The Cause and Cure of Strive, Postscript
POSTSCRIPT.
The Reader may take notice,
1. THat more is printed than was preach'd, eſpecially towards the latter end.
2. Tho' I have ſpoken much of the Cauſes and Diviſions in general, yet I have ſpoken little of the Cauſes of our Strife and Diviſions in particular, that is a Noli me tangere. No near, ſays the Sailer.
3. I expect to be cenſur'd by ſome, for what I have ſaid; 'tis a thankleſs Office to attempt the reconciling of perſons at variance; 'tis to take a Dog by the Ears; 'tis to interpoſe between angry Duellers. foreign, Nazianz. 'Tis to put ones Hand into a Neſt of Hornets.
4. I almoſt deſpair of ſeeing the hurt of the Daughter of my People heal'd, and their Diviſions cur'd, while I live. And when I medled with this Argument, I thought of the Saying of one to Luther, when he firſt ſet about the Work of Reformation, What doſt thou mean? thou wilt but beat the Air. Abi in cellam tuam, & dic miſerere Deus noſtri.
5. There are ſeveral uſeful Diſcourſes extant upon this Subject, in our own Language; from ſome of which, I have borrowed ſome Notions, if not Expreſſions, viz. Mr. Burrows's Irenicum, Mr. Baxter's Cure of Church-Diviſions, Mr. Steele againſt Uncharitable Contentions in the Church of God, Mr. How's Carnality of Religious Contention, and his Attempt to allay Animoſities among Proteſtants, Mr. Flavel's Goſpel-Unity, Mr. Culverwel's Schiſm, Mr. Gurnal's Compleat Armour, from Page 149, to 159. Mr. Vincent's deſign to revive Love, &c.
6. Let none be offended at what is ſaid, Page 12. about God's having a hand in the Diviſions of his People: This is conſiſtent with his Holineſs and hatred of Sin, it doth not make him the Author of it. Vid. Acts 2.23. and 4.27, 28. and Mr. Strong's Treatiſe, ſhewing the Subordination of the Will of Man to the Will of God; from Page 202, to 214.
7. There are ſome Literal Errors of the Preſs, which may eaſily be corrected or overlook'd; e. g. In p. 3. for diſcanted, r. deſcanted, p. 6. for Antinomean, r. Antinomian. p. 8. for heighth, r. heigth: p. 19. for them, r. theſe. p. 21. for others, r. other.
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Mayo, The Cause and Cure of Strive (1695)