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

First, by these Divisions men may come to see the vileness §1and the vanity of their own hearts: what were the thoughts of ⟨p. 248⟩men heretofore? Oh, had we but liberty and opportunity to be instrumental for God, we hope we should improve all to the uttermost for him, now God hath granted these to us, we abuse them, we grow wanton, we jar one against another: we are like some Mariners, who are calm in a storm, But storm in a calm. Surely every man is vanity. The untowardness of the spirits of those who heretofore longed after ordinances, freed from these defilements they mourned under, when they have their desires in great measure satisfied, discovers so much evil in the hearts of men, that it justifies those whom themselves have had hard thoughts of, men who seemed carnal and naught, that you looked upon as very evil, men of bitter spirits against good men, you thought such things apparently argued them void of grace, and yet when you are got into Church-fellowship, that way of freedom, that your souls mourned after a long time, now though you be joined in covenant one to another, yet if your brethren differ any thing from you, though they be otherwise godly, what a bitterness of spirit is there in some of you against them! what pride! what frowardness do you manifest against them! Oh what a poor creature is man! if once he gets power and liberty, what a deal of filth appears in him! we may learn by this to have charitable thoughts of some, of whom we have had hard thoughts before; we see if these men have any grace, grace may be in a mans heart lying under much corruption.

First, by these Divisions men may come to see the vilenesse §1and the vanity of their own hearts: what were the thoughts of ⟨p. 248⟩men heretofore? Oh, had we but liberty and opportunity to be instrumentall for God, we hope we should improve all to the uttermost for him, now God hath granted these to us, we abuse them, we grow wanton, we jarre one against another: we are like some Marriners, who are calme in a storme, But storme in a calme. Surely every man is vanity. The untowardnesse of the spirits of those who heretofore longed after ordinances, freed from these defilements they mourned under, when they have their desires in great measure satisfied, discovers so much evill in the hearts of men, that it justifies those whom themselves have had hard thoughts of, men who seemed carnall and naught, that you looked upon as very evill, men of bitter spirits against good men, you thought such things apparently argued them void of grace, and yet when you are got into Church-fellowship, that way of freedome, that your soules mourned after a long time, now though you be joyned in covenant one to another, yet if your brethren differ any thing from you, though they be otherwise godly, what a bitternesse of spirit is there in some of you against them! what pride! what frowardnesse doe you manifest against them! Oh what a poor creature is man! if once he gets power and liberty, what a deale of filth appears in him! we may learn by this to have charitable thoughts of some, of whom we have had hard thoughts before; we see if these men have any grace, grace may be in a mans heart lying under much corruption.