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

Secondly, that we who were so lately in bondage, should upon §2the beginning of our deliverance thus fall out one amongst another, one from another, one upon another; for us who are newly come out of prison, who have upon us still the very smell of our prison garments, the sores of our necks by reason of those yokes that were lately upon them are not yet healed, and yet we thus presently fight one with another, this is uncomely and very sinful.

Thirdly, The union of our enemies is an aggravation of the §3sinfulness of our division;s how great a shame is it that they should join better then we! have they stronger bonds of union then we? Psal. 83. 5. 6. we read of ten or eleven sorts of men who could all agree in that which was evil; the Text says,¹ They consulted together with one consent, it is in the Hebrew, with one heart; there was Edom, the Ishmaelites, the Moabites, the Hagarens, Gebus, Ammon, Amaleck, the Philistines, with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur is joined with the children of Lot: these were of several opinions and ways in matters of Religion, and yet could join. I remember Gregory ⟨p. 210⟩Nazianzen in one of his Orations makes a bitter complaint of this,² Who is there, says he, that is of a right mind, that doth not deplore the present state of things? Who can find out expressions to set out this calamity of ours, that thieves and robbers, tyrants and whoremasters should be at peace amongst themselves, ³yet we cannot be at peace?