The Causes, Evils, and Cures of Heart and Church Divisions

Dear Brethren, — In the course of my reading, some years ago, I met with an old book, written by a worthy pastor in the church, Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs, on Heart Divisions, the Evil of our Times. Feeling at that time the pain of a partial separation in spirit and practice from some who were as my brethren and sons in the gospel, that book proved as a balm and a blessing to my soul. I saw so clearly the evil consequences of a division, and how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity, that I began to abridge my obsolete, but valuable book, and earnestly wished, prayed, and strove, for unanimity.

Soon after, I met with another old book, entitled The Cure of Church Divisions; written by that venerable servant of God, the John

Wesley of his day, in wisdom, affection, zeal, and a pacific spirit; I mean Mr. Richard Baxter, of precious memory. Being highly pleased with his evangelical sentiments, I concluded to make an extract from both, not doubting but it might be of great service to the church of Christ.

And now I recommend it to all ministers of the gospel, and professing Christians of every denomination, into whose hands it may come, beseeching them to read it carefully, and with much prayer, that they may cultivate a spirit of unity and brotherly love.

I remain, dear brethren, your servant for

Christ’s sake,

Francis Asbury.

CAUSES, EVILS, CURES,

Pride is the greatest master of misrule in the world; it is the great incendiary in the soul of man, in families, in towns, in cities, in all societies, in church and state: this wind causeth tempests to arise. Prov. xiii, 10: “Only by pride cometh contention.” The Holy Ghost singles out pride, as the only cause of all contentions, because it is the chief; though there be many in a riot, the whole is usually laid upon the ringleaders. Pride is the ringleader to all riots, divisions, disturbances among us. Prov. xxi, 24: a Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.” Pride may be well indicated for the great common barrator, or wrangler, in all our towns and cities; it makes woful troubles wherever it comes.

We read in Scripture of the manna that God gave his people; such was the nature of it, that the heat of the sun melted it. You will say, “How would it then endure the heat of the oven? for they baked it in the oven.” Yet, so it was of a strange kind of nature, that it could bear the heat of the oven, and not the heat of the sun. Even of such a temper are our hearts; the heat of the sun of prosperity dissolves us, causes us to run one from another: but the heat of the fire of affliction bakes us, brings us and settles us together; it makes us to be one, it takes away our rawness, it consumes many of our ill humours, and so composes our spirits into one. The stupidness of our hearts is such, that we do not make our brethren’s case our own; but we for the present having some more liberty than formerly, are lifted up, and in the pride of our hearts push at our brethren, and smite our fellow servants: if the troubles be at a little distance from us, though we even hear the cries of our brethren who are in the midst of them, yet we foolishly bless ourselves in our present ease, enjoyments, and hopes, as if our flesh must be spared, our estates and enjoyments continued, yea, raised, whatever becomes of others. O sinful vain spirits, befooled and hardened by their pride!

But what are the several workings of pride that make such a stir in the world?

Answ. A proud man thinks himself too great to be crossed. Shall I bear this? I will make you know what it is to do such things against me! He thinks it a great dishonour to himself to bear anything; therefore he must needs quarrel and contend, if it is but to show what a man of spirit he is, or to show that he is a man of such worth, that whatever others bear, it is not fit for him to bear it. It is but reason that such a man as he should make men, who will presume to cross him, to yield to him, to stoop under him. Now when one proud man thinks it a dishonour to him to put up with wrongs from another, who it may be is as proud as himself, and he thinks it a dishonour for him to put up with wrongs, what peace can there be? Some wrongs must be put up with, but proud men will never agree who shall begin.

Pride makes men swell beyond their bounds: the way to keep all things in union is for every man to keep within his bounds: the swelling beyond tends to the breaking all in pieces. Hab. ii, 5: “He is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlarge th his desire as hell, and cannot be satisfied.” If any humour of the body goeth beyond its bounds, it brings much trouble to it; the health and peace of the body consist in the keeping of every humour within its vessel, and due proportion.

Pride hardens men’s hearts. Dan. v, 10:” His mind is hardened in his pride.5 ‘If you would have things cleave, you must have them soft; two flints will not join: the Spaniard hath a proverb, lime and stone will make a wall; if one be hard, yet if the other be yielding, there may be joining, and good may be done, not else.

Pride causes men to despise the persons, actions, and sufferings, of others; and nothing is more insufferable to a man’s spirit than to be vilified. A proud man despises what others do, and others what he does; every man, next to his person, desires the honour of his actions; if these two be contemned, his sufferings will likewise be contemned by the proud: this also goes very near to a man; one man thinks what another man suffers is nothing, no matter what becomes of him; another thinks his sufferings nothing, and no matter what becomes of him. O at what a distance now are men’s hearts one from another!

Pride causes every man to desire to be taken notice of, to have an eminency in some thing or another; if he cannot be eminent on one side, he will get to the other; he must be taken notice of, one way or other; when he is in a good and peaceable way, God makes some use of him; yet because he is not observed and looked upon as eminent, he will rather turn to some other way, to contend, strive, to oppose, or anything, that he may be taken notice of, to be somebody, that he may not go out of the world without some noise. “What, shall such a man as I, of such parts, such approved abilities, so endued by God to do some eminent service, be laid aside, and nobody regard me? I must set upon some notable work, something that may draw the eye of observance upon me!” I have read of a young man who set Diana’s temple on fire, and being asked the reason, he said, “That he might have a name, that the people might talk of him.” Because he could not be famous for doing good, he would for doing evil. Proud spirits will venture the setting the temple of God, yea, church and state, on fire, that they may have a name; whatever they do or suffer to get a name, they will rather venture, than die in obscurity; that above all things they cannot bear.

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