Irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace heart-divisions opened in the causes and…

Secondly, if men do presently profess and practice what §2they conceive to be right, they must necessarily profess and recant, recant and profess; for in many things, what they apprehend to be true at one time, they suspect, yea see cause to deny at another; and what confusion & disorder would there be in matters of Religion, if continually by some or other there should be profession of things as true and good, and calling the same things presently into question, yea within a while denying and renouncing them? And if not so, then

Secondly, if men doe presently professe and practice what §2they conceive to be right, they must necessarily professe and recant, recant and professe; for in many things, what they apprehend to be true at one time, they suspect, yea see cause to deny at another; and what confusion & disorder would there be in matters of Religion, if continually by some or other there should be profession of things as true and good, and calling the same things presently into question, yea within a while denying and renouncing them? And if not so, then

3. If a man hath once made profession of what he conceives §3to be a truth, differing from others, if it proves to be a misapprehension, there lies a great temptation upon him to stand out in it, to strive to make it out to the utmost; for nothing is more contrary to a mans nature, then to acknowledge himself to be mistaken in his understanding, and to lye down in the shame of rashness and inconsiderateness in his actions; therefore whatsoever mens own thoughts be within, in their own spirits, they had need take heed what they do, when they come to make open profession, and practice what they apprehend, and engage themselves thereby to maintain; there are not many who attain to Augustine's self denial, to publish retractations to all the world. Now if a man through the strength of this temptation, shall still retain what he hath made profession of, and others shall see his weakness, joined with wilfulness; they must oppose him in it, and so contention and division is like to rise higher and higher. In regard therefore of the great usefulness of this point, and the difficulty of the right understanding it, I shall endeavour to speak to it under these three Heads.