Irenicum to the Lover of Truth and Peace, Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
The third Dividing Diſtemper,The 3. dividing diſtemper. Envy.
ENvie is a ſquint-eyed foole, Job 5. 2. Envie ſtayeth the ſilly one. Jam. 3. 14. If yee have bitter envying and ſtrife in your hearts. Envy is a bitter thing, and cauſes ſtrife, and makes that bitter too: So verſ. 16. Where envying and ſtrife is. Gal. 5. 20. Hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, ſtrife, ſeditions, hereſies, envyings. 1 Cor. 3. 3. There is among you envying, ſtrife, diviſions. Envy made diviſions between Angels and men; it was the fiſt ſinne, not the firſt born of the Devill, but that which t…rned Angels into Devils. The firſt heart-diviſion amongſt men was between Gain & Abel, and what cauſed it but envy? Who can ſtand before envy? ſhe is ſubtil, undermining, dares not appear at the firſt: but if ſhe cannot be ſatisfied with her under-works, then ſhe flings, …ends, frets, and fights, uſes violence, ſeeks to raiſe a contrary faction, fals on any thing in the world ſo be it miſchief may be done, let become of Gods glory, of ſervice to the publike, of ſaving ſouls, rather then that ſteem, reſpect and honour that otherwiſe might be had, ſhould not be obtained; all muſt come under, all muſt be ſerviceable to this baſe luſt, rather then the glory of an envious man muſt be eclipſed, God himſelf and his bleſſed Truth muſt be darkned: O hideous wickedneſſe and high impudence againſt the God of Heaven! Envy divides in Counſels, in inſtruments, actions, in all proceedings; ſhe will make uſe of good to oppoſe that which is good; if ſhe cannot raiſe evil men to oppoſe good, ſhe will ſeek to get good men to oppoſe; ſhe would make God contrary to himſelfe, ſhe would ſtrike at God with his owne ſword. Phil. 1. 15. Some preach Chriſt out of envy. As Envy makes uſe of good for evill, ſo God makes uſe of this evill for good: Many ſeek to excell in preaching, or otherwiſe, by this means; and ſayes S. Paul, Howſoever I doe rejoyce, and will rejoyce. If Envy cannot reach others by imitation, ſhe will reach them by calumniation. Zoilus the common ſlanderer, being asked why he ſpake evil of ſuch and ſuch men? Becauſe, ſayes he, I can doe no evill to them. If there be any good done, that ſhe ſeeks to blaſt, together with the inſtruments of it; if any evil, that ſhe rakes into, and feeds upon, like that Bird Ibis in Africa, that eats Serpents. Luther ſayes, envious men feed upon the dung of other men; they are like flies, that love to be upon ſores. Eraſmus tels of one, who collected all the lame defective verſes in Homer, and paſſed over all that were ſo excellent. When you ſee a man ſeeking to rake and gather together all he can of any diſtempers, diſorders, miſtakes, miſcarriages by hear-ſayes, letters, or any way, ſo be it he may fill up his dung-cart; and for the good, the graces or gifts of God in men, thoſe are laid aſide, or ſlightly paſſed over, if at all mentioned, it is with ſome dirt mingled: Surely this is an envious man fitted for ſtrife and debate, whom God permits to be an affliction to his people, in raiſing up a ſpirit of ſtrife and contention, and cauſing diviſions amongſt them, like the Kite, who paſſes over faire Medowes, and pleaſant fields, not regarding them, till ſhe meets with a carrion, there ſhe fals and faſtens, now ſhe is upon her prey where ſhe would be: How pleaſant is it to ſome men to hear of, or find out evil in others whom they doe not love? To ſay no worſe, you know how it hath been an old practiſe, to ſeek to get any thing by reports, or any other wayes that might blaſt the profeſſors of Religion; and how glad were they? how did it pleaſe them at the heart if they could meet with any thing that might ſerve their turne?
This is a very ſhamefull diſtemper, ſome men will upon occaſion confeſſe they fear other men, and others that they love not other men, or that they contemn others, but no man will acknowledge that he envies others, there is too much ſhame in this, to be owned by any. The impiety and wickedneſſe is not leſſe, it is a monſtrous wickedneſſe for a man to complaine of God, that he made the world no better; and yet ſuch wickedneſſe there is in ſome mens hearts, but what is it then to complaine of, and quarrel with God, that he hath made the World, or any part of it ſo well? This the envious man doth.
An envious man cannot endure to ſee others better then himſelfe, or to have more reſpect then himſelf. It is reported of Licinius an intimate familiar with Conſtantine the Great, who alſo married his ſiſter, but fell off to be a deſperate enemy againſt Chriſtians, alledging this to be the reaſon, becauſe in their Aſſemblies they prayed for Conſtantine, and not for him. Envious men, whether they deſerve reſpect or no, yet if others have it, and not themſelves, they rage, and are mad.
There is no vice but hath ſome kind of oppoſition to ſome other, as covetouſneſſe to prodigality, &c. but Envy only oppoſeth that which is good, and all good, therefore there is nothing in it but evil, and an univerſal evil. Gulielmus Pariſienſis brings in Gregory, ſaying, That all the poyſon in the old Serpent is in this ſinne, as if it had emptied it ſelfe of its poyſon, and vomited it in this ſinne, ſo much venome there is in it.
Is it not a very evill thing, that in mens oppoſition againſt what they ſee others deſire, they ſhould give this reaſon why it ſhould not be ſuffered,Nemo exiſtimet Bonos de Eccleſia poſſe diſcedere: triticum non rapit ventus. Cipr. de unitat. eccleſ. becauſe if it be, the greater part of the moſt godly people in all places will joyn with it? This brings to mind what I have read in Eccleſiaſticall Hiſtory: in the Second Century, The Emperour Adrian would have build a Church for the honour of Chriſt void of Images, becauſe ſuch was the cuſtome of the Chriſtians; but his friends diſſwaded him, ſaying, If he did ſo, all men would forſake the Temples of the gods, and become Chriſtians. I find in that learned piece of Voetius, Deſperata cauſa papatus, a notable ſtory of Ray…erius a Popiſh Inqui…tor, he exclaims againſt the Waldenſes, thoſe poor men of Lio…s (as he calls them) He ſayes there was never any more pernicious Sect then that;Sectae haereticorum ab ol… fuerunt multae, inter quas omnes quae ſunt vel fuerunt non eſt pernicioſior quam pauperum de lugduno, …ibus de cauſis; prima quia diuturn…or a tempore Sylveſtri, alij quidam dicunt a tempore Apoſtolorum; ſecunda quia generalior, fere enim nulla terra eſt in qua haec …ecta non ſerpat; tertia, quod omnes aliae immanitate blaſphemiarum in Deum horrorem inducant, haec leouiſtarum magnam habet ſpeciem pietatis, coram nominibus juſte vivant, & bene omnia de Deo credant, & omnes a…ticut…s qui in ſymbolo cominentur, ſolum Romanam Eccleſiam blaſphemant. Voet. veſp. cauſa papa…us, l. 3. ſect. 2. Tolle invidiam, & quod meum eſt, habeo; tolle invidiam & quod tuum eſt, ego habe…. Aug. in Pſal. 136. and I pray why? He gives 3. reaſons; Firſt, That it is very ancient; Some ſay (ſays he) it hath continued from the time of Sylveſter; others, from the times of the Apoſtles. Secondly, It is ſo generall, there is ſcarce any Countrey but this hath got into it. Thirdly, whereas others are guilty of blaſphemy againſt God, upon which they are abhorred, theſe appeare to be holy men, they live juſtly, their beliefe of God is right, they believe all the Articles in the Creed; We can finde no fault with them either for their lives, or for their Doctrine, onelyonly they are againſt the Church of Rome, in which the people are ready to joyne with them. Theſe are ſtrange accuſations; for do not they themſelves make all theſe the ſigns of the true Church? and yet are theſe poor men ſo vile, becauſe ſuch things are found amongſt them. Surely, it is Envy that imbitters the ſpirits of men againſt others, becauſe they ſee in them thoſe things which they cannot but acknowledg to be good, and herein the great evill of Envy, that malignity of it, by which it cauſeth ſuch great contentions does appear, they are angry they can find no evill in them, whereby they may get advantage againſt them.
The holy Ghoſt ſay, that envy is rottenneſſe to the bones; the ſame learned man Guliel. Pariſ. applyes this to ſuch as are chief in Church and Common-wealth, who are as it were the bones, the ſtrength, the ſupport of the ſocieties whereof they are; Envy, ſays he, is often found amongſt them, and it is rottenneſſe to them. This vile ſin hath cauſed a rot in many men of eminent abilities and places, who might otherwiſe have done much ſervice for God & his people in Church and Commonwealth: oh it is a michievous ſin. Take away envy, ſays Auguſtine, and what is mine, you have; take away envy, and what is yours, I have. We read Acts 11. of Barnabas, that hee was a good man, and fu…l of the holy Ghoſt, and he was a man of a cleaving diſpoſi…ion, of an uniting temper, ver. 23. He exhorted them that with full purpoſe of heart they would cleave to the Lord: This man was free from envy, for the Text ſayes, when he had ſeen the grace of God, he was glad: He rejoyced in, and bleſſed God for the grace he ſaw in his Saints. Do you envy for my ſake, ſays Moſes? I would to God all the people of the Lord did propheſie. Moſes was a fit man for publike ſervice, who was ſo void of envy; No men are ſo fit for publike employment as ſuch who can bles God that he is pleaſed to make uſe of others as wel as, yea beyond themſelves. It was a good ſpeech of that gracious holy, old Diſciple Mr. Dod lately deceaſed, I would to God ſays he, I were the worſt Miniſter in England; not wiſhing himſelfe worſe then he was, but all Miniſters better.
The fourth dividing Diſtemper, Paſſion.The 4. dividing diſtemper.
PRov. 29. 23. An angry man ſtirreth up ſtrife. Paſſion is ſo oppoſite to Union, that Prov. 22. 24. the holy Ghoſt would have us make no friendſhip with an angry man.
Firſt, this fire of anger burns aſunder the bands of union, the bands of relation, as Nebudhadnezzars fire did the bands of the three Children. A froward heart car… not for any relations. What makes diviſions between husband & wife, brother and brother, ſervants and Maſters, and Miſtreſſes, neighbour and neighbour, but paſſionate forwardneſſe?
Secondly, this fire burns aſunder the bands by which mens luſts were tyed up and kept in; it ſets mens luſts at liberty. The luſts of mens hearts are like a bed of ſnakes in the cold, but the heat of paſſion warming them, cauſes them to crawl and hiſſe. What a ſtir would the Lions in the Tower mak…, and the Bears in Paris-garden, if they were let looſe? Paſſion lets mens Lion-like luſts looſe. Philoſophers ſay of the inferiour Orbes, that were they not kept in, reſtrained in their motion by the Primum mobile, they would ſet all the world on …ire: If our lower affections, eſpecially this of Anger, be not kept in and ordered by Reaſon and Religion, they wil ſet all on …ire. Paſſion makes men and women to be lawleſſe, boundleſſe, careleſſe.
Men know not what they doe in their anger; this raiſes ſuch a ſmoak, that they cannot ſee their way; the more corrupt the heart is, the greater and the more noyſome is the ſmoke raiſed by this fire in the heart. Put fire to wet ſtraw, and filthy ſtuffe, oh what a filthy ſmoke ariſes!
Lev. 13. 25. we read of a leproſie breaking out of a burning; ſeldome doe mens paſſions burne, but there is a leproſie breaking out of that burning, and what union can there be with ſuch? It froward people were dealt withall like the Lepers, ſhut up from others, we ſhould have more peace. Some men when once their anger is got up, they will never have done, we can have no quiet with them; this fire in them is like that of hel, unquenchable. The dog-dayes continue with them all the year long. Seven devils can better agree in one Mary Magdalen, then ſeven froward people in one family. If one ſhould ſet the Beakons on fire upon the landing of every Cock-boat, what continuall combuſtions and tumults would there be in the Land? Thoſe men who upon every trifle are all on a fire by their paſſions, and what in them lies ſet others on fire, do exceedingly diſturb the peace of thoſe places where they live, thoſe ſocieties of which they are. Their hot paſſions cauſe the Climate where they live to be like the torrid Zone, too hot for any to live near them. Chriſt is the Prince of Peace, and the Devil is the Prince of diviſions. Hence that expreſſion of the holy Ghoſt, Epheſ. 4. 27. Let not the ſun goe down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil: you are loth to give place to your brother, you will ſay, What, ſhall I yield to him? you will not yeeld to him, but you will yeeld to him that is worſe, to the Devil. So you doe when you yield to wrath.
There are divers other dividing diſtempers that we ſhall ſpeak to;The week after the victory at Naſeby▪ but for the preſent let us make uſe of the great mercy of God towards us that yeſterday we ſolemnized in a publick Thanksgiving; let us ſee how we may improve this glorious work of God for the cloſing of our ſpirits, the healing our diviſions. It cals to us aloud to joyn, oh let your hearts joyn. There are 12: Arguments in this great work of God, to perſwade us to union.
Firſt, there hath appeared much of Gods preſence in this his great work. I will praiſe thee O Lord, for thou haſt done it, Pſ. 52. 9. The Lord hath appeared wonderfully, his naked arm hath been revealed, his right hand hath become glorious in power. Thoſe who were preſent ſaw much of God in this work. They ſend to us to give God the glory, and all the Countrey about ſent ſtill to tell us how much of God they have ſeen in this.
But how is this an argument for us to unite?
Suppoſe children or ſervants were wrangling one with another,Anſw. were not this an argument to make them be quiet, Your Father is here? your Mr. is come? will not all be whiſt preſently? God is come amongſt us, wee may ſee the face of God in what he hath done for us, and ſhall we be quarrelling before his face?
But 3. days before this great goodneſſe of God, by ſpeciall Order from the Houſe of Commons, there was a day ſet apart to humble our ſouls before the Lord, and to ſeek him for this mercy that now we rejoyce in, & in our Humiliation was not this one great ſinne we did confeſs our diviſions? did we not then acknowledg that it were righteous with God becauſe of our diviſions, to give us up as a prey to our adverſarie…? Now then, have not our diviſions overcom Gods goodnes, leſt Gods goodneſs overcome our diviſions? Suppoſe there had been a day of Humiliation ſet apart to mourn under the heavy hand of God againſt us in delivering us up into the hands of our enemies, as (through his mercy we have had a day of Thanksgiving, to bleſſe him for our deliverance from them) would not this ſinn have been the matter of a great part of the comfeſſion of all your Miniſters? Oh the diviſions that are amongſt us! Thou haſt dealt righteouſly with us. Our wraths were up one againſt another, and juſt it is with thee O Lord to let out the rage of the Adverſary upon us; & ſhall we yet continue in that after a mercy, which we have confeſſed might juſtly have prevented the mercy? ſhall we ſtil be guilty of that wch our conſciences tell us would have been the burden of them, as the juſt …auſe of our miſery, if the Lord had come againſt us in his ſore diſpleaſure? God forbid. Let not that evill now be found in us, that would have galled our conſciences, if mercy had been denyed us.
3. We are delivered from being devoured by our enemies; ſhal we now devour one another? oh unworthy we of ſuch a deliverance as this. It went ill with us in the beginning of the fight, but God looked mercifully upon us, his bowels wrought, if I come not in for their help. Theſe ungodly men wil devour my ſervants, howſoever they have been faire to ſome, becauſe yet they have not attained their own ends; but if they prevail here, they will account all their own, and then they will begin to exerciſe that cruelty that yet hath not been heard of, but it ſhall not be, my heart cannot bear the cries of my ſervants under ſuch cruelties as I foreſee. Do you think this was Gods end in delivering us from being devoured of our enemies, that we may be devoured one of another? We read Ezek. 5. 3, 4. the Prophet was bid to bind up a few hairs in his skirt, which was to ſignifie a few of the people which were preſerved from that common calamity, but after theſe were caſt into the fire, and fire came forth from theſe to all the houſe of Iſrael. Polanus upon the place hath this note, that grievous evils may come upon thoſe who have been preſerved from former common miſeries, and thoſe who for a while have been preſerved by their contentions and diviſions, may be the cauſe of woful evil to others. God forbid that this Text ſhould be fulfilled in us. Let not a fire come from us, who yet are ſo graciouſly preſerved, to devour the houſe of Iſrael.
4ly. God in this work of his hath joyned ſeverall ſorts of inſtruments, men of ſeverall opinions; he hath made them one to do us good, why ſhould not we be one in the enjoyment of that good? Let the one part, and let the other part have their due honour under God, in the mercy God hath made uſe of both, and why may not both enjoy the fruit of this mercy together in the Land?
Fiftly, We were not without ſome feares, leſt God ſhould leave us in the work of Reformation begun; but now God ſpeaks aloud to encourage us, he tels us he owns the worke. Now what doth this require of us? A little Logick will draw the conſequence, Hath God declared himſelf that he intends to go on in this work he hath begun? Then let us all joyn together, to further it, to the uttermoſt we can; let us not exaſperate the ſpirits of one another in ways of ſtrife and oppoſition, but let every one ſet his hand and hand to this worke, that he may be able to ſay. Oh Lord God, thou that knoweſ… the ſecrets of all hearts, knoweſt that upon this great mercy of thine, my heart was ſo moved, that whatſoever I could poſſibly ſee to be thy will for the furtherance of this great work of Reformation, and that I was able to doe, I did ſet my ſelfe to doe it, and am reſolved to ſpend my ſtreng…h and life in it. If every one did thus, oh what glory might God have from this mercy of his!
6ly. When the Lord comes to us with mercies, and ſuch great mercies, he expects we ſhould rejoyce in them, and ſing praiſe; but how can we ſing without Harmony? Prayer requires an agreement. Mat. 18. 19. If two of you ſhall agree on earth touching any thing they ſhall aske, it ſhall be done for them. Surely Praiſe requires agreement much more. Pſalms out of tune are harſh to the eare; diſagreement of heart is much more to the Spirit of God.
7. Surely when God hath done ſo much for us, it muſt be acknowledged to be our duty, to ſtudy what ſacrifice would be beſt pleaſing to him; ſome ſacrifice we muſt offer: If there be any more acceptable to him then other, ſurely he deſerves it no. If a friend had done ſome reall kindneſs for you, you would be glad to know what might be moſt gratefull to him, wherein you might teſtifie your thankfulneſs: Is this in your hearts? Do you now ſay, Oh that we did but know what is the thing that would be moſt plea…ing to God; what ſacrifice would ſmell ſweeteſt in his noſtrils! The Lord knowes we would fain offer it, whatſoever it be. I will tell you, That we would lay aſide our diviſions, our frowardneſſe, that we would abandon our contentions and ſtrife, that we would put on the bowels of mercies, kindneſſe, humbleneſſe of minde, meekeneſſe, long-ſuffering, forbearing one another, forgiving one another; If any man hath a quarrell againſt any, even as Chriſt forgave you, ſo alſo do ye, Col. 3. 12. And 1. Pet. 3. 4. A mee…e and a quiet ſpirit is in the …ight of God of great price, it is much ſet by, foreign. Pſal. 15. 17. The ſacrifice of God, that which is in ſtead of all ſacrifices, is a broken ſpirit. Our hearts have been broken one from another in our unhappy diviſions, oh that now they could break one towards another in love and tenderneſs! Here would be a ſacrifice more eſteemed of God, then thouſands of Rams, and ten thouſand Rivers of Oyle: Loving mercy, and walking humbly is preferred above ſuch ſacrifices, Micah 6. 8.
8ly. God might have ſode…'d us together by the fire of his wrath, he might have made our blood to have been our cement to have joyned our ſtinty hearts together; but it is otherwiſe, God ſeeks to draw us to himſelfe, and one to another by the cords of love, the allurings of his mercy.
Ninthly, what can have that power to take off the ſowrneſſe of mens ſpirits like mercy; the mercy of a God? ſurely if any thing poſſibly can ſweeten them, that muſt needs do it. We read 1 Sam. 11. 11, 12, 13. a notable experiment of the efficacy of mercy to ſweeten mens hearts. After Saul had ſlain the Ammonites, ſome of the boſterous ſpirits would have had him to have ſlain thoſe who formerly had rejected him; but mark Sauls anſwer, ver. 13. There ſhall not a man be put to death this day: Why? For this day the Lord hath wrought ſalvation in Iſrael. Though Saul at another time was a man of a harſh and cruell ſpirit, yet now mercy ſweetens him; that which he was one day by the ſenſe of mercy, that ſhould we be not only in the day of our Thankſgiving, but in the courſe of our lives. When ſalvation came to the houſe of Zacheus, O what a ſweet temper was he in! Behold, halfe of my goods I give to the poore, and if I have wronged any one, I reſtore foure-fold. Salvation is this day come to the Kingdome, O that all we had hearts to ſay, If wee have wronged any, wee will reſtore; if wee have wronged any in their names, by word, or writing, any way, we will reſtore: Mercy and love calls for mercy and love; if we were in a right tune, there would be a ſympathy between the bowels of God and ours; as in two Lures, if the ſtring in one be wound up to be anſwerable to the other, if you then ſtrike one ſtring, the other will move though lying at a diſtance: Now Gods love, Gods bowels move, let our love, our bowels move anſwerably.
10. God ſhewes that he can owne us notwithſtanding all our infirmities: Was ever Kingdome in a more diſtempered condition then ours hath been of late? and yet the Lord hath owned us: Why ſhould not we own our Brethren, notwithſtanding their infirmities? Why ſhould our diviſions cauſe u… to call off one another, ſeeing our diviſions from God hath not provoked him to caſt us off?
11. Is it not in our deſires, that this great Victory might be purſued, that it might not be loſt, as others (in great part) have been? Surely it cannot be purſued better, then to take this advantage of it, to unite our ſelves more together then ever we have done. 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 l…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.