Touchstone to Determine the True Catholic Faith, Part 7
Peace.] That is to saie, peace of conscience, peace with God,Text. Esay. 59.2 Psal. 68.1 & peace with our brethren. As touching the first. Our sins are sayd to make a separation, to bee as a wall betwyxt God and vsus. They are compared to waues or greate streames, which trouble our hearte, and disquiet it, and rage therein, euen as waues do in the sea. And therefore Dauid speaking of his sinnes, when he was on drie land, and in no peril of earthlie waters, praieth thus. Saue me O God, for the waters are come, euen vntounto my soule. I stick fast in the deepe myre, where no staie is, I am come into deepe waters, and the streames runne ouer mee. These streames were sinnes, they were the ouerflowinges of wickednes, as hee termeth them in another Psalme. These trouble the hearte of man, and make it more disquiet, then anie sea. These will make the shippe of our soule be in danger of drowning. These will make the Apostles and the best Christians cry, helpe Lorde, least wee perish. Mat. 8.25These alone Iesus Christ, with his worde, causeth to cease, and there followeth a great calme. This is that peace, which Saint Iude wisheth to his,Rom. 5.1. that being iustified by the faith of Iesus Christ, they maie bee at peace with God. Their consciences maie bee quieted. This is that peace,Luke. 2.19 of which the Angelles first brought tydinges to men, from heauen, as soone as our Sauiour was borne. Glorie be to God on high, on earth, peace, and the free and gracious will of God among men. This is that which S. Paul also in eueryevery of his Epistles wisheth his, grace, merciemercy, and peace be with you, from God our father, and from our Lorde Iesus Christ. There is a second peace also towards our brethren,Rom. 12.18. which wee ought to hauehave. And of this peace S. Paul saieth, As much as in you lyeth, if it bee possible, liue peaceably with all men. Psal. 34.12.And Dauid, hee that would saine see good dayes, let him seeke after peace, and pursue it. And S. Paul; let the peace of God rule in your heartes, Col 3 15.as the prize or best game: to which you are called in one bodie. Where first we maie note, that this peace is called the peace of God, because God greatly delighteth in it, and therefore he is called the God of peace, and the peace makers are called the sonnes of God. Mat. 5.9.Secondlie, that this peace shoulde foreign, that is, obtaine the chiefe place, be as the goale or best game in our heartes. Wilt thou striue to get the best game? wilt thou runne the race of this life victoriously, and winne the prize? why then striue for peace and concord, see thou keepe that, preferre it before all earthlie trashe and things transitory;Gen. 13.7. let not Eues fruite, nor Lots nor Abrahams shéepe commons, nor Cain and Abels quarrell, about their sacrifices, throwne in thy waie, hinder thy race, and make thee loose this reward. These are Sathans baites. Without this peace and holinesse no man shall see God. Heb. 12.14. Col. 3.15.And to make vsus, make great accounte of this, here is a reason added, To this we are called in one bodie. As though hee should saie, as God in the beginning, made all other creatures manie in their kinds, onelie hee made man one; and of this one, came so manie, so infinite in number, to teach this vnitie: So likewise in our regeneration, we are all made as one bodie, that we shoulde all be as members, at peace among our selues, not one despising another, not one quarrelling or falling out with another. What member in the body, falleth out or disagréeeth with another, or despiseth another? The like vnitie and peace, should be in the mysticall body of Iesus Christ. Surely they yt do not kéepe this peace, as much as in them lyeth, are none of the members of this bodie. They peruert, both the order of their creation, and regeneration. And howe little do all sortes, and degrees of men now regarde this. Such warres among Christian Princes: When as the Prophet Esay saieth, They shall in the church and kingdome of Christ, Esay. 2.4.breake their swords into mattocks, and their speares into syeths: nation shall not lift vppe sworde against nation, neyther shall they learne to fight anie more. Such inuasion of kingdomes: Such holie, or rather deuillishe leagues, made to shed bloud, as of late yeares we hauehave hearde of, and do now in all Christendome feele the smarte of; do not taste of this peace of Gods church. What shall I speake of the priuie quarrels and hearte burnings among greate men and gouernours: of open disagréements and dissentions among ministers, of hatred among artificers, of stomaching among plowmen, of disdaining among seruantes, of murmuring & repining among laborers; no member almost is at peace with another. Surelie this peace of God beareth not the sway amongst vsus. This declareth the bodie to be out of temper. This declares, we are like the men in Esaies daies:Esay 1.6 From the crowne of the heade to the sole of the foote; there is no sound part. Let vsus, considering the danger, (for if we lacke this peace, we are none of Christs bodie, but wee are as dead members to be cut off) get by earnest praier of God, the ointments of peace, and euerie one of vsus, annoint all these soares therewith: that they may be cured. Let vsus studie and deuise howe to make our parts good? howe to maintaine our quarrels?Ephe. 4.3 nay that is sathans counsell, but according to S. Paules counsell, Let vsus studie how to keepe the vnity of the spirit, in the bonde of peace. Iohn. 3.5 Rom. 8.14 Iohn. 16.7 1. Io. 2.27.The spirit of God is our life, is our comforter, is our guide, is our helper, is our teacher, is the greatest iewell and gift that euer was giuen to man in this worlde, which that great conquerour Iesus Christ, after his most glorious victorie ouer sathan, sinne,Luke. 10.14. the worlde, death and hell: sent downe as a most bounteous larges vponupon his Apostles and faithful seruantes, and doth euen nowe bestowe vponupon all his. Let vsus not despise this inestimable gifte, this heauenlie treasure, let vsus studie to kéepe it: And it is onelie kept by the bond of peace, as S. Paul teacheth vsus.Ephes. 4.5 And these two kinds of peace, peace of conscience towardes God, and peace of affayres towardes our brethren, the Apostle S. Iude, here wisheth to all Christians, following the example of his master Iesus Christ, who a litle before his departure thus speaketh to his Apostles:Iohn. 14.27. my peace I leaue you, my peace I giuegive vntounto you, and comming to them,Iohn 20.27 euer thus saluted them, peace be with you: comprehending these two peaces.
Prudentius of this peace writes very excellently.
In Psichomachia, Oratio pacis post victoriam.AVribus intentis expectat concio, quidnam
Victores post bella vocet concordia princeps,
Quam velit atque fides virtutibus addere legem.
Erumpit primam in vocem concordia, tali
Alloquio: cumulata quidem iam gloria vobis
O patris, ô domini fidissima pignora Christi
Contigit: extincta est multo certamine saeua
Barbaries, sancta quae circum sepserat vrbis
Indigenas, ferroque viros, flammaque premebat:
Publiqua sed requies priuatis rure, foroque
Constat amicitijs: scissura domestica turbat
Rem populi, titubatque foris, quod dissidet intus.
Ergo cauete viri, ne sit sententia discors
Sensibus in vestris, ne secta exotica tectis
Nascatur conflata odijs, quia scissa voluntas
Confundit varijs arcana biformia fibris.
Quod sapimus, coniungat amor: quod viuimus, vno
Conspiret studio, nil dissociabile firmum est.
Vtque homini atque deo medius interuenit Iesus,
Qui sociat mortale patri, ne carnea distent
Spiritui aeterno, sit que vt Deus vnus vtrumque:
Sic quic quid gerimus, mentisque & corporis actu,
Spiritus vnimodis texat compagibus vnus.
Pax plenum virtutis opus, pax summa laborum,
Pax belli exacti pretium est, pretiumque pericli,
Sydera pace vigent, consistunt terrea pace.
Nihil placitum sine pace Dea, non munus ad Aram.
The same in English.
THe whole assembly doth desire
to heare, in open sight
What names Queene concord will impose
to conquerors after fight.
And with as great desire they wish
to heare what sage decree
To virtues, faith will giuegive, at th'end
of ioyfull victory.
Queene Concord first begins her speech,
and thus her talke doth frame:
To you which do to Christ belong
I speake, and you I name,
Immortall praise you hauehave deseru'd,
great glory you hauehave wonne;
To you I speake, which do belong
to God and Christ his sonne.
Barbarisme it is extinct,
which did the Saints much grieue,
Destroying them with sword and fire
not suffering them to liue.
But publique peace doth florish now,
and raigneth euerie where,
In Court and countrey all are void
of danger and of feare.
Intestine discord and debate
the common wealth doth rent;
And things abroad to ruine come,
if things at home dissent.
Beware therefore, ô mortall men,
see that at one ye be,
In mind and iudgement differ not,
conspire in vnitie.
Beware least hatred gender sects
and noisome errors breed:
For if the will be once distract,
no truth can be decreed.
Let louelove our minds together linke,
Let concord rule our life:
With louelove and concord things are strong,
and weakened are with strife.
And as the Sauiour of the world,
did God and man combine
By taking to him mortall flesh,
(as saith the writ diuine;)
Euen so the things we take in hand
in bodie or in mind,
Let them with concord linked be,
And eke with louelove combind.
Peace is the full and perfect worke
of vertue, th'end of toile,
The price of conquest, the reward
of danger and of broile.
Through peace the heauens do consist,
peace doth the earth vphold,
Without peace nothing pleaseth God,
no not a gift of gold.