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

David was a public instrument of God for much good, yet Psalm. 31. 1. He was a reproach amongst his enemies, but especially amongst his neighbours. Nehemiah raised up by God for great service, what dirt was cast upon him? he was accused of sedition and Rebellion.¹ Paul a pestilent fellow, he and his company with him turned the world upside down; what evil can be devised, but was fastened upon the Christians in the Primitive times? They charge them for being the cause of all their misery; if they have ill weather, if the Rivers overflow, if Nilus does not flow, if there be any earthquake, plague, famine, hale the Christians to the Lions: At their meetings they said they made Thyestes suppers, who invited his brother to a supper, and presented him a dish of his own flesh, a limb of his Son: Many such abominable things were fastened upon them as are not fit to be named. Tertul tells the Christians, that they were Fun•mbulones, like men upon a rope, if they went one stepped awry, they were in danger to be undone by it, so narrowly did their enemies watch them, and so maliciously did they aggravate all their miscarriages. Thus the most eminent after his time, as Athanasius, he was as miserably aspersed as ever poor man in this world, by the Arian party, they rendered him most odious to his friends, and strangers.

David was a publike instrument of God for much good, yet Psalm. 31. 1. Hee was a reproach amongst his enemies, but especially amongst his neighbours. Nehemiah raised up by God for great service, what dirt was cast upon him? he was accused of sedition and Rebellion.¹ Paul a pestilent fellow, hee and his company with him turned the world upside downe; what evill can be devised, but was fastened upon the Christians in the Primitive times? They charge them for being the cause of all their misery; if they have ill weather, if the Rivers overflow, if Nilus does not flow, if there be any earthquake, plague, famine, hale the Christians to the Lions: At their meetings they said they made Thyestes suppers, who invited his brother to a supper, and presented him a dish of his owne flesh, a limbe of his Sonne: Many such abominable things were fastened upon them as are not fit to be named. Tertul tells the Christians, that they were Funmbulones, like men upon a rope, if they went one stept awry, they were in danger to be undone by it, so narrowly did their enemies watch them, and so maliciously did they aggravate all their miscarriages. Thus the most eminent after his time, as Athanasius, he was as miserably aspersed as ever poore man in this world, by the Arrian party, they rendred him most odious to his friends, and strangers.