Irenicum to the Lover of Truth and Peace, Chapter 32
CHAP. XXXII.
Joyning Conſiderations.
The firſt. The conſideration of the many things wherein God hath joyned us.
GOd hath joyned us together as we are men: we are not dogs, not wolves, let us not be ſo one to another. Act. 7. 26. Moſes ſpeaks thus to thoſe who ſtrove one with another: Sirs, ye are brethren, why do yee wrong one another? The words in the Greek are, foreign, men yet are brethren. There is a conſideration in this, that ye are men: if there were no more, yet ye ſhould not ſtrive one with another, but much more conſidering ye are brethren. If we be men, let us be humane. What is the meaning of humanity, but courteouſneſs, gentleneſs, pleaſantneſs in our carriages one towards another? But ſtill the conſideration growes higher, as we are the ſame Country-men, of old acquaintance, in the ſame imployment, of the ſame family and kindred, but above all, joyned in ſuch a bleſſed root, the fountain of all love and peace. Epheſ. 4. 4. preſents this conſideration moſt fully to us. The reaſon the Apoſtle gives why we muſt keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, is, becauſe there is one body, and one spirit, ye are called in one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptiſme, one God and Father of all. Here you have ſeven Ones together in two or three lines. It is very much that the ſpirit of God ſhould joyn ſo cloſe together ſeven Ones; ſurely it is to be a ſtrong argument for us to unity.
Firſt, one Body. The meaneſt member yet it is in the body. Is it comely for the body of Chriſt to be rent and torn? any reference to Chriſt might perſwade unity, but union with Chriſt as the members with the body, what heart can ſtand againſt the ſtrength of this? What can cauſe one member to tear and rend another, but madneſs?
2. One Spirit, 1 Cor. 12. 11. that one and the ſelf ſame ſpirit: he does not only ſay, The ſame ſpirit; but, The ſelf ſame ſpirit: and as if that not enough, he addes One to the ſelf ſame; and that yet not enough, he ſayes, That one, all this is in the Greek, foreign. The repeating the Article hath a great elegancy in it. And is not this one Spirit the Spirit of love and meekneſſe? What does a froward contentious ſpirit do in thee, who profeſst thy ſelf to be a Chriſtian? What, ſayes Cyprian, does the fierceneſs of Wolves,Quid facit inpectore Chriſtiano luporum feritas? canum rabies? vinenum lethale ſerpenium? cruenta ſevitia bestiarum? Cypr. de unitate Eccles. Num. 29. the madneſſe of Dogs, the deadly poyſon of Serpents, the bloudy rage of Beaſts, in a Chriſtians breaſt?
3. Called in one hope. Are not you heyres, joynt heyres of the ſame Kingdome, and do you contend as if one belonged to the kingdome of light, and the other to the kingdome of darkneſſe?
4. One Lord. You ſerve the ſame Lord and Maſter. Is it for the credit of a Maſter, that his ſervants are alwayes wrangling and fighting one with another? Is it not a tedious thing in a family that the ſervants can never agree? Mark how ill 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; foreign, 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,Hoc vero me garviter excruciat, & valde abſurdum est, inter fratres ab eandem fidem à patria, exules, ac profugos, diſſidium oriri, & quidem haec de eauſa quae ſola debuerat in bac vestra diſperſione quaſi ſacrum vinculam vos ſimul devinctos tenere, &c. Calv. Anglis Francford. 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,Anſw. 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 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, Plin. lib. 35. cap. 10.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 lin…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 bloud to caſt up thy accounts truly, what good thou haſt done, or what thou haſt got by ſuch and ſuch contentions; and on the other ſide caſt up what the hurt thou haſt done, what ſin hath been committed, what evill hath got into thy ſpirit, I fear you will have little cauſe to boaſt of,Dispendio litle carcre non mediocre lucrum est. Ambroſ. offic. l. 2. c. …1. or rejoyce in your gains. To be freed from that expence that comes in by ſtrife, is not a little gain, ſays Ambroſe. In ſtrife you will finde there is a very great expence of time, of gifts, and parts. Many men in regard of the good gifts God hath given them, might have proved ſhining Lights in the Church, but by reaſon of their contentious ſpirits, they prove no other then ſmoaking firebrands. It may be by all the ſtirre you keep you ſhall never get your minde; if you do, it will not quit coſt; the charge you have been at for it, comes to much more then it is worth. God deliver me from having my minde at ſuch a dear rate.
The fifth joyning Conſideration.
The ſtrongeſt hath need of the weakeſt.
LEt not the hand ſay, it hath no need of the foot; nor the eye, it hath no need of the hand; God hath ſo tempred the body, that every member hath need of every member.
It was a ſweet ſpirit in Peter, that great Apoſtle, writing to the ſcattered Chriſtians, he begins his Epiſtle thus: Simon Peter a ſervant and an Apoſtle of Jeſus Chriſt, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us. Little nayles may be uſefull, where great wedges can do no good. Little chips may help to ſet great logs on fire.
The ſixth.
Conſider when any thing falls out that occaſions strife, it may be this is but for a triall, this is a temptation.
WHen men provoke us we are ready to flye upon them, looking no further then the men with whom we are diſpleaſed. But if you look a little further, perhaps you may ſee the Devill is on the other ſide of the hedge, and hath been the chief agent in this buſineſs. Auguſtine preſſeth this by a moſt excellent ſimilitude. When a Fowler, ſaith he, hath ſet his net to catch Birds, he ſets it at a diſtance from the hedge, and when he has done he takes ſtones and throwes at the hedge, upon this the Birds flye out, and flutter about. The Fowler does not intend any hurt to the hedge, neither does he think to hit any Birds with his ſtones, but that which is in his eye is the net on the other ſide of the hedge, he hopes to drive the Birds in there. So ſayes he, the Devill prepares his net to catch men in, he raiſes up contentions, and cauſes much trouble to be in Churches, and among brethren, you think all the evill is in the trouble of your preſent contentions. Oh no: the Devill is behinde, he intends to bring ſome of you into ſome great ſin by theſe; he hath ſet his net for you, when you are troubled and vexed by ſuch contentions, the Devill ſees you fit for a temptation, now I hope I ſhall get him to do ſuch and ſuch things, which otherwiſe I could never have got him to. Oh that we had hearts when we find contentions ſtirring to conſider, But is there not a temptation in them?
The ſeventh.
Conſider how the heart of God is ſet upon making peace with us, and what it coſt him.
GOd was in Chriſt reconciling the world to himſelf: this work hath taken up the thoughts, councels, heart of God from all eternity above any thing that ever he did: this is the chief maſter-piece of all the works of God. There is more of the glory of God in this, then in all that God hath done. This is and ſhall be the object of the admiration of Angels and Saints, the matter of their praiſes to all eternity. The heart of God was ſo in this, that he was reſolved to have it whatſoever it coſt him; it coſt the deareſt that ever any thing in this world did; yea the price of it was more then ten thouſand worlds are worth: it was no leſſe then the bloud of the Sonne of God, of him who is the ſecond perſon in Trinity, God bleſſed for evermore. Col. 1. 14. In whom we have redemption through his bloud who is the image of the inviſible God, the firſt borne of every creature: by him were all things created, he is before all things: by him all things conſiſt, in him all fulneſſe dwels: and having made peace through the bloud of his Croſſe, ver. 20. What God hath done for peace with us, cals aloud to us to prize peace one with another. It is the Apoſtles argument, 1 Joh. 3. 16. He laid down his life for us, we ought to lay downe our lives for the brethren. It coſt his life to make our peace with God. We ſhould be willing to do any thing we are able, even to the hazard of our lives, to make peace among the Saints. Chriſt laid down his life even for this peace alſo. Epheſ. 2. 14. For he is our peace who hath made both one, and hath broke downe the middle wall of partition betweene us, having aboliſhed in his fleſh the enmity, to make in himſelfe of twaine one new man, ſo making peace, and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Croſſe. Chriſt reconciles both unto God: but how? it is in one body. Lay this Conſideration warm at your hearts, and it will comfort your hearts, and ſo preſerve and encreaſe peaceable diſpoſitions in you towards one another.
The eighth.
Conſider how unworthy we were when Jeſus Chriſt received us into union with himſelfe.
WHat uncomely, what loathſome creatures we were! yet Chriſt took us into his boſome, into his heart, and reſolved that never any thing ſhould ſeperate us from him againe. But that thoſe embracements of his ſhould be everlaſting, and yet ſhall every trifle take us off from one anothers hearts? ſhall every jealous ſpuſitious conceit, every little difference, be enough to ſeperate us and that almoſt irreconcileably? Have we the ſpirit of Chriſt in us? is the ſame minde in us that was in Chriſt Jeſus?
The ninth.
Conſider that we are called to Peace.
GOD hath called us to peace, 1 Cor. 7. 15. That caſe upon which the Apoſtle mentions our calling to peace is as difficult a caſe to preſerve peace in, as any can fall out in ones life. It was the caſe of man and wife unequally yoaked, one is a Beleever, the other an Infidell, yet being man and wife the Apoſtle determines that the Beleever muſt be content to live with the unbeleever, as it becomes a wife or a husband; except he or ſhe of themſelves will depart, but they ſhould give them no occaſion of departing, but rather by their holy humble converſation ſeek to convert them: this no queſtion was accounted a hard task, but it muſt be, ſayes the Apoſtle, and upon this he grounds it, for God hath called us to peace. There is another caſe almoſt as difficult as this, where the patience and quietneſs of ſpirit is very much tryed, and that is when a ſervant meets with a harſh, rugged, cruell maſter, that abuſes him very injuriouſly; if any thing would put ones ſpirit into a rage, one would thinke this would do it. No, ſaith the Apoſtle, ſuch muſt be the command you muſt have over your ſpirits, as you muſt patiently bear this: and he grounds it upon this, For hereunto were ye called, 1 Pet. 2. 21, 22. But though husbands and wives ſhould live at peace, though they ſuffer one from another: though ſervants ſhould put up wrongs from their maſters, yet it followes not that the like patience ſhould be required in us, when we are wronged by our equals, by thoſe to whom we have no ſuch band of relation to tye us. Yes, this argument of calling is ſtrong in this caſe alſo: 1 Pet. 3. 8, 9. Love as brethren, be courteous, not rendring evill for evill, or railing for railing, but contrariwiſe, bleſſing, knowing that ye are thereunto called.
The tenth.
Conſider the preſence of God and of Chriſt.
OUr God, our Father, our Maſter, our Saviour, ſtands by looking on us. It is a moſt excellent paſſage that I finde in an Epiſtle of Luther to the Miniſters of Norimberg. There were great diviſions amongſt them: he writes to them that he might pacifie their ſpirits one towards another. Suppoſe (ſayes he) you ſaw Jeſus Chriſt ſtanding before you,Fingite Chriſtum in medio veſt…i corporaliter, & ab ipſius vultu diſcite ipſe vel oculis ſic alloquetur corda veſtra, Quid facitis chariſſimi filii, quos meo ſanguine …edemi meo verbo regenui, ut diligeretis invicem hanc eſſe notam meorum diſcipulorum ſcitis. Ponite hanc cauſ…m, vel in me rejicite ego videro, nihil periculi eſt; ſi qu…eſcat vel etiam moria…ur nihil nocet Eccleſiae, ſed hoc erit p…riculum ſi diſſideatis & mordeatis invicem. Nolite ſic contriſtare ſperitum, nolite Angelos ſanctos in coelo gaudus ſpoliare; an ego non plus ſum vobis quam omnes cauſae, omnes affectus, omnes offenſiones? Itane fortius penetrant, & haerent verba aliqua fratris, vel iniquae moleſtiae quam mea vulnera, meus ſanguis, quam t…tus ipſe ſalvator Jeſus Chriſtus? Luther Epiſt ad Norimbergenſis. and by his very eyes speaking thus unto your hearts, What do you, O my dear children, whom I have redeemed with my blood, whom I have begotten againe by my Word, to that end that you might love one another? Know that this is the note of my Diſciples. Leave this buſineſſe, ye wholly caſt it upon me, Ile look to it, there is no danger that the Church ſhould ſuffer by this, though it ſhould be ſtilled, yea though it ſhould dye, but there is a great deale of danger if you diſſent amongst your ſelves, if you bite one another: Do not thus ſadden my ſpirit, do not thus spoile the holy Angels of their joy in Heaven; am not I more to you, then all matters that are between you? then all your affections? then all your offences? What? can any words of a brother, can any unjuſt trouble penetrate your hearts, ſtick ſo fast in you as my wounds, as my bloud, as all that I am to you, your Saviour Jeſus Chriſt? Oh that we had ſuch reall apprehenſions of Chriſt looking upon us, ſpeaking to us!
The eleventh.
Conſider what account we can give to Jeſus Chriſt of all our Diviſions.
WHen Chriſt ſhall come, will you ſtand before him with ſcratched faces, with black and blew eyes? 1 Theſ. 3. 12, 13. The Lord make you to increaſe and abound in love one towards another, and towards all men: To what end? To the end, ſaith the Apoſtle, he may establiſh your hearts unblameable in holineſſe before God, even our Father, at the comming of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt with all his Saints. It will be a ſad thing to be found in our diviſions, at the comming of Jeſus Chriſt, Mat. 24. 50. the comming of Chriſt is mentioned as a terror to thoſe who ſhall but begin to ſmite their fellow-ſervants. We may wrangle & ſtand out one againſt another in our contentions now; but it will not be ſo eaſie to anſwer Jeſus Chriſt, as it is to anſwer one to another. In the Name of Jeſus Chriſt I now ſpeak unto you, yea as from him charge you, let no reaſon move you to contend with, diſſent or ſeperate from your brethren, but that which you are perſwaded in your conſcience, and that after due and ſerious examination will hold out before, will be approved of, Jeſus Chriſt at his comming.
The twelfth.
Let every man conſider his owne weakneſſes.
YOu are ready to take offence from others, within a while you are as like to be offenſive to others. There will be as much need they ſhould beare with you, as now there is you ſhould beare with them. The Common Law of thoſe who intend to live at peace one with another, is, Veniam, petimus, damuſque, We deſire pardon, and we doe pardon.
The thirteenth.
Let us conſider our mortality.
IT is but a little time we have to live; ſhall the greater part of it, nay why ſhould any part of it be ravel'd out with contentions and quarrels? I have read of Pompey, that upon a time paſſing over divers hils, where there lived many people in caves, but their order was that the man lived in one cave and the wife in another; he asking the reaſon, they ſaid, In thoſe parts they live not long, therefore they deſired that the little time they did live, they might have peace and quiet, which they had found by experience they could not have, if man and wife lived conſtantly together.Hi motus animorum atque haec certamina tanta, Pulveris exigui …actu compreſſa quieſcunt. Virgil. Georg. lib. 4. Though the means they uſed for their quiet was ſordid, yet the good uſe they made of the ſhortneſſe of their lives was commendable. Virgil ſayes, if ſwarms of Bees meet in the ayre, they will ſometimes fight as it were in a ſet battell with great violence; but if you caſt but a little duſt upon them, they will all be preſently quiet. Sprinkle upon your hearts the meditations of death, that within a while this fleſh of yours will be turned to duſt, this will quiet you.
The fourteenth.
Conſider the life of heaven.
THere is and will be perfect agreement there. We are here as Bees, flying up and down from flower to flower all day, but at night they come all into the ſame Hive; That is a place where Luther and Zuinglius will well agree. Shall not we whom God from all eternity hath ordained to live co-heires in heaven, to joyn together in praiſes there, agree together here on earth?