A30587:891
Irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace heart-divisions opened in the causes and…
Irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace heart-divisions opened in the causes and evils of them : with cautions that we may not be hurt by them, and endeavours to heal them / by Jeremiah Burroughs.Irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace heart-divisions opened in the causes and evils of them : with cautions that we may not be hurt by them, and endeavours to heal them / by Jeremiah Burroughes.
London: printed for Robert Dawlman, 1653
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Seventhly, ungodly men are dead in sins, the Devil hath them sure enough, he doth not seek to stir their corruptions so much as he doth the corruptions of the godly; he shall not get so much advantage by the one as by the other; therefore he labours to keep the corruptions of the godly acting as much as he can, that he may disquiet their own spirits, and the spirits of those with whom they converse.
Seventhly, ungodly men are dead in sins, the Devill hath them sure enough, he doth not seek to stir their corruptions so much as he doth the corruptions of the godly; he shall not get so much advantage by the one as by the other; therefore he labours to keep the corruptions of the godly acting as much as he can, that he may disquiet their owne spirits, and the spirits of those with whom they converse.
Thus you see it is no such wonder why there are dissentions amongst men that truly fear God; Suppose they should live all together, yet so long as they live here in this muddy world, it cannot be but there will be sometimes foul weather amongst them; but if you look into the Church, and consider of the dissentions there, there is a farther reason for them, for usually there are many hypocrites mingled with the godly there, they taking up a profession of religion and so creep into the Church, they find spiritual things unsuitable to them, hence they fly off,1 their spirits not being brought under the yoke of Christ, they fling against those things that pinch them. We read Num. 11. 4. that the great trouble the Children of Israel had among them, after they were got out of Egypt, was from the mixed multitude that was among them; these are as ill humours in the body, that do much disturb the quiet of it. None have more turbulent, cruel, impatient spirits, then hypocrites; none are so desirous of revenge as they, says Luther.
Thus you see it is no such wonder why there are dissentions amongst men that truly feare God; Suppose they should live all together, yet so long as they live here in this muddy world, it cannot be but there will be sometimes foule weather amongst them; but if you look into the Church, and consider of the dissentions there, there is a farther reason for them, for usually there are many hypocrites mingled with the godly there, they taking up a profession of religion and so creep into the Church, they finde spirituall things unsuitable to them, hence they fly off,