The City of Peace, Section 2
Heauen is a high Citie, yet hath but a low Gate.Aug. Celsa patria, via humilis. Tolle super biam, quod habes meum est▪ tolle inuidiam, quod habe… tuum est. Take away pride, and that which thou hast is mine: take away enuie, and that which I hauehave is thine. Pride and enuy are too vnciuill for a peaceable citie: the one cannot endure a vicine prosperity, nor the other a superior eminency. All men must bee poore to please the one, and all must be base to content the other. Peace is humble, pride quite ouer-lookes her. The Philosopher might hauehave seene the starres in the water, he could not see the water in the starres, when hee stumbled into the ditch. Men may behold glory in humilitie, they shall neuer find peace in ambition. The safest way to keepe fire, is to take it vp in embers: the best means to preserue peace, is in humblenesse. The tall Cedars feele the fury of tempests; which blow ouer the humble shrubs in the low vallies. There was no rule with Paul at first; raising tumults, speeding Commissions, breathing out slaughters against poore Christians. But when Christ had thundred him from his horse, broken his wild spirit to humilitie, thē he was fit for peace. God, that often effectuates his owne will by contraries, makes trouble the preparation for peace: as a father corrects his vnruly children that they may be quiet. Let vsus examine our owne experience: when the Lord hath soundly scourged vsus, we go from vnderunder his fingers as tame as lambs: farewell strife, all our care is to finde rest and peace in Iesus Christ.
Wee hauehave seene the Citie of Peace, with her walles and gates, and wee wish well to her; Peace bee within thy wals, Psal. 122. 7.and prosperitie within thy palaces. But hath she no aduersaties? Yes, there is an enemic that beleaguers this Citie; Contention. Whose army is diuided into two Bands or Troups;The Enemies of Peace. the one called the Ciuill, the other the Vnciuill: the Ciuill are Law-quarrels, the vnciuil are Sword-quarrels. The one is the smooth-fac'd company, the other the rugged or ragged Regiment. The citie of peace hath gates for these also, when she hath subdued them. Either shee turnes them out at Moore-gate, as fitter for the societie of Moores and Pagans; she banisheth them. Or laies them vp in New-gate; a place very conuenient, beeing not so olde as peace, built since the birth of strife. These enemies pursue vsus, vel ferro, vel foro, Aug.as that Father saith.
Ferro, The first Troupe.when vponupon eueryevery punctilio of honor, as they falsely call it, Reason & Religion must be thrown by, and Fury gouerne. The Gallant, as if hee knew no Law but his owne will, or as if the least aspertion vponupon his honor were more weighty, then if the state of Christen dome, or the glory of God lay vponupon it; cryes Reuenge, offers the stab, threatens the pistoll. How is that precious account forgotten which God requires of man and beast!Gen. 9. 5. Men study to bee mad with reason, they hauehave an Art of killing, that teaches murther by the booke: as cunning as Ioab was, that could stabbe in the fift rib,… Sam. 3. 27. & 20. 10. a speeding place: so he treacherously slew Abner and Amasa. O that men should venture their liues vponupon one anothers sword, as if they had no soules to be ventured vponupon the sword of Gods vengeance! That he should bee held base, who being challenged, doth not write his mind with a pen of steele, in the inke of blood, on the white paper of mans life!
Cannot the teares of our Mother preuail with vsus, when seeing vsus quarrell, she sayes as Iocasta aduised her two vnbrotherly sonnes; Bella geri placuit nullos habitura triumphos. Or as Rebecca said of her twinnes;Gen. 27. 45. Why should I be depriued of you both in one day? But if our Mother cannot still vsus, our Father will part vsus: & they whose soules hauehave peace, shall be sent to a prison where is no peace: that seeing they louelove quarrels, they may hauehave fighting enough with infernall spirits. But perhaps there bee some who make no other reckoning, resoluing with him in the Orator, Hodie coenabimus apud Inferos: to night wee will sup together in hell. As it is reported of two to hauehave fought vnderunder the gallows: desperately fore-casting, that if the one were there killed, the other should there be hanged.
By the toleration of this Duel in France, that kingdome lost in tenne yeres six thousand Gentlemen; as themselues report. Wretched men! for Occiser lethaliter peccat, Bern.& occisus aeternaliter perit: the homicide sins deadly, and the slaine (without vnexpectable mercy) perisheth eternally. How dare they lift vp those hands to God for mercy, that hauehave beene lifted vp against their brother in cruelty? EueryEvery base vermine can kill,Aug. it is true prowesse and honour to giuegive life, and preserue it Simeon and Leui seemed to hauehave iust cause;Gen. 34. 31 the Whoring of their owne Sister: Gen. 49. 6.yet their father cals them brethren in euil for it, blesseth his honor from their company, & his soule from their secrecy. Thou sayst of thy contendent, he shal hauehave as good as he brings, yet thy self condemnest that hee brings for euill.Basil. Ne vtaris inimico praeceptore, let not thy enemie teach thee to due that, which thy selfe detestest in him. Because wee receiue iniuries without right, shall wee returne them without law?
Sometimes this ariseth from the wine, Bacchus ad arma vocat: and lightly it makes men aptest to vse their armes, when they cannot stand on their legges. But shall this serue for a plea, and get a pardon, it was done in drinke? no, this rather deserues a double punishment, as it is a double fault. Commonly it proceeds from vnaduised anger; as if any thing done in fury, were not done in folly. The cholericke man is like one that dwels in a thatched house; who being rich in the morning, by a sodaine fire is a beggar before night. It was the decree of Theodosius, by the counsell of S. Ambrose; that execution after a seuere sentence should be deferred thirtie dayes: that the heat being qualified, the seueritie might be moderated.
But they obiect, This is to stand by like fooles, while wee suffer others to abuse vsus: no, that is not folly, which the Lord hath commended for wisdome. The shot of the Cannon hurts not Wooll, and such yeelding things; but that which is hard, stubborne, and resisting: the rage of our roaring sonnes is tamed by patience. Turne to the brawling curre, and hee will be more fierce: ride on neglecting him, and he will soone be quiet. This is the furious Band.
Foro; The other Troupe.there is another Battalia of aduersaries that turne their challenge into a Writ; the field appointed is Westminster Hall, or some other Court of Iustice: the weapons, the Law: the postures of the fight are Demurres, Delayes, Quirks, Remoouals: the Victory, a Verdict: the Doome, a Sentence: and the death it selfe, an Execution. One sayes, To beare this, is against my conscience: when indeed hee meanes it is against his concupiscēce. If the Plaintife goe no further then the Court of his owne affections, the defendant shal neuer hauehave audience: for he is Amicus Curiae. Pro. 18. 17.He that is first in his owne cause, seemeth iust: but his neighbour commeth, and searcheth him: hee is no competent Iudge in his own matter. It will beare an action, saith the Lawgiuer, this enflameth passion in the Law-goer.
O that men could see the folly of this litigiousnesse. 1. That hee is not in the state of grace, but a meere carnal man. This is Saint Pauls argument to the Corinthians; If there be contentions amongst you, Are ye not carnall? 1. Cor. 3. 4.wheras the Fruit of the Spirit is Peace, Gal. 5. 22.Long-suffering, Gentlenesse. 2. That hee doth not so much find, as make himselfe enemies: we may say of him as the Angel said to Hagar concerning her son Ishmael; Gen. 16. 12His hand is against eueryevery man, and eueryevery mans hand against him. 3. That he vexeth himselfe without need: they that goe to Law for trifles, are like nice people that continually lie in the hands of Chirurgians, and Phisicians, for pimples & warts: wheras as the Physician and Lawyer are for necessitie, not wantonnesse. Their boxes and papers are the Books & Badges of their profession: they trudge vp and downe, more busie to cast away their money, then Lawyers are to catch it: their word is Currat Lex, let the law hauehave his course: but by their willes that course should neuer hauehave an end.
They plead, wee hauehave stood before the best, in Courts of highest honor: alas, so doth the spider,Pro. 30. 28. euen in kings palaces. So did the Deuill, when the Sons of God presented themselus before him,Iob. 2. 1. Satan was ther also. 4. They consider not the root of contentions, as the Apostle describes them: want of Wisdome to compound controuersies; Is there not one wise man among you, 1 Cor. 6. 5. &c.able to iudge betweene brethren? Want of louelove, Brother is against brother. Want of Patience; Why do ye not rather suffer wrong? Want of Iustice; Ye defraud and do wrong. For want of Iustice, foro conscientiae, they prosecute their malice, foro Iustitiae. Wee may add, want of Mercy, they cannot forgiue: but if they forgiue not others, their finall Quietus est was neuer yet sealed; and they shal be called to an after-reckoning. As that wicked seruāt sped; notwithstanding the Lord forgaue him at his request,Mat. 18. 22 because he did not forgiue his brother at his intreaty, he was deliuered ouer to the tormentors.
Fiftly, they weigh not how they are deceiued. Lawyers first inuented Lawes to secure our lands and titles: now they make those lawes engines to get away our lands and titles. Their frequent Session hath not beene euermore to preserue a mans possession. And for those that can tarry the leasure of the Lawe, they hauehave quirks & delayes: which are like the corrosiue plaisters of an vnconscinable Leach, that turnes a small greene wound to an incurable Fistula, by poysoning and exulceration of it for filthy lucre. When a man must die without mercy, it is some ease to die quickly, and bee out of his paine. But such, when they purpose to murther a mans estate, hauehave tricks to keepe him long a dying: that hee may still languish and pine away in hope of recouery.
And what doth the winner get, that at the Tearmes end, hee may bragge of his gaines? Doth hee not come home dry-founderd? Doth he not follow the Mill so long, till the toll be more then the griest? It is a token of vnwholsome ayre, wher the coū trey is full of thriuing Physitions: Sivaleant homines, arstua, Phaebe, iacet. It argues little health in that kingdome, which hath so many thriuing Lawyers: who while vnquietnesse feeds vsus, do quietly feed vponupon vsus.
We are willing to giuegive such self-molesters some counsell, if they wil take it, and aske them no fees for it. Yea wee giuegive it not, but Christ giues it: wil they take his aduice, that great Counseller of the Father? He counsels his clients to the euerlasting possession of their soules by patience. In Olympiacis certaminibus, Diabolo consecratis; …hysoft.In the games of Olympus consecrated to the Deuill, hee had the glory of the day, that gaue most wounds, and came off himselfe vntouched. In stadio Christi non est ea certādi lex, sed contraria: In the race of Christianitie, there is a contrary Law of striuing: not he that offers most blowes, but hee that suffers most blowes, is crowned. A man is stricken, will hee goe to law for this? no, rather let him turne the other cheeke; this is Christs counsell. His cloke is taken from him, it is neere him a garment; of necessary comlinesse, a cloke: of singular vse, hee hath but one cloke: hee hath the proprietie of it, it is his cloke: must hee goe to Law for this? no, rather let him take his coat also. Foelix ille, si nudus corpore, sit nudus malicia: there is a wedding garment to cloth such.
I am no Anabaptist, nor Libertine, to deny the Magistracie, or lawfulnes of authoritie, and our iust appeale thereto. Rather then eueryevery man should be his owne Iudge, I would appease vprores with the Town-clerke of Ephesus; The Law is open, Act. 19. 38.and there are Deputies, let them implead one another. Saint Paul himselfe took this course, appealing to the Iudgment seat of Caesar. Act 25. 10.Our Sauiours practise is a cleere Comment and declaration of his Law: hee that bade vsus rather turne out other checke to the smiter, then reuenge our selues; did himself sweetly reproue him that smote him.Iohn 18. 23 If I hauehave spoken euill, beare witnesse of the euill: but if well, why smitest thou mee? So Paul to Ananias, Sittest thou to iudge me after the Law, Act. 23. 3.& commandest mee to be smitten contrary to the Law? The Lord himselfe hath appoynted Tribunals: and no law, no louelove. I know there is a Christianly seeking of Iustice, when iniurious persons grow worse by forbearance, and ground their insolence vponupon others patience. As Christians may warre in louelove, so they may iarre in louelove: when the partie cast in the suit, may be bettered, if not in his money, yet in his manners; and Satan onelyonly conquered. Vt qui vincitur, simul vincat, & vnus tantummodo vincatur diabolus. Sed reprimā me, I will hold me where I was. I hauehave laboured to bring men into peace, I must shew them no way out againe. The Fathers sometimes in confuting an Heresie much spread; if they did runne a little within the brinks of a contrary error, not then questioned, nor so dangerous; were neuer censured for that to hauehave erred Dogmaticè. So if to conuince that Heresie in maners, (It is lawfull to go to law for eueryevery thing;) I should a little leane to and fauor that other opinion, (It is lawfull to goe to law for nothing;) either excuse mee, or at least suspend your iudgements, till I come on purpose to handle that poynt. If men would promise not to goe to Law till then, I would promise, when they did goe to Law, to beare all their charges.
Howsoeuer, let them not doe it animo litigandi, nor for eueryevery wrong enter an action, lest God enter his action against them.Hos. 4. 1. The Lord hath a controuersie with the Inhabitants of the land: a terrible action, which the Iury of heauen and earth wil find. Let them therefore leaue all, and study Gods Law, with that royall Prophet; Thy Testimonies are my delight and my Counsellers: Psal. 119. 24. 48.and I will meditate in thy Statutes. Blessed is hee that meditates on Gods Law day and night: Psal. 1. 2.but cursed is he that wastes his time to meditate and study Law-trickes. Let the litigious soule learne a new course of law: let Conscience be his Chancery, Charity his Chancelor, Patience his Counseller, Truth his Atturney, and Peace his Sollicitor. Litem in proximum, diuertat in seipsum. Let him go to Law with his owne heart; arraigne his passionat will at the Bar of Gods Iudgement; let the twelue Apostles bee a Iury against him, who all condemned Contention. Thus let him iudge himselfe, that he be not iudged of Iesus Christ. For he that auengeth his owne quarrell, steps into the Princes Chaire of Estate, yea into Gods owne Seat; dethroning both; and so disturbes neauen and earth. Mad men, that thus presume, as if God did not see malice in the heart!Pro …5. 11 Hell and destruction are before the Lord, much more then the hearts of the children of men. Or as if seeing men contend, he had nothing to do with it: but must sit still like an idle looker on, and take part with neither.
Dearly beloued, Rom. 12. 19.auenge not your selues, but rather giuegive place vntounto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. This sounds a Retreat to all quarrels: Paul seeing the Daggers drawen, and the peace in danger to bee broken; steps in with the sword of the Spirit, to part the fray. It is a Writ of Reuersment from the high Court of heauen: if we break open the writ, we shall find the Kings pleasure in it; an Arrest of reuengers. Hee begins with Dearely beloued; a sweet ingredience, to qualifie a bitter medicine. As if he should say, It is my louelove that I write so much against malice: not for your hurt, but for your eternal good: if you wil not beleeue me, beleeue God himself:Deu. 32. 35 To me belongeth vengeance.
The Deuill when hee gets audience, tels a man how much hee is hated of others: the holy Spirit tels him how much hee is loued of others. The argument of our charity to them, is Gods charitie to vsus. Put on (as the elect of God, Col. 3. 12holy and beloued) bowels of mercies, kindnes, humblenes of mind, long suffering: seeing you are beloued of God, louelove his.
This is Gods chalenge, Vengeance is mine: Gods execution, I will repay: Gods Subscription, to which his great Name is affixed, Thus saith the Lord. Scriptum est, it is a transcript and faithfull copy out of the Originall, to shew it the Lords true act and deed: twice written, that it might neuer be forgotten. Once hath God spoken, twice hauehave I heard it, Psal. 62. 11that Vengeance (so well as Power) belongeth vntounto God. Hee pleads the continuance of Succession without interruption; vengeance, Iudgement, and Glory are His alone. Therefore to auenge our selues, is both to lose Gods protection, and to incurre his condemnation. It is faithlesse and fruitlesse: faithlesse, not to beleeue that God wil deale with vsus according to his Word.Psal. 91. 8. With thine eyes thou shalt see the reward of the wicked. It is then infidelitie not to commit our case to God, and his Deputie the Prince; but to make them both our deputies and instruments of reuenge. What is this but to exalt our selues aboue all that is called God; and to play the Deuil in iest, and the Pope in good earnest? Fruitlesse, for if being wronged, we draw out our woodden dagger of reuenge, God wil put vp his sword, and leaue vsus to our selues. The iniured child turnes not againe, but runs to his father. When the Italians heare how God hath reserued Vengeance to himselfe, they say blasphemously, He knew it was too sweet a bit for man, therefore kept it for his owne tooth. But if man were is owne caruer, he would carue too deepe. God onelyonly is wise and iust, wise to know, & iust to giuegive the due proportion. Now the Great and Omnipotent Lord chiefe Iustice, bind vsus all to the peace on earth, and bring vsus all to the peace of heauen.
Now because eueryevery Citie must hauehave an established Gouernment; Order being the good of eueryevery creature, & it is better not to be, then to be out of order: therefore this Citie of Peace must hauehave a Lord, and a Law: a Ruler to gouerne it, and a Rule whereby it must be gouerned. The King is Christ, who is therfore called Princeps Pacis, The Prince of Peace. And hee hath a Deputie or Vicegerent vnderunder him, whom hee hath set to promoue the good, and to remoue the euill, of Peace. The Law is Truth, that is the Gospell, Regula Pacis, the Rule of Truth.