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

The tenth dividing Distemper,¹ A spirit of contention.

1. 1The tenth distemper.

AS in some there is a strong inclination, a vehement impetus to whoredom, which the Prophet calls a spirit of whoredom, so there is in others a vehement strong disposition of ⟨p. 143⟩heart to contention; these have a spirit of contention; these are like Salamanders, who love, and live in the fire. They thirst after the waters of Massah and Meribah, their temper is such, as if they drank no other drink then wht was brewed of those waters; Contentions and strifes, that are as tedious to other men as death, are their delight, they are most in their element when they are over head and ears in them. A contentious spirit will always find matter for contention. Prov. 26. 21. As coals to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man is kindle strife: they are ready to put their hands to any strife they meet with: yet Prov. 26. 17. He that meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that holdeth a dog by the cares. Many men have no metal in any thing but contentions; like many jades who are dull in travel, they have metal only to kick and to play jadish tricks.

AS in some there is a strong inclination, a vehement impetus to whoredom, which the Prophet cals a spirit of whoredome, so there is in others a vehement strong disposition of ⟨p. 143⟩heart to contention; these have a spirit of contention; these are like Salamanders, who love, and live in the fire. They thirst after the waters of Massah and Meribah, their temper is such, as if they drank no other drink then wht was brewed of those waters; Contentions and strifes, that are as tedious to other men as death, are their delight, they are most in their element when they are over head and ears in them. A contentious spirit will always find matter for contention. Prov. 26. 21. As coals to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man is kindle strife: they are ready to put their hands to any strife they meet with: yet Prov. 26. 17. Hee that medleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that holdeth a dog by the cares. Many men have no mettal in any thing but contentions; like many jades who are dull in travell, they have mettal only to kick and to play jadish tricks.

If thou hast any spirit, any zeal and courage, it is pity it should be laid out in quarrels; reserve it for the cause of God, to strengthen thee in contending for the truth & the public.

If thou hast any spirit, any zeal and courage, it is pitty it should be laid out in quarrels; reserve it for the cause of God, to strengthen thee in contending for the truth & the publike.

The eleventh Distemper,¹ Covetousness.

The eleventh Distemper,¹ Covetousnesse.

1. 1The 11. distemper.

This is the root of all evil, then of this; there is no greater plague to friendship,¹ then desire of money, sayes Laelius apud Cicer. A covetous man is witty to foresee ways of gain, and he is stiff in holding fast what may be for his advantage. Yet know what a stir Demetrius and his fellows made in Ephesus when their profit was endangered, they had rather set all in a tumult then let their gain go. 1 Tim. 4. 5. Envy, strife, railings, &c. perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness.. How will some object against men, & withdraw from them, deprive themselves of the benefits of the gifts of God in them, of much good they have heretofore acknowledged they have got by them, & all merely to save their purses, & that in a poor peddling way? What a stir hath this Meum and Tuum made in the world? The sweetness of gain amongst men is like honey cast amongst Bears, they will fight, rend and tear out one another's throat for it. They that will be eich, fall into temptations and a snare, ⟨p. 144⟩and into many and hurtful lusts. ²1 Tim. 6. 9, 10. They pierce themselves and others too with many sorrows.

THis is the root of all evill, then of this; there is no greater plague to friendship,¹ then desire of money, sayes Laelius apud Cicer. A covetous man is witty to foresee wayes of gaine, and he is stiffe in holding fast what may be for his advantage. Yet know what a stir Demetrius and his fellows made in Ephesus when their profit was endangered, they had rather set all in a tumult then let their gain go. 1 Tim. 4. 5. Envy, strife, railings, &c. perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, destitute of the truth, supposing that gaine is godlinesse.. How will some object against men, & withdraw from them, deprive themselves of the benefits of the gifts of God in them, of much good they have heretofore acknowledged they have got by them, & all merely to save their purses, & that in a poor pedling way? What a stir hath this Meum and Tuum made in the world? The sweetnesse of gaine amongst men is like honey cast amongst Beares, they will fight, rend and tear out one anothers throat for it. They that will be eich, fall into temptations and a snare, ⟨p. 144⟩and into many and hurtfull lusts. ²1 Tim. 6. 9, 10. They pierce themselves and others too with many sorrowes.

1. 1Pestem majorem esse nullam in amicitiis, quam pecunia cupiditatem.
2. 2Cur hominios non obstruitis auro argentove? Hem Germana illa bestia pecuniam non curat. Melch Adam. vita Lutheri.

When divisions arose in Germany, upon Luther's Doctrine, men of base covetous spirits, judging Luther by themselves, thought that Luther made all this stir to get gain; Why therefore, says one, do you not stop the mans mouth with gold or silver? Another answers, Oh, this German Beast cares not for money.

VVhen divisions arose in Germany, upon Luthers Doctrine, men of base covetous spirits, judging Luther by themselves, thought that Luther made all this stir to get gaine; Why therefore, sayes one, do you not stop the mans mouth with gold or silver? Another answers, Oh, this German Beast cares not for money.

The twelfth dividing distemper,¹ Falseness.

The twelfth dividing distemper,¹ Falsenesse.

1. 1The 12. distemper.

Nothing more firmly unites and holds together the Common-wealth then fidelity,¹ says Cicero. Truth is a girdle. Stand therefore, having your loins girt with truth, Ephes. 6. 14. Truth binds, and Falseness loosen•. The Apostle, Eph. 4. 25. exhorts to put away lying, and every man to speak trueth to his neighbour, upon this ground, because we are members one of another. The Romans esteemed so much of truth for uniting men into societies, that they built a Temple to it, as to a Goddess; in which Temple all Leagues, Covenants, Truces, and important bargains were made, which were so religiously observed, that whosoever broke them, was held for a cursed, damned creature, unfit for humane society. Rom. 1. 29. Full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity. A man were better be true to false principles, then be false to true ones. Those who are false, are also mischievous: they care not what mischief they do to any, so they may but uphold themselves, and repair that credit which formerly they had, but now through their base falseness is cracked; and if they have wronged any by their falseness, they seek to keep such down, if not to ruin them, fearing lest their falseness should hereafter be revenged: and if they cannot get them down by force, they will seek to do it by adding yet more falseness, by flattering them whom their hearts hate, and would gladly ruin. That Scripture, Prov. 26. 28. is very remarkable for this, A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin. Psal. 72. 14. He shall deliver their soul from deceit and violence. If men who are false cannot compass their ⟨p. 145⟩ends by deceit, they will seek to do it by violence: God hath his time to deliver his Saints from both. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.

NOthing more firmly unites and holds together the Common-wealth then fidelity,¹ sayes Cicero. Truth is a girdle. Stand therefore, having your loynes girt with truth, Ephes. 6. 14. Truth binds, and Falseness loosen•. The Apostle, Eph. 4. 25. exhorts to put away lying, and every man to speak trueth to his neighbour, upon this ground, because we are members one of another. The Romans esteemed so much of truth for uniting men into societies, that they built a Temple to it, as to a Goddesse; in which Temple all Leagues, Covenants, Truces, and important bargains were made, which were so religiously observed, that whosoever broke them, was held for a cursed, damned creature, unfit for humane society. Rom. 1. 29. Full of envy, murther, debate, deceit, malignity. A man were better be true to false principles, then be false to true ones. Those who are false, are also mischievous: they care not what mischief they do to any, so they may but uphold themselves, and repair that credite which formerly they had, but now through their base falsenesse is crackt; and if they have wronged any by their falsnesse, they seek to keep such downe, if not to ruine them, fearing lest their falsenesse should hereafter be revenged: and if they cannot get them down by force, they will seek to do it by adding yet more falsenesse, by flattering them whom their hearts hate, and would gladly ruine. That Scripture, Prov. 26. 28. is very remarkable for this, A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruine. Psal. 72. 14. He shall deliver their soule from deceit and violence. If men who are false cannot compasse their ⟨p. 145⟩ends by deceit, they will seeke to doe it by violence: God hath his time to deliver his Saints from both. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.

1. 1Nulla res vehementius rempublicam continet, quam fides, Cicero.

CHAP. XXI.

Dividing Practices.¹ The first, The Practice of the Tongue. The second, Needless Disputes.

Dividing Practices.¹ The first, The Practice of the Tongue. The second, Needlesse Disputes.

1. 1The 1. Dividing practice, the practice of the tongue.

Provoking bitter language, is a great divider: An evil tongue in Scripture is compared to swords, Arrows, Razors, to poison of Asps, •ire, yea to the fire of hell, which sets all the world on fire, to wild beasts; it is an unruly member that cannot be tamed. When a Philosopher saw two women of ill fame talking together,¹ he said, By this speech the Asp takes in poison from the Viper, which it seems was a proverbial speech in Tertullians time, he inveighing against Marcion the Heretic, Let the Heretic,² says he, cease borrowing poison from the Jew, according to the Proverb, the Asp from the Viper.

PRovoking bitter language, is a great divider: An evill tongue in Scripture is compared to swords, Arrowes, Razors, to poyson of Aspes, •ire, yea to the fire of hell, which sets all the world on fire, to wild beasts; it is an unruly member that cannot be tamed. When a Philosopher saw two women of ill fame talking together,¹ he said, By this speech the Aspe takes in poyson from the Viper, which it seems was a proverbiall speech in Tertullians time, he inveighing against Marcion the Heretique, Let the Heretique,² sayes he, cease borrowing poyson from the Jew, according to the Proverbe, the Aspe from the Viper.

1. 1Eo sermone Aspidem à vipera sumere venenum.
2. 2Definat nunc Haereticos à Judaeo Aspis, quod aiunt, à vipera mutuare venenum.

Many men of moderate spirits, if let alone, yet meeting with men who tell them stories, and speak ill of those men that heretofore they had a good opinion of, yet now before they have examined what the truth is,¹ there is a venom got into their spirits before they are aware, their hearts begin to be hot, and to rise against those men they hear such things of, their thoughts are altered concerning them, their spirits alienated, breaches are made, and men who are innocent wonder from whence all comes. O take heed of these men of evil tongues, especially at your tables, for while you are warm with mirth and good cheer, you are in greater danger to take down the discourse of such as are at table with you, some poison may get into your spirits, and you not think of it. Saint Augustine could not endure such guests at his table; he caused therefore these two verses to be writ over his Table, it were well they were over some of yours.

Many men of moderate spirits, if let alone, yet meeting with men who tell them stories, and speak ill of those men that heretofore they had a good opinion of, yet now before they have examined what the truth is,¹ there is a venome got into their spirits before they are aware, their hearts begin to be hot, and to rise against those men they hear such things of, their thoughts are altered concerning them, their spirits alienated, breaches are made, and men who are innocent wonder from whence all comes. O take heed of these men of evill tongues, especially at your tables, for while you are warme with mirth and good cheere, you are in greater danger to take downe the discourse of such as are at table with you, some poyson may get into your spirits, and you not think of it. Saint Augustine could not endure such guests at his table; he caused therefore these two verses to be writ over his Table, it were well they were over some of yours.

1. 1Tertul. contra Marcion, lib. 3. cap. 8.

Quisquis amat dictis absentum rodere vitam, Hanc mensam vetitam noverit ipse sibi.