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
Religion he may be a wicked man a Heathen and yet a true Magistrate Ans Whatsoever he be yet he may be a Judg in matters of fact so far as Reason may go in matters of right he may judge whether you do not go against your owne principles either in your profession acts of worship or in the wrong you do to your brother yea he may judg whether your very principles be not contrary to the common light of the knowledg of God that God hath given to men and to the rules of humane justice A Magistrate who is not skilfull in Physicke or Navigation yet he may judg Physitians and Mariners if they wrong others in their way CHAP. VI. The second Position Conscience is a tender thing and must not be medled with CErtainly Conscience is a very tender thing and as men must take heed how they offer violence to their own consciences so to the consciences of others It is such a thing as is not in subjection to any creature in Heaven or Earth only to God himself Gerrard reports out of the Histories of France of a King of Navarre writing to his Nobles used this expression The rule over consciences and soules is left to God alone And of a King of Polonia who was wont frequently to say That God had reserved three things to himselfe 1. To make something of nothing 2. To know things future 3. To rule over conscience Maximilian the second used to say There was no tyranny more intollerable then to seeke to rule over consciences Henry the third King of France as the last pangs of death carried him into another world had this speech Learn of me that piety is a duty of man unto God over which worldly force hath no power this was spoken in the same Chamber where the Councell was held about that fatall Bartholmew day in the year 1572. But for all this the Devill must not be let alone though he be got into mens consciences God hath appointed no City of refuge for him if he flies to mens consciences as Joab did to the horns of the Altar he must be fetched from thence or falne upon there Something may be done to men to keepe them from evill and to reduce them notwithstanding the plea of their conscience But what may be done to a man in such a case First any man that pleads his conscience may be required to give an account of his conscience it is not enough for him to say his conscience puts him upon such a thing or keeps him from such a thing he must give an account of the grounds upon which his conscience goes The world requires us to give an account to every man of that hope that is in us if he requires it in a due way wee are bound to give no offence neither to the Jew nor Gentile It is against the light of nature that men in a society should do things of which they need give no account to any whatsoever Secondly due enquiry is to be made whether the Devill be indeed in the conscience it may be you shall finde him in some other room of the soule only he pretends to that as his sanctuary hoping to escape better there then any where else if he should be found in a mans will he thinks he should be soon hunted out with violence he could not scape there but he hopes men will deal more tenderly with conscience therefore either thither he will get or at least he will give it out he is got in there hoping you will enquire after him no further when it is given out he hath taken refuge there as a Malefactor searched after it may be is lurking in some house not far from you but that you may either not search or cease searching he causes it to be given out that he is got into some strong Castle or some other Countrey where there is little hope to come at him But how shall it be known whether the Devill be in a mans conscience or not Conscience is an inward roome who can see into it what or who is there It is a very hard thing to give a judgment but these notes may help us much in discerning First if I see a mans owne private interest is much engaged in what he pretends conscience for this may be enough to raise suspition though it can be no determining rule for a man may in some things have his conscience put him upon that where there is much of his owne interest but this brings him under much suspition if the thing be not exceeding clear to the view of every man Secondly if in the course of a mans life he appears not to be much under the command of his conscience but can take liberty as he pleases if indeed a man in the generall course of his life appears to be very conscientious we had need take heed how we meddle with such a man in a way of opposition except the evill we see now in him be very clear and grosse but that man who in the common course of his life can trifle with his conscience hath deprived himselfe of the benefit of this plea as a man may forfeit the benefit of his freedome in the City by misdemeanour so the benefit that otherwise might be had of such a plea may be forfeited by such loosenesse of life Thirdly when the account a man gives cannot in any rational way be judged such giving allowance to all his weaknesses as should probably mis-lead him so grosly as is apparant he is mislead We must grant that those may be reasons to one which are not to another but when they appeare so grosse as after all allowances to weaknesses they cannot in any common understanding reach to such a conclusion we may at least suspect very much that the evill of this man lies not in his conscience but some where else yet we should not do well to be too hastly and violent with such men it may be a man for a while may be so over-powred that he is not able to render a rationall account of his wayes but wait a while and deal with him tenderly in love consider his personal disabilities his temptations give him all the allowance you can if one means prevail not to shew him his error try another if at one time you do no good upon him see what may be done at another consider is it not possible that even such weak things may appear to the conscience of a man that hath so many weaknesses and lies under so many temptations to be for the present such grounds as he cannot without sin deny and if so you had need deale tenderly with such a man except the grosseness of the evill requires severity 4ly If a man be proud and turbulent in his carriage by that you may know the Devill is rather in the will then in the conscience though an erroneous conscience
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
doth not here condemn wars simply this was the error of the old Manichees raised up again by some amongst us especially as the Wars are looked upon under that notion raised for Religion They seek to weaken our hands in these wars by telling young people who have newly given their names to Christ and therefore desire to be guided by the Word in all they do whom God hath used under himself to be the strength of these wars that they have no warrant to fight for Religion To whom our Answer is that we have a Civill right to the outward peaceable profession and practice of our Religion wee have the Laws of the Land for it and for the maintenance of this right wee fight There can be no reason given why our civil right we have to our Religion may not as wel be maintained by the sword as our civill right to our houses and lands This answers all objections against the maintenance of Religion by the sword from the practice of the Christians in the Primitive times who never sought to maintain Religion thus We say their case was not the same with ours they never had any civill right to the profession and practice of Religion in the Countreys where they lived as we have The wars meant in this Text are contentions jars divisions amongst Christians though they did not take up the sword one against another yet there were many quarrells jarrs and divisions amongst them these came from their lusts The lusts of mens hearts are very quarrelsom Storms and tempests are here below in this impure muddy part of the world in the higher part all is serene calm and clear 1 Cor. 3. 3. For yee are yet carnall how do's he prove that whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions are ye not carnall and walke as men Strifes and divisions do manifest mens hearts to be very carnall August upon that place Gen. 15. 10. where God required Abraham to take beasts and birds for sacrifice the beasts were divided cut asunder but not the birds Thus says he by way of allusion carnall brutish men are divided one from another but not the birds not those who are more spirituall more celestiall Ye walke as men sayes the Apostle yee should not walk as men ye should walk as it becomes those whose condition is raised above the condition of men as it becomes Christians the redeemed ones of the Lord you say Can flesh and blood endure this Can any man living beare this what if flessh and blood what if a man cannot A Christian may a member of Jesus Christ who is God-man may Chrysostome in one of his Sermons to the people of Antioch brings in Gods gracious dealing with Cain as an example for them to imitate in their carriage towards those who carry themselves ill towards them He brings them in also replying God indeed was gentle and patient toward Cain for hee is God he is above all passion but we are but men he answers them Therefore did the Son of God come down that he might make you as near as may be to God The Scripture sayes The Saints are made partakers of the divine nature therefore do not say We are but men You must not walk as men but as those who are endued with the Divine nature It is a great charge that the holy Ghost layes upon the Corinthians that they walked but as men yet many come short of the lives of men they rather walk as doggs as tygers as wolves Gal. 5. 20. The fruits of the flesh are hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions heresies envyings All these are the causes or workings of divisions Surely our divisions are the fruits of the flesh We see it in nature the more spiritual any thing is the more it unites and the more gross the substance of any thing is the lesse it unites the beames of the Sun are of a kind of spirituall nature therefore thousands of them will unite in puncto but it is not so in other things spiritual hearts in this are like the Sun beams though thousands of them live together they will unite in one so long as they continue spiritual The three thousand Converts Act. 2. joyned with one accord with one single heart We find it now by experience so long as there be but a few in a Church they agree well but usually when they come to be numerous dissentions rise amongst them this is an argument that the hearts of men are not spiritual still much flesh remains Brackish water ascending to the Heavens is sweetned it comes down sweet from thence thus those things which have trouble which have an aptnesse to breed divisions yet spirituall heavenly hearts having to do with them they turn the nature of them they work spirituall advantage out of them The higher fire ascends the more it unites the flame that is broad at the bottom as it growes high unites to be as the point of a needle When the hearts of Christians keep below and have a great deal of smoak amongst them they do not so unite but when they can get up high O what close single-hearted union is there 〈◊〉 a crooked and a right line cannot joyn but two right lines will joyn in every point The lusts of mens hearts cause divisions many wayes First they are mens own therefore they will contend for them nothing is a mans own so much as his lusts man aims wholly at himselfe in satisfying his lust A Dog will barke and bite and flye in a mans face to preserve his own whelps Secondly Mens lusts blinde their judgements Perit judicium cum res transit in affectum when the heart is tainted the judgement is soone blinded if the beame of the scale you weigh by be not straight the scale that hath the light weight may weigh down the heavier if our hearts be crooked warping to any sinfull lust what weight soever there be in any arguments to convince the scale will goe according to the warping of the heart the conclusion will follow the worser part 3ly Mens lusts weaken their spirits so as they are not able to heare any thing that comes crosse to them women children sick people who are weakest fall out most with one another things that are rotten cannot hold together every little touch breaks them asunder that which is sound hath strength to hold one part to another Fourthly in mens lusts there is confusion they cannot be kept in order therefore they must needs cause disturbance not onely in mens owne spirits but to all that have to deale with men acted by them where there is confusion there cannot be union when there is right order in an army though the men be never so numerous never so differing in other respects yet if they keep their ranks they are all but one but if put to a rout and confusion then the bond of unity is broken and every man divides from another to
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
honey but out of the perversnesse of their spirits they despised that Land and Egypt now in this froward humour of theirs must be the Land that flowed with milke and honey Oh the perversenss of mens hearts if they be but a little crossed how hard is it for God or man to please them how unworthy are such froward spirâ—ts as these to live in such a time as this to see the great work of God that he hath done for his people It is true heretofore men seemed to be more united then now there appears more differences in mens opinions and wayes then formerly but whence was it that men formerly were not at such a distance was it not because they were chained together two prisoners chained to a block keep together all day long men that are at liberty walk in the streets at a distance if the prisoners should commend their life as more comfortable then yours because they keep closer together all the day then you do would you envy their happinesse time hath been that a tyrannicall chain hath been upon us we dared not then discuss any matters of differerence with freedom if a Convocation determined it there was a chain upon us to fasten us to it now God hath given us more liberty to debate things freely that we may finde out the truth more clearly and though men while they are in their debates be at some distance one from another do not say it was better with us heretofore then it is now thou dost not speak wisely concerning this thing Surely these men who are so desirous of former times are ad servitudinem nati born to be slaves it is pitty but they should have their eares bored for slaves Secondly the ill use that others make of these divisions is to cry out of Religion preaching since there hath been so much profession and preaching we never had good world there was more love and unity before all things were more quiet neighbours were more at peace one with another This is no other then if men when Christ lived amongst them should have objected against him Since this Christ hath come amongst us we have had more trouble then we or our fore-fathers heretofore have known we were not wont to heare of men possest with the Devill so as now we do now what a noyse is there in all the countrey of men possessed with evill spirits we do not read of such things before Christs time yet do you think this was a good argument why men should wish that Christ had never come If the Devill be put into a rage now more then before it is a signe he is more opposed then he was before he possessed all in quiet before but now his Kingdome begins to shake Thirdly because of these divisions many resolve they will stand Neuters they see it is doubtfull which way things may goe seeing there are such differences we will stand by and look on till we see how they will agree by this means they do not only disert the publick Cause that is now on foot but they are in danger to be for any thing at the last or to turn Atheists Chrysostome in his Sermons upon the Acts Chap. 15. inveighs against such men as these he there makes an Apologie for the dissentions of the Christians the Heathens objected We would come to you but we know not to whom we should come one is of one mind another is of another we cannot tell what you hold you are so different from your selves Chrysostomes answer is This is but a cavill for first this hinders you not in other matters where there is difference amongst men yet you will take paines and enquire which is the right Yea secondly if you did know what you should hold yet you would not embrace it for you doe know what you should do and yet you do not do it do what you know and then aske of God and he will reveale more to you Fourthly others cry out against these men that have been most active in this common Cause putting forth themselves venturing their estates and lives and putting on others at the first these men were honoured but men did not then see what would follow they did not think that such troubles would have attended such undertakings as now they have found upon this their hearts rise against those who were the most publique spirited Had it not been say they for a few hot fiery spirited men who know not what they would have things had never come to this passe we might have been quiet These men are by some yea many looked upon as no other then disturbers men of turbulent unquiet spirits and yet they have been the means of preserving you and your posterity from slavery and of continuing the Gospell amongst you This is an ill requitall of all that willingnesse of theirs to hazard their estates and lives for your good You have cause to blesse God seeing you were of such low narrow timerous spirits your selves unfit for such a work as God had to do in the beginning of the change of these times that he raised up others and gave them enlarged resolved spirits fit for such a publique work accompanied with so many difficulties as attended upon this did they break the ice for you and do you thus requite them This is like a froward perverse patient who flies in the face of his Physitian because his Physick makes him sick Fiftly others seeing much evill come of the divisions amongst us they think there is no way to help them but by violence forcing men to yeeld to what they think is right They think they do God good service in compelling men to the same judgement and way that themselves are of This is a very ill use of them It is a new and unheard-of way of preaching sayes Gregory to require men to beleeve by blowes To go from the Divine Word to an iron Sword from the Pen to the Halbert to perswade men to beleeve is a way that Gerard. confess Cath. l. 1. p. 809. exclaims against Socrates in his Ecclesiasticall History lib. 3. cap. 21. reports of the Macedonians petitioning Jovianus the Emperour for the banishing of those who were not of their judgement in matters of religion of great moment The Emperour receiving their supplication gave them no other answer but this I tell you truly I cannot away with contention but such as embrace unity and concord I do honour and reverence them Tertullian in his book ad Scapulam cap. 2. sayes It is not the way of Religion to compell Religion which ought to be taken up willingly not by force If you should compell us sayes he to sacrifice what did you in this for your gods none desire sacrifice from those who are unwilling but such as are contentious but God is not contentious I finde in Thuanus his History lib. 16. a notable passage in a writing that the Senat of
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
cheere it but when it fumes all up into the head it makes it giddy Knowledge is good when the strength of it gets to the heart to comfort it there to breed good spirits for the strengthning it in the waies of holinesse but when it flies up all into the head it fills it with thousands of phansies it causes pride and giddinesse Disputes draw the best spirits from the heart by which it weakens it It is a very ill signe in a man to have a contradicting spirit to get into a veine of disputing against any thing though it be good I have read of Gregory Nazianzen that he told his friends that Julian would prove to be a notorious wicked man he gave this reason Because be tooke such delight in disputing against that which was good Disputes are seldome without much heart-distemper if they continue long they cause snarling one at another and no marvaile though those who snarle so often doe bite at last A man shews most parts in the matter of truth but most grace in the manner of handling it with reverence holinesse and modesty Rom. 14. 1. Receive not the weake in faith to doubtfull disputations Here is a direct injunction against those disputes I am speaking of Let no man say every truth is precious the least truth is more worth then our lives we must contend for every truth The least truth is so precious that we must rather lose our lives then deny it you must doe and suffer much to maintaine truth but this in an orderly way First you must be grounded in the maine Fundamentalls of Religion you must be strong in the faith and after that labour to edifie your selves in all the truths of God so as one may be helpfull to another It is not for every one who hath but little time little knowledge little meanes little strength to tyre out himselfe and others in doubtfull disputes The Scripture is so much against this as nothing can be more 1 Tim. 1. 4. Which minister questions rather then edifying To aske and discourse of questions about the great things that concerne thy soule thy eternall estate how thou maist live further to the honour of God is good when you meet together to confer one with another what God hath done for your soules to tell each other the experiences of your owne hearts and Gods dealings with you what temptations ye meet with and how God helps you against them such things as these would edifie But when your questions are about things that you are never like to understand and if you did understand they little concerne you they would not be helpfull to you one whit in the wayes of godlinesse these the holy Ghost would not have you spend your time in Eccles 7. 29. Man was made upright and he hath found out to himselfe many inventions Miscuerit se infinitis questionibus so the old Latine reads it he hath mingled himselfe in infinite questions If we had but that great question more amongst us What shall wee doe to be saved it would cause many unprofitable questions to vanish Never such ignorance came upon the Christian world as in that age when the Schoolmen were in the highest esteeme all Religion then was turned into Questions both the mystery and the power of godlinesse was lost The things of Religion are rather to be beleeved then disputed We beleeve Fishermen not Logitians sayes Ambrose The Devill at this day seekes to darken the glory of Religion this way he sees that in regard so much light hath broke forth he cannot get men presently off it by prophaneness therefore he labours to eat out the strength of it by busying them and getting them to delight in multitudes of questions and that about things of lesser concernment 1 Tim. 6. 4. Hee is proud and knoweth nothing but doting about questions and strife of words whereof commeth envie strife railings evill surmises perverse disputings of men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth These men conceit they have more knowledge then other men but the holy Ghost saies they know nothing they cry out much of the truth and they contend for the truth but the holy Ghost saies they are destitute of the truth 2 Tim. 2. 22 23. Follow charity peace but foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they doe gender strifes but the servant of the Lord must not strive And Titus 3. 8. 9. This is a faithfull saying these things I will that thou affirme constantly that they which have beleeved in God might be carefull to maintaine good workes these things are good and profitable unto men but avoid foolish questions and Genealogies and contentions and strivings about the Law for they are unprofitable and vaine The question about the Law whether a man be justified by it or by free grace in Christ this is not one of those foolish questions and needlesse strivings this is a great question this we are to contend for our life is in it but there are other questions about the Law which cause striving rather then edifying as whether the Law be a rule for our lives as it was given by Moses That we are bound to doe what is required in the Law this is generally acknowledged as to love God not worship Images c. but whether we be bound to doe it as it was the Law delivered by Moses upon Mount Sina this question troubles many mens heads that we are bound to doe the same things as they are delivered by Christ in the hand of that Mediator is acknowledged by any that understand themselves in any measure Now then let these two things be granted about the Law First that we are not justified by it but by the free grace of God in Christ Secondly that what duties of holiness are set downe in the Law we are bound to them by the most strong obligations what neede we contend further about the Law Let us be established in these two and it will be sufficient for our edifying It is like when Paul wrote this Epistle to Titus the heads of the people were troubled about some such kinde of questions about the Law as are amongst us therefore sayes he Avoid foolish questions and strivings about the Law But now the questions about the Law are driven on to such a dangerous issue that we have cause not onely to be carefull to avoid them but even to tremble at the thought of them It is now accounted a legall thing against the grace of the Gospel to confesse sin to be humbled for sin to make conscience of duty or to be troubled in conscience for neglect of it No they thank God they are delivered from such things in respect of God whether they sin or not it is all one yea these things prevaile with those who have beene forward in profession of Religion who seemed to walke strictly now are growne loose That saith is easily wrought which teacheth men to beleeve well of
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