Irenicum to the Lover of Truth and Peace, Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Dividing Practices.The 1. Dividing practice, the practice of the tongue. The firſt, The Practice of the Tongue. The ſecond, Needleſſe Diſputes.
PRovoking bitter language, is a great divider: An evill tongue in Scripture is compared to ſwords, Arrowes, Razors, to poyſon of Aſpes, …ire, yea to the fire of hell, which ſets all the world on fire, to wild beaſts; it is an unruly member that cannot be tamed. When a Philoſopher ſaw two women of ill fame talking together,Eo ſermone Aspidem à vipera ſumere venenum. he ſaid, By this ſpeech the Aſpe takes in poyſon from the Viper, which it ſeems was a proverbiall ſpeech in Tertullians time, he inveighing againſt Marcion the Heretique, Let the Heretique,Definat nunc Haereticos à Judaeo Aspis, quod aiunt, à vipera mutuare venenum. ſayes he, ceaſe borrowing poyſon from the Jew, according to the Proverbe, the Aſpe from the Viper.
Many men of moderate ſpirits, if let alone, yet meeting with men who tell them ſtories, and ſpeak ill of thoſe men that heretofore they had a good opinion of, yet now before they have examined what the truth is,Tertul. contra Marcion, lib. 3. cap. 8. there is a venome got into their ſpirits before they are aware, their hearts begin to be hot, and to riſe againſt thoſe men they hear ſuch things of, their thoughts are altered concerning them, their ſpirits alienated, breaches are made, and men who are innocent wonder from whence all comes. O take heed of theſe men of evill tongues, eſpecially at your tables, for while you are warme with mirth and good cheere, you are in greater danger to take downe the diſcourſe of ſuch as are at table with you, ſome poyſon may get into your ſpirits, and you not think of it. Saint Auguſtine could not endure ſuch gueſts at his table; he cauſed therefore theſe two verſes to be writ over his Table, it were well they were over ſome of yours.
Quiſquis amat dictis abſentum rodere vitam,
Hanc menſam vetitam noverit ipſe ſibi.
To ſpeak ill of the abſent forbeare.
Or elſe ſit not at Table here.
But if men of evill tongues doe ſo much hurt to men of moderate ſpirits, what hurt doe they doe one to another? when two or three, or more of them meet together, having all of them bitter ſpirits and evill tongues, what hot burning venome doe they infuſe one into another, inflaming one another with malice? That proverbiall ſpeech, foreign, is true of theſe men; if one Serpent did not eate another, there would bee no Dragon; by taking in one anothers poyſon, they grow to bee fiery Dragons, flying up and downe from place to place with their fiery ſtings.
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I have ſeen violence and ſtrife in the City, Pſal. 45. 9. The ſame letters in the Hebrew word that is to ſignifie verbum a word,foreign is alſo for pestis, the plague; an evill tongue hath the peſtilence in it.
The whiſperings of an evill tongue cauſes diviſions, Rom. 1. 29. Full of envy, debate, malignity, whiſperars, 2 Cor. 1…. 20. Debates, envyings, wraths, ſtrifes, whiſperings. Many of fidling, paltry diſpoſitions, goe up and down whiſpering, they ſpeak very ſecretly to you, you muſt tell no body by any means, and yet themſelves tell it to a ſecond, a third, a tenth, and any one they meet with, with whom they deſire to ingratiate themſelves, and to every body they ſpeak, yet ſtill they muſt tell no body▪ they doe not love to be brought forth as the authors, they tell you as a friend, what they heare; and thus carrying tales up and downe in a ſecret way, they doe what in them lyes to blaſt the names of their Brethren; jealouſies, ſuſpitions, envyings, diſpleaſure, anger is raiſed, and the parties againſt whom all this is, wonder what is the matter, they being no wayes conſcious to themſelves of any miſcarriage towards ſuch from whom they finde ſuch ſtrange carriage; at laſt ſome nibling whiſpering Mouſe is found to be the cauſe of all.
Theſe whiſpering Tale-bearers have ſuch an art, as to cauſe what they thus ſpeak in ſecret to ſinke very deeply into mens hearts: They profeſſe themſelves very ſorry for what they tell you, but it is too true, and with a deep ſigh they miſchiefe their Neighbour; Et ſic cum vultu maeſto procedit maledictio, Bern. But let men take heede of them, for they ſtrike, they wound them as much, if not more, then they doe thoſe againſt whom they ſpeak, for they know nothing of it; and though they ſuffer, yet they doe not ſinne; but you may not only be troubled, and that cauſeleſly (it may be) and for nothing loſe the ſweetneſſe of your love to your friend, and the enjoyment of his to you; but withall, you may entertain ſinne into your heart, and ſo be wounded. Prov. 18. 8. The words of a tale-bearer are as wounds, and they goe downe into the innermoſt parts of the belly, beware therefore of ſuch. Prov. 20. 19. He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth ſecrets, therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lippes. Hee may come glavering, and fawning, and ſmiling to you, as if he accounted you a ſpeciall friend, and therefore would not tell every body; but meddle not with him; if you ſhall hug and embrace him, you have received a wound even in the innermoſt parts of the belly. Prov. 26. 20. Where no wood is there the fire goeth out; ſo where there is no tale-bearer the ſtrife ceaſeth.
Prov. 16. 28. A whisperer ſeperateth chiefe friends. Thoſe who have lived in entire friendſhip many yeares, ſometime by ſome whiſpering woman, have their hearts very much eſtranged, the beauty of their friendſhip darkened, and the ſweetneſſe of it almoſt loſt.
Whiſpering tale-bearing tongues is the cauſe of ſtrife, take heed of it: And ſo is a cenſuring tongue: I can compare this to nothing better then to a candle, whoſe tallow is mixed with brine, as ſoone as you light it, it ſpits up and down the roome: Thus many have ſalt brine in their ſpirits, which when they get a little knowledge, they ſpit here and there in hard and bitter cenſures, which are exceedingly provoking to the ſpirits of men; though the cenſures ſhould prove true, yet the mixture of ſo much ſalt brine in them, cannot but exaſperate & cauſe mens hearts to fret; but much more if they prove to be meere ſlanderers. Jer. 9. 4. Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and truſt ye not in any brother, for every brother will utterly ſupplant, and every neighbour will walke with ſlanders; and c. 6 28. They are all grievous revol…ers, walking with ſlanders; they are braſſe and iron, they are all corrupters. And yet more if this be a raging tongue, Hoſ. 7. 16. Their Princes ſhall fall by the ſword, for the rage of their tongue. Diſcontents riſe high, firſt by too much liberty of the tongue, then higher, by the bitterneſſe of it; but when it comes to the rage of it, by this many times they riſe ſo high, that great men, yea Princes come to fall by the ſword. There is a ſtory in the Tripartite Hiſtory of a Chriſtian who profeſſed he had beene ſeven and thirty yeares learning that leſſon, Pſal. 39. 1. I ſaid I will take heed to my wayes, that I offend not in my tongue, and yet had not learned it. I feare there are many amongſt us who have beene Profeſſors theſe ſeven and thirty yeares, and yet have not learned this leſſon; notwithſtanding the Scripture ſaith, If a man bridleth not his tongue, hee deceiveth his owne heart, this mans Religion is in vaine, James 1. 26.
The ſecond dividing practice, Needleſſe Diſputes.The 2. dividing practice, needleſſe diſputes.
WHen men have got a little knowledge, they thinke it a fine thing to be arguing and diſputing in matters of Religion: unneceſſary diſputes are their neceſſary practice, for otherwiſe they ſhall be accounted as no body, if they have not ſomething to object againſt almoſt every thing, but in this way of theirs, they ſhall bee accounted knowing men, men who have an inſight into things, who underſtand more then ordinary men doe: hence they turne all their Religion into diſputes, and by them they grow giddie. Wine is good when it goes to the heart to cheere it, but when it fumes all up into the head, it makes it giddy. Knowledge is good when the ſtrength of it gets to the heart to comfort it, there to breed good ſpirits, for the ſtrengthning it in the waies of holineſſe; but when it flies up all into the head, it fills it with thouſands of phanſies; it cauſes pride and giddineſſe. Diſputes draw the beſt ſpirits from the heart, by which it weakens it. It is a very ill ſigne in a man to have a contradicting ſpirit, to get into a veine of diſputing againſt any thing, though it be good. I have read of Gregory Nazianzen, that he told his friends that Julian would prove to be a notorious wicked man, he gave this reaſon, Becauſe be tooke ſuch delight in diſputing againſt that which was good▪ Diſputes are ſeldome without much heart-diſtemper; if they continue long, they cauſe ſnarling one at another; and no marvaile though thoſe who ſnarle ſo often, doe bite at laſt. A man ſhews moſt parts in the matter of truth, but moſt grace in the manner of handling it with reverence, holineſſe and modeſty. Rom. 14. 1. Receive not the weake in faith to doubtfull diſputations. Here is a direct injunction againſt thoſe diſputes I am ſpeaking of. Let no man ſay every truth is precious, the leaſt truth is more worth then our lives, we muſt contend for every truth.
The leaſt truth is ſo precious,Anſw. that we muſt rather loſe our lives, then deny it; you muſt doe and ſuffer much to maintaine truth, but this in an orderly way.
Firſt, you muſt be grounded in the maine Fundamentalls of Religion; you muſt be ſtrong in the faith, and after that labour to edifie your ſelves in all the truths of God, ſo as one may be helpfull to another. It is not for every one who hath but little time, little knowledge, little meanes, little ſtrength, to tyre out himſelfe and others in doubtfull diſputes. The Scripture is ſo much againſt this, as nothing can be more. 1 Tim. 1. 4. Which miniſter queſtions rather then edifying. To aske and diſcourſe of queſtions about the great things that concerne thy ſoule, thy eternall eſtate, how thou maiſt live further to the honour of God, is good, when you meet together; to confer one with another what God hath done for your ſoules, to tell each other the experiences of your owne hearts, and Gods dealings with you, what temptations ye meet with, and how God helps you againſt them; ſuch things as theſe would edifie. But when your queſtions are about things that you are never like to underſtand, and if you did underſtand, they little concerne you, they would not be helpfull to you one whit in the wayes of godlineſſe, theſe the holy Ghoſt would not have you ſpend your time in. Eccleſ. 7. 29. Man was made upright and he hath found out to himſelfe many inventions, Miſcuerit ſe infinitis queſtionibus, ſo the old Latine reads it, he hath mingled himſelfe in infinite queſtions. If we had but that great queſtion more amongſt us, What ſhall wee doe to be ſaved? it would cauſe many unprofitable queſtions to vaniſh. Never ſuch ignorance came upon the Chriſtian world, as in that age when the Schoolmen were in the higheſt eſteeme; all Religion then was turned into Queſtions, both the myſtery and the power of godlineſſe was loſt. The things of Religion are rather to be beleeved then diſputed. We beleeve Fiſhermen, not Logitians,Credimus piſcatoribus, non Dialecticis. Ambr. ſayes Ambroſe. The Devill at this day ſeekes to darken the glory of Religion this way; he ſees that in regard ſo much light hath broke forth, he cannot get men preſently off it by prophaneneſs, therefore he labours to eat out the ſtrength of it by buſying them, and getting them to delight in multitudes of queſtions, and that about things of leſſer concernment.
1 Tim. 6. 4. Hee is proud, and knoweth nothing, but doting about queſtions, and ſtrife of words, whereof commeth envie, strife, railings, evill ſurmiſes, perverſe disputings of men of corrupt mindes, and destitute of the truth. Theſe men conceit they have more knowledge then other men, but the holy Ghoſt ſaies they know nothing; they cry out much of the truth, and they contend for the truth, but the holy Ghoſt ſaies they are deſtitute of the truth. 2 Tim. 2. 22, 23. Follow charity, peace, but fooliſh and unlearned queſtions avoid, knowing that they doe gender ſtrifes, but the ſervant of the Lord muſt not ſtrive. And Titus 3. 8. 9. This is a faithfull ſaying, theſe things I will that thou affirme conſtantly, that they which have beleeved in God, might be carefull to maintaine good workes; theſe things are good and profitable unto men, but avoid fooliſh questions, and Genealogies, and contentions, and ſtrivings about the Law, for they are unprofitable and vaine.
The queſtion about the Law, whether a man be juſtified by it, or by free grace in Chriſt, this is not one of thoſe fooliſh queſtions and needleſſe ſtrivings, this is a great queſtion, this we are to contend for, our life is in it, but there are other queſtions about the Law, which cauſe ſtriving rather then edifying, as whether the Law be a rule for our lives, as it was given by Moſes; That we are bound to doe what is required in the Law, this is generally acknowledged, as to love God, not worſhip Images, &c. but whether we be bound to doe it as it was the Law delivered by Moſes upon Mount Sina, this queſtion troubles many mens heads; that we are bound to doe the ſame things as they are delivered by Chriſt in the hand of that Mediator, is acknowledged by any that underſtand themſelves in any meaſure. Now then let theſe two things be granted about the Law; Firſt, that we are not juſtified by it, but by the free grace of God in Chriſt: Secondly, that what duties of holineſs are ſet downe in the Law, we are bound to them by the moſt ſtrong obligations: what neede we contend further about the Law? Let us be eſtabliſhed in theſe two, and it will be ſufficient for our edifying; It is like when Paul wrote this Epiſtle to Titus, the heads of the people were troubled about ſome ſuch kinde of queſtions about the Law, as are amongſt us; therefore ſayes he, Avoid fooliſh queſtions, and ſtrivings about the Law. But now the queſtions about the Law are driven on to ſuch a dangerous iſſue, that we have cauſe not onelyonly to be carefull to avoid them, but even to tremble at the thought of them. It is now accounted a legall thing againſt the grace of the Goſpel to confeſſe ſin, to be humbled for ſin, to make conſcience of duty, or to be troubled in conſcience for neglect of it; No, they thank God they are delivered from ſuch things, in reſpect of God, whether they ſin or not it is all one: yea theſe things prevaile with thoſe who have beene forward in profeſſion of Religion, who ſeemed to walke ſtrictly, now are growne looſe. That ſaith is eaſily wrought, which teacheth men to beleeve well of themſelves, though their lives be ill. There is a mighty change in mens ſpirits now from that which was heretofore; Times have been when any opinion that tended to looſeneſſe, was preſently diſtaſted as unfavoury, and rejected by ſuch, who made profeſſion of Religion.
Sleidan in the tenth book of his Commentaries, ſayes, The Devill that ſought to doe miſchiefe at Munſter was not a skilfull Devill, but rude and ſimple, becauſe he ſought to prevaile by tempting men to looſeneſſe; whereas, ſayes he, if he had beene a cunning Devill, he would rather have deceived by abſtaining from fleſh, by abhorring Matrimony, by ſhewes of wonderfull lowlineſſe of minde, &c. he might ſooner have taken men this way; but truly now the moſt cunning Devill ſees it to be the beſt way to attaine his ends, to raiſe up and foment opinions that …end to the liberty of the fleſh, ſo be it he can carry them on under the colour of magnifying free grace; he findes that theſe things are exceeding ſuitable to mens ſpirits in theſe times, that they are taken in by ſuch who formerly appeared ſo conſcientious, that hee feared hee ſhould never have beene able to have prevailed with them; hee never found a way like to this to prevaile with ſuch men; yea, never a way like to this to choake the Word, when it firſt begins to worke upon the heart; he hath blaſted more young ſeeming converts this way, then ever hee did by any way ſince he was a Devill: Heretofore the way was to ſtirre up others to deride them for following the Word, and for praying; now he hath a way worth two of that, to make them to deride others for their conſcienciouſneſſe in following the Word and praying, and this ſtrengthened with a high perſwaſion, that hereby they are the great magnifiers of the free grace of God in the Goſpel, the only men who underſtand the Goſpel way. This Devill now lookes upon himſelfe and his fellowes as ſimple and fooliſh in all their former devices, here is an experiment beyond them all, ſeeing this Chriſt muſt needes be magnified, hee will magnifie him too; ſeeing the Goſpel muſt goe on, hee will put it on too, hee will finde out a device here, to ſtrike at the practiſe, power, life of godlineſſe, in a more ſecret and prevailing way then ever formerly was done; it is like in this generation the former principles of godlineſſe will not be got out; but if this way prevails ſtill in proportion to what it hath done, in a generation or two it is like to bring generall prophaneneſſe and licentiouſneſſe upon the face of the Chriſtian world more then any way of Satan ever did ſince the world began, for here is a way to be looſe and prophane, and to ſatisfie Conſcience too.