Irenicum to the Lover of Truth and Peace, Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
The ninth dividing Diſtemper,The ninth diſtemper. A ſpirit of jealouſie. The tenth, A ſpirit of contention. The eleventh, Covetouſneſſe. The twelfth, Falſeneſſe.
ENvy, ſtrife, railings, evill ſurmiſings, 1 Tim. 6. 4. Strife and evill ſurmiſings are neer of kin. If contentious men can get nothing againſt their brethren, they will ſurmiſe there is ſomething; if they can find nothing in their actions to judge, they will judg their hearts; if there be nothing above-board, they wil think there may be ſomething under-board;Juſtius eſt occulta de manifeſtis praejudicare, quam manifeſta de occultis praedamnaie. Tert. Apol. c. 3. & from thinking there may be ſomething, they will think it is very likely there is ſomething; and from likely there is, they will conclude there is, Surely there is ſome plot working. But this is againſt the law of Love, for it thinketh no evill; all the good that they ſee in their Brethren, is blaſted by their ſuſpition of evil. Love would teach us rather by what appears to judg the beſt of what appears not,Quandoquidem ex ſcholaſticis aulicus futurus es praecepto mihi inſtruendus es ad omnem vitam utili, Hubnerus audire geſtit, Fidem Diabolorum tibi commendo (inquit) hoc tibi monitum ſemper in promptu ſitum eſto promiſſionibus aulicis credere quidem ſed timide. Melch. Adam. in vita Bucholceri. then by what appeares not to judg the worſt of what appears. Suſpition is like ſome jelly ſtuffe that is got between the joynts; if the bone be out of joynt, and any jelly be got in, though it be but a little ſoft ſtuffe, it will hinder the ſetting of the bone. I confeſs in theſe times, becauſe we have been ſo extreamly deceived in thoſe who have been uſed in publike place, in whom we ſo much confided, there is a great deal of reaſon that we ſhould be very wary of men, and believe (till we have very good grounds of confidence) with trembling. I remember Melchior Adam in the life of Bucholcerus, tels of a witty counſel of his to his friend Hubnerus, who being to goe to the Court to teach the Prince Electors children, at their parting, I will give you, ſays he, one profitable rule for your whole life, he liſſening what it ſhould be: I commend (ſaith he) to you the faith of the Devills: At which Hubnerus wondring, Take heed (ſayes he) how you truſt any at the Court, beleeve their promiſes but warily, but with feare; you may feare they will never come to any thing. But in the mean time while we are thus fearful of one another, while we cannot truſt one another, we cannot joyn one with another. I have read of Cambyſes, he did but dream his brother ſhould be King of Perſia, and he put him to death. Many amongſt us do but dream of men,Si morbo aliquo laboraret, liberaretur, maſculum parreret; ſi difficulter ante pariebat, facilem aſſequeretur partum, P. Fagius in Numb. c. 5. with whom our hearts are not, that they have ſome plots working, and how do our ſpirits work againſt them? Groundleſſe jealouſies ariſe from much baſeneſs in our owne hearts. Thoſe who have no principle of faithfulneſſe in themſelves, are ſuſpitious of every one; but as for thoſe who ſuffer cauſeleſly, in this thing let them be of good comfort, God will reward them good for what evill they ſuffer. Wee read Numb. 5. 28. that if a man were jealous of his wife, ſo that he brought her to the tryall by drinking the water of jealouſie; if ſhe were clear, ſhe ſhould not onelyonly be freed from hurt by that water, but ſhe ſhould conceive ſeed, if ſhe went barren before, the Lord would recompence her ſorrow and trouble ſhee ſuffered by her husbands ſuſpition of her. And Paulus Fagius upon the place, ſays, the Jewes had a tradition, not only that ſhe ſhould conceive, but it ſhould be a man-child; if ſhee had any diſeaſe, ſhe ſhould be freed; and if ſhe brought forth before with difficulty, ſhe ſhould bring forth now with eaſe. Let not men therefore who are of publike uſe, having their conſciences clear, yet becauſe they are under ſuſpition, throw off all in an anger: Such a temptation many lye under, but let them know, this temptation cannot prevail but upon the diſtemper of their hearts, the exceeding ſinfull frowardneſſe of their ſpirits; they ſhould truſt God with their names, their eſteem, their honour, and go on in their work. The only way to deliver themſelves from ſuſpition, is their conſtant induſtry and faithfulneſſe in all opportunities of ſervice God puts into their hands, and with the more quietneſſe of ſpirit, with the leſſe noyſe they go on, the ſooner will the ſuſpitions they were under, waſh off and vaniſh to nothing, God will make their names break forth as the light; thoſe weeds having no ground to take root, will wither and dye away.
The tenth dividing Diſtemper,The tenth diſtemper. A ſpirit of contention.
AS in ſome there is a ſtrong inclination, a vehement impetus to whoredom, which the Prophet cals a ſpirit of whoredome, ſo there is in others a vehement ſtrong diſpoſition of heart to contention; theſe have a ſpirit of contention; theſe are like Salamanders, who love, and live in the fire. They thirſt after the waters of Maſſah and Meribah, their temper is ſuch, as if they drank no other drink then wht was brewed of thoſe waters; Contentions and ſtrifes, that are as tedious to other men as death, are their delight, they are moſt in their element when they are over head and ears in them. A contentious ſpirit will always find matter for contention. Prov. 26. 21. As coals to burning coals, and wood to fire, ſo is a contentious man is kindle ſtrife: they are ready to put their hands to any ſtrife they meet with: yet Prov. 26. 17. Hee that medleth with ſtrife belonging not to him, is like one that holdeth a dog by the cares. Many men have no mettal in any thing but contentions; like many jades who are dull in travell, they have mettal only to kick and to play jadiſh tricks.
If thou haſt any ſpirit, any zeal and courage, it is pitty it ſhould be laid out in quarrels; reſerve it for the cauſe of God, to ſtrengthen thee in contending for the truth & the publike.
The eleventh Diſtemper,The 11. diſtemper. Covetouſneſſe.
THis is the root of all evill, then of this; there is no greater plague to friendſhip,Peſtem majorem eſſe nullam in amicitiis, quam pecunia cupiditatem. then deſire of money, ſayes Laelius apud Cicer. A covetous man is witty to foreſee wayes of gaine, and he is ſtiffe in holding faſt what may be for his advantage. Yet know what a ſtir Demetrius and his fellows made in Epheſus when their profit was endangered, they had rather ſet all in a tumult then let their gain go. 1 Tim. 4. 5. Envy, ſtrife, railings, &c. perverſe diſputings of men of corrupt minds, deſtitute of the truth, ſuppoſing that gaine is godlineſſe.. How will ſome object againſt men, & withdraw from them, deprive themſelves of the benefits of the gifts of God in them, of much good they have heretofore acknowledged they have got by them, & all merely to ſave their purſes, & that in a poor pedling way? What a ſtir hath this Meum and Tuum made in the world? The ſweetneſſe of gaine amongſt men is like honey caſt amongſt Beares, they will fight, rend and tear out one anothers throat for it. They that will be eich, fall into temptations and a ſnare, and into many and hurtfull luſts. Cur hominios non obſtruitis auro argentove? Hem Germana illa beſtia pecuniam non curat. Melch Adam. vita Lutheri.1 Tim. 6. 9, 10. They pierce themſelves and others too with many ſorrowes.
VVhen diviſions aroſe in Germany, upon Luthers Doctrine, men of baſe covetous ſpirits, judging Luther by themſelves, thought that Luther made all this ſtir to get gaine; Why therefore, ſayes one, do you not ſtop the mans mouth with gold or ſilver? Another anſwers, Oh, this German Beaſt cares not for money.
The twelfth dividing diſtemper,The 12. diſtemper. Falſeneſſe.
NOthing more firmly unites and holds together the Common-wealth then fidelity,Nulla res vehementius rempublicam continet, quam fides, Cicero. ſayes Cicero. Truth is a girdle. Stand therefore, having your loynes girt with truth, Epheſ. 6. 14. Truth binds, and Falſeneſs looſen…. The Apoſtle, Eph. 4. 25. exhorts to put away lying, and every man to ſpeak trueth to his neighbour, upon this ground, becauſe we are members one of another. The Romans eſteemed ſo much of truth for uniting men into ſocieties, that they built a Temple to it, as to a Goddeſſe; in which Temple all Leagues, Covenants, Truces, and important bargains were made, which were ſo religiouſly obſerved, that whoſoever broke them, was held for a curſed, damned creature, unfit for humane ſociety. Rom. 1. 29. Full of envy, murther, debate, deceit, malignity. A man were better be true to falſe principles, then be falſe to true ones. Thoſe who are falſe, are alſo miſchievous: they care not what miſchief they do to any, ſo they may but uphold themſelves, and repair that credite which formerly they had, but now through their baſe falſeneſſe is crackt; and if they have wronged any by their falſneſſe, they ſeek to keep ſuch downe, if not to ruine them, fearing leſt their falſeneſſe ſhould hereafter be revenged: and if they cannot get them down by force, they will ſeek to do it by adding yet more falſeneſſe, by flattering them whom their hearts hate, and would gladly ruine. That Scripture, Prov. 26. 28. is very remarkable for this, A lying tongue hateth thoſe that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruine. Pſal. 72. 14. He ſhall deliver their ſoule from deceit and violence. If men who are falſe cannot compaſſe their ends by deceit, they will ſeeke to doe it by violence: God hath his time to deliver his Saints from both. Come Lord Jeſus, come quickly.