The Causes of Divisions: Practices That Divide

ASSOCIATING WITH WHISPERERS A DIVIDING
PRACTICE.

Many men of moderate spirits, if let alone, yet meeting with men who tell them stories, and speak ill of those men that heretofore they had a good opinion of, before they have examined what the truth is, there is a venom got in their spirits. Before they are aware, their hearts begin to be hot, and to rise against those men of whom they hear such things. Their thoughts are altered concerning them; their spirits alienated; breaches are made; and men who are innocent wonder from whence all come. O take heed of these men of evil tongues! Saint Augustine could not endure such guests at his table, and therefore caused these two lines to be writ over his table: it were well they were over some of yours:

To speak ill of the absent forbear,
Or do not sit at table here.

NEEDLESS DISPUTES A DIVIDING PRACTICE.

When men have got a little knowledge, they think it is a fine thing to be arguing and disputing in matters of religion: unnecessary disputes are their necessary practice, for they shall be accounted as nobody, if they have not something to object against almost everything; but in this way of theirs they shall be accounted knowing men, men who have an insight into things, who understand more than ordinary men do: hence they turn all their religion into disputes, and by them they grow giddy. Wine is good in its proper place and use, but when it fumes all up into the head, it makes it giddy. Knowledge is good when the strength of it gets to the heart, to comfort it, there to breed good spirits, for the strengthening it in the ways of holiness; but when it flies all up into the head, it fills it with thousands of fancies: it causes pride and giddiness. Disputes draw the best spirits from the heart, by which they weaken it. It is a very ill sign in a man to have a contradicting spirit; to get into a vein of disputing against anything, though it be good. I have read of Gregory Nazianzen, that he told his friends that Julian would prove to be a notoriously wicked man: he gave his reason, because he took such delight in disputing against that which was good. Disputes are seldom without much heart-distemper. If they continue long, they cause snarling one at another: and no marvel though those who snarl so often, do bite at last. A man shows most parts in the matter of truth, but most grace in the manner of handling it with reverence, holiness, and modesty. Rom. xiv, 1: “Receive not the weak in faith to doubtful disputations.” Here is a direct injunction against those disputes I am speaking of. Let no man say every truth is precious, the least truth is of more worth than our lives; we must contend for every truth. The least truth is so precious, that we must rather lose our lives than deny it. You must do and suffer much to maintain truth, but this in an orderly way. First, you must be grounded in the main fundamentals of religion: you must be strong in the faith, and after that labor to edify yourselves in all the truths of God, so as one may be helpful to another. It is not for every one, who hath but little time, little knowledge, little means, little strength, to tire out himself and others in doubtful disputes. The Scripture is so much against this, as nothing can be more. 1 Tim. i, 4: “Which minister questions rather than edifying.” To ask and discourse of questions about the great things that concern thy soul, thy eternal state, how thou mayest live further to the honor of God, is good, when you meet together: to confer one with another what God hath done for your souls, to tell each other the experiences of your own hearts, and God’s dealings with you; what temptations you meet with, and how God helps you against them. Such things as these would edify. But when your questions are about things you are never likely to understand; and if you did understand, they little concern you, they would not be helpful to you one whit in the ways of godliness: in these the Holy Ghost would not have you spend your time. Eccles. vii, 29: “Man was made upright, and he hath found out to himself many inventions.” “Miscuerit se infinitis questionibus.” So the old Latin reads it, he hath mingled himself in infinite questions. If we had but that great question more among us, What shall we do to be saved? it would cause many unprofitable questions to vanish. Never such ignorance came upon the Christian world, as in that age when the schoolmen were in the highest esteem. All religion then was turned into questions, and both the mystery and the power of godliness were lost. The things of religion are rather to be believed than disputed.

We believe fishermen, not logicians, says Ambrose. The devil at this day seeks to darken the glory of religion this way: — He sees so much light hath broke forth, that he cannot get men presently off it by profaneness, therefore he labours to eat out the strength of it, by busying them, and getting them to delight in multitudes of questions, and that about things of lesser concernment. 1 Tim. vi, 4: “He is proud and knoweth nothing, but doating about questions, and strife of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse dispu tings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth. These men conceit they have more knowledge than other men; but the Holy Ghost saith they know nothing. They cry out much of the truth, and they contend for the truth; but the Holy Ghost saith they are destitute of the truth. 2 Tim. ii, 22, 23: “Follow charity and peace, but foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes: but the servant of the Lord must not strive.” And Titus iii, 8, 9:” This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questions and genealogies, and contentions and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and

vain.”

The question about the law, whether a man be justified by it, or by free grace in Christ, is not one of those foolish questions and needless strivings. This is a great question, for which we are to contend; for our life is in it. But there are other questions about the law, which cause striving, rather than edifying. Let these two things be granted about the law: first, that we are not justified by it, but by the free grace of God in Christ; secondly, that what duties of holiness are set down in the law, we are bound to them by the most strong obligations. What need we contend further about the law? Let us be established in these two, and it will be sufficient for our edifying. It is likely, when Paul wrote this Epistle to Titus, the heads of the people were troubled about some such kind of questions about the law as are among us; therefore, says he, “avoid foolish questions, and strivings about the law.” But now the questions about the law are driven on to such a dangerous issue, that we have cause not only to be careful to avoid them, but even to tremble at the thought of them. It is now accounted a legal thing against the grace of the gospel to confess sin, to be humbled for sin, to make conscience of duty, or to be troubled in conscience for neglect of it. No, they thank God they are delivered from such things. In respect of God, whether they sin or not, it is all one. Yea, these things prevail with those who have been forward in a profession of religion; who seemed to walk strictly, but now are grown loose. That faith is easily wrought which teacheth men to believe well of themselves, though their lives be ill. There is a mighty change in men’s spirits now from that which was heretofore. Times have been, when any opinion that tended to looseness was presently disgustful and unsavoury, and rejected by such who made profession of religion.

Slaiden, in the tenth book of his commentaries, says the devil that sought to do mischief at Munster, was not a skilful devil, but rude and simple, because he sought to prevail by tempting men to looseness; whereas, says he, if he had been a cunning devil, he would rather have deceived by abstaining from flesh, by abhorring matrimony, by shows of wonderful lowliness of mind, &c. He might sooner have taken men this way. But truly now the most cunning devil sees it to be the best way ta attain his ends, to raise up and foment opinions that tend to the liberty of the flesh, so that by it he can carry them on under the colour of magnifying free grace: he finds that these things are exceeding suitable to men’s spirits in these times; that they are taken in by such who formerly appeared so conscientious, that he feared he should never have been able to have prevailed with them. He never found a way like to this to prevail with such men; yea, never a way like to this to choke the word, when it first begins to work upon the heart. He hath blasted more young converts this way, than ever he did by any way since he was a devil. Heretofore the way was to stir up others to deride them for following the word, and for praying; but now he hath a way worth two of that, to make them to deride others for their conscientiousness in following the word and praying; and this strengthened with a high pursuasion that hereby they are the great magnifiers of the free grace of God in the gospel — the only men who understand the gospel way. This devil now looks upon himself and his fellows as simple and foolish in all their former devices. Here is an experiment beyond them all; seeing this, Christ must needs be magnified, he will magnify him too. Seeing the gospel must go on, he will put it on too. He will find out a device here, to strike at the practice, power, and life of godliness, in a more secret and prevailing way than ever formerly was done. It is likely in this generation the former principles of godliness will not be got out: but if this way prevails still in proportion to what it hath done, in a generation or two it is likely to bring general profaneness and licentiousness upon the face of the Christian world more than any way of Satan ever since the world began; for here is a way to be loose and profane, and to satisfy conscience too.

NOT KEEPING WITHIN THE BOUNDS THAT GOD
HATH SET, A DIVIDING PRACTICE.

First, then, when men will be meddling with that which concerns them not; that is out of their sphere. 1 Thess. iv, 11: “Study to be quiet, and do your own business.” Pro v. xx, 31: “It is an honour for a man to cease from strife; but every fool will be meddling.” When manna was gathered, and kept in that proportion God would have it, it was very good; but when men must have more, and keep it longer than God would have them, then it bred worms. Thus it will be in all that we have or do. Let us keep the proportion God sets us, and all will be well; but if we think to provide better for ourselves, by going beyond our measure, worms are presently bred in all.

Peter Martyr, in an epistle to the ministers and such as professed the faith in Polonia, exhorts them to endeavour the establishing of discipline in the church as soon as they could, while people’s hearts were heated with love to and desires after the gospel. He tells them it will be harder to bring it in afterward, when their hearts begin to grow more cold. And that they might not think discipline a small thing, he says that those churches cannot be said to profess the gospel truly, nor solidly, which want it. He would have them consider it not to be the least part of the Christian religion; and to know that the gospel is neglected by such as shall put off from themselves such a singular, excellent portion of it. But, says he, this will be the objection, under the colour of discipline, the ministers will tyrannize; they will carry things according to their minds.

PROPAGATING EVIL REPORTS, A DIVIDING
PRACTICE.

This may be done, you know, otherwise than by the tongue; and this hath been an old dividing way. If we can blast the chief of a party, we shall do well enough with the rest; therefore let us make as ill interpretations of what they do as we possibly can. Let us fasten as ill things upon them as we can have any colour or pretence for. Let reports be raised, fomented, and spread: whether they be true or no, it makes no matter, something will stick. Jer. ii, 10: “Report, say they, and we will report it;” do but raise a report — let us be able to say we heard it, or there was a letter written about such a thing, and we will boldly assert it: the apprehension of it will prevail with many; however, these men shall not have that esteem in their hearts, as generally as heretofore they have had; and if we once get down their esteem, we shall do well enough with their cause. If we can meet with any bold spirit that will venture to encounter with them in this; that will dare to take upon him to gather up, or make, or aggravate, or wrest reports; or do anything that may render them otherwise in the thoughts and hearts of men than hitherto they have been; we shall break them. It is but one or two venturing the hard thoughts of men to make an experiment: some may be found fit for such a business; we will find out ways to encourage them. If their hearts begin to fail, we will apply warm clothes to them, we will one way or other support them. This must be done, or else whatsoever we do will be to no purpose. Something or other must be found to serve our ends in this. Doth Moses prevail too much in the hearts of the people? Something must be found against him. If we can find nothing against himself, yet will we find something against his wife. She is an Ethiopian woman. Num. xii, 1. And yet, who was she but the daughter of Jethro, to whom he had been married many years before? for an Ethiopian and Midianitish woman were all one. But now we are resolved to pick out whatever we can get information of, though it be in things done many years since, when they lived in such or such places, in times of old: it will serve our turn; we may fasten it upon them. Prov. xvi, 27: “An ungodly man’diggeth up evil, and in his lips there is a burning fire.” If he hath nothing above ground, he will dig something up, though it be, both what by God and man hath been buried long since. David was a public instrument of God for much good; yet (Psa. xxxi, 11,) “he was a reproach among his enemies, but especially among his neighbours.” Nehemiah raised by God for great service, what dirt was cast upon him? he was accused of sedition and rebellion. Paul a pestilent fellow — he and his company with him, turned the world upside down; what evil can be devised, but was fastened upon the Christians in the primitive times?

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They charge them as being the cause of all their misery. If they have ill weather; if the rivers overflow; if Nilus does not flow; if there be an earthquake, plague, famine; hale the Christians to the lions. At their meetings they said they made Thyestes suppers, who invited his brother to a supper, and presented him a dish of his own flesh, a limb of his son! Many such abominable things were fastened upon them, as are not fit to be named. Tertullian tells the Christians, that they were funambulones, like men upon a rope: if they went one step awry, they were in danger to be undone by it; so narrowly did their enemies watch them, and so malicously did they aggravate all their miscarriages. Thus the most eminent after his time, as Athanasius, he was as miserably aspersed as ever poor man in this world by the Arian party. They rendered him most odius to his friends and strangers. In the beginning of the reformation the Waldenses were so aspersed, that the story says of them, there was not one arrow in the quiver of malice, but it was drawn forth and shot at them. Luther, Calvin, Beza, Oecolampadius, Bullinger, and the rest, are by some in writing rendered the most black and vile pieces that the earth bore, both in their lives and deaths. I find it recorded by Zuinglius, that he was a man so eminent, that his friends made him almost a God; and so traduced by his enemies, that one would wonder the earth did not open and swallow up such a man.

As for the servants of God, they commit their names and ways to God, knowing that the Lord takes care of their names as well as their souls. If dirt be cast upon a mud wall it sticks; but if upon marble, it soon washes or moulders away. God will in time justify his servants, even in your consciences, by the constancy of their peaceable carriage toward men, and their gracious, holy walking, with their God. Only take you heed that you involve not yourselves in the guilt of that wrong that is done unto them, by the readiness of your spirits to close with, and take content in, what evil you hear of those whom God accounts faithful.

AN INORDINATE CLEAVING TO SOME, SO AS DENYING DUE RESPECT TO OTHERS, A DIVI-DING PRACTICE.

This was the practice among the Corinthians which caused great divisions among them. Some were of Paul, some of Apollos, some of Cephas. No question a man may in his heart more reverence and prize, and outwardly show more respect to, those whom God makes the greatest instruments of good, (caeteris paribus) than to others. David showed more respect to Nathan than to Gad. Nathan was by far more intimate with him: the intimacy was such between them, that Nathan thought it a very strange thing that David should do anything about the disposing of his crown, and not make him acquainted with it. So Valentinian the emperor honoured Ambrose above any of the bishops in his time. Such men as God is not pleased to make so instrumental for good as others, should not envy this: let them be willing that those should be honoured whom God honours: but yet people should take heed that they give not so much honour to one that they deny due respect to others. And ministers, and others in public places, should not entertain, much less seek for or rejoice in, any honour or respect given to them, which they see detracts from that esteem and countenance that are due to others. The weakness and folly of people in their inordinate giving, or denying respect, are often caused, but more ordinarily fomented and increased, by the pride and vanity of teachers, in seeking for, or at least in a pleasing embracing of, such inordinate respect given to them, whereby others suffer much. Siding of parties is made, and more hurt comes to the public, than their honours are worth a thousand times over. This evil many times comes of it, that reason and truth from one man are little regarded, and error and weakness from another man as greedily embraced, and stiffly maintained: whereas it should be with reason and truth, as it is with money: one man’s money in a market is as good as another’s; so should one man’s reason and truth, spoken by him, be as good as another’s.

BECAUSE MEN CANNOT JOIN IN ALL THINGS WITH OTHERS, THEY WILL JOIN IN NO-THING, A DIVIDING PRACTICE.

Some men are of such dividing dispositions, that if they be offended with a man in any one thing, in hearing or otherwise, they will go away in a touchy mood, resolving never to hear him more. You think you have liberty in any froward mood to cast off that means of good which God offers to you; to partake of such men’s gifts and graces as you please. It may be, your stomach is so high and great on a sudden, or your spirit is fallen into such a sullen humour, that you will not so much as go or send to him, to see, if, upon a serious and quiet examination of things, you may not have satisfaction in what for the present offends. No men’s spirits are carried on with such present, rash, heady resolutions. I believe there was never such a kind of spirit prevailing among such as profess godliness, since the Christian religion was in the world. Never did so many withdraw from hearing, even those by whom they acknowledge God hath spoken to their hearts; and that before they have gone to them, to impart what it is that scruples them, to try whether they may not get some satisfaction. Certainly, if you have no need of the word, the word hath no need of you.. You may easily express your discontents one to another; you may easily say you are resolved you will never hear such a one any more; but you cannot so easily answer this to Jesus Christ. When your weaknesses, the prevailing of your cEstempers, shall grate upon your consciences, this will be a great aggravation of the evil of them; you neglected in a humoursome way, and self-willed resolution, those means that might have done your soul good, even such as many hundreds, if not thousands of souls, bless God for, all the days of their lives, yea, are now blessing God in heaven for. Heretofore you would have been glad of that which now you slight and reject. This is not from more light or strength that you have now, but from more vanity.

TO COMMEND AND COUNTENANCE WHAT WE
CARE NOT FOR, IN OPPOSITION TO WHAT
WE DISLIKE, A DIVIDING PRACTICE.

When such as profess godliness, shall make much of wicked men; shall commend them, join with them, embrace them, yea, be well pleased with the bitterness, boisterousness, and boldness, of their daring spirits, because there may be use made of them, against those men and ways they differ from; this is an evil which brings guilt upon themselves, and makes the division between them and their brethren very great. If your hearts be right, and your cause be good, you need not make use of anything that is evil, to comfort your hearts, or to maintain your cause. The Lord will not be beholden to the evil, the bitterness of men’s spirits, for the furtherance of his cause; and why should you? God will not take the wicked by the hand; neither should*- est thou. Why do you seek to strengthen yourselves by stirring up vile men to join with you; such as heretofore your hearts were opposite to? How comes it to pass you can close so lovingly now? You can smile one upon another, and shake hands together. How comes it to pass you do rejoice the hearts of evil men; they encourage you, and you encourage them? Those unsavoury, bitter expressions, that come from them you can smile at and be well pleased with, because they are against such as differ from you. Blow up that sparkle of ingenuity that heretofore hath been in you. Lay your hands upon your hearts, bethink yourselves, Is it the Spirit of Jesus Christ that actuates us in such a way wherein we are? Surely this is not the way of peace, but of division and confusion.

REVENGE, A DIVIDING PRACTICE.

When any provoke you, you say you will be even with him. There is a way whereby you may be not even with him, but above him; that is, forgive him. Practising revenge is the way to continue divisions to the end of the world. Such offend me, therefore I will offend them; and therefore they offend me again, and I them, and so it may run in infinitum. They deny me a kindness, therefore I will deny them, and therefore they will deny me; so these unkindnesses run on endlessly. Divisions will have a line of succession. Where will it, where can it stop, if this be the way of men?

A gentleman of very good credit, who lived at court many years, told me, that himself once heard a great man in the kingdom say he never forgave a man in his life: and I am moved the rather to believe it to be so, because I have been told by some other gentlemen, that the same man would, when he was walking alone, speak to himself, and clap his hands upon his breast, and swear by the name of God, that “he would be revenged, he would be revenged.” And that she who lay in his bosom was wont to sit alone and sing to herself, “Revenge! revenge! 0 how sweet is revenge!”