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

10. They are a very ill improvement of our zeal and courage; Zeal and courage have such an excellency in them, as its a thousand pities they should have no other improvement then to raise and maintain quarrels and divisions. The Lord hath use of every mans zeal and courage, reserve them for his, for some notable work that God hath to do for thee, and do not spend them about that from whence comes no good. If Soldiers lying near their enemies, have no store of powder, should spend what they have in making squibs and fire-works, would they not be condemned of folly, if not of treachery, by all? Those who have the most zeal and courage, have little enough to serve their turn, for the services that God requires of them, and must this be spent in unworthy brablings, wranglings and quarrellings? That mans body is in an ill condition that hath a sore to which the humours have recourse to feed it, leaving off the supplying to the parts of the body that are to be nourished and maintained by them; the sore is fed, but the other parts grow lank and feeble. Thus it is with many mens spirits, they are distempered, and then what abilities they have, are drawn forth to feed those distempers; what account can be given to God of such a use of them as this?

10. They are a very ill improvement of our zeal and courage; Zeal and courage have such an excellency in them, as its a thousand pitties they should have no other improvement then to raise and maintain quarels and divisions. The Lord hath use of every mans zeal and courage, reserve them for his, for some notable work that God hath to do for thee, and do not spend them about that from whence comes no good. If Soldiers lying neare their enemies, have no store of powder, should spend what they have in making squibs and fire-workes, would they not be condemned of folly, if not of treachery, by all? Those who have the most zeal and courage, have little enough to serve their turne, for the services that God requires of them, and must this be spent in unworthy brablings, wanglings and quarellings? That mans body is in an ill condition that hath a sore to which the humors have recourse to feed it, leaving off the supplying to the parts of the body that are to be nourished and maintained by them; the sore is fed, but the other parts grow lank and feeble. Thus it is with many mens spirits, they are distempered, and then what abilities they have, are drawn forth to feed those distempers; what account can be given to God of such a use of them as this?