Irenicum to the Lover of Truth and Peace, Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI.
The ſeventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth dividing Practices.
The ſeventh, Whatſoever perſonall evill there is in any one who is in a differing way from others, is caſt upon all that are in that way.
THis you know was the practice of former times, whatſoever evill any forward Profeſſour was guilty of, that was caſt upon all, they are all thus; Doe you not ſee that Hypocrites they are? whatſoever their ſhewes be, yet if they have opportunity they will be as vile as any men; enough may be found againſt the beſt of them all, if they were narrowly watched; this is their way, they are a company of diſſemblers: Such kinde of imputations are carryed upon the miſcarriage of any one, upon all, on purpoſe to enrage the people againſt them: We accounted this hard dealing heretofore, let us not now be guilty of ſuch things our ſelves.
Some ſuch practice it is like there was amonſt the Corinthians, when that foule fact of the inceſtuous perſon brake forth, ſome of them were puffed up, ſo the Apoſtle chargeth them; it is a very ſtrange charge that any ſhould be puffed up upon ſuch a thing as that; what was there in it to occaſion puffing up? The Anſwer is this, It is cleare there were great diviſions in Corinth, ſome ſided one way, ſome onother; now one of them who was of ſuch a ſide, fell into this foule and ſcandalous ſinne, upon that the other ſide thought they had an advantage againſt the whole party, and this puffed them up; nay doe you not ſee what one of them hath done? you may by him ſee what kinde of men they are; this made the whole party low in their eyes; they caſt the contempt of this one upon all that were aſſociated with him in ſuch a way differing from others: This could not but widen the diviſions amongſt them.
It is an evill advantage that men take, if they ſee ſome very erroneous many wayes, and obnoxious in their lives, yet if theſe agree but in ſome one thing with thoſe whom themſelves differ from; all the odium of theſe errours and looſe lives muſt be caſt upon ſuch as they thus agree with, in that one thing though their conſciences cannot but tell them, that thoſe Brethren who are in a differing way from them, doe abominate ſuch errourrs and looſeneſſe of life as much as themſelves.
After God uſed Luther to bring light into Germany, Vide Staniſ… um Reſchium in centur. Evang. ſect.there aroſe many Sects; Papiſts ſay, there were grown in the Church after Luthers time, in one hundred yeeres, two hundred and ſeventy Sects, whereas from Chriſts time to his, there cannot be reckoned above a hundred eighty one. Now this was the practice of the Papiſts, that they might caſt an odium upon the Lutheran party, which they lookt upon as ſtanding moſt in their light; whatſoever errours were held, or miſcarriages of life appeared in any of theſe Sects, all was caſt upon the Lutheran party, upon this ground, becauſe the Lutherans and theſe ſects agreed in this, that they were all againſt the Papacie.
There are many amongſt us, who contend for ſeverall wayes, Anabaptiſts, Antinomians, Socinians, Separatiſts, thoſe that are for the Congregationall way, Seekers, with many others, they all agree in this, that they are againſt the Prelacie; Doe you now thinke it were a juſt thing for the Prelates to gather together all the errours, opinions, and miſcarriages in life, in all theſe ſorts of men, and caſt the ignominy and odium of all upon our Brethren, who contend for the Presbytery? if they ſhould ſay, Look what vile opinions are held by thoſe who are againſt Epiſcopacie, how ſcandalouſly many of them live, but they all concenter in this, they would have the Prelacie downe, they are enemies to Biſhops: You would preſently anſwer, What though they agree in this one thing? yet ſuch as are for the Presbyterie, they are as much againſt the errours and diſorders of thoſe who joine with them in this one thing, as your ſelves are.
We read Ier. 29. 26. Shemajah ſent Letters to Zephaniah againſt Ieremiah; marke the Argument he uſeth why Ieremiah ſhould be dealt ſeverely withall. The Lord, ſayes he to Zephaniah, hath made thee Prieſt inſtead of Iehojadah. Why, what then? where lyes the force of his Argument, that Ieremiah muſt therefore be puniſhed? It lay here, Iehojadah had puniſhed one Matthan an Idolatrous Prieſt; therefore, ſayes Shemajah, you muſt doe as Iehojadah did; as if he ſhould ſay, they are both in one way,Jer. 1. 1. This Ieremiah was a Prieſt, and ſo was Matthan; ſuch kinde of men muſt be looked to, they are all alike. Matthan was odious to the people, they all ſaid he was not to be ſuffered, and they being in ſome things alike, therefore all the evill which was found in Matthan, all the odium that was upon him, muſt be caſt upon Jeremiah. Certainly this is a very ſinfull, unjuſt, uncharitable practice of men, (eſpecially ſuch as profeſſe godlineſſe) againſt their brethren: it widens, heightens, and lengthens our diviſions very much.
The eighth dividing practice is an innordinate cleaving to ſome, ſo as denying due reſpect to others.
THis was the practice amongſt the Corinthians, which cauſed great diviſions amongſt them; ſome were of Paul, ſome of Apollos, ſome of Cephas. No queſtion a man may in his heart more reverence, and prize, and outwardly ſhew more reſpect to thoſe whom God makes the greateſt inſtruments of good ( …ateris paribus) then to others. David ſhewed more reſpect to Nathan than to God; Nathan was by farre more intimate with him: The intimacy was ſuch between them, that Nathan thought it a very ſtrange thing that David ſhould doe any thing about the diſpoſing of his Crowne, and not make him acquainted with it. So Valentinean the Emperour upon this ground honoured Ambroſe above any of the Biſhops in his time.Ethnici Philoſophi hoc ambierunt, ut diſcipulos quos habuerunt ſuo cognomine à reliquis distinguerent, ut aliqui Platonici, aliqui Pythagorici, alii Epicurci vocarentur. Such men as God is not pleaſed to make ſo inſtrumentall for good as others, ſhould not envy this; let them be willing that thoſe ſhould be honoured whom God honours: but yet people ſhould take heed that they give not ſo much honour to one, that they deny due reſpect to others; and Miniſters and others in publike place ſhould not entertaine, much leſſe ſeeke for, or rejoyce in any honour or reſpect given to them, which they ſee detracts from that eſteeme and countenance that is due to others.
Peter Martyr upon that place, 1 Cor. 3. 4, 5. obſerves, that Heathen Philoſophers were ambitious that their Diſciples ſhould receive denomination from them:Chriſtiani eſſe deſierunt, qui Chriſti nomine omiſso, humana & externa vocabula indu… runt. Lactant. lib. 4. c▪ 30. hence ſome were called Platonici, others Pythagorici, others Epicures, but this ſhould be abominated amongſt Chriſtians▪ Lanctantius hath a notable ſpeech againſt this, Thoſe (ſayes he) ceaſe to be Chriſtians▪ who take upon them the names of men, and are not called by the name of Chriſt.
Peter Martyr upon the fore-named place,Attamen Socrates viſus eſt modeſtior caeleris, quod ſe non faceret authorem doctrinae quam docebat ut qui diceret ſe fimilem obſtetricis quae parientibus opem ferret ita is exiſtimavit ſuis interrogationibus, juvenibus adeſſe ut ſcientias quas babu iſſent in animo, in lucem exire faceret. ſayes of Secrates, that he was more modeſt then the reſt, he refuſed to be accounted the author of that learning he taught others, but ſaid of himſelfe, that he was a but a Mid-wife to be helpfull to the bringing forth of that, which was in the mindes of men before.
The weakneſſe and folly of people in their inordinate giving or denying reſpects, is often cauſed, but more ordinarily fomented and encreaſed by the pride and vanity of teachers, in ſeeking for, or at leaſt in a pleaſing embracing ſuch inordinate reſpects given to them, whereby others ſuffer much; ſiding of parties is made, and more hurt comes to the publike, then their honours are worth a thouſand times over: This evill many times comes of it, that reaſon and truth from one man is little regarded, and error and weakneſſe from another man is greedily embraced, and ſtifly maintained; whereas it ſhould be with Reaſon and Truth, as it is with money, one mans money in a market is as good as anothers, ſo ſhould one mans reaſon and truth ſpoken by him be as good as anothers.
The ninth dividing practice. Becauſe men cannot joyne in all things with others, they will joyne in nothing.
SOme men are of ſuch dividing diſpoſitions, that if they be offended with a man in any one thing, in hearing, or otherwiſe, they will goe away in a tetchy moode, reſolving never to heare him more. You think you have liberty in any froward mood to caſt off that meanes of good which God offers to you, to refuſe to partake of ſuch mens gifts and graces as you pleaſe; It may be your ſtomack is ſo high and great on a ſudden, or your ſpirit is falne into ſuch a ſullen humour, as you will not ſo much as go or ſend to him, to ſee if upon a ſerious and quiet examination of things, you may not have ſatisfaction in what for the preſent offends you. No, mens ſpirits are carryed on with preſent raſh heady reſolutions. I believe there was never ſuch a kinde of ſpirit prevailing amongſt ſuch as profeſſe godlineſſe, ſince Chriſtian Religion was in the world; never did ſo many withdraw from hearing even thoſe by whom they acknowledge God hath ſpoken to their hearts and that before they have gone to them, to impart what it is that ſcruples them, to try whether they may not get ſome ſatisfaction. Certainly if you have no neede of the Word, the Word hath no neede of you. You may eaſily expreſs your diſcontents one to another; you may eaſily ſay you are reſolved you will never heare ſuch an one any more, but you cannot ſo eaſily anſwer this to Jeſus Chriſt. When your weakneſſes, the prevailing of your diſtempers ſhall grate upon your conſciences, this will be a great aggravation of the evil of them, You neglected in a humorous way, and ſelfe-willed reſolution, thoſe means that might have done your ſoule good, even ſuch as many hundred, if not thouſands of ſoules bleſſe God for all the dayes of their lives, yea are now bleſſing God in heaven for. Heretofore you would have been glad of that, which now you ſleight and reject; this is not from more light or ſtrength that you have now which you had not then, but from more vanity, pride, and wantonneſſe.
Others deny hearing, not from ſuch a diſtempered ſpirit, but out of tenderneſſe, becauſe they think the Miniſter is no true Miniſter of Chriſt, becauſe he had no true call, becauſe he was ordained by the Prelats, &c. I confeſſe though for mine own part I never yet doubted of the lawfulneſſe of the call of many of the Miniſters of the pariſhionall congregations in England, though they had ſomething ſuperadded which was ſinfull, yet it did not nullifie what call they had by the Church, that communion of Saints, amongſt whom they exerciſed their Miniſtery, yet I doe not thinke it the ſhorteſt way to convince thoſe which refuſe to heare, to ſtand to prove to them the lawfulneſſe of the call of thoſe Miniſters whom they refuſe to heare, but rather to make it out to them, that though their call be not right to the Miniſtery, yet they have not ſufficient ground of withdrawing from hearing them. For they hold it is lawfull for a man to preach the Word as a gifted man, and that theſe men from whom they withdraw are gifted and faithfull, and preach excellent truths they deny not.
But they will ſay, If they did this as gifted men, it were another matter, but they preach by vertue of their call.
The anſwer to that is, if they be acted by that principle, and therein miſtake, this is their perſonall ſinne, not the ſin of thoſe who joyne with them in a good thing, which they doe upon an ill ground. When I joyne with a man in an action, I am to look to the action, and to the principle that I goe upon, but let him with whom I joyne look to the principle that he goes upon.
Your hearing a man doth no way juſtifie his call to the office of the Miniſtery.
If a man doth a thing that he may doe by vertue of two relations or either of them, it may be he thinks he ſtands in one of thoſe relations which indeed he doth not, yet he doth the action by vertue of it in his owne thoughts, in this he ſinnes; but there is another relation wherein he ſtands, that is enough to warrant the action that he doth to be lawfull. Now though he doth not intend the acting by this relation, the action may be ſinne to him, but not at all ſinne to thoſe who joyne with him in it. If he will goe upon a falſe ground, when he may goe upon a true, let him looke to it. I will joyne with him in that action as warranted for him to doe by vertue of his ſecond relation, which it may be he will not owne himſelfe.
Take an inſtance in ſome other thing, and the caſe perhaps will be more cleare.
Giving almes is a worke that a man may doe either by vertue of Church office, as a Deacon, or as a Chriſtian whom God hath bleſſed in his eſtate, or betruſted with the diſtribution of what others betruſt him with. Now ſuppoſe a man is in the place of a Deacon, he thinks himſelf to be in that office by a right call into it, and he gives out the almes of his Church by vertue of his call; but I am perſwaded his call to that office is not right, he is not a true Deacon; yet if I be in want, I knowing that both he & thoſe who have given him money to diſpoſe, may and ought to diſtribute to thoſe that are in need, by vertue of another relation, as men, as Chriſtians, enabled by God, ſurely then I may receive almes from him lawfully, though his principle by which he gives them me is ſinne to him. I may communicate with him in this thing, though he acts by vertue of that office that he had no true call unto; why may I not as well communicate with a man in his gifts, though he acts thus ſinfully himſelfe?
This conſideration will anſwer all thoſe objections …gainſt hearing men, that they ſay are not baptized; grant they are not, and ſo you thinke they cannot be Miniſters; yet they are men gifted by God, and thereby enabled to diſpence many truths of God to your ſoule.
The tenth dividing Practice, Faſtning upon thoſe who are in any errour, all thoſe falſe things and dangerous conſequences, that by ſtrength of reaſon and ſubtilty may be drawne from that errour.
THis imbitters the ſpirits of men one againſt another, it is true, grant one falſe thing, and a thouſand may follow, but I muſt not judge of a man that holds that one falſe opinion, as if he had the malignity of thoſe thouſand evill things in his ſpirit. I finde our Divines who have been of peaceable ſpirits have condemned very much this faſtening of dangerous conſequences of mens opinions, upon thoſe who hold the opinions, and yet whoſe hearts are as much againſt ſuch conſequences, as poſſibly may be deduced from them, as any: In their giving rules for peace, they adviſe to take heed of this, as a thing which makes Brethren, who are different in their opinions unlikely ever to become one.Abhorret à charitate, im… à recta ratione, ut quis propter conſequentias, rec intellectas, nec à ſe co…eſas putetur fundamentale… articulum negaſſe aut regeciſſe quem ſ… mit… credit, explicite … ejuſdem vel ſanguine ſuo obſigna…et: verio… & … eſt non quid ex quov…s ſequata… … Daven. fentintia de pace in…er … pag 6…. Davenant ſayes, It is abhorrent to charity and right reaſon, that any becauſe of conſequences from what he holds, neither underſtood nor granted by him, ſhould be thought to deny or reject a fundamentall Article, which he firmly beleeves, expreſly aſſerts, and if he were called to it, whould ſeale the truth of it with his bloud: Truer, and more gentle, ſayes he, is the judgment of that great and peace-making Divine, Bucer, who ſayes, It is our part not to look at what may follow from an opinion, but at what followes in the conſciences of thoſe who hold it.
The eleventh dividing Practice, To commend and countenance what we care not for, in oppoſition to what we diſlike.
WHen ſuch as profeſſe godlineſſe ſhall make much of wicked men, ſhall commend them, joyne with them, embrace them; yea, be well pleaſed with the bitterneſſe, boiſterouſneſſe, boldneſſe of their daring ſpirits, becauſe there may be uſe made of them againſt thoſe men and wayes they differ from, this is an evill which brings guilt upon themſelves, and makes the diviſion between them and their Brethren very great: If your hearts be right, and your cauſe be good, you need not make uſe of any thing that is evill, to comfort your hearts, or to maintaine your cauſe: The Lord will not be beholding to the evill, the bitterneſſe of mens ſpirits, for the furtherance of his cauſe; and why ſhould you? God will not take the wicked by the hand, neither ſhouldeſt thou: Are not your ſpirits ſtrengthned againſt your adverſaries, when you ſee them calling in Papiſts, and all manner of the refuſe of men wicked and treacherous: Can you thinke that theſe are the moſt likely to maintaine the Proteſtant Religion, and the liberty of the Subject? Why doe you ſeek to ſtrengthen your ſelves by ſtirring up vile men to joyne with you, ſuch as heretofore your hearts were oppoſite to? How comes it to paſſe, you can cloſe ſo lovingly now? You can ſmile one upon another, and ſhake hands together: How comes it to paſſe, you doe rejoyce the hearts of evill men; they encourage you, and you encourage them? Thoſe unſavoury bitter expreſſions that come from them, you can ſmile at, and be well pleaſed with, becauſe they are againſt ſuch as differ from you; blow up that ſparkle of ingenuity that heretofore hath been in you; lay your hands upon your hearts, bethinke your ſelves, is it the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt, that acts us in ſuch a way wherein we are? Surely, this is not the way of peace, but of diviſion and confuſion.
The laſt dividing Practice, The Practice of Revenge.
WHen any provoke you, you ſay you will be even with him, there is a way whereby you may be, not even with him, but above him; that is, forgive him.
Practiſing revenge is the way to continue diviſions to the end of the world; ſuch offend me, therefore I will offend them; and therefore they offend me againe, mee againe, and I them, and ſo it may run in infinitum; they deny mee a kindneſſe, therefore I will deny them, and therefore they will deny mee; ſo theſe unkindneſſes run on endleſly; diviſions will have a line of ſucceſſion, where will it, where can it ſtop, if this be the way of men?
Paulus Fagius in his Notes upon Leviticus, cap. 19. v. 18. ſayes,Hae… eſt ultio, cum Reuben dicit ad Simeonem, Da mihi accomodatam ſecurim tuam, reſpondet, Non accommodabo, in posterum Sime…n dicit, Da accommodatam ſecurim tuam, & respondet Reuben, Nequaquam; ſiquidem tu mihi non accomodaſti. If Reuben ſhould ſay to Simeon, Lend me thy Axe, and he ſhould anſwer, I will not; the next day Simeon hath need of an Axe, and he comes to Reuben, and ſayes, I pray lend me your Axe, and Reuben anſwers, No, you would not lend me yours yeſterday; the Jewes accounted this to be Revenge: There is much more malignity in our revengefull practices one upon another then this.
Baſil invelghing againſt requiting evill for evill,foreign. Baſil. Hom. 10. De ira. in his tenth Sermon, ſpeakes thus to a revengefull heart; Doe not make your Adverſary your Maſter, doe not imitate him whom you hate; be not you his looking-glaſſe, to preſent his forme and faſhion in your ſelfe.
Revenge God challengeth to himſelfe as his, preſume not to encroach upon Gods proprietie, to get up into Gods ſeate, and doe his worke, thou haſt enough to doe of thine owne. And it is very obſervable, how God ſtands upon his challenge of revenge as his owne; as that which he by no meanes will ſuffer others to meddle with: in thoſe Scriptures where this is mentioned, the challenge is doubled, yea, ſometimes treble…, as Pſal. 94. 1. O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth, O God to whom vengeance belongeth: So Nahum. 1. 2. The Lord revengeth, the Lord revengeth, the Lord will take vengeance on his Adverſaries, Heb. 10. 30. Vengeance belongeth to me, I will recompence ſaith the Lord; and againe, the Lord will judge his people: You muſt not think revenge to be ſo light a matter.
How unbeſeeming are revengefull practices to Chriſtian profeſſion!Plut…ch. vitae Ph…cion. Many of the Heathens were above ſuch things. Plutarch reports of Phocion, That when he had done notable ſervice for the Athenians, yet was put to death by them; but being asked a little before his death whether he had any thing to ſay to his ſonne; Yes, ſayes he, that I have, I require of thee my ſonne, that thou never wiſheſt ill to the Athenians for this they doe to me.
How farre are moſt of us from this? we can hardly paſſe by an ill looke without revenge; but if we conceive our ſelves to be wronged in words or actions, then revenge riſes high, ſuch things muſt not be born.
A Gentleman of very good credit, who lived at Court many yeeres, told me that himſelfe once heard a great man in this Kingdome ſay, He never forgave man in his life: and I am moved the rather to beleeve it to be ſo, becauſe I have been told by ſome other Gentlemen, that the ſame man would when he was walking alone, ſpeake to himſelfe, and clap his hand upon his breaſt, and ſweare by the Name of God, that he would be revenged, hee would be revenged; and that ſhe who lay in his boſome, was wont to ſit alone, and ſing to her ſelfe, Revenge, Revenge, O how ſweet is Revenge,! If they get power into their owne hands, and are ſo uxorious, as they muſt needs give way to have things managed according to the will of their revengefull wives: what peace, what ſecurity is there like to be?Rawleigh Hiſt. l. 5. c. 4. ſect. 10. Sir Walter Rawleigh in his Hiſtory of the World, tells of the ſad caſe of the Lacedemonians, when Nabis having power in his hands, having a wife, Apega, a woman full of cruelty and revenge, her husband delighting in her, cauſed her Image to be made, lively repreſenting her, and apparelled with coſtly garments; but indeed, it was an Engin to torment men withall; he made uſe of it thus, when he could not have his will upon men by his owne perſwaſions, he tooke them by the hand, telling them, that perhaps his wife Apega, who ſate by in a chaire could perſwade more effectually, ſo he led them to the Image, that roſe up and opened the armes, as it were for embracement▪ thoſe armes were full of ſharpe iron nayles, the like whereof were alſo ſticking in the breſts, though hidden with her clothes, and herewith ſhe griped theſe men to death: At which Nabis ſtanding by, laughed to ſee the cruell death of theſe miſerable men. The Lord deliver us from revengefull ſpirits.