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

Envy is a squint-eyed fool, Job 5. 2. Envy stayeth the silly one. Jam. 3. 14. If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts. Envy is a bitter thing, and causes strife, and makes that bitter too: So vers. 16. Where envying and strife is. Gal. 5. 20. Hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings. 1 Cor. 3. 3. There is among you envying, strife, divisions. Envy made divisions between Angels and men; it was the fist sin, not the first born of the Devil, but that which turned Angels into Devils. The first heart-division amongst men was between Gain & Abel, and what caused it but envy? Who can stand before envy? she is subtle, undermining, dares not appear at the first: but if she cannot be satisfied with her under-works, then she flings, •ends, frets, and fights, uses violence, seeks to raise a contrary faction, falls on any thing in the world so be it mischief may be done, let become of Gods glory, of service to the public, of saving souls, rather then that ⟨p. 124⟩steem, respect and honour that otherwise might be had, should not be obtained; all must come under, all must be serviceable to this base lust, rather then the glory of an envious man must be eclipsed, God himself and his blessed Truth must be darkened: O hideous wickedness and high impudence against the God of Heaven! Envy divides in Counsels, in instruments, actions, in all proceedings; she will make use of good to oppose that which is good; if she cannot raise evil men to oppose good, she will seek to get good men to oppose; she would make God contrary to himself, she would strike at God with his own sword. Phil. 1. 15. Some preach Christ out of envy. As Envy makes use of good for evil, so God makes use of this evil for good: Many seek to excel in preaching, or otherwise, by this means; and says S. Paul, Howsoever I do rejoice, and will rejoice. If Envy cannot reach others by imitation, she will reach them by calumniation. Zoilus the common slanderer, being asked why he spake evil of such and such men? Because, says he, I can do no evil to them. If there be any good done, that she seeks to blast, together with the instruments of it; if any evil, that she rakes into, and feeds upon, like that Bird Ibis in Africa, that eats Serpents. Luther says, envious men feed upon the dung of other men; they are like flies, that love to be upon sores.