another so as one would think it impossible that ever in this world there should have been that distance between them that now there is How often have we prayed Oh that once we might be blessed with such a mercy as to worship God according to his own mind that we might be delivered from conscience oppression from spirituall bondage Oh that we might be delivered from the inventions of men in the service of God that the Saints might joyn and serve the Lord with one shoulder There were never such hopes that the Saints should enjoy their prayers so as of late there hath been and yet never were they so divided as now they are they now seek to bring one another in bondage If five or six years since when many of us were praying together making our moans to God for that oppression we were under God should have then presented as in a Map such times as these are to our view could we have beleeved that it were possible that there should be such a distance in our spirits as now there is Fourthly our Divisions are very dishonourable to Jesus Christ were it that they darkned our names onely it were not so much but that which darkens the glory of Jesus Christ should goe very neere unto us I have read of Alexander Severus seeing two Christians contending one with another commanded them that they should not presume to take the name of Christians upon themselves any longer For sayes he you dishonour your Master Christ whose Disciples you professe to be It is dishonour to a General to have his Army routed and run into confusion The Devill seems to prevaile against us in these our divisions so as to rout us John 17. 21. 23. is a notable Scripture to shew the sinfulnesse of our divisions in the dishonour they put upon Christ and it may be as strong an argument against them as any I know in the Book of God Christ praying to the Father for the union of his Saints uses this argument O Father let this be granted that the world may beleeve that thou hast sent me And againe ver 23. Let them be perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me If they be not united one to another in love and peace but have a spirit of Division ruling amongst them what will the world thinke surely that thou didst not send me that I who am their head their teacher and Lord never came from thee for thou art wisdom holiness and love if I had come from thee then those who own me to be theirs and whom I own to be mine would hold forth in their conversations something of that spirit of holinesse wisdome and love there is in thee but when the world does not see this in them but the clean contrary they will never beleeve that I came from thee those truths that I came into the world to make known as from thee O Father will not be beleeved but rather persecuted if those who professe them by their divisions one from another and oppositions one against another shew forth a spirit of pride folly envy frowardnesse therefore O Father let them be one as thou and I am one if this Petition be not granted how shall I look the world in the face I shall be contemned in the world what am I come down from thee for such glorious ends as indeed those were for which I came into the world and when I should come to attaine those ends for which I came shall there be such a carriage in those who doe professe my Name that by it the world shall perswade themselves that thou didst never send me O what a sore evill would this be surely any Christian heart must needs tremble at the least thought of having a hand in so great an evill as this is Fifthly Divisions are sinfull because they grieve the holy Spirit of God Ephes 4. 30 31. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption Surely there is no godly heart but will say O God forbid that I should doe any thing to grieve the good spirit of God it is the Spirit that hath enlightned me that hath revealed the great mysteries of God of Christ of eternall life unto me it is that Spirit that hath drawn my Soul to Jesus Christ that hath comforted it with those consolations that are more to me then ten thousand worlds the Spirit that hath strengthned me that helpes me against temptations that carries me through difficulties that enables me to rejoyce in tribulations the Spirit that is an earnest to assure me of Gods electing love the spirit thet hath sealed me up to the day of Redemption and now shall I be gâ—ily of so great a sinne as to grieve this blessed Spirit of the Lord If I did but know wherein I have grieved it it could not but make my soul to bleed within me that I should have such a wretched heart to grieve this holy Spirit by whom my soule hath enjoyed so much good I hope should for ever hereafter take heed of that thing I would rather suffer any griefe in the world to mine owne spirit then be any occasion of grief to that blessed Spirit of God But would you know what it is that hath grieved it and what it is that is like to grieve it further mark what followes ver 31. Let all bitternesse wrath anger clamour and evill speaking be put away from you with all malice And would you doe that which may rejoyce it Oh! God knowes it would be the greatest joy in the world for me to doe it then ver 32. Be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Sixthly these divisions doe grieve and offend our Brethren this should not be a light matter to us Christ accounts it a great evill to offend one of his little ones We may thinke it a little matter to give offence to some of Gods people who are poore and meane in the world so long as we have the bravery of it and the countenance of great men no matter for them But friend whatsoever slight thoughts thou hast of it Christ thinks it a great matter you may look upon them as under you the times favour you more then them but if you shall give them cause to goe to God to make their moanes to him of any ill usage they have had from you Lord thou knowest I was for peace to the uttermost that I could so farre as I was able to see thy Word for my guide but these who heretofore were as Brethren to me now their spirits are estranged their hearts are imbittered their words their carriages are very grievous and all because I cannot come up to what their opinions their ways are certainly this would prove very ill to you regard it as lightly as you will it may be when others carry themselves towards you
may cause one to hold fast an errour yet it does not put upon proud scornfull turbulent behaviour When a man by reason of his conscience it may be the weaknesse of it differs from his brethren hee had need carry himself with all humility and meekness self-denyal in all other things he should be willing to be a servant to every man in what lawfully he may that thereby he may shew to all that it is not from any wilfulnesse but meerly the tenderness of his conscience that he cannot come off to that which his brethren can doe whom yet he reverences and in his carriage towards them shews that he yet esteems them his betters but if a man that is weak very much beneath others in parts and graces shall carry himselfe high imperious contemning and vilifying those who differ from him and be contentious with them There is great reason to think that the corruption is in the will rather then any where else if there should be some conscience yet in these men their heart-distempers may justly forfeit their right of pleading their consciences Those who oppose them if they doe it in a Christian way may justifie what they doe before God if God should call them to an account and say why did you deal so with such men who professed they were put upon what they held and did by their consciences If they can answer thus Lord thou knowest we were willing to have dealt with them in all tendernesse if we could have seen conscientiousness in their carriage but we saw nothing but scornfulness pride imperiousness turbulency conceitednes we could see nothing of the Spirit of Jesus Christ acting them in their way this their carriage perswaded us that the sinfulnesse was got rather into their wills then their consciences 5ly When a man is not willing to make use of meanes to inform his conscience not of those meanes that are not against his owne principles but goes on peremptorily and stoutly Surely when we see many of our Brethren differing from us our respect to them should gain so much at least from us that if there by any means left unused for the further trying our opinions or informing our judgements we should make use of that meanes a conscientious heart will doe so The sixt note added will seale up all when a man by reason or Scripture is so put to it as he must either renounce his errour or flye from some of his own principles he will rather deny his principles then yeeld himselfe convinced of his errour yea when those principles are of great moment The man that doth thus is the man spoken of Tit. 3. 11. that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned of himselfe An Heretick after the first and second admonition reject because he is selfe-condemned wee must not reject every man that erres in every little thing no not after two or three admonitions that was a prelatical tyrannicall rule but he must be an Heretick and erring so grosly as he is self-condemned in his errour and such a man suffers not for his conscience when he is rejected but for sinning against his conscience But who can know when a man is condemned of himselfe the judgement of a mans owne conscience is a secret thing This is the strength of this hold the Devil gets into he thinks he gets so deep that you cannot get to it to find him out and as for Gods displeasure who knows their consciences these men will venture that But by this Scripture Tit. 3. it is clear that a mans conscience may be so far seen into as there may be a judgment passed upon a man that he is a self-condemned man To what purpose otherwise serves this Scripture it is not like this Heretick would acknowledg that he was self-condemned but yet the Apostle makes this the ground why he should be rejected As if he should say You see he wil go against his own principles against what his conscience tells him is truth meerly to maintain a wicked Heresie that he is infected withall let him therefore plead what he will reject him for his own conscience condemns him and GOD is greater then his Conscience and knowes all things The third thing that is to be done to a man who pleads his conscience for evill is the great snare and danger he brings himself into is to be declared to him that by giving way to let evill into his conscience he puts himself into such a condition as whatsoever he doth he must needs sin against God so long as he holds his errour Evill gets into the consciences of many very easily because they think the dictates of their consciences will be sufficient to bear them out in what they doe but they are deceived for an erroneous conscience does not bind you sin notwithstanding your conscience bids you do it and if you goe against this erroneous conscience you sinne too what a miserable snare is this you had need look to your selves then and take heed what you let into your consciences The fourth thing is to charge him and if it be in a matter of consequence to adjure him in the Name of God who is the searcher of the hearts of men and will judg them at the great day accordingly that he deals plainly and sincerely not to dare to put a pretence upon that which he knows his conscience cannot justifie him in if there be indeed any conscientiousness in the man this will startle him But it may be this will not prevail wherefore in the fifth place whatsoever a man holds though his conscience be never so much taken with it yet if it cannot stand with the power of godliness but destroys it if this man be in a Christian society after all means used to reduce him if he still perseveres in it he is notwithstanding his conscience to be cast out of the society of the Saints this is not a little matter if a man hath any conscience in him it cannot but be a dreadfull thing to him If poyson be got into a glass and you cannot wash it out the poyson and glass too is to be thrown into the sinck Such a man as this is with the conscience that he hath is to be thrown upon the dung-hill If a man by his wickedness cuts himself off from the mysticall body of Christ the Church may cut him off from his visible he hath forfeited his Church-priviledger Sixtly If the errour with the profession of it be destructive to the State and he cannot be reclaimed he may likewise be cut off from it or at least deprived of the priviledges of it and benefits by it notwithstanding his plea of conscience This justifies the cutting off Jesuites and Priests who teach people that the Crown is at the dispose of any forraign power by which also subjects may be freed from their Allegiance A Reverend Divine of ours in a Treatise upon the powring out of the 7.
mind of the Holy Ghost is dare not yoke you as they did all that we burden you with is these necessary things no Church-officers no Synod can go further then this but certainly every matter in controversie amongst godly and peaceable men cannot be conceived to be necessary Rom. 14. is a very usefull place for this Him that is weak in the faith receive but not to doubtfull disputations Receive him though he understands not all you do do not trouble him neither with nor for doubtfull things One believeth he may eate all things another who is weake eateth herbes let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not neither let him that eateth not judge him that eateth vers 5. One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike let every man be fully perswaded in his owne minde Upon this he gives generall rules to doe all to the glory of God all these people were not in the right for a man not to eate flesh out of conscience when the thing was not forbidden certainly was a sin or to make conscience of a holy day which God required not was a sinne Now the Apostle did not come with his authority and say I will make you leave off keeping such days or you shall eate or to abstain thus as you do is evill and it must not be suffered in you No the Apostle lays no Apostolicall authority upon them but tells them That every man must be fully perswaded in his own mind in what he doth and who art thou that judgest another mans servant the Lord hath received him And yet the Governors of the Churches in the Primitive times might upon much stronger grounds have stood upon such a principle then any Governours of the Church now can there was lesse reason why they should suffer any difference in opinion or practice amongst them then why we should suffer differences amongst us for they had men amongst them immediately inspired who could dictate the mind of Christ infallibly they could tell them the certaine meaning of any Scripture The burden of being under the determinations of such men in points of differences had not been so great as subjection to any Governors now in such cases would be our differences are usually about the meaning of such or such Scriptures in which both sides think they have the right profess one to another as in the presence of God the searcher of all hearts that if they could but see the meaning of such a Scripture to be so as their brethren believe it is they would soon agree and yet though there were in those Primitive times such meanes of reconciling differences more then we have yet there was much mutual toleration amongst them they used no compulsive violence to force those who through weakness differed from them to come up to their judgments or practice Yes It is also more tolerable in Papists not to tolerate any difference in opinion or practice because First they believe they have an infallible Judg to decide all Controversies 2ly They hold implicite faith in the judgment of their Clergie to be sufficient warrant to justifie the belief or practice of the people or of any particular man and yet they suffer differences in opinions and practices amongst them They have their severall orders of their Monks Priests Friars Jesuites they differ very much one from the other and yet agreeing in the root they are suffered supposing those two helps to union they have an infallible Judg and implicite faith wee have cause either to admire at their moderation in their mutuall bearing one with another or at the disquietness the rigidness of spirits amongst us who cannot bear with far lesser things in their brethren differing from them for we professe we know no such externall in fallible Judg upon whom we may depend neither dare we warrant an implicite faith We teach men that every man must be perswaded in his own heart must see the rule of his own actions must give an account of his own way to God now what can men that have the most gracious peaceable spirits you can imagine doe in such a case Before they believe or do what their brethren believe or do they must see the authority of the Word to ground their faith or actions and for the present though sincerely willing to know Gods mind and diligently laborious to search it out yet they cannot see it and yet according to this sowr rigid principle they must be forced to it by violence what is it but to command the full tale of brick to be brought in where no straw can be had if this be not Straw might be had in Egypt by seeking for it but here after the most carefull and painfull seeking for it yet it cannot be had 5ly By this principle the finding out of much truth will be hindered it will stifle mens gifts abilities in arguing and discoursing about truths We know fire is beaten out by striking the flint Although differences be very sad yet the truth that comes to light by them may recompence the sadnesse You cannot beat out a place for a window to let in light but you must endure some trouble Children will think the house is pulling down when the window is beating out but the Father knows the benefit will come by it he complains not that the dust and rubbish lies up and down in the house for a while the light let in by it will recompence all The trouble in the discussions of things by Brethren of different judgments may seem to be great but either you or your posterity hereafter may see cause to blesse God for that light hath been or may be let into the Churches by this meanes men of moderate spirits doe blesse God already But if according to this principle the governors of the Churches must suppress whatsoever they conceive not to be right to what purpose should should there be arguing and discussing of severall judgements and severall ways You will say Those who are the Governours they or those whom they call to consult with may argue and discusse but not others Is not this to deny the Church the benefit of the gifts and graces of thousands of others The Church may soon receive as much prejudice by this as the trouble caused by some differences comes to Sixtly This lays a great temptation to idleness and pride before the guides of the Church Men are naturally subject to sloth and may not this principle suggest such a temptation as this What need we take care or pains to search into truths to be able to convince gain-sayers to câ—râ—y things with strength of Scripture Reason seeing we have power to compel men to yeeld to us And men who can do least by Reason and Scripture are many times strongest in their violence this way this strength must come in to make up their other weaknesse But it may be Conscience will not let them compell
their glory that they can say to the consciences of men Bow down before us A gracious spirit abhors the thought of such a tyranny This to high raising respects due to learned holy men hath been very hurtfull in the Church prejudicial to the souls of men but especially to the honour of Christ I will give you an instance Erasmus was no novice yet how dangerously he was taken with this will appear by a strange expression of his in an Epistle hee wrote to one Bilibaldus How far the authority of the Church prevails with others I know not but with mee it hath that power that I could be of the opinion with Arrians and Pelagians if the Church did but allow that which they taught This you will say is a strange expression coming from a learned man and one too not addicted to the Church that then was in that excess as others were how then did this conceit prevail with men more weak who gave up their consciences to others through their blind superstition Wherefore secondly though great respect is to be given to men holy and learned yet not such that a man must be judged obstinate if hee submit not to their judgments and determinations For First if a man should believe or do any thing before he sees some other grounds besides their judgments or examples though the thing were in it selfe never so good yet it would be sin to him If indeed this were enough to answer Christ Lord I am a poore weake man I cannot find out thy truths my self therefore I seeing learned godly men to be of such a judgement and doing such things I thought it too much presumption for mee to differ from them therefore I also believed it to be true and practised accordingly This were an easie way for people to agree and it might well be judged obstinacy to gainsay But this account Christ will not take for he tells us Whatsoever is not of faith is sinne and the judgments and practices of godly learned men he never made to be the rule of faith 2ly If God in revealing his mind to men alwayes did it according to the proportion of their gifts and graces then it were too much boldnesse for any to differ from those who are most eminent but experience tels us it is otherwise as God causeth his rain to fall upon one field and not upon another and as the wind blows where it lists so are the workings of the Spirit of God upon men Although hee reveales to all his Saints whatsoever is absolutely necessary to salvation yet for other truths a man of eminent parts shall know one another of weaker shall know another David was a man as eminent for parts was filled with the Spirit of God as much as Nathan both in regard of Prophesie and godliness yet sometimes that was revealed to Nathan which was kept hid from David When the Book of the Law was found and read before Josiah they send to Huldah the Prophetesse yet there were Prophets in the Land at that time But you will say Is it not more likely that men of learning and piety should know what is right and what is not better then others True it is more likely they should but God many times doth things which we think are not likely that which is the most unlikely to us God many times chooseth as best to serve his ends Thirdly If there were no other reason why a man of weaker parts should differ from other then because he is conceited of his parts thinks himselfe more able to understand then those who are far his betters then there would be more liberty to deale severely with him But being â—here may be this reason why men who are weak yet differ from those who are eminent Christ hath laid this charge upon them that they must not believe or practice any thing in the matters of Religion but what they shall see ground for out of his word If a man shall be jealous of himself fearing lest his own understanding should mislead him and in the use of all meanes he can seeks to God and yet cannnot see from Scripture the ground of those things learned and godly men have determined and having received such a charge from Christ not to alter his judgment or practice till in the use of these meanes he should receive further light from him what would you have this man do If he yeelds to you he sins against the charge of Christ and his own conscience if he doth not either now or after such a time you prefixe him alter his judgment and practice you judg him obstinate and in the name of Christ deale with him as such do not you by this make that bond that Christ hath laid upon him to do all he doth from a principle of faith heavier then Christ would have it Fourthly the more learning the more godliness men have the more pains they take in finding out the truth there is the lesse ground to judg those obstinate who differ from them because they differ You will say How can that be For if men be very learned and godly and take much pains to finde out the truth there is the more reason we should believe their judgements more then our owne We must indeed honour them then the more but yet the exquisitenesse of their learning the eminency of their godliness the industry of their labours for the finding out of truth may excuse those from obstinacy who cannot see into the ground from the word of all that they are able to see for is it not more then probable that men who are weak and exceedingly beneath them should through meer weakness be unable to see the rule of Scripture in those things which they have got the sight of by the help of their great learning godliness and indefatigable labours Can it be that men who have not attained to that eminencie who are not able to take so much pains in searching that they though they have their help added should be able to attain to what these men so eminent and industrious have attained to Can they in a few months come to see that which they have been studying and debating one with another divers years before they could see it can they be satisfied in their consciences of the mind of Christ when these eminent men for a long time could hardly satisfie one another yea it may be after all the helpe of their learning godliness and painfull labours they look upon many things but as probable as more likely to be so then otherwise they have not a Plerophory in their own hearts and shall those who doe not see ground enough for the foot of Faith to settle upon be judged and dealt with as obstinate Because they yet are not of their mind God forbid Fifthly there is much danger in making this to be the rule for if to go against the judgment of godly and learned men be obstinacy now
hath this excellent saying If I did not finde in my selfe a love and desire of all profitable truth if I did not put away idlenesse and prejudice and worldly affections and so examine to the bottome all my opinions of divine matters being prepared in minde to follow God and God onely which way soever he shall lead me if I did not hope that I either doe or endeavour to doe these things certainely I should have little hope of obtaining salvation When I consider of these causes of departing from a particular Church that speech of Tertullian concerning a Martyr comes into my minde Non poena sed causa facit Martyrem Not the punishment but the cause makes a Martyr So Non decâ—ssio sed causa facit Schismaticum Not the departing but the cause makes a Schismatick Aquinas shewing that wherein the vitiousnesse of Schisme lyes sayes As in naturall things that which is by accident does not constitute the species so in morall not that which is beside the intention for that is accidentall therefore sayes he the sin of Schisme is in that it intends to separate from that unity which charity makes and therefore Schismaticks are properly those who of their own accord and intention doe separate themselves from the unity of the Church The next thing considerable in the description of Schisme is the rashnesse of the separation though the cause of separating be just yet the manner of it may be schismaticall if done rashly or violently Those who are joyned in communion with others when they differ from those with whom they have communion they are bound to examine try to make use of all meanes they can to satisfie their consciences in things they scruple and if they cannot yet before they breake off communion they are bound to seek by all means they can for a redress of those things which after most serious examination appeare evill to them they are bound to wait with much forbearance and longsuffering And at last if there be a necessity of departing they must not rend away with violence but shew themselves willing and ready in the spirit of love and meeknesse to open their cause to shew their reasons to the Church why they cannot continue in that communion with them they formerly had and desire that they may peaceably and lovingly depart seeing they cannot with peace of their conscience and love to their soules continue with them and that they may joyne with some other Church where they may enjoy peace and further edification Surely here is no Schisme this is no rending away here is no violence used here is onely a loving and peaceable secession notwithstanding this were it not the pride envy and frowardnesse of mens spirits much love and peace might continue amongst Christians and Churches True indeed if men can beare no contradiction no kinde of blame of their wayes there must needs be trouble but then those who doe contradict or blame though they be in the wrong yet if it be through weaknesse and carryed with meeknesse they are not so much the cause of the trouble as those who cannot beare this weaknesse of their Brethren without frowardnesse and contention There are other names of division the name of Puritan what a divider hath it been but that seeing it self ready to dye divided it self into two Round head and Independent these are now the opprobrious discriminating scornfull names of division amongst us For the first there is so much folly and absurdity in it that surely it will soone vanish of it selfe if you contemne it it is too low and contemptible for a Pulpit or a Pen to meddle with But the other carries in the face of it an open defiance to all kind of government a monstrous kind of liberty for men to live as they list and to be accountable to none whatsoever they hold or doe Certainly such kinde of people as these are not to be suffered shall I say in any Christian society no not in any humane society if there be any such people as these they are one of the most monstrous kinde of people that ever lived upon the face of the earth How many runne away with the word and cry out of men and their wayes under this name which they know not How farre those who are for the Congregationable way are from such an uncontroulable liberty hath beene shewne Chap. 7. Pag. 41. I shall adde this one thing of all kinde of governments in the Church that which hath this name fastened upon it is most opposite to the name of any in that sense it is ordinarily taken for there is no Church-government that holds forth more means to reduce from errour or any miscarriage then this doth examine it with the Prelaticall or Presbyteriall Government and you shall find it for first in the Prelaticall Government if once the Prelates determine any case you must there rest there is no Church helpe for you except you will say it is in a Convocation where we know they ruled both in the choyce of members and ordering all things as they list In the Presbyteriall way if so many associated Elders determine any case it must in them receive the finall determination you must rest in it although the greater part of the Churches and the greater number of Elders in a Kingdome should be of another minde for if you rise to a Nationall Assembly there are not the twentieth part of Elders of the Kingdome in it But those who men call Independents say that if any thing be done by them that is offensive not only those associated Elders but all or any Elders or Churches whatsoever may require account may in the name of Christ doe all in effect for the reducing of them that those associated Elders can doe still remembring that Church-power in one or the other goes no further then mens consciences if men wil not conscientiously regard what is done to reduce them from evill there is no help within the Church but to appeale to CHRIST as for the externall helpe by the Magistrate that concernes not the controversie about Church-government and yet for subjection to that Ordinance of God the principles and profession of those you call Independents leave as much to the Magistrate as the principle or profession of those who are Presbyteriall doe if not more Tolle â—am nominis crimen nihil restat nisi criminis nomen Now take away the crime of the name and there remaines nothing but the name of a crime CHAP. XXVI The seventh eighth ninth tenth eleventh twelfth dividing Practices The seventh Whatsoever personall evill there is in any one who is in a differing way from others is cast upon all that are in that way THis you know was the practice of former times whatsoever evill any forward Professour was guilty of that was cast upon all they are all thus Doe you not see that Hypocrites they are whatsoever their shewes be yet if they have opportunity they
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
in conscience could not submit to it their preferments of Deanries and Prebends and the like But lest what I say in this should be abused you must understand this denyall of places of profit or honour to men because of that which their consciences will not suffer them to yeeld to onely such places as the tendernesse of their consciences in such a point makes them unfit to manage if because their consciences differ from you in one thing you will take advantage against them in other things that have no dependance upon that wherein they differ from you and make them suffer in those things too you now to say no worse begin to grow neare to a way of persecution and tyrannie over your brethren which Christ is displeased with Wee accounted it in the Bishops not neare but come up to tyrannie and persecution when they would not suffer such as could not conforme to their Church-discipline and Ceremonies not so much as to teach children the Grammar or to practise Physicke or to preach Christ in places where there was no preaching but people lived in darkenesse perishing for want of knowledge What dependance had these things upon their discipline and Ceremonies supposing they had been right Yes they would foment their errours by this meanes But seeing there was no dependance between their errours if you wil call them so these things to deny the Church and Common-wealth the benefit of the gifts and graces of men upon such a pretence that they will abuse their liberty wee thought it was hard dealing yea no lesse then persecution Suppose a man differs from his brethren in point of Church-Discipline must not this man have a place in an Army therefore Though he sees not the reason of such a Discipline in the Church yet God hath endued him with a spirit of volour and he understands what Military Discipline means must he not have a place in a Colledg to teach youth Logick and Philosophy may be not preach Jesus Christ to poor ignorant creatures if you feare he will divulge his opinions surely some other course may be taken whereby he may suffer as much as such a fault comes to but therefore to deprive Church and State of what abilities God has given him which might be very usefull to them and that before any such fault is committed for fear it may be committed the softest word I have to expresse my self against this is It is very hard dealing with your Brethren I have now gone to the uttermost line I can in shewing what is to be done to a man that pleads his conscience in things which we conceive are not right I would now speak a word or two to men who have to deal with their brethrens consciences and then to those who plead their consciences for their freedome To the first Let those who have to deale with mens consciences first take heed they do not vilifie and slight mens consciences do not scorn at the plea of their consciences What this is your conscience your conscience forsooth will not suffer you Woe to them who offend one of these little ones it were better that a mil-stone were hanged about his necke and he were cast into the bottome of the Sea Matth. 18. 6. It is his conscience and perhaps better informed then thine and more tender thou hast it may be a corrupt conscience thy conscience is broke by thy sinning against it or otherwise it is loose or benummed no quicknesse in it thou canst swallow down greater matters therefore thou wonderest at those who are so nice-conscienced who stand upon small matters what if at the great day Christ shall own these to be truly conscientious and honour them for obeying the voyce of their consciences in small things for not daring to offend them in any thing where wilt thou appear what is like to become of thee then Or if their consciences be weak not rightly inform'd yet Christ expects thou shouldst seek to heal to strengthen them not to jeer and scorn them that fearfulnesse of theirs to offend Christ though in the particular they may be mistaken shall be accepted when thy boldness and ventrousness in taking thy liberty shall appear to be thy folly 2. Take heed in your dealings with such you make them not suffer more then Christ would have them suffer do not abuse your power over them so as to cause them to complaine justly to God of conscience-oppression Conscience-oppression is the most fearefull oppression of all the cryes in the world the cryes caused by it come up most swiftly to God When an oppressed soule shall get alone and make his moane to God Oh Lord thou who knowest the secrets of all hearts thou knowest the desires of my soule in uprightnesse to know thy will I can freely and comfortably appeale to thee Thou knowest what a sad affliction it is to mee that my judgement should be different from my brethrens whose parts and graces I prize farre beyond mine owne Thou knowest also there is no meanes for further Reformation but I have been willing to make use of it as I was able and what ever other helpe thou shalt make knowne to mee I am ready to make use of it that I may not be led aside into errour and if thou wilt be pleased to reveale thy minde further to me I am ready to submit to it I should account it a greater happinesse then all the comforts in the world can afford to know what thy minde is in such and such things but Lord as yet I cannot doe this thing except I should sinne against thee thou knowest it yet thou knowest also that I desire to walke humbly and peaceably with my brethren and in all meekenesse submissenesse and quietnesse of spirit together with all diligence I will waite till thou shalt further reveale thy minde to me But Lord in the meane time I find rigid dealing from my brethren their spirits are imbittered their speeches are hard their wayes tomards me are harsh yea Lord there is violence in them Lord thou knowest my spirit is not such as to need any such carriage of my brethren towards me I am not conscious to my selfe no not when I set my selfe most solemnly in thy presence of stifnesse wilfulnesse in my way the least beame of light from thee would presently turne my spirit what way thou wouldst have it goe Such a moan to God would prove a sadder business against such as shall occasion it then if such men had strength and spirits to answer bitternesse harshnesse and violence with bitternesse harshnesse and violence Let me also on the other side speak to them who plead their consciences First take heed you rest not in this as an empty plea setting it as a Bulwark against any thing that shal be said to you why it is my conscience and who hath to do with my conscience and so think you need look no farther nor give any other
to be helpfull to us in the understanding how to untye such a knot what ever such opposers should prove otherwise I should not feare them for being too numerous What I have I shall present unto you CHAP. IX Rules to know in what things wee are to beare with our Brethren FIrst though men be known to erre in judgment in things not fundamentall nor destructive yet if after such knowledg of them they would keep their judgments to themselves so as not to hurt others or disturb the peace most men of moderate spirits if not all hold that such men are not to be punished either by Church or State But though this be yeelded to yet the practices of many are against it they have wayes to draw forth mens judgements though they would conceal them and when they have drawn them forth they make them suffer for their judgments these 3. ways First by requiring men to subscribe to things which they suspect are against their judgements they invent Articles which if put to them they know will pinch them and draw forth their judgment which when they come to know they make them as Articles of Accusation against them Surely such dealings as these are very harsh But you will say Blessed be God we hope we have done with forcing men to subscribe God grant that we never meddle with any thing answerable to that tyranny heretofore we groaned under the drawing out mens judgements and then the punishing them for them Secondly if such things be put into oaths which though a man should not hold in every clause yet he may be godly and a good Subject and urge such oaths with violence under penalty what is this but to punish a man for his judgment though he would keep it to himself 3ly By propounding Questions to men when they come to the choice of or admission to any place of preferment to draw forth their judgments such questions as concerne not at all the qualification of men to such places then deny them those places either because they are unwilling to answer or if you will needs have them answer they discover their judgements different from yours is not this to make men suffer for their judgments though they would live peaceably keeping them to themselves Here is not that suffering of Brethren that Christ would have 2ly In things controversall and doubtfull amongst godly and peaceable men though there should be a declaration of difference of judgment and some different practice yet there is to be a forbearance of compulsory violence we must not be to one another in such things as these are as that Gyant we read of who laid upon a bed all he took and those who were too long he cut them even with his bed and such as were too short he stretched them out to the length of it Verily this is cruelty God hath not made men all of a length nor height mens parts gifts graces differ mens tempers apprehensions educations are various and if there be no suffering one another in things not clear all the world must needbe quarrelling there wil be strengthning interests sidings and opposings one another continually except not only mens bodies and estates but their very souls also be brought under sordid slavery Our Brethren of Scotland writing against the tyranny of Prelats when they were under it in that Book entituled English and Popish Ceremonies have this passage If the error of Conscience be about things unnecessary then it is tutior pars the surest safest way not to urge men to do that which in their consciences they condemne And the Ministers of the Protestant Churches in France giving their judgments De pace inter Evangelicos procuranda How peace amongst the Protestants in Germanie may be had set forth by Duraeus say thus Let all matters controversal be brought into such a certain model as may give satisfaction to both parties and that if it be possible framed out of the very words of Scripture and let no man require any thing else of his brother Zanc. in praecep 4. hath this notable speech That which I say says he is diligently to be observed that those who would stir up Princes to have all people Kingdomes Common-wealths which not overthrowing the fundamentalls of Religion differ from them in any thing condemned of heresie excluded from friendship driven out of their territories these are no friends says he either to their Princes or to the Church of Christ Many thinke they doe great service to Christ the Church and State if they can stir up Magistrates to suppress whatsoever they conceive are errors it may be their hearts are upright in the main they aym at peace but certainly they cause much disturbance in Church and State Bishop Davenant in a little Book entituled His Exhortation to brotherly love amongst Churches the ninth Chap. hath this title that Brotherly communion between Churches Evangelicall is not to be cut asunder because of divers opinions about Questions controversall And in the beginning of the 10. Chapter This is to be premised The bonds of the brotherly communion of Christian Churches ought not to be dissolved upon every difference of opinions but only for the denying or opposing Fundamentals Here see the moderation of a Prelate Thus Cyprian of old delivered his opinion and practised it accordingly differing from many of his brethren but withall professeth That he meant not to prescribe or give Lawes to any that he would not contend with any of his Collegues so as to breake divine concord and the peace of our Lord that he was farre from judging or censuring any of his Brethren or cutting off from his communion any that were of a different minde and that in such case none ought to constraine his Collegue by tyrannicall violence therein glancing at the violent proceeding of Stephen to whom he wrote to a necessity of believing or following what he thinks meet This modesty and charity of Cyprian is very often and very deservedly commended by St. Augustine says D. Potter an Episcopall man That this may go down the better or at least that mens spirits may be in some measure moderated take these following Considerations First this contending about every difference of opinion urging our Brethren with what we conceive right in matters of controversie crosseth the end of Christ in his Administration of differing gifts to his Church and humane society and his revealing truths in a different way some more darkely some more clearly Christ could easily have given such gifts to all or revealed all truths so clearly that every man should have been able to have seen every truth Surely Christ did not disperse gifts and reveal truths so differently to that end that there might be continual matter of strife and contention in his Church and in humane societies not that there should be provocation to the exercise of cruelty one upon another but rather that
it selfe sin in the least thing yet I am not ever bound to do that which my conscience says is in it self good as it may fall out in some great things A thing in it-self evill can never be made my duty to do what ever circumstances it may be cloathed with what ever good I conceive may be done by it but a thing in it self good may by circumstances attending of it be such as at this time it is my duty to forbear it so that in not doing it I cannot be charged of a sin of omission of not living according to what my judgment and conscience is convinced of to be truth and good That we may understand yet further our duty of profession so as we may cause no divisions by it let these five rules be considered for the ordering of it First we must be wel grounded in fundamentals before we make profession of other truths seldome or never have you known men who in the beginning of their profession of Religion have laid out the first of their strength in Controversies but that they have vanished come to nothing in their profession Be first well rooted in the faith in the great things of godlinesse â—he absolute necessary things of eternall life and then thy searching into other truths of God which are for thy further edification will be seasonable 2ly Take heed that what thou dost be not out of affectation of novelties which men naturally have itching desires after It is very pleasing to the flesh to convey such things to others to be the first that shall bring to others things which before they understood not whatsoever the things be As there is much wickedness in raising up old errors as if they were new truths so there is much vanity in bringing forth old truths in novell and affected phrases as if men desired to be thought to find out some new thing that yet hath not been or is very little known in the world when indeed upon examination when it is uncloathed of its new expressions it proves to be the same old truth that ordinarily hath been known taught and so the man appears to be no knowing man more then ordinary Take heed of this vanity of spirit in the holding forth of truth especially when in publike you speak of Gods truths speak of them with reverence of the name of the great God as the Oracles of God clearly plainly not in obscure uncouth unknown expressions as the Oracles of the Idols were wont to be delivered in 3. Whatsoever is differing from others who are godly is not to be held forth and professed without serious examination we may venture more suddenly upon those things which are generally received of the Saints but if they be differing then we had need examine them over and over again with a jealous eye over our own hearts and to take heed to our spirits how we behave our selves in such things wherein we are like to go away so much differing from so many of our godly able brethren Wee must take heed of publishing any such things rawly undigestedly lest we wrong the truth of God and make the profession of it become ridiculous If the thing be true to day it will be true to morrow 4. We must not think it enough boldly to assert things but according to the rule of the Apostle 1 Pet. 3. 15. we must give an account 1. with meekness we must not do it in a passionate froward way not with our affections hurrying and tumultuous not after a contentious manner as if we desired victory rather then truth but with quietnesse and composednesse of spirit We must not think it much to bear contradiction from others yea though it should arise to contemptuous carriage against us and with fear that is either in respect of our selves who make the profession or in respect of those before whom we make it For our selves we must not do it in a conceited way not in a high arrogant way with foolish confidence in our selves in our own apprehensions and abilities but with feare manifesting our sensibleness of our own weakness vanity and nothingnes 2. In respect of those before whom the profession is made We must manifest our due reverent esteem of them no unbeseeming behaviour no scornfulness lightness contempt if it before Magistrates especially then whatsoever they are in regard of their persons yet reverentiall respects ought to be given to them in respect of their places and if they be men of worth learning graces publike use in the Church or State that respect that is due to their worth is to be manifested also in our carriage towards them Grace teacheth no man to be unmannerly rude scornfull furious or foolish 5. If you would make profession or practice any thing differing from others who are godly and judicious you should first acquaint those who are most able with what you intend and not go to youths women and weak ones first seeking to promote what you apprehend by possessing your hearts first with it and to get them to be a party for you this is not the way of God If God hath revealed some new thing to you you have some new light that is not yet made known to your Brethren which not only by profane men but I fear by some who are godly is in a profane manner scorned at and it were wel if none of those who pretend it did not give some occasision were not the temptation to the despising of that expression yet you should first goe to those who are most able to judg acquaint them with what apprehensions you have and see whether they cannot make it appeare to you that you are mistaken if not they may confirm you in the truth that you may go on in it with the more confidence If Churches were setled as they ought I should think it very ill for any Minister to preach any thing not ordinarily received by the Saints before they have acquainted other Elders yea some of other Churches with it if out of an eager desire to be formost in venting some new thing they shall do it meerly from themselves they may be meanes to raise and engage themselves in woful disturbances before they are aware That common union and fellowship that there is between Elders and Churches requires mutual advise and consultation in matters of difficulty though to lay a law upon them to advise in every thing be it never so clear would be hard CHAP. XII The sixth dividing Principle What is in it selfe best must be chosen and done not weighing circumstances or references THis brings much trouble to the Churches yea it causeth much trouble in the spirits and lives of many truly godly It causeth men to break the bonds of their Callings of their Relations of their publique Interests therefore certainly it must needs be a dividing Principle Some men whose calling is only to a private employment yet having some gifts and
greatest troublers in Church and State Thus in the generall mens lusts are the cause of divisions but let us enquire into the particular lusts of men which wee may also charge Wee shall find these dividing distempers to be as many as the dividing Principles As the Philosopher speaks of four Cardinall vertues so the first four that I shall name I may call the four Cardinall vices these are Pride Self-love Envy Passion or Frowardnesse All the other distempers that cause divisions have the poyson of these four at the root of them These are the Chariot wheels of the Furies or the four horses that drawes them up and down hurrying from place to place CHAP. XVI The Pride of mens hearts the great dividing distemper PRide is the greatest Master of mis-rule in the world it is the great incendiary in the soule of man in families in Townes Cities in all societies in Church and State This wind causeth tempests to arise Prov. 13. 10. Onely by pride comes contention The holy Ghost singles out pride as the only cause of all contentions because it is the chief though there be many in a ryot the whole usually is laid upon the ring-leaders Pride is the ring-leader to all ryots divisions disturbances amongst us Prov. 21. 24. Proud and haughty scorner is his name who dealeth in proud wrath Pride may be well indicted for the great common Barrettor in all Towns and Cities and Kingdomes it makes wofull troubles wheresoever it comes Mathematicians make this a rule to know when a thing is exactly round and when it is exactly plaine Round things will not touch but in puncto if you lay plaine things together they will touch in every part of them Proud hearts will joyne only in some things that concern themselves but plain hearts will joyn in every thing wherein God may have glory and their Bâ—ethren good Gâ—uty swoln legs keep at distance one from another bladders that are blown up with wind spurt one from another they will not close but if you prick them and so let out the wind you may pack a thousand in a little room Wee finde this by experience when God gives us most successe in our Armies then are we most divided then every man begins to look high and to be sharking for himself and when the Lord discountenances our Armies and brings us low then we think and speak ways of Accommodation then we bewaile our divisions with some brokenness of spirit As it is with Souldiers when they are fighting against the common adversary then they can agree well enough but when they come to divide the spoile or be put into their Garrisons then they fall out When we lye under the danger of the same common calamity then we can agree but when we come to share for our selves then our spirits swell one against another We read in Scripture of the Mannah that God gave his people such was the nature of it that the heat of the Sun melted it You wil say How could it then endure the heat of the oven for they baked it in the oven yet so it was of a strange kind of nature that it could bear the heat of the oven and not the heat of the sun Even of such a temper are our hearts the heat of the sunne of prosperity dissolves us causes us to runn one from another but the heate of the fire of affliction bakes us brings us and settles us together it makes us to be one it takes away our rawnesse it consumes many of our ill humors and so composes our spirits into one The stupidness of our hearts is such as we do not make our brethrens case who suffer the rage of these wars our owne But we for the present having some more liberty then formerly we are lifted up and in the pride of our hearts push at our brethren and smite our fellow-servants If the dogges be at a little distance from us though we even heare the cryes of our brethren who are worried by them yet we foolishly blesse our selves in our present ease enjoyments and hopes as if our flesh must be spared our estates our liberties and enjoyments must be continued yea raised whatsoever becomes of others Oh sinfull vaine spirits befooled and hardned with their pride But what are the severall workings of pride that make such a stir in the world First A proud man thinks himself too great to be crossed Shall I beare this I will make you know what it is to doe such things against me he thinks it a great dishonour to him to beare any thing therefore he must needs quarrel and contend if it be but to shew what a man of spirit he is or to shew that he is a man of such worth as whatsoever others beare yet it is not fit for him to bear it it is but reason that such a man as he should make men who will presume to crosse him to yeeld to him to stoop under him Now when one proud man thinks it a dishonour for him to put up wrongs from another who it may be is as proud as himself and he thinks it a dishonor for him to put up wrong what peace can there be some wrongs must be put up but proud men will never agree who shall begin Secondly because his spirit swells so big he thinks every thing that crosseth him to be very great his sufferings are great to him according to what great thoughts he hath of himself according to the excellency or meannesse of any person So are his sufferings to be reckoned sufferings of a man in eminency are judged according to his eminency and place if a mean man suffer the same things they are not accounted so great now whether a man be great really or in his owne apprehension it s all one in regard of his esteem of his sufferings he thinks himselfe therefore intollerable because they are against himself Dan. 3. 14. Is it true O Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Do not ye serve my gods that which you have in your books is it true Arius Montanus translates Nunquid de solatio what is there desolation made what you to oppose the command of a King if this be suffered what desolation must needs follow Add indeed the root from whence the word comes signifies desolari to make desolate why was it a desolation that these three poor innocent men made because they would not nay they could not do as this proud K. would have them w ht made him thus to aggravate the offence but meerly the pride of his heart he thought that any thing cross to his command was a most hainous offence a thing most horrid in the very mention of it no lesse then the utter undoing of all things Pride ever aggravates any thing done against its owne mind This in Dan. that Montanus turns Nunquid desolatio Buxtorfius translates num de industria what on purpose you doe it on purpose to provoke
This would strike as great a terror into the hearts of our Adversaries as the victory hath done Lastly we had need take heed of breaches lest God should be provoked to change his administrations toward us if there be so much choller in the stomack that sweet meats are turned into choller it were just with God to come with bitter and sowr pils to purge out our choller We read Jude ver 5. The Lord saved the people out of the land of Egypt yet afterward he destroyed them that believed not the Lord hath granted us a great salvation from our Enemies who would have brought us into Egyptian bondage We have been singing the song of Moses we have been praising God according to that Apoc. 15. 3. but let us take heed that yet God be not provoked against us for we are not out of all danger as they by not believing so we by not agreeing but contending and quarrelling may at lâ—st be destroyed You know how the Lord of that servant to whom 10000. talents were given tooke it that he should presently go to his fellow-servant who ought him but a hundred pence and lay hands on him and take him by the throat and say Pay that thou owest and cast him into prison Mat. 18. 28. If men be not mollified by this mercy they will be hardened they will use their brethren worse then they did before the rather because they would declare to all the world that they make no such interpretation of this mercy as that God would have them have further tender regard towards to seek union and peace with to beare with or yeeld unto their Brethren more then before it is not unlikely but temptation may be suggested to do some act the more against them either now or within a while to wipe away any conceit of any such an interpretation of this gracious work of God for us But those who are of gracious peaceable spirits should take the hint of this and goe to all they know who have been at distance one from another of whom they may have hope to doe good and seek to mollifie their spirits to know what it is they have one against another what prejudices what hard thoughts have been entertained by them and by all meanes they are able to remove them that so we loving delighting in one another the Lord may love us and delight in us nad shew mercy to us yet more and more CHAP. XIX The fifth Dividing Distemper Rigidnesse the sixth Rashnesse the seventh Wilfulnesse the eighth Vnconstancy RIgid harsh sowre crabbed rough-hewn spirits are unfit for union there is no sweetness no amiableness no pleasingnesse in them they please themselves in a rugged austereness but are pleasing to none else in all their ways they will abate nothing of their own nor yeeld any thing to others this is against the rule of the Apostle Rom. 15. 1 2 3. We must not please our selves but let every one please his Neighbour for his good to edification and this according to the example of Christ who pleased not himselfe This is the duty not of weake men only who had need please others because they have need of others but ver 1. those that are strong ought not to please themselves but seek to please others Men who are of austere spirits affecting a gravity which turns to a dull sullen sternnesse they think it to be the commendations of the strength of their spirits that they can carry themselves as they doe towards others seeking altogether content to themselves without any yeeldableness to others no that is but lightnesse and weaknes in men they are of a more staid and strong temper then to do so These men by their wisdome do very much sinn against the wisdome of the holy Ghost in this Scripture yea and against the example of Jesus Christ who as in his whole course manifested tenderness gentleness affableness amiableness towards weak ones who were infinitely beneath him and here is set forth unto us to be one who pleased not himself far from this rigid harsh temper Those swords are not of the best tempered metall who will not bend but stand stiff but such as yeeld and bend with most ease and stand streight again neither are those dispositions the best who are the stiffest but such as are most yeeldable and yet stand streight too This harsh and rigid spirit makes mens gifts and graces to be very unuseful When Plato saw Xenocrates of an austere rigid temper he advised him to sacrifice to the Graâ—es that he might have more mildnesse fearing that otherwise his parts and learning would be unprofitable The Jews observe upon Exo. 25. 3. That no Iron was in the stuffe of the Tabernable rigid iron spirits are very unfit for Church work Levit. 17. 7. They shall no more sacrifice to Devills The word translated Devils signifies rough ones Devils had their names from thence this is the name of a Satyr Isa 34. 14. The rough one The Spirit of God is a Dove-like sweet spirit but the spirit of the Devill is a rough harsh spirit the spirit of a Satyr Prov. 11. 17. He that is cruell troubleth his owne flesh That word here translated cruell the Septuagint elsewhere translates it by a word that signifies rigid stiffe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 30. 14. Men of such tempers are very troublesome to themselves to their families to all with whom they converse If a Smith would joyn two pieces of iron he must first file them or beat them smooth If the Joyner would joyn two pieces of wood he must plain them Except our spirits be filed beaten smooth or plained they are unfit for joyning The sixth dividing Distemper Rashnesse ACts 19. 36. Ye ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly Doing thingâ— rashly and quietnesse are opposed 1. Rashnesse makes men engage themselves suddenly in businesse before they have examined it well This causes much trouble for if a man be engaged he lies under a temptation to goe on in it As 2 Chron. 25. 9. When the man of God came to Amaziah to take him off from a businâ—sse he was engaged in O but says he what shall I do for the hundred Talents I have given out already thus many answer to the truth of God that would take them off from what they are engaged in but what shall I do for my credit that lyes engaged 2ly Rashnesse causes men suddenly to provoke others whereas did they consider what ill consequences might come of it they would forbear Rash men quickly take hold of the sword of Justice to hack and hew they think that what they do is according to reason but they do not wisely weigh things in the ballance of Justice Remember Justice 〈◊〉 a Ballance as well as a Sword Prov. 29. 11. A foole uttereth all his mind The Sept. translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utters all his anger Rash fools by uttering their anger
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
suspition of her And Paulus Fagius upon the place says the Jewes had a tradition not only that she should conceive but it should be a man-child if shee had any disease she should be freed and if she brought forth before with difficulty she should bring forth now with ease Let not men therefore who are of publike use having their consciences clear yet because they are under suspition throw off all in an anger Such a temptation many lye under but let them know this temptation cannot prevail but upon the distemper of their hearts the exceeding sinfull frowardnesse of their spirits they should trust God with their names their esteem their honour and go on in their work The only way to deliver themselves from suspition is their constant industry and faithfulnesse in all opportunities of service God puts into their hands and with the more quietnesse of spirit with the lesse noyse they go on the sooner will the suspitions they were under wash off and vanish to nothing God will make their names break forth as the light those weeds having no ground to take root will wither and dye away The tenth dividing Distemper A spirit of contention AS in some there is a strong inclination a vehement impetus to whoredom which the Prophet cals a spirit of whoredome so there is in others a vehement strong disposition of heart to contention these have a spirit of contention these are like Salamanders who love and live in the fire They thirst after the waters of Massah and Meribah their temper is such as if they drank no other drink then w ht was brewed of those waters Contentions and strifes that are as tedious to other men as death are their delight they are most in their element when they are over head and ears in them A contentious spirit will always find matter for contention Prov. 26. 21. As coals to burning coals and wood to fire so is a contentious man is kindle strife they are ready to put their hands to any strife they meet with yet Prov. 26. 17. Hee that medleth with strife belonging not to him is like one that holdeth a dog by the cares Many men have no mettal in any thing but contentions like many jades who are dull in travell they have mettal only to kick and to play jadish tricks If thou hast any spirit any zeal and courage it is pitty it should be laid out in quarrels reserve it for the cause of God to strengthen thee in contending for the truth the publike The eleventh Distemper Covetousnesse THis is the root of all evill then of this there is no greater plague to friendship then desire of money sayes Laelius apud Cicer. A covetous man is witty to foresee wayes of gaine and he is stiffe in holding fast what may be for his advantage Yet know what a stir Demetrius and his fellows made in Ephesus when their profit was endangered they had rather set all in a tumult then let their gain go 1 Tim. 4. 5. Envy strife railings c. perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds destitute of the truth supposing that gaine is godlinesse How will some object against men withdraw from them deprive themselves of the benefits of the gifts of God in them of much good they have heretofore acknowledged they have got by them all merely to save their purses that in a poor pedling way What a stir hath this Meum and Tuum made in the world The sweetnesse of gaine amongst men is like honey cast amongst Beares they will fight rend and tear out one anothers throat for it They that will be eich fall into temptations and a snare and into many and hurtfull lusts 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. They pierce themselves and others too with many sorrowes VVhen divisions arose in Germany upon Luthers Doctrine men of base covetous spirits judging Luther by themselves thought that Luther made all this stir to get gaine Why therefore sayes one do you not stop the mans mouth with gold or silver Another answers Oh this German Beast cares not for money The twelfth dividing distemper Falsenesse NOthing more firmly unites and holds together the Common-wealth then fidelity sayes Cicero Truth is a girdle Stand therefore having your loynes girt with truth Ephes 6. 14. Truth binds and Falseness loosenâ— The Apostle Eph. 4. 25. exhorts to put away lying and every man to speak trueth to his neighbour upon this ground because we are members one of another The Romans esteemed so much of truth for uniting men into societies that they built a Temple to it as to a Goddesse in which Temple all Leagues Covenants Truces and important bargains were made which were so religiously observed that whosoever broke them was held for a cursed damned creature unfit for humane society Rom. 1. 29. Full of envy murther debate deceit malignity A man were better be true to false principles then be false to true ones Those who are false are also mischievous they care not what mischief they do to any so they may but uphold themselves and repair that credite which formerly they had but now through their base falsenesse is crackt and if they have wronged any by their falsnesse they seek to keep such downe if not to ruine them fearing lest their falsenesse should hereafter be revenged and if they cannot get them down by force they will seek to do it by adding yet more falsenesse by flattering them whom their hearts hate and would gladly ruine That Scripture Prov. 26. 28. is very remarkable for this A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it and a flattering mouth worketh ruine Psal 72. 14. He shall deliver their soule from deceit and violence If men who are false cannot compasse their ends by deceit they will seeke to doe it by violence God hath his time to deliver his Saints from both Come Lord Jesus come quickly CHAP. XXI Dividing Practices The first The Practice of the Tongue The second Needlesse Disputes PRovoking bitter language is a great divider An evill tongue in Scripture is compared to swords Arrowes Razors to poyson of Aspes â—ire yea to the fire of hell which sets all the world on fire to wild beasts it is an unruly member that cannot be tamed When a Philosopher saw two women of ill fame talking together he said By this speech the Aspe takes in poyson from the Viper which it seems was a proverbiall speech in Tertullians time he inveighing against Marcion the Heretique Let the Heretique sayes he cease borrowing poyson from the Jew according to the Proverbe the Aspe from the Viper Many men of moderate spirits if let alone yet meeting with men who tell them stories and speak ill of those men that heretofore they had a good opinion of yet now before they have examined what the truth is there is a venome got into their spirits before they are aware their hearts
cruelty and revenge her husband delighting in her caused her Image to be made lively representing her and apparelled with costly garments but indeed it was an Engin to torment men withall he made use of it thus when he could not have his will upon men by his owne perswasions he tooke them by the hand telling them that perhaps his wife Apega who sate by in a chaire could perswade more effectually so he led them to the Image that rose up and opened the armes as it were for embracement those armes were full of sharpe iron nayles the like whereof were also sticking in the brests though hidden with her clothes and herewith she griped these men to death At which Nabis standing by laughed to see the cruell death of these miserable men The Lord deliver us from revengefull spirits CHAP. XXVII The evill of Divisions They hinder much good EVsebius reports of Constantine That he was more troubled with the dissentions of the Church then with all the warres in his dominions that he took them so to heart that he could not sleep quietly for them yea although he had a spirit full of heroick valour yet the dissentions of the Church were such evils to him as to cause him to cry and sob Thus he writes in an Epistle to Alexander and Arius Let me enjoy the dayes in peace and the nights without molâ—station that the pleasure which riseth out of the pure light of concord and quiet life may henceforth inviolably be conserved if it otherwise happen it behoveth us to sob and sigh and to shed many a salt teare What heart that hath any tendernesse in it bleeds not in the sense of those sore dreadful heart-divisions there are amongst us The evill there is in them is beyond what tongue or pen can expresse Take a view of it under these three Heads 1. The good they hinder 2. The sinne they cause 3. The misery they bring First the quiet comfort sweetnesse of our spirits is hindered by divisions They put the spirit out of tune men who heretofore have had sweet spirit full of ingenuity since they have interessed themselves in these Divisions have lost their sweetnesse their ingenuity is gone When the Bee stings she leaves her sting behinde her and never gathers Honey more men by stinging one another doe not lose their stings but they lose their honey they are never like to have that sweetnesse in their hearts that heretofore they had Shall I lose my sweetnesse sayes the Fig-tree and goe to be promoted over the trees Why doest thou not reason thus with thy spirit Shall I lose my sweetnesse in contending to get my will to be above others God sorbid There was a time that both my my selfe and others found much sweetnesse in the temper of spirit there was nothing but peaceablenesse quiet calmnesse contentednesse in it and how comfortable was such a temper of spirit me thought when my spirit was in that sweet frame all things were sweet to me but since I have been interested in quarrels and contentions it hath beene farre otherwise with me Prov. 15. 4. Perversnesse in the tongue causes a breach in the spirit Contentions cause much perversnesse in mens tongues and this causes a breach in their spirits Your contending costs you deare though it were in nothing else yet the losse of this sweetnesse of spirit makes it very costly to you All the wrong that you should have put up if you had not contended had not been so great an evil to you as this one thing is There is nothing more contrary to ingenuity then quarrelsomnesse It is reported of Melancthon that when he was to dye he had this speech and Strigelius at his death had the same I desire to depart this life for two causes First that I may enjoy the desired sight of the Sonne of God and the Church in heaven Secondly that I may be delivered from the fierce and implacable hatred of Divines There was much disputing contending quarrelling in those times which was so tedious to the spirits of these good men as it made them the willinger to dye that they might be where their souls should be at rest That Saint of God old M. Dod never loved to meddle with controversies he gave that reason He found his heart the worse when he did Men seldome come away from hot disputes or any other contentions but their spirits are altered for the worse They finde it so and others finde it in them If a man has beene abroad and met with company with whom he hath been contending his wife children servants finde that he comes not home with the same spirit that he went out with Secondly they hinder the freedome of a mans spirit which a wise man sets a high price upon the strength of many mens spirits is spent in contentions they have no command of them to any thing else When a man is once engaged in a contest he knows not how to get off Contention is a great snare to a man he wishes he had never medled with it he is weary of it but knowes not how to come off fairely I have read of Francis the first King of France consulting with his Captaines how to lead his Army over the Alpes into Italy whether this way or that way Amarill his Foole sprung out of a corner where he sate unseene and bad them rather take care which way they should bring their Army out of Italy back again It is easie for one to interest himselfe in quarrels but the difficulty is to be disengaged from them when you are in Thirdly they hinder the good of the body many men contending with their Brethren are so full of stomach that they have no stomach they hinder their sleep men lye tossing up downe a great part of the night sometimes whole nights musing plodding and contriving how they may make their party good what advantages they may get of those they contend with Have the thoughts about the breach sinne hath made between God and thy soul broke thy sleep so much as the thoughts of breaches between thee and thy neighbours and brethren We reade of Moses Deut. 34. 7. that he was an hundred and twenty yeeres old when he died his eye was not dimme nor his naturall force abated Some give this to be one reason of such a wonderfull preservation of his health and strength the meeknesse of his spirit God witnesses of him Numb 12. 3. That he was the meekest man upon the face of the earth That good old man Mr. Dod came very neere to Moses in the one and in the other Fourthly they hinder mens judgements if the water be muddie we cannot see what lies at the bottome These dissentions disturb the medium of our sight you cannot weigh gold in the middest of blustring windes you cannot consider and give a judgement upon truth except the heart be calme Gregory Nazianzen hath this similitude As the
angred you therefore though you have opportunity of being useful to him yet you refuse it as if it were at your liberty to lay out your abilities for good or not Certainly this is not according to the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 12. 7. The manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withall 3. If you do make use of your gifts for the good of others yet dissentions between you will hinder the profit of them you are not like to do any good by them except they be carryed on by the oyl of love they wil not soak into mens hearts When did you ever know a wrangling contentious Minister though his gifts were never so excellent do good amongst his people And what comfort can a man have of his life if he be laid aside by God as a useless man 4. These divisions cause men to make the gifts of others useless to themselves whereas God puts opportunity into mens hands to get much good by those excellent gifts their Brethren have yet if there be any difference between them either they will not acknowledge the gifts of GOD in them or otherwise they have no mind to receive from them that good they might have because their hearts are not with them Ninthly they hinder our graces how little of God and Christ little spiritualness appears in Professours of Religion since these rents and divisions have been amongst us in comparison of what in former times hath appeared As the members of the body sayes Augustine are not quickned except they be joyned so even the members of Christ do not receive of the quickning vertue of Christ except they be joyned Here is the reason of the deadness coldness emptiness barrenness vanity of your spirits you are not joyned O where are the heavenly Christians that were wont to be those humble those holy gracious soules who lived by faith who were able to deny themselves their whole lives were nothing else but a continuall exercise of self-denyall who were not onely patient but joyfull under afflictions Where are those watchfull Christians who walked close with God who enjoyed such spirituall communion with him as made their faces shine in their holy heavenly conversations Where are those tender broken-hearted Christians that were wont to be who lived upon the Word to whom the Word was more sweet then honey and the honey comb Now there is another kind of face of Professours of Religion as if there were godliness in these dayes not of the same kind with that which was formerly If our fore-fathers who were the most holy and gracious should rise againe they would not own those for Professours of Religion who now make a great noyse keep a great stirr about Religion as if they had got up higher then their fore-fathers had and yet are loose vain frothy false in their way Certainly those holy gracious Saints whom these new Professours sleight were they alive they would abominate them as the great disgrace of and dishonour to Jesus Christ and his Saints Take but away their disputes and for any else how empty and dry are they If they ever had any grace it is under a deal of rubbish we cannot see it and can these men be any other but an empty vine seeing their hearts are so divided The graces that they seemed to have had are quite blasted and if there were any in truth they are exceedingly weakned Vinegar will dissolve Pearls Pliny tells of Cleopatra Queen of Egypt that in her wanton bravery at a Supper she made for Marcus Antonius she dissolv'd a Pearl in Vinegar and drank it off and prepared another both which were valued worth neer five thousand pounds Oh the many precious Pearls worth thousands of gold and silver that are dissolv'd by the Vinegar sowreness of mens spirits in these sharp dissentions that are amongst us Our Divisions hinder the breaking forth of the lustre the shine of Religion in the beauty and glory of it The fire of our contentions raises such a smoak that it all besmothers us it takes away our comliness it makes us look black no amiableness appears in the wayes of Religion to convince men of the excellency of them Scratch'd faces rent and torn garments we account a shame to us distracted divided spirits rending and tearing one another and from one another in our divided wayes O how uncomely doth it render us and that profession of Religion that we take upon us The Turks were wont to wonder much at our English men for pinking and cutting their clothes counting them little better then mad men for making holes in whole cloth which time of it self would tear too soon the cuts rents slashes that are in our spirit in our divisions at this day are much more uncomely and may justly render us foolish and mad in the eyes of all that do behold us Our Divisions hinder our strength If you untwist a Cable how weak is it in the severall parts of it a threefold cord is not easily broken but a single one is Divide a strong current into severall rivelets and how shallow and weak will the course of the water be That act that Plutarch reports to the King of Scythia Scilurus toward his Sons hath been very famous to set out how divisions weaken wheresoever they are he sayes he had eighty Sons and when he was near death he caused a bundle of Arrows to be brought and given them one by one bidding each of them to break it they all answered it was impossible for any man to do it then he causes the Arrows to be taken out one by one and bade one of his Sons break them this any of them could easily do upon this he speaks to his Sonnes thus If ye agree together ye shall abide strong and unconquerable but if ye divide your selves contending one with another ye will be weak and easily overcome They hinder our doing good in publick that which concerns many must be done by many But how can two much less many walk together if they be not agreed that which one does the other seeks to undo Now although God can turn whatsoever is contrary to his work to the furtherance of it yet man cannot do so When God would hinder the work of building Babel he comes down and confounds their tongues so as they could not joyn together in it Thus when the Devill would hinder the work of Jerusalem he knows no way more likely then by dividing the hearts of those who are employed if he can possibly that thereby he might bring confusion They hinder our own ends none are more crossed in their ends and designes then contentious people we have not the mutuall benefits of one anothers Estates Houses the many ways of accommodation and help for one another as heretofore we were wont to have now every man shifts for himselfe scarce any man who knew what the heartiness of friendship meant enjoyes those outward accommodations as
you doe nothing that may make any disturbance in the Church whereby such as are observers of your wayes shall be offended If they see miscarriages in you they will fly off and of all miscarriages there are none more offensive to the lookers on then wranglings and contendings when they see this they will conclude Surely this is not the way of Christ 10. They are a very ill improvement of our zeal and courage Zeal and courage have such an excellency in them as its a thousand pitties they should have no other improvement then to raise and maintain quarels and divisions The Lord hath use of every mans zeal and courage reserve them for his for some notable work that God hath to do for thee and do not spend them about that from whence comes no good If Soldiers lying neare their enemies have no store of powder should spend what they have in making squibs and fire-workes would they not be condemned of folly if not of treachery by all Those who have the most zeal and courage have little enough to serve their turne for the services that God requires of them and must this be spent in unworthy brablings wanglings and quarellings That mans body is in an ill condition that hath a sore to which the humors have recourse to feed it leaving off the supplying to the parts of the body that are to be nourished and maintained by them the sore is fed but the other parts grow lank and feeble Thus it is with many mens spirits they are distempered and then what abilities they have are drawn forth to feed those distempers what account can be given to God of such a use of them as this 11. They make very much against the Cause of Christ now in hand the great work of Reformation Had we joyned hand in hand together and set out selves to serve the Lord with one shoulder what abundance of service might have been done how might the honour of Christ have been advanced high amongst us before this day But while one draws one way another another one seeks to set up and another labours to pull down how can the work go on You will say That is true indeed things would go on a pace if those who differ from others would give up their judgements and practises to them to beleeve what they beleeve and to doe what they doe But how can this be you would not have them give up their judgements or practices to them till they know they be right and how can that be till they by discussing praying reading meditating finde that out If some men had certainly found out the right and other men knew certainly that they had done so then the worke were at an end But when we complain of our divisions for making much against the Cause of Christ or work of Reformation we do not complain against men because they cannot all understand things alike But this we complain of 1. That all men who professe godlinesse have not joyned in opposing that which they beleeve cannot stand with godlinesse by all the wayes that God hath put into their hands 2. That they have not joyned to promote those wayes of godlinesse which they are convinced to be so 3. That they have not joyned to study what wayes and means may be found out to ease the hearts and consciences one of another to beare with one another so far as Christ would have them be helpfull to and beare with one another It is this that hath made such a stop in the work of Reformation A peaceable humble and quiet discussing of things furthers that Reformation that Christ would have Doe you thinke that Christ would be pleased with such a Reformation wherein the lesser part should give up their consciences and practices to the Judgments of the greater such a kind of slubbering over matters might soon be but Christ must have all the matters of his worship and doctrine consented to and practiced from a principle of faith Let us joyn with all our might in all we know and with peaceable quiet humble spirits seek to know more and in the mean time carry our selves humbly and peaceably towards those we differ from and Christ will not charge us at the Great Day for retarding his Cause the great work of Reformation in hand 12. These our dissentions are against a great part of the Covenant of Grace which God hath made with his people in Christ and those many promises of so much peace that there is to be in the times of the Gospel We by these do that which tends to make void the Covenant we doe as it were say that Christ is not come in the flesh 1 Joh. 4. 3. Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist Many men talk much of Antichrist bet such as profess the Gospel and yet are of unpeaceable snarling contending spirits they have the spirit of Antichrist and they doe not confesse that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh It is the Argument the Jews have against Christ say they If he were come then that Prophesie Esay 11. 6. would be fulfilled The wolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the leopard shall lye downe with the kid and the cow and the beare shall feed together c. But this is not so they bring many other places where Peace is prophesied of as Esay 9. 7. Of the encrease of his government and peace shall be no end Those who seeke for his Government should seek for his Peace also Galatinus de Arcanis Catholicae veritatis spends divers Chapters in answering the Jews objections against Christ from these places with others as Lib. 5. the 6 7 8. Chapters A speciall part of the Covenant of Grace is in that promise Ezek. 11. 19. I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within them and they shall be my people and I will be their God ver 20. And Jer. 32. 38 39. They shall be my people and I will be their God and I will give them one heart and one way Many men speak much of the Covenant of Grace who manifest little of this part of it in them If that which is against any command of God be sinfull much more is that which is so directly against Gods Covenant with his people that which tends to make even the Covenant of Grace to be of none effect if it be of no effect in one part of it it will be of none in the other 13. By our divisions we cross that end that God aimed at in the variety of his administrations in the gifts and graces of men That this was not Christs end in dispensing gifts and graces in a different way that there might be fuell administred to contentions and quarrels but rather to exercise love we spake to before now onely take notice of it as a consideration that set out the
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
wherein he had not raigned if he had done no good This principle would make men great as well as good It is the glory of God that he does so much good And if men could account this greatnesse satisfying greatnesse the most and greatest contentions that are in the world would be layd down for what do men contend so much for as for greatnesse The fourth joyning Principle The good of other men is my good as well as theirs VVE are all of one body whatsoeuer good others have it is the good of the body it makes them some way able to doe that good that we would have done or at least that we should desire to have done Plutarch sayes that Solon made a law whereby every man was enabled to sue whosoever wronged his neighbour as if he had wronged himself he gave this reason for it There is no good that one man has in a Common-wealth but it is another mans as well as his Community in the Church is more 1 Cor. 3. 22. Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours you are Christs and Christ is Gods If you be godly you have an interest in all the eminent godly men in the world in all their gifts their graces in all they have or do all that is in the world that hath any good in it is yours yea what is evill shall be serviceable to you for good This is brought by the Apostle to quiet the jarrings and contentions that were amongst the Corinthians One would be for Paul another for Apollos sayes the Apostle What need this contention who you are for and who another is for they are all yours all the excellency there is in them is the good of every one of you A speciall reason why men contend so much is they think the good that other men have is their evill therefore they must either get it to themselves or darken it in those that have it But such men acted by such a principle are poore low-spirited men A man of a raised enlarged spirit opens his heart that it may be filled with that infinite good in which there is all good Now if it be that good my soul closeth with and is satisfied in then whatsoever hath any goodnesse in it be it where it will it flowes from this Infinite Ocean of good that my soul is launched into and some way or other flows into this againe though thorough mens corruptions there may be windings and turnings in the course of it yet hither it comes at last and therefore it is mine as really and truly as any I have in mine own hand my soul then shall rejoyce in all the good I see my brethren have in all they do I will blesse God for it and seek the furtherance of it what I can Surely this man must needs be a man of peace and love The fifth joyning Principle My good is more in the publique then in my selfe THe strength safety excellency of a Cabbin in a Ship consists not so much in the boards of the Cabbin or the fine painting of it as in the strength and excellency of the ship It is because we have such private spirits that there are such contentions among us were we more publique spirited our contentions would vanish When I read of what publique spirits many of the Heathen were I am ashamed to look upon many Christians Paulus Aemilius hearing of the death of his children spake with an un aunted courage thus That the Gods had heard his prayer which was that calamities should rather befall his family then the Common-wealth The publikeness of his spirit made it very sweet and lovely the story sayes of him he intreated them gently and graciously whom he had subdued setting forward their causes even as they had bin his confederates very friends and neer kinsmen Publique spirited men are men of sweet and peaceable spirits The sixth joyning Principle What I would have others doe to me that will I endeavour to doe to them VVOuld not I have others beare with me I then will bear with them I would have others do offices of kindnesses to me I will then do offices of kindnesses to them I would have the carriages of others lovely amiable to me mine shall be so to them I would have others live peaceably with me I will do so with them This rule of doing to others as I would be done to is a law of justice such justice as keeps the peace Alexander Severus the Roman Emperour was much taken with this he sayes he learned it from the Christians if he had to deal with his common Souldiers that did wrong he punished them but when he had to deal with men of worth and dignity he thought it sufficient to reprove them with this sentence Do as ye would be done by Chrysostome in his 13. Sermon to the people of Antioch makes use of this principle thus After Christ had spoken of many blessednesses sayes he then he sayes Those things you would have others to do to you do you to them as if he should say There needs not many words let thine own will be thy law would you receive benefits bestow benefits then would you have mercy be mercifull then would you be commended commend others would you be loved then love Be you the Judge your selfe be you the Law-giver of your owne life That which you hate doe not to another Cannot you endure reproach doe not you reproach others Cannot you endure to have others envy you doe not you envy others Cannot you endure to be deceived do not you deceive others The seventh joyning Principle It is as great an honour to have my will by yeelding as by overcomming MAny men in their anger will say I will be even with him I will tell you a way how you may be above him forgive him By yeilding pardoning putting up the wrong you shew you have power over your self and this is a greater thing then to have power over another Numb 14. 17 18. Now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people ver 19. and by this thou maist honourably prevaile with thy Brother hereby shalt thou heap coals of fire upon his head I have read of two famous Philosophers falling at variance Aristippus and Aeschines Aristippus comes to Aeschines Shall we not be friends sayes he Yes with all my heart saith Aeschines Remember saith Aristippus that though I am your elder yet I sought for peace True saith Aeschines and for this I will alwayes acknowledge you the more worthy man for I began the strife and you the peace The eighth joyning Principle I will never meddle with any strife but that which shall have peace to the end of it NO war is good upon any terms taken up upon the justest ground except it aymes at peace Bellum minime
of closing common gifts are of a middle nature between nature and grace as the spirits of a man are neither of the same nature with the soule nor of the body but between both and serve to unite the soule and body together which otherwise are of natures very different The common gifts that men who are not yet sanctified have may and should cause some union between the godly and them while they live in this world so far as to be usefull one to another in what God hath given them The second joyning Consideration Let us consider how farre we can agree VVE differ thus and thus but what doe we agree in doe we not agree in things enough wherein we may all the dayes of our lives spend all the strength we have in glorifying God together Many men are of such spirits as they love to be altogether busied about their brethrens differences their discourse their pens and all their wayes are about these and that not to heale them but rather to widen them You shall not hear them speak of or meddle with their agreements their strength is not bent to heighten and strengthen them if at any time they do take notice of their agreements it is to make advantage of them to render their disagreements the more odious or to strengthen themselves in what they differ from them they desire to get in men and to get from them only to serve their owne turnes upon them this is an evill spirit No marvaile therefore though some be so loath to discover to them how near they can come to him Pliny tells us of Apelles that drawing the face of Antiochus the King who had but one eye that he might hide this deformity he devised to paint him turning his visage a little away so he shewed but the one side of his face and from him sayes Pliny came the invention first of concealing the defects and blemishes of the visage But the Painters of 〈◊〉 time are quite in another way if there be any deformity or defect on any side they will be sure to paint that side in all the linâ—â—ments of it that must be set forth fully to the view of all men yea if it may be made to look more ugly and monstrous then it is all the skill they have shall be improved to do it But my brethren this ought not to be God doth not so with us he takes notice of the good of his children but conceals their evill There was but one good word in Sarahs speech to Abraham Gen. 18. 12. she called him Lord the speech otherwise was a speech of unbelief yet the holy Ghost speaking afterwards of her in reference to that speech 1 Pet. 3. 6. conceals all the evill in it and mentions only that reverend title she gave to her husband commending her for it Thus should we do had we peceable hearts thus we would do all the good of our brethren we would improve to the uttermost and what is evill so far as with a good conscience we might we could conceal When I shall see this temper in mens spirits I shall hope there will be peace The third joyning Consideration Let us consider of mens tempers spirits temptations education yeeres gifts THere must be a due consideration of all these and we must indulge something to them all This would allay much strife as we read Numb 31. 23. Every thing that may abide the fire ye shall make it goe thorough the fire and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make goe thorough the water We must deal with every man according to his temper Some men are by their complexions of a more harsh and rugged temper then others Consider what is the best way of dealing with such in the main they are faithfull and usefull they will joyn with you there and spend their lives for you if the harshness of their natures cause some excrescencies unpleasing carriages consider their tempers though no evill in them is to be justified yet deal tenderly with them indulge them what lawfully you may Some mens spirits though upright to God and you yet they have a fervor in them that is not qualified with that wisdome meekness humility as they ought do not presently take these advantages against them that they in their heat may perhaps give you do not fly upon them as if those unjustifiable expressions that com from them came from a spirit of malignity You know the man and the manner of his communication pass by weaknesses accept of uprightnesse Some mens temptation are very strong it may be their hearts are pressed with disappointments it may be they are pricked with the want of many comforts you have they have family-temptations and personall temptations that you are freed from you do not know what you might doe if you were under the like temptations Blesse God that you are delivered from them but do not adde to your brethrens affliction by taking advantages against them but according to the rule of the Apostle Gal. 6. 1. If a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted Beare ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ Consider their education Some men have been brought up altogether amongst Prelaticall men perhaps among Papists some all their dayes have lived in wicked families they never were acquainted with the society of the Saints with that way of godlinesse that hath the most strictnesse and power in it You must not deale with them for all things you see amisse in them in the same way you would deale with such who have had godly education who have had acquaintance with the most strict and powerfull wayes of godlinesse but now manifest a spirit against them Consider mens yeares old age looks for respect and justly especially such as have gone through the brunt and suffered much for your good though some infirmities should break forth that are incident to old age we must cover and passe by what we can not forgetting that reverent respect that is due to the hoary head found in the way of godlinesse Consider mens gifts it may be they are not able to rise to your height to understand what you do thank God for your strength but be not angry with your brother because he is weaker This was one of the arguments for peace that Constantine in that forementioned Letter of his to Alexander and Arius used we are not in all things like minded neither have we all the same nature and gift engrafted in us The fourth joyning Consideration What we get by contention will never quit cost A Merchant thinks it an ill venture if when he casts up his accounts he finds the charge of his voyage rises to more then his incomes If thou hast so much command of thy spirit if thou canst so farre overcome thy passions as to get a time in coole
Jerusalem Now the love of God be for ever with these his servants the blessing of the Almighty and all his Saints be with them upon them in them and theirs for ever Where men are acted by love they may do any thing without offence If you be silent and be silent out of love if you cry out and you do it out of love if you spare and it be out of love if you correct and you correct from love let all be for amendment for good all from the root of love love and do what you will Thus Augustine in his 7. Tractate upon John These with other uniting graces that might be mentioned are the graces that God expects should be in a special manner acted in these times and this is in a holy manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to serve the time as some Copies have it Rom. 12. 11. This is the most sutable work for the times wherein we live What is more seasonable for divided times then uniting graces And that union that comes from the acting of these graces is a spirituall holy truly Christian union a raised union to a farre higher pitch then any naturall excellencies can raise unto It is an excellent saying of Clemens Alexandrinus If the spirituall man be in us our humanity is fraternity What then is our fraternity it is raised to that which hath no name to expresse it the union of the Saints in heaven is beyond the unity of fraternity this which is of grace is of the same nature CHAP. XXXIV Joyning Practices The first the practice of the tongue Gentle Language A Soft answer turneth away wrath Prov. 15. 1. In your disputes let your arguments be as hard as you will but let your words be soft Soft words hard arguments make a good dispute Gentle language gains much upon the hearts of men 1 Chron. 28. 2. Heare me my brethren and my people sayes David This was better and tended more to union between King and people then the rugged churlish answer of Rehoboam My Father made your yoke heavy and I will adde to your yoake But what came on it Ten tribes were rent from him As good a man as he could say Heare me my brethren and my people Good words are as cheap as bad Gentle courteous language is as easie as rough and bitter Napthali is said to give goodly words sayings of goodlinesse or fairenesse so the Hebrew hath it that is faire pleasing words this Tribe were faire spoken men Now compare this with Deut. 33. 23. there Naphtali is said to be satisfied with favour and full with the blessing of the Lord. Faire courteous language hath an acceptation among men and the blessing of God is with it The second joyning Practice Let us humble our selves for our divisions THat is a rule Whatsoever sinne you have been guilty of though you have for the time life it yet if you have not been humbled for it a hundred to one but you fall into it againe Yes say some it is fit we should humble our selves for our divisions we will have dayes of fasts that we may do it But take this note with you In your dayes of fast or at other times when you would thus humble your selves let it be principally for your owne guiltinesse herein Many in their humiliations make great complaints of others as the cause of divisions whom it may be God will own and acquit take heed of being too forward in medling with others in your fasts lest your fasts prove like those Isay 58. 4. Ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist The third joyning Practice An Amnestia WHere we see there hath been mistakes and differences thorough humane frailty and a willingnesse to be otherwise so far as God gives light let all former unkindnesses be forgotten so as never to rip up old things to charge them one upon another let there he a line of forgetfulnesse drawn over them let them be buried in oblivion This was the Athenians Amnestia a Law that was made by Thrasybulus with the consent of the people that former injuries should be forgotten It was made upon this occasion After Lysander had conquered the Athenians he set thirty Governours over them which tyrannized exceedingly Thrasybulus with many others were banished but after a while Thrasybulus gathering together his banished Countreymen he got up an Army and by it delivered the Athenians from the yoke of these thirty Tyrants now because when the banished men came home â—o their former possessions Thrasybulus feared there would be exceeding heart-burning amongst the Athenians that those who had been banished would be revenged upon those whom they judged the causes of it and the other would be enraged against them therefore Thrasibulus got the people to joyne with him in this Law which they called Amnestia that all former wrongs should be forgotten that they should live lovingly and peaceably henceforth one with another as if such breaches had never been among them Whensoever God shall deliver these Kingdoms from bondage and settle things amongst us the addition of such a Law which we may call our English Amnestia will be very necessary Otherwise oh the abundance of the fire of malice that will remaine raked up under the ashes ready upon any occasion to burst out one will look upon the other with eyes full of revenge with scorn hatred and disdain one will charge the other as the cause of all our miseries and curse him the other will charge him and curse him as deeply Every time men think what they have suffered their hearts will be enraged Such now is that extreme bitter exasperation and deadly rage of mens hearts one against another that whensoever peace shall be concluded if it be not made exceeding sure our pacification is like to be the foundation of far greater evills to us then yet have befalne us If this Amnestia be not strengthned with what is in the wisdome power of man to do and the blessing of the almighty also with it we are an undone people The fourth joyning Practice Never contend but be sure you understand one another what it is you contend for I Have read of a quarrell there was between the Eastern and Westerne Churches the Eastern Churches said there were three subsistences in the Trinity but not three persons the Western said there were three Persons but not three subsistences Athanasius comes and reconciles them both It is true the contentions among us are more then verball yet for any thing a great part of the Kindome knowes even of those whose spirits are bitter enough they may be no other then meerly verball How many ignorant people women yong ones understand not where the difference lyes between Presbyterians and those whom they call Independents and yet they can with much bitternesse cry out against the one or the other Perhaps you have some Ministers or others come to your Table they tell you a
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
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