A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ...…

3. And might you not on this ground also account Christ himself the troubler of the world, as much, and a thousand times more then us? For be doth more to disturb men in their sins then any of we: and be doth more for Holiness then all the world besides. And in this sense he confesseth and fore-tells us, that, he came not to send Peace, but division into the world, into Towns, and Countries, and Families, Luke 12. 51, 52, 53. If we can have no Peace with you, unless we will disobey our Lord, and serve the Devil and the flesh, and damn our own souls, and suffer you to do the like, then keep your Peace among your selves; we will none of that Peace: we have no mind to buy your friendship and good words at such a rate! If your peace will stand with our peace with God, and peace of Conscience, we will gladly accept of it: If it will not, we can be without it. Your souls are like sores that may not be searched, or a broken bone that must not be set, for fear of hurting you: You are like men that must have that which would kill them; or like children that will cry if they be but taken out of their dung, or kept from fire, or from knives. If we do but cross you in the way to Hell, we trouble you, and we break the peace? Yea, and if we will not cast away our souls everlastingly for company? And is this the case? Is this the breaking of your Peace? The Lord will shortly be a Righteous Judge between you and us, and tell you, who it was that was the Troubler of the Towns and Countries, and of the world.

You find Ahab and Elijah at this contest. Ahab takes him for the Troubler of Israel when a heavy famine was among them: Elijah saith, No; but it was Ahab and his Fathers house that had troubled Israel• by their wickedness, 1 Kings 18. 17, 18. And which think you was in the right, the Prophet or the King?