Irenicum to the Lover of Truth and Peace, Chapter 35
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 lets, 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,foreign, Gale…o eſt cum oſſa reducuntur ad locum. 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,Vobis oro perſaadeatis tam cupide me amplecti concordiam, quam cupide velim mihi Dominum Jeſum propitium ſemper fore. Luther Eccleſ. Agentinenſis paſtoribus. 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 infinite ſcandall that comes by diſſention? Oh that there were ſuch hearts in us! Chriſt expects it from us all, but eſpecially from his Miniſters,Quis non vita etiam ſua redimat ſubmotum iſtus infinitum diſſi…ii ſcandalum? Martin. Bucer. Ambr. Blaurero. for they are his Ambaſſadours for peace, to beſeech men in his ſtead to be reconciled to God: reconciliation with God will reconcile us one to another. If God ſo loved us, we ought alſo to love one another, 1 John 4. 11. The faces of the Cherubims in the Temple looked one towards another, which ſome think ſignified the agreement that ſhould be amongſt Miniſters of the Goſpel. So the ſix branches in the Candleſtick joyned all in one; thoſe who hold the light of truth before others, ſhould be united in peace in one, amongſt themſelves. The firſt thing Chriſts Miniſters were to doe when they came to any place was to ſay Peace be to that place; if any ſons of peace were there, they were to abide,Veteres ſ…ruta…s …iſtorias invenire non poſſum, ita ſcidiſſe eccleſiam & de domo Dei populus ſ… duxiſſe praetereo… qui ſacerdotes Dei poſit… ſunt; & Prophetae, id eſt ſpeculatores iſti vertuntur in laqueum tortuoſum & in omnibus ſcandala p… nunt. Jerome cited by John Hus, tractat. de pace. otherwiſe not: Surely then it is expected that themſelves ſhould be ſonnes of peace. The contentions of private Chriſtians are offenſive, but the contentions of Miniſters is a ſcandall with a witneſſe. Yet in all Ages of the Church, the corrupt Clergie have been the greateſt cauſes of diviſions; they have been of the moſt cruell ſpirits againſt any that differed from them. But let not ſuch a ſpirit be in us; we have enough to do to contend with the wicked of the world, with the malice of Satan, let us not contend one with another.
Luther writing to the Miniſters of Norimberg, brings in Chriſt ſaying to them, Satis eſt vobis ob nomen meum malorum, You are like to ſuffer evil enough for my name, you need not be afflictions one to another. It was barbarouſneſſe in the Prieſts of Baal to cut and ſlaſh themſelves, but it is worſe for the Miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt to cut and ſlaſh one another. 1 Kings 6. 23. The Cherubims were made of the Olive tree; If you be typified by them, as we hinted before, let it appeare that you are olives, not brambles: yea and v. 31. For the entring of the Oracle the doores were of Olive-tree: who will believe that you bring the Oracles of God with you, when they ſee by your froward, contentious carriage, that you never entred in at theſe doores? People cannot but think it a miſerable thing to have a ſcratching, tearing bramble to be over them. Oh that God would ſet the beauty, glory of peace, friendſhip, love, before us! That this precious pearle, Ʋnion, might be highly valued by us! All men are taken in ſome degree or other with the excellency and ſweetneſs of love and friendſhip.Multi divitias deſpiciunt, quo… parvo contentas, tenuis victus cul…ſque delectat, honores vero quorum cupiditate quidam inflammantur, quam multi ita contemnunt ut nihil inanius eſſe vellevias exiſtiment, item caetera quae quibuſdam admirabilia videntur, permulti ſunt qui ni…ilo putent; de amicitia omnes ad unum idem ſe…unt, fine amio…ia … eſſe nullam ſentiunt. Cicer. de Amicit. Some men, ſayes Cicero, deſpiſe riches, others honours; thoſe things that by ſome are delighted in by others are vilified; but all men of all ſorts have a high eſteem of friendſhip, they think there can be no life without it.
Gen. 34. 21. The great commendation that Hamor and Shechem give of Jacob and his Sons as an argument to perſwade the men of Shechem to joyn with them in the giving their daughters to them for wives, and in taking theirs, is, Theſe men are peaceable with us. A peaceable diſpoſition is very convincing.
Cant. 6. 6. My dove, my undefiled is but one, ſhe is the onelyonly one of her mother, ſhe is the choice one of her that bare her. What then followes? The daughters ſaw her and bleſſed her, yea the Queenes, and the Concubines, and they praiſed her, Who ise ſhe that looketh forth as the morning, faire as the moone, cleare as the Sunne, terrible as an Army of Banners? Let the Saints be but one, and then they will appeare beautifull and glorious indeed, yea they will be terrible as an army of Baners.
Evagrius in his Eccleſiaſticall Hiſtory records an Epiſtle of Cyrill of Alexandria,Evargius l. 1. cap. 6. written to John of Antioch, upon the occaſion of a Pacificatory Epiſtle of John unto him, his ſpirit was ſo taken with it that it breaks forth thus: Let the heavens rejoyce, and let the earth be glad, the mid wall of rancour is battered downe, the boyling choler which bereaved the mindes of quietneſſe, is purged from among us, and all the occaſion of diſcord and diſſention is baniſhed away, for our Saviour Ieſus Chriſt hath granted peace unto the Churches under heaven.
The Thebans made Harmonia a goddeſſe,Plutarch in the life of Pelopidas. they accounted her the defender and patroneſſe of their City. Harmonious, peaceable, uniting diſpoſitions, have much of God in them; if not from ſanctifying grace, yet it is from a common work of the Spirit of God: there is a nobleneſſe in ſuch a heart. By the Lawes of England Noblemen have this priviledge, that none of them can be bound to the peace, becauſe it is ſuppoſed that a Noble diſpoſition will never be engaged in brawles and contentions, it is ſuppoſed that the peace is alwayes bound to him, that of his own accord he will be carefull to preſerve it. It is the baſe Bramble that rends and teares. Nazianzen reports of Alexander, who having taken a City, and conſulting what to doe, one Parmenius anſwered, If he were King he would raze the City to the ground.foreign. Nazian. carm. Iamb. Alexander anſwers, So would I too, if I were what you are; rigour may become you, but gentleneſſe becomes me. Gentleneſſe, mercy, goodneſſe, love, tenderneſſe of others ſufferings, are the greateſt ornaments to a noble ſpirit. If this be ſanctified, the glory of God ſhines bright indeed in ſuch a heart. For God glories in this, to be the God of peace and love. 1 Theſſ. 5. 23. The very God of peace. 2 Theſſ. 3. 16. The Lord of peace himſelfe. Jeſus Chriſt in being the Prince of peace; the holy Ghoſt in being like a Dove that hath no gall: the Goſpel is the Goſpel of peace; the Kingdome of God is peace as well as righteouſneſſe; the legacy that Chriſt left is a legacy of peace; the Apoſtolicall benediction is grace, mercy, and peace: the glory of the Church is in this, that it is a City compact at unity within it ſelfe. Yea this will be the glory of that glorious Church, that God is raiſing a new Jeruſalem, there ſhall be no more crying there, Apoc. 21. 4. Ezech. 14. 9. The Lord ſhall be King over all the earth, in that day there ſhall be one Lord, and his name ſhall be one. There is but one Lord now, but he is called by different names, but in that day his name ſhall be but one. Zeph. 3. 9. Then will I turne to a people of pure language, that they may call upon the name of the Lord, and ſerve him with one conſent. The Hebrew word is with one ſhoulder, now we ſhoulder one another, but then all ſhall ſerve the Lord with one ſhoulder. This love and peace is compared to the moſt delightfull, and the moſt profitable things; Behold how good and pleaſant it is for brethren to dwell at unity; it is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ranne downe upon the beard, even Aarons beard; that went downe to the skirts of his garment, as the dew of Hermon, that deſcended upon the mountaines of Sion. Pſal. 123.
There are many promiſes made to this. Mat. 5. Bleſſed are the peace-makers. 2 Cor. 13. 11. Be of one minde, live in peace, and the God of peace ſhall be with you. John 15. 12. Chriſt ſayes, This is his commandement, that we love one another. ver. 14. he ſayes, Ye are my friends if ye doe whatſoever I command you. By loving others we doe not only get them to be our friends, but Chriſt too. Me thinks I ſee Chriſt here pleading for love, as one who had to deale with two men who were at ſome variance, perſwading them to peace and love; Come, you ſhall paſſe by all former things, you ſhall be made friends, by this you ſhall gaine me alſo to be a friend to you as long as I live.
Geneſ. 13. ver. 8. to the end, is a remarkable Scripture to ſhew how God is with a loving, gentle, peaceable diſpoſition. Ver. 8. 9. we have Abrahams kinde gentle yeelding to Lot his inferiour for peace ſake; but mark what followes, and you ſhall finde he loſt nothing by this his yeelding: for as ſoone as Lot was gone from him, the Lord came to him, ver. 14. and ſaid to him, Lift up now thine eyes and looke from the place where thou art, Northward, Southward, Eaſtward and Weſtward, for all the Land that thou ſeeſt to thee will I give it, and to thy ſeed for ever: ariſe, walke thorough, the Land in the length of it, and in the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee. The difference of what Jacob ſayes of Reuben when he was to dye, Gen. 49. 4. from that of Moſes, Deut. 33. 6. is obſervable: Jacob ſayes, Hee is the firſt borne, the beginning of his ſtrength; but he ſhall not excell, becauſe he went to his fathers bed. But Moſes, Let Reuben live and not dye, and let not his men be few. The reaſon of this difference is given by ſome, becauſe it was fit that Jacob, to deter his other children, ſhould exerciſe the authority of a father, but Moſes frees him from the curſe, becauſe he was alwayes loving to his brother Ioſeph. Brotherly love hath a bleſſing going along with it: God loves it exceedingly, for it makes much for the glory of God. And to what purpoſe do we live, if God have not glory by us? Rom. 15. 5, 6, 7. the Apoſtle firſt prayes that the God of patience and conſolution would grant them to be like minded one towards another, according to Chriſt Jeſus, that they may with one minde and one mouth glorifie God. Then he exhorts: Wherefore receive ye one another, as Chriſt alſo received us to the glory of God. Much of Gods glory depends upon our union. Yea God ſtands ſo much upon this, that he is willing to ſtay for his ſervice till we be at peace one with another. Mat. 5. 23, 24. Leave thy gift before the Altar, and firſt be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. My worſhip ſhall ſtay till you be reconciled. I love my worſhip, and deſire it much, but I muſt have peace and love amongſt your ſelves firſt, I will ſtay for that. But I beſeech you let us not make God ſtay too long. Remember while you are wrangling and quarrelling, God ſtayes on you all this while. If children ſhould be quarrelling, and one comes to them, and ſayes, Your father ſtayes for you, it is time for them to break off. But not unmannerly with God, in making him ſtay ſo long upon you: ſome of you have made him wait upon you for an acceptable duty of worſhip divers weeks, yea it may be many moneths, and yet your ſpirits are not in temper to offer any ſacrifice to God. What a fearfull evill is it then to ſtand out in a ſtubborne, ſullen, dogged manner refuſing to be reconciled! Learned Druſius cites Hebrew Writers, ſaying, That he that offends his brother ought to ſeeke to pacifie him; if he refuſe to be pacified, then he muſt bring three of his friends with him to intercede twice or thrice, and if he ſhall after this refuſe,D…uſius praet. l. 1. c. 13. then he is to leave him, and ſuch a man quia implacabilis eſt, vocatur peccator, is called a ſinner, with a ſpeciall note upon him.
Laſtly, the Saints enjoyment of the ſweetneſſe of love, peace and unity among themſelves, what is it but heaven upon earth? Heaven is above all ſtorms, tempeſts, troubles, the happineſſe of it is perfect reſt. We pray that the will of God might bee done on earth as it is done in heaven; why, may not we have a heaven upon earth? this would ſweeten all our comforts, yea all our afflictions. But the Devill envies us this happineſſe. Come Lord Jeſus, come quickly.
If you would have the excellency of love ſet before you more fully, reade over and over again the Epiſtles of Iohn. Eccleſiaſticall ſtory reports of this bleſſed Apoſtle, whoſe heart was ſo full of love, that when he grew very old, not able to preach, yet he would be brought into the congregation in a chaire, and there ſay only theſe words, Little children flee idolatry, love one another. But the more excellent union and peace is, the more is the pitty that it ſhould be abuſed to be ſerviceable to mens luſts; the more would our miſery be if we ſhould be abuſed in our treaties about it; if we ſhould have a mock-peace; if we ſhould be gulled in either offers of or concluſions about peace; if peace ſhould be made our ruine, but a preparation of us for ſlaughter. It hath been by many obſerved, that what the Engliſh gained of the French in battell by valour,Comineus lib. 4. c. 8. the French regained of the Engliſh by cunning Treaties. The Lord deliver us from ſuch French tricks. Let us all be for peace, yet ſo as not to be befooled into bondage by the name of peace. Now God hath by his mighty arme helped us, let us not be put off with a bable, and made to beleeve it is this Pearle. We know with whom we have to deale.
And now as the Apoſtle, 2 Theſſ. 3. 5. The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God: Let me adde, And into the love of one another. Let us all ſtudy peace, ſeek peace, follow peace, purſue peace, and the God of peace be with us.
FINIS.