Works of Joseph Hall, Section 2
SECT. II. The Commodities and Conditions of Peace.
BEAVTIFVLL is the name of Peace (as Hilary ſpeaketh) and truly ſacred;Hilar. cit. a Cal. de vera pacific. Iudic. 6.23. foreign. 2 Sam 18.29. Iud. 19.29. 1 Chr. 12.18. Luc. 2.14. Ioh. 14.27. foreign 2 Cor. 13.11. foreign Iam. 3.18. Rom. 14 19. 1 Pet. 3.11. and ſuch as ſcarce ſauoureth of the earth; Neither did the Hebrewes by any other terme chooſe rather to expreſſe all happineſſe, and perfection of liuing: Neither is there any thing, which the Angels did more gladly congratulate vntounto men, or which Chriſt did more carefully bequeath, or the Apoſtles more earneſtly enioyne; How oft, and how vehemently doth the Spirit intreat and command vsus to hauehave peace? But this (thou ſayeſt) is eueryevery mans wiſh, to hauehave peace; but, what if peace will not be had? Loe then, Saint Iames charges vsus to make peace, by our endeuours, by our patience. Once made, and had, what if it will not ſtay with vsus? Then Saint Paul bids to follow thoſe things which concerne peace: What if it will needs away, and hide it ſelfe? yet then Saint Peter commands to follow, and inquire after it. What if once found, it refuſe to come, as Abrahams ſeruant preſuppoſed of Rebecca? Euen then ſtudy to be quiet, ſaith Saint Paul; or as the word implies, Be ambitious of Peace:1 Theſ. 4.11. So let the Author of Peace louelove vsus, as we louelove Peace.Socr. l. 1. c. 4. Socr. l. 3. c. 21. Who is there that would not rather wiſh with Conſtantine quiet daies, and nights free from care and vexation? It was a ſpeech worthy of an Emperour, and a Chriſtian, that fell from Iouianus about that querelous libell of the Macedonians, I hate contention; and thoſe that are inclined to concord, I louelove, and reuerence.
Our aduerſaries would make vsus beleeue they profeſſe and deſire no leſſe, with an equall zeale of charitie, and agreement. God bee Iudge betwixt vsus both; and whetherſoeuer perſiſts to hate peace, let him periſh from the face of God, and his holy Angels: Yea (that this imprecation may be needleſſe) he is already periſhed;Cypr. de ſimplic. prae l. Ad Pacis praemium ven…re non poſſunt, qui pacem D…mini diſcordiae furore ruperunt. In Pſal. 28. For (as Cyprian according to his wont, grauely) they cannot come to the reward of Peace, which hauehave broken the Peace of God, with the fury of diſcord. And ſurely what but the flames of hell can determine the ambition of theſe fiery and boyling ſpirits? Baſil obſerues well, that Gods fire gaue light, and burned not; contrarily, the fire of hell burneth, without light; and therefore is well worthy of thoſe, who deſpiſing the light of truth, delight themſelues in the flames of contentions. Thoſe are the true haters of Peace, which doe wilfully patronize errors contrary to the Chriſtian faith. So long as wee muſt dwell by theſe tents of Kedar, wee ſhall too iuſtly complaine with the Pſalmiſt,Pſal. 120. I louelove Peace, but in the meane while they are bent to Warre. And as for vsus, which profeſſe our ſelues the ingenuous clients of Peace, ſince wee muſt needs fight, it is not for vsus to doe nothing; For that bleſſed Quire of Angels, before their Peace vponupon earth,Luc. 2.14. Iam. 3.17. well ſung, Glory to God in the higheſt Heauens; and Saint Iames deſcribes the wiſdome of God, to bee firſt pure, then peaceable: And that choſen veſſell implies no leſſe, when to his charge of Peace, hee addes, If it bee poſſible.foreign. Rom. 12.18. That is as impoſſible to eueryevery good man, which ought not to be done, as that which cannot bee done, neither indeed (as the rule of Lawyers runnes) can we be ſaid to be able to doe that, which we cannot honeſtly doe. God (ſaith S. Paul) is not the Author of confuſion, but of Peace. It is a wicked peace, it is no peace, that neceſſarily breeds confuſion. That Peace is worthy of a defiance, which proclaimes warre with God; And I would to God, that peace which Rome either can performe or dare promiſe, were of any better, of any other nature.
Well then; Let it bee our preſent taske, carefully to diſcuſſe Saint Pauls condition of Poſſibility; and to teach how vaine it is, to hope that a true, holy, and ſafe peace can be either had, or maintained with our preſent Romaniſts; whether we regard the auerſe and ſtubborne diſpoſition of the one ſide, or the nature of the matters controuerted, or laſtly, the impoſſibilitie of thoſe meanes, whereby any reconciliation may bee wrought: Theſe three ſhall be the limits, wherein this our, not vnprofitable, nor yet vnſeaſonable worke, ſhall ſuffer it ſelfe to be bounded.