetly together yea sometimes such corruptions are stirred by differences and divisions that one would think were not competible to a Saint namely the rejoycing in the evill of other men yea of godly men David said his zeal had ever consumed him because his enemies had forgotten Gods word but some mens zeale doe even consume them because their friends do remember Gods Word the more inoffensive they walke the more are they troubled it were endlesse to mention the uncharitablenesse wrong malice injustice oppression cruelty with the abundance of other sins that are caused by our divisions Eightly Yet further as they stirre up sinne so they harden in sinne Fire hardens the clay into a brick Thus are mens hearts hardened in evill by our divisions men who heretofore had tender spirits their hearts were redy to relent upon any brotherly admonition now they are stiffe they stand out sturdily yea behave themselves scornfully O this fire of contention hath baked their lusts hath hardned their hearts Ezek. 11. God promises to give his people one heart and this heart should be a heart of flesh While the hearts of the Saints are united they are tender but when they divide they grow hard Hence is the reason why Brethren being falne out it is so hard to convince either of them of any ill carriage they are angry they think they do well to be angry and all because their hearts are hardened Jonah was in a pettish mood his heart was hardened with it let God himself come now to convince him he stands it out he will by no meanes acknowledg himselfe faulty no what he does he will justifie he does well to be angry Ninthly there is much sinne in them for they are a meanes to keep off others from Gods wayes if this be their religion for men to quarell one with another I will have none of it Carnall hearted men use to charge Religion with all the miscarriages of the Professours of it You know what Saint Paul sayes 1 Cor. 14. If men speak with strange tongues aud there comes in one unlearned will they not be to him as Barbarians will they not say they are mad Thus when the men of the world looke upon those who professe Religion and see their carriages their wayes strange divided amongst themselves will they not think them even mad people I charge you sayes the Church Cant. 3. 5. by the Roes and by the Hindes that you stir not up my Beloved till he please This by some is interpreted thus The Roes and Hindes are shy and fearfull creatures by them are signified such as are observers of the wayes of the Church and ready to take offence at any thing they see amisse in them therefore I charge you say those who are faithfull that
he might tell Joseph that his heart did close much with him and if he had any opportunity to be useful to him oh what a happinesse should he think it to himselfe Surely it should be improved for the good of Joseph to the uttermost But when he was preferred when he had respect amongst great ones and Joseph still was kept low then he is not the same man that he was when he was Josephs fellow-sufferer Now he hath other things in his head Joseph is forgotten by him Where this evill is be sure God will find it out for it is an evill very grievous to his Spirit Put these together and it will appeare that it is no time now to contend whatsoever we doe at other times I remember I have read of Sir Francis Drake having a dear friend of his slaine by a bullet as he sate with him at supper Ah sayes he I could grieve for thee but now is no time for me to let down my spirits So when any shal do such things as might cause contention do you speak to your own heart Ah I find my anger stirred I could contend but now is no time for me to let my spirits rise in a contending way these times call for peace and union not for strife and debate This is the 11. aggravation we are divided in such a time as this The twelfth is we are divided notwithstanding we are all convinced of the evill of divisions We cry out exceedingly against them we tell one another that of all the tokens of Gods displeasure amongst us these are the greatest Yet scarce a man does any thing or leaves any thing undone towards any help against divisions or furtherance of our union Every man cries out of the Theefe but who stops him We all say we would have peace oh peace is an excellent thing But where is the man who is willing to be at any cost for it either in putting up any wrong which he conceives is done to himself or bearing with his brother in any thing differing from himself The Lord may justly judge us out of our own mouths 13. We have complained of others who are in place of power to be of harsh cruel dispositions We have sayd if they had been of gentle loving peaceable dispositions tendring the glory of God dearly the good of their brethren as their own what abundance of good might they have done We have thought in those times Oh if such men were in place who were then our dear brethren whom we conceived to be of holy humble sweet peaceable spirits very tender-hearted towards any they saw godlinesse in had they power in their hands what safety peace rest would the Saints have How comfortably should they goe on in their work How would they be edified praysing the Lord What a heaven upon earth should we have And yet we finde it otherwise We may say we looked for light and behold I will not say darknesse but behold dimnesse even from them for brightnesse but behold obscurity Oh how doe the carriages of these men in some degree justifie the harshnesse sowernesse domineering and cruelty of some of the Prelates We hope nothing shall ever befall us as to be such a temptation to us as to justifie their places But some of their persons are so farre justified as there is occasion given to think they were not such vile men as heretofore we thought they were For now we see what a temptation there is in having the times shine upon me in having power put into mens hands We see now that men who have other manner of principles then ever they had yet how sadly they miscarry when they come under the like temptations How can we answer Christ Jesus for these things 14. We are still divided though we have seen the wofull evils that divisions have brought upon others yet we cannot be warned by other mens harmes Those who are acquainted with Ecclesiasticall Histories may furnish themselves with Volumes in this kind Who can read that short but sowre History of the troubles at Frankford but his heart must needs bleed within him And of late what evills have almost all the Protestant party in Germany and through the Christian world suffered by divisions And yet we engage our selves in them and are every day engaging our selves more and more How deep we shall sink the Lord knowes 15. In our very labouring for union we are divided in our endeavours for peace we are at variance Nazianzen in his 12. Oration rebuking this strange miscarriage of men hath this notable expression While we would have charity we study hatred while we seek to set up the corner stone which unites the sides together we are loosned our selves we are for peace and yet we fight one with another Our wayes of late have been little else but doing and undoing yea we crosse our selves in what we would do by doing what we doe We are all full of contradictions in our own spirits and actions and we cry out of others that they are not consistent to their own principles Lastly the sin of our divisions is the greater because we make Religion to patronize them We divide from one another and all under a pretence of Religion Surely this Virgin is forced for there is nothing more contrary to the name or nature of Religion then to cause or further divisions The name carryes union strong union with it Religio à Religando from binding us againe to God and to one another after we were divided by our sin To father our wicked divisions upon Religion is no other then to bring down the Holy Ghost in the likenesse of a Dove to be like a Vultur or a Raven What spirit is it that we professe our selves to be acted by when we are working for Religion is it not the Spirit of God and is not that a Dove-like spirit although we dishonour our selves by discovering the basenesse of our own spirits by our divisions yet let us not put dishonour upon the blessed Spirit of God this makes the sin to be abhominable Nazianzen in his fore-named Oration inveighs against this in those in his time In our pleadings for the truth we sayes he belye one another as if this were the way to maintain truth CHAP. XXIX The wofull miseries that our divisions bring upon us THey are themselves fruits of the curse therefore there can come no other but cursed fruits from them except God contrary to their nature be pleased to over-rule them which he only is able to do It was the curse of God upon the ground Briars and thorns shall it bring forth It is no lesse curse of God upon mens hearts that they bring forth such briars and thorns by which they tear one another First our divisions provoke the wrath of God against us though the wrath of man accomplisheth not the righteousnesse of God yet it may accomplish the wrath of God Esay 9. 21. Manasseh against
Paris sent to their King in the yeare 1555. after he had sent forth an Edict requiring great severity against those who differed in matters of Religion They professed to him they did not think his Edict equal and that they could not subscribe to it for say they we see that such severe punishments for matters of Religion render men detestible to the people but their errours abide the same still they are not at all altered in their opinions by severity but for their parts they give their judgements that it were better to go in the old way of the Church which did not propagate Religion by sword and fire but by pure doctrine and the good examples of the lives of their Bishops Let them live piously and teach the word of God sincerely this is the way to root out errours that encrease so fast but if this be not done no Lawes no Edicts of men will doe any good Sleidan in his Commentaries hath set down a Decree of the Emperour King Ferdinando and the rest of the Princes and States that the controversie of Religion should be appeased by none other but by godly friendly and quiet meanes But a few pages after he relates the effect of a Petition of those in Austria for their freedom in Religion to King Ferdinando with an answer of the King to them In which there was this passage That such as shall not like that Religion which the Prince hath chosen may have free liberty to sell that they have and go dwell in another place without any blemish to their estimation To which the Embassadors of Austria reply What discommoditie were herein how heavie and sorrowfull newes this would be to the people who seeth not When they shall heare that they which have been ever most ready to spend their bloud and life for the preservation and dignity of the House of Austria must now forsake their most sweet native Countrey so many yeers inhabited and enriched by their fore-fathers Therefore we admit not that Answer in this behalfe but as we have done heretofore for the honour of God we beseech you that you would suffer us to have no let in this matter c. But you will say What does all this tend to but to plead for an absolute Toleration which you seemed before to be against I answer In quoting these Authors I own not such a judgment that possibly you may think to be in some of them for an absolute Toleration How a Toleration should be limited and granted I have spoke to before but I produce the Authors to this end that the rigidnesse of the judgments of some amongst us that think all differences in religion thot cannot be quelled by argument must be quelled bâ— violence may be mollified I am sure if any of these men go too far one way those which I am now reproving goe as wide another Fierce violence in matters of Religion is dangerous as the Chirurgeons rigorous handling his patients arm breaks that bone quite which before was but out of joynt 6. Some take advantage by them to give themselves to loosenes in their lives it is a time of liberty and they will take their time If times were quiet and settled they would be observed more narrowly there would be means of restraint but in these times every man takes his own way and so will they But know that God takes this very ill at thy hands The more loose others are the more conscionable shouldest thou be the worse the dayes are the more circumspectly shouldest thou walk Ezek. 44. 10. The Levites that are gone from me which went astray when Israel forsook me they shall also bear their iniquity The commonnesse of a sin is an aggravation of it 7. Some make no other use of them then to observe which way there may be advantage got by them how they may sute themselves to this side or the other for their gaine or to drive on some private designe so long as they can make use of the times that run such a way they are for them if the stream turn they can turn too they can tack about to every wind their study is not to help to heale them but to contrive wayes how they may get by them Hence they wrench and sprain their consciences with the quick turnings this way and that way they will be on the sunny side wheresoever it be Cunning heads and corrupt hearts will serve their owne turnes by all varieties of times If they were in Dioclesians time they could be Pagans if in Constantines Christians if in Constantius Arrians if in Julians Apostates if in Jovians Christians againe and all this within lesse then the age of a man 8. Some have their spirits in a base manner subjugated by these divisions and troubles that come upon them they care not what they do or submit to so be it they may have peace they will bow down their backs and consciences they will put themselves and posterity under the yoke of perpetuall slavery so be it they may be at quiet and enjoy their estates for the present no matter what becomes of the publick no matter what becomes of the truth They are content to let all go to betray all for their own private advantage This is beneath the spirit of a man 9. Others are discouraged upon the sight of the great evils that daily â—low from our divisions and are like still to flow their hearts sinke in despaire They call into question whether it be the cause of God that we now undertake When the Temple was building there was no noise of hammer axe or any toole of iron heard in the house while it was in building But oh Lord is our work Temple-work We heare the noise not of hammer and axe but of swords and spears of drumms and cannons of railings and revilings these are dreadfull in our eares but let us not be discouraged for though there was no noise heard in the House yet in preparation for the House there was It may be all we are yet about is only preparatory work for the House of our God If God will use us in this only yet blessed be his name Wherefore though our divisions be many and very evill yet they are not so evill nor many but that there may be hope in Israel concerning this thing For consider It is no new thing for divisions to be in the Church THe Apostle would not have us think it strange concerning the fiery triall he means there of persecution The fiery contentions amongst us are another fiery triall We should not think strange of this neither as if such a thing had befaln us that nevâ—r yet befell any I think for all circumstances it is every hard to parallel but the Church in all ages hath been sorely afflicted with divisions Act. 15. 39. Paul and Barnabas two great Apostles were so divided that they could not keep company together but went one from another in anger
otherwise it must needs therefore enrage others at them The good uses that we are to make of our Divisions WHy may not meat come out of the eater and sweet out of these bitter things The Heavens can draw up salt vapours from the Sea and send them down againe in sweet refreshing showres Why may not heavenly hearts change the very nature of these sowre brinish things and make them sweet to themselves and others This is the excellency of grace it does not only preserve the soule from the evill of temptations but it gets advantage by them it turnes the evill into good Luther upon the Galat. c. 5. v. 17. hath a notable expression to set forth the power of grace By this a Christian sayes he comes to be a mighty workman and a wonderfull creator who of heavinesse can make joy of terrours comfort of sinne righteousnesse of death life And why may not I adde of division and contention peace and union Wherefore First by these Divisions men may come to see the vilenesse and the vanity of their own hearts what were the thoughts of men heretofore Oh had we but liberty and opportunity to be instrumentall for God we hope we should improve all to the uttermost for him now God hath granted these to us we abuse them we grow wanton we jarre one against another we are like some Marriners who are calme in a storme But storme in a calme Surely every man is vanity The untowardnesse of the spirits of those who heretofore longed after ordinances freed from these defilements they mourned under when they have their desires in great measure satisfied discovers so much evill in the hearts of men that it justifies those whom themselves have had hard thoughts of men who seemed carnall and naught that you looked upon as very evill men of bitter spirits against good men you thought such things apparently argued them void of grace and yet when you are got into Church-fellowship that way of freedome that your soules mourned after a long time now though you be joyned in covenant one to another yet if your brethren differ any thing from you though they be otherwise godly what a bitternesse of spirit is there in some of you against them what pride what frowardnesse doe you manifest against them Oh what a poor creature is man if once he gets power and liberty what a deale of filth appears in him we may learn by this to have charitable thoughts of some of whom we have had hard thoughts before we see if these men have any grace grace may be in a mans heart lying under much corruption Secondly learne to be humbled for that dishonour which comes to God by these divisions thou spendest thy time in vexing and fretting at in crying out against these breaches but when was thy heart broken with the dishonour that God hath by them Thirdly let these divisions confirme us in the maine and settle us there more then ever for do we not see that those many sorts of men who are divided who oppose one another much yet they all joyn in the things of the greatest consequence they all witnesse against the common enemy This sayes Nazianzen is the greatest argument of the truth that it is not overcome by time neither can enmity one against another put out that little sparke of the love of it that is in us c. If a mans house stands after many shakings of strong windes he concludes the foundation is good this satisfies him though some tiles be shaken off Fourthly let us blesse God who hath carryed on the work of Reformation thus farre notwithstanding our divisions we were afraid that these differences not so much betweene the good and bad but betweene the good and good would have undone all and yet behold the Lord beyond our thoughts how infinitely beyond our deserts hath carryed on the work hitherto so as it gets ground though it be not so speedily brought to an issue as we would have it Fiftly let us hence raise our hopes in this that Satans time is not long his raging and foming so violently doth evidence it to us Surely Christ our Prince of Peace is at hand he will tread down Satan under our feet shortly Sixtly let us from these stirs without be put upon the labouring to make and to confirm peace within Oh consider is the breach between man and man so grievous how grievous is that which is between God and the Soul I find it hard and doubt whether it be possible to be at peace with men in this world I find them of such froward peevish selfish wilfull spirits even many who seem to be good men otherwise but God gives many encouragements to poor souls to come unto him he is a God of love and mercy he delights not to grieve the children of men to crush under his feet the prisoners of the earth he is willing to be reconciled to sinners there is nothing that his heart is more set upon then reconciliation with wretched sinfull souls Oh that in these sad dayes of miserable dissentions I might be blessed with the comforts of the reconciliation of my soul with God! if this were I hope I should be able contentedly to bear and with strength to pass through all those heart-sadning evils caused by these breaches and dissentions there are amongst us This were a good use indeed made of such evill things if mens contending with you shall thus further your peace with God what he once said of Adams sin it was Faelix peccatum a happy sin because it occasioned so much good in Mans Redemption So I may say of that strife and contention there is among us it is faelix contentio a happy contention that God hath turned to so much good unto you I have read of Robert Holgate who was Arch-Bishop of York because he could not peaceably enjoy his small living in Lincolne-shire in regard of the litigiousnesse of a neigbouring Knight comming to London to right himselfe he came into the favour of King Hen. the 8. and so got by degrees the Archbishoprick of York he thought he got well by the litigiousnesse of this Knight but if the strifes of men shall put thee upon those providences and duties which shall be so blessed unto thee as to further thy getting into the favour of the high God and the enjoyment of the soule-satisfying sweetnesse there is in peace with him what cause shalt thou have of admiring free grace which hath brought to thee so great a good from so great an evil and if these strifes have been a meanes to move thy heart Godward for thy making thy peace with him let them also put thee on still to further to confirme to settle to maintaine thy peace with him VVhen the winde and storme rises the Traveller plucks his cloak the closer about him these dividing times are stormy times labour to get your souls to the harbour under shelter labour to make sure
of that one thing necessary the more strangely men looke upon you let your hearts be stirred up to seek with the more strength the face of God that you may never look upon it but with joy You hear harsh notes abroad such things as grieve you at the heart labour so much the more to keep the bird alwayes singing in your bosome 7. If your peace be made with God blesse God for it It is a great mercy for a man in these times of trouble to have rest in his own spirit while others are tossed up and down in the waves of contention you sit quietly in the Arke of a good conscience blessing the Lord that ever you knew him and his wayes 8. Labour to make up your want of that good and comfort you heretofore had in Christian communion with a more close and constant communion with the Lord who hath been pleased to speak peace unto you Although I have not that comfort in communion with the streams yet I may find it fully made up in the fountain 9. By way of Antiperistas let us labour to be so much the more united with the Saints by how much we see others to be divided Men make void thy Law sayes David therefore doe I love it above gold We use to put a price upon things that are rare what makes Jewels to be of that worth but for the rarity of them Unity hearty love sweetness of communion among brethren is now a very rare thing a scarce commodity let us prize it the more and you who do enjoy it bless God for it 10. The more confused broken and troublesome we see things to be the more let our hearts be stirred up in prayer to God putting him in mind of all those gracious promises that he hath made to his Church for peace and union Lord is it not part of thy Covenant with thy people that thou wilt give them one heart hast thou not said that they shall serve thee with one shoulder hast thou not told us that thou wilt make Jerusalem a quiet habitation that thou wilt take away violence that there should be no pricking bryar nor grieving thorn 11. Those whose consciences can witnesse to them that it hath been their great care not to enwrap themselves in the guilt of these divisions but they can appeale to God that they have endeavoured after peace so far as they could with a good conscience let them bless God for this mercy it is a great deliverance to be delivered from the guilt of those divisions Deut. 33. 8. Of Levi he said Let thy Vrim and Thummim be with thy holy One whom thou didst prove at Massah and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah Massah signifies tentation and Meribah contention Places and times of contention are places and times of tentation Now if God shall prove us at those places in those times and we be found upright this will bring a blessing upon us At those waters where the people murmured contending even with God himselfe Aaron though there was some weaknesse in him yet kept himselfe from being involved in the guilt of that sinne of contending with God And Sol-Jarchi with other of the Hebrewes say that the Levites were not in that sinne neither which they thinke that place Malachie 2. 5. refers unto My covenant was with him of life and peace for the feare wherewith he feared me and was afraid before my name The feare of God was upon Levi at that time he dared not contend as then others did and therefore my covenant of life and peace was and is with him We have been these three or foure yeeres at these waters of Massah and Meribah God hath tryed us How happy are those who have held out who have kept their consciences free upon whom the fear of God hath been and through that feare of his have walked before him in the wayes of truth and equity The blessing of the Covenant of Life and Peace be upon them for ever CHAP. XXXI The Cure of our Divisions VVHat gracious heart is not cut asunder with griefe for those sore and fearfull evils that there are in and come from our divisions and is not even the second time cut asunder with carefull thoughts in it selfe what may be done to heal them Mat. 6. 25. Christ forbids that carking care that cuts our hearts when it is in matters concerning our selves yea for our lives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take no thought for your life so it is in your bookes but the word signifies Doe not take such thought as should cut your hearts asunder so v. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why doe you divide your hearts and ver 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ver 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 again But though this charge of Christ be doubled and doubled againe against our carefull dividing cutting thoughts about our selves yet for the uniting the hearts of the Saints together for the good of the Church this heart-cutting care is not onely allowed but required 1 Cor. 12. 25. That there should be no schisme in the body but that the members should have the same care one for another The words are That the members may care the same thing one for another and that with dividing cutting care that there might be no schisme in the body The word that is here for care is the same that in the former places in the 6. of Mat. is forbidden The expressions of my thoughtfull cares about this work is the subject at this time When I set my self about it my heart doth even ake within me at the apprehension of the difficulty of it There are some diseases that are called opprobria medicorum the disgraces of Physitians because they know not what to say or doe to them or if they do any thing it is to little purpose If there be any soule-disease that is opprobrium Theologorum the disgrace of Divines it is this of contention and division How little has all that they have studied and endeavoured to do prevailed with the hearts of men What shall we do Shall we but joyn in this one thing to sit down together and mourn one over another one for another till we have dissolved our hearts into teares and see if we can thus get them to run one into another Oh that it might be what sorrow soever it costs us We read Judges 2. 12. 3 4 5. the Lord sent an Angell from Gilgal to the men of Israel who told them how graciously he had dealt with them yet they had contrary to the command of God made a league with the inhabitants of the Land for which the Lord threatned that they should be as thorns in their sides When the Angell spake these words to the children of Israel the people lift up their voice and wept And they called the name of that place Boehim a place of tears Their sin was too much joyning joyning in league where God
would not have them those whom they joyned with God told them should be thornes in their sides Upon this they wept and that so sore that the place received its name from their weeping But oh that the Lord would send his Angell yea his Spirit to us to convince us of our evill that we to this day have not joyned in sure league one with another but are thorns in the sides of one another and that after so many mercies such great deliverances from our bondage from the rage of ungodly men yea that we are so false one to another though the Lord hath never broke covenant with us which was the heart-breaking argument the Angell used ver 1. Yea the Lord hath done abundantly for us beyond our hopes desires thoughts and that after all this there should be nothing but breaches and divisions amongst us that we should be not only thornes but speares and swords in one anothers sides piercing to one anothers hearts Are we the children of Israel Let our hearts then break for the breaches of our hearts Let them break and melt and mourn and bleed and resolve that nothing shall comfort them but peace with our God and peace one wth another That one Text 1 Thes 4. 9. were enough alone to pierce our hearts through and through As touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you saith the Apostle for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another Oh Lord what are we in these dayes such kinde of Christians as these were Oh that it were so with us that we had no need to be wrote to to be preached to concerning this Does it appear by our carriages one towards another that we are taught of God to love one another But that God may teach us this day attend to what shall be said to you in his name which I shall cast into these five heads 2. Joyning Principles 2. Joyning Considerations 3. Joyning Graces 4. Joyning Practices 5. Conclude with Exhortation Wherein we shall endeavour to set before you the beauty and excellency there is in the heart union and mutuall love of Christians I shall not need to be long in these For take away Dividing Principles Dividing Distempers Dividing Practices and be thoroughly convinced of the evill of divisions and one would think our hearts should of themselves run into one another But that I may not seeme to leave our wounds open so that aire should get into them but endeavour the closing of them and so the healing I shall speak something to these five Heads The first joyning Principle In the middest of all differences of judgement and weaknesses of the Saints it is not impossible but that they may live in peace and love together IF notwithstanding the differences from Gods mind and many weaknesses there may be peace and love between God his Saints then surely notwithstanding these things the Saints may be at love and peace among themselves Let this be laid for a ground and let our hearts be much possessed with it we shall finde it very helpfull to our closing Away with that vain conceit which hath been the great disturber of Churches in all ages if men differ in their judgement and practice in matters of religion though it be in things that are but the weaknesse of godly men yet there must needs be heart-burning and division Let all peaceable men deny this consequence Let us not say it will be so and that our words may be made good afterwards indeed make it so certainly the connection of them if there be any is rather from the corruption of our hearts then from the nature of the things I have read of two Rivers in the East Sava and Danuby that run along in one channell threescore miles together without any noyse and yet they keep themselves distinct the colour of the waters remain distinct all along why should we not think it possible for us to go along close together in love and peace though in some things our judgements and practices be apparently different one from another I will give you who are Scholers a sentence to write upon your Study doores as needfull an one in these times as any it is this Opinionum varietas opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Variety of opinions and unity of those that hold them may stand together There hath been much ado to get us to agree we laboured to get our opinions into one but they will not come together It may be in our endevours for agreement we have begun at the wrong end Let us try what we can do at the other end it may be we shall have better successe there Let us labour to joyn our hearts to engage our affections one to another if we cannot be of one mind that we may agree let us agree that we may be of one minde Eusebius records a Letter that Constantine sent to Alexander and Arius before he apprehended the grossenesse of Arius his heresie conceiving them to differ but in smaller things he endevours to reconcile them For that sayes he the things wherein you differ concerneth not any waighty substance of our Religion there is no reason why it should breed at all any division in minde or discord in doctrine and this Isay not to compell you in this light question of what sort soever it be altogether to condescend unto the same sentence and though you dissent amongst your selves about a matter of small importance for neither truly are we all in all things like minded neither have we all the same nature and gift engrafted in us neverthelesse for all that the sacred unity may be soundly and inviolably retained among you and one consent and fellowship conversed between all I have read of the like peaceable disposition in divers German Divines meeting to confer about matters of Religion in difference in Marpurg The conclusion of their Conference was this Although we see we cannot hitherto fully agree about the corporall presence of the body and bloud of Christ in the bread and wine yet both parts ought to declare Christian love one to another as farre as every one can with a good conscience Oh that this were the conclusion of all our debates and conference wherein we cannot come up fully to one anothers judgements If we stay for peace and love till we come to the unity of the faith in all things we must stay for it for ought I know till we come to another world Ephes 4. 11 12. He gave some Apostles some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the worke of the Ministery till we all come in the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man The unity of the faith and the perfect man will be both together and when they are there will be no more need of any ministry there shall be no more preaching after we are all come to this unity when that
this where the patience and quietness of spirit is very much tryed and that is when a servant meets with a harsh rugged cruell master that abuses him very injuriously if any thing would put ones spirit into a rage one would thinke this would do it No saith the Apostle such must be the command you must have over your spirits as you must patiently bear this and he grounds it upon this For hereunto were ye called 1 Pet. 2. 21 22. But though husbands and wives should live at peace though they suffer one from another though servants should put up wrongs from their masters yet it followes not that the like patience should be required in us when we are wronged by our equals by those to whom we have no such band of relation to tye us Yes this argument of calling is strong in this case also 1 Pet. 3. 8 9. Love as brethren be courteous not rendring evill for evill or railing for railing but contrariwise blessing knowing that ye are thereunto called The tenth Consider the presence of God and of Christ OUr God our Father our Master our Saviour stands by looking on us It is a most excellent passage that I finde in an Epistle of Luther to the Ministers of Norimberg There were great divisions amongst them he writes to them that he might pacifie their spirits one towards another Suppose sayes he you saw Jesus Christ standing before you and by his very eyes speaking thus unto your hearts What do you O my dear children whom I have redeemed with my blood whom I have begotten againe by my Word to that end that you might love one another Know that this is the note of my Disciples Leave this businesse ye wholly cast it upon me I le look to it there is no danger that the Church should suffer by this though it should be stilled yea though it should dye but there is a great deale of danger if you dissent amongst your selves if you bite one another Do not thus sadden my spirit do not thus spoile the holy Angels of their joy in Heaven am not I more to you then all matters that are between you then all your affections then all your offences What can any words of a brother can any unjust trouble penetrate your hearts stick so fast in you as my wounds as my bloud as all that I am to you your Saviour Jesus Christ Oh that we had such reall apprehensions of Christ looking upon us speaking to us The eleventh Consider what account we can give to Jesus Christ of all our Divisions WHen Christ shall come will you stand before him with scratched faces with black and blew eyes 1 Thes 3. 12 13. The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another and towards all men To what end To the end saith the Apostle he may establish your hearts unblameable in holinesse before God even our Father at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all his Saints It will be a sad thing to be found in our divisions at the comming of Jesus Christ Mat. 24. 50. the comming of Christ is mentioned as a terror to those who shall but begin to smite their fellow-servants We may wrangle stand out one against another in our contentions now but it will not be so easie to answer Jesus Christ as it is to answer one to another In the Name of Jesus Christ I now speak unto you yea as from him charge you let no reason move you to contend with dissent or seperate from your brethren but that which you are perswaded in your conscience and that after due and serious examination will hold out before will be approved of Jesus Christ at his comming The twelfth Let every man consider his owne weaknesses YOu are ready to take offence from others within a while you are as like to be offensive to others There will be as much need they should beare with you as now there is you should beare with them The Common Law of those who intend to live at peace one with another is Veniam petimus damusque We desire pardon and we doe pardon The thirteenth Let us consider our mortality IT is but a little time we have to live shall the greater part of it nay why should any part of it be ravel'd out with contentions and quarrels I have read of Pompey that upon a time passing over divers hils where there lived many people in caves but their order was that the man lived in one cave and the wife in another he asking the reason they said In those parts they live not long therefore they desired that the little time they did live they might have peace and quiet which they had found by experience they could not have if man and wife lived constantly together Though the means they used for their quiet was sordid yet the good use they made of the shortnesse of their lives was commendable Virgil sayes if swarms of Bees meet in the ayre they will sometimes fight as it were in a set battell with great violence but if you cast but a little dust upon them they will all be presently quiet Sprinkle upon your hearts the meditations of death that within a while this flesh of yours will be turned to dust this will quiet you The fourteenth Consider the life of heaven THere is and will be perfect agreement there We are here as Bees flying up and down from flower to flower all day but at night they come all into the same Hive That is a place where Luther and Zuinglius will well agree Shall not we whom God from all eternity hath ordained to live co-heires in heaven to joyn together in praises there agree together here on earth CHAP. XXXIII Joyning graces 1. Wisdome THe deepest Seas are the most calme so men of the deepest judgements are most quiet A man of understanding is of an excellent spirit Prov. 17. 27. or thus is of a coole spirit for so the word signifies his spirit is not heat with passion there is a coole dew of examination and deliberation upon his spirit he weighs the circumstances consequences and issues of things he orders and disposes of things so as jarres contradictions and oppositions are prevented The wisdome that is from above is pure peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated Jam. 3. 17. Reason and Wisdome have a majesty in them and will force reverence Let Passion reverence the presence of Reason sayes Basil as children doing things unseemly are afraid of the presence of men of worth 2. Faith 1. THis unites us to Christ and God and in them to one another 2. Faith commits all causes all feares injures to God 3. Faith layes hold upon and improves those gracious promises that God hath made to his Churches for union Faith sues out the Bond. 4. Faith is able to descry the issue of troubles and afflictions Though Sense sayes It will not be Reason It cannot be yet
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
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
infinite scandall that comes by dissention Oh that there were such hearts in us Christ expects it from us all but especially from his Ministers for they are his Ambassadours for peace to beseech men in his stead to be reconciled to God reconciliation with God will reconcile us one to another If God so loved us we ought also to love one another 1 John 4. 11. The faces of the Cherubims in the Temple looked one towards another which some think signified the agreement that should be amongst Ministers of the Gospel So the six branches in the Candlestick joyned all in one those who hold the light of truth before others should be united in peace in one amongst themselves The first thing Christs Ministers were to doe when they came to any place was to say Peace be to that place if any sons of peace were there they were to abide otherwise not Surely then it is expected that themselves should be sonnes of peace The contentions of private Christians are offensive but the contentions of Ministers is a scandall with a witnesse Yet in all Ages of the Church the corrupt Clergie have been the greatest causes of divisions they have been of the most cruell spirits against any that differed from them But let not such a spirit be in us we have enough to do to contend with the wicked of the world with the malice of Satan let us not contend one with another Luther writing to the Ministers of Norimberg brings in Christ saying to them Satis est vobis ob nomen meum malorum You are like to suffer evil enough for my name you need not be afflictions one to another It was barbarousnesse in the Priests of Baal to cut and slash themselves but it is worse for the Ministers of Jesus Christ to cut and slash one another 1 Kings 6. 23. The Cherubims were made of the Olive tree If you be typified by them as we hinted before let it appeare that you are olives not brambles yea and v. 31. For the entring of the Oracle the doores were of Olive-tree who will believe that you bring the Oracles of God with you when they see by your froward contentious carriage that you never entred in at these doores People cannot but think it a miserable thing to have a scratching tearing bramble to be over them Oh that God would set the beauty glory of peace friendship love before us That this precious pearle Vnion might be highly valued by us All men are taken in some degree or other with the excellency and sweetness of love and friendship Some men sayes Cicero despise riches others honours those things that by some are delighted in by others are vilified but all men of all sorts have a high esteem of friendship they think there can be no life without it Gen. 34. 21. The great commendation that Hamor and Shechem give of Jacob and his Sons as an argument to perswade the men of Shechem to joyn with them in the giving their daughters to them for wives and in taking theirs is These men are peaceable with us A peaceable disposition is very convincing Cant. 6. 6. My dove my undefiled is but one she is the onely one of her mother she is the choice one of her that bare her What then followes The daughters saw her and blessed her yea the Queenes and the Concubines and they praised her Who I se she that looketh forth as the morning faire as the moone cleare as the Sunne terrible as an Army of Banners Let the Saints be but one and then they will appeare beautifull and glorious indeed yea they will be terrible as an army of Baners Evagrius in his Ecclesiasticall History records an Epistle of Cyrill of Alexandria written to John of Antioch upon the occasion of a Pacificatory Epistle of John unto him his spirit was so taken with it that it breaks forth thus Let the heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad the mid wall of rancour is battered downe the boyling choler which bereaved the mindes of quietnesse is purged from among us and all the occasion of discord and dissention is banished away for our Saviour Iesus Christ hath granted peace unto the Churches under heaven The Thebans made Harmonia a goddesse they accounted her the defender and patronesse of their City Harmonious peaceable uniting dispositions have much of God in them if not from sanctifying grace yet it is from a common work of the Spirit of God there is a noblenesse in such a heart By the Lawes of England Noblemen have this priviledge that none of them can be bound to the peace because it is supposed that a Noble disposition will never be engaged in brawles and contentions it is supposed that the peace is alwayes bound to him that of his own accord he will be carefull to preserve it It is the base Bramble that rends and teares Nazianzen reports of Alexander who having taken a City and consulting what to doe one Parmenius answered If he were King he would raze the City to the ground Alexander answers So would I too if I were what you are rigour may become you but gentlenesse becomes me Gentlenesse mercy goodnesse love tendernesse of others sufferings are the greatest ornaments to a noble spirit If this be sanctified the glory of God shines bright indeed in such a heart For God glories in this to be the God of peace and love 1 Thess 5. 23. The very God of peace 2 Thess 3. 16. The Lord of peace himselfe Jesus Christ in being the Prince of peace the holy Ghost in being like a Dove that hath no gall the Gospel is the Gospel of peace the Kingdome of God is peace as well as righteousnesse the legacy that Christ left is a legacy of peace the Apostolicall benediction is grace mercy and peace the glory of the Church is in this that it is a City compact at unity within it selfe Yea this will be the glory of that glorious Church that God is raising a new Jerusalem there shall be no more crying there Apoc. 21. 4. Ezech. 14. 9. The Lord shall be King over all the earth in that day there shall be one Lord and his name shall be one There is but one Lord now but he is called by different names but in that day his name shall be but one Zeph. 3. 9. Then will I turne to a people of pure language that they may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one consent The Hebrew word is with one shoulder now we shoulder one another but then all shall serve the Lord with one shoulder This love and peace is compared to the most delightfull and the most profitable things Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell at unity it is like the precious ointment upon the head that ranne downe upon the beard even Aarons beard that went downe to the skirts of his garment as the dew of
IRENICVM TO THE LOVERS OF Truth and Peace HEART-DIVISIONS OPENED In the Causes and Evils of them WITH Cautions that we may not be hurt by them And Endeavours to heal them By JEREMIAH BURROUGHES Opinionum varietas Opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed for ROBERT DAVVLMAN MDCLIII To the Reader WHether the fiery tryall of contention or of persecution be greater is hard to determine God hath wrought to free us from the one we have brought upon our selves the other Every man is angry that others are not of his minde we have been so divided that it is the infinite mercy of God that our enemies have not come in at our breaches and divided all among themselves before this time Were our divisions onely betweene the good and bad they were not so grievous Chrysostome sayes It is better to be hated for Christ then to be beloved for him How much better then is it to be hated for Christ then to be beloved for sinne The reason he gives of that strange assertion of his is If thou beest loved for God it is an honour to thee and thou art a debtour for that honour If thou beest hated for him God is a debtour to thee he owes honour to thee for so he is pleased to be to his poore servants But our divisions have been and still are between good men even Gods Diamonds do cut one another good men cause afflictions to good men every man is plotting working winding for himselfe Every man strives like Apelles and Protogenes who shall draw the subtilest line to attain his owne ends but few strive who shall draw the straightest who shall in the most direct course work himselfe and all his wayes to God and publique Good Who can meddle with this fire that is kindled among us and not burn his fingers A mans good affections happily may be approved but his prudence will be questioned But what I finde Luther writes in an Epistle to his friend Nicolas Gerbelius in the like case shall satisfie me Cupio ego inveniri Christi Ecclesiae suae fidelis si prudens esse non potuerim minister I desire howsoever to be a faithfull Minister of Christ and his Church if I cannot be a prudent one The standing in the gap is more dangerous and troublesome then the getting behinde the hedge there you may be more secure and under the winde but it is best to be there where God looks for a man That which Pelopidas said to his wife taking her leave of him as he was going out of his house to the Warres is a speech worthy of all men in publique place She comes weeping to him and prayes him to look well to himselfe he answers her My good wife it is for private souldiers to be carefull of themselves not for those in publique place they must have an eye to save other men lives It may be when you are going about a work that hath hazard and trouble in it your wives or some friends of yours will with great affection desire you beseech you to have a care of your selves that you bring not your selves into trouble or danger oh take heed of that rather never meddle let others doe that work if they will you should answer It is for private men to take care of themselves but men in publique places are called to look to the publique that it suffers not through their neglect Some come into the gap not to make it up but to keep it open yea to make it wider the Lord deliver me from such a spirit God knows I had rather die then be a cause of so great an evill What this endeavour of mine may work in mens hearts God knowes If it meet with a son of peace I hope it will speake peace it will establish peace in such a heart if with a son of strife it may worke ad modum recipientis That which is intended to be an Irenicum may prove to be a Polemicum a bone of contention Those things which God himselfe ordaines for union the Sacraments are by mans corruption made the occasion of the greatest contention in the Christian world No marvell then that what comes from mans sincerest intentions and best endevours be turned quite crosse Like enough these leaves may meet with some boisterous Reader that may beat them one against another that may pry and picke to finde that in them which is not looking thorough the contradictions of his owne spirit he may think he sees the like here Let the lines be never so straight yet he will wrest and pul them what he can to make them lye crosse I am so far from being sollicitous that they are so indeed that the speciall thing I desire of thee is the laying one thing to another the comparing one thing with another Remember what the subject is Divisions Differences I have in it to deale with various spirits opinions wayes remember the scope is to seeke the composing of them what I can If you see me now neare to the one side and by and by neare to the other which yet are very wide from one another be not rash to judge that I am off my center reade on and see what the issue may come to This path of mine hath beene upon sharpe stones cutting shels and pricking thornes yet thorough the helpe of the shooe of the preparation of the Gospel of peace I doe not finde my feet cut Peace is pretious to me I feele the sweetnesse of it I am willing to do what I can to honour it The publique jarres contentions disturbances abroad in Church and Common-wealth are very grievous They say there are in the world such things in Families also I have brought here some water if my line had been longer my bucket had beene fuller You have here what I delivered some things are added especially quotations of Authors and Histories When they grow to be many I thinke them fitter for the Presse then the Pulpit I was the more willing these things should come forth to publique view because otherwise what other men apprehended to be my minde would be put into their owne words and so rendred in an evill appearance But will Printing help The boldnesse of this age is such as not onely to make a mans words sound otherwise then when they came from him and so traduce him but confidently to averre that there are such things written in such Bookes of such men which never yet came into their thoughts much lesse into their pen. With what boldnesse hath it been said and printed againe and againe that I in that Book entituled The glorious name of God The Lord of Hosts did call the Earle of Essex the Lord of Hosts Surely the sight of these men is extramittendo not intramittendo they send forth species of their owne dyed with the evill of their hearts and then they say they finde them in such a book No man
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