A Peacemaker Without Partiality and Hypocrisy, Discourse · Chapter 11 – Chapter 12
CHAP. XI. Concerning the cauſes of diſaffection and of breaches, how they ſhould bee removed by common conſent.
THe firſt and originall cauſes of diſaffection and of breaches are for the moſt part not taken notice of, and hardly diſcerned by many, even then when they are diſcovered, becauſe they lie very cloſe to our nature, for they are commonly nothing elſe, but the neglect of charitable inclinations and duties; and the unadviſed admitting of prejudices, and entertaining of evill ſurmiſes, which not being obſerved and cured, feſter in the mind, and firſt breed a ſhineſſe or warineſſe of him, againſt whom they are conceived, then a diſtance from him, afterwards a ſtrangeneſſe to his wayes; and laſtly a breach of unitie with oppoſition. The cauſes of prejudice are very many in all ſorts of men; thoſe which the ungodly and naturall man doth entertaine, againſt a conſcionable and religious walking with God, I need not here to meddle withall (*Viz. R. Junius, in two Treatiſes, the one called The cure of Prejudice, the other, The cure of Miſpriſion. another hath handled that ſubject profitably at large, and ſhewed the cure thereof) but thoſe which godly and religious men, through humane frailtie entertaine one againſt another, are the matter which here is to bee conſidered, to make the way of unitie and forbearance plaine and eaſie, and I ſhall now onelyonly name them, and point at the cure thereof in a word or two; becauſe I doe intend to ſpeak to men of underſtanding onelyonly, to whom God hath committed the charge of ſoules, and my aime towards them is, not to dictate any thing, but onelyonly to diſcover the poſſibility of a cure of this diſeaſe; firſt in themſelves, and then in their hearers, by the removall of the chiefe cauſes of all our prejudices; which I ſhall reduce to two heads, whereof the one is openly, the other is ſecretly offenſive.
That which doth openly offend, and cauſeth prejudices to riſe in the mindes of men, who are otherwiſe godly, and againſt men who are truely godly and their Brethren, is the irregularitie of diſputes and debates about matters of Religion, which is mainly twofold, ſome irregularitie there is, in reſpect of the matter, ſome there is, in reſpect of the manner of diſputing.
In reſpect of the matter prejudices are raiſed, when men ſtrive about needleſſe matters, and contend for words, and this the Apoſtle doth often warne Timothy to avoid, as a thing whereunto the Miniſters were and would bee much ſubject, 1 Tim. 1.4, 5, 6. and chap. 4.7. and chap. 6.4, 5.20. and 2 Tim. 2.14, 15, 16, 17, 23.
In reſpect of the manner of debating matters which are neceſſary and profitable; prejudices are raiſed divers wayes, but that which is the moſt common and hurtfull, is that, of paſſionate and provoking expreſſions againſt a mans perſon and his opinions to make him odious, and his errours thought to bee extreame dangerous in that wherein hee diſſents from us; theſe railing accuſations, and all other injurious and inſolent proceedings, breed averſe affections, and ſtirring up mens ſpirits to ſtrife and contradictions, augment prejudices extreamly, and fill the Churches with diſturbance and confuſion.
That which doth offend more ſecretly and doth beget much prejudice, is the perverſe and uncharitable obſervation of mens failings, when they are conſtrued ſuſpiciouſly to the worſe ſenſe, and then whiſpered in the eares of others, that are leading men, under the pretence of a caution, or warning given unto them, to take heed of this or of that, for the ſtrengthning of their hands in partiall deſignes, and the promoting of particular intereſts. This darke malicious devill, who covers himſelfe oft-times with a cloke of light and a zeale for holineſſe and truth, is exceeding buſie in our dayes, and hurtfull to our affaires, and doth work his miſchiefe, not onelyonly againſt him, who is blaſted in his reputation, to make all the good which his talents may produce unprofitable unto others; but alſo againſt the Authors of ſuch whiſperings themſelves, to make them the ring-leaders of diviſion and of evill intelligence amongſt brethren.
Theſe are in brief the chief cauſes of our prejudices, theſe muſt needs bee removed; elſe the way of a lawfull condeſcenſion and forbearance will never bee plaine and eaſie in the ſettlement, nor laſting in the continuance; it will then bee of abſolute neceſſitie that ſome courſe bee taken to remedy the ſame. Therefore I ſhall for the preſent onelyonly adviſe, that when a brotherly tranſaction of matters, towards a mutuall forbearance ſhall bee intended, then ſome rules ſhould bee thought upon, debated, and by common conſent ſetled, concerning three things.
Firſt, how needleſſe diſputes and multiplicitie of new controverſies, breaking forth in the Preſſe and Pulpit may be prevented.
Secondly, how the injuriouſneſſe of cenſures and of proceeding, which men of partiall diſpoſitions and of high thoughts runne into, may bee rectified; when diſputes are neceſſary: And
Thirdly, how the ſecret miſchief of ſuſpicious whiſperings and talebearing amongſt Brethren may bee prevented, and being diſcovered ſatiſfactorily corrected.
And that ſome rules of righteouſneſſe may bee found in the Word to remedie theſe evills, and may bee raiſed from the nature of Chriſtian charitie, equitie, ingenuitie, pietie, diſcretion, and prudencie: I ſuppoſe none will deny, who doth beleeve that the holy Scriptures with and by the ſpirit of God, which is promiſed to the children of God are able to make the man of God perfect, and throughly furniſhed unto every good word and worke.
Thus I have made out (as briefly and as diſtinctly as this occaſion ſeemeth to require) the truth of the firſt and ſecond aſſertion of this diſcourſe, namely that the Miniſtery of this kingdome is undeniably obliged in conſcience to the mutuall profeſſion of Brotherhood; and that the termes of their unitie and forbearance, are both in themſelves full and ſatisfactory, and may bee ſetled reciprocally amongſt them, in a plaine and eaſie way, if the men that lead others, were but willing to looke to God more then to men, and to conſcience more then to outward intereſts.
CHAP. XII. The third Aſſertion. Concerning the motions which ſhould induce us to make profeſſion of this unitie and forbearance: Why theſe are requiſite, and what they are.
BUt now although theſe things are evidently thus demonſtrable, and by all that which hitherto hath been alledged; it may be manifeſtly apparent, that theſe who are the leaders of the flockes, ſhould not onelyonly ſtand united, and walk by one rule in that whereunto they have attained; but alſo, that their differences may and ought to bee compoſed in love by amiable meetings, by orderly conferences, and by the ſettlement of a neceſſary and lawfull forbearance of each other: although (I ſay) all this is ſo, yet wee ſee to the great diſhonour of God, the lamentable diſadvantage of the truth, and the extreame griefe of many godly ſoules, that this hath not hitherto, either beene done or effectually proſecuted and intended by thoſe that are in the worke of the Miniſtery, or if it hath been intended by ſome, yet not ſo as it ought to have been, that is, upon the grounds which are proper unto their vocation.
What the cauſes of this neglect may bee, wee ſhall not now particularly ſearch into; onelyonly in generall, wee may take notice that all ſuch failings in dutie may proceed from two main cauſes; either that men (otherwiſe knowing and godly, yet) conſider not the neceſſitie of this dutie in reſpect of the evills that follow upon the neglect thereof, or that the excellencie, commendableneſſe and worth thereof is either not known, or if not unknown, yet not laid to heart. Now then in this our preſent ſad condition if any thing can be ſuggeſted which may be a helpe to remove theſe cauſes of our failing in this kind, it may bee hoped, that godly and conſcionable men will bee more carefull of the performance, and more fearefull of the neglect thereof, then hitherto they have been. Therefore it will not bee amiſſe but may bee of very great uſe, to offer ſome motives and inducements to incline them without partialitie to theſe reſolutions, and this wee ſhall intend to doe if God permit.